RTHK: Israeli police, Palestinians clash in Jerusalem

Israeli riot police clashed with hundreds of Palestinians at Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound late on Friday, capping a week of violence in the Holy City and the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians hurled stones, bottles and fireworks at police who fired rubber bullets and stun grenades in the disturbances at Islam's third-holiest site, which is also revered by Jews as the location of two biblical-era temples.

At least 163 Palestinians and six Israeli police officers were reported wounded at Al-Aqsa and elsewhere in east Jerusalem, as the Palestinian Red Crescent said it had opened a field hospital because emergency rooms were full.

Israeli police said that because of the "rioting of thousands of worshippers" after evening prayers, security forces had to "restore order".

Tensions in Jerusalem have soared in recent weeks as Palestinians have protested against Israel's restrictions on access to parts of the Old City during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and after authorities ordered several Palestinian families to leave their homes to make way for Israeli settlers.

The United States called for "de-escalation" and said the threatened evictions could worsen the situation in east Jerusalem, as the United Nations warned the forced evictions could amount to "war crimes".

Friday's unrest came on Al-Quds (Jerusalem in Arabic) Day, an annual day of pro-Palestinian rallies held by Iran, the arch-enemy of Israel, which also saw many thousands march in majority-Muslim countries across the region and as far as Pakistan.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said that he held the Israeli government "responsible" for the unrest and voiced "full support for our heroes in Aqsa".

The clashes erupted as Muslims packed the Al-Aqsa compound, to pray on the last Friday of Ramadan at the highly sensitive site. The second Palestinian intifada broke out in 2000 after a visit there by then right-wing Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon, seen as a painful provocation by Palestinians.

Earlier on Friday, Israeli security forces killed two Palestinians and wounded a third after the trio had opened fire on the Salem base in the occupied West Bank, police said.

Tamir Pero, spokesman of Israel's border police, said Palestinian attackers armed with rifles began running toward officers and shooting.

Officers "took cover behind concrete blocks and returned fire", killing two attackers and critically wounding a third, he said.

Friday's unrest follows days of bloody clashes and killings.

On Sunday, a 19-year-old Israeli was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting at the Tapuah junction bus stop, in the West Bank.

Israeli security forces said they had arrested Montasser Shalabi, 44, near Ramallah, on suspicion of carrying out the attack. Palestinian sources said Shalabi is a dual US national.

On Wednesday, Israeli troops killed a 16-year-old Palestinian when they opened fire on protesters throwing petrol bombs, also in the West Bank.

In the east Jerusalem Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood near the Old City, a series of clashes have broken out in recent days between police and protesters, fuelled by a years-long land dispute between Palestinian refugees and Jewish settlers.

Around 100 Palestinians again rallied on Friday night in Sheikh Jarrah and police used stun grenades and water cannon to disperse them.

The Red Crescent said many Palestinians were injured in Sheikh Jarrah and around the Damascus Gate, a key access point to the Old City, in clashes with Israeli forces.

Police said they made 26 arrests between Wednesday and Thursday, while the Red Crescent said 22 Palestinians were injured in Wednesday night clashes.

In Jordan - home to a large Palestinian population - hundreds rallied on Friday, chanting "we will die for Sheikh Jarrah".

Jordan administered the West Bank, including mostly Arab east Jerusalem, until the 1967 Six-Day War and remains the custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.

Earlier this year, a Jerusalem district court ruled four Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah legally belonged to Jewish families.

The Jewish plaintiffs claimed their families lost the land during the war that accompanied Israel's creation in 1948, a conflict that also saw hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced from their homes.

The Sheikh Jarrah families have provided evidence that their homes were acquired from Jordanian authorities, who controlled east Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967.

Israel's Supreme Court is to hold a new hearing in the case on Monday. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-05-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The victim later told Southern District detectives that he was inside a Royal Farms store and got into an argument with two unknown male suspects. The argument then moved outside and one of the males pulled out a gun and shot him. The victim ran into a casino searching for help, police said.
The chaotic incident came just three days after the most recent peace order was filed against Brown and after more than a decade of complaints from neighbors, who said he was paranoid that his house was being constantly searched by the FBI and other agencies. He accused neighbors of assisting, they said.
Naseri said Hazaras have been attacked in their schools, in their mosques and it is their right to be upset. How many more families lose their loved ones? How many more attacks against this minority has to occur in this part of the city before something is done?
Sarbanes told the crowd Saturday that Lewis wrote 300 pages of the 791-page act. The bill is viewed by Democrats as a civil rights bill because it would increase civilian participation in voting and running for office. The act is a collection of reform bills introduced in previous congressional sessions, now stitched into a single package.
With no Republican senators on board, the legislation lacks the 60 votes that would be required to end an expected GOP filibuster. The bills supporters say they are exploring making it procedurally harder to filibuster, or to make the argument that it merits a filibuster exemption on the grounds that voting and campaign finance procedures are fundamental to democracy.
Summary

In Chapter 6, the family moved to South Carolina, where Mauro often suffered racist insults, and then to a town in Delaware called Hookford, where Talia was born. Elena wanted to return to Colombia, but Mauro insisted they stay in the U.S. After Talia's birth, the nurse at the hospital suggested Elena get a hysterectomy. She declined. The family lived with a Pakistani couple they referred to as Madame and Mister. Mauro began drinking heavily and Elena considered leaving him but knew the family was better off together.

In Chapter 7, Madame and Mister's landlord told them the family had to move out. Shortly thereafter, a dead woman was found in the dumpster behind the motel where Mauro worked and then Mauro was arrested when the police found him sleeping in his car and he had no license or insurance. He was released when...
San Andreas, CA (95249)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 41F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph, becoming SSE and decreasing to less than 5 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 41F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph, becoming SSE and decreasing to less than 5 mph.
The mass vaccination site at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis is accepting appointments. A limited number of walk-ups will be accepted from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday. People are encouraged to get an appointment to ensure a vaccine will be available. To schedule an appointment, go to onestop.md.gov/preregistration.
Chinese research icebreaker Xuelong 2 completes Antarctic expedition

Xinhua) 16:54, May 07, 2021

SHANGHAI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China's research icebreaker Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, concluded the country's 37th Antarctic expedition on Friday, and returned to the home port in Shanghai.

Xuelong 2 embarked on the scientific expedition on Nov. 10, 2020, from Shanghai and traveled more than 36,000 nautical miles over the past 179 days.

The vessel carried supply and rotational staff to China's Zhongshan Station and Great Wall Station in the region. Marine ecosystem and environmental investigations were carried out as part of the expedition during the trip.

The team also successfully carried out rescue operations for international Antarctic expedition members and forged international cooperation in the Antarctic expedition material supply. It has withstood the test of COVID-19, as zero infections were reported among the team members.

This is the first time that Xuelong 2 has completed a single-vessel expedition around the Antarctic.

As China's independently developed polar icebreaker and scientific research vessel, Xuelong 2 is 122.5 meters long and 22.32 meters wide, with a designed displacement of 13,996 tonnes. It can continuously break ice as thick as 1.5 meters at a speed of 2 knots (3.70 kph) to 3 knots (5.56 kph).

Before the expedition, Xuelong 2 had completed one mission to the South and North Pole, respectively, since its delivery in July 2019.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Lynx, an interpretation of a privateer ship of the same name built by Thomas Kemp in 1812 in Fells Point, is a regular visitor to Annapolis. Privateers were private vessels granted Letters of Marque to prey upon enemy shipping, in this case, British naval ships during the War of 1812.
He then ran over to help a man trying to get out of the truck where it had flipped over the railing and was hanging off the side of the bridge, he said. When the man was freed, Bauer said, he didnt say much, only pointing to the water toward a car seat and a little girl in a pink dress floating on her back, kicking, before she rolled over and was face-down in the water.
Hearing these stories makes it easier to understand how, despite having a world class health system, Maryland is home to devastatingly high rates of infant and maternal mortality. According to the CDC, Marylands 2013 to 2017 maternal mortality rate of 24.8 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births ranks 22nd among states. Also startling and unacceptable is the fact that African American mothers are four times as likely to die during childbirth than white mothers. For infant and neonatal mortality, Maryland ranks 35th and 39th among states, respectively, significantly higher than the national rate.
Pritzkers announcement puts the state on a more ambitious timeline than the city of Chicago, which Mayor Lori Lightfoot said this week is aiming for a full reopening by the Fourth of July. While shes been critical of some of Pritzkers rules throughout the pandemic, Lightfoot has repeatedly shown a willingness to keep tighter restrictions in place. A Lightfoot spokeswoman released a statement saying the city is on course to move to the bridge phase with the rest of the state next Friday.
The next CEO will have to have experience in CPS schools in some way, shape or capacity, Spicer said. Dr. Jacksons shoes are just so huge to fill because she was a student, she is a parent, she was a teacher, she was a principal, network chief, CO and now CEO. I just think that that is just so invaluable, intimate knowledge of the system ... bringing in an outsider is not the way to go, because we dont have time for them to get caught up. Our children and their growth hang in the balance and that is just way too important.
The vaccination bus is part of an ongoing effort by the city as it confronts a new challenge: having more vaccine supply than demand among willing residents. By the end of April, most eager people already had gotten the shot, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said then, and the next task was dismantling the wall of resistance of residents who need more persuasion to sign up for a shot or who believe its too trying to find one.
There's a sex scene here that is nothing like the puppet sex scene in "Team America: World Police," for the record. Does Michael learn anything from Lisa, the woman who just wants to learn how to have fun and, in fact, at one point, sings "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" in the most forlorn possible voice? He does, yes, though the life lessons are messy, contradictory and bittersweet. Kaufman's perspective, and the perspective of the animation design, is that of a world where virtually everyone is like everyone else. Now and then, however, you meet someone who, in the parlance of customer service surveys, exceeds expectations. "Anomalisa" certainly does. It's Chekhovian screwball, a perfect little tale of love (or thereabouts) in bloom among the weeds of an ordinary life. It feels like a classic already.
A photo provided by Jean-Pierre Chopin shows a stone, carved with the year 1819, that marks the border between France and Belgium. The marker that was moved seven feet into French territory by a farmer in Belgium might have changed the countries' border forever if not for a sharp-eyed group of friends. (Jean-Pierre Chopin via The New York Times)
It is during this dispute that at least one person pulls out a gun ... It is during that pulling out the gun and the gunfire that three individuals that were not involved in the initial dispute were struck.
Global brands tap Chinese market via consumer products expo

Xinhua) 16:59, May 07, 2021

HAIKOU, May 7 (Xinhua) -- As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage and the world economy drags on, the first China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) marks a major step by China to further open its market and bolster the global economy.

The four-day event opened on Thursday in the southern island province of Hainan. It is the first-ever expo focusing on quality consumer goods held by China at the national level.

Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido was the first cosmetics company to sign up for the expo. It also participated in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) held in Shanghai in 2019 and 2020, attracted by the world's most promising consumer market.

Shiseido China CEO Kentaro Fujiwara said the CICPE has created a global platform for international investors to display and trade consumer products. He said it has injected new impetus into global consumption growth, showing China's consistent efforts to share its market opportunities with the rest of the world.

"We are very optimistic about the favorable investment environment in China and confident in the prospects of the Chinese market. We will introduce more new brands, products and technologies into China," he said.

Shiseido is one of the 648 foreign enterprises showcasing over 1,300 brands to consumers at the expo. Covering 80,000 square meters, including 60,000 square meters of international exhibition space, it is expected to be the largest exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Foreign enterprises and brands account for the majority of the exhibitors, which once again proves China's firm determination to promote higher-level opening-up," said Wang Bingnan, China's vice minister of commerce. "It also demonstrates that foreign enterprises are optimistic about the Chinese market and full of confidence in China's economic development."

Switzerland, as the event's guest country of honor, has an exhibition area of approximately 1,100 square meters for 40 well-known luxury goods and high-end consumer goods enterprises.

The expo marks another big step forward in the construction of the Hainan free trade port (FTP) and the acceleration of China's integration into the global economic system, said Swiss Ambassador to China Bernardino Regazzoni.

China in 2018 proposed the establishment of a free trade zone in Hainan and began construction of the Hainan FTP last year. On April 8, China released a guideline in support of easing market access in the Hainan FTP. That was one among many efforts to build the province into a globally influential, high-level free trade port by the middle of the century.

"The expo is an ideal platform for global high-end brands to enter both Hainan and the whole Chinese market," said Sung Hae Lee, chief representative of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, which organized the attendance of 50 small and medium-sized firms in the fields of cosmetics, daily necessities and food and healthcare products at the expo.

"We hope the Hainan FTP will become an important gateway for China's opening-up and play a key role in promoting the innovation-driven, high-quality development," said Wang, China's vice minister of commerce.

According to data released by the Ministry of Commerce, the total value of China's imported consumer goods reached nearly 1.6 trillion yuan (about 244.3 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020, accounting for 11 percent of total imports. In the first quarter of this year, China's imports of consumer goods increased by 18.1 percent year on year.

"The potential of the Chinese consumer market will encourage global brands to enhance innovation and increase investment in China, injecting great vitality into the recovery of the global consumer market and economic development," said Yann Bozec, president of Tapestry Asia Pacific, which is also participating in the expo with its latest products.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Paramedics took him to the University of Chicago Medical Center, but his condition was not given by police.
A 28-year-old man was shot while he was a passenger in a vehicle. The man said he heard about five to six gunshots, then felt pain. He suffered a graze wound to the left side of the chest and was taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, where he was listed in good condition, police said..
According to the crash report, Hurd was able to call his 31-year-old South Austin neighborhood friend who was part of the biker group and tell him where he was and that hed been hit by a car.
After the warrant was issued for Hylkas arrest, police could not immediately locate him but later said he was admitted to a hospital while they were searching for him. His attorney told them he will turn himself in after his release from the hospital, police previously said.
By about 1:45 p.m., the scene was deemed clear, said Chicago police spokesman Officer Anthony Spicuzza, who added he had no further information. Around that time, the CTA tweeted that all Red Line service, including at the Bryn Mawr stop, was back to normal.
In Michigan, drivers heading into Harbor Country should be on the lookout for the reconstruction of southbound I-196 from Holland to Saugatuck, which has reduced the road to one lane in each direction. There are also lane closures in both directions on I-196 south of M-89, with southbound ramp closures at the Blue Star highway, so vacationers may check the state website and expect substantial delays.
Were not concerned (about) any public safety or any foul play, Ploch said on the phone. It does look like some type of an accident. Were still trying to work with the state police, and then theyre working with the FBI and the bomb squad experts, in order to identify what exactly happened.
Rauners spokeswoman Rachel Bold did not respond directly when asked whether Rauner was embarrassed by the stunt, but wrote in a statement, This was the event moderators example of diversity that an audience of all ages could see and understand. It was one of two demonstrations at the event, both of which received ovations from the crowd.
Because theres not enough room in hospitals, COVID-19 camps are being set up in school and community centers around India, Kolasani said. The supplies being sent likely will be used in places like that, he said.
Hainan Expo to create manifold business opportunities for global players

People's Daily Online) 18:02, May 07, 2021

The first China International Consumer Products Expo (Hainan Expo) kicked off in Haikou, capital of south China's island province of Hainan on May 7, attracting over 2,500 brands from 69 countries and regions.

Photo taken on May 6, 2021 shows a drone performance for the first China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

The grand four-day event heralds a new future of prosperity to be jointly fostered by China and the rest of the world, and injects a new impetus into the global economic recovery amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Hainan Expo, the largest of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, is a solemn promise made by China to further expand its opening up to the world.

When attending a gathering celebrating the 30th anniversary of the founding of Hainan province and the Hainan Special Economic Zone three years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee announced the CPC Central Committees decision to support Hainan in developing the whole island into a pilot free trade zone, gradually exploring and steadily promoting the establishment of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics, and promulgating policies and institutional systems for the free trade ports step by step development in stages.

Last June, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council jointly issued a master plan, aiming to build Hainan into an international tourism consumption center and proposing to hold the Hainan Expo for the first time.

Plans for holding the Hainan Expo were also included in China's 14th Five-Year Plan and the 2021 Government Work Report, together with plans for other grand events such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the China Import and Export Fair, as well as the China International Fair for Trade in Services.

Daniel Battiston is chairman of the board for the Swiss company BAMOA GmbH. He is currently in quarantine in Shanghai and checks out the daily agenda for the Hainan Expo everyday online. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the man is not able to make it to the expo himself, even though he booked the earliest flight possible to make his way to the event. However, the difficult circumstances never caused him to waver in his determination to travel to China.

The Chinese consumer market is on a robust growth trajectory and the countrys large number of consumers have a strong demand for high-quality products, Battiston said, adding that China, which is more open today, offers massive opportunities for foreign businesses.

He expects to showcase Swiss mineral water, honey wine and other featured products in the Chinese market by way of the Hainan Expo.

Though impacted by COVID-19, large numbers of foreign enterprises are continuing to rush into the Chinese market just like BAMOA GmbH has done, reflecting China's firm resolution to continue expanding its opening up, which in turn has provided these firms with a strong sense of confidence. Almost all exhibitors have brought their flagship products to Hainan, which indicates the momentum and great potential of China's ongoing consumption upgrading.

The Hainan Expo enables direct trade between global sellers and buyers, said Wang Bingnan, Vice Minister of Commerce.

"The introduction of high-quality products from overseas can make up for the insufficient domestic supply of high-end products, which serves as a carrier for domestic economic circulation, while the connectivity between domestic and overseas markets will also facilitate the flow of commodities, services and other factors, so as to promote both domestic and international circulation," Wang explained.

The Hainan Expo has a total exhibition area of 80,000 square meters, including 60,000 square meters for international exhibitors. Ranging from garments to cosmetics, and from jewelry items to yachts, over 100 commodities are expected to debut at the event. All told, it is estimated that the expo will witness a total of more than 200,000 visitors.

The appeal of the expo demonstrates the positive results of the Hainan free trade port's opening up policies, as well as its efforts to improve the business environment, said Fabrice Megarbane, president of the North Asia Zone for L'Oreal and CEO of L'Oreal China. The cosmetics giant has already attended the CIIE for three consecutive years. The Hainan Expo will provide a means to further tap into China's consumption potential, he added.

Bernardino Regazzoni, ambassador of Switzerland to China told People's Daily that the Hainan Expo is an important milestone that marks a big step forward for the construction of the Hainan free trade port and an acceleration in the pace of China's integration into the global economic system. The expo will also provide the perfect opportunity for Switzerland to showcase "made-in-Switzerland" products, the ambassador said.

The expo not only creates new opportunities for foreign products to enter the Chinese market, but also expands sales channels for both domestic and foreign products, which helps facilitate supply-side structural reform in the consumption market, while further enhancing the supply of high-quality products and advancing upgrades to domestic consumption, said Shen Danyang, executive vice governor of Hainan province.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
We do know that there will be some people that will come out and kind of cheer on the veterans as they go down the street, Parker said. We dont think the turnout is going to be nearly as big as it has been in years past ... because it is a shortened parade.
China issued a guideline on Friday to encourage social investment in 13 major rural and agricultural sectors to boost rural vitalization.

The sectors include modern planting and breeding, farm-produce processing and circulation, new type of rural services, agricultural technological innovation and rural infrastructure, said the guideline jointly released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the national administration for rural vitalization at a press conference.

Efforts should also be made to create new approaches to investment, build platforms for cooperation and improve the environment of investment, according to the guideline.

Stressing the advancement of rural vitalization, Liu Huanxin, vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs, urged rural and agricultural authorities to cooperate with financial institutions to provide better financial services.

Along with the country's policy banks, the ministry and the administration are also exploring financing modes for projects aimed at improving the rural living environment, Liu said.
The value of Finnish exports of goods rose by 12.5 percent, while exports to China surged by 50.5 percent in March this year, according to statistics published by the Finnish Customs on Friday.

Statistics show that in March 2021, the value of Finnish exports was 5.7 billion euros (6.8 billion U.S. dollars), increasing by 12.5 percent from the corresponding month in 2020, and the value of imports was 6 billion euros, rising by 11 percent year-on-year.

Finland's export growth in March was driven largely by the surge in the value of exports to China, which amounted to 312 million euros, with a sharp increase of 50.5 percent. Besides, Finland's imports from China also increased drastically by 22.6 percent with a value of 487.8 million euros, said the Customs.

In March, Finnish exports to European Union (EU) member countries increased by 7.6 percent, and exports to non-EU countries rose by 19 percent. Imports from EU member countries increased by 8.5 percent and imports from non-EU countries were up by 15 percent.

Compared to March of the previous year, among the export growth, the value of pulp and timber rose the most, while oil and petroleum products took the lead among the import increase.

During the January-March period, the total value of Finnish exports increased by 3.6 percent and the value of imports by 0.6 percent year-on-year. The trade deficit amounted to 985 million euros, comparing to 1.4 billion euros in deficit in the correspondent period last year, said the Customs. (1 euro=1.21 U.S. dollars)
The People's Bank of China, the central bank, on Thursday released a document with fresh details, including quotas, on the proposed Greater Bay Area Cross-Boundary Wealth Management Connect and sought public feedback on the same.





The WMC is a pilot program that proposes to facilitate residents of the GBA, which spans nine cities in Guangdong province, and Hong Kong and Macao, to make cross-boundary investment in wealth management products, or WMPs, distributed by banks in the GBA.





What is noteworthy in the document is the proposed aggregate quota of 150 billion yuan ($23.22 billion) and a limit of 1 million yuan per person for cross-boundary WMP investments in the GBA.





The central bank would be able to adjust the two quotas in certain situations. Its local branches in GBA will report on the usage under the aggregate quota on each working day, the PBOC said.





The PBOC, financial regulators of banking, insurance and security investment services, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Monetary Authority of Macao jointly issued the regulatory details included in the document.





The connect program, if implemented, will mark a further step toward convertibility of the renminbi, the Chinese currency, under the capital account.





The pilot proposes that GBA residents can buy WMPs via a close-loop channel of funds within the banking system. The pilot will likely have both southbound and northbound components, according to the PBOC document.





Southbound investors should be residents of the nine cities in Guangdong province and have a minimum of two years of investment experience, with no less than 1 million yuan in net family financial assets at the end of each month over the last three months. Or, they should have total family financial assets of no less than 2 million yuan at the end of each month over a period of three months to the investment day.





Cross-boundary remittances will be renminbi-denominated, with currency conversion conducted in offshore markets. Fund transactions will be conducted through the PBOC's Cross-Boundary Inter-Bank Payments System, or the CIPS, according to the document.





Experts said the pilot program aims to support development of the GBA and deepen financial cooperation between the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, with a view to promote the opening up of the mainland's financial markets.





They also said cross-boundary remittances under the scheme will be conducted and managed in a closed-loop through the bundling of designated remittance and investment accounts, to ensure the funds are used only for WMP investments.





Anthony Lin, CEO of Greater Bay Area, Standard Chartered, welcomed fresh details of the pilot program. This, he said, will help "banks to prepare for the reported launch of the Wealth Management Connect later this year".





Standard Chartered's clients on the mainland generally prefer fixed-income products for cross-boundary investment. They are also more interested in stocks of Chinese companies listed in offshore markets, as well as US dollar-denominated bonds issued by Chinese companies, Lin said.





He further said investors in Hong Kong and Macao generally look for higher returns from mainland assets, especially those related to the "new economy" and in areas of consumption, infrastructure, manufacturing and technology, as well as RMB-denominated assets.





Standard Chartered has set up a project team to prepare for the Wealth Management Connect. In April, it launched the first fund product under the Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor program, which helps investors on the mainland to invest in GBA-related assets.
Chinese scientists have found the first evidence of three-dimensional (3D) spin-velocity alignment in a pulsar with the help of the world's largest radio telescope.



Based on observations of China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), a research team led by the National Astronomical Observatories (NAOC) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied the supernova remnant (SNR) S147.

The discovery, published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Astronomy, sheds light on unraveling the mystery involving the origin of pulsar spins and marks the beginning of in-depth pulsar research using FAST.

Pulsars, or fast-spinning neutron stars, originate from the imploded cores of massive dying stars through supernova explosion, said Yao Jumei, a team member.

For decades, scientists have found observational evidence for spin-velocity alignment in young pulsars. The relationship between pulsars' spin axis and spatial velocity vectors, however, has largely been restricted to a 2D sky plane perpendicular to the line of sight, due to the hardship in constraining radial velocity.

Focusing on PSR J0538+2817 in the SNR S147 and through the scintillation technique, the researchers obtained its radial location with respect to the SNR boundary and its radial velocity for the first time.

"We got the 3D velocity by combining the transverse velocity measured before," said Yao.

The polarization analysis made it possible to determine the direction of the 3D spin axis. The best-fit angle between these two vectors was found to be about 10 degrees, which is the first such measurement in 3D.
Debris from a Chinese carrier rocket in the coming days is very unlikely to cause damage, said a Foreign Ministry spokesman.



Wang Wenbin said at a news briefing on Friday afternoon that the country is paying close attention to the atmospheric reentry of the core stage of its Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket.

"As far as I know, this type of rocket has unique designs (to make sure) that most of its parts will be burnt up during the reentry process," he said, adding that it is highly unlikely that the debris will cause any harm to aircraft activity or ground-based assets and personnel.

Wang explained that it is international practice to leave core stages of rockets to burn up when reentering the atmosphere.

He also said that Chinese space authorities will make any information available in due course.

Wang made the remarks in response to a question about potential risks of damage on Earth from the rocket's debris.

Many foreign media published reports about what they called "an uncontrolled reentry" of the Long March 5B that lifted the core module of China's space station on April 29, sparking concerns over the possibility of debris crashing in unpredictable areas.

A Long March 5B is 53.7 meters long, with a core-stage diameter of 5 meters. The rocket is propelled by liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen and kerosene and has a liftoff weight of about 849 tons.

The rocket is the most powerful Chinese launch vehicle when it comes to carrying capacity to low-Earth orbit. It is essential to the country's space station program because it is now the only Chinese launch vehicle that is capable of carrying large space station parts into orbit.

It conducted its maiden flight in May 2020 from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province. The launch on April 29 at the same facility was its second mission.
You are here: China

The leading Party members group of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Friday attended a gathering in Beijing to hear a report on studying the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC).



Li Zhanshu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, and secretary of its leading Party members group, attended the gathering.

Qu Qingshan, head of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, delivered the report titled "Drawing Wisdom and Strength from the CPC's Century-old History."

In the report, Qu described the CPC's achievements since its founding a century ago, as well as the content and key points of Party history learning and education.

Some Party cadres of the NPC also attended the gathering to hear the report.

Members of the leading Party members group of the NPC Standing Committee held a discussion on the theme of the report.
China's latest scientific expedition to Antarctica concluded on Friday as mission members returned to their home base in Shanghai.



Xuelong 2, China's second  and its first domestically built  research icebreaker, arrived in its port in the eastern economic powerhouse on Friday morning, marking the success of the country's 37th Antarctic expedition that lasted 179 days, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources, which administers the nation's oceanic and polar research activities.

Carrying more than 100 researchers and support staff members, Xuelong 2 departed Shanghai on Nov 10 and traveled more than 66,000 kilometers during the six-month operation.

The expedition made personnel shifts at China's Changcheng and Zhongshan stations and also transported supplies to the two facilities. Mission members fulfilled extensive surveys about the biosystems and environments in southern oceans and achieved a lot in their scientific tasks, the ministry said.

This was the second long-distance voyage for Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, and also the first time the vessel had independently carried out a polar mission.

Jointly designed by Finland's Aker Arctic Technology in Helsinki and China's Marine Design and Research Institute in Shanghai, Xuelong 2 began construction at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai in 2016.

The vessel is 122.5 meters long, 22.3 m wide and has a displacement of 13,996 metric tons. With a maximum speed of 15 knots, or 27.8 kilometers per hour, the icebreaker can sail more than 37,000 km in a single voyage and carry out 60-day expeditions with 90 crew members and researchers.

Incorporating state-of-the-art design and advanced equipment, Xuelong 2 is capable of operating in any ocean around the world.

It is equipped with world-class oceanographic survey and monitoring apparatus, allowing experts to carry out research into polar regions' physical oceanography, biodiversity, and atmospheric and environmental conditions, and also conduct fishery resources surveys.

Before the commissioning of Xuelong 2 in July 2019, China only operated a single icebreaker  Xuelong  which was designed for cargo transportation rather than scientific research operations when it was built in Ukraine in 1993.

Xuelong was purchased by China and converted into a polar research and resupply vessel. It has carried out dozens of scientific expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic.

China now has five research stations in polar regions  Changcheng, Zhongshan, Taishan and Kunlun in Antarctica and Huanghe in the Arctic. There is also a China-Iceland Arctic Science Observatory in the Arctic.

It is now building a fifth scientific research station in Antarctica, which it intends to put into service around 2022.

The unnamed station on Inexpressible Island in Terra Nova Bay will be capable of accommodating 80 people in summertime and 30 in wintertime, according to the Polar Research Institute of China.

So far, China has conducted 37 expeditions to Antarctica and nine to the Arctic, obtaining a great deal of scientific data and many samples.
On April 27, China granted 363 highly-skilled personnel the national labor awards at a mobilization meeting in Beijing, signaling the country's intention to encourage fine craftsmanship and build itself into a quality manufacturer in the new era.



The meeting, held by All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), honored 2,891 exemplary units and workers across the country ahead of the Labor Day.

Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for efforts to speed up the development of the modern vocational education system and cultivate more high-quality technical professionals.

As China's economy transitions from a phase of rapid growth to a state of high-quality development, its workers are facing new requirements.

In April 2016, Xi met with a group of intellectuals, model workers, and youth representatives in Hefei, east China's Anhui province, stressing the implementation of the spirit of craftsmanship in factories and workshops so as to produce high-quality products.

Such spirit has also been emphasized in many major policy documents. In 2016, the government work report proposed, for the first time, the pursuit of "the spirit of craftsmanship." A reform plan issued in 2017 stipulated that industrial workers should be trained to have firm ideals, good skills, innovative abilities, and a sense of responsibility and dedication.

In 2017, the report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) stated that China should build an educated, skilled, and innovative workforce, foster respect for model workers, and promote quality workmanship. In 2020, the fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee proposed to launch special projects to train more top-level engineers and highly-skilled personnel.

Given the support, China's industrial workers have gained more and more recognition. A growing number of them have taken part in various professional skill competitions such as the WorldSkill Competition. They have also embraced more opportunities in professional training, vocational education, and the awarding of skilled talent.

Gao Fenglin, a senior technician and fusion welder, is one of the main contributors to China's aerospace industry and made key breakthroughs in its manufacturing processes.

"To save China from being overly-reliant or falling behind technologically, we need to strengthen innovative research, improve the quality of our industrial workers, and train more craftsmen on a national level," said Gao, who is also ACFTU vice chairman.

Statistics from 2019 showed that China still faced a talent shortage of about 20 million people. In addition, although China is the only country in the world to have obtained all the industrial categories listed in the United Nations industry classification system, its manufacturing industry still stands at the middle and lower end of the global value chain.

According to Gao, the shortage of technical workers and highly-skilled personnel have impeded China from transitioning into a manufacturer of quality.

Gao's view was echoed by Lyu Guoquan, head of the research office at ACFTU. "To move the Chinese economy up to the medium-high end of the global standard, the vocational skills of our workers should be improved toward the same level," said Lyu. He pointed out that due to China's shrinking working-age population, the country should work to translate its demographic dividend into talent dividend.

"We must train professional talent by ourselves," Lyu urged. "National-level craftsmen are the best of a country's skilled personnel. Their leading role can boost the development of all fields."

Still, Lyu noted that less focus should be placed on the quantity of such craftsmen. "We believe that craftsmen on a national level should possess exceptional professional skills and act as role models to boost public morale."

Lyu said that while economic growth requires cutting-edge techniques and skills, social progress relies on workers who are meticulous and strive for the best.

"The spirit of craftsmanship helps to build sound social norms with extensive, long-lasting influence," Lyu stressed. "As China enters its new development stage, implements the 14th Five-Year Plan, and stands at the crossroad of the 'Two Centenary Goals,' promoting the spirit of craftsmanship is of great significance."

Gao also agreed that promoting the spirit of craftsmanship could help the society develop a good work ethic and thus keep making progress.

Content created in partnership with Science and Technology Daily.
The shortage of land has long been a headache for Luohu, the first district founded in Shenzhen. Hence, it is striving to release more land for industrial upgrading through urban renovation projects.

In the process, district authorities also try to delegate powers to grassroots departments, society and the market, seeking to make it more convenient for companies and individuals to dispose of affairs related to government.

Over the past few years, 22 out of 25 approval powers have been delegated to departments below level of the district authorities.

The district has also strengthened coordination between district-level authorities, functional departments and sub-district offices, enabling government work to become more efficient.

Luohu has explored many paths for integrating resources and optimizing government operational procedures that can be rolled out in other parts of the Shenzhen city.

Luohu upholds the principle of scientific, efficient, transparent and coordinated urban renewal in its urban renovation projects.

The districts experience shows that urban renovation projects can not only provide more land, but also help promote investment and good governance and improve public services, which is in line with the requirements of sustainable local development.
China handles nearly 2.6 billion express parcels during Labor Day holiday

People's Daily Online) 18:11, May 07, 2021

Nearly 2.6 billion express delivery parcels were handled by the Chinese courier industry during this past Labor Day holiday, which stretched from May 1 to 5, according to the State Post Bureau (SPB).

A staff member of China Post scans parcels in Daoxian county, Hunan province on May 1, 2021. (Photo/Xinhua)

A total of 1.34 billion parcels were collected, up 22.95 percent year on year, and registering a 97.13 percent surge compared with the same period in 2019. The number of parcels delivered hit 1.25 billion, 22.28 percent more than the number of deliveries in 2020 and 91.77 percent more than was delivered two years ago.

During the five-day holiday, online sales for farm produce demonstrated significant growth. A total of 360 million and 220 million parcels were shipped to and from rural areas, respectively, with both figures indicating a 30 percent increase over 2020 numbers, while being 10 percentage points higher than the overall number of parcels handled in urban areas.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)




Editor's note: The following piece is an article by Zhou Muzhi, a professor of Tokyo Keizai University and president of Cloud River Urban Research Institute.

The soaring carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have led to frequent occurrences of climate anomalies and extreme climate disasters all over the world, and global climate change has become a common challenge for mankind. No one can insulate itself from climate crises. In this context, most of the heads of 40 countries and regions set clear targets to reduce CO2 emissions by 2030 at the Leaders Summit on Climate on April 22, 2021.



Following the commitment to striving to peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2020, China said at this summit that the targets of carbon peak and carbon neutrality have been added to its overall plan for ecological conservation.

How are global carbon emissions like today? What are the factors that affect carbon emissions? What challenges are countries in the world facing? You will find in this article by Professor Zhou Muzhi all the answers in detail based on the data analysis of the top 30 CO2 emitting countries and regions in the world.

The 21st century has seen the most rapid growth of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in human history. If we put global CO2 emissions in the timeline, three time periods would stand out: first, the world's total volume of CO2 emissions up until 1979 accounted for only 54% of cumulative emissions; second, the CO2 emissions during 1980-1999 accounted for 15.3% of cumulative emissions; third, the CO2 emissions during 2000-2019 accounted for up to 30.7%. In other words, global CO2 emissions nearly doubled since 1980. Even more notably, CO2 emissions during 2000-2019 doubled that during 1980-1999, and global CO2 emissions have skyrocketed since the 21st century.

1. Global CO2 emissions

Today, 79 countries and regions able to accurately track their CO2 emissions are responsible for 96.7% of global emissions.

During 2000-2019, 28 countries (the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Ukraine, Japan, Italy, France, Greece, Venezuela, Spain, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Denmark, Uzbekistan, Romania, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Portugal, Hungary, Slovakia, Ireland, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, North Macedonia, and Norway) out of the 79 saw declines in their CO2 emissions. Those countries are generally composed of two types: developed countries (almost all the developed countries in the West included) and those with a sluggish economy.

On the contrary, the CO2 emissions of the remaining 51 countries and regions, mostly developing ones, increased incrementally, with those of newly industrialized countries led by China, rising significantly. In particular, the increase contributed by them was much greater than the reduction contributed by the aforementioned 28 countries. In fact, the reduction offset only 15.7% of the increase. It was the 51 countries and regions that drove up the rapid growth of global CO2 emissions during the period.

Today's global CO2 emissions have three main characteristics. First, the countries and regions who have reduced emissions co-exist with those still on the path of continuous emission increase.

Second, top emitters contribute to the vast majority of global emissions. In 2019, the top five emitters, including China, the U.S., India, Russia, and Japan, were responsible for 58.3% of global emissions. In other words, nearly 60% of global emissions came from the leading five countries. We can see from a further look at the list that the top 10 countries and regions accounted for up to 67.7% of global emissions, and the top 30 countries and regions 87%. The U.S. and Japan pledged to cut emissions by 50-52% (compared with 2005) and 46% (compared with 2013) by 2030, respectively. These two challenging goals are undoubtedly a powerful boost for the upgrading of their energy structure and industrial structure.

Third, China ranks first with a striking volume and a contribution of 28.8%. Its emissions in 2019 were already approximately equivalent to the combined emissions of the four countries running behind  the U.S., India, Russia, and Japan. That is precisely why China's commitment to striving for carbon neutrality by 2060 is both significant and challenging.

2. Six main factors affecting CO2 emissions

Six main factors must be taken into consideration when discussing CO2 emissions.

First, CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption, also known as carbon intensity of energy. It is related to the quality and efficiency of energy. For example, China's energy structure, with coal as the primary energy source, gives off relatively higher CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption. However, as its primary energy sources switch from coal to natural gas in thermal power generation, accompanied by enlarged shares of renewable energy such as wind power, solar power, and hydropower as well as the development of nuclear power, its CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption will decrease gradually.

Second, energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP), also known as energy intensity. It goes up in the early stages of industrialization, but then turns to go down as the level of industrialization increases and the industrial structure changes, the backward productivity being phased out, and the equipment and working procedures being optimized. Therefore, in the long term, the curve of a country's energy consumption per unit of GDP will rise sharply in the early stages of industrialization, but a turning point to a downward trend will ensue after a certain period of time if the industrialization develops smoothly.

Third, CO2 emissions per unit of GDP, also known as carbon intensity. It measures the correlation between a country's economy and its CO2 emissions. The interplay between CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption and energy consumption per unit of GDP determines the level of carbon intensity.

Fourth, per capita GDP. It measures the level of economic development. As economy develops, industrial activities expand, and people's lifestyles modernize, per capita energy consumption will increase, leading to higher CO2 emissions.

Fifth, total population and demographic structure. The larger the population of an economy, the higher its CO2 emissions will be. The impact of demographic structure on energy consumption must also be taken into consideration.

Sixth, CO2 emissions per capita. It embodies the interplays of all the previous five factors, and it is a key of measuring the CO2 emissions of an economy. Its turning point marks the peak of CO2 emissions in a real sense.

Generally speaking, when the socio-economic development reaches a certain level, CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption and energy consumption per unit of GDP are the first to turn downward, and CO2 emissions per capita will respond later. However, only when CO2 emissions per capita start for a continuous decline does it signify a real turning point.

3. China's achievements and missions

Since China's accession to the World Trade Organization, its economy has entered a chapter of tremendous development fueled by export and urbanization. During 2000-2019, its exports increased by nine times, and the urban area (the area of urban land that meets certain standards for construction and infrastructure) by 1.9 times and GDP by 4.2 times, both in real terms.

The soaring economy greatly increased China's real GDP per capita by 3.6 times, from US$2,151 in 2000 to US$9,986 in 2019. Large-scale industrial development, accelerated urbanization, and increasingly modernized lifestyles of a large population resulted in a significant expansion in energy consumption, which is the fundamental cause of the increase of CO2 emissions in China.

On the plus side, China's CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption, energy consumption per unit of GDP, and CO2 emission per unit of GDP have all reached their turning points and showed obvious downward trends. China's CO2 emissions per unit of energy in 2019 decreased by 10% compared with 2000, and its energy consumption per unit of GDP and carbon intensity both dropped by 40% during the period, a result of China's relentless efforts in energy conservation, emission reduction, and clean energy development in recent years. China has achieved remarkable results in promoting green, sustainable, and low-carbon development.

However, during the same period, China's CO2 emissions per capita increased by 1.6 times. Despite the downward trends of the previous three factors, China is yet to reach its peak in CO2 emissions per capita. How to reach the turning point quickly and drive down CO2 emissions per capita steadily will be the determining factor for China to fulfill its commitment to striving to peak CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

4. Data analysis of top 30 emitting countries and regions

The top 30 emitting countries and regions make up nearly 90% of global CO2 emissions, and they are also home to 69% of the world's population, producing 84% of the world's GDP. Moreover, during 2000-2019, they contributed as much as 92.7% of global emission growth, a reality worthy of a thorough analysis.

(1) Changes of CO2 emissions

During 2000-2019, global CO2 emissions increased by 40%. However, among the top 30 emitters, seven major countries  the U.S., Japan, Germany, the U.K., Italy, France, and Spain  achieved CO2 emission reductions. Specifically, the U.K. reduced its emissions by 30%, Germany, Italy, and France by 20%, and the U.S., Japan, and Spain by 10%.

In the meantime, 23 countries with increased emissions, led by China and India, more than cancelled out the emission cuts made by the seven above. In fact, the reduction made by the aforementioned seven countries only offset 13.2% of the increase contributed by the 23, resulting in a steep rise in global emissions.

During the period, the emissions of China and India grew by 1.9 times and 1.6 times, respectively. China overtook the U.S. in 2005 to become the economy with the largest CO2 emissions worldwide. India rose to third place, surpassing Japan and Russia. Vietnam, currently ranking 22nd in CO2 emissions, became the country with the most rapid increase in emissions at a growth rate of 510%.

(2) Changes of primary energy consumption

During 2000-2019, global primary energy consumption increased by 48%. Specifically, China became the economy with the fastest growth of energy consumption at a rate of 230%, and exceeded the United States in 2009 to be the world's biggest consumer of primary energy. India, with a growth rate of 160%, became the third biggest consumer of primary energy. Vietnam became the fastest-growing country in primary energy consumption during the period with a rate of 450%, ranking 22nd in primary energy consumption.

However, 22 countries reduced their primary energy consumption during the same period. Six countries out of the 22 are from the top 30 emitters, which are Japan, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and the U.S. in the order of the magnitude of reduction. All the six countries are developed ones, among which the U.S. even achieved a 45.4% real GDP growth during the period. In other words, the developed countries achieved fruitful outcomes in energy conservation and emission reduction.

(3) CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption

During 2000-2019, CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption were reduced across the top 30 emitters except India, Japan, Indonesia, South Africa, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan. The U.K. and Thailand decreased their CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption by 20%, and China, the U.S., Russia, Germany, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Poland, France, the United Arab Emirates, China's Taiwan, Spain, and Singapore by 10%.

The U.S. has begun to develop new energy and CO2 emission reduction policies since President Clinton. In spite of policy changes under different presidents, the country has been continuously optimizing its energy structure. By 2017, renewable energy power generation had already accounted for 42% of the total power generation in the 11 Western states, as coal-fired power generation was phased down. Notably, the policy to push for small-scale natural gas power generation originated during the presidency of President Carter, and small-scale power generation fueled by natural gas became the country's largest power source in 2002.

Japan stood out as a unique case in the developed world. The country resorted to thermal power generation on a very large scale after the nuclear power failure in 2011. One third of its power came from coal-fired power generation, resulting in the increase in its CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption.

Coal-fired power generation occupies a larger proportion in the power sources of developing countries. For example, it accounts for as much as 46% in the power structure of Southeast Asia.

How to find an efficient way to terminate coal-fired power generation has become the most important step for the globe to achieve carbon neutrality. On April 21, 2021, in an article published on Nikkei, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that developed economies must commit to phasing out coal by 2030; other countries must do this by 2040.

China relies heavily on coal-fired power generation. Despite the decrease in its CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption, coal still takes up as much as 57.7% of its primary energy consumption structure. Its energy structure needs to be optimized urgently.

At the Leaders Summit on Climate on April 22, the Chinese leader said that China will strictly control coal-fired power generation projects, and strictly limit the increase in coal consumption over the 14th Five-Year Plan period and phase it down in the 15th Five-Year Plan period. It indicates that China has truly gotten on a fast track of primary energy transition.

The analysis of the CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption of the 30 countries and regions shows that with the improvement of technologies, the increase of equipment investment, and the optimization of energy structure, most countries will steadily reduce their CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption. However, there are also cases whose CO2 emissions per unit of energy consumption increased even further, for example, Japan, due to radical changes in its energy structure caused by nuclear power failure, and India, Indonesia, and Vietnam, due to accelerated industrialization in recent years.

(4) Energy consumption per unit of GDP

During 2000-2019, energy consumption per unit of GDP decreased across the top 30 emitting countries and regions except Iran, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates. Specifically, countries like China, Russia, the U.K., and Poland saw reductions by 40%; the U.S., Japan, Germany, South Korea, France, China's Taiwan, and Kazakhstan by 30%; India, Indonesia, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Italy, Spain, and Malaysia by 20%; and Mexico, Turkey, Singapore, Egypt, and Pakistan by 10%.

With the improvement in technologies, the increase of equipment investment, and the optimization of energy structure, most countries have continuously improved their energy efficiency. During 2000-2019, energy consumption per unit of GDP on a global scale dropped significantly by 20%. There are also exceptions. For instance, Iran, whose economy suffered from the sanctions of the U.S., and Vietnam, due to rapid industrialization, both saw declines in energy efficiency, while their energy consumption per unit of GDP went up by 50% and 60%, respectively.

(5) Changes of CO2 emissions per unit of GDP

During 2000-2019, CO2 emissions per unit of GDP dropped across the top 30 CO2 emitters, except Iran, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates. Specifically, the U.K. and Poland halved their CO2 emissions per unit of GDP, the largest reductions in carbon intensity; China cut its CO2 intensity by 40%, which was also a remarkable decrease; the U.S., Russia, Germany, and France, and China's Taiwan by 40%; South Korea, Canada, Australia, Italy, Spain and Kazakhstan by 30%; India, Japan, South Africa, Turkey, Malaysia, Singapore, and Egypt by 20%; and Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand, and Pakistan by 10%.

On the contrary, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam increased their carbon intensity by 10%, 40% and 80%, respectively.

Thanks to the steep decline in carbon intensity among major emitters, global CO2 emissions per unit of GDP decreased by 18.1% in the period.

China has scored huge success in reducing its carbon intensity, as its carbon intensity accounts for only 76.1% of India's, 64.9% of Russia and 60.3% of Vietnam. However, China is still lagging behind developed countries, since China's carbon intensity is 180%, 260%, 450% and 500% higher than the U.S., Japan, Germany, the U.K. and France, respectively. Therefore, the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2015) set out a scheme in which controlling carbon intensity acts as the main task supplemented with controlling carbon emissions. How to quickly reduce carbon intensity and shift to a low-carbon development pattern remains a daunting challenge.

5. Analysis of carbon emission peaks of top 30 emitting countries and regions

To scientifically analyze peaks of carbon emissions and avoid the disorder caused by the abnormal value in a single year, this article introduces the concept of "moving average" to analyze the peaks of carbon emissions. The analysis of "moving average line" is a method of averaging the data in a certain period, and looking at the trend by moving average lines of average values in different periods. It is widely used in the trend analysis in financial and business areas, and has recently been applied to the analysis of COVID-19 spreading or receding.

This article calculates the average value on a five-year basis, and analyzes CO2 emissions per capita and CO2 emissions of each country from 1980 to 2019 through the method of moving average lines, so as to evaluate the performance of each country in carbon emissions, energy conservation and emission reduction through judgment of the turning point and trend in a more accurate way.

(1) Analysis of peaks of CO2 emissions per capita

Seen from the "moving average line" analysis of CO2 emissions per capita, 17 of the top 30 emitting countries and regions saw their CO2 emissions per capita continued to decline after reaching a peak -- the U.S., Russia, Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Canada, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, the U.K., Italy, Poland, France, Spain, Malaysia and Egypt.

On the contrary, 13 of the top 30 emitters -- China, India, Iran, South Korea, Indonesia, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Singapore, and Pakistan saw their CO2 emissions per capita rise in the period.

Global CO2 emissions per capita continued to drop after reaching a peak in 2011, largely thanks to the efforts of developed countries in cutting emissions.

During 2000-2019, the U.K. cut CO2 emissions per capita by 40%, the U.S., Italy, France and the United Arab Emirates by 30%, Germany and Spain by 20%, Japan, Canada and Australia by 10%. Those major Western countries are key contributors to energy conservation and emission reduction.

However, CO2 emissions rose due to an increase in energy consumption in newly industrialized nations that experienced industrialization, urbanization and improved life styles. In the period, CO2 emissions per capita in China and India rose by 160% and 100%, respectively, and Vietnam surged by a staggering 400%. CO2 emissions per capita in Kazakhstan went up by 90%, Indonesia by 80%, Iran by 70%, Thailand by 60%, Turkey, Malaysia and Singapore by 40%, South Korea, Saudi Arab, Egypt and Pakistan by 30%, Brazil by 20%, and Russia and China's Taiwan by 10%. Overall, CO2 emissions per capita rose in newly industrialized nations and regions.

Quite notably, China's current CO2 emissions per capita have surpassed the U.K. and France. Policy makers should put the goal of peaking CO2 emissions per capita as soon as possible high on the agenda.

(2) Analysis of CO2 emission peaks

Seen from the "moving average line" analysis, CO2 emissions in 12 countries of the top 30 emitters -- the U.S., Russia, Japan, Germany, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., Italy, Poland, France, and Spain, assumed a trend of declining after reaching a peak. Saudi Arabia, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and Egypt haven't peaked their CO2 emissions, although their per capita CO2 emissions have peaked. That's because their populations increased remarkably from 2000 to 2019. Specifically, Saudi Arabia's population increased by 70%, Canada by 20%, Australia by 30%, Malaysia by 40%, and Egypt by 50%. Population growth has delayed the peaking of carbon emissions.

The U.S. encountered a similar situation. From 2000 to 2019, U.S. population grew by 47.35 million, delaying the peaking of carbon emissions. Although the U.S. peaked its CO2 emissions per capita in 2000, it didn't peak CO2 emissions until 2007.

China's CO2 emissions currently grows at a slower pace, but haven't reached a peak. With the target of peaking carbon emissions by 2030, all sectors across China are formulating plans for carbon drive, in the hopes of reaching the goal as scheduled or even ahead of schedule.

6. China and US: biggest players and beneficiaries of globalization

The world entered a new stage of globalization in the 21st century, with a sharp increase in global trade, investment, technology transactions, and personnel exchanges. If we put global exports in the timeline, we will find the global export volume in 1979 accounted for only 10.8% of the current volume. The net growth during 1980-1999 doubled that of 1979, and made up 23.2% of today's global export volume. Exports were given a boom during 2000-2019, with growth in the period accounting for 66% of the current volume. In other words, 70% of today's global exports were created in the 21st century, meaning that wealth model was swiftly shifted from the national economy to the global economy.

It was the globalization that made the explosive growth of global wealth happen. Global GDP in real terms during 2000-2019 grew by 74.5%. In the period, China's GDP in real terms grew by 420%, becoming the biggest contributor to the world economic growth. Despite a modest growth rate of 45.4% in the period, which was below the world's average, the U.S. had a colossal growth of wealth due to its large economy.

In the period, 49.6% of the world's GDP in real terms was created by China and the U.S. Specifically, China accounted for 32.2% of the world's increment, the U.S. 17.4%, ranking first and second respectively in the world. The remaining countries in the top 10 were India, the U.K., South Korea, Germany, Russia, Indonesia, Japan and Brazil. Compared with China and the U.S., those countries had a much smaller share of the global GDP increment.

It is fair to say that it was the division of labor and cooperation between China and the U.S. that propelled globalization and created an age marked by the explosive growth of wealth in human history. The two countries are the biggest players and beneficiaries of the globalization age.

How is the relationship between economic growth and CO2 emissions in this period? Measured by GDP growth rates in real terms and CO2 emission growth rates, the top 30 emitters can be divided into three groups.

The first group includes those countries experiencing a low growth of real GDP and a negative growth of carbon emissions, such as the U.S., Japan, Germany, the U.K., Italy, France, and Spain, all among major developed countries.

The second group includes 18 countries and regions experiencing a medium-to-low economic growth and a low growth of carbon emissions -- Russia, Iran, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Canada, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Turkey, Poland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, China's Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Egypt, and Pakistan.

The third group includes those countries and regions experiencing a medium-to-high economic growth and a rapid growth of carbon emissions, such as India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Kazakhstan. Among them, Vietnam stands out with a remarkable growth of carbon emissions.

The fourth group includes China that enjoys a fast-growing economy. Its growth rate of carbon emissions is roughly the same with that of the third group.

Graphic: Real GDP growth and CO2 emission growth (2000-2019)

From the analysis above, the first 20 years of the 21st century was marked by the global division and cooperation of labor as well as the exponential growth of global wealth fueled by scientific advances and globalization. In the 20 years which was arguably an extremely special period in human history, labor division developed greatly, accompanied by huge amounts of CO2 emissions.

In the next 20 years, human needs to rely on cooperation to promote energy conservation and emission reduction, realize the growth of a green circular economy and combat climate change through improving the quality of development to retain hard-won prosperity.

Xie Zhenhua, China's special envoy for climate change affairs, met with his U.S. counterpart John Kerry to talk about the climate crisis in Shanghai from April 15-16. In a joint statement issued after the talks, the two parties stressed that the two countries will work together with other countries to cope with the climate crisis and stay committed to implementing the Paris agreement alongside with other signatories.

The IEA estimates global CO2 emissions will increase 4.8% in 2021 year on year, which indicates that the carbon reduction drive still faces grim challenges. China and the U.S., the biggest players and beneficiaries of the global division of labor and wealth growth, should take the lead in developing the global green circular economy in the next 20 years.

The author is a professor of Tokyo Keizai University and president of Cloud River Urban Research Institute.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
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U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that he is confident that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin could be arranged in June, downplaying the impact of Russian-Ukrainian border tension to the summit.

"I'm confident we'll be able to do it. We don't have any specific time or place. That's being worked on," Biden told reporters in the White House when asked about meeting with Putin in June.

He also suggested Russia's military buildup along the border with Ukraine would not change his intention to meet with Putin.

"It does not impact my desire to have a one on one meeting ... He (Putin) had more troops (at the border) before. He has withdrawn troops. There are still troops amassed, but significantly less than he had a month ago."

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said later in a daily press briefing that the discussions between two sides over the summit's location, timing, and agenda are still underway.

She added the United States and Russia would continue to disagree over multiple issues while noting these disagreements would not need to be resolved before the summit.

Biden said earlier this week that he expected to meet with Putin during the upcoming trip to Europe in June, when he will attend the Group of Seven Summit in Britain and then the NATO Summit in Brussels, Belgium.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have been adversarial in recent years. The two were bitterly divided over Ukraine, human rights, cybersecurity issues, and they mutually accused the other of domestic political interference.
 Flash

A series of celebrations and commemorative activities were held in San Marino on Thursday to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between San Marino and China.

Among the celebrations was a photo exhibition named "San Marino-China: 50 Years, 50 Images," featuring 50 photos that recorded the exchanges and profound friendship between the two countries over the past 50 years.

In addition, San Marino will issue special stamps in June marking the 50th anniversary. Other business and cultural exchange activities are set in July, including a business forum focusing on commercial relations.

The commemorative activities are of special significance, as they are the first large-scale public events held in San Marino since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, said Captains Regent Marco Nicolini during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to San Marino (also to Italy) Li Junhua on Thursday at the Public Palace in the City of San Marino, capital of the country.

The Chinese ambassador attended a commemorative event titled "Under the Same Sky" later on in company with San Marino's Foreign Minister Luca Beccari.

Li said that San Marino was the first Western country to sign an agreement on mutual exemption of visas with China, leading more and more Chinese tourists to San Marino.

The bilateral trade volume grew by a record 32.9 percent last year in spite of the pandemic, according to Li.
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French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Friday announced that 10 million euros (12 million U.S. dollars) would be spent to reinforce the security of police officers in response to the recent violence directed against them.

"I have decided to immediately release a package of 10 million euros to strengthen the security of police," said Castex during a trip to Sarcelles in northern France.

"We are more than ever determined to continue the fight (against insecurity). We will more than ever continue the deployment of additional police and gendarmes on the ground and bolster the modernization of their equipment and materials," said the prime minister at a departmental police station of Sarcelles.

The government will make body cameras a general equipment for the national police by summer and strengthen penal responses to violence against police officers and gendarmes, he added.

The new security measures came after a policeman was shot dead in the southern city of Avignon on Wednesday during an operation to investigate a suspected drug deal. The shooter is still on the run.

The 36-year-old policeman is the second officer killed on duty this year after a female police employee was stabbed to death on April 23 in a terror act at a police station in the Paris suburb of Rambouillet.

"In 2020, seven of our police officers lost their lives on mission to ensure our safety," Castex said.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with and provide support and assistance for Sierra Leone in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Xi made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Sierra Leone, Xi pointed out that over the half century, no matter how the international situation changes, the two countries have always supported each other on issues related to their respective core interests and major concerns, and have always stood firmly together at critical moments in the face of such major infectious diseases as Ebola and COVID-19.

The two sides, he added, have always maintained a high level of political mutual trust and are good brothers and good friends.

Chinese medical teams, expert teams, anti-epidemic supplies and vaccines have played a positive role in Sierra Leone's epidemic prevention and control, he said.

Stressing that this year is important to the two countries, their parties and their relations, Xi suggested that the two sides join hands to hold 50th-anniversary celebrations, carry forward their traditional friendship, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and promote common development.

China will continue to provide as much support and assistance as its capacity allows for Sierra Leone's national economic development, he said, adding that as the world is undergoing transformations rarely seen in a century, the two sides should strengthen unity and cooperation, firmly support each other, and jointly safeguard international equity and justice as well as the common interests of developing countries.

The Chinese side, he said, is willing to work with Sierra Leone to strengthen coordination within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC.

For his part, Bio expressed warm congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Sierra Leone and China.

Bio said that China, in the spirit of putting people first, has made remarkable achievements in getting rid of poverty and fighting the COVID-19 epidemic, which has not only made itself stronger, but also made important contributions to world peace, security and economic growth.

He thanked China for its concrete and practical assistance for Sierra Leone's economic and social development and the African country's fight against the pandemic, saying that China is a true and trustworthy good friend of Sierra Leone and the African people.

Sierra Leone firmly upholds the one-China policy and firmly supports China in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, Bio said.

Sierra Leone stands ready to work with China to deepen their friendship, strengthen cooperation in such areas as education, health and food security, and advance cooperation within the framework of the FOCAC, he added.
 Flash

Mexico and the United States agreed to strengthen cooperation to tackle the issues that drive Central American migrants north, following a video call on Friday between Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

According to a statement from the Mexican president's office, Lopez Obrador laid out for Harris his administration's plan to curb immigration. Called "Sembrando Vida" or "Planting Life," the plan essentially calls for fighting environmental degradation and poverty, two of the main causes of unregulated migration.

"We have many things in common and we agree with the policy that you are undertaking on immigration matters, and we are going to help," Lopez Obrador told Harris.

The two sides also discussed current restrictions on cross-border travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ways to promote bilateral trade with sanitary measures in place, and vaccination progress in the border region.

Likewise, they discussed promoting investment in southern Mexico to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on free trade, the statement added.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who took office on Jan. 20, has entrusted Harris to head efforts to curb northward migration from Mexico and the countries of Central America's Northern Triangle: Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
Chinese FM puts forward four propositions for practicing true multilateralism

Xinhua) 08:16, May 08, 2021

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chairs the UN Security Council's high-level videoconference briefing on "Maintenance of international peace and security: Upholding multilateralism and the United Nations-centered international system" on May 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired a high-level meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday, calling for win-win cooperation to practice true multilateralism.

Under the initiative of China, the rotating presidency of the UNSC this month, the UNSC held the meeting on "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Upholding Multilateralism and the UN-centered International System" via video link.

Wang put forward four propositions for all parties to practice true multilateralism:

Firstly, all parties should pursue win-win cooperation, not zero-sum game. All countries should conduct dialogue and cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect. No country should expect others to lose, but should strive to win together with other countries to achieve universal security and common prosperity.

Secondly, all parties should seek fairness and justice, not bullying.

Wang said the core is to promote the democratization of international relations, so that all countries share the responsibility for governance and jointly promote peaceful development, and the key is to promote the rule of law in international relations, abide by universally recognized international laws and mutually agreed international agreements.

International rules are not the patents and privileges of a few countries, and should be abided by all countries, without exceptionalism and double standards, he added.

Thirdly, all parties should focus on action, instead of only talking the talk.

Multilateralism must focus on problems and solve problems, otherwise it will not stand and go far, Wang said, adding that all countries should incorporate their national interests into global interests.

He said all countries should consider both the present and the long-term interests, and must not undermine the sustained peace of the world and the sustainable development of the world at the cost of short-term need.

"In particular, major countries must set an example and take the lead in providing global public goods," Wang said.

Fourthly, all parties should respect diversity, and refrain from pursuing supremacy.

Each country has its own unique history and culture, and needs to take a development path that suits its own national conditions, Wang said, adding that dividing the world by ideology runs counter to the spirit of multilateralism and represents a retrogression of history.

"All countries are happy to see the United States change its practices in the past few years, truly practice multilateralism, and make its contributions to this end," Wang said.

The foreign ministers of Russia, Mexico, Vietnam, Niger, Tunisia, Kenya, Ireland, Norway, Estonia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, U.S. secretary of state and the deputy foreign ministers of India, Britain and France attended the meeting. President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Volkan Bozkir briefed the meeting.

Hailing China's initiative to hold this meeting, the participants agreed that under the current situation, the international community should strengthen solidarity and cooperation, continue to follow the purposes and principles of the Charter of the UN, and strengthen the authority and role of the UN.

They also believed that all parties should join hands to respond to global challenges such as COVID-19 and climate change, uphold the UN-centered international system, maintain international peace and promote common development.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
China's foreign trade rises in Jan-April as global recovery picks up

Xinhua) 08:20, May 08, 2021

Vehicles to be shipped to Europe are seen at a port in east China's Shanghai, Oct. 20, 2020. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade expanded 28.5 percent year on year to 11.62 trillion yuan (about 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars) in the January-April period as global recovery picked up and pent-up demand was unleashed.

This marks an increase of 21.8 percent from the pre-epidemic level in 2019, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said.

Exports jumped 33.8 percent from a year earlier while imports climbed 22.7 percent in yuan terms.

The trade surplus increased 149.7 percent to reach 1.02 trillion yuan in the January-April period.

In April alone, exports jumped 22.2 percent from a year earlier to 1.71 trillion yuan, GAC data shows.

China's exports sustained sound momentum, said Zhou Maohua, an analyst with the China Everbright Bank, noting that this was driven by the recent strong global economic recovery.

Friday's data shows that China's exports to the European Union rose 36.1 percent to 974.69 billion yuan, and exports to the United States surged 49.3 percent to 1.05 trillion yuan in the first four months.

The stimulus in developed economies sustained demand for products manufactured in China, noted Lu Ting, chief China economist with securities firm Nomura.

Visitors view bicycles during the 30th China International Bicycle Fair in east China's Shanghai, May 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

The country's imports climbed 32.2 percent from a year earlier to 1.44 trillion yuan in April.

China's manufacturing sector has seen improving vitality, and manufacturers have started to build their stocks, driving the rapid growth of imports of products including energy resources, said Gao Ruidong, chief macroeconomist at Everbright Securities.

The rising prices of bulk commodities have driven up China's import value, according to Li Qilin from Hongta Securities. China's imports of iron ore, soybeans and copper all increased in the first four months, GAC data shows.

In April, China's trade surplus narrowed 12.4 percent from a year earlier to 276.5 billion yuan.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Indigo flight bound to Bagdogra in West Bengal from Bengaluru in Karnataka made an emergency landing at Vijayawada International Airport on Saturday morning. (Representational Photo: AFP)

VIJAYAWADA: An Indigo flight bound to Bagdogra in West Bengal from Bengaluru in Karnataka made an emergency landing at Vijayawada International Airport on Saturday morning.

Airport director G. Madhusudhana Rao said that the flight landed at 8 a.m. following a medical emergency on board when a woman passenger developed complications.

The woman and four of her accompanying kin de-boarded and she was rushed to a local private hospital for treatment. The flight took off later with remaining passengers to reach its destination at about 9.20 a.m., a delay of more than an hour.
Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat and local Inspector N Chandrababu, both of whom received several complaints in the past, the former refused to speak about the case while the latter said it was sub-judice.  DC Image

Hyderabad: It seems nothing can stop Telangana labour minister Ch Malla Reddy from encroaching public properties. Neither the Supreme Court directives, High Courts stay orders nor his own governments rules come in the way of his misdeeds, if certain recent developments are of any indication.

If some of his moves are allegedly aimed at making monetary benefits, some others are said to be to retain power by impressing electorate including forcible construction of a place of religious worship in a public park in Annojiguda, Ghatkesar, on the city outskirts.

Victims of the ministers misdemeanour are inmates of a school run for orphans and underprivileged children besides the residents of the area who are deprived of a lung space. Needless to say, the local municipal, revenue and police officials maintain stoic silence over the gross violation of court directives by the minister and his followers.

Inquiries by this newspaper revealed that when efforts were made to build a temple in the public park in about 150 sq yds, the Jesus Way School, run by Joint Christian Action Committee (JCAC), obtained a stay order against the construction from the High Court in 2013. We are not against any religion. There are already several temples in the vicinity, and we have only been requesting the ministers followers to spare the lung space, which is increasingly becoming scarce in this concrete jungle, said Anita Sen of JCAC.

After some lull, the construction resumed after Malla Reddy became MLA in 2018. Despite obtaining the stay order from the High Court and even initiating contempt proceedings, the construction went unobstructed and the area of encroachment spread to 1,000 sq yds, she said.

It must be recalled that in December 2012, the then state government had put curbs on building places of worship without the permission of district collectors, especially in rural areas. In a 2009 order, the Supreme Court had also asked the Centre to ensure that no temple, church, mosque or gurudwara was built illegally on government land.

The school management accused the Minister of visiting the school with scores of his followers, intimidating the staff and pressurising them not to object to the construction of the temple. "When we refused to give a 'no objection' statement, Malla Reddy was furious and threatened us with grave consequences. His aides even criminally trespassed our school premises to threaten us, said Bishop Mathew, who runs the school along with the JCAC.

When this correspondent sought clarification from Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat and local Inspector N Chandrababu, both of whom received several complaints in the past, the former refused to speak about the case while the latter said it was sub-judice. Tehsildar P. Padma Priya also refused to respond to the queries.

When contacted, the minister said a compromise had been worked out between the school management and Kondal Reddy, the Pocharam GHMC Chairman and his aides building the temple. I have told both the parties not to interfere with each other," he said and dismissed allegations of intimidating the school authorities.
Modernity with all its commitment to freedoms and reason is sought to be subordinated by monumental architecture to the will of the fascist state. (Photo: PTI)

Fascism has a strange fascination with architecture. The moment the Nazis rode to power in 1933 Herr Hitler started unveiling his plans for building a new capital for his thousand-year Reich.

To be named Germania it envisaged the grand redevelopment of Berlin.

From the mid-1920s itself much before power ever loomed over the horizon Hitler fantisised about his blueprint for Germania. It finds a prominent mention in his book called the Mein Kampf. Hitler had even prepared the drafts of the grandiose monuments that he proposed to erect. In his minds eye Adolf Hitler in addition to being The Great Helmsman was also the immortal designer.

In the spring of 1936, Adolf Hitler commissioned his pet architect Albert Speer who later became his minister of armaments to execute his vision and construct the megapolis that would be the epicentre of his Reich. Hitler was resolute that the centerpiece of his Nazi dystopia christened Welthauptstadt-World Capital Germania should be completed by 1950. Speer had been the de-facto Nazi architectural director since 1934. He had created a distinct impression on Hitler with his exotic metamorphosis of classical architecture into mammoth but manifestly ascetic Nazi architecture that was designed both to intimidate and overwhelm.

This transfiguration was personified in one of Speers initial but key undertakings, the Nuremberg parade grounds laid out for the 1934 Nazi Party Congress. The impact of the classicist architecture of that stadia is intimately captured in an array of propaganda films curated by the Nazi information czar Joseph Goebbels.

It was designed to provide a backdrop to the stunning imagery of militarised discipline of Nazi cadres forming a geometrical aligned corporeal congregation united in their allegiance to the Fuhrer. The political ontology portrayed by the overpowering impact of this architectonic setting is of Being-as-One.

One people, One nation and One Reich, which Hitler emphasized in his oration in that arena. He preached both complete unity and asked for blind the obedience of the German nation. Isnt it eerily similar to the one leader one nation one election rhetoric that we hear these days with elections of course being dispensable even in the medium term?

Hitlers visualisation was to transform Berlin into Welthauptstadt Germania  the greatest city of them all. However, stripped of sophistry it was at best plagiarism on a malevolent scale. The only originality being cloning and supersizing of the landmark monuments that Europe had on offer then.

These monoliths were to be erected along a seven-kilometre (4.3 miles) Boulevard of Splendours to create an overarching persona of Nazi preeminence on citizens and travellers alike. At the south end of this avenue was to be located the Triumphal Arch six times more humongous than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. At its north end the concourse was supposed to pan out into a parade ground containing a gigantic Palace for the Fuhrer, the Reich Chancellery, and a gargantuan Grand Hall. Mark the Palace for the Fuhrer.

Hitler perceived monumental architecture as a means of creating a beguiling sense of shock and awe. He was fervent in his conviction that colossal constructions were powerful weapons of projecting political supremacy. For him architecture was not simply the means of giving form to space. It was the virtuosity of creating power through prodigious spatial imagery.

The budget for this vanity project was an estimated 4-6 nillion Reich Marks about 50 billion US Dollars at todays cost. Hitler dismissed all concerns with regard to the both timing and cost notwithstanding an on going war. For in his megalomaniac existence it was about perpetuating his legacy. The only way of leaving your indelible footprint on the sands of time was by erecting grandiose edifices.

Moreover, the Nazi party was a pioneer in the use of propaganda both during its relentless quest and perpetuation of power. As the Reich minister of propaganda it was Joseph Goebbels conviction that propaganda becomes ineffective the moment we are aware of it. Inspired by this credo the Nazi Party consciously created a myth about opposing the status quo and presenting its Supreme leader as both, an outsider to the incestuous alchemy of the decadent elite and a radical messiah, ironically while being in bed with the very same set. Does it not contextualise the constant railing against Lutyens Delhi and the fabled Khan Market Gang?

The Nazis were not alone in this endeavour. The Fascist Dictator of Italy Benito Mussolini also launched an ambitious building drive. However, it was the creation of the Casa del Fascio (House of the Fascist Party) that most caught Italian fancy. Primarily it was the headquarters of the Fascist Party.

Archetypes of this new building got constructed across the Italian peninsula. Stereotypically situated in the town centrum these structures were built to typically dwarf the churchs dominant role in Italian social life. They metaphysically underscored the eternal presence of Il Duce  as Mussolini was called. Antiquity was equally important weapon in the Fascist arsenal. Isolamento as it was known as, involved the valorisation and refurbishment of rhetorically momentous structures.

Monuments as statements, as manifestations of a civilisation and its values and accomplishments, is an impulse that began to fade with the invention of the printing press. The mass-market book, carrying the soul and complexity of a civilisation, became the representative artifact.

The ideas, concepts, aspirations of a people did not need large and expensive agglomerations of masonry to articulate and announce themselves. The written word, the book, cheap and universally available, could do it to perfection.

It is the reason the exemplary founding fathers of modern India did not first, in 1947, move to raze building and raise buildings to announce the dawn of a new freedom and a new covenant of equality and fraternity and justice for all Indians: they chose to sit down, almost three hundred of the very best of them, for almost three long years, to debate and dissect and carve the most important book of contemporary India, the Constitution.

Democrats create festivals of ideas, crusades of justice and equity, carnivals of creativity, in which all may participate, on some kind of equal footing. It is only autocrats and fascists, monarchs and megalomaniacs, who seek statues and monuments to awe their subjects, to bring them to their knees.

Modernity with all its commitment to freedoms and reason is sought to be subordinated by monumental architecture to the will of the fascist state.

This is precisely what we are witnessing with the relentless and profoundly vulgar redevelopment of the central vista in New Delhi (in the middle of a crippling pandemic at an enormous financial cost).

All this bombast of masonry and unbridled arrogance, is one more eternal blunder by a government and a leader who have unleashed untold misery across the country for the last seven years with their terrible decisions. In the final count, in the story of our ancient civilisation, all the grandiloquence of the central vista project will not be worth a single page of the Indian Constitution.
Shah Rukh Khan In Talks With Sanjay Leela Bhansali For Film Based On The Real Life Love Story Of An Indian Man And A Norwegian Girl?

It had been four years back that rumours of Shah Rukh khan collaborating with Sanjay Leela Bhansali had started doing the rounds. It was being said that the film, tentatively titled, Izhaar, would depict the true story of an Indian Man who had cycled all his way up to Norway to meet the love of his life. Now, it looks like the talks have been reinitiated.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk)

According to a report in Bollywood Hungama, the actor and the director have begun talking again about the project. A source quoted by the portal said, "Izhaar was a film that Bhansali wanted to do with SRK around four years ago. It's a love story revolving around this couple - an Indian man and a Norwegian girl. It's based on the real life story of the guy who cycled all the way to Norway for love. Bhansali wanted to adapt that into a screenplay and has reworked the script again for SRK's persual. Now it needs to be seen if Shah Rukh green lights it this time around."

We hope that the film materializes, because audiences have waited enough to see this collaboration after Devdas. We have our fingers crossed.
Aniruddh Dave Tests Negative For COVID-19, Family And Friends Heave A Sigh Of Relief

Patiala Babes actor Aniruddh Dave was shooting for a web-series in Madhya Pradesh when he began to see a few symptoms of COVID-19. He had immediately isolated himself in a hotel room in Bhopal, but things were getting worse for the actor. Soon, his condition worsened and he was shifted to a hospital. He was also kept in the ICU and his wife rushed to Bhopal, leaving their two month old baby alone. But now, family, friends and fans can finally heave a sigh of relief as the actor has finally tested negative for the virus.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by ANIRUDH V DAVE (@aniruddh_dave)

A source close to the actor told ETimes, "Right now the focus will be entirely on controlling the lung infection. The team of doctors attending to him have gone all out to ease him. He will have to remain a few more days in the hospital but thankfully, his COVID has gone."

A friend of his also said, "Yes, Aniruddh is now COVID-free. Medicines have worked. He will be shifted from the ICU to a private room in the next 3-4 days."

That's such a great news. We hope he is back at home soon. We are praying for his good health.
Shweta Tiwari's Estranged Husband Abhinav Kohli Accuses Actress Of 'Abandoning' Their Son For Khatron Ke Khiladi

The fact that Shweta Tiwari would be one of the participants of this season of Khatron Ke Khiladi had been kept hush-hush. No one had any inkling that she would be a contestant of Khatron Ke Khiladi 11 until she was seen at the airport leaving for Capetown. But, no sooner did the actress leave for South Africa than her estranged husband, Abhinav Kohli has heaped accusations on her., This time, he has accused her of 'abandoning' their son Reyansh.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Abhinav Kohli (@abhinav.kohli024)

Abhinav posted a series of three videos on her social media. In the videos, he has claimed that he had refused to let Shweta take Reyansh with her to South Africa. He has also added that instead of leaving her son with his 'natural guardian' which would be him, she has 'abandoned' him in a hotel room.

He also added that he has been wandering from hotel to hotel in search of their son Reyansh. He revealed that on a video call a few days back, he had seen Reyansh with swollen eyes and was suffering from chest congestion. He accuses Shweta of still leaving for Capetown despite their son's health. "She has gone to South Africa, during Covid, when people are dying left, right and centre. It is such a dangerous time," he quipped. He also said that he had contacted the police, who told him to connect with local authorities and had dialed child helpline services.

Shweta has always maintained a dignified silence while Abhinav had heaped accusations on her. In a recent interview, she had revealed, "In the lobby of my residential building, he (Abhinav) told me, Ek aurat ki image kharab karne me kya lagta hai, just one post. Just one post, and you will be ruined. After 5 to 6 days, he started posting, to spoil my reputation.
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Portales High, Melrose, Yucca students temporarily go remote

SANTA FE  New Mexico's newest update of the Red to Green framework shows most of the state is in the vaunted turquoise designation, and they'll stay there until at least June 2.

But all is far from well, with Curry and Roosevelt counties reporting 63 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths in the last four days and three local schools returning to remote learning as a result.

Portales High School was the latest closure to in-person learning announced Friday, the same day Melrose announced a one-week remote learning period and three days after Clovis Municipal Schools announced a voluntary two-week remote learning period for Yucca Middle School.

Portales Schools Superintendent Johnnie Cain, in a letter to parents Friday, said the school was notified it had four rapid responses for COVID-19 inside of a 14-day period and would be required to return to remote learning for two weeks. The closure will begin Monday.

This does not mean there has been an outbreak of COVID-19 cases, but it does mean that of the cases that were reported, all of the tests were not within two days of each other, Cain wrote. Although there may be a positive individual who exposed others, if one of those who was exposed waited more than two days before testing, that is counted as a separate response. Portales High School has had seven positive cases since April 21 and five of them can be traced back to the first incident.

Although we have done everything possible to keep our schools safe, as I have told you before, we realized it would be difficult to prevent infections within the schools.

Cain said no activities or sporting events would occur during the next two weeks, and that the school planned to reopen May 24 and still hold graduation May 28 at Greyhound Stadium.

Earlier Friday, Melrose Superintendent Brian Stacy said a one-week remote learning session would be instituted after the district had its third positive test in the last two weeks. Stacy said the move was to allow for a deep cleaning of the campus and avoid a state-mandated two-week closure.

Yucca Middle School shifted to remote learning mode for two weeks beginning Wednesday, in what Clovis Municipal Schools cites as a preventative measure to avoid an involuntary closure by the state.

In-person instruction is scheduled to resume May 19.

The school is currently on the state's rapid response watchlist with three positive COVID-19 cases reported in the last two weeks. A fourth rapid response would have forced a two-week closure, and the district chose to maintain local discretion on when it could return to in-person learning.

"Returning to remote instruction is not taken lightly by district leadership," a district release said.

"However the district maintains the position that retaining the ability to make its own decisions regarding these issues, without the imposition of unscheduled state mandates, is the best way to navigate an already unfortunate situation."

In other COVID-19 developments:

 The newest county map update from the Department of Health showed Curry and Roosevelt among 30 of the 33 New Mexico counties in the turquoise zone.

The new measurement system, which debuted April 30, grades counties on meeting three COVID-19 metrics: Test positivity 7.5% or lower, no more than 10 daily cases per 100,000 residents and a full vaccination rate of 40%, increasing by 5% every two weeks to reach 60% by the end of June.

Turquoise counties meet all three metrics, green counties meet two, yellow counties meet one and red counties meet none.

Counties are evaluated every two weeks, but counties that reach the turquoise designation are only evaluated every four weeks. Curry and Roosevelt counties, which were both in the turquoise designation as of Friday, stayed there despite missing one or more of the three metrics Wednesday. Like the other 28 turquoise counties, they will remain in the designation until at least June 2.

If you become turquoise, Human Services Secretary David Scrase said, you stay turquoise for four weeks.

Curry registered 8.9 daily cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents and 4.58% test positivity between April 20 and May 3, with at 29.4% vaccination rate.

Roosevelt County had 19 daily cases per 100,000 residents and 10.93% test positivity with a 23.4% vaccination rate.

 Since Tuesday, Curry and Roosevelt counties have confirmed 63 new cases of COVID-19 - 38 in Curry County, 25 in Roosevelt County - and three deaths.

Curry County reported 15 cases Tuesday, five Wednesday, 11 Thursday and seven Friday.

Roosevelt County reported seven new cases Tuesday, two on Wednesday and eight each on Thursday and Friday.

Local deaths reported were a Curry County male in his 50s and a Curry County female in her 70s Tuesday and a Roosevelt County female in her 50s Wednesday. All three were hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

 State health officials announced the state is on track to reach 60% vaccination rate by the end of June.

However, the majority of identified positive cases have been variants of concern. Scrase said during Wednesday's webinar that nearly 70% of samples sequenced in New Mexico are variants of the virus, and reiterated that the pandemic is not over and safety guidelines should continue to be followed.

Scrase encouraged continued vaccination, and advised New Mexicans to continue to wear a mask in virtually any indoor situation, including in a restaurant when not eating.

 The state remains the most efficient vaccine distributor in the country, Health Secretary Tracie Collins said.

Collins said 58.9% of New Mexicans have received a first shot, and 45.4% are fully vaccinated, putting the state on track to reach its goal of 60% by June 30.

Additionally, children between the ages of 12-15 will soon be eligible to register for a vaccine, while children between the ages of 16-17 are getting registered and vaccinated fast with 30% having received the first shot, Collins said.

New Mexico is averaging a daily vaccine dose rate of 11,209 doses for the last seven days.

When asked what the state is doing specifically to help increase vaccine rates, Collins told the News the state is working to establish connections with primary care providers and to deliver vaccines to them.

The state is also putting on a number of vaccine events at schools, churches and other entities where people will be able to get vaccinated on site, Collins said.

And so we have multiple approaches we are using to increase the vaccination rate, Collins added.

Scrase said the vast majority of hospitals, including rural hospitals, in the state are private entities, and that the state has been working with them since December.

They've been with us since the beginning and continue working with us, Scrase said.

 The state reported 15 more COVID-19 related deaths between Tuesday and Friday, but officials said some of those deaths actually occurred during the winter.

Scrase said medical investigators are just now catching up to a backlog of deaths.

We're  believe it or not  catching up from an unprecedented number of deaths that were referred to them in October through January, he said.

He estimated new deaths in the state are averaging about one per day.

The Albuquerque Journal contributed to this report.
Kanye West is facing another legal battle of his own as one of his former employees has decided to sue him.

According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Taliah Leslie, a former Yeezy Assistant Designer, has not been paid overtime by the Grammy-winning rapper. Aside from that, there are also other violations of the California labor law.

Kanye West reportedly regularly misclassifies his employees as independent contractors, despite their responsibilities was for full-time company employees.

And because of this, employees are deprived of waves and other benefits.

Leslie is accusing the fashion designer of not paying her on the out-of-town travels that were required for her job, including trips to West's ranch in Wyoming and even to Paris, France.

She also claims that there's no overtime pay given to her for all of the work she has rendered and even the mandatory meal breaks.

Leslie was also not reimbursed for her mobile phone, internet usage, and other expenses associated with her work travel arrangements that were required to perform her tasks relating to her job.

Kanye West, who has a net worth of $1.2 billion according to Forbes, also reportedly failed to keep accurate payroll records of the total rendered hours and the wages he paid, which violates the California Labor Code.

This lawsuit comes after Leslie reported West to the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency two months ago, however, the agency didn't do any action with 65 days.

Now, she's taking matters into her own hands, as she believes she's entitled to civil action if the Agency failed or didn't choose her complaints any further.

Leslie is seeking civil penalties, including attorney fees and other relief the court believes is appropriate.

Kanye West's company Yeezy is currently worth $6.6 billion.

READ ALSO: Katie Price 8 Engagement Rings Cost $700K: From Carl Woods To Peter Andre - Who Gave the Most Expensive?

Another Kanye West Lawsuit Worth $1 Million

Kanye West is already facing another lawsuit from his employees for the Kanye West Nebuchadnezzar Opera.

Similar to Leslie's case, West reportedly failed to pay his staff the minimum wage and even overtime pay.

The "Jesus Walks" rapper debuted his opera at the Hollywood Bowl in 2019 for a 50-minute show, but West only appeared on the stage at the very end of the segment.

According to The Blast, a hair assistant who worked on the opera hasn't received any wages so she's claiming she's owed "continuing wages, damages, civil penalties, statutory penalties and attorney's fees, and cost."

Other workers for the opera are seeking at least $1 million "for what they believe to be issued with how they were treated."

In the documents, the staff "oversaw, controlled and ran the production, and the aggrieved employees worked many hours on the production and were not timely paid for their work, or paid at all."

READ MORE: The One VIP Melinda Gates Banned Bill Gates From Seeing During Their Marriage Exposed

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
News of Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and their divorce are all over the news that now, people are also looking into their private lives including their kids.

Bill and Melinda's eldest daughter, Jennifer Katharine Gates, doesn't only have a career as an equestrian, she's also building her name in the medical industry as a doctor.

But Jennifer isn't making headlines just for her money and career, but also her love life.

The 25-year-old is engaged to an Egyptian showjumper, Nayel Nassar.

Who is Jennifer Gates' Future Husband Nayel Nassar?

Though he is half Egyptian, half American, Nayel Nassar was born in Chicago, Illinois, but grew up in Kuwait. Currently, he is based in San Diego, California.

Because of his girlfriend's well-known family, Nayel kept his family background a secret to the public.

There are no news and reports of who his parents are, except that they are Egyptian and that they have a business in Kuwait.

It's also unknown if he has siblings, so it's safe to assume that he is an only child. Nayel Nasser and Jennifer Gates bond over their love of riding but also attended Stanford University. Nayel has a degree in human biology.

The pair started dating and after four years, Nayel popped the question in Jan. 2019 and Jennifer said "yes."

Jennifer Gates Net Worth vs. Nayel Nassar Net Worth 2021

It's no secret that Jennifer's parents, Bill and Melinda Gates have a combined net worth of $130 billion. But the eldest daughter of the Microsoft tycoon also has an impressive value.

Jennifer Gates, who is still in med school, hasn't accrued nearly as much as her billionaire parents, but she still has an impressive net worth of $20 million.

However, her future husband may be worth even more.

According to The Daily Biography, Nayel Nassar has an estimated net worth between $20 million and $100 million. For now, it may seem like Nayel is richer than Jennifer.

Though one day it is believed that Bill and Melinda Gates' kids will be getting all of their parents' money in the future, that certainly wouldn't be the case as they plan to give all of their money to charity.

According to these hardworking parents, they want to instill values in their children so they would make a difference in the world.

Bill explained, "We want to strike a balance where they have the freedom to do anything but not a lot of money showered on them so they could go out and do nothing."

READ ALSO: The One VIP Melinda Gates Banned Bill Gates From Seeing During Their Marriage Exposed

Jennifer Gates Opens Up About Relationship with Nayel Nassar

In an interview with Sidelines Magazine, she talked about her relationship with Nayel, saying he "reminds me to believe in myself, which is so important. I'm so lucky to have him as a partner."

She described her 30-year-old fiance as "incredibly supportive, humble and loyal, and someone that I look forward to building a life with."

There is no date yet for Jennifer Gates' wedding to Nayel Nassar.

READ MORE: Melinda Gates Rented a $132K-a-Night Private Island For Family Except Bill -- Shocking Reason Revealed

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
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Lugano, Switzerland, 8 May 2021 - The finding that breast tumours can evolve to express low HER2 potentially widens the number of patients who can benefit from new investigational agents, typically novel antibody-drug conjugate therapies, that are currently in clinical trials for HER2-low tumours.

The first study of its kind exploring how breast cancers change from the primary to the recurrent tumour has revealed that nearly 30% of breast cancer patients convert from, or to, human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)2-low status. Specifically, the study found that 14% of triple-negative breast cancers with HER2-negative expression (also referred to as HER2-0) in the primary tumour converted to HER2-low expression in the recurrent tumour possibly offering an option to such hard-to-treat tumours.

Traditionally, breast cancers are categorised as: hormone receptor positive (HR+)/HER 2-negative, (also known as luminal-like), HER2-positive, or triple negative (negative for oestrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and excess HER2 protein). HER2-low refers to HER2-negative tumours with low HER2 biomarker expression. About half of breast cancers classified as HER2-negative show low HER2 expression.

Presenting the findings at this year's ESMO Breast Cancer Virtual Congress is Dr Federica Miglietta, School of Oncology, University of Padua, Italy. (1) "The results provide a whole new insight on how HER2-low tumours might evolve as a subgroup, possibly challenging the current dichotomy between HER2-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer," she said. "Our findings stress the importance of re-testing HER2 expression on tumour relapse since it might provide the option of new therapeutic opportunities, currently in a trial, and hopefully in the near future, in the clinic." Several clinical trials are ongoing in HER2-low breast cancer.

In total, 29% of recurrent breast cancer biopsies showed conversion either from, or to, HER2-low expression. In primary tumours and relapse tumours, HER2-low expression was seen in 34% and 38% of tumours, respectively. A total of 15% HER2-negative tumours switched to HER2-low tumours, and 14% HER2-low switched to HER2-negative.

The study also confirmed that HER2-low expression was more frequent in HR+/HER2-negative tumours compared to triple negative tumours (47% vs 36% on primary tumour samples, 54% vs 36% on relapse samples). Plus, the switch from HER2-negative to HER2-low in primary to recurrent tumours was 21% vs 14% in luminal-like and triple negative, respectively.

Commenting on the findings, Professor Aleix Prat, Head Medical Oncology, at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain said: "These changes on HER2-low levels are substantial. There could be a biological rationale for this, or a technical one, given that there is currently no standardisation of how to determine levels of the HER2 biomarker in metastatic biopsies, which could be biopsied from skin, liver or bone and give different results."

"We need to work out how the HER2 status determines response to therapies - is it the HER2 status in the primary tumour, or in the metastatic biopsy that is important? Maybe some patients have HER2-low expression in metastatic tumours and now respond when they didn't previously, and this might change again over time and further relapses."

"This all speaks to a much greater need to biopsy metastatic tumours. Importantly, we need to determine who will benefit from treatments for HER2-low, because patients will be asking about this in the clinic soon if trial results are positive," said Prat.

###

Notes to Editors

Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO Breast Cancer Virtual Congress 2021

Official Congress Hashtag: #ESMOBreast21

Disclaimer

This press release contains information provided by the author of the highlighted abstract and reflects the content of this abstract. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the ESMO who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct.

References

1 https:/ / www. esmo. org/ meetings/ esmo-breast-2021-virtual

2 Abstract 4MO_PR 'HER2-low breast cancer: evolution from primary breast cancer to relapse.' will be presented by Federica Miglietta during the Mini Oral Session 2 on Saturday, 8 May, 12:45-14:00 (CEST). Annals of Oncology, Volume 32, Supplement 2, May 2021

About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With more than 25,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 160 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. ESMO is committed to offer the best care to people with cancer, through fostering integrated cancer care, supporting oncologists in their professional development, and advocating for sustainable cancer care worldwide. http://www. esmo. org

4MO_PR - HER2-low breast cancer: evolution from primary breast cancer to relapse.??

F. Miglietta1, G. Griguolo1, M. Bottosso1, T. Giarratano2, M. Lo Mele3, M. Fassan4, M. Cacciatore5, E. Genovesi1, D. De Bartolo4, G. Vernaci2, P.F. Conte1, V. Guarneri1, M.V. Dieci1

1Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology (DISCOG), University of Padova, Padova, Italy,2Dipartimento di Oncologia 2, IOV - Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, Padova, Italy,3Surgical Pathology Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy,4Department of Medicine (DIMED), Surgical Pathology & Cytopathology Unit, University of Padova, Padova, Italy,5Department of Pathology and Molecular Genetics, Treviso General Hospital, Treviso, Italy

Background: About a half of breast cancers traditionally classified as HER2-negative show a low HER2 expression (IHC 1+ or IHC 2+ and ISH negative) that can be targeted by new antibody-drug conjugates. There is no data on the evolution of HER2-low status from primary tumor to relapse.

Methods: Patients with matched primary and relapse breast cancer samples from two Institutions (IOV-IRCCS Padova and Treviso Hospital) were included. HER2 was evaluated according to ASCO/CAP recommendations in place at the time of diagnosis. Cases diagnosed between 2007 and 2013 were reviewed by IHC to comply with the cutoff of >10% cells staining for HER2 positivity. Moreover, 100 random samples were reviewed by a blinded pathologist: agreement with the original report was 80%. HER2-neg cases were sub-classified as HER2-low (IHC 1+, or IHC 2+ and ISH not amplified), or HER2-0 (IHC 0).

Results: 575 patients were included. Primary?tumor?phenotype was: 59% luminal-like (HR+/HER2-neg), 25% HER2-pos, 16% triple negative. The proportion of HER2-low cases was 34% on the primary tumor and 38% on the relapse samples. Among HER2-neg cases, HER2-low status was more frequent in Luminal-like vs triple negative tumors (47% vs 41% on primary tumor samples, p=0.268;?54% vs 40% on relapse samples, p=0.006). The overall rate of HER2 discordance was 38% (Table 1), mostly represented by HER2-0 switching to HER2-low (15%) and HER2-low switching to HER2-0 (14%). A minority (9%) of cases lost or acquired HER2-positivity. Among patients with a primary HER2-neg?tumor, the rate of HER2 discordance was higher in luminal-like vs triple negative cases (45% vs 35% p=0.080). This difference was mostly driven by cases switching from HER2-0 to HER2-low: 40% of luminal-like/HER2-0 vs 24% of triple negative/HER2-0 patients (p=0.088).

Conclusions: HER2-low expression is highly unstable during disease evolution. Relapse biopsy in case of a primary HER2-0 tumor may open new opportunities for treatment in a relevant proportion of patients.

Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors

Funding: Has not received any funding

Disclosure: M.Fassan: Advisory/Consultancy, Research grant/Funding (institution), outside the submitted work: Astellas Pharma; Advisory/Consultancy, outside the submitted work:Diaceutics; Advisory/Consultancy, outside the submitted work:Tesaro; Research grant/Funding (institution), outside the submitted work: QED Therapeutics. P.F. Conte: Research grant/Funding (institution), outside the submitted work: Merck; Honoraria (self), Research grant/Funding (institution), outside the submitted work: Roche; Honoraria (self), outside the submitted work: Novartis; Honoraria (self), outside the submitted work: Lilly. V. Guarneri: Honoraria (self), Research grant/Funding (institution), outside the submitted work: Roche; Honoraria (self), outside the submitted work: Novartis; Honoraria (self), outside the submitted work: Eli Lilly. M.V. Dieci: Honoraria (self), outside the submitted work: Genomic Health; Honoraria (self), outside the submitted work: Eli Lilly; Honoraria (self), outside the submitted work: Celgene. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
WHO gives emergency approval to China's Sinopharm vaccine

The World Health Organization approved a COVID-19 vaccine from China's state-owned drugmaker Sinopharm for emergency use, a boost to Beijing's push for a big role in inoculating the world.
Bexar County Sheriff's Office

A San Antonio man has been charged with arson in connection with a structure fire at a Southside ISD elementary school, according to an arrest affidavit.

Officials believe Kody Mengden, 30, broke into a detached classroom building at Pearce Elementary school, located at 9190 U.S. 90, on Saturday, April 17 and set fires in two classrooms, the affidavit said. No one was inside the building at the time, but one of the classrooms was deemed a total loss.
After leaving her college dreams behind 31 years ago to help her parents, Rebecca Garcia told her daughters in 2018 she was going back to college. Its about time she recalls them saying.

As she embarked on her renewed attempt at a degree, she had company. Her daughter, Monica Garcia, had recently returned to college. It was rough going, She had struggled to graduate high school and had been told she wasnt college material.

The two were asked how they got through it. Together, they immediately replied. Both graduated Friday with associate degrees from Northwest Vista College.

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I dont think I could have done this without her. I really dont, Rebecca Garcia, 52, said of her daughter, who is 25. I think God does things for a reason; and she was at a point where she didnt want to do this anymore, and I was at a point where I did. And I told her, Lets just do one semester, and if we do it, we do it. And here we are.

Between full-time jobs and memories of discouraging words, the mother-daughter duo say what pushed them past their fears of failure was each other, their familys support and a promise they both made to Rebecca Garcias grandfather before he died.

For Rebecca Garcia, who had left college in 1987, her return was also about taking her own advice to her daughters to always finish what you started.

I looked at them and I said, Im just going to run something past you, and I just want to know what you all think, and they said, OK, she recalled. I said, What do you all think if I go back to school? they didnt tell me anything other than Its about time.

Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

Her eldest, Desiree Garcia, 28, had already graduated college, and had encouraged Monica to re-enroll after taking a year off. Rebecca Garcia now had the support of both of them to return, and that of her husband, Richard Garcia, who jumped in to help out with the house needs as she worked and studied.

The initial push was the hardest, she says, but after meeting her academic adviser at Northwest, Francisco Saucedo Jr., she felt she could finally see a clearer path ahead. Saucedo soon became her daughters adviser, too.

He sat there with me for almost two hours, telling me, You can do this, and I remember telling him that I was scared, Rebecca Garcia recalled about her first meeting with Saucedo. He has been with me from day one.

The funny part of the adventure, they say, was taking the same courses and having to see and address each other in class, as classmates and not family. They didnt want the attention that might have come with peers or instructors knowing they were related, so they stuck to first names.

It was very, very weird calling my mom by her first name, Monica Garcia recalled. It was very awkward and weird from me.

Then having to share books, her mother added, laughing. It was a lot of, I need, the book, No, I need the book now.

They have plenty of memories to laugh about, but there were also plenty of moments where they two had to encourage each other to keep going. They would have a glass of wine and talk things through, or meet each other for lunch and study together.

The key word was always together, they say. But after three years living, studying, laughing and crying about school, their paths are diverging.

Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

Monica Garcia was accepted into the University of Texas at San Antonio, where shell pursue a liberal arts major, to eventually go into digital media and maybe even music production.

Im not going to lie. Its going to be really hard for me because Im so used to having my mom, she said. But I know that Im capable of doing it now.

Because Monica was accepted with a scholarship that can only be awarded to one person per household, Rebecca Garcia will wait to enroll in a four-year college until she can find another source of financial aid.

She just got a promotion at her job. And even though she wont immediately join her daughter back at school, she knows the time will come to continue making good on her advice and promises.

Im going to miss that one-on-one time with her and bonding with her, and having discussions and debates, Rebecca Garcia said. Im going to miss it a lot. I know shes here, but we just connected very well on a completely different level. Not just mother and daughter, but shes my friend.

danya.perez@express-news.net | @DanyaPH
Timeline: Key dates in the case of missing baby James Chairez

Mariesol Gomez is questioning whether there was more she could have done leading up to the disappearance of her great-nephew, James Avi Chairez.

She shared her thoughts as she fought back tears in front of a group of 60 people at a Friday evening prayer service at Resurrection of the Lord, 7990 W. Military Drive.

If I wouldve tried a little bit harder, maybe we wouldnt all be here today, Gomez said.

Im still trying to find answers for him, she said, adding, know that I love him with all my heart.

James has been missing for months. He was last seen Jan. 4 with his mother, DLanny Chairez, on security footage at a Walgreens in the 7100 block of Marbach Road. He was 18 months old at the time. Gomez hasnt seen him since Thanksgiving.

I dont sleep because my mind is constantly running, thinking of the what if or what happened, Gomez said. Its just a lot of questions.

The service at the Catholic church was held less than a mile away from the mobile home park where human remains were discovered April 28 in the Chairez home.

The remains havent been identified.

Gomez said the detectives told her DNA is being used to identify the remains, which could take another week or two, but that determining the cause of death could take months.

A piece of my heart is still holding on that its not James, Gomez said.

On ExpressNews.com: 'Please return him' - Family pleads for safety of missing San Antonio toddler

Both Chairez and James were first reported missing in February, but Chairez was found March 15 and arrested the next day on a charge of abandoning or endangering a child. The charge has since been replaced with two counts of tampering with evidence.

Her bail was reduced from $250,000 to $150,000, but she remains in the Bexar County Jail.

During the vigil, family members wore gray shirts emblazoned with three images of James and his name. Yellow roses were handed out, and a slideshow of photos of James played as the sun set.

Gomez described him as a good little boy who was happy and didnt deserve whatever had happened to him. She said she couldve been more persistent with Chairez when asking to see James.

Nina Glass, co-director of Search and Rescue San Antonio, was among the speakers who read Bible verses in hopes of offering comfort to the family.

Those who love Jesus and follow him will see baby James again, it says so here, John 16:22 Glass said. So with you now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice and no one will take your joy.

On ExpressNews.com: Human remains found at the home of missing baby James Chairez, police say

Glass and the nonprofit search group helped Gomez search the mobile home after Gomez found a cellphone. Gomez said the phone belonged to Chairez. The groups search was held a couple of days before police found the human remains.

In an interview after the vigil, Glass said there was an odor searchers associated with a dead body surrounding the home, along with a large amount of trash and mothballs.

The remains were found during the police departments second search of the home. In March, they had searched the mobile home and found a crib sheet with blood on it, along with a car seat, stroller, diapers and toys, according to Chairezs arrest affidavit.

Police wouldnt say why they had returned to the trailer or where they found the remains.

There have been no charges filed in connection with the remains. Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales said the case will be reviewed once his office receives evidence from the police.

Chairez is set to go to trial June 16.
Liz Cheney and Lyle Larson have a lot in common.

They are both Republican lawmakers with long, deep histories in party politics.

Cheney, the U.S. representative from Wyoming, has a father who served as vice president of the United States, a member of Congress and chief of staff for the late President Gerald Ford.

Larson, the San Antonio-based state representative, worked at the age of 19 on his dads unsuccessful 1978 GOP campaign for Congress.

Both of them are stalwart, traditional conservatives. Cheney has a 91 percent conservative ranking from Heritage Action and 78 percent from the American Conservative Union.

Larson is so rooted in fiscal conservatism that he refused to accept a pay increase during his time on Bexar County Commissioners Court because he considered it a waste of taxpayer money. As a congressional hopeful in 2008, he advocated the Fair Tax, a conservative pipe dream that would replace the federal income tax with a 23 percent sales tax.

At the moment, Cheney and Larson are united by their shared political alienation. They are outcasts from their party, for reasons that have little to do with ideology.

Cheney simply committed the political sin of acknowledging and accepting the results of a 2020 presidential election in which Republican President Donald Trump lost the popular vote by 7 million votes and the Electoral College by 306-232. She declined to participate in her partys game of coddling Trumps delusional claims the election had been stolen from him.

She particularly held Trump accountable for riling up an angry mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 as Congress was certifying the election results.

So Cheney is about to be stripped of her position as House Republican Conference chair.

Trump blasted her in a May 5 statement as a warmonger, presumably because she has supported a continued U.S. military presence in Afghanistan (a commitment that her father played a major role in initiating).

Trump wants Cheney replaced with New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. Trump apparently doesnt view Stefanik as a warmonger, even though she shares Cheneys position on Afghanistan.

In fact, Stefanik co-sponsored a 2019 bill calling for the U.S. to maintain at least 10,000 troops in Afghanistan.

Stefanik has a voting record thats considerably less conservative than Cheneys. In 2017, Stefanik criticized Trumps decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, calling it misguided and saying he was isolating us from our allies.

That same year, Stefanik expressed her opposition to Trumps defining 2016 campaign promise: the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Over the course of Trumps presidency, however, Stefanik  like most of her GOP colleagues  made a cynical calculation. She came around to the idea that her political self-preservation demanded full-service fealty to Dear Leader. She helped lead the charge for Trumps impeachment defense in January 2020 and has enthusiastically propagated the Big Lie that Trump was the true election winner in November 2020.

Stefanik will soon be rewarded for her shamelessness.

Cheney isnt exactly immune to political pandering. Who can forget, during her disastrous 2014 run for the U.S. Senate, the way she publicly came out against gay marriage after privately supporting her sister Marys same-sex union?

Cheney drew the line, however, when it came to enabling Trumps conspiracy mongering. In the current Republican Party, thats an act of political suicide.

Larson, too, has shown a willingness to call out GOP leadership. In 2017, he crossed Gov. Greg Abbott by filing an ethics bill that would have restricted Abbotts ability to appoint his donors to state boards and commissions.

Abbott responded by vetoing five of the six bills Larson passed that year and endorsing Larsons 2018 primary opponent, Hollywood Parks then-Mayor Chris Fails.

That feud eventually passed, but Larson now finds himself increasingly at odds with a GOP caucus bent on culture-wars lawmaking.

He was the lone Texas House Republican to vote in favor of a no-brainer Medicaid expansion budget amendment that would have provided health coverage to more than 1 million uninsured Texans.

This past week, he was again a voice in the wilderness, the lone House Republican to vote against a voter suppression bill that feeds Trumps Big Lie.

In an elliptical May 6 tweet loaded with Lord of the Rings imagery, Larson said his partys determination to pass the bill is an unforced error that will haunt the GOP all the way back to Rhovanion.

Larson wrote that party labels are standing in the way of good policymaking.

Partisanship is the ill that plagues our state and nation, he said. We need to stop the nonsense of my tree house mentalities.

Cheney and Larson are exiles from the tree house, and they seem content with that.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
"Always the truth," says French writer in virtual encounter with e-celebrities from China's Xinjiang

Xinhua) 08:25, May 08, 2021

-- Vivas said that some Western media outlets have made up lies, maliciously discredited Xinjiang, and used propaganda as a weapon to hinder China's progress.

-- "The job of journalists is to reflect realities, whereas in the West, their job is to lie," lamented the veteran journalist. "If I have any advice for you, it is to reveal the truth, always the truth and nothing but the truth."

-- "I have visited a lot of countries and regions, but I have not seen such rapid development," Vivas said, noting that Xinjiang's development and progress over the past two years is quite obvious.

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- "There was a media rampage against me, but not against my book on Xinjiang," French writer Maxime Vivas has said during a video dialogue with e-celebrities from Xinjiang.

Having visited Xinjiang "from one end to the other" and "seen a lot of things" during his trips, Vivas recounted what he saw in a book entitled "Uygurs, to put an end to fake news," which was published in France last December.

SMEARING XINJIANG TO HINDER CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT

"Why the Western media never question the testimony about Xinjiang," asked Aytunam Ablikim, a vlogger from south Xinjiang's Hotan City. A vlog of her and her mother making a dress in a tailoring shop has been described as "forced sewing" by Western media.

This undated combo photo shows French writer Maxime Vivas and the French edition of his book "Uygurs, to put an end to fake news". (Xinhua)

Vivas said that some Western media outlets have made up lies, maliciously discredited Xinjiang, and used propaganda as a weapon to hinder China's progress.

"I visited factories, schools, and farms (in Xinjiang). I saw a huge difference between what I saw there and what the French media said," answered the 79-year-old author.

"Media talk a lot about Xinjiang, but a lot of French people know nothing about it, (they) don't even know its captial city," Vivas said, adding that before he visited Xinjiang, he knew little about it.

Noting that in the media battle, the truth always lags behind the lie, he warned that "you just have to be patient and above all never let yourself go down to their level."

"Over time, we'll win" and the truth will come out, the writer said, adding that some intellectuals are starting to dismantle the lie of genocide in Xinjiang.

Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, and William Schabas, professor of Law at Middlesex University, London, recently published an article "The Xinjiang Genocide Allegations Are Unjustified" on Project Syndicate.

This undated photo shows a portrait of French writer Maxime Vivas. (Xinhua)

Surprised by the rapid changes in Xinjiang, the French writer encouraged young people to share their daily lives on social networks to show the true face of Xinjiang.

"ALWAYS THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH"

"Where does your courage to speak the truth come from in the midst of the Western media hype about Xinjiang?" This is the question of Hurixdam Ablikim, a journalism student, whose goal is to show the real Xinjiang to the world.

"The job of journalists is to reflect realities, whereas in the West, their job is to lie," lamented the veteran journalist. "If I have any advice for you, it is to reveal the truth, always the truth and nothing but the truth."

Vivas said that he had checked everything in his book with "extreme thoroughness." "Not only are there no lies in my book, there are no mistakes," he noted.

After the publication of the book, the writer recalled that there was a media rampage against him, "which is by no means surprising."

A farm machine works in a field in Yuli County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 28, 2021. (Photo by Wang Zhipeng/Xinhua)

"What I am criticized for is not the content of my book, it is for having written a book that is not an anti-Chinese book," Vivas said.

The writer has declined all interviews with French newspapers. "The media that wanted to interview me all tried to set up a trap for me, and it was always a kind of police interrogation instead of the normal interviews about a book," he said.

He noted now there are a lot of writers and journalists in France who think China as he does, but they cannot speak out "under the media pressure."

"With permanent lies about Xinjiang, people can only see the lies," Vivas said. "I said to myself that maybe we need to reestablish the truth."

In a few months, a book about China written by 15 intellectuals from different countries, edited by Vivas, will be published in France. "This is my way of continuing to work to spread the truth about China," he added.

RAPID PROGRESS IN XINJIANG

"We all feel very happy living in Xinjiang," said Maulanjan Tursun, a food blogger from Kashgar, who asked the writer how he evaluates Xinjiang's development.

"I have visited a lot of countries and regions, but I have not seen such rapid development," Vivas said, noting that Xinjiang's development and progress over the past two years is quite obvious.

Tourists are seen at a teahouse in the ancient city of Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhao Ge)

"This depends on a series of effective policies and measures, and vocational education and training centers have also played an important role in vocational skills training," he said.

The writer also shared what he saw and heard about in Xinjiang with these young people. "I have seen villagers move from mud huts to new homes with access to water, electricity and Internet service."

In his book, Vivas mentioned an encounter with a 41-year-old farmer who, with the help of the local government, had set up a small tracksuit manufacturing business and became the head of the enterprise with 80 employees. With her own income and government scholarships, she sent her son to study abroad.

"I was invited to a family of former nomads where I ate mouton which was presented in a very delicious way. I was amazed by the dance and music performances of Xinjiang, and the architecture of Kashgar is really remarkable too," he added.

The writer expressed the hope that more Westerners will explore this beautiful place by themselves.

"Next time you (Vivas) come to Xinjiang, we will cook you pilaf and noodles," said the young people.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Re: With death penalty, Texas clinging to a relic of the past, Other Views, Sunday:

I write in support of the op-ed by Roger C. Barnes, who chairs the department of sociology at the University of the Incarnate Word, calling on the Editorial Board to take a moral stand against capital punishment in Texas.

To his list of well-founded objections to the death penalty as it is practiced in Texas, I would add one more: the cost exacted against youthful offenders.

I have examined the cases of 82 youthful capital offenders who were between the ages of 17 and 21 since the reinstatement of capital punishment in the 1970s. Nearly three-fourths of these offenders were Black or Hispanic; nearly all were poor; and most had experienced horrific abuses as children. In at least one case  that of 17-year-old Ruben Cantu from San Antonios South Side  Texas executed a person who was likely innocent.

Fueling the drive to convict and execute youthful offenders was future dangerousness, a requirement in the Texas death-penalty statute that calls on juries to decide whether a young person could be redeemed later in life.

This standard pushed prosecutors to portray defendants as violent, inhuman monsters and to dismiss or downplay mitigating evidence, including horrific childhood abuses. Some prosecutors, including Sam Millsap, the Bexar County district attorney who prosecuted Cantus case, have expressed regret and become vocal opponents of the death penalty.

On ExpressNews.com: Its still emotional for me: Bexar County prosecutors wrangle over death penalty

This rush to execute youthful offenders was illustrated most recently in July, when the state executed Billy Joe Wardlow for a murder he committed as an 18-year-old in 1993. Wardlow shot a man while trying to steal a truck to flee an abusive home. He had no prior record of crime or violence.

Nevertheless, the prosecution went on to portray Wardlow as a stone cold killer and an animal out in the wild who goes out and devours those who are weaker than him  those that are defenseless. Why does a wolf do that? A wolf does that because thats just what he is, hes a predator.  The wolf is totally without remorse because thats what he is.

This style of argumentation is consistent with nearly all of the 82 cases I have reviewed involving youthful capital offenders. It encouraged jurors to view an 18-year-old first-time offender as an animal-like predator while erasing any consideration of troubled histories of childhood abuse, trauma and neglect, which often come to light during post-conviction mitigation investigations. Moreover, it presents a deeply unreliable forecast of an unformed youthful offenders likelihood to commit further violent acts in a secure prison setting.

The practice of executing youthful capital offenders on the basis of highly misleading, unreliable and at times outright false evidence is well documented in the historical record. I urge the Editorial Board to take a clear stand against the continuation of this shameful history.

William S. Bush is a professor of history at Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
Last month, BP announced its plans to end routine flaring by 2025. Flaring, the practice of burning unwanted gas in the oilfields, is dirty  and the damage it causes to the planet has given Texas reputation a black eye.

So, why is it still happening on land owned by the University of Texas?

UT prides itself on leading the way toward a clean, renewable future  a fact thats evident through the rooftop solar arrays and a long list of LEED-certified buildings on its campuses. But its less-visible oil operation in West Texas tarnishes this green sheen.

About 180 miles west of Austin  amid the sand dunes, grasslands and tumbleweeds of West Texas  lie a whopping 10,000 oil and gas wells on land owned by UT.

UTs deep involvement in the oil industry makes the University Lands operation the fifth-largest oil producer in all of Texas. This drilling creates a host of environmental and public health problems, not least of which is the flaring and venting of methane gas.

Wells typically produce both oil and gas. If the company operating the well is interested only in producing oil, the gas is an unwanted byproduct to address. Well operators can send this gas into the market through a pipeline or burn it on-site through a flare if pipeline infrastructure is not available.

Too often in Texas, however, operators rely on flares despite the availability of pipelines, use flares that only partially burn the gas before releasing it, or directly vent uncombusted methane into the atmosphere.

Flaring, venting and methane leaks are major sources of global warming pollution and may erase any climate benefit that natural gas has over coal. Such concerns recently led the French company Engie to cancel plans to buy Texas gas.

Commentary: To address flaring, raise fees on industry

Flaring is also bad for public health. A recent study found that pregnant women exposed to more than 10 nightly flares within 3 miles of their home had a higher risk of giving birth prematurely.

Public outcry led BP to announce its plan to end flaring in the Permian Basin by 2025 and spend $1.3 billion to create pipelines for natural gas. Its joined by Apache Corp., another large operator in the Permian Basin, which plans to eliminate all routine onshore flaring in the U.S. by the end of the year. Alaska, Colorado and, recently, New Mexico have all banned routine flaring.

The University of Texas isnt blind to the problem: Its researchers have published study after study on the topic; its representatives have spoken out about it; and, last spring, the university convened a large group of experts for a workshop on problems and solutions regarding methane flaring in the industry.

University Lands says it is proud of its environmental record  but it hasnt committed to ending flaring. In fact, satellite data reveal oil and gas companies drilling on University Lands flared 5.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2017  enough gas to fuel 124,000 homes.

As a leader in the Texas energy market, UT faces a choice: Stay the course of waste and pollution  modeling an approach that has led Texas to become the worst methane polluter in the country  or step up and showcase energy innovation and best practices with real standards to reduce pollution on university lands.

The University Lands Flaring Act, introduced by state Rep. Gina Hinojosa and Sen. Sarah Eckhardt in the Texas Legislature, would direct the UT System to eliminate routine methane flaring on its land by 2025.

Climate change is a major threat to all Texans. Summers are getting hotter; hurricanes are getting stronger; and droughts are getting longer. Its critical to our future that we act quickly to eliminate global warming pollution.

For nearly 150 years, the University of Texas System has been a center of innovation and leadership in our state. As one of the biggest players in the oil industry, it can lead the way in meeting the greatest challenge of our time: the fight against climate change. UT System leaders should act immediately to rein in methane pollution on university-owned land  and if they do not, the Legislature should.

Luke Metzger is the executive director of Environment Texas, a nonprofit advocate for clean air, clean water, open spaces and a livable climate.
A major pork producer has submitted a 75 million proposal to build Northern Ireland's first factory to process cull sows.

Bannside Foods have submitted the plan, proposing for the site to be located in Ballymoney, County Antrim.

The plant would be centred at the former Malton Bacon factory, which was destroyed by fire in 1998.

Currently, Northern Ireland has no dedicated facility to process cull sows.

Farmers in the region have to export them to mainland Britain, Republic of Ireland and the continent.

Johann Muldoon, the architect behind the proposal, said it was an 'ambitious plan' that could create 350 to 400 direct jobs and 2,000 indirect jobs.

"It will future proof an industry that has been hard hit in the last number of years plus any new jobs should be welcomed," she told the BBC.

"One of the key concerns with Brexit was the access to migrant labour - this plant will see changes to the nature of that."

Ms Muldoon added it would also "link in to apprenticeships and training in the tech side of business, but there will be the other side of things that are less tech savvy."

Local UUP Councillor Darryl Wilson said the proposal was 'welcome news' which could bring 'much needed' job creation and investment to the area.

"Developers (Bannside foods) have submitted a planning proposal... to incorporate a new automated, first of its kind food processing plant," he said.

A 12-week public consultation on the proposal is presently underway.
The 5 top choices for LFCC names

In the press release, the task force went into more detail about the top five choices:

Valley & Vista Community College -- The task force thought this name was unifying and inclusive of the entire service region. It brings to mind an upward progression, much like the academic journey and broader horizons our students explore, the release said. Vista also has inspirational connotations.

Red Oak Community College -- More than half of the forest in Shenandoah National Park consists of red oaks and the strength and towering stature of the trees represent the growth and opportunity provided by the college. Oak trees have historical and cultural significance. Kings wore crowns of oak leaves and the tree signifies strength in the Bible.

Laurel Ridge Community College -- Laurels grow abundantly within the colleges service area, which also features distinctive mountain ridges. Laurel is also a verb meaning to bestow an award or praise in recognition of an achievement, often academic. The ancient Greeks presented laurel wreaths to athletes, poets and war heroes. The press release added, As the upper edge of a mountain range, ridge can serve as a metaphor for the level of success and range of opportunities offered by the college.

Valley & Ridge Community College -- One of the regions of Virginia, west of the Blue Ridge and east of the Appalachian Plateau Region, is the Valley & Ridge Region. The name unites the service regions while paying tribute to the natural landscape, said the press release.

Newbridge Community College  The release from the college said, A recurring theme among comments and stories from students and alumni was that the college gave them a new outlook and a new start. The word new speaks to new beginnings. Bridge can refer to where students are now and where theyd like to be in the future.
Image courtesy: Tina Vachani

With Virsa, Vachani envisions, the children will be connected to their roots, values, tradition and rich culture. It gives us a great sense of gratification. The passing of our heritage to the new generation is satisfying in more ways than one. Todays youth are fast paced, with short attention spans, overload of information and restlessness. More recently, there is the additional psychological impact of the coronavirus on the mental health of the children, she says.





With the overwhelming resources and the response Virsa has had, the team is only grateful. I believe music has no boundaries and that art and music connects the humanity through a bond of happiness. Indian classical music over a period of time has shrunk in its following, but there is hope that we can revive it, Vachani signs off.
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In the midst of the coronavirus "pandemic," a New Jersey school nurse was suspended for declining to wear a mask, claiming it was "harming students."

"I've seen kids come in with all kinds of dirty masks, the same mask for weeks, surgical masks to have food and dirt on them. I had a student come to me. He came to the nurse's office and said he couldn't breathe," said school nurse Erin Pein Wednesday on "Fox & Friends."

The Stafford Township School District's school nurse goes on to mention that a student reported that he's been "shockingly" wearing a mask for two weeks and informed her he "can't take" the mask off.

"How could this be? This kid sleeping and showering in this mask for two weeks? We tried to take it off and we couldn't, so we actually had to cut it off and throw it away," Pein revealed this to co-host Brian Kilmeade.

Pein, 35, said this is one of the incidents she's seen at the Stafford hospital. The nurse is extremely worried that the students are wearing masks "incorrectly," so she wanted to speak out. The Stafford school nurse decided to contact her boss but her concerns "weren't appreciated."

"They just bluntly told me we are going to be following the mandates put in place by Governor Murphy and that includes wearing masks," she told Kilmeade. "I let them know that, as a nurse, I don't feel comfortable enforcing something that I can see and know that is harming somebody."

Seeing that voicing her concerns to the school heads won't make a difference, she decided to do her own form of protest. She messaged the school superintendent, her principal, and her supervisor that she would no longer be wearing a mask to work. She reported to work without a mask on Friday, and on Monday morning, she was summoned and informed that she had been suspended.

The suspended Stafford school nurse is a mother of three who has been in the medical field for 13 years. The mask mandate, according to Pein, is "child abuse," in a Facebook video shared by Republican gubernatorial nominee Hirsh Singh.

"The mask, unfortunately, don't prevent them from getting COVID because the viruses are so small that you can't be stopped with a cloth masks or surgical masks. Even an N95 mask is not effective in catching the COVID. So, making these kids wear them for six or seven hours a day is awful," she said.

Pein also recounted an incident where a crying child approached her.

"She was wearing a mask. She was crying. She had vomited in class... I pulled her mask off. It was full of vomit. Her mask was full of vomit," Pein said.

She went on to explain that these young students had "severe anxiety" and that it's "heartbreaking" to see.

"Stand up. You can go to America's frontline doctors," Pein said. "You can get information about legal resources of how you can stand up and protect the kids that we are supposed to protect."

Since April 20, Pein has been on unpaid leave. Fox News noted that their request for clarification has gone unanswered by the Stafford Township School District.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 7, 2021) - Solution Financial Inc. (TSXV: SFI) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has retained Hybrid Financial Ltd. The service provided by Hybrid to the Company is a database of Registered Financial Professionals in North America. Hybrid is not promoting the specific purchase or sale of securities. It provides its database, technology, and call center services to enable the issuer to disseminate its information to Financial Professionals only. Hybrid provides its services directly to the Company.

Hybrid has agreed to comply with all applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") in providing the Services.

Hybrid has been engaged by the Company for an initial period of six months starting May 5, 2021 (the "Initial Term") and then shall be renewed automatically for successive three-month periods thereafter, unless terminated by the Company in accordance with the Agreement. Hybrid will be paid a monthly fee of $15,000, plus applicable taxes, during the Initial Term.

About Hybrid Financial Ltd.:

Hybrid Financial connects issuers to the investment community across North America. Using a data driven approach, Hybrid provides its clients with comprehensive coverage of both American and Canadian markets. Hybrid Financial has offices in Toronto and Montreal.

About Solution Financial Inc.:

Solution Financial was incorporated under the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) in 2004 and specializes in sourcing and leasing luxury and exotic vehicles, yachts and other high value assets. Solution works with a select group of automotive and marine dealerships providing lending solutions to clients who cannot obtain leasing terms with traditional Canadian financial institutions. Typical customers include new immigrants, business owners and international students. Solution Financial provides a unique leasing experience whereby it partners with its clients to help them navigate the challenges of acquiring, insuring, maintaining and upgrading vehicles and luxury assets in Canada.

For further information please contact Sean Hodgins at (778) 318-1514.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

(signed) "Bryan Pang"

Bryan Pang

President, CEO and Director

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking information and statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The terms and phrases "goal", "commitment", "guidance", "expects", "would", "will", "continuing", "drive", "believes", "indicate", "look forward", "grow", "outlook", "forecasts", "intend", and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements regarding the Offering, receipt of all regulatory approvals related to the Offering and the use of proceeds thereof. The Company cautions that all forward-looking information and statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's ability to receive all necessary regulatory approvals for the Offering. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Debentures and the Shares which may be issued on exercise thereof have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/83373
The biggest charity cryptocurrency token will be available for trading on BitMart starting at 4 AM EDT on May 10. Since its inception, ELONGATE has raised US$2,000,000 for various charities around the world.

BERN, Switzerland, May 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate its first month of operations, ELONGATE, the world's first and biggest charity cryptocurrency token, announces its first major exchange listing on BitMart. The ELONGATE/USDT trading will officially open at 4 AM EDT on May 10. Of equal importance, the crypto token has raised US$2,000,000 to various charities - with its most recent donations going to food and general support programs in war-torn countries through the Human Relief Foundation as well as COVID-19 relief efforts in India through Give India.

ELONGATE Will Be Available For Trading on BitMart Starting May 10

A much-anticipated announcement, Elongate will be available for trading on BitMart starting May 10. BitMart is a global digital assets trading platform with over 2,000,000 users worldwide and is ranked among the top crypto exchanges. For all BitMart users, the ELONGATE/USDT trading pair will be officially available for trading at 4:00 AM EDT on the above mentioned date. Commenting on this milestone, Hasan Aziz, Elongate's Chief Technology Officer and one of the project leads who spearheaded this initiative, said: "In just a month, the Elongate ecosystem has grown to change the face of charity and crypto trading. Our tokenomics is an integral part of the Elongate identity and thus I am elated that BitMart has been supportive to make this exchange listing happen."

US$2,000,000 Raised to Various Charities

Since committing a US$1,000,000 pledge in donations to various charities in its first few weeks, Elongate has now raised over US$2,000,000 for organizations such as Children International, Action Against Hunger, The Ocean Cleanup, Big Green, Human Relief Foundation, Mark Rober's Color The Spectrum, and most recently Give India. The latest pledges and donations coming from Elongate are to support food and general support programs in war-torn countries through Human Relief Foundation, autism awareness through YouTuber Mark Rober's Color The Spectrum - a fundraiser event co-hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and imminent COVID-19 emergency relief efforts through Give India. For more details about Elongate's charitable efforts, visit our Twitter and Instagram for constant updates, as well as tuning in to our weekly charity livestream via Twitch every Sunday at 12 PM EST.

Currently, Elongate consists of a community of more than 350,000 holders, with a total following of more than 225,000 users across all its platforms and channels. For more information on Elongate, visit https://www.elongate.cc/

Media Contact:

Gene Rhode Fuensalida Pantig

gene.rhode@elongate.cc

Chief Marketing Officer

ELONGATE

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1505975/image1.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1493177/ELONGATE_Logo.jpg
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 7, 2021) - Provenance Gold Corp. (CSE: PAU) (FSE: 3PG) (the "Company") is pleased to report the addition of Wesley Thompson to the Board of Directors and Fiona Fitzmaurice as the Company's new acting Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") effective immediately.

Mr. Thompson is a diploma graduate of Sheridan College and an experienced investor and advisor to junior resource companies in the areas of investor relations, marketing, corporate development, and capital raises.

Ms. Fitzmaurice is a chartered professional accountant who holds a bachelors' degree in accounting and finance from Athlone Institute of Technology in Athlone, Ireland. She has extensive experience in accounting, financial controls, corporate audits, private placements, and corporate acquisitions.

About Provenance Gold Corp.

Provenance Gold Corp. is a precious metals exploration company with a focus on gold and silver resources within North America. The Company currently holds interests in three properties in Nevada, USA. For further information please visit the Company's website at https://provenancegold.com or contact rclark@provenancegold.com.

On behalf of the Board,

Provenance Gold Corp.

Rauno Perttu, Chief Executive Officer

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange, nor its regulation services provider, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/83388
Operation Blessing, an international organization dedicated to partnering with people "to demonstrate Gods love by alleviate human suffering," is bringing medical oxygen to COVID-hit patients in India.

CBN News said that Operation Blessing will be donating "150 critical cylinders of medical oxygen" to India's Philadelphia Ambala Mission Hospital that is expected to save almost 1,000 people suffering from COVID-19.

"Now, with the help of Operation Blessing providing the oxygen to the hospital, we can treat close to 950 people over the span of two weeks so that's a great blessing to the patients that are coming to the hospital," revealed Operation Blessing's Victor Emmanuel to CBN News in an interview.

As per CBN News, India reached 400,000 cases on Thursday that demand for oxygen has reached "seven-fold." Emmanual told CBN News that the scarcity of oxygen has given the black market in India the power to charge prices for it at "300 to 400 times."

Besides providing medical oxygen to India, Operation Blessing have previously helped feed the hungry during the pandemic such as those in Texas, Costa Rica, and other parts of the world.

The Philadelphia Ambala Mission Hospital, which is located in Haryana, had to "refuse" patients due to the scarcity of oxygen because of the second surge of COVID-19 cases in India. Founded in 1887 by an American missionary, the Philadelphia Ambala Mission Hospital is officially designated as a treating facility for COVID-19 patients.

"When the patients come with low oxygen saturation it is really a problem we have to refuse the patients from getting into the hospital," disclosed Philadelphia Ambala Mission Hospital Director Dr. Sunil Sadiq to CBN News.

The hospital serves not only a place of treating patients but also a place of praying for them.

"When the patient comes, we are every day, we are praying three or four times a day for the patient and when they come they feel that there is a divine power working in our hospital," Sadiq added. "There's a lot of suffering around and I urge you to please pray for the nation of India, for healing, for God's comfort and peace."

Speaking of prayer, Christians in India have actually called out to the international community for prayer and assistance due to the surge of cases in the country.

The International Christian Concern said last week that Christians in India have called for their need for prayer and for vaccines, oxygen, and medical equipment. The United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries have already expressed aid to answer India's call.

In addition, America Magazine has also reported Catholic priests have called out to "pray for the people of India" since it is "a country suffering 'unimaginable' COVID-19 outbreak."

In similar news, Republic World reported that hundreds of israelis have responded to the call to pray for India. Israelis have gathered in Tel Aviv's avenues chanting while they prayed for India. Republic World also reported that Israel's donation of oxygen concetrators and respirators through Ambassador Ron Malka has already arrived in India as a concrete sign of their solidarity with them.
Former President Donald Trump reportedly called President Joe Biden as "one of the most extreme and radical presidents" in American History during the Susan B. Anthony List's Pro-Life Leaders Summit held in Florida on Monday and Tuesday.

According to The Christian Post, Trump called Biden "most radical" out of his pro-abortion policies while hitting on Democrats for wearing "bigger and bigger masks after vaccination" and on the media for their "egregious" treatment of his successor.

The Christian Post cited a tweet by The Federalist Senior Editor Mollie Hemingway who covered the event and tweeted most of what Trump said during his speech in the summit.

"Says Biden is one of most extreme and radical presidents we've had and he's not even aware of it. Jokes that Biden wasn't doing great, academically, even when he was in his prime," Hemingway quoted Trump in saying after announcing that Trump will be speaking at the summit that night of May 4.

Says Biden is one of most extreme and radical presidents weve had and hes not even aware of it. Jokes that Biden wasnt doing great, academically, even when he was in his prime.  Mollie (@MZHemingway) May 4, 2021

Hemingway also quoted Trump in a succeeding post that condemned Virginia Governor Ralph Northam for supporting abortion for babies born alive in January 2020.

"He just pointed out that VA Gov. Ralph Northam got in more trouble for blackface than he did for saying babies who are born should be allowed to die if mother chooses, and that he thought that was opposite of way it should be," Hemingway said.

Trump, whose personal platform now is live, has been fearlessly criticizing Democrats, the Big Tech, and the media through official statements released under the Office Of The Former President. He is now releasing easy to access messages via From The Desk Of Donald J. Trump.

As per the New York Post, the Susan B. Anthony List's Pro-Life Leaders Summit was held in Palm Beach and attended by several Republicans vying for the 2024 presidential elections. The said Republicans are led by Trump and also include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida Senator Rick Scott, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. The NY Post said former Vice President Mike Pence was also scheduled to speak in the summit but through video conferencing.

The NY Post explained that the Summit has "long attracted potential Republican White House hopefuls to its events" because of its "mission to end abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders."

In its website, the Susan B. Anthony List calls the Biden administration as the "most pro-abortion administration ever." The nationwide network of pro-life Americans has identified five areas the Biden Administration seeks to push abortion in the United States.

"Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and their pro-abortion allies in Washington are determined to use the White House to force taxpayer funding of abortion at-home and abroad, coerce pro-life medical personnel to participate in abortions, to expand brutal and painful late-term abortion on demand, to expand the Supreme Court," the Susan B. Anthony List disclosed.

The five areas sought to be pushed by Biden for abortion are taxpayer-funding, conscience protections, extreme agenda, cabinet appointments, and supreme court. For this, SBA List urged Americans to "be on guard the next four years" since they expect Biden to appoint "abortion extremists to the highest levels of power" in the country, including "activist judges to every vacancy on the federal bench."
Dr. Negiel Bigpond, a Native American pastor and author, released a video response ahead of the "National Day of Prayer" to the issued formal apology to Native Americans for past wrongdoings and abuse.

The National Day of Prayer commission, together with Brownback, took it upon themselves to seek reconciliation and confess to America's previous crimes since the apology was never publicly declared to Native American tribes.

This decision is based on the hope and prayer of building bridges and enforcing the conviction that "kingdom trumps nation."

To give context to the significance of the gesture during the National Prayer event, former United States Sen. Sam Brownback explained in a video obtained by Charisma News why the apology bill was passed by the Senate House.

The former Senator was influential in the passage of the bill which was signed into law by Obama in 2009.

"The Congress recognizes the special legal and political relationship Indian tribes have with the United States," he said. "And a solemn covenant with the land that we share commands and honors native people for the 1000s of years that they have stewarded and protected this land."

The apology recognizes that there have been years of "official deprivations, ill-conceived policies, and a breaking of covenants" by the federal government against Native Americans who were the original inhabitants of America.

The apology states: "On behalf of the people in the United States, to all native peoples, for the many instances of violence, maltreatment and neglect inflicted on native peoples, citizens of the United States express (their) regret for the ramifications of former wrongs...."

Brownback encouraged reconciliation as brothers and sisters working together to steward and defend the land. In order to introduce healing to this country, he urged the president to recognize the United States' wrongdoings against Native Americans throughout its existence.

He also praised state governments for starting reconciliation initiatives with recognized Native American tribes within their borders and urged all state governments to do the same and move on reconciling relationships with other indigenous tribes.

The apology mentioned a commitment to build on the positive relationships of the present and past in order to work toward a better future for all of the citizens of the country.

The apology would be read to Native American tribes in an official capacity on May 6 during the National Day of Prayer. A copy of the apology was submitted to Native American pastor and author Dr. Negiel Bigpond, who released a video response ahead of the event.

His prayer was that all native Americans would have an ear and a heart to respond with forgiveness.

"My prayer is that all my people would receive this apology and that all this nation would see the significance of it," said the Native American minister. "My prayer for this nation is that it would release healing."

Dr. Bigpond prayed: "So Father God, I just thank You. And I come with a good heart, and I pray peace over this land. I pray healing over the land: Healing over our nation, healing over all people. [I pray] that one day we'll all come together as one in the name of Yeshua Hamashiach, our Lord and Savior. Amen."
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
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Homelessness is on the rise in many of America's biggest cities as wealth concentrates in urban centers, elevating rents and squeezing supplies of affordable housing in places like Los Angeles and New York, new federal data show.Homelessness in and around big U.S. cities increased 3 percent this year, even as the nation's overall rate declined 2 percent, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released Thursday. Nowhere has the problem grown more acute than in the Los Angeles region, where the homeless population rose 20 percent, to more than 41,000 people. Los Angeles has the largest unsheltered population in the U.S., according to the department."We're now a city of shanties," said City Councilman Mike Bonin.The scourge of urban homelessness shows that while broad indicators such as employment and stock indexes are on the upswing, recovering economies are pushing housing out of reach and doing little to boost the incomes of the poor. Almost 47 million people in the U.S. lived in poverty last year, 2.3 percentage points higher than in 2007, before the recession began.Homelessness increased in New York by 11 percent from 2014, by 13 percent in Seattle and 8 percent in Chicago, data show. Major cities accounted for almost half of all homeless people in the U.S., and more than one in five were either in New York or Los Angeles, the report said.The estimates from the "2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress" come from data collected by more than 3,000 cities and counties that do a census each year on one night during the last week in January. The figures are an imperfect snapshot. While some entities don't count people on the street as well as those in shelters every year, the numbers are the most extensive accounting available of a fluid and often-evasive population.Many municipalities have outlawed panhandling , sleeping in public and distributing food, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Seattle has sought to regulate encampments and declared a state of emergency along with Honolulu, which was sued after clearing such makeshift settlements.In the western Los Angeles beach neighborhood of Venice, police at daybreak rouse homeless people from their slumber to boot them off their patches of sand and grass. Sanitation crews spray the ground with a mixture of bleach and water. Within hours, the homeless reclaim their spots, and the scene repeats itself days later.Venice, emblematic of up-and-coming communities across the country, has changed from funky, seedy and affordable to an enclave where the median home is worth $1.4 million, according to Zillow. Police have gotten more aggressive in breaking up homeless camps, said Michael Gilliam, 59, who said he's lacked a permanent place to live since 2003."There's a lot more tensions between the business owners and the homeless here," he said recently as city crews hauled away peoples' belongings. "The shelters are a farce. All of these things cater to a prison mentality. I'm a survivor, dude."Spilling out of its historical hub of Skid Row downtown, homelessness in Los Angeles has flourished during years of government neglect, said Gary Blasi, an emeritus law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles who has studied the phenomenon since the 1980s.The city spends less per capita on shelter and services than any other major municipality, treating homelessness mostly as a criminal matter by having police dismantle camps and make arrests for minor crimes such as trespassing, he said."This is a moral outrage," said County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. "It represents a failure of both the public and private sector."About half of L.A. households spend at least 30 percent of their income on housing, including costs such as utilities and property taxes. That's the highest proportion among 381 U.S. metropolitan areas, according to a report by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies.Mark Miranda said he's lived on Los Angeles streets since a dispute with his business partner led him to lose his landscaping company 16 years ago. Dressed in green pajama pants and a cut-off shirt in the middle of a recent day, he sprawled on the lawn at Echo Park, near downtown, as unkempt men pushed shopping carts among coffee vendors and young people read tablet computers by the lake.Miranda said that while L.A. has jobs for manual laborers, his 40-year-old body is no longer suited for that work."There's too many people out here like me," Miranda said.Responding to what activists call a humanitarian crisis, Mayor Eric Garcetti and the city council say they're taking action. They've pledged to build more affordable housing and spend an additional $100 million on measures such as new shelters and vouchers to temporarily cover rent and security deposits.In an interview last week at Bloomberg's Los Angeles office, Garcetti blamed losses of state and federal funding for affordable housing, along with an increase in cheaper recreational drugs."I won't accept it," the 44-year-old Democrat said. "It's our obligation, both morally and financially, to do something."He said the city has housed 11,000 people since he took office in July 2013, but that the homeless population has increased faster than the ability to build housing. He also said he's trying to get city, Los Angeles County and federal agencies, which haven't worked well together in the past, to better coordinate services.Activists such as Steve Diaz, of the L.A. Community Action Network, remain skeptical."The words are one thing, but their actions are another," Diaz said.
Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri seem to have a competitive car based on the first two free practice sessions of the weekend. There are a lot of points to be scored and Honda as engine supplier also seems to have its act together. Toyoharu Tanabe sees opportunities for both teams in Spain.

Positive day for Honda according to Tanabe

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were not at the top of the timesheets at the end of the second free practice session in Barcelona, but the Red Bull Racing team is largely positive about the first day of the weekend.

"The first day of practice was pretty straightforward," Tanabe explained via Honda's Twitter account. "Everything went smoothly, with both teams and all four drivers. It's only Friday, but if you look at the times and the differences it's clear that once again this weekend the battle with the direct rivals of both teams is very close. A small time difference can therefore make a big difference in the race."

Read more Ferrari impresses in speed trap in Spain: Honda not in top ten

During the first two free practice sessions, the gap to Mercedes may have seemed bigger than it actually is. "That's why we will be studying our data from this circuit, both from the past and from today," Tanabe continued. "We're going to look into the smallest details of how we can optimise our settings so that we're in the best possible shape for qualifying tomorrow."

"This was a straightforward first day of practice, with everything going smoothly across both teams and all four drivers." Tanabe-san on todays action #PoweredByHonda pic.twitter.com/LHxpnFJ1O4  Honda Racing F1 (@HondaRacingF1) May 7, 2021
Honda are reasonably satisfied with the course of the first day in Spain. In the second free practice for the Spanish Grand Prix all cars with a Japanese engine were in the top ten and that gives a lot of hope for the remainder of the weekend. Yet there are also small concerns.

"The first day was almost trouble-free on the engine side," Tanabe told AS-Web. Only Yuki Tsunoda suffered a brief power outage during his run. "That was just after he left the track for a moment, hit the kerbs hard and the underside of the floor took a beating, so we are investigating the cause and effect of that. We're going to investigate the cause of the problem thoroughly because the power shouldn't be turned off after a shock."

Red Bull will recover

Honda will be hoping to fight for pole position in Catalunya Saturday afternoon, but then Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the RB16B will have to bring a little more. "The two Red Bulls were a bit disappointing, but the comments from both drivers were positive. If we can bring every sector together, it's not so bad," explained the top executive.

Whereas Honda seemed to have the power unit with the most power in Bahrain, the advantage now seems to lie with Mercedes again. Verstappen noticed that as well, he said on Thursday. What is the exact situation? "Of course it depends on the characteristics of the circuit and how the regenerative energy is used. I haven't spoken to Max about this yet, so I will ask him for more details and try to analyse the data if necessary," Tanabe concluded.
Carlos Reutemann, the 1981 vice-world champion of Formula 1, was admitted to the hospital of Sante Fe in Argentina last Wednesday with a bleed in his digestive system. This Saturday, his situation worsened.

According to doctors at the hospital in Sante Fe, 79-year-old Reutemann's condition was stable last Friday, but new internal bleeding occurred on Saturday. That's why he was transferred to the intensive care unit of the hospital in Rosario. They are now keeping a close eye on him.

Health had already deteriorated

With 12 Grand Prix victories Reutemann is one of the most successful F1 drivers who never became world champion. As said he came very close in 1981, when Nelson Piquet beat him by one point.

He felt abandoned by Williams (his own team) in that title fight and turned his back on F1 after the second race of 1982. After his racing career, he was active as a politician in Argentina for decades. In 2017, he underwent surgery for a tumor on his liver and his health had been waning ever since.
Formula 1 is "assessing the situation" as it emerges that Turkey may have to be scrapped from the 2021 calendar.

The circuit in Istanbul was only added to the schedule recently, after Canada's Montreal race was cancelled for the second consecutive season due to covid.

But now a similar situation is evolving in Turkey, with the UK government deciding to add the country to its covid-19 'red list'.

British transport secretary Grant Shapps says Turkey should now "not be visited except in the most extreme of circumstances".

It is a major problem for Formula 1, as many of the teams are based in England and returning UK citizens must quarantine upon their return from Turkey for 10 days - at a per-person expense of about $2500.

"We are aware of the statement made by the UK government regarding travel restrictions to Turkey," a Formula 1 spokesperson told international publications.

"We are assessing the situation and will provide more information in the coming days."

It is rumoured that the Nurburgring or Mugello are the most likely replacement hosts in the event that Turkey is scratched.

(GMM)
Spanish GP 2021

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

Lewis Hamilton (1st, 1:16.741): "I was behind the whole way through qualifying and making small tweaks to find pace. I just can't believe we're at 100 - it's down to the women and men back at the factory who are continuously raising the bar and never giving up. It's a dream to work with them, what a journey! Who would have thought when we started out together at the end of 2012 that we'd be celebrating 100 poles!? I feel so humbled and very grateful for all their work. It feels just like my first! I'll always remember that one."

Valtteri Bottas (3rd, 1:16.873): "That was close! It felt like I was there in the battle for the pole but I lost a tenth or so with a snap at Turn 10, and those are the fine margins this year. We've got a strong package and we'll be in the fight tomorrow no doubt - it will be another close one between us and Red Bull. If you can keep the tyres in good condition, you're going to be more competitive around the pit stops. There's the possibility to mix the strategy and try a one or a two-stop. We'll do lots of work tonight and you'll have to wait until tomorrow to know our strategy."

Toto Wolff, Team Principal: "I'm not one for statistics but 100 pole positions is a pretty impressive milestone! I told Lewis on the radio that it was quite an okay lap, but of course it was a little bit more than that. It looked like Max and Red Bull had a big advantage in Q2, but we kept chipping away at it and in the end, the top three drivers were covered by a tenth of a second; exactly how we want it to be in F1, battling for every thousandth of a second. Both Lewis and Valtteri did a fantastic job in those final laps, and when it's such tiny margins, every detail makes a difference. Looking ahead to tomorrow, we have the advantage of two cars on the clean side of the grid, and both drivers in the top three; that will provide us a strategic opportunity, and we need to make the most of it for the race."

Andrew Shovlin: "Well done to Lewis on his 100th pole position - it's a phenomenal achievement and the whole team is proud of him, and proud to have played a part in him reaching this milestone. As expected, it was a real scrap for pole and it was good to have both of our cars in the mix today. Having two cars at the front is very also useful from a strategic point of view for the race tomorrow. Tyre choice for the race start was quite straightforward; the hard tyre isn't working well so everyone in the top 10 opted for the soft and we'd expect most to only use soft and medium tomorrow. The hot sunny conditions today made it quite difficult to get the tyres to the final sector in good condition, it's really easy to overheat here and any little slide costs you with a build-up of temperature. Valtteri suffered with this in turn 10 where a snap ultimately dropped him out of the running for pole. The track seemed to peak before the end of the session so the order at the top didn't change in the final run and, as much as we'd have liked to have taken the front row, having both on the clean side of the grid is not too bad. The race will be interesting tomorrow; we'll see in the first stint if we have the pace to break away but there are a few options for strategy on the table. We're expecting it to be a tough fight but one that we are looking forward to."

Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen (2nd, 1:16.777): "From my side it was a good qualifying. I'm pleased with my lap with no mistakes and I feel like I extracted the most out of the car. It was very close, but it wasn't quite enough and sometimes you have to accept that. Mercedes seem to be a little bit ahead of us over one lap but to be on the front row here, especially compared to last year where we really struggled, we can be very happy with that. We know that the start is very important here and it can impact the race result, so of course we are focused on it, but we want to keep it clean as well as it's a long race. We will of course give it our best tomorrow and I think we have decent race pace, if it's enough to beat them I don't know but we will push them all the way."

Sergio Perez (8th, 1:17.701): "It was a tough qualifying out there and just a bad day in general. I didn't get a good lap throughout today and I was not feeling 100% in qualifying with some shoulder pain so we did well to progress to Q3 which shows what a good car we have. In terms of pace, we have a very good race car so it's a shame we are starting out of position as it's a difficult place to overtake but I'm confident we will be able to fight for a very strong result. Tomorrow is a new opportunity, hopefully we are able to minimize the damage and take some steps forward. I'll be aggressive as I need to come through the field and catch up to the leaders as early as possible. In general, it's not been the best weekend from my side but looking at previous races this year, you can see things are coming together and I'm just getting to know the car better which is the key."

Christian Horner, Sporting Director: "It was another very exciting qualifying and a fantastic performance by the Team. Our first front row start in Barcelona for 10 years and Max was once again so close to pole. Being on the front row is very encouraging and there are a lot of positives to take from today. Last year we were 0.7s off pole and this year Max has completed an almost identical lap time to Lewis, so it's great progress. Checo recovered after having a spin on his first lap in Q3 and will start in P8, but we know how strong he is in the race and despite it being a difficult track to overtake on I'm confident he will make good progress. It will be important to get a good start, the margins are so tight between us and Mercedes at the moment that the small things make a big difference, so the start and that run down to the first corner is going to be important and very exciting to watch."

McLaren F1 Team

Daniel Ricciardo (7th, 1:17.622): "Overall, a positive day. We did really well to get through Q1 with one set of tyres, which gave us two sets for Q3, but obviously we missed it with the timing and, unfortunately, we couldn't use them. I do think there's always a tenth on the table and that could've been a P4 if we'd got a really good lap together. But, I don't want to focus on that. Ultimately, I'm still looking at myself and how I can improve, I'm not driving the car perfectly yet. Today was certainly better, but I'll focus on myself and I know the team will address their part for the Q3 timing. Today was a much better day and we made a really good step from yesterday. So, I'm very happy and thankful that we found some answers and that the updates seem to be working."

Lando Norris (9th, 1:18.010): "Not a perfect qualifying today. We were quite unlucky with some traffic in Q1 run one, so that put us on the back foot as we needed to use a second set of tyres when we should've been safe. I picked up some damage after my first run in Q3, and the final run wasn't clean either, which was quite important in the end with how much the track was evolving and the wind was changing. I'm not too disappointed, but it is a bit frustrating to start from the position we're in as it's a very difficult race to come through and overtake. We know we have a strong car on a Sunday, so we'll do our best to get some good points."

Andreas Seidl, Team Principal: "We had a competitive car today, but unfortunately didn't get everything out of Q3. Lando's car was damaged after his first run in Q3, which he had to do on used tyres after losing one set of new tyres due to the incident in Q1. On Daniel's side, we didn't complete the lap before the flag, as cars bunched up at the end of the out-lap and he wasn't able to get in his second attempt on new tyres. As always, we will analyse, look into the details and learn from it. The team here at the track, with support from home and the drivers, did a really good job overnight to understand the upgrades we brought here for this weekend and optimise the car. There was definitely more in it here for us today, but P7 and P9 with a competitive car will allow us to fight for good points tomorrow. Maximum focus now on getting back up the order in the race."

Zak Brown:

Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team

Lance Stroll (11th, 1:17.974): "It is a shame to have missed out on Q3 by such a tiny margin  just a few thousandths of a second. The positive is that by starting in P11, we have the flexibility to choose our start tyre and that could be crucial because I think tyre wear is going to be a very important factor in the race. It is not easy to overtake here, but if we can have a good start and gain places on the long run into Turn One, we can give ourselves a good platform for points on Sunday."

Sebastian Vettel (13th, 1:18.079): "My final lap in Q2 was not entirely clean and, when the grid is so tight, those small things can make a real difference. I think we had a good chance of reaching Q3 today, but we just found ourselves at the wrong end of the midfield group. Because so many teams have similar pace, it will not be an easy race, but we will hang in there, push hard, and see what we can do. You never know what can happen in a long race and, if we can look after the tyres and use our race pace, we can race for some points."

Otmar Szafnauer, Chief Operating Officer: "Lance and Sebastian both progressed smoothly through Q1, duly booking their places in Q2 as they did so. We were therefore slightly disappointed that we were not able to make it through to Q3 with either driver  we will analyse why that was now. Having said that, Lance will start the race from P11, and Seb from P13, which means that both of them will have a free choice of tyres to start on and both of them will have the advantage of a grid slot on the clean side of the track. They should both be in decent shape to race for points tomorrow."

Alpine F1 Team

Esteban Ocon (5th, 1:17.580): "It feels very good today and I'm happy with how we managed today's qualifying session. I think this is the confirmation we were looking for, as we've repeated the speed we had in Portimao at this track, which is good. The car has been great this weekend and I'm feeling very good at the wheel with the team around me. The factories are working hard to keep finding improvements and their hard work is paying off. Tomorrow will be a hard race and strategy will be interesting."

Fernando Alonso (10th, 1:18.147): "It's been a good weekend so far as we are in the top ten again, the second time this season. It shows the progress of our car so that's good. In terms of the session today I think my out-lap in Q3 was a little messy, so there was more time for me to find. It's very tight and obviously very difficult to overtake in the race, but we'll try to have a good first couple of laps and see where we end up tomorrow as anything can happen in a race."

Davide Brivio, Racing Director: "It was a very good qualifying today with Esteban fifth, the best result of the year for us so far and Fernando also inside the top 10. We're happy to have both cars in Q3 for the first time this year. The drivers are working well with their engineers in setting up the car and finding a good balance and even finding some small, but important, improvements from FP3 to qualifying. It's a credit to everyone in the team who has done a good job this weekend. We want to keep the momentum going and capitalise on these good starting positions in tomorrow's race."

Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow

Charles Leclerc (4th, 1:17.510): "It was a good qualifying and I'm very happy with the result. Looking at the gap between us and the top three, P4 is a solid result today. My Q2 lap was very clean and that's good for the tyres that I will use for the start. I am concentrating on this a lot because tomorrow it will be important to start on a tyre with little degradation. As a team, we start from P4 and P6, which is positive. Our race pace has been competitive and if we manage our tyres in the same way as we did yesterday, it should look good. Our target is to bring home as many points as possible. Overall it has been a good weekend so far and I hope that we finish it on a high."

Carlos Sainz (6th, 1:17.620): "In general, today was a good qualifying session for the team, on a track where car balance and car performance in cornering are important and the SF21 is performing well. From my side I had a strong qualifying all the way through and I felt I could push the car. I managed to go through Q1 with only one set and a couple of strong laps in Q2 put us through to the top 10. After a decent first run in Q3, I was looking forward to improving my lap time in the last attempt but due to small details I didn't quite manage to nail it. Despite that, there are lots of positives to take from today and we are in a good position to fight tomorrow in the race. Let's go!"

Laurent Mekies, Sporting Director: "A good qualifying which confirms our third place in the pecking order, at least on Saturdays. Now the priority is to repeat that performance on Sunday, something we've only managed to do intermittently. It's particularly significant therefore that our best team qualifying result from these first four rounds has come at this very challenging track. The gap to pole is half that of last year here, but it is still significant and even if we could have gone a fraction quicker, it would not have changed anything substantially. Charles and Carlos, the latter racing here in red in his home race for the first time, both did a good job behind the wheel and in working with the team to get the most out of the SF21. Tomorrow, we can expect a very tough race, given the very small gaps between ourselves and our closest rivals. If our strategy, reliability, teamwork and the drivers' performance are all at their best, then we can aspire to a good result."

Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda

Pierre Gasly (12th, 1:17.982): "I'm obviously disappointed with the final result, that's the first time we've not made it through to Q3 this year and we missed it by just two hundredths, which is nothing. That being said, I'm happy with the car balance this weekend but we've really struggled with grip, we just seem to slide around, then overheat the tyres and on this track you really pay the price for that. I think we were slightly more competitive at the start of the year, so we need to go away and understand how we can regain that lead again in the midfield battle. Nevertheless, tomorrow is where we score points and we'll be starting in P12 with a free tyre choice, which will hopefully give us a slight advantage in the race."

Yuki Tsunoda (16th, 1:18.556): "It's frustrating for me, the performance in the car is definitely there and I think we should easily be making it through to Q2, but I just couldn't find the grip today. Pierre and I have very different feedback about the car, even when we have the same set-up, so I need to understand whether this is due to the characteristics of it or our different driving styles and then I can look closer at the data with my engineers. I think if I find this reason then I can really start to harness the full potential of the car."

Claudio Balestri, Chief Engineer, Vehicle Performance: "Today's sessions have highlighted just how tight the midfield is this year and how a small difference in lap time can make such a big difference to a driver's final position. In FP3 both drivers showed good lap times and we found that the changes to the car set-up that we'd made overnight were positive. To be fast on this track you need to find a good compromise between the sectors, so this was our main focus before Qualifying. In Q1 Pierre completed just one lap on the option tyre and easily made it through to Q2. On the other side of the garage, Yuki was struggling a bit more with his car and he wasn't able to enter Q2, missing out by just one hundredth. We had a similar situation in Q2 with Pierre, who narrowly missed reaching Q3 by a few hundredths. Our focus now turns to tomorrow's race  we believe our long-run pace on Friday appeared competitive, so we hope that we can finish the race in the points."

Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN

Antonio Giovinazzi (14th, 1:18.356): "It was a good session and I think we got the maximum we could out of the car. My Q2 lap was good, maybe I could have improved a little more but Q3 was still a bit too far. However, we keep improving, and to be in Q2 again is good for the team. I am happy with my performance, we're still not where we would like to be  in the top ten  but we are making progress. Let's see how our race pace is tomorrow: the first lap will be important, as overtaking can be difficult here, but we're ready to make the most of every opportunity."

Kimi Raikkonen (17th, 1:18.917): "It was disappointing to go out in Q1, especially after looking good in the morning. The car still felt good and the lap was not bad, but I lost it in the final sector. I got a bit too close to the car in front at the end of the lap and that was it  it's so close out there, if you don't get it right you pay the price. We'll see what we can do to get back in the fight tomorrow. It's not an easy place to overtake but we will give everything."

Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal: "Today was a demonstration of how close and competitive the field is: the margins were unbelievably small, P1 and P17 are separated by one second and P2 and P16 by little more than half a second in the first part of qualifying. In this scenario, anything short of a perfect lap will cost you and that is what happened today with Kimi. Fortunately, Antonio managed to make it to Q2 and qualify in front of Russell: starting in 14th, he has a good chance of being in the fight for the points from the start of the race. As always, you never know what's going to happen on Sunday, but so long as we're in a good position we can take advantage of how the situation unfolds."

Haas F1 Team

Mick Schumacher (18th, 1:19.117): "We're really happy, it's been one of our best Saturdays and qualifying sessions. We managed to put the car where we wanted to, we made a big change overnight from Friday to Saturday. It was definitely the right one to do. I feel that the team and I have taken all the right steps to bring the car to where we are now. The predictions said we'd be behind Williams and here we are in front of one. We have to aim a bit higher though and try and get close to Q2, I think we're on the right path to try and do that. I think it's going to be tough in the race though. We're probably looking at a bit of rear degradation in the race  I think everybody is. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Nikita Mazepin (20th, 1:19.807): "The target temperatures were there for both my first and last run on the softs, the second one was a bit difficult. But when the time was there the temperatures really came towards us. It's our second, clean qualifying, so I'm pretty satisfied about it. On the other side of the coin, I'm not happy with the balance yet. I feel like the car is not really doing what I want it to do at the moment. It's quite difficult to drive it  it's a big task to keep it on the circuit while trying to maintain the best lap time possible. Loads for me to find but a clean qualifying is a good step forward as well."

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal: "From where we were yesterday, after FP1 and FP2, I think the whole team  the engineers, the crew, the drivers, they all did a good job. We've ended up in front of a Williams and that's what we're fighting for at the moment. We didn't get it done in Portugal, but we got it done here with one car with Mick (Schumacher). Nikita (Mazepin) made good progress today as well, as yesterday he obviously didn't have his best day. We just need to keep on bettering ourselves and climb forward  it's an on-going learning curve. Everybody is putting a lot of effort into it."

Williams Racing

George Russell (15th, 1:19.154): "I think getting into Q2 today was the maximum. We knew the car has never really worked perfectly around this circuit, relative to our performance elsewhere. We struggled a bit in FP2, but the conditions calmed down today. The car was in a much better window and we managed to out qualify cars like Tsunoda and Raikkonen, so overall, we really maximised today. It will be an interesting race with the warm conditions, and there is a bit of rain in the area tomorrow. I don't know if it will come before or after the race but fingers it arrives and spices things up a little."

Nicholas Latifi (19th, 1:19.219): "It's been a difficult weekend for us so far. I did collect some damage going wide on my second run and that didn't help for the rest of my flying laps. There was a bit of traffic too, with everyone bunching up ahead of their lap, but it's the same for everyone. In terms of the race, it can be difficult around here when the tyres aren't new, so I think that will be the challenge tomorrow."

Dave Robson, Senior Race Engineer: "The changes made overnight improved the car in FP3 with both drivers happier than in FP2. George in particular was happy with his changes to set-up, and overall, we made good progress from yesterday. Qualifying was difficult, with the usual fighting for track space at the end of outlaps. We were expecting Q1 to be tight and so opted to use three sets of new tyres on each car. George did well to qualify for Q2, but he had no new tyres left to use in that session. His single run on scrubbed tyres was good in the circumstances and he was able to put some pressure on Giovinazzi to complete a good lap in his final run. Unfortunately, Nicholas's car suffered some damage at the high-speed T9, and this hurt his performance in the final stages of Q1. We will repair his car ahead of the race. As we saw last week, qualifying is only a small part of the weekend and so we now turn our attention to the race and will look to move forwards tomorrow."
Canada-based Lion Electric Company, a leading manufacturer of all-electric medium- and heavy-duty urban vehicles, has selected Joliet, Ill., for the construction of its US manufacturing facility. The new facility will represent the largest dedicated production site for all-electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in the US and Lions biggest footprint in the market, giving the company the ability to meet the increasing demand in the marketplace for Made in America zero-emission vehicles, while simultaneously bringing production closer to its customers.

As part of its agreement with the government of Illinois, Lion has committed to an initial investment of at least US$70 million over a 3-year period.

The 900,000 sq-ft facility, for which building ramp up is anticipated in the second half of 2021, is expected to add a minimum of 745 direct jobs to the region over the next three years, with an annual production capacity of up to 20,000 all-electric buses and trucks.

This additional production capacity will aid Lion in scaling electric bus production as the US market moves to electrify a large portion of its school bus fleet, as well as to produce a larger number of heavy-duty zero-emission trucks as governments and operators throughout the US look to decarbonize freight and transportation fleets. Lion anticipates that the first vehicles will roll off the production line in the second half of 2022.

The Will County region in Illinois has a history of manufacturing, and Lion plans to build a robust local supply chain within the area. In addition, the Joliet location offers Lion a geographically centralized base of manufacturing and operations, with access to key infrastructure and distribution channels.

Over the last decade, Lion has delivered more than 390 all-electric heavy-duty vehicles in North America with more than 7 million miles driven since 2016. All of Lions vehicles are purpose-built for electric propulsion from the ground up, assembled in North America and are distributed and serviced through the companys network of Experience Centers, including locations in California, New York, Washington, Florida and Arizona.
It was a big day last week for Greenwich Communities as it broke ground officially for continued improvement work at Armstrong Court.

On May 1, Greenwich Communities, formerly known as the Housing Authority of the town of Greenwich, held a ceremony to mark the start of Phase II of the Armstrong Court project.

In Phase I, 18 new townhouses were built in the complex. For Phase II, buildings 1, 3 and 6 will be renovated, turning the one- and two-bedroom units into three-bedroom units, with new kitchens and other improvements. It will also create handicapped accessible units.

The three-bedroom units are in high demand among families, according to Greenwich Communities.

The groundbreaking was attended by First Selectman Fred Camillo, Selectperson Jill Oberlander, former First Selectman Peter Tesei and former Selectman John Toner as well as state Reps. Kimberly Fiorello, R-149, and Stephen Meskers, D-150, and former Rep. Livvy Floren.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, was also there. A town resident, Himes is a former member of the Housing Authoritys Board of Commissioners.

Projects like this happen because you have leadership  because there is a partnership, Himes said at the ceremony. That is where opportunity comes from. ... Thank you, Greenwich, for showing the world how you create opportunity.

Sam Romeo, chair of the Greenwich Communities Board of Commissioners, celebrated the partnerships that make affordable housing possible.

We are truly a partner so we can do other projects, Romeo said. They allow us to do what we do.

The project was praised by Masouda Omar, managing director of multifamily housing development for the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, which provided $5.3 million in tax-exempt bonds and $7.3 million in construction loans as well tax credits for the project.

Armstrong Court is an endorsement for the belief that affordable housing will be transformational for the residents, Omar said. You and your partners are creating a vibrant community where people can build the lives they want, plan for the future and celebrate their milestones.

Greenwich

Local nonprofits can still apply to the Greenwich United Way for community impact grants.

Last month, the Greenwich United Way awarded more than $645,000 in grants to local health, education and self-sufficiency programs across 22 of its partner agencies.

The deadline to apply for the next round of grants is May 14. Eligible nonprofits can apply by sending an email to the Greenwich United Ways senior director of community impact at rmoore@greenwichunitedway.org.

The community investment grants are awarded after a rigorous review process by volunteers that includes looking over the applications, evaluating financials and making site visits.

Our team of volunteers does extensive research to prioritize the many unmet needs in town and then fund the best solutions to address those needs, said David Rabin, CEO of Greenwich United Way. Because of the generosity of the people of Greenwich donating time, talent and capital, we are able to help the nearly one-third of all Greenwich residents who need it most.

Old Greenwich

The Emily Catherine Fedorko Foundation will host a special event to allow people to trade in their old life vests and get new ones.

The Swap Your Life Jackets for Emily event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 22 at the Innis Arden Cottage at Greenwich Point.

There is a limited supply of the new Coast Guard-approved vests. Resident who want to participate are urged to sign up in advance at https://emsway.org/life-jacket-swap/.

The foundation was formed in memory of Old Greenwich resident Emily Fedorko, who died in a 2014 boating accident at the age of 16. Her parents set up the foundation to promote water safety

From the start of the foundation, a main area of focus has been to make sure boaters have the right life jacket protection, said Joe Fedorko, Emilys father. The orange life vests are a requirement and serve a great importance in an emergency. However, with todays technology, we have much better options. We hope that our special trade-in day at Tods Point goes a long way to increase boater safety.

The foundation is also focused on its efforts with the Greenwich Point Conservancy to restore the Chimes Tower to their melodic glory.

Once the work is done, the plan is to rename the tower as Emilys Chimes. There will be a new water safety center at the base of the tower, which was built in 1901 and overlooks Long Island Sound. For more information, visit www.emsway.org.

Downtown

One of the downtowns best-known restaurants was recently honored for its work in the community.

The Everest Leadership Academy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children in underserved communities and schools reach their full potential as leaders, gave its Greenwich Community Leadership Award to Lescale Restaurant Bar.

According to the academy, it recognized business leadership that has shown perseverance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and acted as role models for academy students.

Throughout the pandemic, Lescale has not only found a way to stay open and keep its employees working, but they have also shown their ability to pivot when presented with obstacles, the academy said in a statement. Good leadership is not necessarily all that difficult during the good times, but exemplary leadership is required during extremely difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Lescale, the management team and staff have achieved that status.

This award is a testament to the commitment and ingenuity Lescale and its staff have shown throughout the past year, and the leadership skills it took to ensure their customers a five-star dining experience during the pandemic, said Ray Sozzi Sr., the academys founder and CEO.

It is always an honor to get this kind of recognition by our peers and incredible organizations like The Everest Leadership Academy, said David Fletcher, Director of Operations, Lescale. This past year has been a very difficult one for all restaurant businesses and every member of the Lescale staff has worked tremendously hard.

For more information about the nonprofit academy, visit www.everestla.org.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
"Stay strong, India": Chinese companies work overtime to help

Xinhua) 08:35, May 08, 2021

-- Fosun is among many Chinese companies racing against time to produce and provide medical supplies urgently needed by pandemic-hit India. Its first batch of donated medical protective supplies arrived in Mumbai on May 2.

-- Since April China has provided more than 5,000 ventilators, more than 21,000 oxygen generators, more than 21.48 million face masks, and some 3,800 tons of medicine.

-- "China is quietly helping India," wrote a netizen named shrikantchandra. "Very good work by China in helping India in medical crisis."

NEW DELHI/ZHENGZHOU, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Aspiring to become a medical student at the university, 18-year-old Devyanshi from Delhi, India, has been extremely concerned about the COVID-19 epidemic in her country.

India was facing a very "critical situation," she said in a video interview with Xinhua recently.

"There is an acute shortage of ventilators, oxygen cylinders, medicines and also medical stuff," she said. "People are dying in great numbers due to this."

India is the second country after the United States to record more than 20 million COVID-19 cases. On Friday, it registered a record high of 414,188 new cases in the past 24 hours, more than 300,000 a day for half a month in a row, and a death toll surpassing 230,000.

Devyanshi hopes that India could seek help from other countries, and she is not alone.

According to Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong, since last month China has provided more than 5,000 ventilators, more than 21,000 oxygen generators, more than 21.48 million face masks, and some 3,800 tons of medicine.

"In the past two weeks, 61 cargo flights have been in operation from China to India, transporting various urgently needed medical supplies for India," he tweeted Saturday.

File photo taken on April 15, 2021 shows staff members working on the production line at Zhengzhou Olive Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua)

STAY STRONG, INDIA

A video footage the Chinese ambassador posted on social media earlier this week showed Chinese companies, including the Shanghai-based Fosun Pharma, were producing and packing medical equipment for India.

On May 2, Fosun's first batch of donated medical protective supplies, 100,000 masks, arrived in Mumbai, western India. The company told Xinhua on Friday that 150 ventilators donated by Fosun Pharma's subsidiary Gland Pharma were to be delivered to Hyderabad in central India. More than 20,000 oxygen generators are also to be provided soon.

In the video footage, a group of Fosun staff shouted: "Stay strong, India."

Guo Guangchang, chairman of Fosun International, said on his social media account: "today .. .countries have extensive converging interests and are mutually dependent. Together let's join hands to fight the pandemic."

Fosun Pharma is not the only Chinese company that provides medical equipment for India.

Sun Weidong also shared another video clip, in which workers of a Chinese oxygen generator manufacturer, the Zhengzhou Olive Electronic Technology Co. Ltd, were bustling in the factory, producing and packing the machines during the May Day holiday.

According to Qu Yunping, sales manager of the company, they received orders from India at the end of April. A total of 18,000 oxygen generators were needed. Zhengzhou Olive added another production line and workers, operating overtime against its current daily production capacity of 700 to meet the need.

Ms An Junhong was in charge of quality supervision in the factory, who only took four days off after the Spring Festival in February.

"We have so many orders from overseas," she told Xinhua, adding they work from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m each day.

Talking about India, the 40-year-old woman said she learned about the COVID-19 situation there by browsing on her mobile phone.

"My friends and I also shared information about India with each other on WeChat," she said. "I know how severe it is."

"So it is not just about doing our job," she said. "It is a matter of life and death. I think we help saving lives."

Medical workers prepare an oxygen equipment for COVID-19 patients in Kolkata, India, May 3, 2021. (Str/Xinhua)

Along with the equipment, there is a message that she would like to convey to the Indian people: "take good care of yourself, take protective measures and hopefully you could bring the pandemic under control soon."

THANK YOU, CHINA

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolences to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last Friday over the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

In the message, Xi said China is willing to strengthen anti-pandemic cooperation with India, and provide support and help to the country. The human race belongs to a community with a shared future, Xi said, adding that only through solidarity and cooperation can all countries across the world defeat the pandemic finally.

A doctor in the Uttar Pradesh state in India, Rachna is now busy treating patients with COVID-19.

"Almost 40 countries from all over the world are helping us, and out of that China has come forward which is really appreciable," she told Xinhua. "It is supporting us by supplying us major medical instruments like ventilators, medicines, oxygen concentrators."

Many ordinary people in India took to social media to express their gratitude for the support from China.

"Thank you very much for doing overtime work for India and making quick supplies," Trivedi Pankaj left the comment on the Chinese ambassador's account.

File photo taken on April 15, 2021 shows staff members working on the production line at Zhengzhou Olive Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua)

"Very good work by China in helping India in medical crisis," wrote shrikantchandra. "While the Western gov'ts are banning flights and their newspapers making noises, China is quietly helping India."

Noting "a close neighbor is better than a distant relative," Vikram Singh wrote. "We must enhance mutual understanding, trust and goodwill, driving relations forward."

"Thanks China," wrote Aditya. "Hope this help paves way for recovery of relationship of neighbors."

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Samsung announced the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A52 5G in March. The A52 is already available in India with a starting price of INR26,499 ($360/300), and Samsung will launch the A52 5G in the country soon as the smartphone's support page has gone live on the Korean conglomerate's official Indian website.

The page doesn't include any specs of the Galaxy A52 5G, however, it tells us that the smartphone will carry model designation SM-A526B/DS in India, where DS indicates dual-SIM support.

It's unclear when exactly Samsung will introduce the Galaxy A52 5G in India, but you can expect it to cost more than the 4G variant. Some reports claim it will be priced around INR5,000 ($70/55) higher than the non-5G model.

For that extra money you shell out, you'll get a Snapdragon 750G over Snapdragon 720G and a 120Hz screen instead of 90Hz. You can check out the detailed specs of Galaxy A52 4G and Galaxy A52 5G here.

Source




Haiti - FLASH : The Police of Miragoane behaves like bandits





In a note in Creole sent to the editorial staff of the Preference FM radio of Petit-Goave, the office of the municipal council of the Second Plain, takes stock of the damage committed by the Miragoane police officers on April 29, assessment carried out on the observation of a justice of the peace for an objective assessment of the facts.



According to the municipal authorities, the Police of the department of Nippes fired live ammunition and threw tear gas in the direction of a population which erected barricades on the public highway in order to demand the release of the coordinator of the cartel, Mr. Wilkenn Dicette.



Marvens, a 7-year-old boy, was shot in the thigh and the victim is currently receiving treatment in a hospital in the capital.



Police beat and then arrested several non-violent young boys outside their home. They set fire to 3 motorcycles and damaged others with machetes. They also damaged around 6 cars parked respectively in their owner's yard.



PNH agents set fire to more than 30 merchant trestles in different localities : "Mache mango", "Bazil", La Madeleine and Cuperlier. They slaughtered head of cattle : 2 oxen, 2 goats and 1 pig.



They opened fire on houses in the area whose walls bear traces of bullet holes. Some police officers entered the homes of peasants in Second Plain, damaged kitchen utensils and threw food supplies on the ground.



The Bureau of the Board of the Second of Petit-Goave asks other State authorities to look into the situation of the 2nd section. "We are fed up with the arbitrary acts that we suffer from the Police of the Department of Nipppes. We have been confronted with this problem since the installation of Mr. Muscadin as Government Commissioner to the Prosecutor's Office of the Court of First Instance of Miragoane. We take this opportunity to ask the leaders concerned if the Second Plain is part of Miragoane or Petit-Goave ? [...]" concludes this note leaving the signature of Wesly Leandre, assessor of CASEC of the 2nd Section of Petit-Goave.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33621-haiti-insecurity-bloody-friday-evening-in-petit-goave.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-33588-icihaiti-petit-goavethe-rn2-blocked-passengers-from-the-south-launch-an-sos.html



HL/ HaitiLibre / Guyto Mathieu (Correspondent Petit-Goave)






















Haiti - Politic : Spain a privileged partner for Haiti





The Ambassador of Haiti in Spain, Dr. Louis Marie Montfort Saintil, met Thursday, May 6 in Madrid with Ms. Meritxell Batet, President of the Chamber of Deputies on the strengthening of relations between Haiti and Spain.



This meeting, which was held in Congress, was an opportunity for Saintil to thank Spain for its support to the Haitian people, while evoking the efforts of the Government, in particular the constitutional referendum of June 27 and the general elections of September and next November, aimed at guaranteeing Haiti's political and socio-economic stability.



"The Kingdom of Spain remains committed to respect and the principles of the democratic game, considering that the organization of free and transparent elections paves the way for political and socio-economic stability in Haiti. Elections are the bedrock of any democratic society," Ms. Meritxell Batet stressed.



During the interview, emphasis was also placed on the importance of the memorandum of understanding of collaboration signed between the Conferences of Rectors of Haitian and Spanish Universities (CORPUHA-CRUE) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33534-haiti-cooperation-signature-of-a-mou-between-haitian-and-spanish-universities.html . An Initiative which, according to Ambassador Saintil, will place academic and scientific cooperation at the heart of relations between the two countries.



The President of the Chamber of Deputies was delighted with this new partnership which will strengthen Haitian human capital, a vector of the socio-economic development of the country "The future of a country depends essentially on education," she insisted.



The possibility of establishing, in the aftermath of the legislative elections in Haiti, an interparliamentary communication channel between the two countries via platforms for exchange on issues of common interest was raised with an emphasis on Institutional strengthening.



Meritxell Batet expressed the wish that the current electoral processes contribute to the well-being of the community and be a new beginning for the Haitian people, affirming "The support of international partners, particularly Spain, is important to strengthen democracy and stop the cycle of crisis which hinders the socio-economic development of the country."



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33627-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33585-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33562-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33623-haiti-spain-more-than-20-scholarships-awarded-to-haitian-students.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33534-haiti-cooperation-signature-of-a-mou-between-haitian-and-spanish-universities.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33148-haiti-spain-ambassador-saintil-advocates-the-involvement-of-haitian-youth-in-the-development-of-haiti.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





115 arrests including 10 escapees

Friday May 7 at a press conference Inspector General Marie Michelle Verrier, the new spokesperson for the National Police of Haiti (PNH) revealed that from April 1 to 5 but the police had arrested 115 individuals including 10 escapees from prison and a police officer accused of the murder of his girlfriend.



"Mardi du Livre" : 4 writers signing

Tuesday May 11 within the framework of the "Mardi du Livre", the Direction Nationale du Livre (DNL) will receive several writers : Kav-Alye Pierre, Hugo O. Gelin, Melissa Beralus and Dom Pedro N. Theoney at the Saint-Francois d'Assise College, from 10:00 am to noon where they will sign their books and chat with the young people of this establishment.



Carrefour : Seizure of marijuana

Thursday, May 6 at Carrefour 44, during a routine check carried out by agents of the Narcotics Trafficking Brigade (BLTS) and the Coast Guard, a little over 9kg of marijuana concealed in a pillow were discovered in a Nissan mini bus, model UVAN, registration TP 07617.



The electric poles have arrived...

Pending the commissioning of the Drouet hydroelectric power station, the electricity poles intended for the rehabilitation of the electricity distribution networks of Petite Riviere de Artibonite, Liancourt, Verettes and Desarmes have arrived.



75% of detainees have never been tried

According to a report from the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), all of the penitentiary centers in Haiti have a prison population of 11,634 detainees including 248 minors (230 boys and 18 girls). During the past 25 years, remand prisoners (who have never been tried) represented nearly 75% of the total prison population.



Kidnapping : emergency number

The National Police encourage the population to dial 122 to report all cases of kidnapping and count on their collaboration in order to curb this phenomenon in the country.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Cosmetics refer to products used to cleanse the skin and enhance the physical features of humans. These include products such as skincare, haircare, makeup, and fragrances. Since time immemorial, the human race has embraced altering their bodily aspects to enhance their self-esteem. Cosmetics play a vital role in complementing an individuals inherent beauty and physical features. In the twenty-first century, beauty has been reimagined as a result of increased focus of consumers on skincare and cosmetics needs. The focus has ultimately shifted toward high end luxury products with premium quality and organic ingredients.

Based on ethnobotanical knowledge, humans traditionally used natural resources as primary ingredients to produce skincare products. However, until recently, due to the increase in prevalence of skin and health care among individuals worldwide, there is excessive demand for plant extracts. The urge to improve current lifestyle along with growth in disposable income is considerably affecting the growth of the cosmetics market.

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The expansion of high-income class and increase in travellers worldwide are two major factors positively impacting the growth of the luxury cosmetics market. Rise in disposable income levels of individuals across several regions along with the growth in GDP have inclined consumers focus toward luxury goods. Consequently, this shift in consumers purchasing approach positively influences the market for luxury cosmetic products. In addition, consumers are showing an increased preference for products manufactured using natural and organic ingredients, especially in skincare and fragrance segment

. For the same reason, manufacturers are producing cosmetic products with organically derived ingredients. This trend among consumers and manufactures has ultimately enabled the expansion of the luxury cosmetics market. Furthermore, the increase in online shopping among consumers due to factors such as convenience, international reach, and wide choice of options, further fuels the growth of the luxury cosmetics market. However, short shelf life of personal care products, especially manufactured using natural ingredients limit the growth of the luxury personal care and cosmetics market.

On the other hand, the demand for halal cosmetics is emerging as the fastest growing segment especially in the Middle Eastern countries. This can be viewed as an opportunity by the manufacturers for further growth and expansion of the luxury cosmetics market.

The luxury cosmetics market is segmented based on type, product type, end user, distribution channel, and region. Based on type, it is categorized into conventional and organic. Based on product type, it is classified into skincare, haircare, makeup and fragrances. Based on end user, it is considered into men and women. Based on distribution channel, it is bifurcated into e-commerce, supermarket/hypermarket, specialty store/monobrand stores and others. Based on region, it is studied across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

The key players operating in the market include LOreal, Shiseido Company, Limited, Christian Dior, Puig, Coty Inc., Kao Corporation, Revlon, Inc., The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., Oriflame Cosmetics AG, and KOSE Corporation.

Key Benefits for Stakeholders

 This report provides a quantitative analysis of the current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the global luxury cosmetics market size from 2019 to 2026 to identify the prevailing opportunity.

 The key countries in all the major regions are mapped based on their market share.

 Porters five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders to make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network.

 A comprehensive analysis of factors that drive and restrict the luxury cosmetics market growth is provided.

 An in-depth analysis of the market helps determine the prevailing market opportunities.

 The report includes details of the analysis of the regional and global markets, key players, market segments, application areas, and growth strategies.

Key Market Segments

 By Type

o Organic

o Conventional

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 By Product Type

o Skincare

o Haircare

o Makeup

o Fragrances

 By End User

o Male

o Female

 By Distribution Channel

o Supermarkets and Hypermarkets

o Specialty and Monobrand Stores

o E-commerce

o Others

 By Region

o North America

 U.S.

 Canada

 Mexico

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o Europe

 Germany

 France

 UK

 Italy

 Spain

 Switzerland

 Rest of Europe

o Asia-Pacific

 Japan

 China

 Australia

 Rest of Asia-Pacific

o LAMEA

 Latin America

 Middle East

 Africa
BRCC hosts car show June 5

Blue Ridge Community College will host the 16th annual Benefit Car and Trade Show Saturday, June 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sponsored by the Great Smoky Mountains Region of Antique Automobile Club of America, SkillsUSA and Blue Ridge Community College, the show is open to all makes and models of vehicles, including 2-, 3-, 4-, or 18-wheelers. Vendors and dealers should call to reserve their cars spot in advance.

Early car registration costs $12, while registering at the gate costs $15. The event is free to the viewing public. Concessions like BBQ, hot dogs and drinks will be available for purchase. Door prizes are also offered.

All proceeds from the event benefit Blue Ridge automotive students in their SkillsUSA competitions, which support career and technical education in the nations classrooms.

This show is such a fun time for our community. People come from all over to see this massive lineup of unique and beautiful cars, Blue Ridge Automotive Systems Technology instructor Brian Johnson said. So this not only gives people the opportunity to show off their cars, but it also raises much-needed funding for our students to attend SkillsUSA competitions.

The shows location is at the intersection of College Drive and South Allen Road in Hendersonville. The Colleges address is 180 W Campus Dr. Flat Rock, NC 28731. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Johnson at (828) 694-1835 or Kim LaRowe at (828) 779-2378.
Moffitt's bill expanding outdoor alcohol use advances

The N.C. House committee on Alcoholic Beverage Control moved several bills Wednesday, May 5, including measures to expand growler sizes, to allow alcohol service on charter buses, and to set up social districts.

House Bill 781, Bring Business Back to Downtown, generated much discussion before moving to the House Rules Committee.

The bill has two parts, said Rep. Tim Moffitt, R-Henderson, a primary sponsor. One, it would allow municipalities to install social districts. He pointed to the Streets at Southpoint in Durham as an example, where people would leave a restaurant and carry a cup of alcohol within a permitted area. The second aspect, Moffitt says, would allow bars and restaurants to, in effect, extend their premises, which the governor has temporarily allowed in an executive order after the pandemic. H.B. 781 would make this permanent.

Local governments would have the option of opting in or out of the new rules, as they could with the so-called brunch bill a couple years back.

Rep. Jon Hardister, R-Guilford, referenced the N.C. Folk Festival in his own district, which allows vendors on the street to serve alcohol, but not restaurants for consumption outside their property.

Its a good bill, said Rep. Graig Meyer, D-Orange, but local discretion is key, pointing to Franklin Street on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus in his district. It may not be right for every place, he said, but it provides a mechanism defining whats allowed and what isnt.

Andy Ellen, president of the N.C. Retail Merchants Association, said the bill is modeled after legislation in Ohio and Michigan. People would be given drinks in designated cups, for instance, and they couldnt use them to bar hop.

With COVID-19 concerns persisting, he said, some remain wary of dining indoors.

It lets them get outside, Ellen said. The bills would also help businesses that have struggled since the shutdowns.

Its a great way to help bring them back.

House Bill 722 would expand the size of growlers, essentially refillable containers for beer and cider, from two liters to four liters. House Bill 693 would allow alcohol to be sold and served on common carriers, such as charter buses. The Rev. Mark Creech, a consistent opponent of any move to loosen alcohol rules in North Carolina, said during the meeting the move would create bars on wheels.

H.B. 722 and H.B. 693 moved to the Rules Committee, as did House Bill 768, which directs the Legislative Research Commission to study ABC rules in other states, as well as the federal government. House Bill 619 moved out of the ABC committee to the tax-writing Finance Committee. It clarifies for the Department and Revenue and producers specific sales tax exemptions on machinery and equipment used in the process of making alcohol.
The Japan oncology drugs market accounted for $9,405 million in 2018, and is expected to reach $14,109 million by 2026, registering a CAGR of 5.2% from 2019 to 2026.

Cancer is a serious medical condition marked by the presence of tumor cells present in the body. The formation of tumor cells take place when the normal cells grow at an abnormal rate. Moreover, these tumor cells also have the ability to spread to other parts of the body through blood and lymphatic system. In addition, cancer has different stages which are based on the growth pattern of tumor.

Therefore, the treatment of cancer differs depending on the stage of cancer. Chemotherapy drugs are mostly employed in the treatment of early stage cancers and similarly targeted therapy and immunotherapy drugs are generally preferred in the treatment of late stage cancers.

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Surge in research related to new drug discovery for cancer treatment, rise in incidence of cancer in Japan, and increase in healthcare expenditure boost the growth of Japan oncology drugs market. Moreover, rise in awareness related to early diagnosis of cancer leading to rise in demand of oncology drugs for treatment is another factor that fuels the growth of the market in Japan.

Furthermore, surge in geriatric population also contributes to the growth of the market as the elderly are more prone to certain cancer such as prostate cancer. In addition, rise in number of pipeline products is expected to provide lucrative opportunities during the forecast period. Conversely, stringent approval process of oncology drugs in Japan hinders the growth of market.

The Japan oncology drugs market size is studied based on segments, drug class type and indication. Based on drug class type, the market is divided into chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy. By indication, it is categorized into blood cancer, breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, kidney cancer and others.

KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERS

 The study provides an in-depth analysis of the market along with the current trends and future estimations to elucidate the imminent investment pockets.

 It offers a quantitative analysis from 2018 to 2026, which is expected to enable the stakeholders to capitalize on the prevailing market opportunities.

 The profiles and growth strategies of the key players are thoroughly analyzed to understand the competitive outlook of the Japan market

 A qualitative analysis based on innovative products facilitates strategic business planning.

Key Market Segments

By Drug Class Type

 Chemotherapy

 Targeted Therapy

 Immunotherapy (Biologic Therapy)

 Hormonal Therapy

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By Indication

 Blood Cancer

 Breast Cancer

 Gastrointestinal Cancer

 Prostate Cancer

 Lung Cancer

 Skin Cancer

 Ovarian Cancer

 Cervical Cancer

 Other Cancers

List of key players profiled in the report:

 Otsuka Holdings Co Ltd

 Johnson and Johnson

 Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd

 AstraZeneca plc

 AbbVie Inc.

 Celgene Corporation

 Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

 F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG

 Astellas Pharma Inc.

 Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd

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LIST of OTHER PLAYERS IN THE VALUE CHAIN (These players are not profiled in the report. The same will be included on request)

 Sanofi

 Amgen Inc.

 Bayer AG
Huntington, WV (25701)

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Market Reports on Saudi Arabia Provides the Trending Market Research Report on Sleep Aids in Saudi Arabia under Healthcare Market In Saudi Arabia category. The Sleep Aids Market in Saudi Arabia is projected to exhibit highest growth rate over report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, and competitive intelligence and industry reports.

The negative sales growth that was being seen in sleep aids for most of the review period gave way to a positive performance in 2020 as the stresses and pressures that many felt due to lifestyle changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic boosted demand for products which can help consumers to relax and get a good nights sleep. In addition to the fear of falling ill with a potentially fatal virus for which there is no known cure, many Saudi consumers also faced economic uncertainty .

Sleep Aids in Saudi Arabia report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data 2015-2019, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. Forecasts to 2024 illustrate how the market is set to change.

Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.

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Table Of Contents

Sleep Aids in Saudi Arabia

KEY DATA FINDINGS

2020 IMPACT

The stresses and pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic boost demand for sleep aids

Promotional pricing a major spur on sales growth in sleep aids

The launch of Jamjooms Valerian Root Extract spurs sales growth

RECOVERY AND OPPORTUNITIES

The development of GSK Consumer Healthcares Saudi operations to boost growth

Sales of sleep aids to remain under pressure due to low consumer awareness

E-commerce surges ahead in the retail distribution of sleep aids

CATEGORY DATA

Table 1 Sales of Sleep Aids: Value 2015-2020

Table 2 Sales of Sleep Aids: % Value Growth 2015-2020

Table 3 NBO Company Shares of Sleep Aids: % Value 2016-2020

Table 4 LBN Brand Shares of Sleep Aids: % Value 2017-2020

Table 5 Forecast Sales of Sleep Aids: Value 2020-2025

Table 6 Forecast Sales of Sleep Aids: % Value Growth 2020-2025

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

COVID-19 impact on consumer health

COVID-19 country impact

Company response

Retailing shift

What next for consumer health?

MARKET INDICATORS

Table 7 Consumer Expenditure on Health Goods and Medical Services: Value 2015-2020

Table 8 Life Expectancy at Birth 2015-2020

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Market Reports on Saudi Arabia provides you with an in-depth industry reports focusing on various economic, political and operational risk environment, complemented by detailed sector analysis. We have an exhaustive coverage on variety of industries  ranging from energy and chemicals to transportation, communications, constructions and mining to Food and Beverage and education. Our collection includes over 3000 up-to-date reports all researched, analysed and published by top-notch international research firms.

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A detailed analysis report of the Global Insect Media Market has been covered in the report coupled with a thorough description of each company profile with information on the H.Q, future capabilities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial outline, partnerships and new product launches and developments.

The comprehensive value chain analysis of the market will assist in attaining better product differentiation, along with detailed understanding of the core competency of each activity involved. The market attractiveness analysis provided in the report aptly measures the potential value of the market providing business strategists with the latest growth opportunities.

The report classifies the market into different segments. These segments are studied in detail incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country level. The segment analysis is useful in understanding the growth areas and probable opportunities of the market.

Final Report will cover the COVID-19 Impact and Recovery on this industry.

Browse the complete Global Insect Media Market Research Report  Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2027 @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/42920-insect-media-market-report

The report also covers the complete competitive landscape of the global Insect Media market with company profiles of key players such as:

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Invitrogen

Lonza

Mediatech

Sigma Aldrich

Kohjin

Pan-Biotech

Wisent Bio Products

Biological IndustriesBioind

Xiaopeng Biomed

Procell

Bide Bio

Weike Bio

Union Bio-Tech

The detailed description of each has been included, with information in terms of H.Q, future capacities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial overview, partnerships, collaborations, new product launches, new product developments and other latest industrial developments.

SEGMENTATIONS IN THE REPORT:

By Type

Schneiders

Craces

Others

By Application

Scientific Research

Industrial Research

By Geography:

North America (NA)  US, Canada, and Mexico

Europe (EU)  UK, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Spain & Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific (APAC)  China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia & Rest of APAC

Latin America (LA)  Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile & Rest of Latin America

Middle East and Africa (MEA)  Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, South Africa

Download Free Sample Report of Global Insect Media Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-42920

The Global Insect Media Market has been exhibited in detail in the following chapters 

Chapter 1 Insect Media Market Preface

Chapter 2 Executive Summary

Chapter 3 Insect Media Industry Analysis

Chapter 4 Insect Media Market Value Chain Analysis

Chapter 5 Insect Media Market Analysis By Type

Chapter 6 Insect Media Market Analysis By Application

Chapter 7 Insect Media Market Analysis By Geography

Chapter 8 Competitive Landscape Of Insect Media Companies

Chapter 9 Company Profiles Of Insect Media Industry

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A detailed analysis report of the Global Vindesine Market has been covered in the report coupled with a thorough description of each company profile with information on the H.Q, future capabilities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial outline, partnerships and new product launches and developments.

The comprehensive value chain analysis of the market will assist in attaining better product differentiation, along with detailed understanding of the core competency of each activity involved. The market attractiveness analysis provided in the report aptly measures the potential value of the market providing business strategists with the latest growth opportunities.

The report classifies the market into different segments. These segments are studied in detail incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country level. The segment analysis is useful in understanding the growth areas and probable opportunities of the market.

Final Report will cover the COVID-19 Impact and Recovery on this industry.

Browse the complete Global Vindesine Market Research Report  Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2027 @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/42906-vindesine-market-report

The report also covers the complete competitive landscape of the global Vindesine market with company profiles of key players such as:

Min Sheng

Guangzhou Hanfang Pharmaceutical

Zhendong group

Vinkem

Minakem High Potent

The detailed description of each has been included, with information in terms of H.Q, future capacities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial overview, partnerships, collaborations, new product launches, new product developments and other latest industrial developments.

SEGMENTATIONS IN THE REPORT:

By Type

0.98

Other

By Application

Lung Cancer

Malignant lymphoma

Breast Cancer

Esophageal Cancer

Other

By Geography:

North America (NA)  US, Canada, and Mexico

Europe (EU)  UK, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Spain & Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific (APAC)  China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia & Rest of APAC

Latin America (LA)  Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile & Rest of Latin America

Middle East and Africa (MEA)  Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, South Africa

Download Free Sample Report of Global Vindesine Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-42906

The Global Vindesine Market has been exhibited in detail in the following chapters 

Chapter 1 Vindesine Market Preface

Chapter 2 Executive Summary

Chapter 3 Vindesine Industry Analysis

Chapter 4 Vindesine Market Value Chain Analysis

Chapter 5 Vindesine Market Analysis By Type

Chapter 6 Vindesine Market Analysis By Application

Chapter 7 Vindesine Market Analysis By Geography

Chapter 8 Competitive Landscape Of Vindesine Companies

Chapter 9 Company Profiles Of Vindesine Industry

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Global Lung Cancer Therapeutics Market Research Report  Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2026

About-Us:

DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.

Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.

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A disabled white farmer has filed a lawsuit against President Joe Biden over his COVID-19 loan forgiveness program. He claimed that he could not participate due to his being white. Adam Faust, hailing from Chilton, Calumet County in Wisconsin, is one of five Midwestern farmers who sued the administration on April 6 that accuses the federal government of contravening their constitutional rights.

White Farmer Sues Biden Administration for Being 'Racist'

The cluster of Midwestern farmers who filed a lawsuit claimed the novel coronavirus relief program for socially disadvantaged farmers merely applies to people of color. The plan provides $4 billion in loan forgiveness.

The American Rescue Plan provides financial assistance to "socially disadvantaged" farmers. The group, in a federal lawsuit filed in Green Bay, claims that since that definition merely involves minority groups and not white people, they have been denied equal protection under the said law, reported Washington Examiner.

Other plaintiffs include farmers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, and South Dakota who have direct loans with the Farm Service Agency or USDA-backed loans. They are "otherwise eligible for the loan-forgiveness program in ARPA, except for the color of their skin," reported The Epoch Times.

According to Faust, "It was just out and out racist, and I really don't think that there should be racism allowed in the federal government at any level. If somebody's green, I think they should be allowed to participate, based on their actual qualifications for the program, and not just picking an arbitrary thing like race," reported The Hill.

Read Also: Biden Supports Waiving Patent Protections To Help Produce More COVID-19 Vaccines Globally

The lawyers for the plaintiffs wrote that if the plaintiffs are qualified for the loan forgiveness benefit, they would have the opportunity to expand their farms, make extra investments in their property, support their families and local communities, and purchase equipment and supplies. They added because plaintiffs are unqualified to even apply for the program merely due to their race, they have been denied equal protection of the law and thus experienced harm.

As per the lawsuit, the phrase "socially disadvantaged" involves explicit racial classifications. The law indicates that in order to be qualified for ARPA's debt relief, farmers and ranchers should be black, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander, or Asian American. It asserts that other farmers are unqualified.

According to Faust, he does not understand how any group of farmers could be worse off than another. He continued if the plan left out any other group, there would be prevalent outrage. He said he has never seen any government program only based on that.

Faust also remarked he does not think there should be racism allowed in the federal government at all levels. In an interview with Tucker Carlson, he also said we could not have a government deciding and picking who they are going to provide any program to base merely on their skin color. He said all things that we have all learned growing up is that racism is wrong.

Related Article: Joe Biden Wavers on Restricting Refugee Entry

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The US Justice Department announced Friday that it would tighten firearms regulations and close loopholes that have caused untraceable, home-assembled "ghost guns" to increase too quickly. The department said it had confiscated more than 23,000 firearms without serial numbers from 2016 to 2020, most of which were manufactured from online-purchased key parts and kits, with some components made on home 3-D printers.

The US to crack down "ghost guns"

According to the department, at least 325 murders or attempted murders were attributed to ghost guns during that period, AFP via MSN reported. Some dealers have taken advantage of loopholes to market the most difficult-to-make gun models, the upper and lower receivers, to home-assemblers without engraved serial numbers, rendering the firearms more challenging to trace for law enforcement.

At gun sales, shoppers can purchase gun kits without having to go through a background check. In April, President Joe Biden's administration announced a slew of reforms aimed at reducing rampant gun violence in the United States, including plans to limit the use of "ghost guns."

The Justice Department said it was proposing to force manufacturers to put a serial number on the gun frames and receivers that they make and sell separately as parts. It also proposed that all retailers have to perform background checks on kits with parts needed to make a gun at home. And federally licensed dealers would have to emboss serial numbers on 3-D printed guns they make and sell.

In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said, "This new regulation will help keep guns out of the wrong hands and make it easier for law enforcement to trace weapons used to commit violent crimes." According to the Gun Violence Archive, more than 43,000 people were killed by weapons last year, including suicides. After receiving input within the next 90 days, the Justice Department will confirm the new rules. To stop the move, opponents will have to go to court.

Read Also: White House Secretary Jen Psaki Admits She Advises Joe Biden Not To Take Questions

'Ghost Gun' retailers required to perform purchaser background checks

For years, state and local law enforcement authorities have warned of a loophole in federal firearms law that they claim allows individuals who usually are barred from buying guns to possess them by making their weapons. Undercover federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives officers are constantly finding ghost guns at crime scenes and purchasing them from gang members and other criminals.

It's legal to make a gun at home or in a workshop, and advances in 3-D printing and milling have made it much simpler, as per KTLA. For a few hundred bucks, ready-made kits may be bought online without the need for a background check, which is needed for typical weapons sales. However, under the new rule, stores will be required to conduct background checks before selling any kits that provide the necessary components to make a gun at home.

According to a senior Justice Department official, the law establishes multiple criteria for determining whether incomplete receivers can be quickly converted into completed firearms. Manufacturers would be forced to provide a serial number if they met the requirements, said the official. Serial numbers will also have to be added to handmade, unserialized guns that are exchanged in or turned in to a federal gun dealer under the law.

The official talked to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, so he could not disclose the matter until a public release. The public will have 90 days to request input after the draft regulation is released in the Federal Register.

The lower receiver, which is usually made of metal or polymer, is a crucial component in constructing an untraceable firearm. Unfinished receivers, also known as "80 percent receivers," maybe lawfully purchased online without serial numbers or other labels, and no licensing is necessary.

The process of transforming a scrap of metal into a weapon is relatively easy and takes just a few hours. A drill press or a metal cutting system known as a Computer Numeric Control, or CNC, is used to make a few holes in the receiver and well out a cavity. After that, the receiver is put together with a few other components to create a completely functional semi-automatic rifle or handgun.

Read Article: Judge Strikes Down CDC Eviction Moratorium, Will Many Become Homeless?

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North Korea advised people not to read propaganda leaflets sent by the South through balloons, suggesting that COVID-19 could reach the country via the drops. The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper advised people to keep away from the leaflets and think and move under the COVID-19 guidance, as per the Yonhap news agency.

Propaganda leaflets sent in North Korea deemed to carry coronavirus potentially

North Korea has not confirmed any cases of COVID-19 since the outbreak began. "Even when we come across a strange object floating in the wind, we must regard them as a potential path of infection rather than a natural phenomenon," it said, as per The Independent. The problem of propaganda leaflets and balloons being flown from South Korea has been a long-running one, with North Korea's Kim Jong Un calling it a provocation and threatening retaliation.

Park Sang-Hak, an activist and well-known North Korean defector, was raided by South Korean police on Thursday. Park claimed to have floated hundreds of thousands of propaganda leaflets against North Korea by balloon. Despite a controversial new law prohibiting the flight of leaflets, USB drives, or money into North Korea, he floated the balloons. Violations of the current legislation could result in a sentence of up to three years in jail.

Since the new legislation went into effect in March, the activist is the first to investigate. The Seoul Metropolitan Police raided the activist's office in response to his statement that his party had released balloons carrying 500,000 leaflets, 5,000 one-dollar notes, and 500 booklets about South Korea's economic growth across the border last week. Still, the police declined to provide any further information.

On the other hand, the protester is defiant and stated after the raid that he will continue to launch balloons. Following the border balloons, Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un's sister, said that North Korean defectors in South Korea had recently spread leaflets toward the North.

She described their actions as an "intolerable provocation" and promised her government would consider retaliatory steps. Authorities in the South are concerned about her statement; North Korea blew up an empty inter-Korean liaison office on its territories last year after she responded angrily to similar propaganda leaflets sent into North Korea.

Read Also: North Korea Upset, Responds Angrily to Biden's Speech, Warns of Dire Consequences

North Korean Defector investigated over propaganda leaflets

On Thursday, police in South Korea investigated a North Korean defector for sending helium balloons over the border with hundreds of thousands of propaganda leaflets and booklets condemning Kim Jong Un, the North's leader. South Korean police searched Park Sang-Hak's office for breaking a new law that makes it illegal to carry such propaganda over the border.

Park Sang-Hak is the leader of a coalition of defectors called Fighters for a Free North Korea. For years, Park and other activists have been conducting such operations along the South Korean border.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police, the raid was carried out in response to Park's statement last month that his party had deployed hot air balloons carrying 500,000 leaflets, 5,000 one-dollar bills, and 500 anti-North booklets over the border. The balloons were intended to detonate over North Korean territory.

Park was the first person to be arrested for violating the current legislation, which forbids sending flying leaflets, USB drives, or money into North Korea and goes into effect in March. Violators could face a sentence of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $27,040, Newsweek via MSN reported.

Park, dismissing concerns about the law's penalties, told reporters that he would continue to fly balloons amid the new rules. "We'll continue to send anti-North leaflets to let our ragged, hungry compatriots in North Korea know the facts, even if we get three years in prison or even 30 years in prison," he said, as per The Republic World.

Read Article: Chinese Rocket Expected To Fall Back to Earth This Weekend, Where Will the Debris Fall?

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The WHO has approved the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese state-owned company Sinopharm for emergency use. It is the first vaccine created by a non-Western country to receive WHO support.

Sinopharm Vaccine Estimated to Be 79%

The novel coronavirus vaccine is the first Chinese dose to receive the WHO's green light. The United Nations health agency signed off on the two-shot vaccine. It is already being disseminated in dozens of countries around the globe.

The news was announced on Friday by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The same approval was granted to vaccines from companies AstraZeneca, BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

The decision bolstered the credentials of the China-made dose in the midst of doubts over its efficacy. According to the director-general, the emergency use listing for the dose is for a two-dose regimen for adults aged 18 and over. It was developed in partnership with the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, reported Financial Times.

A WHO emergency listing is a green light to national regulators that a product is safe and effective. Previously this week, separate experts had voiced our concern regarding the quality of data the company provided on its side effects, reported France 24.

The move enables the coronavirus vaccine to be included in Covax, a worldwide initiative that offers free vaccines to impoverished countries. The possible inclusion in Covax raises hopes that more individuals, especially people in developing countries, will get access to doses at a crucial moment.

Read Also: Bodies of About 750 COVID-19 Victims Remain in Refrigerated Trucks on Brooklyn Pier

Rich nations are hoarding doses. A major vaccine maker, India, has halted exports to address its aggravating coronavirus crisis.

According to Ghebreyesus, "This expands the list of COVID-19 vaccines that COVAX can buy, and gives countries confidence to expedite their own regulatory approval, and to import and administer a vaccine." Meanwhile, Senior WHO adviser Bruce Aylward stated it would be up to Sinopharm to indicate the number of doses of its vaccine that could be provided to the program. However, he added, They are looking at trying to provide substantial support, make substantial doses available while at the same time of course trying to serve China's population," reported Reuters.

Ghebreyesus also stated solving the vaccine crisis necessitates that they pull out all the stops. He also said that currently, dissemination and volume of vaccines are not enough to end the pandemic without the sustained and engineered application of public health measures that they know work.

Separate health regulators in countries, especially poorer ones in Latin America, Africa, and Asia have approved Chinese doses for emergency use. With little information released globally earlier, the effectiveness of the various Chinese vaccines has been uncertain for a long duration.

The Sinopharm vaccine is already accessible in 42 territories across the world. It is fourth behind AstraZeneca (166), Pfizer-BioNTech (94), and Moderna (46), an AFP tally indicated. A throng of other vaccines is on the path towards WHO emergency use listing.

Related Article: Biden Supports Waiving Patent Protections To Help Produce More COVID-19 Vaccines Globally

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Prince Charles seems to have ignored Meghan Markle, as he did not include her in his birthday message to Archie. Instead of mentioning the Duchess of Sussex, Charles shared an Instagram picture of Prince Harry, himself, and baby Archie to commemorate Archie's second birthday.

Markle wasn't included in Prince Charles' greetings to Archie

All of this happened after Meghan made public allegations against the Royal Family, including racism towards her and Archie. "Happy birthday to Archie, who turns two today (cake emoji)," per News.com, Prince Charles wrote alongside a black-and-white shot of the Prince of Wales with Harry and their baby boy.

Happy birthday to Archie, who turns two today. 



 Chris Allerton pic.twitter.com/HwvTBzphJu  The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) May 6, 2021

The post stands in stark contrast to a brand-new snapshot of Princess Charlotte posted by the same account just four days ago for her sixth birthday. They used old pictures on the official Royal Family website as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

After Harry disclosed in his Oprah interview that his father had stopped taking his calls, several others pleaded for the royals to make amends, urging Prince Charles to pick up the phone and wish his grandchildren a happy birthday. Despite seeing his family at Prince Philip's funeral, ties between the 36-year-old and his family remain tense after the dramatic backlash from Meghan and Harry's tell-all interview.

Regardless of the awkwardness, Meghan and Harry celebrated their son's birthday and posted a stunning new black and white portrait of him. Along with the snap, Meghan and Harry released a statement urging people to donate to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which distributes COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. With the imminent birth of Meghan and Harry's second child, a girl, Archie is expected to become a big brother in the coming months.

Read Also: Britney Spears Conservatorship Case: Singer to Divulge Truth in Court on How Father Jamie Controls Her Life

Reports claim Prince Charles only met Archie twice

Per The Sun, reports said Prince Charles has only seen his grandson Archie twice, forcing the royal family to rely on old pictures for his birthday message. "Wishing Archie Mountbatten-Windsor a very happy 2nd birthday today," a statement on the Royal Family's official Instagram and Twitter accounts read, The Sun.

Happy birthday to Archie, who turns two today. 



 Chris Allerton pic.twitter.com/HwvTBzphJu  The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) May 6, 2021

Meghan Markle cradles her son in the shot, which sees the family cooing over their child. They shared a photo of the entire family at Archie's Christening, which was taken when he was just two months old.

However, the photographs included in all of the royal communications were taken shortly after Archie's birth. According to reports, the lack of variety in the pictures is because the Prince of Wales has only seen his grandchildren a few times.

They also said that Archie could have only seen his cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, who are seven, six, and three years old, once. Harry and Meghan Markle posted a recent photo of Archie carrying balloons to celebrate his big birthday from the United States.

As they celebrated their son's second birthday from their home in California, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared the touching picture, which they took themselves, on their Archewell website. The young boy has been seen only a few times in the past year, but he did appear in a black and white video clip released in March, which saw him walking along a beach with his parents and the family's pet dog, Guy.

Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has stopped the Sussexes from returning to Britain for social visits, though Harry returned briefly last month for his grandfather's funeral. Sources are quick to point out that this is not the fault of everyone, even the Sussexes.

Initially, Prince Harry intended to return to the United Kingdom once a month or so. Instead, the Queen and other senior family members have had to rely on video calls to keep them going. This is perhaps why the act of wishing Archie a happy birthday by the three royal households - Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, and Kensington Palace - was so important. Indeed, since Archie is the son of non-working royals, there was no need to celebrate his birthday in public, as per Daily Mail.

Read Article: Kate Middleton Is Not Mean, Says Her Uncle Over Allegations She Made Meghan Markle Cry



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A detailed analysis report of the Global Tributylamine Market has been covered in the report coupled with a thorough description of each company profile with information on the H.Q, future capabilities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial outline, partnerships and new product launches and developments.

The comprehensive value chain analysis of the market will assist in attaining better product differentiation, along with detailed understanding of the core competency of each activity involved. The market attractiveness analysis provided in the report aptly measures the potential value of the market providing business strategists with the latest growth opportunities.

The report classifies the market into different segments. These segments are studied in detail incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country level. The segment analysis is useful in understanding the growth areas and probable opportunities of the market.

Final Report will cover the COVID-19 Impact and Recovery on this industry.

Browse the complete Global Tributylamine Market Research Report  Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2027 @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/42887-tributylamine-market-report

The report also covers the complete competitive landscape of the global Tributylamine market with company profiles of key players such as:

BASF

Koei Chemical

Xinhua

Oxea

Nanjing Yanjiang

Nantun Chemical

Changzhou Aohua Chemical

The detailed description of each has been included, with information in terms of H.Q, future capacities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial overview, partnerships, collaborations, new product launches, new product developments and other latest industrial developments.

SEGMENTATIONS IN THE REPORT:

By Type

98% Purity

99% Purity

By Application

Pharmaceutical Industry

Organic Synthesis

By Geography:

North America (NA)  US, Canada, and Mexico

Europe (EU)  UK, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Spain & Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific (APAC)  China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia & Rest of APAC

Latin America (LA)  Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile & Rest of Latin America

Middle East and Africa (MEA)  Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, South Africa

Download Free Sample Report of Global Tributylamine Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-42887

The Global Tributylamine Market has been exhibited in detail in the following chapters 

Chapter 1 Tributylamine Market Preface

Chapter 2 Executive Summary

Chapter 3 Tributylamine Industry Analysis

Chapter 4 Tributylamine Market Value Chain Analysis

Chapter 5 Tributylamine Market Analysis By Type

Chapter 6 Tributylamine Market Analysis By Application

Chapter 7 Tributylamine Market Analysis By Geography

Chapter 8 Competitive Landscape Of Tributylamine Companies

Chapter 9 Company Profiles Of Tributylamine Industry

Purchase the complete Global Tributylamine Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-42887

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Global Scopolamine Market Research Report  Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2027

About-Us:

DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.

Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.

For more details:

DecisionDatabases.com

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Officers called to the Oakland Heights Apartments just before 2:45 a.m. on Nov. 26 tried to revive the child before transporting him to Connecticut Childrens hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police.
What is a noose anyway? You hear about a noose at Amazon. A noose is a piece of rope or wire designed to be put around the necks of animals to tighten as they move, so that they are put to death or killed. Thats what a noose is for, Gibson said. This building just behind us, nooses were hung, devices made to kill people, in one of the most heinous and awful ways. In 2018, our United States Senate passed an Anti-Lynching Law, two years later it passed the House, in 2020. The first estimated lynchings happened in the 1800s and we know it happened before then, so what kind of country are we living in, and what are we going to put up with, where after all these years, lynching laws are just being passed?
Lone Star College-Kingwoods Model UN program brought home the top award at this years NY-National Model United Nation conference in addition to some students who were recognized for individual performances as well.

LOCAL: COVID Update: Humble ISD's total student coronavirus cases exceed 2000

Normally they would only have a few months to prepare before the trip to New York. This time, the event was held in the same place as their classes and most anything else they could be doing now: from their laptops. Despite the change, the students felt both prepared and fulfilled through the virtual experience.

Peggy Lambert, the senior advisor for the system, was the first to convince then college president and now chancellor, Steve Head, to fund their trip over 20 years ago. Lambert said that despite their young age compared to those around them at the event, they bring home awards almost every year. She works alongside advisor Shuang Xu.

Over the years I have just been so impressed with what national Model UN can offer our students, Lambert said. It gives them the opportunity to interact with senior college students, most of them are upper-division students who are actually taking courses in the united nations. We also interact with graduate students and law students.

More Information Students' Committee Assignments LSC-Tomball: UNAIDS -- United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS Leah Sullivan (Head Delegate) Samantha Casanova CPD -- Commission on Population and Development Alex Lewis Andrea Juarez UNEA -- United Nations Environment Assembly Ana Munguia Roberto Morales Quintero Advisors: Sean Tiffee Margaret Jelinek Lewis LSC-Kingwood: WHO - World Health Organization Claudia Padilla Dahlia Navaira UNDP - United Nations Development Programme Emily Goff Kai Williams CSW - Commission on the Status of Women Katherine Dullen UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Berenice Guzman Muskaan Khanna Awards 1. Outstanding Delegation Award - based on work at NMUN 2. Outstanding Position Paper in Committee - given to recognize pre-conference preparation Commission on Population and Development Commission on the Status of Women United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS United Nations Development Programme 3. Outstanding Delegates in Committee - selected by a vote of the delegates in each committee Commission on the Status of Women United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS United Nations Development Programme World Health Organization See More Collapse

Students were able to work through Gatherly, a program that allowed them to join into small groups and function beyond how Zoom or other platforms might be able to support, according to Margaret Jelinek Lewis, an advisor at the Tomball campus. Students involved in this were communicating with other students across the globe.

It was, I think, an additional challenge and in some ways for this generation also I think in a way a benefit because the communications happened differently and the students are digital natives so I think that they probably adopted better than their professors did, Lewis said. But it is a tremendous, tremendous experience for these students.

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Leah Sullivan, who was on the team last year when the event was canceled, served as the head delegate this year. She said she was happy to be a leader on the team this year to be a help to others.

...Thats another part of Model UN, is youre trying to create recommendations that will help people, Sullivan said. And so that sort of job sort of translates into you know were really here to help people in your job youre doing but youre also in the Model UN, youre trying to find solutions that will help people.

This was the third National Model United Nations, or NMUN conference, for Alex Lewis who served as a chair for the Commission on Population and Development instead of serving as a delegate. They said corporation, politely disagreeing with others, stating opinions carefully, and never excluding anyone but supporting the agenda of the government youre representing is an essential lesson that goes beyond the Model UN conference, It can also extend to a work setting.

I think the biggest thing Ive learned is just the importance of corporation, Lewis said. Theres this weird balance in representing any member state or NGO in the UN, of you may have contrasting views with other member states or NGOs but you all have to remain civil, thats one of the biggest rules that you deal with in NMUN.

savannah.mehrtens@chron.com
A man who drowned on Lake Conroe Friday night was trying to save his girlfriends life.

The search continued Saturday for both the 24-year-old man and 26-year-old woman who both drowned near Ayers Island where the boat they were on was not anchored.

A boater near the island reported to dispatchers around 6 p.m. that the couple went into the water and had not been seen for at least 10 minutes.

He went in to assist, at that point a third party jumped in and tried to help, Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constables Office Capt. Joseph Sclider said.

Investigators learned from witnesses that the couple were among five people who had been on a rented pontoon boat from a local livery. The boat stopped in the area of Ayers Island where the woman fell out of the boat. After her boyfriend jumped into the water, the couple started to struggle and a second man jumped into the water to help them. The second man was assisted out of the water by a passerby in another boat after the couple disappeared under the water.

None of the five that were on the vessel knew how to swim and none of them had any life jackets, Sclider said.

Sclider said the authorities are still investigating the incident. The officials are also in the process of identifying and contacting the family members of the two people who died. Both were from the Houston area, Sclider said.

Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constables Office Marine Division, Conroe Fire Boat 6, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials responded to the scene and began the search, which was suspended at 10 p.m. Friday night.

The authorities resumed the ongoing search and recovery effort Saturday morning and are in the process of narrowing the search in the area of Ayers Island and the main lake.

The vessels are all equipped with side scan sonar that is being utilized in the challenging large search area.

I believe weather wind is playing a part today in the location of the victims, Sclider said. The problem is that we do not have a specific area where they went in. We have about a mile radius search area, so it is a fairly large area to cover with the sonar.

mellsworth@hcnonline.com
The four largest hotels in The Woodlands all closed for varying periods of time during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The down time allowed many facilities to finally tackle long-awaited renovations, upgrades and repairs.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Hotels in The Woodlands draw leisure travelers upon reopening

Township hotels, including The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, The Woodlands Resort and two other Howard Hughes properties, the Westin The Woodlands and the Embassy Suites by Hilton, generate significant revenue from hotel occupancy taxes charged for each room rental.

The cancellation of event such as the 2020 Waterway Arts Festival and the 2020 Ironman Triathlon led to a drop in HOT tax revenue in 2020.

Occasional surges in occupancy from the August 2020 hurricanes along the Louisiana coast and the February 2020 winter storm helped local hotels to a degree, but the recovery has been slow and different, several officials said.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston hotels not expected to recover until 2024

Changes at Waterway Marriott

Fred Domenick, the general manager of The Waterway Marriott, said the hotel did needed renovations during the several months of pandemic closure as well as changed things up for when customers came back in early summer of 2020.

We did a complete rooms renovations in soft goods and hard goods, as well as our guest room corridors with carpet and lighting. One of the biggest changes we made to our guest rooms is we used to have king bedrooms and double-double (beds in the room). We converted all of our rooms to (only) queen or king-sized beds, which means every room has a king bed in it now, Domenick said. That is is kind of industry changing, it is rare, and it is a huge competitive advantage for us. When we have the demand for the business traveler, or couples or whatever, every room has a king bed. We dont have to turn anyone way from a king (sized-bed reservation).

The hotel, which towers above The Woodlands Waterway in Town Center adjacent to The Woodlands Mall, is normally extremely busy with guests however the pandemic forced a closure of three months from April through June in 2020.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Hotels in The Woodlands brace for influx of Hurricane Laura evacuees

With no guests, Domenick said the hotel did a full renovation of virtually every facet of the hotel.

(It was a) top to bottom renovation, from paint, vinyl, carpet, draperies, bedding to headboards. (We did) all new lighting in the rooms, all new desks, all new furniture, Domemick said. We had this renovation planned, then the pandemic enabled us to accelerate it without any customer disruption. If there was a silver lining in the pandemic (it was this). We were closed for three months and were able to a take care of the entire renovation during that time.

He said customer feedback has been good.

When we reopened, we able to really showcase a brand new product. Customers love it, we are in the upper third of our brand in customer scores, Domenick added. It has been very well received, especially the king bed feature.

COVID protocols

The hotel is still under coronavirus safety and cleaning protocols, Domenick said, with special rules for room entry and social distancing and masks. Frequent cleaning is also a high priority, as is touch-less food and beverage room service.

Weve removed a lot of the things out of rooms like pads and pens, things that could potentially contain germs. We have a commitment to clean protocol standard across the Marriott brand. We sanitize every touch-place in the room when a customer checks out, he explained. We allow the room to sit for 24 hours before allowing another guest to check in. Everything sanitation-wise is different. Our menus are through QR code, we are all socially distanced. You can pick up things from an outside restaurant or our restaurant, but there is no in-room (delivery) dining.

Customer rebound

Domenick said the hotel had hit 60 percent occupancy in March and was expected to continue an upward trend of guests into the summer months as the pandemic diminishes and vaccination rates increase. The hotel offers both in-person and virtual events, as well as combination packages with the onsite spa.

The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Economic Outloock Conference at the hotel in mid-April, with more than 400 in-person attendees and more than 100 watching online via a video feed.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Economic Outlook Conference returns to The Woodlands

The flexibility with events helps attract customers, he added, but the flow of business events in particular has slowed.

It is building. The group and convention business is slowest to return right now, but the weekend, transient leisure customer is back in a big way, Domenick said, noting online travel site sales have increased. We are typically selling out each weekend.

Domenick said one entity that has helped is Visit The Woodlands, the tourism and convention bureau non-profit arm of The Woodlands Township. The staff of the convention and tourism outreach entity maintain a website with hotel details and booking links. Domnick is the secretary and treasurer of the Visit The Woodlands board.

Our national marketing and e-commerce (has helped). The online travel agencies, the Expedias and the Hotwires, that is all playing in, he explained. It has really been a shift from what we experienced in the past. (Guests) are coming for the retail, they are coming for the restaurants and the amenities that The Woodlands has to offer.

Personal connections

Domenick said after a year of lockdowns and restrictions, especially in other states, both local guests and long-distance travelers want to have a personal connection, hence the increased demand for in-person events. He also said the driving market has increased as guest come from four to eight hours away by car for stay-cations.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Woodlands shifts tourism outreach to drivers as pandemic continues

Obviously we are returning to events and returning to business travelers. we are doing both in-person and virtual events. They are coming back. Most of our social events want to do in-person events, he said. They really want to do in-person events. Most of our business travelers tell us they cannot replicate the power of connecting in-person when online. We have the most space of any hotel north of downtown Houston and can social distance.

An annual tradition at the hotel  hosting local high school proms  returned in 2021, albeit with some changes: dancing on a rooftop instead of in a ballroom.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Montgomery County seniors mark end of difficult year with prom celebrations

We did rooftop proms, and one weekend, we had two proms on the roof. We are kind of having to reinvent ourselves and renew ourselves. The way weve done business is very, very different now.

jeff.forward@chron.com
OnSceneTV

A man fired multiple shots at a Harris County sheriff's deputy, who returned fire early Saturday in the parking lot of a northwest Harris County restaurant and bar, officials said.

No one was hit by gunfire in the 1:30 a.m. shootout in front of El Capitan Mexican restaurant, said Assistant Chief Michael Skillern of the Houston Police Department.
Waiting for a reply

Regarding Proposed abortion ban brashly ignores all Texans rights, (A3, May 5): I thank Erica Grieder for her sensitive and informative article concerning the assault on reproductive rights currently being proposed in the state of Texas. As an older lady, I have seen several cases over the years of a man abandoning his woman when an unexpected pregnancy occurred. Then, the lady was left to handle the situation by herself. So, before the old men in Austin push this attack against women any further, this old lady asks if any of them ever failed to man up and accept the consequences of his actions. I will await their reply.

Mary K. Schultz, Houston

Support aviation jobs

Regarding Getting off the ground, (A1, May 4): As someone passionate about aviation workforce issues, I know firsthand how many jobs are needed now and the workforce needs of the future. Houston is home to over 500 companies and institutions involved in aircraft or space  of the largest aerospace manufacturers, 10 have a presence in Houston. We need more people training to go into the aviation industry.

Remember when drone operator wasnt even a job category 10 years ago  in another 10 there will be other aviation job categories currently unknown.

Growing trends needed in aviation workforce include: advanced air mobility, supersonic, sustainable aviation fuel, unmanned aerial vehicles and urban air planning. We need mechanics, researchers, pilots and so much more!

Retirements are impacting the aviation workforce. The Aviation Technical Education Council estimates that 30 percent of the workforce is near retirement age, new entrants are only 2 percent of the workforce annually.

TSUs Aviation Management Program and Pilot Program of 83 students is barely scratching the surface  I personally look forward to their expansion with the right support. (Full disclosure: I am a donor to the program.) Other public institutions such as Lone Star Community college, Texas State Technical College and more recently Stephen F. Austin State University see how important aviation is to their programs.

We need plenty more aviation workforce programs locally. Lets not get behind. Lets keep moving forward to bringing well-paying jobs and opportunities to all. Our great universities and city can help lift us and lead the way.

Shelly Lesikar deZevallos, president, West Houston Airport

Requiring the vaccine

Regarding Herd immunity likely out of reach in U.S. (A1, May 4): My freedom ends when exercising it causes you harm. Employers ought to require employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Also, as a public health issue, legislatures ought to require the vaccination.

Jim McMahon, Spring
The unrest came a day after violence in which Palestinian medics said more than 200 Palestinians were wounded in clashes at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound and elsewhere in Jerusalem. Fridays violence drew condemnations from Israels Arab allies and calls for calm from the United States and Europe and the United Nations. The Arab League scheduled an emergency meeting on Monday.
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Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
Mexico, U.S. agree to bolster cooperation to curb immigration

Xinhua) 08:38, May 08, 2021

MEXICO CITY, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Mexico and the United States agreed to strengthen cooperation to tackle the issues that drive Central American migrants north, following a video call on Friday between Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

According to a statement from the Mexican president's office, Lopez Obrador laid out for Harris his administration's plan to curb immigration. Called "Sembrando Vida" or "Planting Life," the plan essentially calls for fighting environmental degradation and poverty, two of the main causes of unregulated migration.

"We have many things in common and we agree with the policy that you are undertaking on immigration matters, and we are going to help," Lopez Obrador told Harris.

The two sides also discussed current restrictions on cross-border travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ways to promote bilateral trade with sanitary measures in place, and vaccination progress in the border region.

Likewise, they discussed promoting investment in southern Mexico to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on free trade, the statement added.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who took office on Jan. 20, has entrusted Harris to head efforts to curb northward migration from Mexico and the countries of Central America's Northern Triangle: Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
He repeatedly broke that order over the years, however, sometimes because his mother would allow him to stay temporarily when he had nowhere else to go, Caraballo said. On other occasions the family would involve the police, and he was convicted four times over four years for violating the protective order, going back to prison each time to temporarily get clean and medicated, according to Caraballo and court records.
Where were your voices beforehand when there were these micro-aggressions? How could you not know about this? Im not making myself invisible  people are willingly ignoring it, said Allen, who added that shes been raising the topics of racism and discrimination all through her high school career.
"Every Catholic mom should have this book in her home."

 Jennifer Fulwiler, Author, Something other than God

"A treasure trove brimming with the timeless riches of Catholic prayer traditions. For every family that desires to incorporate beautiful prayer that follows the liturgical calendar, Kendra has done all the hard work for you."

 Haley Stewart, Author, The Grace of Enough; Fellow, Word on Fire Institute

"An indispensable prayer companion for any Catholic family, offering a rich treasury of traditional prayers and devotions deeply rooted in the rhythms of the liturgical year. If you want to imbue your home with an atmosphere of peace and prayer, this is the book for you."

 Sam Guzman, Author, The Catholic Gentleman

"This handy prayer companion is all a family needs to begin a habit of daily prayer or to dive more deeply into the life of the Church and the liturgical year. A beautiful collection of some of the most beautiful prayers of the Church and a true blessing for Catholic families!"

 Danielle Bean, Author, You Are Enough; Brand Manager, CatholicMom.com

"A beautiful guide to sharing the liturgical life of the Church with our families. Brief explanations of numerous Catholic traditions of prayer help us explain to our children why we do what we do. Great for busy parents!"

 Kimberly Hahn, Co-Author, Rome Sweet Home

"An answer to prayer! This friendly, easy-to-use book provides help in formation, encourages deeper engagement with the truths of our faith, and contains lots of good Catholic instruction. It has a great format for the busy mom: organized, clear, and kind."

 Laura Berquist, Author, The Harp and Laurel Wreath

"Delightful, educational, and helpful! A wonderful explanation of how to pray as a family. Almost everything is here: from a blessing for bonfires on the Eve of St. John the Baptist's Nativity to Mother Teresa's Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Every family needs this book!"

 Rev. Juan R. Velez, Author, Passion for Truth: The Life of John Henry Newman

"Providing not only the 'what', but also the 'how' and the 'why', Kendra Tierney's collection for the whole liturgical year is sure to enhance the prayer of any Catholic home."

 Katherine Bogner, Author, Through the Year with Jesus: Gospel Readings and Reflections for Children
Spain has long been infamous as a magnet for British villains to hide out from justice as they enjoy the sunshine on the costas  while keeping one look over their shoulders.

Now, however, it seems the tables have been turned and Spanish criminals are increasingly disappearing among the tapas bars run by their countrymen in Britain.

More Coast del Crime than Costa del Crime.
The morning after a major diplomatic storm in Jersey, the sun is shining and all is tranquil in St Heliers harbour.

It is a far cry from the scene here on Thursday, when a flotilla of French vessels - estimated to be around 70-strong - gathered in protest against reduced fishing access to Jerseys waters.

Flares were fired and the departure of the local ferry was delayed by four hours during all the confusion.

Lurking nearby were the HMS Severn and HMS Tamar, two navy patrol boats sent by Boris Johnson to monitor the situation, whose presence prompted Paris to dispatch its own ships.

By Friday, the threat caused by gunboat diplomacy had receded but the issues which sparked it remain live.

Not far from where Thursdays events played out, Michael Michieli, a fisherman for the past 45 years, stands on the quayside beside his trawler.

He tells The Independent that he does not begrudge his French peers their views but does not condone their methods. Its just typical French bully tactics, he says.

The Channel Islander believes his local fleet is having a tougher time of Brexit than their neighbours. Mr Michieli points out how three or four French trawlers were fishing off Jerseys coast on Thursday, while the current row has stopped him working.

Theyre away fishing in our waters and are here jumping up and down, and were not allowed to go fishing because we cant land nothing, he explains.

Like some others from Jersey, he typically travels to the north coast of France, which is only 14 miles away, to sell the majority of his haul at auction.

Since 1 January, this arrangement became compromised by additional paperwork but is now fully weighed down by the current dispute.

It is not, the veteran fisherman admits, that he cannot get permission from the French authorities, but that he fears local animosity will prevent him from landing his catch. He says he was recently warned against travelling to Granville by its harbour master for this very reason.

Michael Michieli (Rory Sullivan)

Another Jersey fisherman went ahead with a landing attempt on Thursday but failed, Mr Michieli says. Jason tried yesterday and he was met by a load of bullies on top of the quay.

Hed done all his paperwork. He had permission to land and at the bottom of the ladder hes looking up and theres this mob.

Hours after our conversation, the French authorities formally closed the ports of Carteret, Dielette and Granville to fishermen from Jersey.

Some members of the Jersey fishing community urge calm, including Chris Le Masurier, a third generation shellfish producer. After hopping out of his car on the quayside, the owner of Jersey Oyster Company said he took part in the French flotilla out of solidarity.

Although several other Jersey boats were also involved, he was singled out by Don Thompson, the president of the Jersey Fishermens Association, who said he had been there to protect his own interests.

Mr Le Masurier rebuts the claim as nonsensical. Instead, he maintains that Jersey and French fishermen should be on the same side. At the end of the day, French fishermen are trying to protect their historic rights. And I want to exercise my historic right of being able to trade with France and Europe, he says.

He recalls how his French counterparts thanked him for his support at the end of the day, and hopes that some went back saying there is a bit of goodwill coming from the Jersey side.

But here youre just a collaborator, interjects Nathalie Porritt, manager of Aqua-Mar Fisheries, who has joined us at the harbour and resents how some people in St Helier have handled the situation. The Jersey fishermen are trying to start a war where there isnt a war. Its like a circus. Its got completely out of hand and it didnt need to, she adds.

Its a government issue, its a problem with the administration, paperwork. And its got completely thrown in wrong directions.

As an example, the fish exporter mentions a ramming incident which took place on Thursday. Although it was attributed to a French boat in the media, she says the blame lies squarely with a Jersey resident, who does not work in the fishing sector. He was aggravating it and was driving dangerously, she maintains.

This aside, the day passed relatively peacefully. It was very tense. But it could have been a lot worse. There were a lot of angry fishermen out there. We managed to keep it calm, says Mr Le Masurier.

Chris Le Masurier (Rory Sullivan )

Gregory Guida, Jerseys assistant environment minister, met representatives from the French fleet and spoke to them in French about their concerns.

This hour-and-a-half meeting was a good, constructive discussion, says John Le Fondre, the crown dependencys chief minister, in his office, located just a short walk from St Heliers port.

The territorys leader insists that the dispute can be resolved and suggests that the licencing problem is a temporary blip, stemming from incomplete or inaccurate data submitted by certain French crews. Under the new system, fishing allocations are determined by the amount of time fishermen spent operating in Jerseys waters between 2017 and the start of 2020.

Echoing the British governments plan to increase diplomatic efforts on the issue, Mr Le Fondre stresses that Jerseys long-standing relationship with France is of the utmost importance. Culturally and historically, our ties with France are close. They go back hundreds of years, he says.

As well as easing tensions with France, the chief minister wants to solve concerns raised by the Jersey fleet. We are, as islanders - seafarers if you like - sympathetic to all fishermen, whether theyre from Jersey or France. Its a hard trade to be in.

However, he says he is glad for the British prime ministers naval assistance, which was dismissed by former speaker John Bercow as jingoistic sabre rattling. Were very grateful for the support we received, Mr Le Fondre notes.

John Le Fondre (Government of Jersey )

This is a sentiment shared by Mark Humber, a local resident, who describes the decision to send navy boats as a good idea. However, he says that he wanted the ships to do more to disband the protest. They should have come closer to push them [the French boats] back out.

Kevin OConnell, who moved to the island 28 years ago from the UK, also approves of Mr Johnsons intervention, but, unlike Mr Humber, thinks the actions of the French fleet were acceptable. It was just a sign of protest. Nothing like the Man United game the other week, he says, referring to last weeks pitch invasion at Old Trafford.

With the harbour protest long broken up, Mr Michieli is praying that tensions continue to de-escalate, so that he can get back to work. I want to go do my job but I cant, he says.

Even if this does happen soon, hed prefer it if deliberations werent so circuitous. Its going all around the houses - back and forwards. We only live 14 miles away [from France]. But its going all the way to Brussels, Paris, London, then Jersey.
 Close Government open minded about extension of furlough scheme, says Michael Gove

Boris Johnson faces a major rebellion over his plans to slash foreign aid as a growing number of Tory rebels back an amendement to force the government to make up the shortfall left from the multi-billion pound cut to the UKs official development assistance.

Former prime minister Theresa May and six other former cabinet ministers added their names to the 30-strong list of Conservative MPs opposing the governments plan to abandon its commitment to spending 0.7 per cent of national income on aid for some of the poorest and most unstable areas of the globe.

Meanwhile, Michael Gove said the government was open minded about continuing the furlough scheme beyond September, ahead of a meeting later where Nicola Sturgeon plans to push for an extension.
Labours candidates in the West of England and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral races have unseated the Conservative incumbents in surprise victories for the party.

The metro mayor roles in the two regions are the only ones to switch parties during the elections across England, with Labour and Conservative mayors being re-elected in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, Liverpool City Region and Tees Valley.

In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Nik Johnson was elected for Labour, defeating the Tory candidate James Palmer on the second round of voting, edging ahead with 113,994 votes to 108,195.

In the West of England, Labours Dan Norris defeated his Tory rival during the second round of voting, with 125,482 votes to 85,389.

Using his victory to praise Sir Keir Starmer, who faced a series of disappointing results in council elections in England and the Hartlepool by-election, the new mayor said the party leader had unlocked this election for Labour in the West of England.

Without him and his skills, his determination and him being who he is, we could not have got this result, he added.

People were able to listen to our arguments and be persuaded by them because of Keir Starmer. I want to thank him very, very much indeed.

Mr Norris defeated his Conservative rival, Samuel Williams, who was running for the West of England mayoral role after the resignation of the partys incumbent Tim Bowles.

Upon losing the race, Mr Williams said it was not the outcome I was hoping for, but added: We saw a fantastic turnout, which is what we want to see, we want to see people engaging with politics and delivering results that will make our region even better.

Mr Bowles became the first metro mayor for the West of England Combined Authority, made up of three of the councils in the region  Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

Last month, however, the prime minister ran into difficulty when he was quizzed by a reporter to name the Conservative mayor in the region during an awkward encounter at a campaigning visit ahead of the election.

Asked whether he was able to name Mr Bowles, the prime minister stumbled: Im very much in favour of powerful mayors in the West of England and elsewhere.

But what I want to see is a stronger Conservative mayor in London and across the West Midlands and West of England and across the whole of the country.

In a second attempt to elicit an answer to the question, the reporter enquired again: You have a Conservative mayor in the West of England at the moment, I just wondered if you know who that person is?

However, the prime minister  unable to summon the name of Mr Bowles  replied: Well I can tell you Ill be out campaigning for the West of England mayor, and all Conservative candidates throughout the week.
Nicola Sturgeon called the former Britain First deputy leader a racist and fascist after being confronted by her on the streets of Glasgow.

Jayda Fransen, who is standing as an independent in Glasgow Southside, the same constituency contested by Ms Sturgeon, confronted the Scottish National Party (SNP) leader outside what appeared to be a polling station, footage posted online showed.

Fransen, who has convictions for religiously-aggravated harassment, accused the first minister of being an absolute disgrace for flooding the country with immigrants.

She can be heard saying: What are you sorry for? Mass immigration, Marxism? I'm not a fascist. I've been on the ground speaking to locals who say you are an absolute disgrace...

Ms Sturgeon responds: We'll see what the locals' view is later on.

Fransen says: "The locals, what, the ones you have flooded from other countries?

The decent people of Scotland don't want it flooded with immigrants.

Ms Sturgeon tells her: You are a fascist, you are a racist and the southside of Glasgow will reject you.

The first minister then walks away with party members as Fransen pursues her, talking about mass immigration and Marxism.

Fransen later tells an SNP supporter who asks her who she is: I'm not fascist, just a normal, decent unionist patriot. My grandfather fought the Nazis.

Scotlands first minister Nicola Sturgeon and candidate Roza Salih walk near Annette Street School polling station in Glasgow (Jeff J Mitchell/Pool/Reuters)

In a piece to camera uploaded by the British Freedom Party, she accuses Ms Sturgeon of running away like a coward, adding: Of course if you flood a constituency with foreigners and hardline republicans who absolutely hate Britain, hate the union, they are going to secure their votes.

The unionist community are no longer unrepresented and we are coming for you.

Jayda Fransen, former deputy leader of Britain First (Gareth Fuller/PA)

The first minister later shared footage of the incident on Twitter.

Glasgow Southside is the most diverse and multi-cultural constituency in Scotland - one of the many things that makes it so brilliant. I am confident it will unite today to utterly reject these fascists, she wrote.

Fransen has previously been pictured outside the constituency office of justice secretary Humza Yousaf holding a sign saying it's okay to be white and has said she is running against the SNP commie, Marxists, naughty people.

She has previously been convicted of a number of religiously-aggravated crimes, including harassment in both 2016 and 2018  the latter of which saw her sentenced to 36 weeks in prison.

Although a member of the British Freedom Party, documents from Glasgow City Council show Fransen is running as an independent.

Additional reporting by PA
Nicola Sturgeon has said the results of the Scottish election have delivered a mandate for an independence referendum within the next five years, and Boris Johnson will be standing in direct opposition to the will of the Scottish people if he tries to block it.

The Scottish National Party leader threw down the challenge to Mr Johnson in a speech accepting victory in the Holyrood election.

With all results declared north of the border, the SNP had increased its representation at Holyrood by a single MSP to 64, one less than the 65 needed for an overall majority.

And with eight MSPs from the Scottish Greens also committed in their manifesto to a referendum, Ms Sturgeon said the results clearly demonstrated that a fresh vote is the will of the country.

Conservatives took second place with 31, with Labour on 22 and Liberal Democrats on four, giving a tally of just 57 pro-Union MSPs against 72 in favour of separation from the UK.

But Ms Sturgeon said that, combined with the pro-independence Scottish Greens, there is now a clear majority of MSPs elected on a platform of delivering a referendum within this parliament.

The SNP leader declared that there was no democratic justification whatsoever for the prime minister or the UK government to attempt to block a referendum following the results of this weeks elections.

She accused those who referred to the independence call as a demand from the SNP of desperately trying to rewrite the basic rules of democracy and redefine what constitutes an election win and a mandate.

(Press Association Images)

Ms Sturgeon said: The people of Scotland have voted to give pro-independence parties a majority in the Scottish Parliament  the final tally is not yet known, but it looks likely that the pro-independence majority will be larger in this parliament than in the last one.

The SNP and Scottish Greens both stood on a clear commitment to an independence referendum within the next Parliamentary term.

And both of us said that the timing of a referendum should be decided by a simple majority of MSPs in the Scottish Parliament. So in no way is a referendum just a demand of me or the SNP.

It is a commitment made to the people by a majority of the MSPs who will take their seats in our national parliament next week.

Usually  and by the normal standards of democracy  parties are expected to deliver on the commitments they make in elections, not face attempts to block them from doing so.

Given the outcome of this election, there is simply no democratic justification whatsoever for Boris Johnson or anyone else seeking to block the right of the people of Scotland to choose our future.

Nicola Sturgeon made plain that just as we said in the election  the people in Scotland must have the right to decide our own future when the Covid crisis has passed

A Scottish Green source said there were currently no plans for coalition talks with the SNP.

With recent polling suggesting that an IndyRef2 could produce the same No vote on independence as the earlier 2014 ballot, it is unclear how soon Ms Sturgeon will seek to call a referendum.

She has said it must wait until the Covid crisis is over, and both the SNP and Green manifestos commit the parties only to a vote within the five-year term of the Scottish Parliament, which runs to 2026.

Under Article 30 of the Scotland Act, the first minister must seek authorisation from the UK prime minister for a referendum, something which Mr Johnson is likely to withhold.

But she has pledged to proceed with the legislation that is necessary, warning that if it is passed by the Scottish Parliament, the PM would need to go to the Supreme Court to stop it.

Cabinet minister George Eustice branded a referendum a complete distraction. It would be irresponsible to have another divisive referendum and another bout of constitutional debate at a time when we are charting our way out of this pandemic and when weve got to really focus on economic recovery, Mr Eustice told Times Radio We think its completely the wrong thing to be doing. We had a referendum just a little over five years ago and that settled the issue.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, who was returned to Holyrood on the Highlands and Islands regional list, has said he will not shy away from fighting plans for an independence referendum. SNP hopes of an overall majority were dashed by the Conservatives holding on to the key marginal seat of Aberdeenshire West, with a nine-point increase in the Tory vote apparently reflecting tactical voting by pro-Union voters, who deserted Liberal Democrats and Labour.

Former first minister Alex Salmond missed out in his bid to return to the Scottish Parliament as his newly-minted Alba Party failed to win a single seat.

Mr Salmond cast doubt on Ms Sturgeons commitment to a referendum, saying the first minister lost her nerve on Scottish independence in 2017.

Nicola will prevaricate, Nicola lost her nerve on independence back in 2017 and has never recovered it, Mr Salmond said.

Its as simple as that.
She loved to learn and took summer school to graduate ahead of schedule. She said Williamsburg had better programs to help with dyslexia. Learning disabilities run in her family; her mother had autism and her late father had an intellectual disability. He died without knowing how to read or write. She remembered reading to her father and helping him sign his name while she was a child.
Barack Obama has announced the death of the family dog Bo and paid tribute to him in a post on social media.

In a separate post, Michelle Obama fondly recalled his presence around the White House and Air Force One.

Today our family lost a true friend and loyal companion, the former president wrote.

For more than a decade, Bo was a constant, gentle presence in our lives  happy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and every day in between.

Bo, a male Portuguese Water Dog, was almost 13 years old and spent much of his life at the White House as First Dog. He passed away after a battle with cancer.

In subsequent posts, Mr Obama wrote: He tolerated all the fuss that came with being in the White House, had a big bark but no bite, loved to jump in the pool in the summer, was unflappable with children, lived for scraps around the dinner table, and had great hair.

He added: He was exactly what we needed and more than we ever expected. We will miss him dearly.

On the night he was elected as the 44th president, Mr Obama promised his daughters Malia and Sasha that they would be getting a puppy when they moved into the executive mansion.

There was much speculation over what breed of dog the Obamas would choose, or whether they would adopt from a shelter.

Bo was reportedly named by the Obama children after their cousins cat and Michelles father, known as Diddley  a reference to the R&B musician Bo Diddley. His name was also the initials of the former president.

Bo came to the White House as a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy, who owned a dog from the same litter.

The family was often seen walking him on the grounds of the White House and he made frequent appearances at events alongside the then-first lady  particularly those involving children and military families.

The former first lady wrote: This afternoon was a difficult one for our family. We said goodbye to our best friend  Bo  after a battle with cancer. We are grateful for the love you showed him over the years. Please hug the furry members of your family a little closer tonight  and give them a belly rub from us.

During the Obama administration, the White House webpage featured photos and a biography of Bo, and his likeness was used in Christmas, Halloween, and Easter decorations.

In August 2013, Bo was joined at the White House by Sunny, a female of the same breed.

Ms Obama recalled: He was there when the girls came home from school, greeting them with a wag. He was there when Barack and I needed a break, sauntering into one of our offices like he owned the place, a ball clamped firmly in his teeth.

She continued: He was there when we flew on Air Force One, when tens of thousands flocked to the South Lawn for the Easter Egg Roll and when the Pope came to visit. And when our lives slowed down, he was there too  helping us see the girls off to college and adjust to life as empty nesters.

Ms Obama also noted that over the past year, with everyone back at home during the pandemic, that no one was happier than Bo to have them all under the same roof again.
A suspected rioter in the 6 January insurrection at the US Capitol Building is blaming Fox News for his actions, according to his lawyer.

Anthony Antonio, according to his lawyer Joseph Hurley, had recently become unemployed because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and spent half a year watching the channel.

According to Mr Hurley, Mr Antonio established a condition that he labelled Foxitis and Foxmania and fell victim to the unfounded claims that the 2020 Presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump. Mr Trump himself encouraged these claims of widespread voter fraud and was impeached for his role in encouraging the violence in Washington, DC in January, becoming the first president to be impeached twice.

He believed what was being fed to him, Mr Hurley told the hearing.

Mr Antonio is accused of shouting threatening statements at police, pouring liquid on an officer who was dragged down the steps of the Capitol and taking law enforcement equipment, such as a riot shield and gas mask. He is then alleged to have entered the building through a broken window and thrown furniture about, according to court documents.

While being interviewed by the FBI, Mr Antonio revealed that he had seen the attack on Michael Fanone, the DC Metropolitan Police officer who suffered a heart attack and a concussion, and did nothing to assist him, despite him begging for help.

I didnt help him when I should have, he told the federal authorities, and remarked about the image of Mr Fanone in distress had stayed with him.

Mr Antonio has five charges against him following the riot, including violent entry, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds and destruction of government property. No plea has been submitted yet.

His defence was not the only notable incident to take place during the hearing, as proceedings were interrupted by another defendant, Landon Copeland.

Mr Copeland also faces also faces charges for his alleged role on 6 January was dialled into the virtual hearing from his home in Utah. His was arranged to be the last case heard that day.

He reportedly became vocal after Mr Hurley began discussing the supposed phenomenon of Fox-itis and began shouting.

I object, he said loudly, and was put on mute by the presiding judge. When granted sound again, he continued to yell.

I am going to tell you the truth, he reportedly said before beginning a loud criticism about his experience in court.

I dont like you people ... I dont know who you are, you are a robot to me. Im out here in the desert, in no-mans-land. You cant find me if I dont want you to.

Youre evil, thats what you are. You need to shut up.

Ryan Stott, his lawyer, said, I dont think hes being belligerent intentionally, and the judge referred him to behavioural health services for a mental health check up before any future hearings.
If you do not recognise the name, it is likely you saw her in one of several moments from Donald Trumps impeachment hearing that went viral.

Appointed to defend the then president over claims he had sought political favours from Ukraine, Republican congresswoman Elise Stefanik frequently and stridently clashed with Democrats such as Adam Schiff.

This is the fifth time you have interrupted a duly-elected members of Congress, she told told him on one occasion, in an exchange that delighted Republicans.

Or else you may have seen her after the hearings, addressing the media with other Republicans, and very much taking centre stage among her more senior colleagues.

These hearings are not about tweets. They are about impeachment of the president of the United States. This is a constitutional matter, she railed one day. You can disagree or dislike the tweet but we are here to talk about impeachment and nothing in that room today and nothing in that room earlier this week, nothing rises to the level of impeachable offences.

People took notice, in particular Trump, grumpily watching the proceedings on television from the White House.

A new Republican Star is born. Great going @EliseStefanik! he tweeted, then still able to do so.

Much water has raced past in the river of national politics in the 18 months since then. Trump was impeached twice by the House of Representatives, and twice the Senate did not convict him. Joe Biden won a presidential election, which Trump and his supporters falsely claimed was rigged, the former president was banned from both Twitter and Facebook for spreading false information, the latters decision upheld this week by its independent oversight board.

Yet lots has not changed. In the coming days or weeks, the 36-year-old Stefanik, who represents New Yorks 21st congressional district, is expected to be elected as the third most senior member of her party in the House. In doing so she will be filling the seat currently held by Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney, and ousting one of the daughters of a former vice president.

On many positions, Cheney, 54, would normally be viewed as considerably more conservative than Stefanik, who spent a number of years wearing the mantle of a Republican moderate.

Yet, there is one issue on which their positions could barely be further apart and which has come to steer and shape both their political paths  loyalty to Donald Trump.

 Elise Stefanik talks to Steve Bannon about Arizona vote audit

In the aftermath of the 6 January storming of the US Capitol by hundreds of supporters of the then president, Cheney was one of just 10 Republicans to impeach Trump, charged by Democrats with incitement of insurrection.

As the House Republican Conference chair, she was the most senior member of the party in the lower chamber to do so, and she was noticeably scathing of Trump and his responsibility. She said he had summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. She termed Trumps actions the greatest betrayal of a US president ever.

Trump and his most shrill supporters have denounced Cheney, and vowed to organise and fund a primary challenger. She has sought  not with much success  to move on from the controversy and get on with with the job of trying to recapture control of the House in the midterms.

Yet she has not backed away from her position. In February she survived a vote for her job by secret ballot.

This week, as speculation about her future has grown amid talk members of the House could soon vote again over her future, she told the party that its actions would be judged by history.

The Republican Party is at a turning point, and Republicans must decide whether we are going to choose truth and fidelity to the Constitution, she wrote in an op-ed in the Washington Post. History is watching. Our children are watching. We must be brave enough to defend the basic principles that underpin and protect our freedom and our democratic process.

By contrast, Stefanik  a graduate of Harvard University, whose husband Matthew Manda works in communications  has further sought to cement her position as someone ready to do what it takes to display fealty to Trump. Following his election loss she was among those Republicans who claimed, contrary to the evidence, there had been widespread electoral fraud and other aspects of Trumps big lie.

She supported his lawsuits in places such as Pennsylvania and Georgia, and was among those Republicans who voted not to affirm Bidens electoral college votes, even after the Capitol was overran.

Republican pollster Neil Newhouse says there is no evidence that members of the public are interested in the fight over the number three GOP position in the House.

Were 18 months from the midterms and I dont think this is a going to be seen as more than a bump in the road, he tells The Independent.

However, he says the fight underscores Trumps fierce grip on the party, even having lost the presidency and having been forced to adopt a lower profile.

What it tells you is  it is still Donald Trumps Republican Party. Thats the reinforcement here.

Trump retains an approval rating of up to 85 per cent among Republicans, says Newhouse. He says claims by some Republicans that Stefanik is too moderate on her positions for such a leadership role, are irrelevant to what is happening right now.

The criteria is not whether youre conservative enough, but whether youre toeing the line with Donald Trump. And she checks that box.

Doug Heye, a GOP strategist who previously worked for former Republican House Leader Eric Cantor, and who knows Stefanik, agrees loyalty to Trump is the current litmus test.

He says the partys senior figures have decided that Trump and his hugely loyal base for now remain the GOPs future.

I think there are two reasons for that. One is they are hearing from their voters, he said. But also, theyre fearful of his wrath, and especially going into midterm elections, they know Trump can potentially be helpful. But we know that he can play a more sinister role if he chooses to.

Of Stefanik, he says she is well liked, well respected, whip smart, and aggressive.

Her decision to offer unquestioning support to the former president and his claims of election fraud, have surprised many who have watched her career in New York politics.

Liz Cheney has sought to frame contest as moment history will judge (Getty Images)

She was first elected in 2014 at the age of 30, then the youngest woman to enter Congress, and having previously worked for George W Bushs domestic policy council. She then worked at a Washington DC think tank, before working with then congressman Paul Ryan, who was Mitt Romneys running mate in the 2012 presidential elections. One of her jobs was to prepare Ryan, who would go on to serve two terms as Speaker of the House, for his debate against Barack Obamas vice president, Joe Biden.

Suzy Ballantyne a New York political strategist, says Stefanik had set out with the reputation of a moderate Republican, willing to work on issues on a bi-partisan manner, and skewing to the left of her party on issues such as the Republicans 2017 tax cut, and giving legal status to undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children.

She has also been a fierce fundraiser, and supporter of female candidates, using the E-PAC, or Elevate PAC, to help elect as many as nine women Republicans.

In 2019, when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez broke her record as the youngest woman to take a position in Congress, she wrote an open letter of advice to her and other young members. She said: Success means that you serve as a role model for a next generation of women who believe they can run and win at a young age.

The website FiveThirtyEight suggested that while Cheney voted with Trump more than 92 per cent of the time, Stefaniks total was just 77 per cent. Another site that measures bi-partisanship among politicians ranked her as high as the 13th most bi-partisan.

She definitely changed in the last number of years. She formerly was moderate Republican in the New York kind of way, says Ballantyne, a former director of government affairs at the AFLCIO, the USs largest union group. Since Trump, she has radically changed the kind of person she was.

Such is her reputation for moderation that a number of groups, including the non-elected lobbying organisation Club for Growth, and the right-wing Freedom Caucus have raised doubts about her suitability to be the partys number three.

Stefanik has worked to try and assuage any concerns. She is due to meet with members of the group next Monday, according to the Times Union. Cheney was not a good listener, a source told the newspaper. People just want to make sure Stefanik is a good listener.

To further her credentials among populists, she also appeared on Steve Bannons podcast where she spoke in favour of the controversial vote audit taking place in Arizona.

The audit of Maricopa County, where much of Arizonas population lives and which was won by Biden in November, was ordered by the Republican-controlled state Senate despite objections by the county. It was done so, despite the state already ordering reviews that found no malfeasance. The company carrying out the recount, Cyber Ninjas, was founded by Doug Logan, who supports Trumps claim the election was stolen.

Stefanik, who previously supported Trumps legal appeal to the Supreme Court, told Bannon she also backed what was happening in Arizona. We want transparency and answers for the American people  what are the Democrats so afraid of?

In truth, Stefanik has most likely done enough to secure her the number three spot. In a pointer to what is likely to play out in the coming days, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy told Fox News his members were concerned about [Cheneys]nability to carry out the job as conference chair to carry out the message.

The next day came even clearer words from Trump, whose voice matters more than anyone else.

Liz Cheney is a warmongering fool who has no business in Republican Party Leadership, he said. We want leaders who believe in the Make America Great Again movement, and prioritize the values of America First. Elise Stefanik is a far superior choice, and she has my COMPLETE and TOTAL Endorsement for GOP Conference Chair.
Russia on Friday blacklisted eight officials from the European Union in retaliation for EU sanctions over the imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny

The Russian list includes European Parliament President David Sassoli and Vera Jourova, the vice president of the European Commission for values and transparency.

European Council President Charles Michel European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Sassoli condemned the Russian move, saying it's unacceptable, lacks any legal justification and is entirely groundless.

They said in a statement that Moscow s action is "the latest, striking demonstration of how the Russian Federation has chosen confrontation with the EU instead of agreeing to redress the negative trajectory of our bilateral relations."

"The EU reserves the right to take appropriate measures in response to the Russian authorities decision, the statement said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the EU of trying to punish Moscow for its independent foreign and domestic policies and of trying contain its development with unlawful restrictions. It particularly referred to the EU sanctions slapped on six Russian officials in March.

All our proposals for settling problems between Russia and the EU through a direct professional dialogue have been consistently ignored or rejected, the ministry said.

The EU sanctions targeted the Russian officials involved in the imprisonment of Navalny, the most adamant opponent and critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Navalny was arrested in January upon his return from Germany where he spent five months recovering from a nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin  accusations that Russian officials reject. European labs have confirmed that Navalny was poisoned.

In February, Navalny was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on charges of violating the terms of a suspended sentence while he was in Germany. The sentence stemmed from a 2014 embezzlement conviction that Navalny has rejected as politically driven.

Russia has rejected the U.S. and the EU criticism of Navalny's imprisonment and of Russia's crackdown on protests demanding his release as meddling in its internal affairs.

The tensions over Navalny have further exacerbated Russia's relations with the West, which plunged to post-Cold War lows after Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. Those ties have become further strained over U.S. and the EU accusations of Moscow's interference in elections and hacking attacks.

The Russian sanctions list also includes Ilmar Tomusk, the head of Estonia's Language Inspectorate; Ivars Abolins, chairman of Latvia's National Electronic Media Council; Maris Baltins, director of the Latvian State Language Center; Jacques Maire, a French lawmaker who is also a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Berlin chief state prosecutor Jorg Raupach; and Asa Scott, head of chemical and biological defense and security division at the Swedish Defense Research Agency.

___ Associated Press writer Samuel Petrequin in Brussels contributed to this report.
There was a time, not long ago, when Elise Stefanik would not say Donald Trump s name.

He was simply my party's presidential nominee, she would say. The pragmatic New York congresswoman was far more focused on welcoming a new generation of voters to what she hoped would be a more inclusive Republican Party.

Today, Stefanik is one of Trump's fiercest defenders in the House of Representatives where her loyalty to the former president  and the support he returned  has carried the 36-year-old to the brink of becoming one of the most powerful women in Congress. She is widely expected to become the third-ranking House Republican in the coming days once Rep. Liz Cheney R-Wyo., is stripped of her leadership post because of her vocal criticism of Trump.

Stefanik's rise is linked to her commitment to bringing more Republican women to Congress, an effort that helped make the House GOP s 2021 first-term class one of the most diverse in history. But those close to Stefanik suggest there is one moment above all that solidified her political transformation and rise in Republican politics  and that moment had little to do with diversity.

It was a Thursday night in November 2019, and Trump's first impeachment inquiry was raging on Capitol Hill. Stefanik had emerged as a leading Trump defender in committee hearings, but on that night, she brought her message to Fox News' Sean Hannity for the first time.

After attacking the Democrats' case for impeachment, she asked Fox viewers to send money to a website designed to protect her from a growing wave of political attacks.

Within 15 minutes, she had raised $250,000, aides later tweeted. Several hundred thousand more flowed into her campaign by the next morning. Her team had never seen anything like it, according to people with direct knowledge of her operation who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose private discussions.

The snowball grew the next day when Trump went on Fox and Friends and praised Stefanik. It grew still more weeks later when Trump singled her out during a White House event as he crowed about beating impeachment.

In total, Stefanik raised more than $13 million over that cycle, almost twice as much as the combined fundraising totals from her previous three elections. She raised an additional $2 million for Republican candidates and assembled what her office now describes as one of the five strongest donor email lists among 212 House Republicans.

She never wavered in supporting Trump again.

Even as staff privately encouraged her to moderate her message in the following weeks, Stefanik leaned harder into Trumpism. Her team began regularly insulting critics and reporters on social media. Her transformation was complete when Stefanik, a former White House aide under President George W. Bush and admirer of former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., voted against certifying the 2020 election results even after a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Stefanik's evolution is the story of the modern Republican Party, which has come to believe that the path to power and fundraising success runs through Trump, whether party members like him or not. A few Republicans have resisted his influence, including Cheney, but the vast majority has fallen in line even as Trump continues to spread the same disinformation about the 2020 election that inspired the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Trump has been our strongest supporter of any president when it comes to standing up for the Constitution, Stefanik said this past week on former Trump aide Steve Bannon's War Room podcast.

In the same interview, she again cast doubt about the integrity of the 2020 election, even though allegations about widespread voter fraud have been discredited by senior Trump administration officials and dozens of judges across the country.

Those who have worked closely with Stefanik describe her as a hardworking, smart and disciplined messenger, tenacious in her pursuit of energizing Republican voters and framing the terms of the debate.

She became a policy aide in the Bush White House after graduating from Harvard University in 2006. By the time the 2012 presidential election arrived, she was a well-regarded political operative with strong ties to the Republican establishment. She joined former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlentys short-lived presidential campaign before going to work for Mitt Romney, the partys presidential nominee against the Democratic incumbent, Barack Obama.

After the election, Stefanik moved from Washington to her parents home in upstate New York with an eye on the U.S. House seat left open by Democrat Bill Owens' retirement. In what was widely considered a swing district, the 30-year-old Stefanik won the race and became the youngest woman, at that time, ever elected to Congress.

She found success with a moderate message focused on bringing a new generation of voters to the Republican Party.

Jeff Graham, the former mayor of Watertown, New York, remembers meeting the fresh-faced Stefanik a year before the election. He quickly became a supporter.

At first I said, Who the hell is she? I went on Google, couldnt find a lot about her, he said. Even though she was young, she had a rich background -- being in the Bush White House and being pals with Paul Ryan."

In her early years in Congress, Stefanik earned a reputation as a studious moderate who stayed close to her district, a massive rural expanse of upstate New York bordered by Vermont to the west and Canada to the north. She paid especially close attention to Fort Drum.

She put politics aside, said Carl Zeilman, chairman of the Saratoga County Republican Committee. She knows how to roll up her sleeves and get things done.

Facing her first reelection test in 2016, she was reluctant to embrace Trump. She initially backed Ohio Gov. John Kasich's presidential bid.

The decision to support the Ohio moderate was in line with her voting record. Stefanik has a lifetime rating of 48% from the conservative Heritage Action for America and 35% from Club for Growth, among the lowest grades for House Republicans.

In the late spring of 2016, when Trump emerged as the GOPs presumed presidential nominee, local press noted that she refused to say Trumps name, promising only to support my partys nominee in the fall.

Stefanik became a more vocal Trump supporter as the election approached, but she regularly reminded voters that she disagreed with him at times. She described his remarks captured on video about sexually assaulting women as offensive and just wrong.

She warmed to Trump further after he took office. She also started a political action committee, Elevate PAC, designed to bring more Republican women to Congress. She was widely praised for the effort last fall, when 18 of the 30 women she endorsed won.

One was Rep. Ashley Hinson, an Iowa Republican who says she was in constant communication with Stefanik throughout her election. Beyond offering strategic guidance and moral support, Stefanik helped connect Hinson with her network of donors and political contacts in Washington.

It was an important and very pivotal year for the GOP in terms of telling the story that we were a party of women, minorities and veterans, Hinson said. And Elise had a great hand in that.

Trump was impressed, too.

While Cheney's conservative ratings are far superior to Stefanik's, Trump this past week called Cheney a warmongering fool who has no business in Republican Party Leadership.

Elise Stefanik is a far superior choice, and she has my COMPLETE and TOTAL Endorsement for GOP Conference Chair, he said in a written statement. Elise is a tough and smart communicator!

Back in upstate New York, longtime supporters have noticed Stefanik's evolution.

Graham, the former Watertown mayor, acknowledged that Stefanik has become more Trumpian, but like many other Republicans in the rural district, he's generally pleased with the trajectory of her career.

Our members of Congress up here have not had much time on the national stage," Graham said. Were proud of most of it.

___

Associated Press writer Alan Fram in Washington contributed to this report.
 Close White House vows to ignore Trump if Facebook reinstates him

The Facebook Oversight Board has upheld the platforms decision to ban Donald Trump for posts related to the attack on the US Capitol in January by his supporters.

An independent group that reviews the companys most complex issues, the oversight panel also found that the platform was wrong to ban Mr Trump indefinitely, and insists that the company apply and justify a defined penalty  giving it six months to review its initial decision.

Mr Trump has reacted to the news with fury, demanding that these corrupt social media companies must pay a political price.

For its part, the White House says that social media companies have a responsibility to combat the spread of misinformation.

The presidents view is that the major platforms have a responsibility related to the health and safety of all Americans to stop amplifying untrustworthy content, misinformation, disinformation  especially related to Covid-19, vaccines and elections, press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Liz Cheneys days in the House GOP leadership look to be numbered, with her immediate senior Steve Scalise officially coming out against her.

Mr Trump released another statement attacking Ms Cheney as throwing his support behind Elise Stefanik as the new party conference chair.
While Donald Trump was still president, the Department of Justice obtained the phone records of Washington Post journalists from their time covering Russias 2016 election interference, the newspaper revealed on Friday.

We are deeply troubled by this use of government power to seek access to the communications of journalists, Cameron Barr, thePosts acting executive director, said in a statement . The Department of Justice should immediately make clear its reasons for this intrusion into the activities of reporters doing their jobs, an activity protected under the First Amendment.

In letters to threePost reporters, the Justice Department said they were hereby notified that pursuant to legal process the United States Department of Justice received toll records associated with the following telephone numbers for the period from April 15, 2017 to July 31, 2017.

The letters then listed the reporters work, home, and cell phone numbers.

Throughout his time in office, Mr Trump obsessively defended himself from accusations that he had colluded with Russia to secure his 2016 election victory. In the process, he attempted to discredit much of the mainstream news media as fake news.

It is not yet clear whether the monitoring of the Post was part of that effort.

According to the newspaper, the request for the reporters phone records  and an unsuccessful request for their email records  occurred in 2020, when William Barr was still attorney general. The Post said Mr Barr had not yet responded to their request for comment.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki cut off a Newsmax reporter as she pushed Wuhan lab leak conspiracy theories during the daily briefing on Friday.

Ms Psaki lost patience with the right-wing networks Emerald Robinson after being peppered with a string of questions about whether Joe Biden believed the coronavirus was leaked from a Chinese laboratory. Some on the right have latched onto the theory as a way to blame China for the pandemic, but no evidence has yet emerged to bolster the claim.

The president has said, and I have said from here many times, that there needs to be a credible investigation through the World Health Organization, one that relies on date and participation from China and other countries that may have information. That is certainly something that everybody has called for and we look forward to that, said Ms Psaki.

Ms Robinson then asked why Mr Biden had not spoken to Chinas President Xi Jinping about the origins of the coronavirus.

Ms Psaki replied that the White House had provided a readout of Mr Bidens call with the Chinese leader.

But when the Newsmax reporter continued to try and get answers on the Wuhan conspiracy theory, she was cut off.

We are going to have to go on, Im sorry, Emerald, I think you have had plenty of time today, said Ms Psaki.

The pair had sparred throughout the briefing with Ms Robinson also saying that many people in the media believed that Joe Bidens presidency was just the third term of President Obama.

When she was asked which journalists were saying that, Ms Robinson could only answer, different people.

The Newsmax host then asked why Kamala Harris was meeting so many foreign leaders, including Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga, and claimed that many people found that odd.

Its hard to react when I dont know what people you are talking about, replied Ms Psaki.

She then added that Mr Biden had a full meeting, press conference and dinner with his Japanese counterpart.

And when Ms Robinson suggested that Ms Harris was meeting more foreign leaders than previous vice presidents, Ms Psaki invited her to present the data that supported her argument.
The White House on Friday began voluntarily identifying people who visited with President Joe Biden or his aides, reinstating a practice put in place by Democrat Barack Obama but later dropped by Republican Donald Trump

This release was made in accordance with the reinstated policy to voluntarily disclose White House visitor logs, the White House said. These logs give the public a look into the visitors entering and exiting the White House campus for appointments, tours, and official business  making good on President Bidens commitment to restore integrity, transparency, and trust in government.

Nearly 400 names appear in the records released Friday, covering the period from Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, to Jan. 31. Seven individuals met with Biden, who is identified as POTUS  for President of the United States.

Six of the seven saw the president on Jan. 25, including Charlene Austin, wife of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Biden signed an executive order on Jan. 25 reversing Trump's ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military. Secretary Austin attended the Oval Office signing.

The seventh person saw Biden on Jan. 21, the president's first full day in office.

The White House said Bidens administration will be the first to release visitor logs from its first full year in office. The logs will be posted monthly and include appointment information for people who were processed to enter the White House complex, including the White House, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the New Executive Office Building.

Records from the Naval Observatory  where Vice President Kamala Harris' official residence is located  will also be released when they are generated, the White House said.

But the logs will provide just a partial picture of exactly who has been to the White House.

Certain types of information will be withheld before the logs are released, the White House said, including personal information such as dates of birth and Social Security numbers.

Information bearing on national security interests, related to purely personal guests of the Biden and Harris families or about staff members who were processed through the visitor system before they received access badges also will not be released.

The White House said it also will not release records of particularly sensitive meetings  and offered the example of a visit with a potential Supreme Court nominee  until that information is no longer deemed sensitive.

Also not being released are names of people who attend virtual meetings, which is how the White House has been conducting a lot of its business during the coronavirus pandemic.

The White House said it considers the visitor logs to be subject to some federal records laws and will preserve them accordingly.

Government ethics watchdogs welcomed Friday's release.

This is a sea change from the last administration and a key step in the right direction on transparency, tweeted Noah Bookbinder, president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

Trump had promised transparency but, once in office, his administration shifted course and cited privacy and national security concerns for refusing to disclose which individuals or groups were visiting, and possibly trying to influence government policy.

Senior Trump White House officials had argued that keeping the logs secret was in line with the practice followed by previous administrations, except for Obama. They said keeping Obama's practice of voluntarily releasing the records could interfere with policy development.

In 2018, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen reached agreement with the U.S. Secret Service clearing the way for public release of visitor logs for four White House agencies: the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Council on Environmental Quality.

The Obama administration initially fought attempts by Congress and conservative and liberal groups to obtain visitor records. But after being sued, it voluntarily began disclosing the logs in December 2009, the end of Obama's first year in office, and posting records every three to four months.

It continued to release the records even though a federal appeals court ruled in 2013 that the logs can be withheld under presidential executive privilege.

Ultimately, nearly 6 million visitor records were released, though certain visits were excluded, including for national security or law enforcement reasons.
France, Greece, Spain and Italy are among the countries that will be on the UKs amber list once foreign holidays become legal in England from 17 May.

International leisure travel will open up from that date under a traffic light system, whereby destinations are categorised as green, amber or red, the government has confirmed.

In a press conference from Number 10 Downing Street, transport secretary Grant Shapps revealed the red list countries, which will incur the tightest regulations for returning travellers, and the green list, which come with the lightest restrictions.

Everywhere else will be classed as amber initially.

This includes the majority of Europe, plus Canada and the US.

Travellers have been advised they should not be travelling to amber and red countries for leisure. Those returning from amber countries must be prepared to spend 10 days quarantining at home upon their return to the UK.

They must also provide a negative Covid test result before departing for British shores, plus pay to take two PCR tests on arrival: one on day two and one on day eight.

Private PCR tests in the UK cost 120 on average, although prices are becoming increasingly competitive, with one firm confirming it would be providing them for just under 50.

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Tui, the UKs largest tour operator, recently announced it would offer customers PCR tests for just 20.

Although being on the amber rather than the green list will come as a blow to European destinations reliant on tourism, there is light at the end of the tunnel, according to travel industry insiders.

The lists are expected to be reviewed and updated every three weeks.

Travel consultant and CEO of the PC Agency Paul Charles has previously said: We believe Europe will mostly turn green by end of June, as will the USA.

Meanwhile, the main holiday destinations on the green list include Portugal, Gibraltar and Iceland.

Those travelling from red list countries must pay 1,750 to stay 11 nights at a government approved quarantine hotel, while those hailing from green list countries are not required to self-isolate but must take one PCR test within two days of arriving back in the UK. All travellers must provide proof of a negative Covid test - be it PCR, antigen or lateral flow - before departing for British shores.
Doing that earns the Austins crew-member patch. It features the star of Congressional Medal of Honor of the ships namesake, Marine Corps Private First Class Oscar Austin. Though seriously injured by shrapnel from a grenade when he shielded a fellow Marine, Austin was hit by a spray of bullets when he tried again to shield his comrade during a North Vietnamese attack on their observation post near Danang in 1969. Austin died, his fellow Marine survived, eventually to become an officer.
Travel firms have accused the government of being too cautious with its quarantine-free green list of countries, calling it a missed opportunity.

Industry leaders have urged the government to add to the list as England prepares to restart non-essential foreign travel from 17 May.

Prospective holidaymakers had been eager to find out where they would be able to travel without needing to self-isolate on return before the list was published on Friday.

But the government has faced backlash after revealing 12 countries  including some currently banning tourists  will be on the list from 17 May, with the travel industry calling this too restrictive.

Johan Lundgren, easyJets boss, said: The decision to put so few European countries into the green tier is simply not justified by the data or the science and is inconsistent with the approach to reopen the domestic economy.

Meanwhile, Airlines UK said the government must make major additions to the green list at the next review point in three weeks.

This is a missed opportunity and, with so few countries making it on to the green list, represents a reopening of air travel in name only, Tim Alderslade, the chief executive of the industry body representing UK carriers, said.

By contrast, the EU has said vaccinated people will be able to travel without restrictions, which leaves the UK at risk of falling behind and not opening up international travel to key markets across Europe as well as the United States.

Portugal, Gibraltar and Israel are among just 12 destinations that will be on the green list from May 17  with some countries on the list still not accepting holidaymakers.

The green list also features several remote British overseas territories and destinations where visits are heavily restricted, such as Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei and the Faroe Islands.

People returning to England from green destinations from 17 May will not be required to self-isolate and are only required to take one post-arrival coronavirus test.

It will come into force from 17 May when non-essential foreign travel is allowed to resume under Englands roadmap out of lockdown.

It has been illegal to travel abroad from the UK for holidays for months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But after it became clear on Friday what destinations would carry the least restrictions for travel, the head of pilots union Balpa accused the government of an excess of caution.

Brian Strutton, the groups general secretary, said the news was extremely disappointing for everyone who works in the travel sector and the millions of people who are desperate to jet away on holiday or business.

The government has told the public they should not travel to countries on the red and amber list  most of the world  for leisure purposes.

Only British or Irish nationals  or those with residents rights in the UK  will be allowed to travel back to England from red list nations from 17 May, and must quarantine in a hotel on arrival and take two Covid-19 tests.

Those coming back from amber destinations must quarantine at home or elsewhere for 10 days and take a Covid-19 test on the second and eighth day back.

Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, reminded the public they should not be travelling to countries on the amber list, which includes holiday hotspots Spain, France, Italy and Greece.

British Airways boss Sean Doyle said this advice was disappointing, adding: We cannot stress more greatly that the UK urgently needs travel between it and other low-risk countries, like the US, to restart the economy, support devastated industries and reunite loved ones.

The British transport secretary said the removal of the ban on international leisure travel was necessarily cautious.

At a Downing Street press conference on Friday, Mr Shapps said the government must make absolutely sure the countries the UK reconnects with are safe.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: While the number of destinations on the green list remains low, we hope it will grow over time as the epidemiological situation improves worldwide, meaning more opportunities for leisure travel will open.

Additional reporting by Press Association
Italy has been added to the amber list of countries as part of the reopening of international travel from 17 May, it was confirmed on Friday.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps announced that the country would not make the list of safe green countries, stating that the removal of international travel restrictions on May 17 was necessarily cautious, adding: We must make sure the countries we reconnect with are safe.

The lists are expected to be reviewed and updated every three weeks.

Art, food, fashion and some of Europes most picturesque coastlines have led to Italy establishing a solid place for itself in the hearts of travellers around the world.

While Italys Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Tuesday that the country is ready to welcome back the world, theres no guarantee that British travellers will be able to escape quarantine measures upon their return to the UK.

Foreign travel will reopen this summer under a traffic light system, with countries split into three categories: green, amber or red, depending on their level of risk in relation to Covid-19.

Destinations will make it onto the green list based on their case numbers, vaccination rates, and prevalence of any virus variants of concern. Visitors to these countries will not be required to quarantine upon their return to the UK unless they test positive for coronavirus.

So, is an Italian escape likely this summer? Heres everything you need to know.

Will British holidaymakers be allowed to travel to Italy this summer?

Venice at sunset (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Italy is poised to welcome back tourists from mid-May.

From 16 May, UK tourists who have had both doses of the coronavirus vaccine will not face any restrictions and other arrivals will be welcome provided that they can produce a negative test taken 48 hours before arrival. Unlike other European countries, Italy is accepting antigen tests as well as PCR tests. In addition, travellers who have previously tested positive for Covid-19 will be exempt from any testing requirements if they present a certificate of prior Covid-19 infection upon arrival.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi said earlier this week that Italy would have its own national green pass, allowing people to move freely between Italian regions, before the EUs planned Digital Green Certificate was up and running.

Waiting for the European Certificate ... we have a national green pass that will enable people to move from region to region and will be operational by mid-May, so let us not wait until mid-June for the EU pass, he told a meeting of tourism ministers, reported Reuters.

In mid-May tourists can have the Italian pass ... so the time has come to book your holidays in Italy.

The EUs proposed certificate will be its version of a so-called vaccine passport, enabling easier travel between member states by having one universally acknowledged digital pass that can store a persons vaccine status or Covid test results.

However, it remains illegal to travel abroad from the UK for holidays, although this is expected to change in England from 17 May.

What will travel to an amber list country entail?

Vineyards in Tuscany (Getty Images)

Holidaymakers travelling home from a destination on the amber list will need to take a pre-departure test  which can be a lateral flow or rapid antigen test, as well as a PCR test  with proof of a negative result.

Upon arrival to the UK from an amber list country, travellers must self-isolate at home for 10 days, plus pay to take two PCR tests: one on day two and one on day eight.

Will I need to have been vaccinated to visit Italy?

No. Tourists travelling to Italy are expected to provide either proof of full vaccination, a negative Covid test taken within 48 hours of their arrival, or proof of prior Covid infection to be allowed into the country.

Travellers must download and complete a self-declaration form from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before travel.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) adds: Everyone arriving in Italy must also call the Covid-19 helpline for the region you are travelling within 48 hours, to inform them of your visit.

Do I need to isolate upon arrival in Italy?

Positano on the Amalfi coast (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Currently, yes. Visitors to Italy must self-isolate for five days upon arrival and undertake a molecular or antigenic test at the end of the five-day self-isolation period, regardless of vaccination status or an earlier negative Covid test.

However, from 16 May these restrictions will be lifted, provided travellers produce proof of vaccination, prior infection or a negative test.

Holidaymakers must also take a Covid test 72 hours before returning to the UK. Failing to do so could result in being denied boarding or risking a fine of up to 500 on arrival back to the UK.

What rules and restrictions are currently in place in Italy?

Romes Trevi Fountain (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

At present, a nightly curfew remains in place in all regions from 10pm to 5am that prohibits people leaving their place of residence during this time apart from emergency, work or health reasons.

The Italian Government recommends that people avoid public transport  which is currently operating at 50 per cent capacity  except for essential purposes.

The use of face masks is mandatory in all public spaces, whether indoors or outdoors, and social distancing of one metre must be observed.

All regions have been designated yellow, orange or red depending on their Covid case status, with restrictive measures differing in each area.

In yellow regions, bars and restaurants with outdoor seating reopened until 10pm on 26 April, with indoor table service expected to resume from 1 June until 6pm only.

Cinemas, theatres and concert venues have reopened with limited capacity, alongside museums, which must be pre-booked at least one day in advance.

Open-air swimming pools are set to reopen from 15 May, with spas and theme parks set to follow on 1 June.

In orange and red regions, movement is only permitted for cases of absolute necessity, such as work or health.

Bars and restaurants remain closed, and only shops selling essential items are open.

While much of Italy is currently in the yellow zone, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily, Calabria and Basilicata remain in the orange zone. In the far north, only Valle DAosta remains in the red zone.

However, the national green pass proposed by the Italian Government may permit holidaymakers arriving in Italy to move freely between regions.

What is the current Covid-19 status in Italy?

Throughout the pandemic, Italy has emerged as one of Europes major Covid hotspots. The country is slowly emerging from a two-month lockdown following a third wave which saw rising transmission rates and overwhelmed hospitals.

According to the World Health Organisation, there have been 122,005 deaths from coronavirus recorded in Italy to date.

Over 22 million vaccine doses have been administered, equating to around 18 per cent of the countrys population. Cases are continuing to fall throughout Italy.
1. Kangana Ranaut Tests COVID Positive, Calls It A 'Small Time Flu' Which Got Too Much Press





Kangana Ranaut has tested positive for COVID-19 and she took to Instagram to make the announcement as she is permanently banned from Twitter. In a long post she shared on Instagram, she called the virus a small flu that has got too much press.





2. Jennifer Aniston Asks Fans To 'Support India' And Help Fight COVID Pandemic

popsugar-assets.com

Actor Jennifer Aniston, who has been fully vaccinated, has requested fans to sopport other countries especially India that has been battling a deadly second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Taking to Instagram, Aniston posted a series of stories highlighting the need for coming together of everyone in winning the battle against COVID-19.

3. Anushka & Virat Grateful To All Who Helped Raise Rs 3.6 Cr In 24 Hrs, Urge Fans To 'Keep Going'

Twitter





Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli started a fundraiser just yesterday and donated around Rs 2 crore for the same. They also requested their fans, friends and family to contribute. And quite a success it has been.



4. Drew Barrymore Sends Love, 'X-Men' Star James McAvoy Urges Fans To Help India Amid COVID Crisis

Twitter

From Hugh Jackman to Jennifer Aniston, many actors have done their bit so far for COVID-19 relief. And, now Drew Barrymore and 'X-Men' star James McAvoy have come forward to help India too.

5. Sushant Singh Rajput & Ankita Lokhande Feature In Bengali Textbook For Children's Education

Twitter

The latest update on him is that he has featured in a Bengali textbook along with his former girlfriend Ankita Lokhande for children's education. The picture is from their famous daily soap Pavitra Rishta and the book also has a few questions- answers on parenthood, family and children.












When we hear Egypt the first thing that comes to our minds is the pyramids and the mummies that lie under them. The massive tombs give us a glimpse into a civilization that existed thousands of years ago and help us better understand the life of the people in that period.



Here are seven mummies that had some rather interesting stories surrounding their discovery into the new world we live in today.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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Medical staff attend to Covid-19 positive patients in the emergency ward at the Holy Family hospital on May 6 in New Delhi. False rumors floating on social media in Californias San Francisco East Bay Area suggest that large numbers of Indian Americans returning from India have been hospitalized at Fremonts Washington Hospital after testing positive for Covid. We are not experiencing a surge of Indian American patients showing up with Covid, Gisela Hernandez, director of community relations at Washington Hospital, told India-West. (Rebecca Conway/Getty Images)
A health worker in PPE gear is seen at a temporarily converted isolation ward for Covid-19 patients in a banquet hall in New Delhi May 4. The Indian American community in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has been sending money and resources back home to help their families deal with the virus. (ANI photo)
This is the kind of facility where we need that kind of extra investment in our infrastructure, especially when one considers the fact that the veteran population here is growing as fast, if not faster than anywhere else in the country, he said. We dont have that money yet, weve not made any decision of yet about where we will deploy that money when its enacted.
Late last week, Chinese iOS developers found a new iOS and OS X malware called XcodeGhost, which they revealed through Weibo (a.k.a Chinas Twitter).

Unlike previous malware found for OS, XcodeGhost is the first malware that affects directly the Xcode compiler for it. However, it is iOS that has been greatly affected by this malware.

In a nutshell, a malicious version of the Xcode compiler was uploaded to Baidus server in China which was then download and used by Chinese developers to create their apps.

XcodeGhost exploits Xcodes default search paths for system frameworks, and has successfully infected multiple iOS apps created by infected developers.

Worse, these apps were submitted to Apple for review and some of them even passed the test and were made available to download through the App Store. The malicious code inside these apps collect information of the devices on which they are installed and uploads it back to the control servers of the hackers. The collected information includes the current time, the infect apps name, the UUID of the device, network type, and more. Additionally, it is also possible that the infected apps receive commands from the hackers, which is potentially more dangerous.

Testing and scans from some security companies revealed that popular applications like WeChat, WinZip, and CamCard are affected by it. At the time of writing this piece, 50+ iOS apps  some of which are incredibly popular in China and other countries  are affected by this malware and available for download through the App Store.

Palo Alto has written in detail about the XcodeGhost malware which can be found here. It has also informed developers of all the affected apps so that they can take immediate action regarding this.

As of writing of this article, WeChat has already been updated to v6.2.6 to remove the malicious code and Baidu has removed all the malicious Xcode files from its server. However, it is entirely possible that malware infected Xcode files again surface on the cloud-sharing service, which is why it is highly recommended that developers only download Xcode directly from Apples server.

You can find a list of all the infected iOS apps here. If you have any of the apps installed on your iOS device, it is highly recommended that you uninstall them for now and wait for them to be updated by their respective developers.

Update: You can check whether any of the apps on your device are infected by XcodeGhost malware or not using this tool from the Pangu team.

[Via Palo Alto
Vinson, who faces charges of first-degree murder and shooting a firearm into occupied property, was being held without bond, police said. It wasnt immediately clear if she had an attorney who could could comment on her behalf.
Burma Myanmar Junta Approves 15 Investments, Including US$2.5-Billion Power Project

An artists rendering of the Mee Lin Gyaing LNG project. / Supplied

The regime-controlled Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) has approved 15 projects including a US$2.5-billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) power project, which would be the biggest single investment since the military takeover on Feb. 1.

The MIC chaired by Lieutenant-General Moe Myint Tun did not reveal details of the project in its press release. However, the LNG project approved on Friday is likely to be the Chinese-backed Mee Lin Gyaing power project in the countrys Irrawaddy Delta, given the nature and estimated cost of the project.

During Chinese President Xi Jinpings trip to Myanmar in 2020, Beijing and the National League for Democracy (NLD) governmentsince ousted by the coupsigned a letter of intent to speed up implementation of the project under the countries Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement.

At the time of the coup, the Mee Lin Gyaing project was one of two LNG projects awaiting official approval. The other is worth $2 billion.

The 1,390 MW Mee Lin Gyaing project is to be developed jointly by Yunnan Provincial Energy Investment Group Co. Ltd., UREC, Zhefu Holding Group Co. Ltd. and Supreme Group. The project is expected to be complete in 2023; 35 percent of the power produced will be distributed to Ayeyarwady Region, with the rest going to Yangon via the national grid.

Officials close to the matter said its likely that the Mee Lin Gyaing LNG project was among those approved on Friday but refused to comment further.

Supreme Group deputy chief executive officer U Htu Htu Aung told The Irrawaddy that the joint venture company has been awaiting approval for the Mee Lin Gyaing project. However, the company has not yet received notification from the MIC.

When The Irrawaddy asked whether implementation of the project could be delayed due to the effects of the coup, U Htu Htu Aung said, As we are a local company, we could not say something like that. It would depend on the main foreign investors.

The MIC said 100 percent of the electricity from the most recently approval LNG projects would be sold domestically, adding that it is expected to support the goal of supplying 100 percent of the nations electricity from the national grid by 2030.

The MIC said that it has also approved new projects for livestock, manufacturing and other sectors, and increases in the capital of two existing projects.

The World Banks latest forecast reveals that Myanmars economy is in dire jeopardy and is projected to contract by 10 percent this year due to the impact of the military takeover. Recently, the United Nations Development Program warned that all financial reports since the coup indicated Myanmar is approaching economic collapse.

Company registration figures from DICA revealed that the number of new registered companies declined nearly 87 percent following the coup compared with the same period last year.

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Burma ASEAN Chair, Secretary General to Visit Myanmar

The ASEAN special meeting on Myanmar in progress in Jakarta on April 24.

Three weeks have elapsed since the historic special meeting of ASEAN leaders at the organizations Jakarta-based Secretariat, and the blocs chair and chief now plan to have their feet on the ground in Myanmar after the end of Ramadan next week. They are scheduled to hold further talks with the military regime leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and concerned senior officials.

The visit comes amid growing calls for more assertive ASEAN action in implementing the five-point consensus agreed in Jakarta on April 24. Some critics have interpreted the lack of immediate tangible action as the blocs effort to buy time for the military regime.

According to a high-level informed source who asked not to be identified, the joint visit will be made after Ramadan, which will end on Wednesday. The date has not yet been scheduled pending confirmation from Naypyitaw.

In addition, the source added that the name of the ASEAN special envoy will soon be announced by the ASEAN chair, Sultan Hassanal Bokiah of Brunei. Two prominent names included on the short list were former Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda and former Thai vice foreign minister Weerasak Footrakul.

Both have wide-ranging experience in engaging with Myanmar. Wirajuda was involved with the humanitarian task force assisting Myanmar during the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis in 2008. Weerasak is a former ambassador to Myanmar from 1991-94 and served as vice foreign minister from 2015-19.

It is not certain how the regime would accept either of them as special envoy. Weerasak is known to be conservative and close to the military in Myanmar. He got to know several high ranking military leaders when he served as ambassador.

He is now an appointed senator in Thailand. It is not known whether he will be able to take a balanced view on Myanmar and understand its citizens, who are opposed to the illegitimate coup. Sources familiar with him expressed doubt over his ability as special envoy.

Wirajuda when serving as foreign minister strongly criticized Myanmar over the Rohingya issue. The former foreign minister has also criticized Thailand in the past for towing Rohingya out to sea and demanded an end to persecution of Rohingya in the region.

The joint visit by the ASEAN chair, represented by Brunei Foreign Minister II Dato Erywan Yusof and Secretary General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi will be the first by the ASEAN team following the five-point consensus. The trip will allow the chair and ASEAN chief to make a preliminary in-person assessment of the overall situation after the militarys power seizure on Feb. 1.

The cessation of violence agreed to at the Jakarta meeting has not yet completely occurred, although there has been a reduction in fighting and shooting incidents. Interviews with residents in Yangon and Mandalay reveal that the use of lethal weapons has subsided but the numbers of arrests of activists, journalists and medical professionals and civil servants has increased.

However, fighting between the Tatmadaw and armed ethnic groups, especially the Karen, Shan and Kachin, has continued sporadically. Judging by the numbers of fleeing villagers from the border areas to Thailand in the past three weeks, the Thai authorities are confident that the situation is under control.

Last week, the National Unity Government, set up by ousted lawmakers, announced the formation of peoples defense forces with the objective to stop the use of violence against the people.

Meanwhile, concerns have been expressed among the Thai security apparatus that growing numbers of the civil disobedience movement are joining the armed ethnic groups, especially the Karen and Shan. Recent news footage showed some of them engaging in military training in preparation for fighting against the Tatmadaw in the future.

Local civil society organizations based in Bangkok and along the border have already provided cash and humanitarian assistance to receiving centers. Aid has also been sent across the border to dissuade the villagers from crossing and remain inside Myanmar.

Muslim members of ASEAN finish observing Ramadan next week. In Brunei, the fast-breaking festival of Eid-Al-Fitr will begin on May 13 and continue to May15. In Indonesia, it runs from May13-17.

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Burma Myanmar Junta Suspends Over 1,600 Educators for Refusing to Work

Educators of Yangon University of Education stage a red-ribbon campaign against the military regime in February.

The military regime has suspended at least 1,683 striking educators and administrative staff members of 15 universities from their duties.

Following the Feb. 1 coup, many civil servants in the country have been on strike as they are unhappy with the takeover, saying they cant work under military rule.

The regime ordered doctorate, masters degree and final-year bachelors degree classes to reopen on May 5 nationwide, and educators and administrative staff to return to work by May 3, asking university authorities to report the list of absentees.

Among those suspended from their duties are professors, associate professors and administrative staff. Notices signed by concerned rectors say they were suspended from their duties due to unauthorized absence.

According to the lists acquired by The Irrawaddy, a total of 339 educators and administrative staff were suspended at Yangon University, 392 at Mandalay University of Arts and Science, 149 at Mandalay University of Foreign Languages, 60 at Myitkyina Technological University, 72 at Taungoo Technological University, 137 at Yangon University of Education, and 45 at Myanmar Maritime University.

Other institutions affected include universities of Computer Studies in Pathein and Taungoo, Sittwe University, Maubin University, and technological universities in Taunggyi, Hpa-an, Pathein and Kengtung.

These figures represent only those The Irrawaddy could verify, and the actual number of those who were suspended could be much higher.

Whatever happens, we will continue to engage in the civil disobedience movement until the end. We have to resist because we cant leave our future generations under military rule, said a striking assistant lecturer of Yangon University who has been charged with incitement by the regime.

Teachers are happy to be and take pride in being suspended from their duties for joining the CDM, he said, and striking educators who have not yet been included in suspension lists are even concerned that they will be mistaken as for supporters of the regime by the public.

The military regimes push to reopen universities and schools is facing growing resistance, with anti-regime protesters calling for an education boycott as part of the nationwide CDM against the junta. Educators say the resistance is a sign that the coup is failing.

Facing a shortage of educators, the military regime is recruiting lecturers, and is planning to give promotions to non-CDM professors to replace striking rectors and deputy rectors, said the striking educators.

Meanwhile, it is also putting pressure on striking government employees including educators and health workers to return to work by prosecuting them for incitement and arresting their relatives.

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Myanmar Junta Approves 15 Investments, Including US$2.5-Billion Power Project

Myanmar Junta Approves 15 Investments, Including US$2.5-Billion Power Project

Civilian Resistance Forces Kill at Least 16 of Myanmar Juntas Troops
Burma Thousands in Hiding Need Help as Myanmar Regimes Forces Rampage Through Villages

Fleeing villagers in Kani take temporary shelter in nearby areas in May. (CJ)

Thousands of residents from at least two-dozen villages in Sagaing Regions Kani Township are in need of emergency assistance.

They are still hiding in the forest as the regimes soldiers continue their rampage in the area after a series of deadly shootouts with civilian resistance forces.

At least 16 soldiers were killed during a series of firefights with anti-regime civilian fighters on Thursday and Friday. Following the shootouts, the soldiers raided villages in search of the resistance fighters, causing people to flee their homes.

Tension between the junta troops and the civilian resistance force continued on Saturday. As a result, residents of Kin, Upper Kin and Michaungtwin villages and several others nearby villages between Chindwin River in the east and the Kani-Monywa road in the west are unable to return to their homes.

As of Saturday, those civilians are still hiding in nearby forests. Among the nearly 13,000 displaced people are elderly persons, sick people, pregnant women and children. All need medicine and food due to their hasty evacuation, according to some of the villagers in hiding.

Ko Saw, a resident from Upper Kin village in northern Kani, said his whole villageabout a thousand peoplefled from their homes Thursday afternoon and many of them have only the clothes on their backs.

The military troops are deployed in our village, and we are hearing more troops are coming to reinforce. We are still hiding in the jungle, and no one dares to go back yet, he said.

The man, in his 30s, said he has never faced such a situation and been displaced in his life and pledged the support of his villagers.

On Saturday, the regimes forces rampaged through the deserted villages in the area. Following the shootouts, they had stationed themselves in some villages. They forcibly entered some homes, looting whatever cash they could find and stealing chickens and pigs while arresting people who remained, according to residents.

A Kani resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said at least 17 people from Zee Pin Twin village, including three teachers who have been striking as part of the civil disobedience movement, were taken by the soldiers on Saturday.

The abductions occurred after some 60 soldiers entered the village, shooting randomly. Zee Pin Twin village is located in the southern part of Kani Township.

The resident said the civilians from different villages have been forced to hide and run from one place to another within Kani for more than a month.

Ko Win, a relief worker from Monywa, said at least eight village tracts, including Kin and Chaung Ma villages, are being affected because of the civilian shootouts with the junta forces.

In Sagaing Regions Kani, Yinmabin, Kalay (Kale) and Tamu townships, the armed resistance began in late March and locals have taken up traditional homemade percussion lock firearms to counter the military after peaceful protesters were killed by junta forces.

During the fighting, both sides suffered casualties.

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Deshayla E. Harris, 28, of Norfolk, was shot and killed March 26 near the parking lots. Police have said she likely was killed by a stray bullet. Several people have been arrested in connection with multiple shootings that night, but no one has been formally accused of killing Harris. Donovon Lynch, of Virginia Beach, was also shot and killed that night by a police officer just a block away. Police have said Lynch, 25, was brandishing a weapon that night, though his family disputes that.
This Week in Review

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The sheriffs office says Brown tried to flee the scene when confronted and that deputies fired because Brown, who was in his vehicle when law enforcement arrived, tried to hit them with his car. They cited his record, which includes 12 felony drug convictions and five convictions for resisting arrest, as justification for deploying a heavily armed SWAT team for the arrest.
The arrest was made after a case was lodged by Gattu Vaman Raos father Gattu Kishan Rao, suspecting Madhukars role in the murder case.

Karimnagar: The Ramagundam Task Force police arrested Peddapalli Zilla Parishad chairman Putta Madhukar at Bhimavaram in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. Madhukar was on the run for the past few days following his involvement in the murder of a High Court advocate couple, Gattu Vaman Rao and P.V. Nagamani, in February this year.

The murder was linked to certain cases filed by the couple against alleged land encroachment by Madhukar. The arrest comes amid the sacking of minister Eatala Rajendar from the Cabinet, following allegations of encroaching on government land.

The arrest was made after a case was lodged by Gattu Vaman Raos father Gattu Kishan Rao, suspecting Madhukars role in the murder case.

Reportedly receiving information that the government issued orders to probe his role in the murders case from a senior police official in Hyderabad, Madhukar disappeared on April 30, just when Rajendar began facing allegations of encroachment of assigned land parcels in Achampet and Hakimpet in Medak district.

The police suspect that Madhukar went through states like Maharashtra, Kerala and Chhattisgarh before landing up in Andhra Pradesh leaving his gunmen and hiring private vehicles. He changed four vehicles from the time he went missing and used a separate mobile phone, police said.

After learning that Madhukar was near Rajahmahendravaram and Bhimavaram of the neighbouring state, the Task Force police of Ramagundam commissionerate, rushed to West Godavari and nabbed Madhukar who was found in a lodge at Bhimavaram.

Meanwhile, for the past few days, there were reports on social media that Rs 2 crore was given to a gang for killing the High Court advocate couple. It is said that the police found that the money was withdrawn from the bank account of Madhukar before the murder, and handed over to the gang that murdered the couple.

Apart from that, the car used by one of the prime accused, Bittu Srinu, a nephew of Madhukar, belongs to Madhukar. There are allegations that Madhukar, right from the time he was elected MLA from Manthani, had indulged in several illegal activities.

It was learnt that in the name of Putta Lingamma Charitable Trust, he had gathered crores of rupees. All activities of the trust has been taken care of by his nephew Bittu Srinu.

There are also other allegations about Madhukars role in the lock-up death of Sheelam Rangaiah in Manthani which created a sensation in the region.

The police has started investigation on why Madhukar went missing, why he withdrew Rs 2 crore and where he spent that money and his role in the advocate couple murder case.
We understand the rules, but who is responsible if a patient loses her life due to lack of support, asked another man waiting near the parking lot.  Representational image/AFP

HYDERABAD: Covid patients undergoing treatment in the understaffed Gandhi Hospital are in deeper trouble. They have lost the support of attendants and relatives as the hospital imposed strict rules prohibiting their entry to the hospital premises.

Many family members whose relatives are taking treatment at the hospital have been asked to leave and vacate the place by the on-duty cops late on Thursday night. Officials say that the new rule is to stop the spread of the virus as the attendants are testing positive after coming in close proximity with the patients.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle on Friday, some duty doctors at the hospital say they are understaffed with ward boys and nurses, making the work even more hectic for them with an increasing number of cases. We are doing our best with what we have. We are engaged round-the-clock doing paperwork to logistics apart from extending medical assistance. We work with what we have, said a doctor filling in patient details and helping them get oxygen support.

On Thursday night, several relatives and attendees who gathered near the hospital gate were asked by cops to vacate the place. We came here to be close to the patient. This place has very few nurses and staff, so they need assistance from relatives, said Mohan, a resident of Bachupally whose wife is undergoing treatment.

We understand the rules, but who is responsible if a patient loses her life due to lack of support, asked another man waiting near the parking lot.

Meanwhile, the on-duty police said they are following orders from the management to help curb the infection rate. Many of the attendees are testing positive as they are staying near the beds and are being careless. We have received orders from top to keep them away, said a cop from Tukaramgate police station.

A doctor said they have received several such cases wherein the attenders contracted the virus from the patient undergoing treatment. Stricter rules are now enforced. Police department has set up flex boards across the place stating that attenders are strictly not allowed in the hospital, said the medico.
Israeli riot police clashed with Palestinian worshippers at Jerusalems flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound Friday, capping a week of violence in the Holy City and the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians hurled stones, bottles and fireworks at police who fired rubber bullets and stun grenades in the disturbances at Islams third-holiest site, which is also revered by Jews as the location of two biblical-era temples.

At least 14 Palestinians and six Israeli police officers were hurt in the latest flare-up as tensions have soared in recent days in annexed east Jerusalem over an eviction threat hanging over four Palestinian families.

Israeli police said in a statement that because of the rioting of thousands of worshippers after the evening prayers, security forces had to restore order.

The United States called for de-escalation and said the threatened evictions could worsen the situation in east Jerusalem, as the United Nations warned the forced evictions could amount to war crimes.

Fridays unrest came on Al-Quds (Jerusalem in Arabic) Day, an annual day of pro-Palestinian rallies held by Iran, the arch-enemy of Israel, which also saw many thousands rally in countries across the region and as far as Pakistan.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said at least 14 Palestinians were wounded at Al-Aqsa, many hit in the head and eyes by rubber bullets fired by Israeli police.

Israeli police spokesman Waseem Bader told AFP that police used force to disperse violent disturbances after rioters threw stones, bottles and other objects at officers, injuring three.

The clashes erupted as Muslims packed the Al-Aqsa compound, to pray on the last Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Dozens of shots rang out and smoke hung over the area in Jerusalems Old City, witnesses and an AFP journalist said.

Al-Aqsa is a highly sensitive site. The second Palestinian intifada broke out in 2000 after a visit there by then right-wing Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon, seen as a painful provocation by Palestinians.

 Week of violence 

Earlier on Friday, Israeli security forces killed two Palestinians and wounded a third after the trio had opened fire on the Salem base in the occupied West Bank, police said.

Tamir Pero, spokesman of Israels border police, told AFP Palestinian attackers armed with rifles began running toward officers and shooting.

Officers took cover behind concrete blocks and returned fire, killing two attackers and critically wounding a third, he said.

Fridays unrest follow days of clashes and other shootings.

On Sunday, a 19-year-old Israeli was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting at the Tapuah junction bus stop, in the West Bank.

Israeli security forces said they had arrested Montasser Shalabi, 44, near Ramallah, on suspicion of carrying out the attack. Palestinian sources said Shalabi is a dual US national.

On Wednesday, Israeli troops killed a 16-year-old Palestinian when they opened fire on protesters throwing petrol bombs, also in the West Bank.

In the east Jerusalem Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood near the Old City, a series of clashes broke out in recent days between police and protesters, fuelled by a years-long land dispute between Palestinian refugees and Jewish settlers.

Police said they made 26 arrests between Wednesday and Thursday, while the Red Crescent said 22 Palestinians were injured in Wednesday night clashes.

Police said protesters torched a vehicle and threw stones outside a house occupied by Jewish settlers.

Palestinians also traded insults with far-right Israeli lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir, who visited Sheikh Jarrah to voice support for the settlers.

By Friday afternoon, a crowd of protesters had returned to the site, where Israeli police also fired stun grenades.

 Possible war crime 

In Jordan  home to a large Palestinian population  hundreds rallied, chanting we will die for Sheikh Jarrah.

Jordan administered the West Bank, including mostly Arab east Jerusalem, until the 1967 Six-Day War and remains the custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.

Earlier this year, a Jerusalem district court ruled four Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah legally belonged to Jewish families.

The Jewish plaintiffs claimed their families lost the land during the war that accompanied Israels creation in 1948, a conflict that also saw hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced from their homes.

The Sheikh Jarrah families have provided evidence that their homes were acquired from Jordanian authorities, who controlled east Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967.

Israels Supreme Court is to hold a new hearing in the case on Monday.

Several other homes also face eviction threats that affect a total of 58 Palestinians, according to settlement watchdog Peace Now.
Israeli riot police clashed with many hundreds of Palestinian worshippers at Jerusalems flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound Friday, capping a week of violence in the Holy City and the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians hurled stones, bottles and fireworks at police who fired rubber bullets and stun grenades in the disturbances at Islams third-holiest site, which is also revered by Jews as the location of two biblical-era temples.

At least 49 Palestinians and six Israeli police officers were reported wounded in the latest flare-up, as the Palestinian Red Crescent said it had opened a nearby field hospital because emergency rooms were full.

Israeli police said that because of the rioting of thousands of worshippers after evening prayers, security forces had to restore order.

Tensions in Jerusalem have soared in recent weeks as Palestinians have protested against Israel restrictions on access to parts of the Old City during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and after authorities ordered several Palestinian families to leave their homes to make way for Israeli settlers.

The United States called for de-escalation and said the threatened evictions could worsen the situation in east Jerusalem, as the United Nations warned the forced evictions could amount to war crimes.

Fridays unrest came on Al-Quds (Jerusalem in Arabic) Day, an annual day of pro-Palestinian rallies held by Iran, the arch-enemy of Israel, which also saw many thousands march in majority-Muslim countries across the region and as far as Pakistan.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said in a televised statement that he held the Israeli government responsible for the unrest and voiced full support for our heroes in Aqsa.

The clashes erupted as Muslims packed the Al-Aqsa compound, to pray on the last Friday of Ramadan at the highly sensitive site. The second Palestinian intifada broke out in 2000 after a visit there by then right-wing Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon, seen as a painful provocation by Palestinians.

 Week of violence 

Earlier on Friday, Israeli security forces killed two Palestinians and wounded a third after the trio had opened fire on the Salem base in the occupied West Bank, police said.

Tamir Pero, spokesman of Israels border police, told AFP Palestinian attackers armed with rifles began running toward officers and shooting.

Officers took cover behind concrete blocks and returned fire, killing two attackers and critically wounding a third, he said.

Fridays unrest follow days of clashes and other shootings.

On Sunday, a 19-year-old Israeli was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting at the Tapuah junction bus stop, in the West Bank.

Israeli security forces said they had arrested Montasser Shalabi, 44, near Ramallah, on suspicion of carrying out the attack. Palestinian sources said Shalabi is a dual US national.

On Wednesday, Israeli troops killed a 16-year-old Palestinian when they opened fire on protesters throwing petrol bombs, also in the West Bank.

In the east Jerusalem Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood near the Old City, a series of clashes have broken out in recent days between police and protesters, fuelled by a years-long land dispute between Palestinian refugees and Jewish settlers.

AFP correspondents said around 100 Palestinians rallied Friday night in Sheikh Jarrah and that police used stun grenades to disperse them. The Red Crescent said there were injuries but did not give a specific toll.

Police said they made 26 arrests between Wednesday and Thursday, while the Red Crescent said 22 Palestinians were injured in Wednesday night clashes.

Police said protesters torched a vehicle and threw stones outside a house occupied by Jewish settlers.

Palestinians also traded insults with far-right Israeli lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir, who visited Sheikh Jarrah to voice support for the settlers.

By Friday afternoon, a crowd of protesters had returned to the site, where Israeli police also fired stun grenades.

 Possible war crime 

In Jordan  home to a large Palestinian population  hundreds rallied, chanting we will die for Sheikh Jarrah.

Jordan administered the West Bank, including mostly Arab east Jerusalem, until the 1967 Six-Day War and remains the custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.

Earlier this year, a Jerusalem district court ruled four Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah legally belonged to Jewish families.

The Jewish plaintiffs claimed their families lost the land during the war that accompanied Israels creation in 1948, a conflict that also saw hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced from their homes.

The Sheikh Jarrah families have provided evidence that their homes were acquired from Jordanian authorities, who controlled east Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967.

Israels Supreme Court is to hold a new hearing in the case on Monday.
Israeli riot police clashed with hundreds of Palestinians at Jerusalems flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound late Friday, capping a week of violence in the Holy City and the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians hurled stones, bottles and fireworks at police who fired rubber bullets and stun grenades in the disturbances at Islams third-holiest site, which is also revered by Jews as the location of two biblical-era temples.

At least 163 Palestinians and six Israeli police officers were reported wounded at Al-Aqsa and elsewhere in east Jerusalem, as the Palestinian Red Crescent said it had opened a field hospital because emergency rooms were full.

Israeli police said that because of the rioting of thousands of worshippers after evening prayers, security forces had to restore order.

Tensions in Jerusalem have soared in recent weeks as Palestinians have protested against Israels restrictions on access to parts of the Old City during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and after authorities ordered several Palestinian families to leave their homes to make way for Israeli settlers.

The United States called for de-escalation and said the threatened evictions could worsen the situation in east Jerusalem, as the United Nations warned the forced evictions could amount to war crimes.

Fridays unrest came on Al-Quds (Jerusalem in Arabic) Day, an annual day of pro-Palestinian rallies held by Iran, the arch-enemy of Israel, which also saw many thousands march in majority-Muslim countries across the region and as far as Pakistan.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said that he held the Israeli government responsible for the unrest and voiced full support for our heroes in Aqsa.

The clashes erupted as Muslims packed the Al-Aqsa compound, to pray on the last Friday of Ramadan at the highly sensitive site. The second Palestinian intifada broke out in 2000 after a visit there by then right-wing Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon, seen as a painful provocation by Palestinians.

 Week of violence 

Earlier on Friday, Israeli security forces killed two Palestinians and wounded a third after the trio had opened fire on the Salem base in the occupied West Bank, police said.

Tamir Pero, spokesman of Israels border police, told AFP Palestinian attackers armed with rifles began running toward officers and shooting.

Officers took cover behind concrete blocks and returned fire, killing two attackers and critically wounding a third, he said.

Fridays unrest follows days of bloody clashes and killings.

On Sunday, a 19-year-old Israeli was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting at the Tapuah junction bus stop, in the West Bank.

Israeli security forces said they had arrested Montasser Shalabi, 44, near Ramallah, on suspicion of carrying out the attack. Palestinian sources said Shalabi is a dual US national.

On Wednesday, Israeli troops killed a 16-year-old Palestinian when they opened fire on protesters throwing petrol bombs, also in the West Bank.

In the east Jerusalem Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood near the Old City, a series of clashes have broken out in recent days between police and protesters, fuelled by a years-long land dispute between Palestinian refugees and Jewish settlers.

AFP correspondents said around 100 Palestinians again rallied Friday night in Sheikh Jarrah and that police used stun grenades and water cannon to disperse them.

The Red Crescent said many Palestinians were injured in Sheikh Jarrah and around the Damascus Gate, a key access point to the Old City, in clashes with Israeli forces.

Police said they made 26 arrests between Wednesday and Thursday, while the Red Crescent said 22 Palestinians were injured in Wednesday night clashes.

In Jordan  home to a large Palestinian population  hundreds rallied Friday, chanting we will die for Sheikh Jarrah.

Jordan administered the West Bank, including mostly Arab east Jerusalem, until the 1967 Six-Day War and remains the custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.

Earlier this year, a Jerusalem district court ruled four Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah legally belonged to Jewish families.

The Jewish plaintiffs claimed their families lost the land during the war that accompanied Israels creation in 1948, a conflict that also saw hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced from their homes.

The Sheikh Jarrah families have provided evidence that their homes were acquired from Jordanian authorities, who controlled east Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967.

Israels Supreme Court is to hold a new hearing in the case on Monday.
Algeria on Saturday honours thousands killed by French forces in 1945, as the North African country waits for Paris to apologise for its colonial-era crimes.

Pro-independence rioting following a demonstration in the final months of World War II prompted the massacre of thousands of mostly unarmed Muslim civilians, a turning point in Algerias long independence struggle.

On May 8, 1945, thousands had rallied in Setif as allied powers, including colonial ruler France, marked a hard-won victory in Europe over Nazi Germany.

Long live the allied victory, demonstrators shouted.

But the festive gathering soon turned into a demonstration for an end to colonial rule, with cries of Long live independent Algeria!

That was a provocation for French police, incensed by the appearance, for the first time, of Algerian flags.

As they ordered the removal of the green and white standards, scuffles broke out.

Demonstrator Bouzid Saal, 22, refused to drop his flag  so a French policeman shot him dead.

Outrage tore through the massive crowd.

The ensuing riots and revenge attacks on Europeans sparked a wave of repression by French authorities that left as many as 45,000 dead, according to Algerian official figures.

French historians put the toll at up to 20,000, including 86 European civilians and 16 soldiers.

The killings would have a transformative impact on the nascent anti-colonial movement. A full-blown independence war broke out nine years later, finally leading to the countrys independence in 1962.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who will lead the first national day of remembrance for the killings on Saturday, has described them as crimes against humanity.

Authorities will hold a series of events in Setif, 300 kilometres (190 miles) east of Algiers, including a march to the spot where Saal was killed.

 Fortnight of retribution 

The French launched a 15-day campaign of violence, targeting Setif and the surrounding rural region, bombing villages and hamlets indiscriminately.

General Raymond Duval led French authorities ruthless clampdown, imposing martial law and a curfew on a patch of territory stretching from Setif to the sea, 50 kilometres (30 miles) north.

Nationalist leaders were detained on pure suspicion, and villages suspected of harbouring separatists were strafed by the air force and set ablaze.

Women, children and the elderly were massacred and some 44 villages were destroyed in 15 days of retribution.

Executions continued until November 1945, and some 4,000 people were arrested.

I have secured you peace for 10 years, General Duval warned the colonial government in a letter.

If France does nothing, it will all happen again, only next time it will be worse and may well be irreparable.

 Still sensitive, decades on 

Setif remains a highly sensitive episode for Algerians, as well as for some in France.

Paris only officially recognised it in 2005 when the ambassador in Algiers called the massacres an inexcusable tragedy.

Five years later the bloodshed received some rare attention on the big screen, with the controversial Oscar-nominated film Outside the Law.

Rachid Boucharebs movie ignited much soul-searching in France  but was also bitterly condemned by the far right.

Riot police had to hold back angry protesters when it was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

The crowd, which included military veterans, was furious that French public funding had gone to a movie they claimed falsified history.

But France has since made moves to recognise crimes committed during its 132-year occupation of Algeria.

In March, President Emmanuel Macron admitted in the name of France that lawyer and independence figure Ali Boumendjel had been detained, tortured and killed by French forces who then covered his death up as a suicide.

Last year, Macron tasked French historian Benjamin Stora to assess how France has dealt with its colonial legacy, and urged officials to accelerate the opening of French archives on the Algerian war.

Released in January, the Stora report made several recommendations, including the creation of a memory and truth commission to hear testimony from those who suffered during the war.

It did not, however, suggest a formal state apology. Macron has offered neither repentance nor apologies but rather symbolic acts of reconciliation.

Algeria has dismissed the report as not objective, and has not moved to reciprocate Macrons steps.

It did however welcome his admission of French responsibility for Boumendjels death.
Israeli police fired water cannon Saturday to disperse Palestinian protesters in annexed east Jerusalem, a day after clashes wounded more than 200 people at the citys Al-Aqsa mosque and prompted international calls for an end to escalating violence.

Police said they dispersed the protest in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood where demonstrators had thrown stones at security forces.

On the border with the Gaza Strip, troops fired tear gas toward Palestinian protesters, as officials said three incendiary balloons were launched into Israel, causing fires but no injuries.

In Jerusalem, police said they made three arrests for attacks on officers, while Palestinians reported 13 other arrests earlier in the day.

On Friday, riot police stormed Al-Aqsa mosque compound, unleashing rubber bullets and sound grenades after they said Palestinians threw rocks and fireworks at officers.

Police said 18 officers were injured and several hospitalised.

Palestinian medics said 205 Palestinians were injured in the clashes at Al-Aqsa and other flashpoints around Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the police actions.

Israel is acting responsibly to ensure respect for law and order in Jerusalem while allowing freedom of worship, he said in a meeting of security officials.

The violence was the worst in years to rock Al-Aqsa, Islams third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina, located on the site Jews revere as the Temple Mount.

 A focal point 

Palestinians have held nightly protests in Sheikh Jarrah against an attempt by Israeli settlers to take over Arab homes.

On Saturday, protesters chanted, waved Palestinian flags and threw stones before police moved in.

Dozens of Arab Israeli protesters also gathered across Israel in solidarity with Sheikh Jarrah residents, holding up signs that read the occupation is terrorism.

Police blocked buses filled with Arabs headed for Jerusalem from northern Israel, saying they would not be allowed to participate in violent riots.

Instead, hundreds marched on highways leading to the city.

Thousands of worshippers stayed on at Al-Aqsa on Saturday for Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Destiny), a peak of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The Islamist movement Hamas, which rules Gaza, urged Palestinians to remain at Al-Aqsa until Ramadan ends, warning that the resistance is ready to defend Al-Aqsa at any cost.

Outside the Damascus Gate entrance to Jerusalems Old City, Palestinians set fire to a barricade before police on horseback dispersed the protesters.

 Extreme concern 

The United States  a staunch Israeli ally whose tone has toughened under US President Joe Biden  said it was extremely concerned and urged both sides to avoid steps that exacerbate tensions or take us farther away from peace.

This includes evictions in east Jerusalem, settlement activity, home demolitions and acts of terrorism, the State Department said.

The European Union called on the authorities to act urgently to de-escalate the current tensions, saying violence and incitement are unacceptable and the perpetrators on all sides must be held accountable.

Russia voiced deep concern and called the expropriation of land and property in the occupied Palestinian territories including east Jerusalem a violation of international law.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said he held the Israeli government responsible for the unrest and voiced full support for our heroes in Al-Aqsa.

Yair Lapid, an Israeli politician attempting to form a coalition government to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sent encouragement to police officers.

The state of Israel will not let violence run loose and definitely will not allow terror groups to threaten it, he tweeted.

 Barbaric attack 

The clashes in Al-Aqsa drew sharp rebukes across the Arab and Muslim world.

Jordan condemned Israels barbaric attack and Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia, Pakistan and Qatar were among Muslim countries that blasted Israeli forces for the confrontation.

Israel also drew criticism from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, two countries that signed normalisation accords with the Jewish state last year.

Iran called on the United Nations to condemn the Israeli police actions, arguing that this war crime once again proved to the world the criminal nature of the illegitimate Zionist regime.

Tensions are expected to remain high in Jerusalem.

Israels supreme court is to hold a new hearing in the Sheikh Jarrah case on Monday, when Israelis mark Jerusalem Day to celebrate the liberation of the city.
RTHK: Thailand rolls out Moderna jab  at a price

Thailand expects to offer the Moderna vaccine to most of its population soon as it steps up the rollout of its Covid-19 vaccination campaign, a health official said on Saturday.

The latest drive comes amid growing public criticism of the slow rollout of free vaccinations offered by the government, which stands at 1.73 million shots so far  less than 1 percent of its population.

Health authorities have yet to start mass vaccinations even as the tourism-reliant country struggles with a third wave of infections.

The government expects 61 million shots of AstraZeneca to be produced locally from June. But these vaccinations and those from Moderna will not be offered free.

Moderna last month applied for vaccine registration in Thailand, which should be approved soon, said Withoon Danwiboon, head of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation.

"What we expect from Moderna is its commitment on how soon they will bring in their vaccine," he said.

India's Bharat Biotech has started the application process for vaccine registration while China's Sinopharm has yet to apply, he said.

Thailand has so far approved the vaccines of Sinovac Biotech , AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said Thailand would try to secure more vaccines, on top of existing orders of about 65 million.

"Our current target is for 100 million doses of vaccines, but Thailand should have 150 million doses or more," he posted on his Facebook page on Saturday.

Thailand's latest outbreak has been exacerbated by the highly transmissible UK coronavirus B.1.1.7 variant, leading to more than 52,000 infections and 288 fatalities in just over five weeks.

On Saturday, 2,419 new coronavirus cases were reported, with 19 new deaths. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2021-05-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China's pairing assistance program gives impetus to the development of Xinjiang

08:58, May 08, 2021 By Fang Min ( People's Daily Online

A doctor from Shaoxing, east Chinas Zhejiang province, volunteers to provide medical examination for villagers in Aybagh township, Awat county, Aksu prefecture, northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, March 13, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/Bao Liangting)

Thanks to the pairing assistance program, under which 19 provinces and cities across China have provided and strengthened all-round support for northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, people of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang have enjoyed a stronger sense of fulfillment, happiness and security.

These provinces and cities have invested a total of 96.4 billion yuan (about $14.89 billion) in Xinjiang, including the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), implemented over 10,000 projects in the region, and introduced a total investment of over 1,684 billion yuan from local companies, among which central enterprises invested more than 700 billion yuan in Xinjiang.

Recently, over 6,000 residents in Yamansu Kyrgyz ethnic township, Uqturpan county, Aksu prefecture of Xinjiang, received an insurance policy from the command center of east China's Zhejiang province for providing pairing assistance for Xinjiang. The insurance policy was designed to protect these people from falling into or returning to poverty because of diseases or disasters.

Zhejiang province has also launched a medical assistance project in the First People's Hospital of Aksu Prefecture. Under the project, Hong Zhaoyang, an ophthalmologist from the Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, has lately conducted keratoplasty in Aksu prefecture and helped two patients recover sight.

As a national strategy of China, the pairing assistance program represents an important part of the country's efforts to drive the reform, development, and social progress in Xinjiang and improve the livelihood of Xinjiang residents.

Since 2016, Zhejiang has selected and sent 2,772 officials and talents to Aksu prefecture and the first division of the XPCC.

From 2016 to 2020, the province rolled out 329 projects for the pairing assistance, helped Xinjiang build 24 parks of various kinds, and introduced 621 companies into the region, thus enabling 200,000 locals to secure jobs in or near their hometowns.

Since 2012, the policy of providing comprehensive, targeted and long-term assistance for Xinjiang has continued to gather momentum, and many new technologies and means have therefore been widely applied, infusing robust vitality into the development of Xinjiang.

To promote solid progress in assisting Xinjiang with industries, Zhejiang has creatively carried out three projects in recent years, namely building stores in cities in Zhejiang for the sale of agricultural products from Xinjiang, establishing factories in villages of Xinjiang to generate jobs for locals, and introducing new agricultural plant varieties and technologies to facilitate production in Xinjiang.

Focusing on such fields as logistics, warehousing, and branding in Xinjiang, Zhejiang has established a sales network for farm produce from Xinjiang, which covers all areas in Zhejiang province and can sell products to the whole country.

Difficulties can always be surmounted, said officials who have been sent to aid Xinjiang, adding that they are pleased that residents in Xinjiang have shaken off poverty and become better-off, patients have got well, and the number of local talents has kept rising.

Providing pairing assistance for Xinjiang requires both introducing resources and funds to the region and empowering the locals with means to prosper, which makes it important to enhance the foundations of and build platforms and mechanisms for helping Xinjiang cultivate a local team of talents and force for development. Provinces and cities that have paired up with Xinjiang to help the region have made great efforts in this regard.

During the past five years, a total of 180,000 officials in Xinjiang took part in training sessions provided by Zhejiang province.

The Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, an important participant in the endeavors of helping build up Xinjiang's medical service capacity, has sent many senior medical experts to Aksu prefecture and launched innovative mechanisms to improve and upgrade local hospitals.

Meanwhile, the hospital has invited 120 medical workers from Aksu prefecture and provided them with further vocational studies.

Considering development an important foundation for long-term stability and security in Xinjiang, China believes that Xinjiang will certainly embrace a brighter future as it continues to bring into play the geographical advantages of the region and unleash the strengths of its pairing assistance program.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
As against NPPA-fixed price of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) at Rs 25.71 per cubic meter in cylinders, refillers are overcharging up to `95 per cubic metre, and showing nominal prices in invoices. (Representational Photo: PTI)

Vijayawada: Refillers of medical oxygen are cashing in on the huge demand for oxygen and are charging the Coronavirus-infected patients heftily in several parts in the state.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixed the maximum price (ex-factory) of liquid medical oxygen at Rs 15.22 per cubic meter and medical oxygen in cylinder at Rs 25.71 per cubic meter excluding 12 per cent GST in its order issued on September 25, 2020, and it will be in force until further orders.

However, as the state is witnessing the raging of Coronavirus infections, the infected patients are rushing to government and private hospitals, which are either Aarogyasri-empanelled or permitted, to take treatment. Though the big government and private hospitals have in-built medical oxygen filling plants or storage rooms for bulk cylinders and have pipeline connectivity to the beds in ICU wards, some do not have such facilities and the stocks are getting exhausted in no time. These hospitals are forcing the kin of patients to get medical oxygen in cylinders on their own. When the latter rush to local refillers, they are charging exorbitant rates, taking advantage of the situation.

A medical oxygen refiller in Vijayawada is charging Rs 65 per cubic meter, while another is demanding Rs 95 per cubic meter. Apart from it, they are also charging for transport of filled-in cylinders to hospitals and for return of empty cylinders. Adding to it is an additional levy of GST at 12 per cent. The refillers are taking every precaution to avoid detection by the law enforcement agencies by mentioning only statutory price in the invoices and nominal amount for handling and transportation charges.

A refiller took Rs 7,000 as an advance deposit for the issue of a portable medical oxygen cylinder of one cubic meter capacity and charged a rental of Rs 300 per day in the city. A maternity hospital in Patamata is said to have stocked several medical oxygen cylinders. Some people staying in home quarantine are also keeping medical oxygen cylinders at their houses for future use by paying whatever is demanded from the refillers. It is the case in several parts of the state, which is creating huge demand and supply gaps.

Andhra Pradesh is allotted medical oxygen to the tune of 480 tonnes per day by the centre. The cryogenic tankers carrying liquid medical oxygen procured from Angul in Odisha, Sriperumbudur, Bellary and parts in Visakhapatnam, reach the in-built filling plants in the hospitals directly. The liquid oxygen turns into gaseous form during supply into pipelines connected to the beds as the hospital authorities fix specific equipment for the purpose and pressure is monitored through valves and gauges.

A doctor at Vijayawada government hospital, B. Nirmal Kumar, said, If oxygen saturation level falls down below 94 per cent for any patient, we start providing medical oxygen from the level of two litres and it goes on as per requirement until the patient improves his levels. It may take even days to provide oxygen supply to the patient based on his health condition.

A senior official of Drugs Control Administration (DCA) said, We are keeping close tabs on supply of medical oxygen at statutory price and people are advised not to hoard cylinders for future use as it is resulting in some refillers charging more. We will initiate action against such refillers as per norms.
Song Joong Ki was asked to choose between his previous roles in top-tier K-dramas "Vincenzo" and "Descendants of the Sun."

And he prefers this character over the other.

Team Vincenzo Cassano or Team Yoo Shi Jin?

With his massive popularity in and outside South Korea, Song Joong Ki was often asked by fans various questions.

In his online fan meeting on May 7, the 35-year-old actor sat for a fun and exciting interaction with his fans from all around the world.

Hosted by the well-known MC in Korean variety shows, Jaejae, the two had a comic and heartwarming talk.

During the question and answer portion, Song Joong Ki was asked by a fan as to who he will choose between Vincenzo Cassano and Yoo Shi Jin.

The A-list actor then confessed, "Yoo Shi Jin is a special force officer and Vincenzo is educated in the Italian special forces. I'll choose Vincenzo."

He also shared that his two previous roles had similarities when it comes to martial arts.

Song Joong Ki expanded his answer, saying, "Yoo Shi Jin is a person who works within the boundaries of the law, while Vincenzo works outside the law."

Song Joong Ki Shared His Most Memorable Scenes from "Vincenzo"

The "Arthdal Chronicles" star was also asked about his most memorable scenes from his recently-concluded drama, "Vincenzo."

Song Joong Ki revealed the scene where lawyer Hong Yoo Chan (Yoo Jae Myung) dies and Choi Myung Hee's (Kim Yeo Bin) torturous death were among his favorites.

He also chose the time when the residents of the Geumga Plaza closed their shops for a while to mourn with Vincenzo Cassano after his mother passed away. It was the part when the tenants waited for Vincenzo, so they could offer their condolences and help to destroy Babel.

The actor confessed that it was a scene that helped change his character's sentiment.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: More of 'Vincenzo': Meet the Iconic Members of Cassano Geumga Family

And last but definitely not least, Song Joong Ki chose the finale scene - when Vincenzo and Hong Cha Young (Jeon Yeo Bin) kissed!

He explained, "The scene where Vincenzo shares a kiss with Hong Cha Young and walks alone. It ends while looking at the camera at the last frame. I think it was the perfect ending that showed the theme of the drama very well."

He also praised director Kim Hee Won for doing such good work and even the narration of writer Park Jae Bum touched Song Joong Ki's heart.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Vincenzo' Cast Flexes Never Before Seen Photos on Instagram + Watch the Last Behind-The-Scenes Footage

How about you? Are you team "Vincenzo" or "Descendants of the Sun"? Don't forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Written by Shai Collins
MEDFORD, Ore-- On Friday, Judge David Hoppe confirmed that a trial in the Oregon Vs. Raleigh Rodrigues will commence on Tuesday May 11 at 9 a.m.

"It's been three and a half years of nothing but torture for our entire family," said Chris Mayo, the father of Kevin Mayo. "It's been cruel dealing with 13 continuances. We are just happy that finally we can get some justice for Kevin."

"I think this is the first time I've been able to breath in three and a half years," said Kismet Mayo, Kevin's step-mother. "I've been disappointed so many times and our hopes crushed so many times that I'm in absolute shock. But I'm so glad we are finally moving forward."

More than three years ago, police say that Kevin Mayo and suspect Raleigh Rodrigues were involved in a road rage incident on interstate 5. Mayo later died from his injuries from that crash and Rodrigues has been facing manslaughter charges ever since.

Rodrigues has plead not guilty. If convicted, he faces 10 years in prison.

In these last three years, Rodrigues has been out free in society after paying his bail fee of 250,000 dollars. But during the last three years the family of Kevin Mayo has been waiting for justice to be served and answers for their son's death. More than 10 continuances have been issued in Kevin Mayo's case along with six trial cancellations. Something that the Mayo family says have been extremely disheartening.

"It's all I think about," said Chris Mayo. "From the time I wake up in the morning to the time I go to bed. No justice."

"We just can't believe that it's taken this long," said Chris Mayo Jr., Kevin's brother. "We are just ready for this to happen and we've waited for so long, but we are finally going to get there and get some closure."

According to Judge Hoppe the trial will go on for three days, until Thursday, in which multiple witnesses from the defense and the state will be called in. There was also be a preliminary "trial run" on Monday, May 10, to help attorneys understand how the official trial will work during the era of the Covid-19 pandemic.
TULELAKE, Calif. -- The Siskiyou and Modoc Countys Board of Supervisors and Klamath County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to send a letter to 10 lawmakers that represent their regions and a letter to President Biden to bring attention to the water crisis impacting Southern Oregon and Northern California.

The letter begins stating that the area is at the "beginning of a disastrous water year where the Bureau of Reclamation has announced 33-thousand acre-feet of available irrigation supply from Upper Klamath Lake," explaining that is less than 10% than what's needed for farmers.

According to statements in the letters, this lack of water will impact crops, which will impact food and fiber throughout the world, thousands of farm and ranch workers will be without employment, businesses that rely on farming will lose revenue and local national wildlife refuges will also suffer, specifically impacting the Pacific Flyway.

The letter to congress men and women requests a minimum of $45 dollars for funding programs of the Klamath Project Drought Response Agency (DRA). Right now, there is $15 million available, leaving a shortfall of $30 million in funding.

The letter to state senators and representatives also addresses concerns surrounding politics and politicians using the water crisis to further their own agendas, rather than working together to find better solutions for all those who need water.

The letter approved today to be sent to President Bidens office specifically addresses the April 16th letter from local tribes and fishermen, requesting federal disaster relief that can serve as a down payment towards long-term solutions.

The supervisors and commissioners stated in today's letter that they have concerns over items outlined in the April letter, one specific concern being funding requests that appear to target the permanent retirement of agricultural land and water, according to the letter approved for the President today.

The counties stating that they cannot support discussions and efforts that center around permanent retirement of family farms and ranches, stating, "not only are these family operations a rich part of the basin's history, but they provide the foundation for our economies."

The letter urges President Biden from extinguishing the agricultural community in order to promote the fishing community.

Counties also mentioned concerns about funding for the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) saying that Siskiyou County continually submits concerns about the KHSA through the FERC process; not only that, but counties state there has been a decade of assurances that the KHSA would not rely on federal funding.

The three counties stating that they are "wholly concerned with the unaddressed needs of the Klamath Project, including the KHSA and negative consequences to upper basin agriculture that would result from dam removal, according to statements made in todays approved letter.

The counties want to see further discussion of solutions that would address the decline of sucker species and Coho salmon but also state that for more than 20 years, solutions have been focused on increasing lake levels and Iron Gate flows and decreasing agricultural deliveries, claiming that there has been no progress in fish survival.

The letter ends by stating "We fully understand that in the midst of this water year there is bound to be tension, fracturing and competition amongst stakeholders. We hope this letter serves to acknowledge our desire to continue to promote the need for collaboration and long-term solutions that provide a benefit for all involved."

Following the approval of the two letters, which will be signed by the present parties at todays tri-county meeting, all three counties also discussed and agreed on a need for an investment in water infrastructure in order to avoid future drought and water crisis in southern Oregon and northern California.

County leaders discussed what could be done to call attention to the issue and educate those that live outside of the impacted area about what life is like in the drought-stricken basin.

The three counties discussed possible awareness campaigns through a public relations professional and funding to create educational tourist attraction in casual discussion but each idea requires money.

One point of funding that everyone could agree on was the need for water infrastructure.

Right now, infrastructure is a hot topic as President Biden works to pass a multi-trillion-dollar plan.

As it stands the presidents infrastructure plan would invest $17 billion in inland waterways, coastal ports, land ports of entry, and ferries but it's not clear if any of those waterway funds would impact Siskiyou, Modoc or Klamath counties.

President Biden is also including a call to modernize these systems by scaling up existing, successful programs, including providing $56 billion in grants and low-cost flexible loans to states, tribes, territories, and disadvantaged communities across the country. Again, its not clear if the tri-county area could benefit from these grants but farmers definitely want to see the area's water crisis in discussions in Washington, something they hope todays approved letters will achieve.
TALENT, Ore-- Today the Phoenix-Talent School District partnered with Rogue Community Health to provide a free vaccination clinic for the Hispanic community 18 years and older. The event allowed both pre-registered people and walk-ins to receive the first dose of the Moderna covid-19 vaccine.

Our goal is to provide vaccine access in a place that is familiar and comfortable for our students families, and the entire community in Phoenix and Talent, said Jake Patoski, the Phoenix-Talent Schools Communications Specialist.

Patowski also said that Talent Elementary School was the perfect place to host the event because it's not only a place that the community is familiar with but feels comfortable enough to come.

The Phoenix-Talent School District and Rogue Community Health will continue sending out newsletters to remind people to come back for their second dose in 28 days. The second vaccination event will only be for those that received their first dose today.

For more information on Covid-19 vaccines, click here.

For Spanish language information about the vaccine, click here.
Less: Just look at London, Ont.

Same: We hear more bad news.

More: Canada is on the right path.

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Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam speaks during a technical briefing on the COVID pandemic in Canada, in Ottawa on Friday, Jan. 15, 2021. Canada's chief public health officer is reminding Canadians even those who are fully vaccinated are not immune from transmitting the COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
The Chief Secretary asked officials to continue coordinating with Indian Railways and Indian Air Force for transporting empty oxygen tankers to Angul and Bellary. (Representational Photo: AFP)

HYDERABAD: Police will with immediate effect escort cryogenic oxygen tanker trucks bringing liquid oxygen into Telangana by road, so that they move smoothly and swiftly towards their destinations for delivering the life-saving gas to hospitals in the state.

This decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar here on Friday and attended by senior officials including those from police and transport departments. The meeting was held on instructions of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, a government news release stated.

The CS explained in the statement that Telangana is currently getting oxygen supplies from Angul in Odisha and Bellary in Karnataka. Owing to the emergency, it is imperative that any delay in transportation is cut down. Police escorts are hence being given to the oxygen tankers to ensure trouble-free and faster travel of oxygen tankers towards their destinations.

Somesh Kumar instructed transport department and TSRTC to form teams of mechanics, whose services might be needed for attending to any breakdowns en route. He asked RTC to ensure availability of experienced drivers, who will work in shifts to make sure that the tanker trucks travel continuously.

At the same time, the Chief Secretary asked officials to continue coordinating with Indian Railways and Indian Air Force for transporting empty oxygen tankers to Angul and Bellary. He pointed out that using IAF transport aircraft has cut down travel time of tankers by three days. The green channel being ensured by Railways too has speeded up arrival of oxygen supplies into Telangana.
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In my junior year of high school, I applied for and went on an educational mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Being the son of Uruguayan immigrants, I felt at home in the rural setting while my many classmates marveled at their first view of a culture different from theirs. On that trip, my ability to fluently speak two languages formed a common ground on which I could build relationships. I came to understand a desire to use my privilege in the service of others. After expressing this to my parents, I learned of a family lineage full of physicians who were pillars of Uruguays medical community. In this history, I understood my own purpose on this Earth: to continue a lineage of individuals committed to selfless sacrifice. My heritage has privileged me to interact with diverse people from an early age. The summation of these encounters forms the core of my identity, as they have shown me the human dignity characteristic of all people.

As the past year has shown, no one ever has complete control over their circumstances. A catastrophic eventlike a pandemicwill always disproportionately affect individuals of lower socioeconomic status. This leaves under-privileged communities vulnerable to the whims of those who prioritize greed and power over the needs of the people. For these reasons, it is the communitys responsibility to come together and provide for the needs of those lacking access to the most basic of rights. During the pandemic, I began volunteering as a care coordinator for a mobile outreach clinic (MOC). Care coordinators provide follow-up and administrative services for the clinic, using community resources to address patients barriers to care. A typical care coordination shift consists of answering missed calls, calling, and discussing action items with my current patients, followed by creating plans for patients who have yet to be contacted.

As public health concerns the health of populations, it offers exposure to heterogeneous personalities and cultures. Providers in any health care field will have to interact with diverse individuals from across the world. With one of the worlds most advanced medical technology, the United States is a beacon of hope for patients who cannot be treated in their home countries. This phenomenon, medical tourism, incurs a great cost on the health care system and presents a moral dilemma to present and future providers. Before my work with MOC, I knew of but had never witnessed medical tourism. During my third week, I was assigned a Spanish-speaking patient looking to establish care in our clinic. Upon calling the patient, John (name changed for confidentiality), I greeted him in his native language with a brief formal introduction and summary of our services. John greeted me warmly and brought me into his suffering by telling me his story. John received an early-stage cancer diagnosis in his native country. He sought treatment there, but the tumor was unable to be removed. John had come to the U.S. in hopes of a better outcome.

Thankfully, John had come to the right place. The mobile outreach clinic offers referrals for specialized care to underserved patients through a financial assistance program. I had him scheduled to see a provider in the clinic and made a note to follow up in two weeks. Upon calling back, Johns humility and gratitude were apparent: He had been referred and accepted to the program. He was going to be treated. While my actions were rewarding at the moment, I would not come to understand their implications until my final phone call with John. In it, John repeatedly expressed gratitude for my choice, as a first-generation immigrant and Spanish speaker, to volunteer with MOC. Ironically, I had only felt like I was performing my normal duties at the moment.

Once again, heritage and family history privileged me to a relationship with an individual where I could affect tangible change in their life. Johns suffering, more so global suffering, can at times be overwhelming. But in these moments of anxiety and fear, I find comfort in understanding my role as a continuation of the past. My parents are immigrant physicians who came to the U.S. seeking a better life for themselves and their families. Others facilitated my own position, and by that very nature, I must strive to lift others out of their own suffering.

Juan Arnoletti is an undergraduate student.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
A COVID-19 patient on oxygen support waits in an ambulance outside the District Hospital Koti, in Hyderabad, Friday, May 7, 2021. (PTI)

Hyderabad: Surrounded by states reporting continuing surges in Covid-19 cases, Telangana, defying odds, yet again reported one more day of a dip in cases on Saturday. The health department said the state recorded 5,186 new cases of Covid on Saturday. It also reported a dip in deaths from the disease, saying 38 people lost their lives to Covid the same day.

Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, with which Telangana state shares its borders, have been reporting cases in the 20,000s or close to that number every day for some time now. During the same period, daily cases in Telangana state have been on a downward trend, something the government said it was expecting to happen.

As per the states estimates, the daily Covid cases would continue to fall and Telangana could well see the Covid-19 second wave receding in the next two weeks.

However, along with the fall in cases, the number of tests being conducted every day in Telangana, has also been fluctuating just around the 70,000 figure. The department said 69,158 tests were conducted in Telangana and that results from 2,733 tests were pending as of 5.30 pm, on Saturday.

The total deaths in the state on Saturday stood at 2,704, and total cases neared the five lakh mark with 4,92,385 reported so far.

The department said 7,994 people were deemed to have recovered from the disease taking their number so far to 4,21,219, while the number of active cases stood at 68,462.

The GHMC area reported the highest daily cases at 904, followed by 399 in Ranga Reddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri with 366, and Warangal Urban district with 231 cases.

Downward trend on track in TS

May 1: Cases - 7,430 | Deaths - 56 | Tests - 76,330

May 2: Cases - 5,695 | Deaths - 49 | Tests - 58,742

May 3: Cases - 6,876 | Deaths - 59 | Tests - 70,961

May 4: Cases - 6,361 | Deaths - 51 | Tests - 77,435

May 5: Cases - 6,026 | Deaths - 52 | Tests - 79,824

May 6: Cases - 5,892 | Deaths - 46 | Tests - 76,047

May 7: Cases - 5,559 | Deaths - 41 | Tests - 65,375

May 8  5,186  38  69,148
Guwahati/New Delhi: Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, a strong contender for the post of chief minister, announced on Saturday that the decision on who will lead the government in Assam would be taken at a BJP legislature party meeting slated to be held in Guwahati today.

On Saturday, the BJP top brass, including party president J.P. Nadda, Union home

minister Amit Shah, general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santosh and partys state in-charge Bijayanta Panda held a series of meetings with incumbent chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Mr Sarma, who had been summoned to Delhi by the party leadership.

After the BJP leadership held separate and joint meetings with the two of them, Mr Sarma told the media, The BJP legislature party meeting will be held tomorrow in Guwahati. Answers to all questions will come out of that meeting.

The state unit of the party is abuzz that around 40 MLAs, including alliance partners, are backing Mr Sarma, who was the first one to meet Mr Nadda. Later, the party top brass held a meeting with Mr Sonowal separately and then with both leaders. Later in the evening, Mr Shah and Mr Sonowal held another round of meeting with

Mr Nadda at his residence.

While Mr Sonowal has a clean image and is given credit for pro-incumbency which helped the BJP to retain power in the state, Mr Sarma is considered an influential leader and the BJPs trouble shooter in the North-East.

Both Mr Sonowal and Mr Sarma have considerable clout in the state organisation and their supporters had been lobbying for them.

It is significant that the party had not announced any chief ministerial candidate ahead of the March-April polls. The BJP had said that it would settle the issue after the elections were over. In 2016, the BJP had projected Mr Sonowal as its leader and won, forming its government in the Northeast.

For the 2021 election, however, the BJP, opted against a chief ministerial candidate but still recorded a comfortable win. The party won 60 seats in the 126-member Assembly, while alliance partners AGP won nine and UPPL six.

Insiders in the party said that the BJP leadership has been trying to work out some formula to quell factionalism which was quite visible with the emergence of two power centres in Assam.

The biggest challenge before the BJP leadership would be to strike a balance between the two power centres. If Mr Sonowal is popular among people for his low-key profile and handling issues smoothly, Mr Sarma has been aiming for the top post not only for his performance and executing the party policies aggressively but also for having the support of the majority of newly elected MLAs.

Both the contenders have remained tight-lipped about their day-long parleys and were expected to return to Guwahati by Saturday evening to attend the legislature party meeting on Sunday.
The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) today released their official new vehicle statistics on new car registrations and the results come as welcome news the motor industry.

To present a more accurate picture of the new vehicle registrations, it is important to compare registrations totals with the same period in 2019 (pre-COVID) when businesses were fully operational.

55,207 new cars were registered to date in 2021 compared to 50,138 for the same period in 2020 but figures still have a way to climb to reach pre-pandemic levels - 73,030 in 2019.

Light Commercials Vehicles (LCV) saw an increase of 2,385 registrations compared to April last year 231 and 1,798 for the same month in 2019.

This year to date saw 13,722 new LCVs registered, an increase on last years 9,500 (+44.4%) and 12,853 on 2019 (+6.67%).

Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) seen 325 registrations in April when compared to 96 in April 2020 and 305 April 2019.

Year to date HGV's registrations total 1,223 compared with 1,004 in 2020 (+21.81%) and 1,189 in 2019 (+2.86%).

5,676 used cars were imported in April 2021, compared with 200 imports in April 2020, a decrease on the 8,887 imports in April 2019.

Year to date used imports are up 36.4% (24,095) on 2020 (17,666) and down 32.54% on 2019 (35,719).

For the month of April 2021, 596 new electric vehicles were registered compared to 50 in April 2020.

So far this year 3,414 new electric cars have been registered in comparison to 1,700 on the same period 2020.

Electric Vehicle and Plug-in Hybrids and Hybrids continue to increase their market share, with their combined market share now over 22.61%. Diesel now accounts for 36.86%, Petrol 32.06%, Hybrid 16.66%, Electric 6.18% and Plug-in Electric Hybrid 5.95%

5 Top Selling Car Brands April 2021 were:

1.Toyota 2.Volkswagen 3.Hyundai 4. Skoda 5. Ford

5 Top Selling Car Models April 2021 were:

1.Hyundai Tucson 2.Toyota Corolla 3.Toyota RAV 4, 4.Ford Focus 5.Volkswagen Tiguan
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  Californias population fell by more than 182,000 people in 2020, marking the first year-over-year loss ever recorded for the nations most populous state.

State officials announced Friday that Californias population dipped 0.46% to just under 39.5 million people from January 2020 to January 2021.

The news comes one week after the U.S. Census Bureau announced a paltry population growth for California, resulting in the state losing a congressional seat for the first time because it grew more slowly than other states over the past decade.

But the census numbers reflect the states population in April 2020. The new state numbers released Friday reflect the states population as of January 2021.

The state four most populated cities -- Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco -- lost a combined 88,000 people. LA dropped the most at nearly 52,000 and has now lost about 75,000 people in the last three years to fall to an overall population of just over 3.9 million.

More people left California for other states than moved here, continuing a trend for decades that has prompted criticism of the state's high taxes and progressive politics. But state officials say 2020 was an anomaly as the coronavirus pandemic halted international immigration and killed 51,000 people.

California's death rate was 19% higher than the average for the past three years. In all, 51 of the states 58 counties posted death rates above the three-year average  including 12 that had increases of 20% or more. In Los Angeles County, the nation's most populous with more than 10 million residents, the death rate was 27% higher than average.

If it were not for the pandemic last year, we might be having a very different conversation today, said Walter Schwarm, California's chief demographer.

California became a state in 1850 on the heels of a gold rush that prompted people to seek their fortune out west. The population soared following World War II with the help of a robust defense and aerospace industry. It boomed again in the 1980s and 1990s as technology companies put Silicon Valley on the map.

But the growth slowed after the end of the Cold War in the 1990s when the federal government cut back on defense spending and again in the years before the Great Recession in the late 2000s.

In the years after that recession, California's economy had 10 years of consecutive growth. It appeared the state's population would surpass 40 million people, a major milestone for a state that began as an far-flung outpost on the western frontier.

But the state's growth slowed significantly in the late 2010s. While more people were leaving the state than moving there, those losses had been offset by international migration and births.

That changed in 2020. State officials say a declining birth rate, plus reductions in international immigration and an increase in deaths because of the coronavirus, led to the state's first ever year-over-year population loss.

California had a negative international migration in 2020, which state officials say was a direct impact from the Trump administration's decision to stop issuing new visas for much of that year. Coronavirus restrictions around the world also caused about a 29% decline in international students coming to California, or about 53,000 people.

As the pandemic recedes and with changes in federal immigration policy, we expect to return to more normal immigration trends into California from other countries, said H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the Department of Finance. All of which means that by the time we do this same projection 12 months from now, we expect that 2021 will show a return to a slightly positive growth rate.

The state's population has become a political issue this year in light of the effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, with Republicans blaming high taxes and the governor's policies for people fleeing the state. From 2010 to 2020, about 6.1 million people left California for other states compared to about 4.9 million people who moved to California from other states, according to an analysis of census data by the Public Policy Institute of California.

The Department of Finances population estimate comes from a number of sources, including birth and death counts, the number of new driver's licenses and address changes, school enrollments and federal tax returns.
MASON CITY, Iowa - After a little over a year of uncertainty, it's graduation season.

North Iowa Area Community College held their graduation ceremony a bit different than usual, as four smaller ceremonies were held throughout the day on Friday, based on specialty (health, career technical and arts & sciences).

In a way, Bella Flood says the pandemic helped a bit with her studies; the Charles City student had a lot of her classes online, which helped her save some gas money, and met in person for clinical experience and tests three times a week. However, there was a caveat when it came to practicing skills at home.

"They tried so hard to teach us skills through a camera and some in person, but it's completely different. I already did my EMT...you do all your hands on skills in person for hours and hours at a time, and we'd have 30 minutes to an hour to complete a skill and learn it by next week by ourselves at home. You don't have the equipment or dummies."

Despite these challenges, everyone pulled together as a team.

"My fall semester, I struggled pretty hard. All my girls got together and they were like, 'we're not going to let you fail.' We pulled in those hours and studied hard, and I made it, I'm still here. I got to help someone that was struggling this past semester, and it made feel really happy that I can give back to all these people that helped me when I was really struggling through it too."

Because of some prior unfortunate circumstances, this is Bella's first time walking for graduation.

"My last three years of high school, I was home schooled. Something happened where I wasn't able to graduate with my class, so I sat in the bleachers and watched them walk down. I didn't get to graduate for my CNA, and then last year, I had other studies that I completed that I didn't get to walk down either because of the pandemic."

Now, after all of the ups and downs of the previous two years, she's proud of her accomplishments, making life-long friends, and able to walk with her classmates. She's now looking forward to the future.

"When the pandemic started, I just got my CNA, so I never had that contact with people without a mask or a shield. I had that the entire time, so it will be interesting when hopefully someday, we can get rid of all of this and I can have face to face contact with people like before the pandemic."

Flood is not done with her NIACC education yet; she plans to return in the fall to receive her BSN.

To watch NIACC's graduation ceremonies from Friday, click here.
ROCHESTER, Minn- Firefighters do a lot more than extinguish fires, protect property, and save lives. When a car crashed into a Rochester home on Thursday, taking care of the incident required some specialized training. Preparation is key though to dealing with those situations.

According to firefighter Chad Kuhlman, RFD is part of a statewide structural collapse team known as Minnesota Task Force One. The team consists of five different fire departments specializing in dealing with structural collapse, high-angle rope, and trench rescues. To help prepare them, RFD tries to make the training as realistic as possible.

"When we train on an annual or quarterly basis, we train how we would respond to a true emergency," said Kuhlman. "We make certain that the training grounds are safe for us to train in and we would shore up a structure the same way we would shore up a house that was run into by a car."

The departments part of Minnesota Task Force One consist of Rochester, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Edina, and Dakota. Training for structural collapse, high-angle rope, and trench rescues requires firefighters to step outside their comfort zones and is a minimum of eight-ten hours a quarter.

RFD trains more though than what's required.
KASSON, Minn. - It's a stark reality of the dangers of drinking and driving. Friday students at Kasson-Mantorville High School participated in a mock car crash.

Students against destructive decisions, better known as SADD, purposefully planned the event. The school's prom is Saturday, this staged scene aims to show teens the consequences of driving distracted.

State Patrol, Kasson Police, and Dodge County Fire Department came out to stage a crashed vehicle into a pole in the parking lot.

It doesn't take a long time - it's just a few seconds of distracted driving. It's against the law you're not supposed to be on your phone... so there's consequences to your actions when you choose to make poor decisions, says Catiera Thome, Junior SAAD student.

She adds, It's about making smart decisions. And we want them to leave at the end of the school day with it in their mind and thinking about it and hopefully, it carries over to this weekend for and for the rest of their life.

Lauren Abbott, Senior SADD student says, And I think it just sends a really good message and it's something that we're proud to be a part of because we have been making good decisions and we want to encourage others to do the same thing.

I think it's important that we just remind them - maybe we're out of practice with some of the stuff and just reminding them how important it is to be safe and to watch out for others and take care of not only themselves but the people around them as well, says SADD Advisor Alyssa Swanson.

At the end of day, students were shown a video put together by SADD students, along with teacher-led discussions during class.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Last call will be later at a number of Med City bars after an easing of coronavirus restrictions in Minnesota.

The state's mandatory 11 P.M. curfew for bars and restaurants came to an end Friday. Limits on outdoor dining and activities have also been lifted as part of the first phase of Minnesota's plan to discontinue all COVID-19 restrictions by July 1st.

Kathy's Pub and North Star Bar were among those planning to stay open into the early morning. Others told KIMT they needed more time to adjust.

Many are hopeful the change will provide a much-needed boost for an industry that's been hard hit by the pandemic.

"It's probably beneficial for Rochester to have businesses back open, and try to recover financially from some of the effects of loss of employment and hours and whatnot," said area resident Kevin Hampton. "The summer's coming and it's warming up a little bit so I'm sure people want to be outside."

Rooster's Too! owner Ross Manahan tells KIMT it's an exciting time for customers and staff alike, with employees "ready to get back to work."

Officials plan to end all social distancing and capacity requirements in Minnesota on May 28th.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Des Moines police say a woman was fatally shot, and the man suspected of shooting her died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police responded Friday night to a report of a shooting and found the injured woman outside an apartment building. She died at a hospital. Meanwhile, witnesses identified a male suspect and told police he had entered the apartment building. A tactical team was called and the apartment building was evacuated as crisis negotiators tried to contact the man. Those attempts went unanswered.

Early Saturday, tactical officers entered the apartment and found the man dead. Names of the victims were not released.
MASON CITY, Iowa - He has been a fixture on the Mason City Fire Department for nearly three decades. On Friday, he had his official last call.

3rd Battalion Captain Jack Odegaard's brother-in-law had experience in firefighting for the Burnsville, Minnesota Fire Department, and encouraged him to give it a shot. After spending 5 years as a volunteer on the fire squad in nearby Eagan, Odegaard returned home in July 1993.

"This is what was designed to be. I was supposed to be here, doing this."

Recently, he announced he's calling it a day and retiring after nearly 28 years. During Friday's celebration, friends, family and colleagues looked back on his time with the department, and received not only handshakes and hugs, but also a ceremonial axe from Firefighters Local 41.

During Friday's ceremony, he was given the opportunity to radio 'strike the box' to dispatch. The phrase is in reference to the mutual aid 'MABAS' system that's being established at the department, and it's something he's always wanted to say.

"They already have a preset deal sitting in front of them that tells them who they're supposed to call when I say 'strike the box.' They would call, say, Manly, Nora Springs, Clear Lake, another fire department because we need help because it's a big fire...we had a joke between him and I [Fire Chief Erik Bullinger] because I was always like, 'when are we going to get that? I know you want that. When are we going to get that? My life would be a lot easier if I could do that,' and I said I wanted to be the first one to say 'strike the box.'"

An aspect that was brought up during the ceremony: Odegaard's penchant for making lists.

"I got that from my Mom, she'd always make lists. I made lists my entire life, I even make lists at home of stuff I have to get done. I've always had a list here, it keeps me on track, keeps me doing what they got me wanting to do."

One thing he'll miss: the camraderie between other firefighters.

"Getting to know every part of their life and them everything knowing about your life. Sitting around and chatting about nothing sometimes. When we have a fire, it's nice to sit back and discuss it, see what we did right, and what we did wrong. That's what I'll miss the most."

While a job like a firefighter may seem like a high stress situation, there was always comfort in the important role they play in saving lives.

"Helping people, going to a house fire. Taking chaos and making order out of it, is probably some of the happiest times I got, where you're going in there and helping someone who's having a bad day."

He offers some advice to his successors.

"Everyday, you learn, it's a learning experience. There's always something you can learn from somebody else or put in your job. Be fair, and be consistent. Try to be that person who is always consistent, this person. You know them, and we become brothers and sisters, and we know them as brothers and sisters because we know I can count on you to do this, I know you know how to do this, I don't have to tell you how to do that. Because you become so close and so tight knit, sometimes we communicate without words."

During his retirement, he plans to do some hunting and fishing. However, he says retiring from working and a consistent routine feels surreal.

"You're always doing something, always going somewhere, always working. Now it's kind of strange to get up, and I don't have to go to work."
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

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In what was, so far, the best baseball game of the week, the Jaguars pulled their 33rd win out of the fire and salvaged a gem of a start from their star pitcher.
Transfer to Noble Health is anticipated in the first quarter of the year, a press release said.
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Horn Lake Board of Alderman met in executive session this week to discuss strategy regarding a lawsuit over their decision not to reverse the planning commission's decision to deny a site plan for a proposed mosque. Developer Ray Elk is suing the city and is calling on Governor Tate Reeves to force the city to comply with their zoning laws and approve the mosque.
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The administration of President Joe Biden has canceled the collection of personally identifiable data, such as DNA and facial scans, from immigrants applying to enter the country, which the Trump administration initially planned.

In September 2020, the Trump administration proposed the expansion of the collections of eye scans, voice data, and facial scans of individuals who seek to enter the U.S.

According to them, the biometric information would be used for verification purposes. It would also allow the U.S. government to collect young children's personal information, including DNA and facial scans, which was not permitted.

According to Washington Examiner, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday said that the department had withdrawn a proposed rule that would have expanded its authorities and requirements for collecting biometrics by removing the age limit.

The proposed rule would have also required the submission of biometrics for each applicant, sponsor, petitioner, beneficiary, or other individual filing for or associated with any immigration or naturalization benefit or request unless the DHS waives or exempts the biometric requirement.

Congress has mandated the DHS to develop a strategy in tracking visa recipients and other applicants, who make up the largest number of new latest immigrants every year as a result of failing to depart the country on time, The Epoch Times reported.

The U.S. government currently takes a photograph, fingerprints, and a signature from those individuals who seek admission. The collected information is used in verifying the identity of individuals once they arrive in the U.S.

READ NEXT: Border Patrol Seizes 67 Lbs. of Meth at Immigration Checkpoint, K-9 Team Detects Narcotics

Biden Admin Holds 25,000 Parentless Migrant Children

Away from their families, close to an estimated 25,000 migrant children are now in the custody of the U.S. government. The number of unaccompanied migrant children under the federal government's care is already at an all-time high.

It quickly eclipsed the corresponding total number in 2018 when the Trump administration pursued a policy that led to the intentional separation of children from their families.

The situation emphasizes the severity of the crisis faced by the Biden administration early in his presidency and the moral quandary he faces.

Officials under the Biden administration maintained that they are resolving a problem created by the previous administration and claimed that they are giving out better conditions for the kids in their care.

Republicans have argued that the permissive stance of Biden on illegal immigration, particularly his decision not to turn away children, is the reason why many have made the dangerous travel to cross the southern border and ended up separated from their parents.

For Biden's critics, the president's move indirectly caused the family separations for which he denounced former president Donald Trump.

On May 4, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement reported that around 22,195 children were already in the department's custody.

Reports said it was more than any other time in American history, including when the Trump administration separated families in 2018 and during the 2019 and 2014 surges of migrant children to the border.

Reports further noted that an additional 2,000 children were also currently in the custody of other federal agencies.

READ MORE: Biden Admin to Reunite Whole Families Not Just Parents With Border Kids

WATCH: President Joe Biden on Immigration and Border Security - CNBC Television
An Indiana mom now faces child neglect charges after authorities found that her four-year-old daughter nearly died from a severe lice infestation.

Shyanne Singh, a resident of Scottsburg in Indiana, was arrested Tuesday on three felony counts of neglect of a dependent.

The 26-year-old Indiana mom remained in custody Friday at the Scott County Jail. Citing a probable cause affidavit, New York Post reported that the Scottsburg police were contacted on April 20 after Singh's daughter was brought to a hospital.

Doctors at the medical facility declared the girl a "near fatality" since lice had fed off of her for so long. Doctors gave her multiple blood transfusions as the child's blood hemoglobin levels were at 1.7.

The Department of Child Services supervisor told police that a person's normal blood hemoglobin levels should be at 12. The supervisor also shared that the girl was so ill she could not walk, and the 1.7 was the lowest hemoglobin level the hospital had seen.

The supervisor further noted that the child needed to have four blood transfusions to save her from death.

The girl also had a six-year-old sister who also had lice. Shyanne Singh's other daughter was sent home from school in March due to her lice. She has had more than 30 unexcused absences since then.

Court records showed that both children had been placed in the care of the Indiana mom's grandparents last April.

READ NEXT: Authorities Arrest Ohio Mom's Date for Killing Her While 2 Kids Present at the Scene

Indiana Mom's Children Now in Grandmother's Care

During a police interview, the children's grandmother said that her daughter called her to take the girls because she could not care for them and one of the kids could not walk, so she would have to teach her to walk again.

The siblings' grandmother also told the police that she tried to take away the lice with treatments. However, when she took pictures to a pharmacist and asked her what medicine could stop the lice from coming back, the pharmacist advised her to take the kids to a hospital as the infestation was already worst, WishTV reported.

Furthermore, the court documents mentioned that when Singh's mother confronted her regarding the state of her grandchildren, Singh allegedly said that she did not notice the lice on her kids and that "she was just in a fog," KTLA reported.

Meanwhile, Shyanne Singh has appeared for an initial hearing before a judge on Friday. The Indiana's mom already had a public defender who the judge appointed for her.

A message which seeks comment on her behalf was left Friday with the Scott County public defender's office. Investigators have yet to release an update on the girls' conditions.

Scottsburg is a city in southern Indiana with about 6,700 people. It is about 30 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky.

READ MORE: Florida School Principal Caught on Cam Hitting 6-Year-Old Girl With Paddle

WATCH: Southern Indiana woman arrested after 4-year-old daughter nearly dies from lice infestation FROM-WLKY News Louisville
Washington's 'small clique' politics exposed as China, Russia battle with US over 'rules', 'multilateralism' at UN

(Global Times) 09:04, May 08, 2021

UN Security Council holds a meeting on the Iraq issue at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, March 3, 2020.(Photo: Xinhua)

Top Chinese and US diplomats clashed again on a China-hosted virtual session of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on Friday. Compared to the China-US Alaska talks, the atmosphere of the multilateralism-themed session was much more mild; however, the division and conflicts were still evident. The session is viewed by analysts as a battle over what "rules" and "multilateralism" mean.

Convened by China and hosted by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the event is the first since China held the UN Security Council's rotating presidency for the month of May. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were also involved in the "fire from a distance."

At the meeting on Friday, Wang called for unity and cooperation among countries to cope with global challenges, and he also stressed opposing hegemony, unilateralism, ideological conflicts and calling for the responsibility of some "big powers," an unspecified criticism of the US.

Although Blinken stressed "common ground with other countries" and said that cooperation was still the best tool to tackle challenges, his remarks on international rules, human rights and regional hot spots were seen as targeting China.

"Some argue that what governments do within their own borders is their own business and that human rights vary from one society to another, but the 'universal declaration of human rights' begins with the word 'universal' because of our nation agreed there are certain rights which every person everywhere is entitled," Blinken said.

The US is not seeking to uphold the rule-based order to keep other nations down, Blinken said.

Blinken's often-repeated mantra of "playing by the rules" is simply to ask other countries to play by US rules, analysts said. Lavrov's speech was a sharp rebuttal to American hypocrisy.

Lavrov directly slammed the US and its Western allies' hegemonic mentality of sanctions if they refuse to accept their way. West's unlawful unilateral sanctions introduced have no international legal basis, Lavrov said.

Experts reached by Global Times said that despite Blinken's endorsement of the UN system at Friday's session, outside the UN, the US has made small tricks to restrict other countries with allies, such as the very recent G7 targeting "China threats," which has raised questions about Washington's sincerity.

The session also reflects the rock-solid friendship between China and Russia, which, though not strategic allies, will emerge as the strongest defenders of multilateralism under the UN framework for many years, experts said.

One day before the session, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, reiterating the importance of multilateralism, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The world needs genuine multilateralism, Xi said, adding that all countries should act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, refrain from pursuing unilateralism and hegemony, and should not use multilateralism as a pretext to form small circles or stir up ideological confrontation.

In response to a question on what outcome is expected from the virtual session, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Friday at a regular press briefing that clique politics is undermining the authority and effectiveness of multilateral institutions, and ideological confrontation is undermining the fairness and equity of multilateralism.

Lu Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Friday that insinuating China through the issue of human rights reflects the consistent practice of the US' political warfare. However, Washington's one-sided view of human rights runs counter to the spirit of the UN Charter.

China attaches great importance to people's rights to survival and development and has been very successful in poverty alleviation and dealing with the epidemic, said the expert, noting that the US is not qualified to point fingers at other countries when it's facing an epidemic, race, violence and other problems at home.

In its 240-plus years of existence, the US has been at war for all but 16 years. The US military budget for 2019 exceeded $716 billion, which is equal to the military spending of the next nine countries combined, said the expert, describing US' concerns of regional weaponization and territorial disputes hilarious.

China and Russia, which already share many common interests, will be the strongest proponents of multilateralism under the UN framework over the next decade as they grow closer under US' arrogance and hegemonic mentality, the expert said.

Shi Yinhong, director of Center for American Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Friday that unlike the US, China's contribution to world multilateralism is increasing every year.

It is China's consistent position to oppose unilateralism, trade protectionism. China has also actively promoted international political democracy, the experts said, noting these principles will be reflected in the following UN sessions.

Is the US back?

Recent polls have shown that Biden is more popular with US allies than Donald Trump, but the broader picture is of a decline in US leadership around the world due to its clique politics.

In a Morning Consult poll released in late April, favorable view toward the US has risen in Britain, France, Germany, Japan and Australia since January when Biden took office. However, favorable views of the US have declined in China and Russia.

Reported by the Guardian on Wednesday, another poll in Western countries shows that the US is seen as more of a threat to democracy than Russia and China, with 44 percent of respondents in the 53 countries concerned that the US threatens democracy in their country.

"They show neither the US, nor the G7, can simply assume the mantle of defenders of democracy," the Guardian said.

Analysts said that these two polls reflect that the so-called return to multilateralism by the US is only a kind of cliques politics that has not departed from the Cold War mentality. Apart from rallying allies to contain China and Russia, the US has failed to show leadership when it comes to the world's issuessuch as the pandemic, economic recovery and regional securitywhich has disappointed the rest of the world, including much of the West.

Democracy in international relations is fading as the US engages in hegemony and power politics and disregards the existing international order, Zhang Tengjun, an assistant research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies told the Global Times on Friday.

China has provided vaccine assistance to at least 80 developing countries and exported vaccines to more than 50 countries. China has also announced that it will strive to be carbon neutral by 2060, make maximum efforts and contributions to addressing climate change and actively promote international cooperation. Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China provides practical help to developing countries in construction and trade.

Song Luzheng, a research fellow at the China Institute of Fudan University, told the Global Times on Friday that there are fundamental differences between the multilateralism China supports and the small cliques such as G7 and Quad led by the US.

The multilateralism that China supports does not have any country in mind, but the small cliques that the US endorses are targeting China (as a threat), said Song.

He added that China promotes mutually beneficial cooperation and does not attach any political conditions, but the small cliques led by the US are bonded by so-called values; cooperating with the US has only political benefits but not concrete economic gains.

"Countries that cooperate with China can have actual gains, but they have to pay a heavy price when following the US," said Song.

Kishore Mahbubani, Singapore's former ambassador to the UN, said during an event in April that the US has yet to understand that the fundamental competition in East Asia today is not military, but economic. How can the US ask other countries to give up their real interests and sacrifice their relations with China for the US?

It is not in the US' interest to continue the Trump administration's China policy. The Biden administration should wisely terminate it and try to engage in dialogue with China on the basis of mutual respect, he said.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Lining up enough lifeguards to staff public pools this summer continues to challenge Lehigh Valley municipalities, but one city is getting some help at no cost to taxpayers.

Allentown on Friday accepted a $7,000 check from City Center Investment Corp. to cover American Red Cross lifeguard certification courses and mandatory background checks. The city is looking to hire lifeguards at Cedar Beach and Mack pools in time for opening day Saturday, June 19.

At City Center, we feel we can have the biggest impact by concentrating our giving in downtown Allentown, stated co-founder and President J.B. Reilly. What better way to help the community than removing any barriers that may be in the way of a young person getting a summer job. We are proud to cover the cost of lifeguard training and look forward to the city pools being open this summer.

City Center has invested more than $800 million in downtown Allentown, developing more than 3 million square feet of office and residential space and remaking much of the skyline. The company has donated $13 million-plus to local organizations over the past three years, Allentown says.

Bethlehem and Easton pay for lifeguard certifications for their pools, as well, but out of city coffers.

Easton also offers a $300 signing bonus, said Mayor Sal Panto Jr., who described difficulties hiring not just lifeguards but local teens for public works jobs like cutting grass and park maintenance, too.

Our goal is to have both pools open in mid-June, he said of Heil on South Side and Eddyside along Route 611, pointing to the need for 30 lifeguards total.

Bethlehem Recreation Director Jodi Evans said the city would need around 80 lifeguards for its five pools, but currently has 20 applicants. The city in 2021 is only looking to staff the new $5.2 million Memorial Pool along Illicks Mill Road and Yosko on Southside.

Evans said lifeguarding openings are competing with better-paying summer jobs like DoorDash and Instacart that have grown exponentially under the coronavirus pandemic. Working poolside for $10 an hour comes with perks of its own, like being outside and being able to see friends at work, she said.

Youll love it when you do it, and the kids that are coming back are trying to help me recruit because they know how fun it is, Evans said.

Bethlehems offer to pay for the training and background check that totals about $350 comes with a contract, requiring lifeguards to work for the city for the duration of their two-year certification or they must repay a prorated amount.

Adding to the complications of hiring enough lifeguards is the four weeks or so to get a background check completed.

The hardest thing is getting the kids to get all of the required clearances in a timely manner, Evans said. They cant get on board until they do.

Visit redcross.org to learn more about earning a lifeguard certification.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
An Emmaus man and a second man, who was living in a Lehigh County hotel, are charged in the illegal straw purchases of 29 firearms to settle drug debts, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Friday.

The felony arrests followed a joint investigation by the Attorney Generals Offices Gun Violence Section; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Emmaus police.

Straw purchases involve someone who can pass a firearms background check buying firearms for someone prohibited from doing so. The investigation also resulted in the seizure of a so-called ghost gun that is built off a firearm receiver kit and lacks serial numbers so it cannot be traced, but can operate as a fully functioning firearm.

Purchasing a gun for someone who isnt legally able to carry one is a crime that leads to shootings and murders. People need to know  we follow up on these guns and we hold straw purchasers accountable across Pennsylvania, Shapiro said in a statement. Ghost guns, like the one found by investigators executing a search warrant, are quickly becoming the weapon of choice for criminals that take the lives of too many Pennsylvanians.

Our Gun Violence Section is working overtime with our federal law enforcement partners to get these untraceable weapons off the street and out of our communities.

The ATF last month opened an investigation into suspected straw purchases and illegal transfer of firearms following 29 firearm purchases by the wife of suspect James Gleason, 38, of the 200 block of Powder Mill Lane in Emmaus, according to court records. The woman was not charged as of Friday.

The firearms purchased at stores in Berks, Bucks, Montgomery and Lehigh counties as well as a gun show in Bucks are listed in court records as a Kimber Micro 9 9mm pistol, Ruger LCP .380-caliber pistol, FN FNX-45 .45-caliber pistol, Taurus 85 .38-caliber revolver, SAR Arms 9mm pistol, ATI AR-15 MilSport rifle, Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 .22 LR-caliber pistol, Rock Island M1911 A2 .45-caliber pistol, Taurus G2C 9mm pistol, Taurus 856 .38-caliber revolver, Smith & Wesson M&P 45 .45-caliber pistol, KelTec Sub2000 9mm rifle, Taurus G2C 9mm pistol, Glock 22 Gen3 .40-caliber pistol, AMT Back Up .380-caliber pistol, Smith Wesson Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol, Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm pistol, Smith & Wesson 638 .38-caliber revolver, Rock Island 1911 .45-caliber pistol, Ruger LCP II .380-caliber pistol, Taurus The Judge .410/.45-caliber revolver, Diamondback DB9 9mm pistol, Bersa Thunder 40 .40-caliber pistol, Kahr Arms CW40 .40-caliber pistol, KelTec PF-9 9mm pistol, Glock 43 9mm pistol, Rock Island M1911A1 .45-caliber pistol, Glock 43 9mm pistol and Diamondback DB9 9mm pistol.

Gleason smoked crystal meth, and his addiction had spun out of control over the past two years, investigators say in court records. Through an altercation with a neighbor, Gleason met 37-year-old Reynold Lewis, who was last living at the Days Inn, 3400 Airport Road in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, court records say.

Late last year, Gleason got a lot of meth from Lewis and was unable to pay for it, authorities alleged in court records. Lewis threatened Gleason and his wife, saying either pay the debt, buy guns for him or he would physically harm them, according to the records.

The firearm purchases began in December, with Lewis communicating which type of firearms to purchase and where, authorities allege. Lewis, barred from purchasing firearms due to prior convictions, would take the firearms and give the Gleasons cash or meth, according to investigators.

Agents took Gleason and Lewis into custody Monday after arranging for Lewis to leave his hotel room and meet the Gleasons for an exchange of money and meth in order to buy additional firearms in Easton, court records say.

Lewis refused to speak to investigators, records say. Agents executed a search warrant on his hotel room and vehicle, recovering one handgun, ammunition, firearm parts and accessories, including an 80% receiver kit used to assemble a ghost gun, and various suspected narcotics including methamphetamine, crack cocaine and oxycodone pills, according to the news release from Shapiros office.

Gleason was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Donna Butler on 29 felony counts of conspiracy related to illegal transfer of firearms and sent to Lehigh County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. He faces a preliminary hearing tentatively scheduled May 19 before Butler to determine if there is sufficient evidence to send the charges toward trial in Lehigh County Court.

Lewis was arraigned Tuesday before District Judge David Howells Jr. and also sent to the jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. He is charged with 29 counts each of illegal transfer of firearms, unsworn falsification to authorities, tampering with public records, person not to possess firearms, dealing in unlawful proceeds and corrupt organizations; 30 counts of firearms possessed by a prohibited person; and single counts of person not to possess firearms and drug possession with intent to deliver, according to the attorney generals office. Lewis preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled May 19 before Howells.

The case is being prosecuted by Lehigh County District Attorneys Office.

I commend the Office of Attorney General, ATF and the Emmaus Police Department for their work in this successful investigation, stated Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin.

The investigation of individuals who unlawfully purchase firearms will always be at the forefront of ATFs mission, said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATFs Philadelphia Field Division.

Anyone who knowingly puts a firearm into the hands of a felon shows blatant disregard for the law and jeopardizes the safety of our communities. ATF and our local, state and federal partners are committed to stopping the flow of guns to convicted felons or other prohibited individuals who cannot legally possess them.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
A Pennsylvania State Police trooper fired into the drivers side door of a pickup truck that had rammed a police vehicle on Interstate 80 during a pursuit Friday night that began in New Jersey, authorities said.

The driver of the pickup, 51-year-old Steven R. Wilson of Allentown, was taken into custody after exiting the highway, police said.

Wilson was hospitalized and faces numerous charges.

The incident unfolded about 8 p.m. as New Jersey State Police pursued the silver Dodge Ram for about 10 miles on Route 46 and I-80 West through Warren County, according to a news release from Pennsylvania State Police.

The vehicle appeared to be unregistered out of Pennsylvania, police said, and the driver was committing various traffic violations, including reckless and erratic driving, speeding and unsafe lane changes.

New Jersey State Police terminated their pursuit upon entry into Pennsylvania at the Delaware Water Gap toll bridge.

Troopers with Pennsylvania State Police at Stroudsburg then spotted the pickup on I-80 West near mile-marker 309 and attempted to stop it. Wilson rammed and continually struck a marked State Police vehicle. A trooper then fired his department-issued firearm into the driver door of the vehicle, which continued to accelerate, ram and flee troopers, the release states.

State police reportedly brought the pursuit to a close with a precision immobilization technique in the area of Shafers School House Road and Business Route 209 in Stroud Township, Monroe County.

Stroud Area Regional police K-9 Bendix then assisted in the apprehension and arrest of Wilson, who was taken by ambulance to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono in East Stroudsburg, according to the release.

Wilsons condition was not immediately available. Police did not indicate he was hit by the gunfire.

Wilson faces charges of aggravated assault of law enforcement, reckless endangerment, illegal taunt of a police animal, fleeing and eluding, driving under the influence of alcohol while DUI-suspended and related traffic offenses, according to police. Court records were not immediately updated to reflect whether he has been arraigned, with bail set.

Pennsylvania State Police were also assisted by Pocono Township police.

The PSP Troop N Major Case Team is continuing to investigate.

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Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death for children 1 to 4 years of age in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With summer nearing and aquatic fun on the agenda for many people, some organizations are making efforts to bring water safety to the forefront of peoples minds.

With more people spending time at home due to the pandemic, the pool, hot tub and spa industry experienced unprecedented growth in 2020 and that trend is expected to continue through 2021, according to the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance, a national industry trade group.

The alliance is one of several groups that promote May as National Water Safety Month.

Goldfish Swim School in Bethlehem has formed a Safer Swimmer Pledge to promote the importance of parent-child conversations around water safety.

Children who join the program pledge they will follow the rules when near water; always have an adult with them; wear a life jacket when around water or in a boat; jump in water feet first no matter how deep the water may be; and, if they see a swimmer in need, throw the swimmer something that floats, and then alert an adult.

This campaign gets us one step closer to achieving our goal of reducing the number of accidental childhood drownings, said swim school owner Joe Negrao in a statement.

Those who take the pledge will be entered in a lottery to win one year of free swim lessons at the school. For each pledge, the school will donate $1 to the USA Swimming Foundation, a group that helps fund swim programs for children

Warm weather also drives water-lovers to beaches, lakes and other swimming holes.

Virtually every summer in the Lehigh Valley, reports come in about drownings in the Delaware River, abandoned quarries and other bodies of water.

The American Red Cross recommends several tips for children and adults near water.

Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.

Always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone.

Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a childs life to another child. Teach children to always ask permission to go near water.

Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone. Maintain constant supervision.

Make sure everyone in your family learns to swim well.

If you have a pool, secure it with appropriate barriers.

Avoid distractions when supervising children around water.

If a child is missing, check the water first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability. Have appropriate equipment, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, life jackets and a first aid kit.

Know how and when to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.

John Best is a freelance contributor to lehighvalleylive.com.
Saturday wont be the washout that the icons on smartphone weather apps may suggest, according to Bobby Martrich of EPAWA Weather Consulting in Allentown.

Upper level low sitting over the region will result in a few afternoon and early evening convective pop-up showers, might even be some small pea sized hail with it, Martrich tweeted Friday. But they are short duration and hit or miss.

For those of you that rely on the phone apps hourly forecasts for weather, you're going to get a hard lesson about their accuracy  over the next 24 hours. Let's just say there's a reason that business clients pay us for hourly detail and on-call services.  Bobby Martrich | EPAWA Meteorologist  (@epawawx) May 7, 2021

At Lehigh Valley International Airport, the National Weather Service is forecasting a 30% chance of showers mainly after 2 p.m. Saturday, followed by mostly clear skies at night.

NASA as of Saturday morning was still planning to launch a research rocket in a window beginning at 8:02 at night from the eastern shore of Virginia, and which -- conditions permitting -- may be visible from the Lehigh Valley region.

LAUNCH UPDATE  The KiNET-X sounding rocket launching from Wallops is now scheduled for no earlier than Saturday, May 8, at 8:02 p.m. EDT. Camera stations are looking for clear skies preferably at both Wallops and Bermuda to view the vapor tracers.



 : https://t.co/GuvoOUYQ2O pic.twitter.com/Ytwtga3cPl  NASA Wallops (@NASA_Wallops) May 6, 2021

The chance for more showers increases to 80% Sunday, again mainly after 2 p.m., continuing Sunday night before diminishing Monday morning into the early afternoon.

Temperatures will be on the chilly side, the weather service says, with daytime highs in the upper-50s. The normal high this time of year is 72. Nighttime lows are forecast from the upper-30s to mid-40s throughout the weekend, again below the normal low of 48.

Any storms arent expected to produce lightning, but the weather service also sees the potential for some pea-size hail this weekend across its Philadelphia office forecast region covering eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.

Visit lehighvalleylive.com/weather for the complete hourly and daily forecast.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
Two people are due in court on Saturday in Portlaoise arising from a mult-agency operation in Laois and Offaly relating to criminality activity linked to Eastern Europe.

Gardai say the man (30s) and woman (40s) were arrested in connection with a search operation that took place in the Midlands on Thursday, May 6 have now been charged.

They are both set to appear before Portlaoise District Court on Saturday afternoon at 1.30 pm.

It is understood that both are Polish nationals and were arrested in Portarlington with a search also carried out in Walsh Island in Co Offaly.

Following the arrests, gardai said two residential addresses and a property under construction were searched during the course of the operation by Criminal Assets Bureau garda officers supported by personnel from Tullamore and Portlaoise Detective Units, Eastern Regional Armed Support Unit (ASU), Customs Dog Unit and local Dog Wardens.

In the course of the searches, Gardai said investigators seized 80,000 in cash, cocaine with an estimated street value of 210,000 along with a quantity of cannabis worth 10,000, and financial documentation. The drugs were sent for analysis.

Other property seized included 12 x high value branded watches: Hublot, Rado, Audemars Piguet, Rolex and Patek Philipe, Designer goods seized: included Celine and Jimmy Choo brands, A 2Gs Saddle.

Garda HQ said Thursday mornings operation was conducted as part of an ongoing Criminal Assets Bureau investigation into property and assets funded with the proceeds of crime.

It said the assets identified include property that was accumulated by an East European criminal group involved in the sale and supply of controlled drugs in this jurisdiction.
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A Polish national who gardai have alleged is a serious flight due to seizure of 325,000 in drugs and 85,000 in cash at his home in Laois is set to be released on bail.

A judge made the decision because she said he may not stand trial for at least two years due to long delays of processing for forensic evidence and a shortage of judge needed to clear the Covid-19 backlog.

Judge Catherine Staines reached the conclusion on Saturday, May 8 that she must set bail conditions in Portlaoise District Court at a special sitting where a couple appeared on drug charges arising from raids and an investigation that involved the Criminal Assets Bureau.

Ireneusz Kiwak,(36) with an address at Stonehaven, Portarlington appeared before a special sitting of the court separately from his wife Malgorzata Wojciechowska (41) who resides at the same address. They were detained on Thursday, May 6 after a garda raid on their home in the Laois Offaly town.

Kiwak was represented by Mr Donough Molloy. Prior to the court hearing evidence of the circumstances of the arrest and charges from Gardai, the solicitor initially made a submission to the court that his client was held in custody unlawfully.

He claimed that if somebody is charged after 5pm the accused needs to be brought to court as soon as is practical or before 12 noon if a sitting has to be arranged. Judge Staines examined the legislation under which Mr Molloy claimed that his client should not have been in custody. She said this would only apply if there was a scheduled sitting in Portlaoise. She said no judge was due to sit in Portlaoise on Saturday and it was a special sitting.

Mr Molloy contended that the accused could have been brought to the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin. However, Judge Staines pointed out that Dublin Courts are very busy with hundreds of cases every day and there was a likelihood that the accused would not have had his case heard.

Garda Detective Patrick O'Connell told the court that Gardai were objecting Mr Kiwak's release on bail due the nature and seriousness of the offence with which he is charged and the length of sentence faced.

The Tullamore stationed garda told the court the accused was arrested under two alleged offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1997. The garda told the court that this relates to a seizure at his home at Stonehaven on May 6 this year.

Det O'Connell said 4.5 kgs of cocaine was found with a market value of 315,000 and 500 grams of cannabis worth 10,000. The garda told the court that this carries a prison sentence of 14 years.

Det O'Connell gave evidence that drugs were located in several areas of the family home where the accused lived with his wife and children. Gardai showed pictures which they also claimes showed equipment required for drug mixing and distribution.

The garda also said in excess of 85,000 in cash was found in the house. The court also heard that a large amount of cocaine was also found in an Audi car.

Det O'Connell said Mr Kiwak was present with his family when garda entered the property on May 6. He claimed Mr Kiwak made admissions to Gardai.

He said on the basis of the charges faced gardai believe the accused is a flight risk and should be remanded in custody until trial. The garda told the court that the Mr Kiwak has the means to leave the country and has associates in other jurisdictions.

Mr Kiwak's solicitor said the special sitting was not the day for the hearing of the case. He asked if the gardai had any evidence associates with other juristictions. Garda O'Donnell replied that his direct evidence the accused had associates who are in prison in a foreign jurisdiction with whom he has associated within Ireland.

Mr Molloy said his client had lived in Ireland for over 15 years and contended that has significant ties to Ireland including a child. He also highlighted that the existence of the European arrest warrant system and added that the accused had handed his passport to gardai.

Det O'Connell said however that the accused has family back in Poland. He added that Mr Kiwak could flee to any country. He said no bail conditions would satisfy gardai.

Mr Molloy also asked the garda about when he believed the case against his client would conclude.

Det O'Connell said the garda would have completed its element of the prosecution file within eight weeks but that he and his colleagues were relying on outside agencies for forensic reports. He could not give an estimate as to how long this would take to complete. Mr Molloy contended that realistically it would take two years.

In a further submission to the court, Mr Molloy there are two key factors when deciding on bail one of which was whether the defendant was likely to stand trial and secondly the risk that witnesses would be interfered with.

He said there is no reference in the garda's evidence of interference with witnesses. He further argued that there is no evidence 'whatsoever' that his client would not stand trial. He said the court should not rely on a 'bland assertion' that due to the seriousness of the charges, Mr Kiwak would leave the country.

Mr Molloy said his client would comply with any conditions imposed by the court. He argued that when this is added to the likely timeframe of two years before the case is heard, he said that bail should be granted.

Judge Staines granted bail because of delays in analysing drugs and the backlog in cases caused by Covid-19 and a related shortage of judges to clear the lists.

In reaching her decision she acknowledged that the accused is before the court on 'extremely serious charges' but she said the constitution gives him a presumption of innocence. She added that he had no previous record. She agreed with Mr Molloy about the length of time it would take for the case to come to court.

"The reality is that because of the delay in the forensic science laboratory in issuing certificates, there are huge delays in the gardai getting DPP directions," she said.

The judge said the DPP will not direct in drugs cases until the evidence has been analysed. She said delays have emerged n her experienced in Laois and she believe the similar issue is arising across the country.

She said trial dates will also have to be fixed and there are huge delays in trials and there is clearly a need for extra judges to clear that backlog.

"The reality is that Mr Kiwak could be custody for up to two years in a situation where he does have a presumption of innocence," she said.

She said stringent bail would be fixed. He was required to lodge 20,000 of independent surety or cash in lieu, surrender passport, provide a phone number to be contactable at all times. He must sign on daily at Portlaoise Garda Station between 9am and 9pm with a curfew of 10pm to 8am.

Judge Staines conceded to a request from Garda Inspector Barry Collins that Gardai be allowed to investigate the providence of the 20,000 if cash is lodge as part of meeting the conditions of bail.

Judge Staines remanded the accused to Cloverhill Prison to appear in Cloverhill District Court on Thursday, May 13 because Mr Molloy said his client would not be in a position to meet the requirements on the day of the hearing.

An interpreter was not required.

In the case of Ms Wojciechowska, Det O'Connell told the court that he arrested her on Friday, May 7 on four charges. The alleged offences relate to possession and supply of cannabis and cocaine. She made no reply when cautioned.

Gardai consented to the conditions of bail as agreed with the woman through her solicitor Aisling Maloney. A surety was not requested.

The judge fixed bail on the condition that the accused reside at Stonehaven, Portarlington and sign on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Tullamore Garda Station between the hours of 9am and 1pm. She was required to provide a contact number to Det O'Connell and be contactable 24 hours a day. A curfew of 10pm to 6pm was also imposed.

Insp Collins confirmed that Ms Wojciechowska has surrendered her passport. The judge ordered that she not apply for a new passport.

Judge Staines adjourned the matter to July 15 due to the delay in obtaining forensic certificates.

The judge delayed the granting of free legal aid to Ms Wojciechowska. Judge Staines agreed with Det O'Connell said the appropriate documentation should be presented to the court that the accused is on a weekly PUP payment of 203 a week.

Judge Staines told Ms Moran that she wanted statutory evidence that her client was telling the truth. If this is provided she said she would backdate the legal aid.
A MAN accused of murdering a 72-year-old grandmother whose body was found in a burning car has been denied bail by the High Court on Thursday afternoon.

Michael Leonard (63) of Hillcrest, Glenosheen, Kilmallock, Co Limerick, who appeared at the bail hearing by video-link, is accused of murdering pensioner Mary O'Keeffe (72) at Doneraile, Co Cork, on February 4 of this year.

Detective Sergeant James O'Shea of Fermoy Garda Station told State counsel, Mr Emmet Nolan BL, that he was objecting to bail on the basis of the strength of the evidence, the seriousness of the charge and on the grounds that the accused might interfere with witnesses in the case.

Det Sgt O'Shea said that gardai and fire services were called to the scene of a burning vehicle in which was Ms O'Keeffe's body at 2.20pm on February 4, 2021.



Mr Marc Thompson Grolimund BL, defending, said that his client had a good work record and that he had worked for 41 years for Coillte before becoming a consultant and retiring 12 months ago.

Counsel said that a bond from another male of 10,000 could be made available to the court and that an address in a vacant property could be made available for Mr Leonard, should the court grant bail.

Taking the stand, Mr Leonard told Mr Grolimund that he would "absolutely" not approach any witness in the case and would "not speak to anyone in the case, bar my solicitor".

Mr Justice Robert Eagar said that Ms O'Keeffe had suffered an "appalling" death and that he had taken into account the "degree and seriousness" of the charge of murder when denying bail, after hearing evidence from Det Sgt O'Shea and Mr Leonard.

Mr Justice Eagar told the media that no evidence in the bail hearing that might be prejudicial to the trial could be published.

The late Ms OKeeffe lived in Dromahane, near Mallow, in Co Cork and worked as a cook. She is survived by her three sons.

A post-mortem was carried out on her body at Cork University Hospital on February 5.

The results of the post-mortem, which was carried out by Assistant State Pathologist Margaret Bolster, were not released.

The alarm was raised on February 4 when a passer-by spotted a car on fire near the Coillte forest in Doneraile.

Ms OKeeffe was pronounced dead at the scene.
Leah Doherty, Cootehall, Boyle, Co Roscommon was convicted and fined 150 each on two charges of assault at The Bush Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon on July 3, 2019.

CCTV footage of the incident from the Bush Hotel was not admitted into court after the defence asked if there was anyone from the hotel to give evidence and the State said there was not.

Rowan Croft told the court he was conducting an interview with Niall McConnell for a live broadcast when the assault happened. He said he had no previous interaction with the defendant and the assault left him in shock and distress.

He said a substance was thrown in his face and he was unsure what the liquid was but it did sting his eyes. He later attended an eye and ear hospital for medical attention.

He said he followed the defendant down the street and continued filming. He later said he did have interactions'' with the defendant in Rooskey. He stated that he saw Leah Doherty throw the liquid at him. Following the assault he commented he was in fear of another attack.

Under cross examination by defence solicitor Mr Finucane, Mr Croft said he understood the milkshake was thrown as a protest. When asked why he was in Carrick-on-Shannon, Mr Croft said he was there to cover a meeting of parishioners about the influx of asylum seekers. The solicitor put it to Mr Croft that his views were opposed to Ms Doherty's, but Mr Croft did not agree.

Niall McConnell said he was taking part in a live stream with Rowan Croft when liquid was thrown on both of them.

I didnt know how to react, he stated. He said his first reaction was to ask Is this acid?

He said he saw Leah Doherty, but he didnt know her at the time. Mr McConnell didnt get any medical assistance. Mr McConnell called himself a political activist and said he was attending the local meeting about asylum seekers because I love my country.

He agreed he followed Ms Doherty down the street after the incident and confirmed he called Ms Doherty a traitor to her country.

Simon Hayes who witnessed the assaults said he saw Leah Doherty in the Bush Hotel on his way to meet Rowan Croft. He witnessed the defendant and at least one other person walk onto the balcony and throw a liquid at the two men. Mr Hayes called the gardai and did not follow the men onto the street.

Mr Hayes said he recognised Ms Doherty from United Against Racism protests.

Mr Finucane queried Mr Hayes opinion on direct provision and immigration. Mr Hayes said he was opposed to mass immigration. Mr Hayes was unsure if he had identified Ms Doherty to the injured parties following the assault but after being told it was in his statement to Gardai, confirmed that to be true.

Garda Sinead McHale who was called to the incident said both men declined an ambulance. She said the men returned to their live stream and did not give statements to gardai on the day. She said Ms Doherty was asked to make a statement on a later date but refused to do so on legal advice.

Mr Finucane put it to the garda that Ms Doherty was not asked to take part in an identity parade. Gda McHale confirmed this. The Garda said the live stream video by Rowan Croft was not submitted to Gardai for evidence.

Mr Finucane said he believed standard proof had not been reached and said Mr Hayes was an unreliable witness. Judge Denis McLoughlin refused the defences application for an acquittal and said Mr Hayes had fully explained how he recognised the defendant.

Leah Doherty told the court she had heard that Gemma Doherty was attending a local meeting in Carrick-on-Shannon on the above date. It was later cancelled. Ms Doherty said she knew Rowan Croft as a far right activist. She did not know Niall McConnell or Simon Hayes.

Ms Doherty said throwing the milkshake was a spur of the moment idea, before going on to explain the concoction was made up of leftover milkshake, water and a teaspoon of curry powder. She said she decided to disrupt his live stream. After the incident, she said she was followed by Mr Croft and Mr McConnell who were extremely aggressive.

She explained her intention was to expose the far right and she called it an act of protest. She added that she didnt intend to injure. She said she understood the risk that they may go running off to Gardai.

Inspector Michael Collins put it to Ms Doherty that it was not a spur of the moment if she looked at the risks. Ms Doherty confirmed the idea started in Supermacs and then agreed it was pre-planned.

He asked why she put a spoon of curry into the milkshake. The defendant said it was an insider joke and referred to Gemma Doherty saying she hated the smell of curry around Longford.

Ms Doherty said the injured party was inciting hate and her action was a far lesser evil. She told the court she had totally aimed at Rowan Croft.

Mr Finucane asked for the assault case against Niall McConnell to be dismissed.

Judge McLoughlin refused this and convicted Ms Doherty on both counts.

He accepted there was a political undertone. But said he takes an oath as judge to rule without fear or favour and to uphold the constitution.

A person cannot use anothers belief as reason for assault, he informed the defendant.

He ruled as above and fixed recognisances in case of an appeal.

Also read: Three former Leitrim garda stations prepare for auction
Leitrim County Council has recently appointed Jack Kavanagh as Historian in Residence for the period May to November 2021. This is Leitrims first ever Historian-in-Residence programme.

The aim of the residency is to reflect national policy on commemorations at a local level, accurately and creatively, bringing 1921 to life for people in Leitrim through a variety of media.

The residency is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Leitrim County Council under the Community Strand of the 2021 Decade of Centenaries Programme.

The Commemorative Programme will take note of national policy and national commemorative projects, but it will ultimately focus on County Leitrim and in particular the north of the county.

Jack Kavanagh holds an M.Phil. in Public History and Cultural Heritage from Trinity College Dublin, where he specialised in commemorative best practice for the Irish civil war and revolutionary period. The research for his doctorate was largely focused upon the development of the National Army during the Irish civil war and its impact upon the new state.

Jack is eager for people living in the county and those with a Leitrim connection to come forward with whatever photographs, documents and memorabilia they may have of ancestors who were active locally during the War of Independence, the Civil War or the broader Irish revolution.

Local Studies Librarian, Mary Conefrey says This residency is an invitation to those living in the county to work collaboratively with us to uncover stories of their own local history, create their own storytelling of that history, discover new passions and see their ideas and interests reflected in possible programmes created. We are looking forward to seeing what this residency has in store and are excited to see where this journey will take us.

Leitrim County Librarian, Pauline Brennan, supports this and is very much looking forward to discovering new stories from residents of the county which will add to the countys cultural heritage and historical vibrancy. Finding and understanding the untold stories behind our surroundings is informative and interesting but also gives us a sense of meaning and identity

Jack will work with individuals and groups both online and offline and can be contacted at historianinresidenceleitrim@gmail.com
A NEW training and production scheme for emerging documentary filmmakers has been launched in the region.

Engine Docs, supported by the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (ETB) and delivered with Sheffield DocFest in England is to train and support up-and-coming televisual talent based in the region to work as directors and producers.

Up to 12 shortlisted teams will receive training from Irish and international documentary experts to develop their project ideas leading to four teams being awarded production funding of up to 10,000 each to produce a short 10-minute documentary film.

Shortlisted directors and producers will also receive accreditation for the Sheffield DocFests 2021 online programme of films, talks and industry sessions running from June 4 to 13.

Paul C Ryan, regional film manager at Film in Limerick, said: We are beyond thrilled to partner with one of the worlds best documentary film festivals to deliver this new training and production scheme that will offer local aspiring and emerging documentary talent a professional progression route to working in the industry.

Applications are now open. More information at https://tinyurl.com/jkfkfz7m
Watch out for Adare accordion player Derek Hickey as he features on TG4 this Sunday night at 9.30pm.

Regarded as one of the most soulful accordion players in Ireland Denis will take to the stage as part of the Cork Folk Festival series on the Irish language channel.

Hickey was a mainstay with the trad group De Dannan until they disbanded in 2003. Derek is currently a button accordion tutor on the BA Irish Music and Dance programme at UL's Irish World Academy.
Gardai investigating a serious assault incident that occurred in Charleville, Co Cork on Friday May 7 2021, are appealing for information.



Shortly after 5pm a man, believed to be a Limerick native, in his late 20s, was seriously injured when he sustained a number of lacerations in the course of an altercation involving a group of people on Bakers Road, Charleville.



The victim was removed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick where his condition is understood to be stable. The scene was examined by local crime officers. No arrests have been made and enquires are ongoing.



Gardai are appealing for witnesses to come forward. They are particularly appealing to those with camera footage (including dash cam) from the Bakers Road area at the time of the incident, to make it available to them.



Anyone with information is asked to contact Gardai in Charleville on 063-21770 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
AstraZeneca PLC could skip asking the Food and Drug Administration for emergency-use authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine, according to people familiar with the matterand instead pursue the more time-intensive application for a full-fledged license to sell the shot.

Such a move would further delay any rollout of AstraZeneca shots in the U.S., where the vaccine has already been made and stockpiled. But U.S. government and public-health officials have said they probably dont need AstraZeneca shots because of ample supplies of three other shots already authorized for use.

The British drugmaker said last week it intended to apply for the emergency go-ahead within weeks. But it has also been considering a different path to getting the drug approved in the U.S., according to these people. That would involve taking what could be several more months to compile and review data necessary for what is known as a biologics license, essentially a more comprehensive, nonemergency seal of approval from the FDA.

The full license is the path most new medicines take on their way to the U.S. market. But Covid-19 vaccine makers including Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc. and Johnson & Johnson have all sought and received emergency-use authorization as a stopgap, encouraged by the government, with plans eventually to apply for full-blown approval for their respective shots. The emergency-use application allowed all three to win quicker FDA approval in the pandemic.

AstraZeneca has long said it would go down that same route, but delays stretched out as it has struggled to pull together the large amount of data from tens of millions of doses of the vaccine already administered in the U.K.

AstraZeneca continues to progress its FDA submission," a company spokesman said Friday. It is important to note the substantial size of the filein addition to the U.S. trial data, the filing will also include analyses and pharmacovigilance from all studies to date, in addition to real-world evidence data."

The shot has been accepted for emergency use in the U.K., across Europe and in more than a hundred other countries around the world. The FDA is requiring AstraZeneca to provide that data from real-world use, in addition to data from human clinical trials. Other shots werent yet being used widely when they went before the FDA.

The AstraZeneca shot has also been linked in Europe and elsewhere to very rare, but sometimes-fatal, serious blood clotting, an issue that European regulators, AstraZeneca and outside researchers are still studying.

U.S. officials got into a rare, public spat in March over the precise efficacy of the shot in large-scale human trials in the U.S., an episode health experts expected to complicate any review.

In ongoing talks between AstraZeneca and the U.S. government, the prospect of skipping the quicker, narrower emergency authorization and instead going for the fuller license has gained favor inside AstraZeneca, some of the people said. The U.S. government, which helped fund AstraZenecas vaccine U.S. testing and development, must sign off on any decision to skip an emergency-use application, according to a person close to the process and language in AstraZenecas U.S. government contract. A senior company executive said last week AstraZeneca could skip the emergency-use filing if government officials told the company to apply for full approval instead.

Given the scale of the data required for an emergency-use application, submitting a full application would probably add a month or two to the overall timeline, people close to the process said. It would avoid AstraZenecas needing to compile two separate sets of data for two different applications.

The U.S. has ordered so many doses of already-approved shots that there is little urgency in rolling out the AstraZeneca vaccine domestically. That is a big factor in the companys discussions with U.S. government and FDA officials, the people familiar with the discussions say.

The AstraZeneca shot, developed in partnership with the University of Oxford, is a pillar of vaccination drives around the world, including in poorer countries lacking other options and in crisis-ridden India. It is cheaper and easier to transport than most other vaccines.

Public-health experts and AstraZeneca executives see an FDA endorsement as a potential confidence boost for the vaccine, which has faced confusion over dosing and efficacy, delivery shortages and concerns about the rare blood-clotting issues.

AstraZeneca since December has supplied more than 300 million doses globally at no profit. The drugmaker lost around $40 million on the vaccine the first three months of this year, based on its reported 3-cent hit to per-share earnings for the quarter.

Early last year, the U.S. government bet big on the shot, pledging up to $1.2 billion to help develop the shot and secure 300 million shots.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Saturday set aside an order directing the distribution of oxygen concentrators seized by the Delhi Police among various courts and police personnel, saying that a judge has to act like a selfless and dispassionate saint".

Principal District and Sessions Judge Narottam Kaushal passed the order on a petition filed by the Delhi government seeking revision of an order passed by a magisterial court.

On May 5, Metropolitan Magistrate Anuj Bahal had issued the directions on an application filed by the Delhi Police for release of the seized oxygen concentrators which could be used for saving the lives of police personnel.

The judge had directed the allocation of two oxygen concentrators to DCP Dwarka, two to the Delhi Judicial Academy in Dwarka and the rest to the principal district and session judges of Dwarka, Tis Hazari and Saket.

While setting aside the order, the District and Sessions Judge said that no matter how benevolent and well-intended his act may be, the same cannot breach the constitutional provisions of equality."

Metropolitan Magistrate in his zeal to provide life-saving machines to front line workers i.e. the Delhi Police and to his judicial fraternity was so dazzled that he forgot that a judge on account of the office he occupies has to act and behave like a self-less, dispassionate saint," the judge stated.

The District and Sessions Judge said that Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) has to rise above the interests of self and his ilk.

The order was greatly influenced by the fact that two judicial officers had lost their lives in the battle with COVID-19. One of them being his own brother colleague with whom he shared the corridors," the judge remarked.

He added, On the touchstone of these morals and principles of law, MM seems to have faltered. Impugned order dated May 5, thus, is not sustainable and is set aside."

During the course of proceedings, Additional Public Prosecutor VK Swami argued that the oxygen concentrators should be released to such facilities where they could be used round the clock for those who needed them the most.

He said the order by the Metropolitan Magistrate violated Section-6 (E) of Essential Commodities Act, which states that the collector is the competent authority to order possession, delivery, disposal, release or distribution of the case property.

Judge Kaushal, however, took an exemption to this contention and said that the seized articles having not been notified to be essential commodity, reference to the provisions of Essential Commodities Act or the procedure prescribed therein for release of the case property, is misplaced."

Citing an observation given by the Delhi High Court, the court said that investigating officer ought to have immediately informed the District Magistrate and placed the seized machines at the disposal of the DM for suitable utilisation during the period of investigation.

IO (investigating officer) shall be, within his rights to move a fresh application before the appropriate authority viz. the District Magistrate, in terms of orders passed by High Court in Venkateshwar Hospital's case or on the basis of notification, if any, declaring the seized articles to be essential commodity. Needless, to say he must act without wasting time," the judge said.

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Indian oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday thanked Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern oil producers for supplying liquid medical oxygen (LMO) to help the country in its battle with the COVID-19 crisis.

In a series of tweets, Pradhan also welcomed offers by Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar to supply containers for the next six months and for an assurance of a steady commercial supply of LMO to India.

"Deeply appreciate the initial gesture of goodwill with complimentary LMO supplies particularly from UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia," Pradhan said.

Pradhan's tweets came a day after Indian state refiners reversed steep cuts in Saudi oil imports for May at the directions from oil ministry, and placed orders for regular purchases in June.

Indian state refiners buy about 15 million barrels of Saudi oil in a months from Saudi Aramco. India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, imports more than 80% of its oil needs and relies heavily on the Middle East.

Relations between Riyadh and New Delhi were under strain earlier this year after Pradhan blamed cuts by Saudi Arabia and other oil producers for driving up crude prices.

India urged refiners to diversify crude sources to cut reliance on the Middle East and directed them to reduce intake of Saudi oil. The refiners cut purchases by more than a third in May.

An Indian oil industry source said the federal oil ministry has not asked refiners to cut Saudi oil imports after Riyadh supplied liquid medical oxygen and cryogenic tanks as India's healthcare system struggles to cope with a huge surge in cases of COVID-19.

"Saudi extended the help immediately to make amends ... so they tried for rapprochement," this source added.

India's oil minister Friday also said he held talks with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf counties about supplies of liquid medical oxygen and thanked them for receiving emergency supplies.

"Had close consultations during the last week with my counterparts from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar on ways to increase import of LMO into India," Pradhan tweeted on Friday.

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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A bomb exploded near a girls' school in a majority Shiite district of west Kabul on Saturday, killing at least 30 people, many of them young pupils between 11 and 15 years old. The Taliban condemned the attack and denied any responsibility.

Ambulances evacuated the wounded as relatives and residents screamed at authorities near the scene of the blast at Syed Al-Shahda school, in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said. The death toll was expected to rise further.

The bombing, apparently aimed to cause maximum civilian carnage, adds to fears that violence in the war-wrecked country could escalate as the U.S. and NATO end nearly 20 years of military engagement.

Residents in the area said the explosion was deafening. One, Naser Rahimi, told The Associated Press he heard three separate explosions, although there was no official confirmation of multiple blasts. Rahimi also said he believed that the sheer power of the explosion meant the death toll would almost certainly climb.

Rahimi said the explosion went off as the girls were streaming out of the school at around 4:30 p.m. local time. Authorities were investigating the attack but have yet to confirm any details.

One of the students fleeing the school recalled the attack. the screaming of the girls, the blood.

I was with my classmate, we were leaving the school, when suddenly an explosion happened,  said 15-year-old Zahra, whose arm had been broken by a piece of shrapnel.

Ten minutes later there was another explosion and just a couple of minutes later another explosion," she said. "Everyone was yelling and there was blood everywhere, and I couldnt see anything clearly." Her friend died.

While no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, the Afghan Islamic State affiliate has targeted the Shiite neighborhood before.

The radical Sunni Muslim group has declared war on Afghanistan's minority Shiite Muslims. Washington blamed IS for a vicious attack last year in a maternity hospital in the same area that killed pregnant women and newborn babies.

In Dasht-e-Barchi, angry crowds attacked the ambulances and even beat health workers as they tried to evacuate the wounded, Health Ministry spokesman Ghulam Dastigar Nazari said. He implored residents to cooperate and allow ambulances free access to the site.

Images circulating on social media purportedly showed bloodied school backpacks and books strewn across the street in front if the school, and smoke rising above the neighborhood.

At one nearby hospital, Associated Press journalists saw at least 20 dead bodies lined up in hallways and rooms, with dozens of wounded people and families of victims pressing through the facility.

Outside the Muhammad Ali Jinnah Hospital, dozens of people lined up to donate blood, while family members checked casualty posted lists on the walls.

Both Arian and Nazari said that at least 50 people were also wounded, and that the casualty toll could rise. The attack occurred just as the fasting day came to an end.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters in a message that only the Islamic State group could be responsible for such a heinous crime. Mujahid also accused Afghanistan's intelligence agency of being complicit with IS, although he offered no evidence.

The Taliban and the Afghan government have traded accusations over a series of targeted killings of civil society workers, journalists and Afghan professionals. While IS has taken responsibility for some of those killings, many have gone unclaimed.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani issued a statement condemning the attack, blaming the Taliban even as they denied it. He offered no proof.

IS has previously claimed attacks against minority Shiites in the same area, last year claiming two brutal attacks on education facilities that killed 50 people, most of them students.

Even as the IS has been degraded in Afghanistan, according to government and US officials, it has stepped-up its attacks particularly against Shiite Muslims and women workers.

Earlier the group took responsibility for the targeted killing of three women media personnel in eastern Afghanistan.

The attack comes days after the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 American troops officially began leaving the country. They will be out by Sept. 11 at the latest. The pullout comes amid a resurgent Taliban, who control or hold sway over half of Afghanistan.

The top U.S. military officer said Sunday that Afghan government forces face an uncertain future and possibly some bad possible outcomes" against Taliban insurgents as the withdrawal accelerates in the coming weeks.

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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It won't speed the manufacture of vaccines. It enraged the developers who delivered lifesaving doses in record time. But President Joe Biden's decision to support waiving intellectual property rights for coronavirus shots had a broader purpose: to broadcast his administration's commitment to global leadership.

More than a month of internal debate led up to Biden's decision this week to endorse international calls to strip patent protections for vaccines.

The policy shift, embraced by many charitable service organizations around the world and liberals at home, wasn't new.

Biden endorsed it during his campaign for the White House. But the idea was the subject of pitched discussions inside the administration over how best to bring the pandemic to an end while restoring US influence abroad.

In the best case, officials acknowledge it will take at least a year for any additional vaccines to be produced due to the change.

Key European leaders are adamantly opposed to the waivers, and securing the required consensus at the World Trade Organisation many never happen.

The specialised production, particularly of the cutting-edge mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, would take even longer. Moreover, the matter could become less pressing if vaccine manufacturers can produce enough to satisfy international demand themselves.

To Biden, White House officials said, that's largely beside the point, as officials cast the decision as indicative of the president's efforts to return the US to the position of leadership after four years of unilateralism and protectionism under former President Donald Trump.

"This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures," US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said Wednesday in announcing the move.

The announcement was met with surprise and disappointment by some of Biden's closest European allies.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel quickly weighed in against it, with a government spokesman saying it would cause severe complications" for the production of vaccines.

The timing of the decision also blindsided the vaccine companies, which had aggressively discouraged the administration from making a choice they feel will hurt American producers.

Officials noted, however, that Tai held more than two dozen meetings with stakeholders, including the drug makers.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo also opposed the plan, but was excluded from the final meeting, two people familiar with the decision-making process but not authorised to speak publicly about private deliberations said on condition of anonymity.

Other White House officials highlighted the practical limitations of Biden's decision, but the symbolism won the day.

Trade groups warned it could curtail future investment in lifesaving drugs, and vaccine manufacturers and some Republican lawmakers warned that it would amount to a giveaway of American technological know-how to China.

Vaccine manufacturing historically has not been a huge profit driver for drugmakers.

"The Chinese Communist Party is already celebrating this gift from President Biden," tweeted Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, as he highlighted a comment from a Chinese official praising Biden's action.

A vaccine manufactured by a Chinese company was given emergency use authorization Friday by the World Health Organization, potentially creating a pathway for millions of the doses to reach needy countries through a UN-backed program rolling out coronavirus vaccines.

The decision by a WHO technical advisory group  a first for a Chinese vaccine  opens the possibility that Sinopharm's offering could be included in the UN-backed COVAX program in coming weeks or months and distributed through UNICEF and the WHO's Americas regional office.

But US vaccine manufacturers also warned that the Biden administration's move could hurt the global supply of shots in the near to moderate term.

The primary obstacle to vaccine production, they've argued, remains production bottlenecks and shortages of the specialized supplies needed to make the shots  a challenge that could become more acute if other countries hoard them in anticipation of trying to make their own doses at home.

The Pfizer vaccine, for instance, has more than 200 components, many of which are in demand around the world.

Some in the Biden White House, in addition to noting that the president pledged to do this during the campaign, also believe that it creates a low stakes political victory. They said the decision, which has been applauded by some on the left, is good Democratic politics and that few will be outraged on the behalf of the drug companies, even though those firms have been praised as heroes of the pandemic.

White House aides maintain that Biden's action is limited to Covid-19 vaccines because of the scale of the pandemic, but some progressives who have pushed to have the government regulate the price of prescription drugs saw an opening.

Here's why Pharma's really really whining about the Covid vaccine patents: the government might finally have the spine to lower drug prices here at home," tweeted Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Friday. And it should."

President Biden can lower drug prices by producing drugs like insulin, naloxone, and EpiPens at low costs," she said.

"And he doesn't need Congress to do it  he can use existing compulsory licensing and march-in authorities to bypass patents for public health needs."

The debate over the inoculations comes as the administration set a new goal to deliver at least one shot to 70 per cent of adult Americans by July Fourth as Biden tackles the vexing problem of winning over the sceptics and those unmotivated to get vaccinated.

Demand for vaccines has dropped off markedly nationwide, with some states leaving more than half their allotment of doses unordered. Already more than 56 per cent of American adults have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and nearly 105 million are fully vaccinated.

The US is currently administering first doses at a rate of about 965,000 per day  half the rate of three weeks ago, but almost twice as fast as needed to meet Biden's target.

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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India on Friday sought Australias support for a proposal for a temporary waiver of patent protections for covid-19 vaccines at the World Trade Organization, a move that would boost supply of the life-saving inoculations to poorer nations.

India put forth its views during a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison. This comes a day after the US and France backed the proposal for a temporary waiver first brought forward by India and South Africa in October.

The prime minister sought Australias support for the initiative taken at the WTO by India and South Africa to seek a temporary waiver under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in this context," Modis office said.

Modi conveyed his appreciation for the prompt and generous support extended by the government and people of Australia for Indias fight against the second wave of covid-19", Modis office said, a reference to Australia rushing in assistance as India battles a vicious second wave of infections that has brought the countrys health infrastructure close to a breaking point. Hospitals have reported that lack of oxygen and intensive care beds as well as critical medicines are resulting in daily deaths staying at more than 3,000 for several days.

Modi and Morrison agreed on the need to ensure affordable and equitable access to vaccines and medicines for containing covid-19 globally", Modis office said.

The two leaders also assessed the progress made in the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since the virtual summit held on 4 June last year and discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation and foster people-to-people ties, it said.

The leaders also discussed regional issues and reiterated the importance of working together for a rules-based international order and a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region," it said.

Meanwhile, PTI from Melbourne reported that Australia will lift a ban on its citizens returning from India from next Saturday, Morrison said on Friday.

The governments order on the matter is set to expire on 15 May. Following the National Security Committee meeting on Friday, Morrison agreed it saw no need to extend it beyond that date".

Australia will charter three repatriation flights between 15 May and 31 May. Direct commercial flights from India are still banned.

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Belgian composer Peter Baert had never worked on feature film scoring until a chance encounter with actor and filmmaker David Oyelowo changed that.

The two first met when Oyelowo was in Brussels shooting Les Miserables and needed a studio to record a voiceover narration for Penguin Books Spot the Dog. Oyelowo recorded at Baerts studio. Between takes, we talked about the film and his producing work, Baert says. I told him my big ambition was music and film music in particular, and we kept in touch,

When they connected again soon after, Oyelowo mentioned he was eying The Water Man, a coming-of-age movie with throwbacks to 80s family adventure films in which Gunner, a young boy, goes in search of the mythical water man, rumored to have healing powers.

As soon as Baert heard about it, he started putting ideas together and presented them to Oyelowo before he had even started shooting. That partnership was born before the film was shot, composer and artist Jessica Oyelowo says.

The story of a boy in search of eternal life struck Baert for personal reasons  he lost his mother in 2008 to pancreatic cancer. That really resonated with me, he says. I asked him if I could pitch the script and he sent it to me. I took my time and I wrote music for it. I sent it to him and he told me he couldnt stop listening to it.

As pre-production rolled on, another composer was attached, but Oyelowo reached out asking to buy a song. Fast Forward to October 2019, he called me and told me he was stuck and kept going back to my demo, and he said, We put it against the film. We like it, are you ready for this? And I said, Yes.

Once Baert was on board, he understood there needed to two elements to the score; one where it was adventurous to reflect Gunners adventure, and another aspect that needed to tap into the emotional aspect of the film.

The latter ties into Gunners quest to find a cure for his mother played by Rosario Dawson, who has leukemia. This Is Us actor Lonnie Chavis plays Gunner.

As Oyelowo tells it: I wanted sounds that were evocative of my experience: African sounds. I didnt want bongos like the classic Lion King, African jungle type sound. I said to Peter, Use instruments that are not all classical. My Nigerian heritage had to be in there. You see it in the costumes, the production design and it had to be in the music. I like to think that The Water Manp has a homemade feel to it; its very evocative of my home and my experience.

With that, Baert adds: For the adventurous parts, I had this idea that the sound needed to be in Gunners imagination, so it could be bold and big. So I used an orchestra. I also used a lot of wood instruments. I used Japanese woodblocks and African marimba.

Additionally, Baert collaborated with assistant editor Kevin R.W. Murray for scenes in which the water man appears. I took those screams, shouts and whispers and made synths from that, he says.

The Water Man had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in Sept. 2020 and opens in theaters on May 7.

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Twenty years since the release of her first album, Miranda Lambert still happily confounds countrys hardcore traditionalists as to who she is, precisely, while maintaining Texas and Nashvilles interest and fandom. Precise just isnt her thing. Ruckus-raising revenge fantasias; housewife tomes portraying the chinks in a relationships armor; meditations on being a woman loved, scorned, horny, humble and haughty  country musics doyenne of distress, ire and desire has done it all, dynamically.

What Lambert hasnt done, though, is strip it all down, with friends rather than session stalwarts on her side. Aiding and fully collaborating with Lambert in music, lyric and vocalizing on a new album, The Marfa Tapes, are old friends and fellow Texans Jon Randall and Jack Ingram. Ingrams a damn fine songwriter whose Wherever You Are was a hit near the top of the 2000s; Randall played for Emmylou Harris and wrote for Brad Paisley before going onto production gigs for Dwight Yoakam and Dierks Bentley. If this new album doesnt bring them a boatload of new fans, little else could.

Theyre all names-above-the-title, but its hard not to zero in on The Marfa Tapes as, beyond a Texas all-star seminar, a record that stands as Lamberts most cutting work. Its her most convivial and collaborative recording, even when the subject is terse or mournful, and even when shes out there on her own. The spirit of friendship, of getting in a car and driving to a favorite hangout to hash things is all over The Marfa Tapes.

All those raw emotions, tense ruminations and giddy highs: slice them to the bone, without fluff, filigree, ornate instrumentation or over-production, and the lean, mean meat of Lamberts lyrical and vocal work is given a cutting, Hemingway-like edge, all without losing a lick of its sensuality and sensitivity. Theres even a hint of the disarming redneck charm Lambert has maintained since 2001, now part of Marfas spare and heady brew.

The origin story of The Marfa Tapes finds this friendly trio traveling to the small, artsy Texas town of the same name to find their musics rawer roots. The mix of a laissez faire attitude toward wounded hearts and shattered souls, combined with a first-take/best-take edge to these stripped-down soliloquies, gives the entirety of The Marfa Tapes its gutsiness and, in its own fashion, a newfangled grandeur, one based on the theory that working with less offers an opportunity for so much more.

With but a hint of the Mexican border in Randalls soft guitar-plucked melody and a teardrop in its tequila shot, Lambert leads her brothers through the tender, trembling In His Arms. With her own voice set to Dolly-circa-Porter-Wagoner, 1967, aided by Ingrams harmonies, Lambert creates her own Loverman, oh-where-can-he-be momentum, just by staring into the Texan skyline: Is he playin in some house band in Dallas/Is he breaking horses in San Antone/Is he all alone in the neon light.

Ingram takes the next tunes lead, I Dont Like It, and allows his rustbelt rasp its own vulnerability, just by hinging on one simple thought  the fear of not being nearest the one he loves. That Lambert wraps Ingrams boyish voice in kind, quiet harmony is akin to wrapping a newborn baby in a familys old familiar blanket.

The space and place of the room they recorded in is the true star of The Winds Just Gonna Blow, as each participant  Lambert, in particular  sounds apart from a mics amplification. The vibe, instead, is as if a camera peered over a transom while a woman wrote a sad, frank entry in her daily diary. I used to make you love me / Laugh and want to touch me / Now I drink alone and cry at my own jokes / Your halos in the dresser drawer / And I dont wear my ring no more

If a monologue as morose as that makes it sound as if The Marfa Tapes might lack wry humor or light, wait for Am I Right or Amarillo and Waxahachie. While the former finds the mordant trio usually singing in handsome unision about how it wont feel like cheating if nobody gets hurt, the strummy Waxahachie gives Lambert a chance to softly show off her one-time Crazy Ex-Girlfriend side with lyrics that go Nobody ever left New Orleans as mad as I was / I wrote a lipstick letter on the mirror with a bourbon buzz.

You can even hear the trio laughing at themselves  another rich texture in the albums ambient whir  during the jumping, jovial Homegrown Tomatoes, the woozy blues of Tequila Does and the aptly titled Two-Step to Texas, with Lambert in full, fast warble and her boy partners howling and ooh-ahh-ing in the background. In this regard, when the three are firing on all vocal cylinders, and having the best-est time, this trio is reminiscent of (albeit in a lo-fi version) Lamberts other threesome, the mostly raucous Pistol Annies, with Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley.

It is still the slow-stirring, profoundly emotional ballads emanating from Lambert, Ingram and Randall that cut the deepest and achingly feel their way through the ruins of romance. The pensive jazzy shuffle of Well Always Have the Blues  played by Randall, sung solely by Ingram  could be pre-skronk Tom Waits at his best with its barroom ramble and battered passion (Its almost closing time / Give us one more dance or two / Well never have each other / But well always have the blues).

Playing guitar and singing on her own, Lamberts coy, clever Tin Man  first recorded for the double album The Weight of These Wings in 2016  is dreamily mournful, as the gorgeously voiced, thought-provoking songstress tells Frank L. Baums metal icon just how fortunate he may be without knowing it.: You aint missing nothing / Cause love is so damn hard / Take it from me, darlin / You dont want a heart. Had Judy Garland only cleared that up for us sooner, so many of our collective childhoods would have been so much different. As for Lambert, pulling this lost gem from the mud of The Weight of These Wings, and allowing its raw beauty to peek through, now, in spare settings was wise.

United as one behind Lambert on Ghost, perhaps the albums subtlest revenge raga, Ingram and Randall take it nice and slow while Lambert throws out her best wronged womans suggestions for survival: burn your Levis and pearl snap shirts, replace their joined headboard with a chiseled stone in dedication to one mans meanness. Its so heartbreaking, gusty and simple  one wave away and hes gone: Ghost is loves most elegant and quietly vicious kiss off. And all so quiet.

Including the equitable participation of Ingram and Randall in its making, a question arises: is The Marfa Tapes Lamberts finest full album? It is certainly her purest and least sonically complicated, which is great when considering her warmly warbling voice. And like her bigger, broader sounding albums, she gives as good as she gets, quietly, while sounding as grand as if she had a studio bands excess at work. This time, however, it only took a couple of fellow Texans and an empty room down in Marfa to bring the best out of Lambert.

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Telefilm Canada has launched Canada Now, a new portal devoted to highlighting Canadian content in the U.S. The site will add new titles each month to its portfolio, which ranges from recent films such as My Salinger Year and Antigone to Oscar nominees like Barbarian Invasions and Monsieur Lazhar, as well as some series.

The site, developed in collaboration with Telescope, features close to 5,000 productions available across more than 150 VOD platforms.

Canada Nows monthly boutique curation will spotlight six different programming sections in addition to the searchable database of productions accessible within the U.S. Every month the site will feature a section on New Arrivals, Classic Films and a spotlight called Indigenous Voices.

For the month of May, it will focus on a celebration of Asian Canadians with films including Sandra Oh starring as a struggling single mother whose daughter decides that Taoist magic will make everything better, in Mina Shums Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity; Ohs voice can also be heard as Rosie, a Chinese Persian Canadian poet invited to a life-altering poetry festival in Iran, in Ann Marie Flemings animated film, Window Horses; in Eisha Marjaras witty comic drama of identity, Venus, transitioning woman Sid is surprised to learn that 14 years ago she became a father and now her son wants to get to know his lost parent; Ann Shins intense documentary, The Defector: Escape From North Korea, moves us through the shadowy worlds of human smuggling along the dangerous Chinese-North Korean border.

These additional curated sections will change every month to keep things fresh and offer new content.

Telefilms Canada Now is run in partnership with the Consulate General of Canada in New York and the National Film Board of Canada.

After tremendous successes in Europe and other countries around the world Telefilm Canada has partnered with Telescope to develop and build a fully searchable database accessible on one platform. It offers a way to find fresh and inspiring new content as well as thousands of precious Canadian gems from first features to award winning films and series, Christa Dickenson, executive director, Telefilm Canada, said.

Beyond arthouse cinemas and film festivals, it is often a challenge to locate and watch Canadian film and television projects here in the U.S. This difficulty was the catalyst for Canada Now to build something new and we couldnt be more thrilled to support it and share, Khawar Nasim, acting consul general, Consulate General of Canada in New York, said.

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Montreal filmmaker Emanuel Lichas new filmwhich won the juried award for best Canadian feature at Hot Docstakes its title from the nickname Haitians have given the Toyota Land Cruiser, a popular mode of transportation among the humanitarian aid organizations ubiquitous in the country since the 2010 earthquake.

In Zo Reken, which means shark bones, a four-by-four becomes a kind of mobile confessional, as a driver navigates through barricades, demonstrations, and daily life of the Port-au-Prince streets while passengers urgently discuss the state of the nation, the president, neocolonialism, and humanitarian aid.

Emanuel Licha uses cinematic metaphor to evoke the dignity of a people and the human trap that is the international aid industrial complex, wrote the jury in the official statement about its decision. [The films] minimalist controlled tableaus and carefully chosen conversations provide an unflinching gaze at the violent, often self-defeating consequences of foreign aid.

In a conversation Friday, Licha tells Variety that his first encounter with the vehicle, 30 years ago, sparked his thought journey toward the film.

Thirty years ago, as a geography grad student, I participated in a research project in West Africa, he says. I was very naive about international humanitarian aid. Soon after Ia white manarrived, I was put into a four-by-four truck and also into this world of privilege. It was a shock.

After ditching geography for visual arts, Licha began centering his work around specific spatial and architectural objects in order to examine how the human gaze is shaped. His first feature-length documentary, Hotel Machine (2016), which screened at several notable European festivals, looked at the work of foreign media in war or conflict zones by focusing on the hotelthe stereotypical haven in Hollywood war films.

I was unpacking this object, trying to understand its agency in the way we look at wars, says Licha, who took a similar cinematic tack in Zo Reken.

A symbol of power and oppression in many countries, the four-by-four in Haiti is also a physical sign of colonization, Licha says. And the film is an attempt to decolonize that object.

While scouting in Haiti in 2017, Licha hired Pascal Antoine, a multilingual video producer and citizen journalist, as his local fixer; when it came time to shoot the film in 2019, Licha asked Antoine if he would be the driver and conversation instigator, and he agreed.

We deliberately blur the lines in the film, so [the audience] doesnt know who the driver is, and characters are never identifiedsome are famous and others we met by chance, Licha says.

During pre-production in Montreal, Rodeney Ciriu, a sociology professor from Haiti working on his PhD at the University of Montreal, helped Licha identify potential subjects. (Ciriu also was present during filming.)

Rodeney knew people from his activist and academic connections that had something they wanted to say, Licha says. We also had a sign in Creole on top of the vehicle with the film title, what we were looking for, and a phone numberand people contacted us. There were also unexpected passengers, including an injured man who needed a ride to a hospital in a dangerous part of the city.

It became a metaphor of the country, in a way, Licha says, this driving around and around. At times it feels like there are two films happening, one inside the vehicle and the other outside in the street.

Its important everyone involved knows they are not being betrayed. Its hard to explain but I think the reason the film works has to do with careof the people in the film, of the filmmaking team, and the viewer.

Distributed by Montreals Les Films de 3 Mars, Zo Reken was produced and directed by Licha, photographed by Etienne Roussy, and edited by Ariane Petel-Despots.

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On Thursday, to celebrate the upcoming local high school graduates, the TAMIU Office of Recruitment and School Relations hosted a Dustdevil-themed car parade that will run around the university campus.

After a difficult year for students of all ages, the parade was organized to give high school seniors a chance to connect with TAMIU staff members who will guide them through their transition into the university.
Gov. Eric Holcomb began his second term as Indiana's chief executive less than four months ago, but already a Fort Wayne businessman is running to succeed him  nearly four years from now.

Eric Doden, a Valparaiso University Law School graduate and former president of the Indiana Economic Development Corp., announced Thursday he's running for the Republican nomination for Indiana governor in the May 2024 primary election.

WATCH NOW: 2021 Indiana inauguration ceremony

"Some in the political class might say it is far too early to launch a campaign for governor," Doden said. "I am committed to earning the trust of Hoosiers and will use this time to embark on a listening tour across all 92 counties."

"This campaign will be conducted in the way I believe will help Hoosiers, not political insiders."

Doden said his focus as governor will be to "restore and grow" Indiana's "main streets." He also wants to "enable success" for students and educators, "improve our broken healthcare system," and "create 21st century economic opportunities for Hoosier families."

He said the experience, vision and courage he developed leading state business recruitment initiatives under Republican former Gov. Mike Pence, and his work growing jobs in Allen County, will help him as governor "create greater opportunities in our communities."

"I have spent the last decade focused on tackling Indiana's greatest challenges and implementing conservative solutions that get real results for the people of Indiana," Doden said.

"A few political insiders will say that I am too bold or too direct for their taste. Many leaders who know me well have encouraged me to bring my authentic, bold, no-nonsense approach to the Indiana governor's race."

WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops: Monitoring LaPorte with Specialist Justin Dyer

While Doden is the first Republican candidate to announce a 2024 gubernatorial run, he almost certainly will not be the last.

Numerous Hoosier GOP officeholders at the federal, state and local levels have hinted they too are considering running for a chance to succeed the term-limited incumbent.

Records show Hoosiers never have elected back-to-back governors with the same first name.

Meet the 2021 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation
Fears of a spike in Covid-19 cases in Longford, following what Judge Keenan Johnson described as a 'potential super-spreader' wedding party, has prompted the Health Minister and HSE to agree to a proposal from local TD Joe Flaherty to open a pop-up Covid-19 test centre in the county town.

The centre, located at the Mastertech Business Park, will be available from Monday morning, May 10 and it will be open from 10am to 4.30pm daily up until Saturday, May 15.

Longford / Westmeath Fianna Fail Deputy Flaherty made the request during a contribution in the Dail yesterday evening (Thursday, May 6).

He said the 'very public event in Longford town' on Wednesday 'ran contrary to the compliance and significant community commitment' that helped Longford come to terms with the public health challenge.

And he asked Health Minister Stephen Donnelly 'to request the HSE to convene a mobile pop-up test centre for Longford town for the next couple of weeks and until such time as we are sure that any risk arising from this week's events has abated'.

Addressing the Dail, Deputy Flaherty outlined, "I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan's overview of the Covid challenges in the Traveller community.

"There were 16 new Covid outbreaks and 65 new cases of the disease in the Traveller community notified to the HSE in the past week.

"These new cases bring to more than 3,600 the number of confirmed cases of the disease in the 35,000 strong Traveller community reported in this third wave of the disease which began just before Christmas.

"According to the statistics, 155 members of the Travelling community have been hospitalised with the disease since the third wave, 22 have required critical care and, sadly, eight have died.

"We had a very public event in Longford town yesterday and, understandably, it has given cause for much concern locally. It was an event that ran contrary to the compliance and significant community commitment which has helped us as a community and as a county come to terms with the public health challenge in recent weeks.

"Some weeks ago, the Traveller health movement and the HSE convened a very successful pop-up test centre in Longford town. At the time, our statistics were among the worst in the country.

"Yesterday, for the first time in almost two months our national average over 14 days was back below the national average.

"However, there are concerns we may see a spike again in Longford over the coming days.

"With this in mind, I ask the Minister to request the HSE to convene a mobile pop-up test centre for Longford town for the next couple of weeks and until such time as we are sure that any risk arising from this week's events has abated."
A 17-year-old Longford teenager whose six siblings were taken into care last month, has been remanded detention on foot of alleged knife possession and assaulting his ex fiancee while she lay asleep on a couch.

The teen, who does not turn 18 until August, was brought before a special sitting of Longford District Court this afternoon.

The court heard details of how the juvenile, currently on bail for theft, was allegedly one of two individuals who assaulted his former partner at McKeon Park, Farnagh, Longford on April 28.

Inspector Paddy McGirl said officers arrested the accused yesterday after an alleged burglary incident at 5:30am. During a follow up search of a premises at midday, gardai found the accused in the company of his co-accused Charles Reilly (29) 37 McKeon Park, Longford.

He said when gardai entered the property, they found both suspects together with two mobile phones which were believed to have been stolen earlier that morning.

When officers approached the teenager, Inspector McGirl said the accused attempted to flee, prompting gardai to take off in pursuit.

When he was apprehended a short time later, the court was told the boy was found in possession of a seven inch knife.

He was later charged on foot of that incident, together with a section 3 assault on his ex fiancee and trespass.

A further charge relating to an alleged criminal damage incident at 17 Ardnacassa Avenue on May 10 which resulted in damage being caused to a female motorist's windscreen and rear passenger window was also handed into presiding Judge Kevin Kilraine.

Mr Reilly was similarly charged with trespass, no insurance and being at the wheel without holding a driving licence.

He was remanded in custody with consent to bail to a sitting of Harristown District Court next Friday on the proviso an independent surety of 3,000 is lodged on his behalf.

Inspector McGirl said the state would be objecting to bail in connection to Mr Reilly's alleged co-accused on the basis he was on bail at the time of the charges.

He also revealed the teen's inability to abide by his existing bail terms had led to two High Court warrants being issued for breach of bail alongside four separate warrants.

The court also heard reservations about the boy's home life with Inspector McGirl indicating there were "very little family supports" in place.

As revealed by the Leader towards the latter end of last month, it was reaffirmed how six of the schoolboy's brothers and sisters had been taken into care.

His mother, Judge Kilraine, was informed was still serving out a sentence in the Dochas Centre for women in Dublin.

Inspector McGirl also revealed the boy's father did not turn up at Longford garda station either yesterday or ahead of this afternoon's court sitting despite being contacted by gardai over his son's arrest.

Defence solicitor Fiona Baxter argued she harboured "very serious concerns" concerning the strength of evidence the state had in choosing to prosecute her client.

She insisted the boy had an alibi and was with his father when the alleged trespass incident occurred. She added the section 3 assault charge levelled against the teen was down to his ex partner trying to "get back at him".

She said: "He entered into a new relationship. There were a number of attempts made by his ex fiancee to rekindle the relationship but he rejected them and he will say it was her way of trying to get back at him."

Ms Baxter appealed with Judge Kilraine to opt against remanding the boy to detention as his father remained considerably ill at home and is due to undergo surgery next Tuesday.

Judge Kilraine adjourned the teenager's bail application and remanded him to Oberstown Detention Centre until next Tuesday.
People across Longford and the country are getting ready to share One Sunrise Together tomorrow (May 8) for this years Darkness Into Light, supported by Electric Ireland.

Pieta and Electric Ireland are continuing to invite people to sign up at www.darknessintolight.ie and to take part in any way they can  walking, running, swimming, biking or simply sharing this special sunrise moment that can unite us all while still staying physically apart.

Due to Covid-19 guidelines, there are no organised walks this year, but these activities, carried out within Covid-19 guidelines, will help shine a light on suicide and self-harm, raising vital funds for Pietas suicide prevention and bereavement services. With over 22,848 calls and texts placed to Pietas free crisis line so far this year, support is vital to ensure this service remains freely available to everyone 24/7.

Four out of ten people who accessed Pietas services in 2020 cited loneliness as a trigger for their reaching out, so this years Darkness Into Light is about much more than raising funds; its about helping people feel connected. By taking part and sharing one sunrise together participants are showing solidarity with those who are feeling isolated in these difficult times. We may be physically apart again this year, but we can unite under the sunrise and share in its light and warmth together.

So, this year Pieta together with Electric Ireland are asking the nation to experience One Sunrise Together, the very same sunrise that gives hope to those impacted by suicide every year.

Pieta is aiming to unite over 200,000 participants under one sunrise this year," says Emma Dolan, Pieta Clinical Director.

"The absence of organised walks means many of our supporters cant gather with their loved ones and will miss the solidarity of a group walk. Knowing others across the country are watching the sunrise together will bring comfort, a feeling of belonging to something bigger and being connected to others. It's more important than ever to help participants feel united this year and sharing a sunrise moment will do that.

Marguerite Sayers, Executive Director at Electric Ireland says that every year, many customers and staff join thousands of others across Ireland in solidarity to offer hope to, and raise vital funds for, those impacted by suicide and self-harm.

"Although we remain physically apart this year, we can all still experience that moment of hope by sharing a special sunrise on May 8," she said.

"Pietas commitment continues to inspire us all; in a year when generating hope has been more important than ever, we are proud at Electric Ireland to support Darkness Into Light for the ninth year. We would like to thank those who have already shown their support and encourage everyone else to sign up and get involved in any way they can next Saturday.

Mary Black, Pieta Ambassador and musician opened up about her experiences of postnatal depression on the Darkness into Light Late Late Show Special last year. She wants to remind people there is light at the end of the tunnel. It was only after seeking help that Mary, who is also mum to Conor, Danny and Roisin, found she could be happy and smile again.

Pietas 24/7 Crisis Helpline is there to help anybody impacted or concerned about suicide or self-harm. Asking for help is one of the bravest things you can do and I would encourage anybody who needs it to seek help early said Mary.

Mary and fellow Pieta ambassador, Louise Cooney, have curated special playlists for Pietas Darkness into Light walk. You can find and listen to their playlists on May 8th via Pietas Spotify, or search Darkness Into Light 2021 - Sunrise Playlist on Spotify.

Sign up at darknessintolight.ie and share one sunrise together with the thousands already signed up. Pieta are urging the public to practice social distancing and adhere to Covid-19 guidelines to ensure the safety of all participants. Get involved with Darkness Into Light by walking, running, swimming, hiking, biking or simply sharing your sunrise snap using the hashtags, #BrighterTogether, #DIL2021. Sign up now at www.darknessintolight.ie.
A father-of-three strangled his wife to death when she arrived home in the early hours having had sexual intercourse with another man, the Central Criminal Court has heard.

Opening the trial of Rafal Karaczyn on Thursday Conor Devally SC for the Director of Public Prosecutions said the accused man's marriage to Natalia Karaczyn was "not terribly happy" but they stayed living together for their children, to whom they were devoted.

Natalia was "anxious to move on" from the marriage, Mr Devally said, and on the Saturday night before she died she went out with friends and went to another man's house where she had consensual sexual intercourse. When she returned home at about 6am her husband "intruded" into her bedroom as she prepared to go to bed, counsel said. A row erupted and Mr Karaczyn strangled his wife.

The 35-year-old, of Crozon Park, Sligo has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of his 30-year-old wife Natalia Karaczyn at their family home in Crozon Park between April 29th, 2018 and May 1st, 2018.

Following the opening Brendan Grehan SC for Mr Karaczyn said his client accepts that he unlawfully killed his wife by strangling her and that he alone was responsible for her death. Mr Karaczyn also admits that he lied to his wife's sister and to gardai about what happened to his wife. The issue to be decided by the jury, Mr Grehan said, will relate to the mental state of the accused when he strangled his wife.

Mr Devally told the jury of eight women and four men that the Karaczyns are from Poland but moved to Sligo and in 2018 lived at Crozon Park with their three children. The evidence, counsel said, "will make clear that the marriage was not terribly happy." It was "functional" and for the sake of their children they continued to live together, sleeping in separate bedrooms.

They planned to move into separate homes but, Mr Devally said, had different views as to how that would happen. Of the two, he said, Natalia was the more anxious to move on and enjoyed a separate social life from her husband. She had a number of friends and would socialise at weekends, sometimes coming home late. "That may have been a cause of tension," Mr Devally said.

On the Saturday night before she died Ms Karaczyn went out with friends to various pubs in Sligo where she met a young man and "quickly formed an attraction". She went to his house and had consensual sexual intercourse before getting a taxi home at about 6am. She would not be seen alive again.

Mr Devally said later that morning the accused made "bogus" calls and texts to his wife's sister saying that Natalia had not come home.

There was panic, counsel said, as Ms Karaczyn's family and friends contacted hospitals and friends "far and wide" to find out where she was. Gardai, having checked CCTV, arrested Mr Karaczyn and after some time he told them a "story" that he had no part in her death but had discovered her body and, in panic, had moved her. He told gardai where she could be found close to a roadway not far from Sligo.

Mr Devally told the jury that they will learn that Mr Karaczyn "maintained that he was guiltless" for her death and said someone else had "intruded" into the house.

He eventually relented, Mr Devally said, and told his sister-in-law what had happened: that his wife was in her bedroom when a row erupted and he strangled her.

The trial continues in front of the jury and Ms Justice Eileen Creedon.
A solicitor impacted by the effects of the drug Thalidomide who fraudulently claimed over 120,000 in social welfare payments will begin a jail term next week.

Herbert Kilcline (60) told gardai after the fraud came to light that he felt he was entitled to the payments because he had been excluded from compensatory payments made to victims of birth defects caused by the Thalidomide drug. He has since repaid the money in full.

Kilcline told gardai: I admit it was wrong, no matter how aggrieved I felt. It wasn't the right way to deal with my grievance..

Kilcline told gardai that the deformities suffered to his hands as a result of his mother taking the anti-nausea drug during pregnancy had left him unable to peel vegetables or use a can opener.

Judge Karen O'Connor said Kilcline's moral culpability was very high, noting the offending was not motivated by financial pressure or gambling, but by a grievance and an element of greed.

She indicated a three year sentence with the final one year and three months suspended.

Defence counsel asked Judge O'Connor to defer sentence for one week to allow Kilcline to put his affairs in order. She granted the application and deferred sentencing until this day next week.

Kilcline, of Bessborough Parade, Ranelagh, Dublin 6, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to obtaining disability allowance on false pretences on dates between 1996 and 2001 and making a gain by deception in relation to social welfare payments on dates between 2004 and 2010.

At the original sentence hearing in 2019, Garda Conor Bresnan told Dean Kelly SC, prosecuting, that after being contacted by social welfare officials in relation to suspected fraud gardai had launched an investigation and Kilcline had cooperated with a search of his home, handing over documentation such as his social service card.

The total amount fraudulenty obtained was 129,293 and the entire period of offending taken into account was from 1996 to 2012.

The court heard that Kilcline had not been put forward previously as a child for the scheme by his parents as the effect on him was relatively minor then and they did not want to stigmatise him.

Kilcline said in 1992 he was officially diagnosed as a victim of Thalidomide but was told that the state compensation scheme was out of time. He then applied successfully for the mean tested disabled persons maintenance allowance.

He was legitimately granted this payment but failed to inform the department when he began working and when his financial situation changed. The court heard that Kilcline worked as a tutor in Trinity College Dublin and had income from the sale of various properties and from rental income from six flats in the city.

He said he felt morally justified in getting the money but accepted he was not entitled to it. He said he felt resentment for not getting compensation and accepted he had withheld information

Michael Bowman SC, defending, said at a previous hearing that his client took the view that because the Thalidomide compensation was not a means tested scheme that he was entitled to the disability allowance regardless of his means.

Judge Karen O'Connor noted the aggravating factors included that the offences occurred over a long period of time, that there was premeditation involved and the loss to the exchequer was considerable.

She noted he was not devoid of means, had been in employment and acquired property.

She noted in mitigation that Kilcline had pleaded guilty, cooperated with the investigation and had been remarkably forthcoming. She noted his remorse, shame and that he had been assessed as being at low risk of reoffending. She took into account all the money had been repaid.

The judge noted that he had overcome his limitations but continued to live with the physical, psychological and social consequences of Thalidomide. She said he finds basic daily functions difficult, had become very reclusive and suffers with anxiety and depression.

Judge O'Connor granted an application from The Law Society for transcripts of the sentencing hearing and later noted this may have an impact on his professional future and reputation.
(Alliance News) - Industry bosses have urged further clarity on when other holiday destinations could be added to the quarantine-free green list amid criticism that the UK government has been too cautious in its approach to unlocking international travel.

Portugal, Gibraltar and Israel are among just 12 destinations which will be on the green list from May 17 a with some countries on the list still not accepting holidaymakers.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the removal of the ban on international leisure travel is "necessarily cautious", but sector leaders warned it could "delay the industry's recovery".

People returning to England from a green destination from May 17 will not be required to self-isolate and are only required to take one post-arrival coronavirus test.

The green list also features several remote British Overseas Territories and destinations where visits are heavily restricted, such as Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei and the Faroe Islands.

Virgin Atlantic called for the US to be added to the green list, saying the government has taken an "overly cautious approach".

A spokesman said: "There is no reason for the US to be absent from the green list.

"This overly cautious approach fails to reap the benefits of the UK's successful vaccination programme."

The spokesman added: "While transatlantic links with the US, our largest trading partner, are restricted, GBP23 million in economic value is lost each day, which is why a transatlantic travel corridor is vital to deliver a much-needed boost to economic recovery."

EasyJet boss Johan Lundgren said: "The decision to put so few European countries into the green tier is simply not justified by the data or the science and is inconsistent with the approach to reopen the domestic economy.

"So, we call on government to provide transparency on decision-making and clarity on when we can expect other European countries to join the green list so that consumers and airlines alike can plan for this summer."

Airlines UK, an industry body which represents UK carriers, said the government must make "major additions" to the green list at the next review point in three weeks.

Chief Executive Tim Alderslade said: "This is a missed opportunity and, with so few countries making it on to the green list, represents a reopening of air travel in name only.

"By contrast, the EU has said vaccinated people will be able to travel without restrictions, which leaves the UK at risk of falling behind and not opening up international travel to key markets across Europe as well as the US."

Brian Strutton, general secretary of pilots' union Balpa, accused the government of an "excess of caution", adding that it is "extremely disappointing for everyone who works in the travel sector and the millions of people who are desperate to jet away on holiday or business".

"Almost all tourist hotspots in Europe, including Spain, France and Greece, are in the amber category, which is as good as red as far as most tourists are concerned, with potential 10-day quarantine needed on return," he said.

Strutton added: "Tourists are sat gazing at the amber light, revving their engines, desperate to travel safe in the knowledge that their jabs will protect them. The government must flick those amber lights to green as soon as it possibly can."

Andrew Flintham, managing director of Tui UK, said: "These destinations have always been firm favourite for Brits, so it's no surprise demand has increased following speculation they could be available from 17 May without the need to quarantine on return.

"We own every element of the holiday programme, so are uniquely placed to respond to customer demand and add additional holidays to the most popular hotspots.

"We've also introduced new subsidised testing packages, which start from just GBP20 for green list destinations to help our customers get away for their long-awaited holiday."

At a Downing Street press conference on Friday, Shapps said the government must "make absolutely sure" the countries the UK reconnects with are safe.

He said: "We in this country have managed to construct a fortress against Covid. But the disease is still prevalent in other parts of the world, most notably at the moment in India."

His announcement prompted a surge in eager holidaymakers booking trips to Portugal, with Thomas Cook reporting that bookings were "through the roof" immediately after the announcement.

Meanwhile, Shapps said people "should not be travelling" to countries on the amber list, which includes holiday hotspots Spain, France, Italy and Greece.

Holidaymakers who go against the guidance and travel to an amber destination must self-isolate at home for 10 days and take two post-arrival tests.

British Airways boss Sean Doyle said this advice is "disappointing", adding: "We cannot stress more greatly that the UK urgently needs travel between it and other low-risk countries, like the US, to restart the economy, support devastated industries and reunite loved ones."

BA is part of International Consolidated Airlines Group SA.

Turkey, the Maldives and Nepal have been added to the red list, meaning that those returning from those destinations to England after 4am on Wednesday will be required to stay in a quarantine hotel for 11 nights at a cost of GBP1,750 for solo travellers.

The decision on Turkey means Manchester City and Chelsea supporters "should not travel" to the Champions League final in Istanbul later this month, Shapps said.

The traffic light system will be reviewed every three weeks, and there are four key tests the government will take into account when deciding how to categorise a country.

These include the percentage of the country's population to have been vaccinated, the rate of infection, the prevalence of variants of concern and the country's access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing.

No plans on international travel have been announced by administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but Shapps expects their rules will be "broadly similar" to those for English tourists.

Holidaymakers have been warned that waiting times to enter the UK are likely to be longer than usual when leisure travel resumes, with staff required to check "100%" of all travellers coming through.

By PA Reporters

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
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(Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set himself on course for a constitutional clash with Nicola Sturgeon if she pushes ahead with plans for a second Scottish independence referendum.

Counting continues in the Scottish parliamentary contest, with the SNP leader's hopes of achieving a majority on a knife edge.

It is almost certain the SNP will win its fourth term in power at Holyrood, and Sturgeon said "when the time is right" she will offer Scots "the choice of a better future" in a second independence referendum.

But Johnson has insisted he would not support an "irresponsible" referendum.

Achieving the 65 seats needed for an outright victory could make it harder for Johnson to refuse another plebiscite, although if the SNP falls short of that target it could still achieve a majority in Holyrood for a referendum with the support of the Greens.

Sturgeon said the SNP would introduce the legislation for a referendum "and if Boris Johnson wants to stop that he would have to go to court".

"If this was in almost any other democracy in the world it would be an absurd discussion," Sturgeon told Channel 4.

"If people in Scotland vote for a pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament, no politician has got the right to stand in the way of that."

Johnson said a referendum would be "irresponsible and reckless" in the "current context" following the pandemic.

Pressed on what he would do if Sturgeon pushed ahead with a referendum without Westminster's consent, he told the Daily Telegraph: "Well, as I say, I think that there's no case now for such a thing a I don't think it's what the times call for at all."

After 48 of the 73 constituency results in Scotland were declared on Friday, the SNP had 39 seats, Liberal Democrats four, Conservatives three and Labour two.

The SNP picked up key seats in Edinburgh Central, Ayr and East Lothian.

But under Holyrood's proportional representation system, those successes could see it lose out on the regional list which make up the remaining 56 seats.

In England, Labour will be hoping for better results on Saturday after a bruising Friday which left Keir Starmer facing criticism from senior figures across his party.

The Hartlepool by-election defeat dealt a significant blow to his leadership, but there was also bad news in council contests and a landslide victory for the Tories in the Tees Valley mayoral battle.

"I'm bitterly disappointed in the result and I take full responsibility for the results a and I will take full responsibility for fixing this," Starmer said.

With results in from 84 of 143 English councils, the Tories had a net gain of seven authorities and 173 seats, while Labour had a net loss of four councils and 164 seats.

In London's mayoral contest, Labour's Sadiq Khan goes into Saturday with a lead of 24,267 first preference votes over Tory rival Shaun Bailey after the first seven constituencies declared, a closer contest than many had predicted.

The other mayoral contests will also be keenly watched a Andy Burnham's profile in Greater Manchester has seen him become the bookmakers' favourite to replace Starmer as the next Labour leader, even though he is not in the Commons.

In the West Midlands, Andy Street will be looking to complete the Tory "hat-trick" of successes by retaining the mayoralty, following Jill Mortimer's Hartlepool victory and Ben Houchen's stunning result which saw him take 73% of the vote in Tees Valley.

In Wales a as in Scotland and England a the party in power during the pandemic appears to have been rewarded by the voters.

Mark Drakeford's Welsh Labour avoided the kind of electoral drubbing Starmer endured on Friday, holding on to its "red wall" seats in the north.

With the final results still to come, Labour has exactly half the 60 seats in the Senedd, equalling its best ever results.

Results so far have seen Labour win 30, the Tories 12, Plaid Cymru nine and the Liberal Democrats one.

Drakeford, who extended the majority for his Cardiff West seat by more than 10,000 votes, said he was delighted his party had "exceeded expectations".

By David Hughes, PA Political Editor

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
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It's official, Neymar has signed a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain which ties him to the Parisian club until 2025. If the Brazilian sees out his new deal, he will have spent eight years in France with the Ligue 1 side.

The renewal comes at a critical moment for PSG and is a key boost for their image and ambitions. After disappointment in the Champions League and with the league title in the balance, Neymar putting pen to paper on a new deal is a sign of faith in the Parisian project.

In four years with PSG, the Brazilian forward has won 10 trophies and played a Champions League final, the 2020 final which they lost to Bayern in Lisbon.

"PSG has grown a lot since my arrival," Neymar said before this year's semi-final with Manchester City.

"It is a more respected club now.

"We are among the top four teams in the Champions League for the second year in a row."

That growth is key to Neymar's continuation in Paris, something which was far from a certainty, given the interest from teams such as Barcelona.

Now it seems that if Lionel Messi wants a reunion with his old friend then it will need to be in Paris, not Catalonia.

For PSG, the announcement is also a relief as Neymar's expiring contract, which was due to run out next summer, was an issue that had been hanging over them for some time.

Now, they can shift more focus to the next objective, that of convincing Kylian Mbappe to follow suit as his current deal also expires next summer. Then, they could also still try to persuade Messi to join the project when his Barcelona contract runs out.
The rumours are over and it is official. Neymar is staying at Paris Saint-Germain, where he believes he can win the Champions League.

The Brazilian has a contract extension which ties him to the Parisian club until 2025 and he is hungry for more success.

Neymar and Al-Khelaifi PSG

"Of course, my goal when I came to Paris Saint-Germain was to help get Paris Saint-Germain to the top, among the very best, and we are getting close," Neymar told PSG's official website.

"We are gaining more and more experience to help us negotiate these types of games, to know how to play in the Champions League, and PSG are on the right track.

"We are getting closer and closer to the taste of winning the Champions League, I'm sure we can do it."

Neymar also spoke of his commitment to the club and desire to win more trophies, but it is clear that the Champions League is the key ambition for him personally, for the club and for the owners.

"I'm very happy, very happy to be extending my contract with PSG until 2025," said Neymar.

"The truth is that I'm very happy to be staying here for four more years, to be a part of the club's project, to try and win titles, to try and achieve our biggest dream which is the Champions League.

"So I'm happy to be staying at the club, to be a part of it and to be extending my contract."

The Brazilian forward insists that he his content in Paris and that is the main reason he wants to stay, while also wanting to continue to contribute to the history of a club that has changed a lot in recent years.

"I have changed a lot, I have learned a lot," he said.

"Things have happened that should not have happened. We had fights, a few sad times, but overall the evolution has been very positive.

"I am happy, I am proud to be part of the history of Paris Saint-Germain and I think I have improved as a person, as a human being and as a player too.

"So, I am very happy to be extending my contract, to be part of the history of PSG and I hope to put many more trophies on the shelf for Paris Saint-Germain."

The 29-year-old ended by saying he hopes to be able to enjoy playing in front of PSG's fans as soon as possible.

"I hope that the pandemic will end soon, that the fans will return to the stadium to support us and encourage us more and more," he said.
Update: German Shorthaired Pointer puppy stolen from Cambridge car found, reunited with owner

Cambridge police are asking for the publics help to identify a suspect who allegedly broke into a car, stole a 13-month-old dog and walked the pet into Boston.

The suspect broke into the vehicle, which was parked at 620 Memorial Drive in Cambridge, around 12:30 p.m. on Friday and took the white German Shorthaired Pointer, police said in a Facebook post.

The dog was wearing an orange collar with the name Titus, police said.

The suspect was seen walking the dog over the Boston University Bridge and into Boston, police said.

Authorities ask anyone with information about the incident to call the Cambridge police at 617-349-3300.
A dog named Titus has been reunited with his owner and the suspect accused of stealing the pet from a car has been caught, Cambridge police said.

On Saturday morning, police said Titus, a 13-month-old white German Shorthaired Pointer, was taken from a car parked at 620 Memorial Drive in Cambridge around 12:30 p.m. on Friday.

The suspect was seen walking Titus over the Boston University Bridge and into Boston, police said.

On Saturday afternoon, police said that Titus and the suspect had been located. The suspect has been taken into custody, said police, who did not release a name or any further information.

Great news update The dog that was reported stolen and the suspect that we were looking to identify have both been... Posted by Cambridge Police Department on Saturday, May 8, 2021

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A Dorchester man has been charged with manslaughter, accused of giving a 23-year-old woman a fatal amount of fentanyl in 2019, officials said Saturday.

William Marcel McNeill, 34, was located and arrested by Boston police on Friday morning. He was then arraigned in Brockton Superior Court on charges of manslaughter and unlawful distribution of a Class A substance (fentanyl). McNeill pleaded not guilty and bail was set at $200,000 cash, according to a statement from the office of Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz.

The woman, whose name was not publicly released, was living in a residential rehabilitation facility and fatally overdosed on Jan. 28, 2019, the statement said. Detectives assigned to the district attorneys office helped Plymouth police with the investigation.

The investigation determined that McNeill was the person who gave the victim fentanyl and text messages between the two show McNeill warning the woman that the product was lethal and to be careful with its use, authorities said.

On Sept. 11, McNeill was indicted by a Plymouth County Grand Jury. When Massachusetts State Police obtained an arrest warrant, McNeill told troopers he would surrender himself on Sept. 14. But he did not appear then, the district attorneys office said.

State police and Boston police were actively searching for McNeill until he was located Friday, the statement said.
Active COVID cases in Massachusetts continue a sustained decline on Friday as 53% of the state has received at least one dose of vaccine, according to the latest data from the Department of Public Health.

Officials reported that there are now 19,784 active infections, down from 20,498 reported on Thursday.

State health officials confirmed another 881 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. Thats based on 78,071 new molecular tests, according to the Department of Public Health.

Officials also announced another 5 COVID-related fatalities, bringing the death toll from the pandemic to 17,316.

The seven-day average of positive tests on Friday is 1.39%, up slightly from 1.37% the day before.

Since the pandemic began, officials have confirmed 651,740 total COVID-19 cases across the state.

The number of COVID patients currently hospitalized on Friday is 459, down from 469 reported yesterday. Of them, 138 are in intensive care, and 82 are intubated, data shows.

There have been a total of 6,594,462 COVID vaccine doses administered in Massachusetts to date, and 2,835,762 residents are now fully vaccinated. Roughly 53% of the state have received at least one dose, and 40% are now fully vaccinated.

Over the last two weeks, 861 cases were confirmed in children younger than 4, down from 1,042 reported the week before. Officials reported 1,055 infections in children between the ages of 5 and 9, down from 1,156 since the last update. And 1,263 infections were confirmed in children between the ages of 10 and 14, which is down from the 1,396 reported on April 28, according to data released on Wednesday.

There were 1,753 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 infected with COVID over the last 14 days, down from 2,037 since the last update.

And this week, officials confirmed another 2,969 cases among 20-somethings, down from the 3,988 reported during the last update.

Total COVID cases by county:

Barnstable County: 13,668

Berkshire County: 6,412

Bristol County: 65,468

Dukes County: 1,292

Essex County: 96,201

Franklin County: 2,509

Hampden County: 51,239

Hampshire County: 9,018

Middlesex County: 133,329

Nantucket County: 1,505

Norfolk County: 54,148

Plymouth County: 48,305

Suffolk County: 91,545

Worcester County: 75,982

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A businessman who federal authorities say faked suicide to avoid prosecution for fraudulently seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans intended for businesses struggling during the coronavirus pandemic has agreed to plead guilty to some charges, according to court documents.

David Staveley, 53, of Andover, Massachusetts, will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and failure to appear in court charges, according to documents filed Thursday in federal court in Rhode Island.

In exchange, federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss charges of bank fraud, making false statements and aggravated identity theft.

An email seeking comment was left with Staveleys attorneys.

Staveley sought nearly $440,000 in loans claiming that he needed to pay dozens of employees at two restaurants he owned in Rhode Island and a third he owned in Massachusetts, federal prosecutors said when the charges were brought a year ago.

However, two of the restaurants werent open before the pandemic began and had no employees, and he didnt have an ownership stake in the third, authorities said.

Staveley and another man, David Butziger, 52, of Warwick, were the first people in the nation charged with making phony applications for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program, officials said at the time.

Butziger pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in September and faces sentencing in June.

Staveley initially had pleaded not guilty and was released to home confinement, but last May 26, he removed his GPS monitor and disappeared, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

His vehicle was found near a beach in Quincy, Massachusetts. The vehicle was unlocked with the key in the ignition, and his wallet, credit cards, drivers license and a suicide note were found in the car, authorities said.

No evidence was found that he had taken his own life, and marshals concluded that Staveley faked his death to avoid prosecution.

Staveley fled first to Tennessee and then to Georgia, where authorities determined he was using a false identity and driving a vehicle with stolen plates. He was arrested last July in Alpharetta, Georgia, the U.S. Marshals Service said.

At the time of his arrest, he had multiple forms of identification bearing different names, authorities said.
AMHERST  The Board of Registrars on Friday deferred action on a petition challenging the $36.3 million Jones Library renovation project after its lawyer was accused of a conflict of interest.

The meeting was convened to discuss whether the town clerks office improperly rejected signatures on a petition to force a townwide vote on the project. The clerks office ruled the petitioners were 22 valid signatures short of the necessary 864. The petitions said they submitted more than 1,000 signatures.

The Town Council approved borrowing for the library project in April. The town charter allows residents to put the issue to a townwide vote if 5% of registered voters sign a petition requesting it.

Prior to Fridays meeting, Amherst resident and attorney John Bonifaz sent a letter to the Board of Registrars arguing that town counsel Lauren Goldberg, of the firm KP Law, should not be part of the petition discussion.

The Town Attorney has been representing the Town Council, the Town Manager, and the Town Clerk on this matter, Bonifaz wrote. The Board of Registrars, charged with overseeing all matters pertaining to elections in the Town of Amherst, including local ballot questions, should not be advised by the Town Attorney whose clients in this matter have interests which are directly adverse to the interests of the petitioners.

Bonifaz urged the board to find another lawyer without a conflict of interest or seek the advice of state Attorney General Maura Healeys office.

Goldberg on Friday denied that she had any conflict of interest.

I am not a resident of Amherst, she said, adding: the point of this discussion is what the law allows you to do  thats my job.

Registrar Demetria Shabazz requested that Golberg refrain from being the boards legal counsel on the petition matter, but her motion did not receive a second.

It is important that we get advice from the attorney generals office, independent of the town attorney, Shabazz told her colleagues.

The board voted unanimously to continue discussion on the petition to May 13.

Bonifazs letter also focused on allegations the board violated the state Open Meeting Law on April 21 when it granted authority to an assistant town clerk to verify the petition signatures, referring to Goldbergs role in that meeting as well.

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People wearing face masks as a precaution against the coronavirus walk along a crosswalk in Seoul, May 7. AP-Yonhap



South Korea's daily new COVID-19 infections rose back to the 700s for the first time in 10 days Friday as the country remains on alert for a potential upsurge in cases caused by coronavirus variants.



In a statement, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said it has found 701 more cases, including 672 local ones, raising the total caseload to 126,745.



The daily caseload reached 488, Monday, on fewer tests over the weekend and stayed under 700 until Thursday. There were 760 daily infections on April 28.



Five more deaths were reported, raising the toll to 1,865 with a fatality rate of 1.47 percent, the KDCA said.



The cases rebounded as people have been increasingly enjoying the warmer weather outside and holding family gatherings.



Additionally, more cases caused by coronavirus variants were reported in the southeastern city of Ulsan.



In stepped-up efforts to contain cases there, the health authorities increased the number of temporary screening centers to 10 from three and advised citizens to get tested.



The city has reported more than 300 infections from COVID-19 variants since early March, most are believed to be from Britain.



The government is also focusing on preventing the Indian variant from entering the country as more South Koreans are expected to return from the country this month. Nearly 400 people have already returned from the virus-hit nation.



The KDCA is accelerating its vaccination campaign as the government aims to achieve herd immunity by November.



A total of 3,662,587 people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, accounting for 7.1 percent of the country's population, since the administration began its vaccination program, Feb. 26.



Two million people have been given the AstraZeneca vaccine, while 1.66 million have received the one from Pfizer.



Some 19,394 cases of side effects following vaccination have been reported in total as of Friday, up 523 from the previous day.



Ninety-five deaths have been reported, although the exact causes remain unknown as the KDCA has been unable to determine causality.



Among locally transmitted infections, Seoul reported 240, while the surrounding Gyeonggi Province identified 192.



Gangwon Province registered 27; South Gyeongsang Province, 37; Busan, 26; and Ulsan, 47.



The KDCA said there were 29 new imported cases  14 South Koreans and 15 foreigners  up 13 from a day earlier.



The number of patients with serious symptoms reached 165, up three from Thursday.



The total number of people released from quarantine after making a recovery was 116,881, up 859 from the previous day. (Yonhap)


A Massachusetts school bus driver is facing a series of charges after students reported finding a gun onboard the school bus.

A King Philip Middle School parent contacted police Thursday after their child informed them of the incident.

Through the police investigation, including interviews with witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage from the bus, officers determined that the gun was found on a seat in the back of the bus as students were boarding. It was determined that no student touched the gun, Police Chief Charles Stone, Norfolk Public Schools Superintendent Ingrid Allardi and King Philip Regional School District Superintendent Paul Zinni said in a joint statement.

The bus driver heard a commotion among children in the back of the bus and allegedly took the gun and put it in his pocket, officials said. The driver then continued on his route and did not report the incident to police or school officials. There were about a dozen middle school students on the bus at the time.

The firearm was found to be a Smith & Wesson .45 caliber. It was found loaded with seven rounds but did not have a round in the chamber when it was confiscated at his home by police Friday.

I was horrified to learn about this incident and it is unconscionable that a person would bring a firearm onto a school bus full of children, let alone someone whose care of those children had been entrusted to them, Allardi said. I am furious, as our parents and community members should be, and we will be reviewing our contract with the bus company and at the very least demanding the drivers termination.

Officials believe the gun fell out of the drivers pocket while he was cleaning the bus after dropping off Norfolk elementary school students.

Police interviewed the driver, determined to be 65-year-old David A. Tripp, of Norfolk, and determined the firearm was owned by him.

Tripp was arrested Friday on the charges of reckless endangerment of a child, improper storage of a firearm near a minor, intimidation of a witness and carrying a firearm on a campus. His license to carry was suspended and police seized guns owned by Tripp.

He was a driver for Holmes Bus Company, a Norfolk-based private busing service.
HOLYOKE  Rick Holloway, the Soldiers Home trustees pick to lead the state-run facility in the aftermath of a deadly COVID-19 outbreak, has backed off accepting the position, citing family concerns.

The trustees voted to offer Holloway the job in early April and Holloway accepted. Now, Holloway, administrator for a state veterans home in Idaho, said having two grandchildren on the way forced him to pull back on a start date.

This is really disappointing. I was really excited to make this transition, Holloway said, adding that he flew to Western Massachusetts last week to tour the facility and meet with Gov. Charlie Baker as well as scope out his prospective new hometown.

State officials confirmed the development on Friday evening.

We were notified that the Board of Trustees selected candidate for Superintendent of the Soldiers Home in Holyoke declined the offer. We will work with the Board of Trustees to reopen the search for a qualified Superintendent for the Home, said an Executive Office of Health and Human Services spokesperson.

Holloway also said a staffer in Bakers office had blocked Holloways wife from attending meetings with him when he came to town, which took him aback.

Were a team, my wife and I. Im not sacrificing a marriage for a job, he said, adding that his primary reason for pumping the brakes was the health of his daughters and their babies.

Holloway said that if mothers and babies are healthy and well by the end of the month, he still has enthusiasm for taking the job.

Its a wonderful place with a top-notch team. If they reopen the search, and everything works out for mu daughters and their babies Id still love to take the job if theyll still have me, Holloway said, also remarking on how impressed he was with Baker himself and interim Soldiers Home administrator Col. Michael Lazo of the National Guard.

Maj. Gen. Gary Keefe, adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard and chair of the Soldiers Home board, said he will bring the matter of a renewed search before the trustees to discuss at their next meeting.

Keefe said he was advised Friday while in transit from Washington, D.C., that Holloway had notified the Executive Office of Health and Human Services he was declining the post.

Once we, the trustees, receive official notification from Health & Human Services, I plan to bring it before the board for discussion, said Keefe. Im not jumping into putting this out for a new search right away. We have a good team in place at the home, and things are functioning well.

The trustees are well situated right now to sit down, discuss this and decide what makes sense in the best interests of the home and our residents. Yes, time is important to us, but, in my opinion, we do not need to rush on this, Keefe added.

Keefe confirmed he had been told Holloways decision involved family responsibilities.

I can respect someone who makes a decision based on his familys situation. Im glad this happened now and not when he had been in place in the job, he said.

At least 77 veterans at the Soldiers Home lost their lives to COVID-19 last year, and Bakers administration suspended former Superintendent Bennett Walsh, who was later indicted on criminal neglect charges. The state dispatched an emergency management team starting last March, including members of the National Guards medical unit.

Holloway emphasized that he believes taking over at the Soldiers Home is still salvageable.

Heres what I can see happening. ... I can see us getting through the delivery with my eldest daughter. The Soldiers Home will have to go through their process but theres a good possibility it will all work out. At that point Id be more than happy to present my name for reconsideration, he said. I just dont want to hold up the process indefinitely. Its not fair to the Soldiers Home. They deserve a permanent leader.

Related content:
A Rhode Island Superior Court judge has ruled that the state agency that runs T.F. Green Airport mishandled the termination of deputy chief of the airport police and that they did not provide her a hearing under the state Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights.

Justice Alice Gibney found Thursday that former Deputy Chief Helen Ricci is entitled to reinstatement and back pay for wages lost, the Providence Journal reported.

The decision does not address if the Rhode Island Airport Corporation had a valid reason to terminate Ricci, only that the corporation did not follow the bill of rights law in doing so.

Ricci was terminated on Nov. 10 for insubordination and other causes, and filed a request for a hearing under the bill of rights law. A request that the airport corporation apparently never responded to.

According to court documents, the corporation said that at the time of her dismissal she was the highest-ranking officer and therefore exempt from the Bill of Rights law.
Installation view of "ASEAN Animals: Depiction of Animals in ASEAN Arts & Cultures" exhibition at the ASEAN Culture House in Busan, highlighting how animals are portrayed in the Southeast Asian region / Courtesy of ASEAN Culture House





By Kwon Mee-yoo







"ASEAN Animals: Depictions of Animals in ASEAN Arts & Cultures," a special exhibit at the ASEAN Culture House in Busan, sheds light on how animals are portrayed and associated with values in member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.







ASEAN people have maintained close relationships with animals such as chickens, water buffaloes, and elephants for a long time and these animals appear in their art and culture.







"Stories about personified, deified, and imaginary or mythical animals are found throughout the many legends and folk tales of traditional ASEAN cultures," an official of the ASEAN Culture House said.







The exhibit features some 100 traditional and contemporary artworks and audiovisual materials depicting images of animals from the 10 ASEAN countries.







"Symbolic Animals of ASEAN" introduces iconic animals appearing on national symbols of ASEAN countries.







"Visual images of national emblems such as the national flag, coat of arms and seal of the state embody the values and culture the country believes in," the official said.







The ASEAN's real animals representing the country or region include the Komodo dragon of Indonesia and rhinoceros hornbill found in the forests of Malaysia and Southeast Asian islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo.







There also are imaginary beasts told through ancient tales and legends  the Merlion of Singapore, which has a lion's head and the body of a fish and the Cambodian royal animals Gajasingha (a lion with an elephant's trunk) and Rajasingha (mythical royal lion).







"Pedati Model" from Indonesia / Courtesy of ASEAN Culture House





"Animals and Everyday Life in ASEAN," showcases animals related to hunting and breeding.







Major artifacts on display include "Pedati Model" from Indonesia, showing a cart pulled by a water buffalo, while "Hmong Embroidery" from Laos depicts animals from that region.







Korean artist Cho Han-jin created video art that makes shapes of animals in the languages used in ASEAN countries.







"Animals in Religous Symbolism" offers a glimpse of animism throughout the ASEAN region as people believed they were sacred creatures, bridging the otherworld and the earth.







Personified and deified animals also appear in ancient Hindu and Buddhist tales. In the Hindu epic "Ramayana," Hanuman the divine monkey represents courage, strength and power. Elephants are also popular in ASEAN culture as the animal is considered as an earthly manifestation of the Buddha himself, symbolizing patience, loyalty and wisdom.







Seo Dong-joo, Caroline Reize, Rooah and Ken Pyun's two-channel video, "Animal Beats," featuring sounds of tropical rain forests and the sea portrays animals using multi-sensory methods that inspired awe in observers.







Arisong Media Factory's "Shadow Forest Story" / Courtesy of ASEAN Culture House





"Mythical Animals in ASEAN" centers on a variety of mythical animals of the region, often found in royal palaces, religious structures and artworks.







A typical form of the imaginary creatures is a fusion of different species. Singapore's icon Merlion is half-lion, half-fish and Indonesia's Garuda is depicted as a man with wings and an eagle-like head.







Himavanta, a legendary forest in Hindu mythology, is home to many imaginary animals and variations of these fictional animals appear in local folktales of the ASEAN region, offering a glimpse into the creativity of the ASEAN people.







Arisong Media Factory's interactive installation, "Shadow Forest Story," brings these mythical animals to life inspired by a shadow play from the ASEAN region.







ASEAN Culture House, established to commemorate the 2014 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan and operated by the Korea Foundation, presents various exhibitions to highlight the history, societies and cultures of the 10 ASEAN Member states  Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.







The exhibit runs through Aug. 1. Admission is free.




By Kim Jae-heun



Namyang Dairy Product has been embroiled in more than a few controversies that have incurred public anger leading people to boycott the company.



A scandal occurred in May 2013 when it was discovered that a company salesman was threatening wholesale customers in order to force them to buy more products.



The same year, it was found to be still forcing female employees to quit their jobs when they got married or changing their status from a full-time worker to a contract employee. This left just six female staff being employed at the firm's headquarters at that time.



The company managed to commit several more dubious and even illegal acts over the next few years  degrading its reputation  up to the present when it finally made such an irreparable mistake that both its CEO and Chairman had to step down.



In this latest fiasco, Namyang released an exaggerated report last month about its yogurt drink Bulgaris, claiming that it had anti-viral properties that were effective against COVID-19.



This led the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to launch an investigation into the company's so-called research behind this claim. It concluded that the company had broken the Act on Labeling and Advertising of Food.



Namyang CEO Lee Kwang-bum resigned April 26 following a police raid on the firm's headquarters in Seoul two days earlier, while Chairman Hong Won-sik also stepped down the following day.



Hong also announced that management of the company would not be passed on to his children.



Company's governance questioned



During a press conference held May 4, Hong said he would take full responsibility for the pseudoscientific claim regarding Bulgaris, adding that the company would practice transparent management from now on.



However, Hong's statement raised questions, considering the company's governance system.



Namyang Dairy's board of directors consists of 6 members; four executive directors and two nonexecutive directors from outside the firm.



Former CEO Lee was the chairman of the board of directors but due to his resignation, there are now only three executive directors  all members of Hong's family, namely former Chairman Hong, his mother Ji Song-jook and eldest son Hong Jin-seok.



There are two outside directors on the board but they exert limited influence over company management meaning Namyang Dairy is still effectively run by the Hong family.



When Chairman Hong resigned, he did not say he would give up his post as an executive director. His term as such was successfully extended in March this year and it is likely that he will serve out his full tenure as a director.



Regardless of whether or not he steps down from this post as well, it is likely that he will maintain influence over the company by registering himself as an outside director. His mother Ji has been participating in management decisions as a permanent director after having her term extended nine times already.



"Namyang Diary Product has already been marked as an unethical enterprise for its illegalities. It needs to beef up its ethical management while continuing to make sincere apologies to the public," said Prof. Suh Yonh-gu of Sookmyung Women's University's Business School.



Hong's family members are major shareholders too. Hong, his wife Lee Woon-kyung, his brother Hong Myeong-sik and his grandson Hong Seung-ui hold 51.68 percent of the company's shares. And as long as the family members keep their stake, their influence will remain powerful.



Will Hong really give up family-owner system?



There was a similar cases with local food firm Pulmuone in 2018. Its founder Nam Seung-woo stepped down and was replaced by a professional CEO as the company said it would separate its ownership from management. However, contrary to the statement, Nam registered himself as an advisor and was named as a non-executive director on the company's board. He also maintained his chairman position and still has a powerful influence on the company's important decisions.



There is also the possibility that at Namyang, Hong Jin-seok will take over as chairman, as while Hong Won-sik ambiguously said he would not hand over management to his children, this does not exactly mean that his two sons working there will leave the company.



Last month Hong Jin-seok was dismissed from his position for embezzling company money but he is still officially an employee at the firm. Hong Bum-seok, the second son of Chairman Hong, also works for the company.



Their acquisition of Hong's shares will proceed separately from the former chairman's declaration about the company adopting a professional CEO system. Hong Won-sik owns a 51.7 percent stake in the company and if he turns that over to his two sons, they will be able to exert their influence as major shareholders.



"Like chairman said, we don't know exactly what will happen it the near future. Everything depends on the owner's decision," a Namyang Dairy Product official said.


A medical staff prepares a dose of the Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine as part of a mass vaccination campaign at the Boris Trajkovski Arena in Skopje, North Macedonia, May 6. AFP-Yonhap



The World Health Organization (WHO) approved a COVID-19 vaccine from China's state-owned drug maker Sinopharm for emergency use Friday, a boost to Beijing's push for a big role in inoculating the world.



The vaccine, one of two main coronavirus vaccines from China that have been given to hundreds of millions of people there and elsewhere, is the first developed by a non-Western country to win WHO backing.



It is also the first time the WHO has given emergency use approval to a Chinese vaccine for any infectious disease. Earlier this week, however, separate WHO experts expressed concern about the quality of data provided by the company on side effects.



A WHO emergency listing is a signal to national regulators that a product is safe and effective. It also allows it to be included in COVAX, a global program to provide vaccines mainly for poor countries, which has hit supply problems.



"This expands the list of COVID-19 vaccines that COVAX can buy, and gives countries confidence to expedite their own regulatory approval, and to import and administer a vaccine," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing.



Senior WHO adviser Bruce Aylward said it would be up to Sinopharm to say how many doses of its vaccine it can provide to the program, but added: "They are looking at trying to provide substantial support, make substantial doses available while at the same time of course trying to serve China's population."



The WHO has already given emergency approval to vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and, last week, Moderna.





World Health Organization Director-General (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference organized by Geneva Association of United Nations Correspondents amid the COVID-19 pandemic at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, July 3, 2020. The WHO approved a COVID-19 vaccine from China's state-owned drug maker Sinopharm for emergency use Friday, Reuters-Yonhap
Ukrainian troops to join U.S.-led military exercise

Xinhua) 09:06, May 08, 2021

KIEV, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian troops will participate in a United States-led multinational exercise dubbed Defender Europe 21, the general staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said Friday in a statement on Facebook.

According to the statement, the Ukrainian forces will join the Dynamic Front maneuvers, which would be carried out at the Grafenwoehr training area in Germany, bringing together 1,800 troops from 16 nations, including the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Defender Europe is an annual joint exercise designed to build readiness and interoperability between the United States, NATO and partner militaries.

Ukraine, which actively cooperates with NATO, has been seeking to join the organization since 2014. The alliance, however, has not promised Kiev immediate membership prospects.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
KABUL  Women representatives of the National Assembly spoke with a group of influential members of the U.S. Congress via video conference Thursday evening.

The meeting was attended by Acting Minister of Women's Affairs Hasina Safi, Chairwoman of the House Committee on Women and Human Rights Nahid Farid, Member of Parliament Shinkai Karukhil, and Zohra Ahmadzai Deputy Chairman of the Supreme National Reconciliation Council and Advisor to the First Lady.

On the U.S. side, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Mr. Adam Smith and U.S. Senators Mr. Lindsey Graham, Young Kim, Steve Chabot, Andy Kim, and Michael Waltz attended the dialogue.

Afghan women representatives discussed the latest political and security developments, including the peace talks, and shared with the U.S. congresspeople and senators their concerns about the consequences of the withdrawal of the Resolute Support forces.

The U.S. Senators and congresspeople appreciated the exchange of views with their Afghan counterparts and stressed the need to preserve the achievements of Afghanistan over the past two decades. They considered the active participation of women in peace talks and Afghanistan's future as an inalienable right of Afghan women. They underscored the women's significant role in ensuring lasting peace in the country.

Members of the U.S. Congress also pledged to share the concerns raised with their counterparts in the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the U.S. Government and continue to support and help Afghanistan preserve the achievements of the next two decades.

Afghan parliamentarians termed the withdrawal of forces and continued cooperation with Afghanistan's security forces the best opportunity to defend Afghanistan independently. They called on U.S. representatives to pay attention to the views of the Afghan people and support women, men, and the younger generation.

Referring to the democratic developments and the emergence of a highly educated young generation in the country, members of Afghanistan's parliament emphasized the legitimate will and aspirations of the Afghan people not to return to the dark days of the Taliban regime.

They termed the escalation of violence, the continuation of targeted killings, the Taliban's continued links with al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations a clear violation of the Doha Agreement, and the group's unwillingness to seek a political solution. Women parliamentarians called on their U.S. counterparts to cooperate on persuading the Taliban and their regional supporters to accept an immediate and permanent cease-fire in the country.
Mental Health Awareness Month takes on new importance in wake of COVID-19 pandemic

Mental wellness resources available at Michigan.gov/StayWell

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6, 2021

Contact: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112

LANSING, Mich. - After a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic challenged the mental resiliency of all Michiganders, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service (MDHHS) join mental health advocates across the nation in recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness Month.

Observed nationally since 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month promotes mental health education and support in hopes of decreasing the stigma often associated with seeking help for mental illness.

"This Mental Health Month and year-round, we must remember that it's OK to not be OK," said Governor Whitmer. "I encourage Michiganders to reach out to friends or family who may be struggling or get help themselves if they need it. Together, we can remove the stigma around accessing mental health care and uplift each other."

"The pandemic has highlighted the critical role mental health plays in our overall wellbeing," said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. "Recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness Month serves as a reminder to honor our minds as we work to fight this pandemic. And of course, we also want to honor the countless professionals across the state who work tirelessly to help individuals with mental illness get the support they need."

Across the U.S., reports of increased stress-related conditions are high as individuals face the strains of the COVID-19 crisis. According to recent data (March 3 - 15, 2021) from the Household Pulse Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 30% of Michiganders reported symptoms of anxiety or depression during the seven days prior to being surveyed. The survey shows Michigan's self-reported symptom numbers have hovered between 30% and 49% since December 2020. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the negative psychological impacts of a disaster can last for months or years - and if left untreated, can contribute to mental illness.

MDHHS is working on several fronts to focus attention on mental health as part of public health. The Michigan Suicide Prevention Commission recently released an initial report with recommendations on how to reduce the suicide rate, including increasing and expanding access to care for at-risk Michiganders.

Early in the pandemic, MDHHS partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Administration and SAMHSA to develop the Stay Well program, offering emotional support through the Stay Well counseling line seven days a week, 24 hours a day (dial 888-535-6136 and press "8.") The program's website, Michigan.gov/StayWell, offers links to a variety of mental health resources, including crisis help lines, virtual support groups, guidance documents, videos and recorded webinars.

For mental wellness resources, visit Michigan.gov/StayWell.

# # #
Gov. Whitmer Announces Grants for 88 Electric Vehicle Charging Sites to Expand Statewide Network

Gov. Whitmer Announces Grants for 88 Electric Vehicle Charging Sites to Expand Statewide Network

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2021

Contact: Press@michigan.gov

Gov. Whitmer Announces Grants for 88 Electric Vehicle Charging Sites to Expand Statewide Network

LANSING, Mich. -- Governor Gretchen Whitmer today announced thirty-two locations across Michigan have been approved as part of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy's 'Charge Up' grants totaling $1,868,681.13 to install fast charging stations for private and commercial electric vehicles, adding 88 charging outlets along key travel routes throughout the state.

"Michigan put the world on wheels and will continue driving the world forward by leading on mobility and electrification," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "These grants demonstrate our commitment to expanding EV infrastructure across Michigan and build on the extraordinary work and investments of our innovative industry partners and EGLE to help support drivers who make the transition to electric vehicles."

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) grants announced today continue the build out of an EV charging infrastructure at optimal locations under EGLE's Charge Up Michigan program. The program partially funds direct current fast chargers based on a 2019 EGLE Energy Services-funded study that advocates for continuous, worry-free EV travel across Michigan with connections to high-traveled Midwest and Canadian routes.

"Adding another 88 EV chargers - with commitment from private industry, utilities and state support - builds needed infrastructure for Michigan's mobility evolution," EGLE Director Liesl Clark said. "It's an exciting time for the driving public as we see auto manufacturers and utilities right here in Michigan embrace this move to a cleaner mobility technology. The charger installations work hand-in-hand with EGLE's support for an advanced mobility future, Catalyst Communities program to help municipalities prepare for the impacts of climate change and the Council on Climate Solutions' work in developing the MI Healthy Climate Plan."

Facilitating the expansion of a statewide EV charging infrastructure supports Gov. Whitmer's commitment to addressing the impacts of climate change on Michigan's residents as well as accelerating electric vehicle adoption in Michigan - a key focus area of the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. Growing consumer acceptance of electric vehicles is a key component to reaching the goal of the MI Healthy Climate Plan of statewide carbon neutrality by 2050. An electrified vehicle fleet will also improve public health and the environment through limiting greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.

Charge Up Michigan offers up to $70,000 per charging station to public or private entities in partnership with a host site and the utility that serves the area. EGLE, the grant recipient and utility each pay a third of the cost for site preparation, charger installation, connections to the electrical power grid, signage and network fees.

Since the launch of the Charge Up Michigan program, EGLE has allocated $4,000,182.97 for chargers at 76 locations with a total of 182 charging station outlets. Each charging station has at least two outlets, allowing multiple vehicles to charge simultaneously. More than half of the approved direct current fast charger projects have been installed and are operational, making them publicly available for EV drivers at any time.

Many of the charging stations funded by the grants announced today are expected to be operational by the end of the year:

Sunrise Stores LLC (Fort Gratiot, Smiths Creek, Capac and Kimball): 8 charging outlets, $200,000

Traverse City Light and Power, 15 outlets, $173,763.03

Red E Charging (Detroit, Waterford and Wixom): 6 outlets, $157,743.60

EV Build (City of Rogers City and Mackinaw City): 6 outlets, $125,580

City of Ann Arbor: 4 outlets, $70,000

Dean Arbour Ford (West Branch): 2 outlets, $70,000

Diatomic Energy, LLC (Belle Isle State Park, Detroit): 2 outlets, $70,000

Great Lakes Energy (Scottville): 4 outlets, $70,000

Summit Place Properties II LLC (Waterford): 4 outlets, $70,000

TNT Equipment (Sandusky): 4 outlets, $70,000

Sunrise LLC (Houghton Lake): 2 outlets, $55,750

Hawks Petroleum LLC (Howard City): 2 outlets, $53,350

Ford & Haggerty, Inc. (Canton): 2 outlets, $50,000

Lee Road, Inc. (Brighton): 2 outlets, $50,000

McNichols & Wyoming, Inc. (Detroit): 2 outlets, $50,000

Royal Gas and Oil (Farmington): 2 outlets, $50,000

Speedy Q Market (Port Huron): 2 outlets, $50,000

Sunny's Food Mart (Pleasant Ridge): 2 outlets, $50,000

Wakeland Oil (Brighton): 2 outlets, $50,000

Washtenaw Food & Gas, Inc. (Ann Arbor): 2 outlets, $50,000

Zourob Enterprises (Romulus): 2 outlets, $50,000

J. McCormick LLC (Whitehall): 2 outlets, $49,845

Amended grants from previous rounds:

Blarney Castle Oil (Manistee and Petoskey): 4 outlets, $111,700

Meijer (Ann Arbor): 2 outlets (50 kW), $40,000

Hage Automotive (Jackson Airport): 3 outlets (50 kW), $30,679.50

The grants are funded through Michigan's allocation from the Volkswagen diesel settlement. The goal is to complete the statewide charging network by 2030. Funding is still available, and applications are encouraged from host sites throughout the Upper Peninsula, as well as in the northwest, southwest and southeast Lower Peninsula. Applications are available here. EGLE will focus on filling these gaps where proposed locations are still open in the state, especially in the Upper Peninsula, to form a fast-charging loop around Lake Michigan in conjunction with other states.

Last month, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced the 5th round of "Alternate Fuel Corridors" designations recognizing highway segments that have infrastructure plans to allow travel on alternative fuels, including electricity. Five "Alternate Fuel Corridors" were designated as EV Ready in Michigan this round through the efforts of the Michigan Department of Transportation and others, including I-75 between Trenton and Auburn Hills and between Gaylord and Indian River; I-96 between Detroit and Muskegon; I-196 between Saugatuck and Grand Rapids; US-31 between Saugatuck and Muskegon; and, US 131 between Portage and Petoskey.

"As the production and adoption of electric vehicles continues to accelerate, Michigan is not only supporting that transition to electric vehicles, we are also working to expand access to EV charging infrastructure statewide," said Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Office for the state of Michigan. "These federal EV Ready corridor designations demonstrate that momentum and EGLE's Charge Up Michigan grants remain vital to this ongoing effort as we continue to build momentum as a high tech, mobility and electrification hub here in the U.S. and beyond."

Michigan currently offers 480 publicly accessible charging stations featuring nearly 1,400 charging outlets, in addition to 146 private charging stations throughout the state. Michigan continues to build out this infrastructure to encourage further EV adoption, putting the state within the top 25 percent of states for electric vehicle registrations.

# # #
The Huron Intermediate School District has announced that Huron County native Dr. Nancy Lubeski will be the districts next superintendent.

We are absolutely thrilled to land someone of Nancys caliber to lead the ISD, HISD school board president Jan Holz said in the announcement. The board is confident that Dr. Lubeskis fresh perspective and broad experiences will help the county continue on its path to excellence.

The board made its decision at a meeting earlier this week. Holz said that the school board felt Lubeski brought a lot with her experience and excellence in special education.

Lubeski is a Huron County native, attending Rapson School from Kindergarten through eighth grade and graduating from Bad Axe High School before getting her bachelors degree in special education and masters degree and Ph.D. in educational administration from Michigan State. She has also worked as a United States Peace Corps volunteer special education teacher trainer in Tunisia, a Fulbright scholar to Malawi, and an English language teacher trainer for Chinese teachers.

Prior to her new role, Lubeski has 22 years of teaching experience in Michigan. She has worked as a paraprofessional, special education teacher, assistant principal, and principal of the public Montessori school for the Lansing School District. Most recently, she served as the director of special education at Three Rivers Community Schools in St. Joseph County since 2018.

I am very excited to return to my home, family, and community in which I was raised, Lubeski said. My interest lies in creating connections and opportunities for students in Huron County, making sure that they are able to understand and connect with the larger global community.

Lubeski intends to gain a more in-depth knowledge of the district, its programs and services, and a better understanding of the how and why" of its operations. She feels her experiences as a practitioner, administrator and director provide a very solid foundation and wide perspective of teaching and learning. She calls herself very service-oriented and supporting innovative programming and a big picture thinker who enjoys collaborating with others.

My plans include forming positive relationships within the ISD, local schools and the larger community, Lubeski said. I will be working hard to fulfill our mission and vision of learning, leading, and serving. I am dedicated to listening as well and leading, creating the best possible educational experienced for our students.

Lubeski was one of six candidates for the role, which also included local superintendents Shawn Bishop of Harbor Beach Community Schools and Joseph Candela of Ubly Community Schools.

The previous superintendent, Joe Murphy, announced his retirement after 10 years on the job at the end of the school year back in December.

The process for finding a new superintendent has been going on since February, with the Lansing-based Michigan Association of School Boards brought on to help with the search process. Zoom meetings and online surveys were put together to get public input.

Contract negotiations between Lubeski and the board are currently ongoing, with Lubeski expected to assume her new role in June 2021.
MIDDLETOWN  A new officer is joining the Middletown Police Department  and hes a dog named Bear.

Community Relations Officer Jay Bodell completed a 14-day K-9 school in New York on Friday and was paired with Bear.

Bear is a 21-month-old black lab who first started training at just 8 weeks old, according to the Middletown Police Department.

He was trained in multiple maximum-security prisons throughout New York by inmates known as Puppy Raisers, meaning he was training with someone 24/7.

Bear is trained to assist wounded war veterans and first responders who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injuries and depression get through everyday life. Service dogs know approximately 90 different commands and have over 10,00 hours of socialization in schools, airports, malls, churches and more, police said.

At the Middletown Police Department, Bear will assist with overall officer wellness and will help with community relations, police said.

Middletown Police said Bear and his training were donated by Puppies Behind Bars, an organization that trains prison inmates to raise service dogs. Assistance and support was provided by The Hometown Foundation Inc.

Middletown Police Department is the fourth agency in the state to receive a service dog from Puppies Behind Bars, police said.

Officer Bodell and K-9 Bear will return to work next week.

christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com
A year after an EF-5 tornado blew through Joplin, Mo., then-President Barack Obama came to deliver the commencement speech for Joplin High School graduates, class of 2012. That ill wind has killed 162 people and injured more than 1,000. The rubble had been cleared, but the scars remained.

Joplin was not  and still isnt  Obama country. It is solidly conservative, but people lined the highways to see the presidential motorcade pass.

When Obama took the stage at Missouri Southern State College, he told the graduates that the tornado had changed them, and that people will always remember how others responded after that wind blew their lives to smithereens.

Because theyre from Joplin, he said, they would always remember the kindness of strangers. Because theyre from Joplin, those students would go through their lives understanding that they possessed the ability to live through awful events, often with grace and often with humor.

I am from the Joplin area, and I can still work up tears reading the transcript of that speech. Ive been reading it as I think about this years college seniors.

On a recent morning, I met with one of those students over Zoom, a video conferencing platform Ive come to loathe. It was 9 a.m., and the student looked tired. I commented on his eyes being at half-mast, and he laughed and said he was just getting home from his job at a laundromat, where hed already put in a three-hour shift. After our meeting, he said, hed go to class, then maybe take a nap. I think there was another class later that day, and then practice.

At some point, he said he would sit down and do homework, then go to bed, only to wake up and do the whole thing all over again.

In a little more than a week, that student  the first of his family to attend college  will get his degree. Although faculty members are supposed to sit quietly until all the names are called, I dont think I will.

Students juggled jobs, and concerns and fears. They worked through quarantines, and sometimes, they Zoomed into class when they were as sick as theyve ever been. They fell behind, caught back up, and lived and sometimes thrived in an unprecedented time when college life looked nothing like the college life for which they prepared. They turned their cameras on. They turned their cameras off. They let family pets walk through the frame. They  in the finest sense of the word  persisted.

I am so proud of those students. We professors may have struggled, as well, but we professors are older and had the benefit of experience to fall back on. Students made it through a challenging time with scant little perspective on what it is to live through a challenging time.

These seniors were toddlers when the terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center. What they know of 9/11, of the world wars, theyve read in books.

Everyone in academia is feeling the pandemics long reach. A 2020 study said 35 percent of undergraduates screened positive for major depressive disorder, while 39 percent of undergraduate and graduate and professional students screened positive for generalized anxiety disorder. This was especially true for low-income students, students of color, and students in the LGBTQ community, the type of student higher institutions of learning very much want to retain. Those figures are twice as high as the year before.

Students have been challenged individually, while colleges and universities might be facing a bleak fall, if certain data play out. For one, vulnerable students may have to drop out  or they may have dropped out already. One recent study marked a decline in students filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a form that helps students determine their eligibility for financial aid. Considering so many families have struggled to meet their bills during the pandemic, this is troubling.

As of late April 2020 - the early days of the pandemic  there were 1.89 million FAFSA applications filed, compared to roughly 1.78 million this year. Thats a drop of roughly 6 percent. That may not sound like much, but its enough to send alarm bells through college recruitment offices. According to the National College Attainment Networks FAFSA Tracker, the most recent data says Connecticut was doing slightly better than the national average, with a 4.5 percent drop.

This comes after the number of first-year students dropped 13 percent nationwide last fall, from the National Student Clearinghouse. Community colleges, which have played an increasingly important role as a gateway into higher education, have been hit especially hard.

Add to that the U.S. Census Bureau recent release of 2020 census figures that say the country has entered a period of record low population growth  and a population shift that is tipping the scale toward the elderly.

None of these numbers bode well for Connecticuts colleges and universities, but numbers can change, and those of us on college campuses just met some pretty incredible challenges.

And graduating seniors? Because youre from Joplin  or, rather, because you are a member of the Class of 2021 and an honorary resident of Joplin  youve already done a very hard thing. We who struggled along with you cannot wait to see what you make of yourself.
WASHINGTON  In 2018 during her first run for Congress, then-candidate Jahana Hayes said she wouldnt take campaign contributions from corporate political action committees as part of her commitment to clean up the influence of money in politics.

But now as a two-term congresswoman, Hayes, D-5, has accepted $102,000 for her campaigns from PACs run by many of the nations largest corporations, Federal Election Commission filings show.

In the first quarter of 2021, as she builds her next reelection war chest, Hayes collected $9,500 from PACs operated by the likes of Walmart, Comcast, T-Mobile and General Dynamics.

3 1 of 3 Leslie Hutchison / Hearst Connecticut Media / Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3





The congresswoman accepts corporate PAC money, Hayes campaign manager Barbara Ellis said. Her position evolved from the time she was a new candidate.

The Center for Responsive Politics found 20 percent of Hayes PAC contributions came from businesses over the last two election cycles. About 5 percent of her total contributions in those elections came from corporate PACs.

Hayes took her original stance against corporate PAC money in Newtown at a 2018 Democratic debate before the 5th District primary,

I would not take corporate PAC money, Hayes said. I would not take money from firearms manufacturers or what was the other one you said? ... Private prison corporations? No.

The House Republicans campaign arm attacked Hayes for going back on her word as it targets her seat for pickup in 2022.

Jahana Hayes is a hypocrite who broke the simplest promise she made to her constituents the moment she got to D.C., said Samantha Bullock, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

In 2018 when Hayes renounced corporate PACS, she was part of a wave of first-time progressive Democratic candidates who made pledges not to take corporate PAC dollars. The declaration was a simple signal to voters as Democrats tried to place themselves on the sides of voters, not special interest groups or wealthy businesses.

All PACs are not created equal, Hayes told voters. When I go to Congress, I will fight and make sure campaign finance reform is a priority.

Hayes contributions from corporate PACs 2018 cycle Hayes collected $12,000 from corporate PACs in her first campaign. Her first contribution from one came one month before she pledged not to accept corporate PAC dollars. Corporate PACs that gave to her included PACs associated with General Dynamics, Eversource Energy, Microsoft, AT&T, Wakefern Food Corp, CRH Americas Inc and law firms Duane Morris and Faegre Baker Daniles. 2020 cycle Over the next two years, Hayes received $80,500 from corporate PACs. The list of her corporate contributors featured Amazon, Verizon, Toyota, Stanley Black and Decker, Comcast Corporation, Home Depot, T-Mobile, Aflac, Goldman Sachs, New York Life Insurance, General Motors, General Dynamics, Cigna, Lockheed Martin and more. 2022 cycle In the first quarter of 2021, corporate PACS contributed $9,500 to Hayes' campaign. Her contributors included Comcast, General Dynamics, Otis Worldwide, T-Mobile, Walmart, Apollo Education Group, Adtalem Global Education and law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. See More Collapse

Ellis said Hayes answer shows her foundational beliefs [on campaign finance] have not changed.

She still believes all PACs are not created equal and has come to realize that PAC money in many cases includes voluntary employee contributions, often from her own constituents, and is not reserved simply for amorphous, dark money, Ellis said. She also has not wavered in her conviction that the money in politics is a broken system. Since being elected, Rep. Hayes has consistently supported campaign finance reform, including the For The People Act, which seeks to limit the influence of money in politics.

Many Democrats, like now-U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., made opposing corporate PACs a fundamental part of their 2018 campaigns. Since then, refusing corporate PAC money has continued to balloon in popularity among Democrats.

A record 155 congressional incumbents and challengers vowed to reject corporate PAC money during the 2020 campaign, according to End Citizens United, which tracks such pledges. Neither Hayes nor any member of the Connecticut congressional delegation has made the pledge.

In the 2020 presidential race, then-Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., then-Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, and former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro all swore off corporate PAC dollars. As a candidate, now-President Joe Biden said hed go without contributions from corporations and lobbyists, but his political action committee continued to accept the payments, the Intercept reported.

Most members of Congress fuel their campaigns with contributions from corporations, unions, trade associations and other advocacy groups. Even if they pledge no to take corporate PAC dollars, they can support their campaigns with contributions from other candidates who do.

Connecticut Democrats Reps. John Larson, Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro and Jim Himes all accept more corporate PAC money than Hayes, the Center for Responsive Politics found.

emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson
An unsanctioned COVID vaccination clinic in western Connecticut was shut down in February after investigators discovered an untrained state representative was handling and preparing vials of vaccine.

The state Department of Public Health also suspended Kent-based High Watch Recovery Center, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center that oversaw the clinic, from holding any new vaccination clinics until it complied with state regulations.

DPH investigators showed up at Heritage Village in Southbury, the largest retirement community in the state, early on the morning of Feb. 4 to find personnel from High Watch running a mobile clinic for 200 residents.

High Watch had failed to inform the state it was going to be running a mobile clinic in Southbury and didnt have approval to do so, said DPH spokesman Maura Fitzgerald. The rehabilitation center had no prior experience hosting a mobile clinic, she said.

The state eventually decided to stop sending first doses to High Watch for about a month, resuming shipments of the vaccine in early April, records show.

The Connecticut Mirror has obtained the investigation report, internal DPH e-mails about the incident and correspondence between the state and High Watch officials and their attorney. The records for the High Watch investigation were requested on Feb. 22 under the state Freedom of Information Act; they were released by state officials on May 5.

While the vast majority of the states vaccination clinics have been conducted without incident, the issues with High Watch at Heritage Village and a separate investigation into how a CVS in Waterford was vaccinating New York residents show there have been isolated problems that state officials do not publicly discuss during their bi-weekly press conferences about the pandemic and vaccine distribution.

A spokeswoman for DPH did not immediately comment on the High Watch investigation Thursday morning.

In a six-page letter to High Watch officials and their attorney, the head of the DPH Facilities and Licensing Unit, Barbara Cass, outlined a broad range of problems her investigators uncovered at the Southbury clinic, beginning with the fact that the companys vice president of communications, Jason Perillo, was opening vials of Moderna vaccine and preparing shots even though he was not trained or licensed to do so by DPH.

Perillo is a Republican state Representative from Shelton and a former EMT whose license expired in 2018, DPH officials noted.

Every single individual handling vaccines was trained to do so by our chief medical officer at High Watch, Perillo said in an interview Thursday night. Id go so far as to say we were given one-on-one training.

In addition to finding Perillo preparing the vaccine, investigators found 10 vials of Moderna vaccine  the equivalent of about 100 doses - unattended on a counter, another 18 vials in a portable cooler with no monitoring temperature gauge, which is required by the CDC, and a box of syringes left unattended.

Perillo said that the vials of vaccine had been out of the refrigerator for at least an hour and a half when investigators discovered them. He also acknowledged that he was not a licensed health care professional but said he was trained by a physician from High Watch to prepare and administer the vaccine. He said he had been routinely opening vials and preparing shots at clinics High Watch was running at its Kent facility.

In another room, investigators discovered five unlabeled and unattended syringes containing a cloudy white liquid that Perillo told them was the first batch of Moderna vaccine. Investigators also noted the presence of at least two people in a hallway who had been vaccinated but were not being monitored for adverse reactions, as required by the CDC, and poor social distancing among the elderly residents who were waiting to get vaccinated that morning.

DPH officials halted the Heritage Village clinic until they could get personnel from Waterbury Hospital to take over the clinic on Feb 4. The clinic was delayed until Waterbury Hospital personnel arrived and completed vaccinating nearly 300 people. The state also asked Waterbury Hospital to come back several weeks later and administer the second doses.

In an email to DPH staff following the spot visit, vaccine coordinator Benjamin Bechtolsheim ordered them to ensure that High Watch officials received the second doses they needed for their regular clinic in Kent but then to cut them off.

We basically just want to give him enough doses to wind down commitments and then quietly exit the program, Bechtolsheim wrote in a Feb. 15 e-mail to both Cass and DPH Chief of Staff Adelita Orefice.

Amen

By mid-February, High Watch had administered more than 4,000 doses out of an office in downtown Kent. Although the drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic could be viewed as an unlikely vaccinating partner for the state, it was a good match because DPH had very little vaccine coverage in the rural Northwest corner of Connecticut.

Perillo said it was Heritage Village officials who first contacted High Watch about holding a mobile clinic at the Southbury facility. In e-mails and letters to DPH officials, High Watch CEO Jerry Schwab said they were expecting help with the clinic from the Heritage Village ambulance service that didnt materialize.

Unfortunately, at this particular mobile Southbury site, High Watch was promised assistance from the Heritage Village Ambulance Service, which it did not receive, Schwab wrote. Notwithstanding, High Watch does not dispute this finding and has decided to discontinue holding any further mobile clinics.

Shipman and Goodwin attorney Joan Feldman, who represented High Watch in the aftermath of the Southbury clinic debacle, wrote a letter to DPH Chief of Staff Adelita Orefice and Cass downplaying Perillos role at the clinic and emphasizing that High Watch had stepped up to help the state reach an area sparse on vaccinators.

The one compliance issue that High Watch is aware of involves one retired High Watch EMT preparing vaccine (BUT NOT ADMINISTERING THE VACCINE) for administration by a licensed practitioner, Feldman wrote. This retired EMT completed the vaccine administration training provided by the High Watch Medical Director who was a trained Skills Validator pursuant to DPH guidelines.

Feldman then reminded DPH officials that High Watch had already administered more than 4,000 doses at its Kent clinic since late January.

It is our hope and expectation that DPH will take into consideration the current circumstances, the fact that there was no bad faith, that all other aspects of the States vaccine program have been strictly adhered to, there is a great need for vaccines, and that access is limited in the subject area, Feldman wrote.

But DPH officials werent buying it.

There is no retired EMT status, you are either current or expired. Mr. Perillos EMT certification expired in 2018, DPHs Office of Emergency Services Paramedic Director Raffaella Coler wrote in a Feb. 18 e-mail to Cass.

The Commissioners Order states that you must complete an approved training by the Department. There is no record of Mr. Perillo completing any department approved training, she added.

Casss one word response: Amen.

Plea for more vaccine

DPH officials also canceled a mobile clinic High Watch had scheduled in Shelton a week after the Heritage Village clinic. On March 3, DPH conducted a site visit at the centers Kent location, and on March 5, High Watch submitted its corrective plan.

High Watch informed DPH officials that as part of their corrective plan, they were immediately removing its Director of Communications (a retired EMT) from any further involvement in its vaccine administration program.

Only High Watch licensed physicians and nurses will be involved and responsible for the safe administration of vaccine, Schwab wrote.

High Watch is experiencing a very high demand for its vaccine services and is eager to respond to the needs of this community for vaccination. Upon submission of our plan, we welcome swift direction and communication from DPH regarding our ability to restart our process for making appointments for vaccinations, Schwab said.

The letter also addressed the issue of vaccine being left unattended or unrefrigerated.

Vaccines will never be left unattended by the administrating clinician, Schwab wrote. Specifically, effective 3/5/21, High Watch will adopt the checklist for the safe handling and storage of vaccine as set forth in CDC guidance.

DPH officials responded within three days and approved the corrective plan of action, but Cass said first doses would not be available again to High Watch until early April.

In the meantime, she wrote, High Watch should schedule no new patients and honor all scheduled first and second dose commitments.

The clinic should not expect to get additional doses for further clinics until after April 5th, Cass said. Vaccine supply is limited, so DPH will not be able to restart High Watchs participation in the network , that is, provide vaccine allocation for new first dose appointments - until after April 5th.

Perillo said that High Watch never stopped vaccinating people, although by now  like most vaccinators  the supply far outweighs the demand.

We still have the clinic open right now, Perillo said. Were kind of facing the same thing that everybodys facing, that in January it was mobbed and people were banging down the doors to get vaccinated, and now, unfortunately, were kind of twiddling our thumbs.
KILLINGWORTH  Two private wells in town were found to be tainted with actionable levels of hazardous PFAS chemicals following testing by the state Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection, a spokesman said.

The wells were in the area around Beechwood, a manufactured-home community where PFAS were previously detected in the public water supply in March, prompting the latest round of testing, according to DEEP spokesman Will Healey.

While the water in the Beechwood community comes from a public supply and is treated to well below action levels before reaching local taps, Healey said the water from the two private wells does not receive any treatment and the owners of the wells are being advised not to use the water for cooking or drinking.

Were in the process of communicating the results directly to the homeowners, Healey said. DEEP is providing the owners of the wells with bottled water for the time being, he added.

The private wells are the latest water source in Killingworth to be found with elevated levels of PFAS this year, following similar discoveries at public water sources in Beechwood and the Town Hall. Officials have yet to identify a suspected source of the chemicals.

Killingworth First Selectwoman Catherine Iino said the water at Killingworth Town Hall and two nearby properties, a fire station and garage, use the same water supply, though she added it is not used for drinking water due to high levels of sodium. Almost everyone else in town except for those living in the Beechwood community get their water from private wells, she said.

Iino and Healey said Beechwood began receiving treated water about a decade ago, after high levels of uranium were detected in wells used by the community.

DEEP has tested a total of 29 private wells since the discovery of PFAS at Beechwood earlier this year. In addition to the two wells that tested above the action level, Healey said another 16 wells had lower levels of PFAS detected. The chemicals were not detected above the labs reporting limit at 11 wells, he said.

Based on the results of the sampling, well evaluate treatment options and install the necessary treatment for these two private wells, Healey said in an email.

Meanwhile, tests are being done on 18 private wells in the vicinity of Killingworth Town Hall. The results of those tests should be available in early June, Healey said

The chemicals, also known as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, can be found in common household items such as food packaging, nonstick cookware, other water repellent products and certain firefighting foams.

Because they are designed to not break down easily, PFAS can accumulate in the environment and the body, where there is evidence that exposure can lead to harmful health effects, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The action level for PFAS set by the state Department of Public Health is 70 parts per trillion.

The two private wells in Killingworth that tested above that level had PFAS concentrations of 105.6 ppt and 404 ppt, according to Healey. Testing of three untreated water sources for the Beechwood Community reported results of 36, 61 and 146 ppt, according to Connecticut Water.

Gov. Ned Lamont created a task force in 2019 to study the potential effects of PFAS, leading to a report that recommended greater testing of public drinking water, identifying sources of the chemicals and phasing out the use of firefighting foams that contain PFAS. That same year, the release of foams containing PFAS during two incidents at Bradley International Airport brought the issue to the attention of lawmakers, WNPR previously reported.

Connecticut Water held a virtual information session for its customers in Beechwood in March regarding the elevated levels of PFAS at one of three untreated wells serving the area. The company assured residents that the treated water delivered to their homes tested at 10 ppt, well below the state action level.

The state agencies and the town are investigating the potential source or activities in the area that might have contributed to PFAS in the wells, the company said in a statement posted to its website. In addition, [Connecticut Water] will conduct ongoing water quality testing and report to DPH to ensure the treatment in the Beechwood system continues to perform and effectively treat the water.

Iino said she spoke with the towns fire chief, who assured her that the fire department has not used firefighting foams with PFAS in decades.

Thats the most obvious thought about what the source could have been way back when, Iino said. Our aquifer seems to linger.

Healey said Friday that DEEP would not identify the operators of the private wells.
As the Biden administration finalizes its first budget plan, the Navy's top officer said competition for funding is high among the military's top leaders.

But Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday said Thursday he's confident the Navy Department has a "sound case" for getting a bigger piece of the defense budget since the sea services' forward presence will be crucial in meeting threats from China and Russia.

"I am parochial, of course, as a service chief, but I truly believe that the Navy is providing substantial lethality and capability to the joint force and contributing ... to the kind of fights that we're going to [face] in the future," he said at an event hosted by the Navy Memorial.

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Gilday has for more than a year said his service needs a bigger portion of the defense budget to build the ships and submarines to keep other militaries, including China's, in check. During the Cold War, the Navy got 38% of the Defense Department's budget, the CNO said during the 2020 Surface Navy Association's symposium.

But that has fallen to 34%, he said last year, at a time when naval forces have been stretched to respond to threats in the Middle East, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and other spots. Gilday is not alone in arguing that's not enough.

Blake Herzinger, a defense policy specialist and U.S. Navy Reserve officer, wrote an opinion piece for Foreign Policy last week arguing that today's threats demand that the "rule of thirds," which currently divvies up the funding pot to the Army, Air Force and Navy Department fairly equally, must change.

"Much as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were largely ground-centric efforts led (rightly) by the Army, the challenges faced by the United States now and for the foreseeable future are maritime," Herzinger wrote. "If the United States and China go to war, it will play out in the vast oceans of the region, not on Chinese shores."

Gilday said that the threats China and Russia pose to the world aren't limited to any two regions. Only a steady forward presence on and from the seas will assure allies and partners that "we have their backs," he said.

"In order to be relevant, we got to be there," the CNO added. "... Those forward operations are important. They make a difference. Virtual presence is actual absence -- we've got to be there."

Still, the idea that the Navy Department should get more money than other services is not popular with everyone. As Herzinger noted last week, the Navy has had three back-to-back-to-back seriously flawed shipbuilding programs in the littoral combat ship, Zumwalt-class destroyer, and Ford-class aircraft carrier.

The Navy recently halted acceptance of new littoral combat ships due to a new mechanical problem. The Zumwalt-class destroyer was delivered to the service without a working combat system more than three years after it was commissioned. The first in the Ford-class carriers has also faced problems with its weapons elevators and catapult systems, leaving it delayed and far over budget.

Gilday on Thursday defended some of those programs, saying the Ford is on track to deploy in 2022 and that he remains "bullish about LCS" and confident it will play a role in future missions.

Despite the competition for Defense Department funding, he said the internal battles haven't harmed the relationships between the services. The Navy and Marine Corps remain committed to ensuring U.S. ships can freely navigate, and now the Army and Air Force are eyeing those missions, he said.

"The Army is talking about long-range fires and ... how they can contribute to sea control and sea denial. The Air Force, similarly," Gilday said. "So, I'm making the strongest case that I can make for the capabilities that the Navy brings to the fight within the joint force."

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.

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Seven years ago, the military's top brass argued to Congress that commanders should retain the power to prosecute sexual assault cases to maintain "good order and discipline."

But now, the idea of stripping commanders of that responsibility is advancing quickly both on Capitol Hill and at the Pentagon.

"I urge that military commanders remain central to the legal process," Gen. Martin Dempsey, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in 2013. "The commander's ability to preserve good order and discipline remains essential to accomplishing any change within our profession. Reducing command responsibility could adversely affect the ability of the commander to enforce professional standards and, ultimately, to accomplish the mission."

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But that attitude is changing quickly.

Military law may be on the cusp of one of its biggest overhauls ever, with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., rapidly picking up support in the Senate for a bill that would move sexual assault cases out of the chain of command.

The murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, which rocked the Army, has seemingly set the stage to revamp how the military tackles sex crimes, according to multiple legal experts and congressional staff interviewed by Military.com.

Retired Lt. Col. Rachel VanLandingham, a national security law expert and former judge advocate for the U.S. Air Force, said one of the keys to getting more lawmakers on board with the change has been Gillibrand's willingness to make compromises in her bill, ceding to commanders prosecution power over offenses that are uniquely military crimes.

"That's her big move. ... Some [military crimes] carry the death penalty, such as misbehavior before the enemy," VanLandingham said in an interview with Military.com. "She is leaving that to commanders. To me, that ignores the structural issues; commanders are not independent or experienced. But Gillibrand is an astute politician, and she'd rather start the move versus continuing to be stuck. She's reading the tea leaves, willing to compromise, so that's why you're starting to see more and more people get on board."

When Dempsey gave his testimony in 2013, there were dueling bills on Capitol Hill aimed at revamping how the military tackled sexual assault invetigations.

But in early 2014, the Senate rejected Gillibrand's bipartisan proposal. She had key Republican allies such as Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky, both of whom were leaders in the Tea Party movement at the time. Yet she faced fierce opposition from the Pentagon and even from within her own party.

A watered-down bill from Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., directly competed with Gillibrand's and eventually passed that year. McCaskill scoffed at the idea of removing commanders from the legal process, saying it wouldn't have an impact on the number of victims reporting attacks, based on other countries that had similar laws already in place.

"There is a theory that if we take this decision away from any command, that would magically have victims come forward. We know this is not the silver bullet. If it were, you would've seen an increase in reporting in other countries who adopted this," McCaskill said on the Senate floor in 2013.

McCaskill's bill got rid of the so-called "good soldier" defense, making factors such as the accused's service record irrelevant. It also made retaliating against a victim a crime and expanded special counsel programs for victims. But some veterans advocates and lawmakers said at the time that, while the legislation was a much needed incremental improvement, it generally kept the status quo.

Because commanders often know and work with both the victim and the accused, supporters of Gillibrand's efforts say victims frequently shy away from reporting abuse, adding that commanders' inherent bias makes it difficult to trust whether they can properly prosecute a colleague.

In a potentially significant shift at the Pentagon, Gen. Mark Milley, the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs, dropped his opposition to the proposed changes to military law.

"I was adamantly opposed to that for years," he said, according to The Associated Press.

"But I haven't seen the needle move," he added, likely referring to Pentagon data estimating 25,000 service members were sexually assaulted in 2018, up from 14,900 in 2016.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: Army to Overhaul Criminal, Sexual Assault Investigations After Vanessa Guillen Murder
The U.S. Air Force's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter fleet has officially surpassed the number of F-15 Eagle jets and A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, becoming the second largest fighter jet fleet in its aircraft inventory, the service's top general said Friday.

Chief of Staff Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown revealed the new statistic during a hearing about the fiscal 2022 budget before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee. As of this week, he said, the F-35 fighter fleet is second in size only to the F-16 Fighting Falcon; the Air Force has 934 F-16 C and D models.

Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Malinda Singleton told Military.com the service has 283 F-35s, which also surpasses the A-10 Warthog fleet by two aircraft.

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During the hearing, Brown discussed how the Air Force plans to move forward with its "TacAir study," which will determine the right mix of aircraft for the future, and assess how future fighter concepts will fit into the current mix of fourth- and fifth-generation fighters.

"It won't necessarily give us an answer, [but] a range of answers to take a look at the threat and make sure we have done the analysis to inform ourselves but also our key stakeholders, which includes this committee," he said.

The F-35 fleet eclipsed the number of F-22 Raptors in 2019 -- with 203 at the end of that fiscal year; the Air Force capped its Raptor fleet at 187 in 2009 (it currently has 186).

According to the Air Force Association's 2020 aircraft almanac, the service has 241 F-15C/D Eagle models and 218 F-15E Strike Eagles.

Brown in February disputed reports calling the F-35 a high-cost Pentagon failure, saying that was "nowhere near the case." In his prepared testimony before the subcommittee Friday, he said the jet remains "the cornerstone of our future fighter force and air superiority."

He told reporters Feb. 17 that the Air Force hasn't ruled out bringing a new fighter jet into its inventory as it looks to replace older, fourth-generation F-16s. This marks a change; since the beginning of the Joint Strike Fighter program, the service had held that older Falcons should be replaced by the fifth-generation Lightning II. Some critics view Brown's comments as foreshadowing the stealth jet's demise.

The Air Force is the largest customer for the F-35 and hopes to procure 1,763 F-35 conventional takeoff and landing A-variants.

But according to Aviation Week, future defense budgets could limit the inventory. The magazine reported in December that the service might cap its total F-35 buy at 1,050 fighters.

The Air Force expects to keep a well-rounded mix of fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft through the 2030s, officials have said.

Last month, the service added the F-15EX Eagle II to its ranks as its new fourth-plus generation fighter.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214.

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The Navy has confirmed that an approximately 1, 000-gallon fuel leak was detected May 6 at the troubled Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, a World War II-built facility that came under criticism following a 27, 000-gallon fuel release in 2014.

Navy Region Hawaii said in an email that "personnel responded to and contained a reported fuel release, initially assessed at approximately 1, 000 gallons, from a pipeline at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility Thursday night. As designed, the fuel release went into a containment system in the tunnel where the pipeline is located, and the fuel was recovered. There appears to be no release into the environment."

The Navy said it is investigating the cause of the release and "is fully committed to environmental stewardship and continues to work closely with federal and state agencies, " including the Hawaii Department of Health and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency "to protect the environment as we operate the Red Hill facility."

But David Kimo Frankel, an attorney for the Sierra Club of Hawaii, said in a news release, "It's not surprising that the Red Hill tanks leaked. They have a long history of leaking. And the Navy itself said there was a 27.6 % chance of the tanks leaking up to 30, 000 gallons of fuel every single year."

"It's only going to get worse from here. The tanks need to be drained, " Frankel said.

Studies have detected petroleum contamination in the groundwater beneath the tanks, according to the Sierra Club. Since its construction in the 1940s, it is believed that the tanks have leaked more than 178, 434 gallons of fuel, the organization said.

"This latest leak proves, once again, that the 78-year old Red Hill fuel tanks are deteriorating and pose a serious threat to drinking water for hundreds of thousands of Oahu residents. It's time to retire the tanks, " Hawaii Peace and Justice's Kyle Kajihiro said in a Sierra Club statement.

The Department of Health is conducting a "contested case " hearing to determine what terms the Navy needs to follow to continue to operate the tanks.

Opening arguments were made on Feb. 1 debating the merits of awarding a five-year state operating permit for the Navy to continue storing up to 187 million gallons of fuel at Red Hill.

While the Sierra Club believes the 20 tanks should be relocated and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply maintains they should be moved or rebuilt with secondary containment, the Navy said the tanks and monitoring have improved greatly.

"Since 2014 the Navy has a different facility, both in its physical construct and how it's operated and monitored each and every day, " Navy lawyer Karrin Minnot said during the hearing.

Twice a year the tanks are tested for leaks using a method certified by third-party verifiers, Minnot said.

"The Navy's procedures for inspections and repairs at Red Hill go above and beyond the industry standards, " she said.

But Frankel previously said that from the beginning, the underground fuel tanks leaked. Tank 16 was leaking 546 gallons a day in 1949, he said.

"The Red Hill tanks cannot be, and are not operated, in a manner that is protective of our (groundwater ), " Frankel said. "There is a practical alternative : build new tanks above ground in a safe location (and ) relocate the fueljust as the Navy did on the mainland."

Military officials say the fuel supply is a crucialand massivewar reserve for the Pacific that would be hard to replicate with above-ground tanks. The cost would be in the billions of dollars.

The Defense Department has invested over $200 million and plans to spend over $400 million more "to ensure the facilities remain safe, " Minnot said.

Located 2.5 miles from Pearl Harbor, Red Hill has 20 vertically arrayed 250-foot-tall underground storage tanks that were constructed between 1940 and 1943, with each tank capable of holding 12.5 million gallons.

In response to a 27, 000-gallon fuel spill in 2014 from Tank 5, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state Health Department negotiated an ongoing administrative order on consent requiring the Navy to make fuel safety improvements.

Much of the concern centers on the tanks' location 100 feet above the water supply aquifer, which lies in saturated volcanic rock.

In 2018 the Health Department amended its underground storage tank rules to, among other things, require previously exempt field-constructed tanks such as Red Hill to follow state requirements.

The Navy applied for a five-year permit, and the Sierra Club and Board of Water Supply requested a contested case hearing. The permit and consent order are separate procedurally.

Both actions have focused on the age and construction of Red Hill, a single-wall tank system of quarter-inch-thick welded steel plates backed by 2 to 4 feet of concrete.

Minnot, the Navy lawyer, said evidence shows that "the continuing operation of Red Hill is protective of human health and the environment."

The 2014 fuel release "was certainly unfortunate, but it was not from corrosion, or deterioration of the Red Hill tanks, " she said.

The contractor error that led to the release "would not be possible under the new and improved tank inspection, repair and maintenance protocol " that was approved by the state Health Department and EPA in 2017, Minnot said. Officials also faulted "ineffective response and oversight."

The Navy has long maintained that the water from the Red Hill shaft down-gradient from the fuel farm, and which supplies Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, is completely safe to drink.

The Navy "is fully compliant with every one of Hawaii's underground storage tank regulations, " Minnot said.

This article is written by William Cole from The Honolulu Star-Advertiser and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
The Rockies announced a pair of corresponding roster moves today. They selected the contract of Connor Joe from Triple-A, while right-handed pitcher Jose Mujica was optioned to Triple-A. Its good to see Joe back in the Majors. The 28-year-old opted out of 2020 after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, writes MLB.coms Mark Feinsand. The Rockies like Joe as a possibility at first base or left off the bench. Joe was a first round draft pick of the Pirates back in 2014. Mujica will be a long-term rotation possibility for the Rockies, though he came out of the bullpen for both of his appearances this season. Elsewhere in the NL

Cubs southpaw Brailyn Marquez has been about six weeks behind in his conditioning after testing positive for COVID-19. The Cubs top pitching prospect doesnt have an official assignment yet, but its believed that hell soon head to Double-A, per Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter). Marquez doesnt turn 22 years old until September.

southpaw has been about six weeks behind in his conditioning after testing positive for COVID-19. The Cubs top pitching prospect doesnt have an official assignment yet, but its believed that hell soon head to Double-A, per Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter). Marquez doesnt turn 22 years old until September. Both Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jorge Alfaro hope to begin their rehab assignments next week and return from the injured list by next weekend, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Marlins fans eagerly await Chisholms return after the infielder posted a 154 wRC+ in 80 plate appearances this season.

Jr. and hope to begin their rehab assignments next week and return from the injured list by next weekend, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). fans eagerly await Chisholms return after the infielder posted a 154 wRC+ in 80 plate appearances this season. Wander Suero will begin his own rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. The Nationals reliever has been out since April 18th with an oblique strain. Stephen Strasburg, meanwhile, will soon pitch his second simulated game since landing on the injured list. Presumably, that means the Nats are still in an evaluation stage, and it might take some time yet before Strasburg can return to the diamond.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig is expected to announce his retirement at a Monday press conference, followed later by his intention to run for governor, according to multiple media reports.

A source close to the chief, who became the top cop in Detroit in 2013, told the Detroit News on Friday, May 7 about Craigs plans.

Craig, 64, was appointed chief by an emergency manager.

He took over while the police department was under a federal consent decree over accusations of unconstitutional conduct, including using excessive force. The federal oversight was dropped in early 2016 under Craigs leadership.

According to the reports, Craig would seek the Republican nomination to run against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2022.

Craig came under criticism last summer for the way police handled Black Lives Matter protests in the aftermath of George Floyds death in Minneapolis. Police made arrests and used tear gas in some instances, generating excessive force complaints.

He also was among more than 200 Detroit Police officers to battle COVID-19 last year.

According to Craigs biography on the Detroit City web site, Craig is a Detroit native and started his police career there in 1977. After the Detroit force downsized, he began working for the Los Angeles police and stayed there 28 years.

Before coming back to Detroit in 2013, he spent two years as Portland, Maine police chief and then two years as Cincinnati police chief.

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ANN ARBOR, MI -- Bagpipes could be heard from the W.R. Wheeler Service Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, May 7 for the dedication of the new training center for firefighters to Craig Sidelinger.

Sidelinger, who died from cancer in January at the age of 45, was Irish and event organizers invited the Metro Detroit Police and Fire Pipes and Drums to play at the memorial and ceremony.

He had a family colors kilt made with matching socks and everything, said Julie Sidelinger, his wife. Thats why bagpipes always make me cry.

Two trailers dedicated in honor of Craig Sidelinger will act as firefighter training center for Washtenaw County. The portable training center can be taken to different locations.

Family came from all around to attend Fridays ceremony. A friend from Alaska even flew in for the occasion.

Daniel Sidelinger, 3, clutches to the shoulder of his grandfather at a ceremony dedicating two portable training centers in honor of Daniels father and his grandfather's son, Craig Sidelinger, in Ann Arbor on Friday, May 7, 2021. Sidelinger was a training officer at the Ann Arbor Fire Department and died from cancer earlier this year. (Alie Skowronski/mlive.com) Alie Skowronski | The Ann Arbor News

Sidelinger was an Ann Arbor firefighter for 20 years. He died after a two year battle with cancer. He was instrumental in writing the grant for the department to obtain the trailers. The center is now named the Craig Sidelinger Fire Training Center.

During his years with the Ann Arbor Fire Department, Sidelinger was a firefighter and training officer. He took on the role of training officer in 2010.

Dedication, family love is legacy of Ann Arbor firefighter who died of cancer at age 45

Julie Sidelinger shows her son, Daniel, 3, the badge honoring his father, Craig, after a ceremony by the Ann Arbor Fire Department in Ann Arbor on Friday, May 7, 2021. (Alie Skowronski/mlive.com) Alie Skowronski | The Ann Arbor News

As the tarp was torn off to reveal his name and badge #169, Sidelingers family and friends wept.

Stuff like this shows us all the people he touched, said Tony Andrews, a longtime friend.

Andrews and Sidelinger met in 2001 when they lived near each other. Another friend from the subdivision, Gary Buchanan, was also at the event. They all served on their subdivision board together.

Whatever he did he gave it 110 percent, no matter who it was for, said Buchanan. He was a very special person in that way.

Ann Arbor fire training center to be dedicated to firefighter who died of cancer
ANN ARBOR, MI  Hundreds of faculty at the University of Michigan have signed a petition calling for a campus-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate, saying the universitys current vaccine plan is nonsensical.

The petition, which was started on May 5 and had 869 signatures as of noon Saturday, says UM is lagging behind more than 200 other institutions, including 79 public institutions, that are requiring students to be vaccinated.

If the university does not implement a campus-wide vaccine mandate, the petition asks that instructors  which includes professors, lecturers, graduate student instructors and others employed by the university to deliver instruction  be able to opt out of in-person teaching and other forms of in-person engagement with students.

The proposed requirement for vaccination would go into effect on the first day of courses during the fall semester, or when the FDA gives full approval to at least one vaccine, the petition states. The petition also asks the university to provide full financial support for each school to test and repair ventilation systems in their classrooms to ensure safe and sufficient ventilation for instruction.

Research has demonstrated that universities that stayed open significantly contributed to community spread beyond campus, abdicating their duty to their towns and the people who live there, the petition states. Vaccines will also allow on-campus students and faculty to resume more fully the in-person interactions that are critical to academic success. We call for this mandate to go in effect now to give students, their families and our employees ample time to make plans to be vaccinated prior to the start of the fall term.

In April, members of UMs Senate Assembly passed a resolution supporting mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, faculty and staff. A few days later, UM announced that vaccination against COVID-19 would be required for students living in UM residence halls and other university housing. About 31%, or about 12,100 students, live in university-owned, -affiliated or -operated housing and residence halls are expected to operate at about 80% capacity for the fall 2021 semester.

COVID-19 vaccination required for University of Michigan students living on campus in fall

That plan, according to the petition, is nonsensical, as students in private housing or students who commute are likely to spread the virus.

Andrew Thompson, a lecturer in UMs Stamps School of Art and Design, was one of the first people to sign the petition. Its about the vaccine, but the petition is also about the university doing its due diligence and being transparent, Thompson said.

There is still lots of unknowns about the virus morphing and changing, and so the petition is about getting the university to do something proactive and to show us the evidence that its doing something besides crossing its fingers and hoping enough people will get vaccinated, Thompson said.

The university announced on Friday, May 8, that faculty and staff who have been working remotely will begin a gradual return to more on-site work in the coming months at the direction of their units leaders. Some instructors; however, said they have had courses changed from virtual or hybrid formats to in-person, and others were told to teach in person or take medical leave, the petition states.

The petition has not yet been presented to university leaders, UM spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said. The university is confident that a sufficiently high percentage of the UM community will be vaccinated when the fall term begins on Aug. 30, Fitzgerald said.

Encouragement may be more effective than a mandate to achieve the goal of maximizing vaccinations against COVID-19 in the months ahead, he said.

Students are not required to live on campus and have other options if they object to UMs vaccination requirement, Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald noted that the Michigan Legislature is considering legislation that would prohibit public universities from requiring vaccination as a condition for enrollment or attendance at in-person classes. The university opposes the measure, Fitzgerald said, but must respect the legislative process as it plays out.

Political resistance to vaccine mandates and passports continue to gain traction in Michigan

In an email to Senate Assembly, Faculty Senate Chair Allen Liu also discussed the legislation and said State Legislature is currently working on the higher education budget for fiscal year 2022.

Bills passed out of committee in both the house and the senate contain a rider that would prevent universities from receiving state support if vaccinations are required as a condition of enrollment or to attend in-person class, Liu said. Until these legislative issues are resolved, instituting a vaccine requirement for all members of the community would likely have broader consequences. As voters, we have the opportunity to contact our legislators to express our concerns about this issue.

UM is continuing to monitor Gov. Gretchen Whitmers plan to vaccinate 70% of Michiganders age 16 and older, and the university will also watch conditions over the summer and adjust as needed, Fitzgerald said.

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GRAND HAVEN, MI -- A retired priest who last served a Grand Haven parish has been defrocked over allegations of sexual abuse.

The Diocese of Grand Rapids announced the development Friday, May 7, barring William Langlois from any further ministering as a priest or celebrating the sacraments.

Langlois served as priest at St. Patrick-St. Anthony Parish in Grand Haven from 1996 to 2016, when he retired.

Two years later, in 2018, a person approached the Diocese of Grand Rapids with allegations of sexual abuse that happened from 1996 to 2006. Described as a victim-survivor, the person reported being a minor when the alleged abuse began, then it continued as an adult.

Police and state Attorney General staff were notified at that time and began an investigation.

When the allegations surfaced, diocese leaders restricted Langlois from any type of public ministry.

A Diocese of Grand Rapids Review Board then looked further at the allegations and determined they were credible.

Bishop David Walkowiak then forwarded results of a preliminary investigation to another Catholic Church authority, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, for a determination on sanctions for Langlois.

He was then dismissed from the clerical state by Pope Franics.

As such, Langlois can no longer minister as a priest, celebrate the sacraments, wear clerical dress, or present himself as a priest.

Fridays announcement wasnt the first controversy surrounding Langlois. In 2014, he asked for a six-month leave of absence after he had an inappropriate relationship with a woman.

The woman was an adult and the relationship was not illegal.

Langlois could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

Ordained as a priest in 1974, Langlois held the following assignments over the years:

1974: Associate pastor, St. Stephen Parish, East Grand Rapids 1976: Associate pastor, St. Jude Parish, Grand Rapids.

1979: Chaplain for Blodgett and Butterworth Hospitals, Grand Rapids

1984: Pastor, St. Michael Parish, Coopersville with a mission at Grand Valley State University

1996: Pastor, St. Patrick  St. Anthony Parish, Grand Haven 2016: Granted Senior Priest Status (retired)

A spokesperson for the Attorney Generals office released the following statement:

We have taken a hard look at this case since 2018. We appreciate the Dioceses cooperation in working with the Department to thoroughly investigate. While we were ultimately not able to file criminal charges, we consider the Dioceses decision to involve the Vatican and Pope Francis dismissal of William Langlois a measure of accountability.

Our focus remains our ongoing clergy abuse investigations statewide and our pursuit of justice to offer some sense of relief to the brave survivors who have shared their stories in order to prevent future abuse.

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SCHOOLCRAFT TWP, MI  Police are investigating a traffic crash in Kalamazoo County that claimed the lives of two people.

The crash occurred on southbound U.S. 131 near WXY Avenue in Schoolcraft Township about 2:52 p.m. on Friday, May 7.

Michigan State Police troopers preliminary investigation indicates a Chevrolet Impala had been heading east on WXY Avenue, according to a news release from MSP. As it was crossing the intersection of southbound U.S. 131, it was struck on the drivers side by a southbound Dodge Durango SUV.

The Impala was driven by 83-year-old Joel Shaffer and contained his 84-year-old wife, Dolores Shaffer, as a passenger. The Shaffers, of Schoolcraft, both died of injuries sustained in the collision.

The Durango had been driven by a 27-year-old Saginaw man and contained a 24-year-old Flint woman as a passenger, police said. The man suffered minor injuries while the woman sustained serious injuries. Both were taken to an area hospital.

Troopers are still investigating, but said speed and alcohol are believed to be contributing factors. All parties involved had been wearing seat belts.

Once toxicology results are completed, troopers will forward their reports to the Kalamazoo County Prosecutors Office for review and issuance of possible charges against the Durangos driver, according to the release.

Troopers were assisted at the scene by Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Department, Schoolcraft Police Department, Pride Care EMS, South County Fire/Rescue and Michigan Department of Transportation.

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KALAMAZOO, MI  A Kalamazoo institution for more than four decades, Sarkozy Bakery has hit its share of speedbumps over the last 10 years.

A fire scorched the 34-year-old home of Judy and Ken Sarkozys bakery on North Burdick Street in 2012. And after taking a few years to get their footing in their new location at 350 E. Michigan Ave., a pandemic hit. Like many other small businesses, the couple did not know if they would survive the wave COVID-19 caused.

I was starting to feel put upon, Judy Sarkozy said. We had some big decisions. Could we, should we, must we remain open and finally we decided that we should stay open.

Then, in September, Ken Sarkozy died of cancer.

But just as she has since the bakery first opened in 1978, Judy Sarkozy has continued to come to work with a determined smile on her face and the confidence that along with the sun, the bread will rise each day.

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The smell of fresh-baked oatmeal bread, almond croissants and Danish pastries continue to fill the bakery daily, and during the holidays, cookies, snowflake coffee cake and rum balls are still popular choices.

Outside of the bakery storefront, Sarkozys bread can be found at numerous spots around town, such as D&W Fresh Market, Hardings Markets and Bronson Methodist Hospital. And all unsold loaves wind up being donated to charity before they hit their expiration dates, Sarkozy said.

Sarkozy, who will turn 80 this August, acknowledged she has cut back her hours of late  only working 50 per week instead of 80  and for the first time in the bakerys history, she has given herself two days off in a row every Sunday and Monday.

Still, she said, she has no plans to retire anytime soon, and she isnt tipping her toque to any possible succession plans.

This is the most talented and the most experienced staff weve ever had here, she said. But if it werent for the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) Loan and the tremendous support from the community, we wouldnt be here. The loan saved us.

Judy and Ken Sarkozy arrived in Kalamazoo in 1976, not long after they both graduated from Wayne State University. After graduation, the couple made the decision to hit the road and find a place they both liked, move there, and then figure it out once we got there, Sarkozy said.

After traveling all around Michigan, the two, who both grew up on the east side of the state, quickly fell in love with Kalamazoo. Two years after moving to the city, they sold their first loaf out of their own bakery.

For the first few years, Ken ran the bakery and Judy Sarkozy worked two jobs, going to Kelloggs for a first shift job and then arriving at the bakery at 2 p.m. and working until close. After she quit Kelloggs, she went full time at the bakery and he took a job with Downtown Kalamazoo and she ran the business.

Ken Sarkozy eventually retired after 17 years with Ministry With Community, at about the same time the couple opened the East Michigan Avenue location. Unable to sit still, he came back to work at the bakery. His humorous cartoonish art can be seen hanging throughout the building.

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One of us was always working elsewhere until the last few years, so that always helped us survive, Judy Sarkozy said. Only now am I finally on the payroll after all these years.

And while the future may still be clouded with a degree of uncertainty, Sarkozy said she feels things are on an even keel again  thanks in great part to the emotional and financial support the community has showed.

When (the pandemic) first hit, sales plummeted and we werent in the best shape then, she said. Lunches made up one-third of the bakerys business prior to the pandemic, but for the past 14 months, they have only accounted for about one-tenth of the business.

Im still nervous about COVID even with the vaccines, but until things are better we wont reopen in the evening.

For now, the bakery is open from 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays. For more information, visit www.sarkozybakery.com.

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HART, MI  Its eyes and ears still tightly closed, a 2-week-old raccoon burrows into Raymond Hills beard as he warms a bottle of formula for the tiny creature.

Its feeding time for the nearly 20 baby animals in Hills care at Grand Valley Bottle Babies, a West Michigan non-profit organization that rescues and rehabilitates abandoned or injured raccoons and possums.

When we got started, we didnt realize how big of a need there was for it, Hill said.

Licensed wildlife rehabilitators like Grand Valley Bottle Babies assist with the rush of calls the Michigan Department of Natural Resources gets each spring and summer from people who find animals in the wild.

Most often babies are abandoned when the parent dies.

Hill and his wife, Brandy Hill, started the organization three years ago when they took in raccoons found huddled in the engine compartment of a car suffering from burnt paws and malnutrition.

Grand Valley Bottle Babies has since registered as a non-profit organization and obtained a state license to be sub-rehabbers for the wild animals. The Hills set up the animal rescue and rehabilitation center out of their home in Hart.

We seem to take on the things nobody else wants to take on, Hill said. Raccoons and possums, nobody wants them. You either love them or you hate them.

Grand Valley Bottle Babies cares for the animals for up to 20 weeks, nursing them back to health and teaching them how to survive in the wild.

Spring is a busy season for Hill, who collected another litter of raccoons early Thursday morning, filling his rehabilitation center to capacity.

He said providing round the clock care for the animals is like running a daycare center.

Youve got to be there all the time, Hill said. Theres always something going on, and when youve got a bunch of them, its never ending. Theyre work.

Hill starts the repeated process by wiping down the animals one-by-one with a pile of fragrance-free baby wipes. He then feeds each baby with a bottle of raccoon formula, burps them and checks for any health issues.

Its not their fault. And if I dont do it, whos going to, Hill said.

In severe cases, recently rescued raccoons and possums require an IV of fluids.

The smallest raccoons huddle in blanket-lined tubs at Grand Valley Bottle Babies and slightly older ones sleep on pillowcases repurposed into hammocks. A baby monitor helps Hill keep track of the animals housed in the dimly lit room where a soundtrack of natural woods sounds plays on speakers.

Raccoons and possums are wild animals, a fact that Hill never forgets as he cups one of the babies in his hands. But he thinks the creatures are underappreciated, misunderstood and suffer from a bad reputation.

We need them. Theyre kind of the garbagemen of the woods. They take care of things we dont see, he said.

Hill, a retired firefighter, discovered a passion for caring for raccoons and possums as he formed Grand Valley Bottle Babies.

When it comes to these animals, a lot of it is about tolerance, he said, noting raccoons are intelligent problem solvers and have unique personalities.

A tattoo of a raccoon footprint now adorns Hills forearm, a permanent reminder of an animal in his care named Rudy who was found with severe head trauma last year.

Grand Valley Bottle Babies cared for 30 raccoons and 17 possums last year. After the creatures are healthy enough to survive on their own, Hill releases them into the county from which they were rescued.

The non-profit organization also vaccinates the babies at a $40,000 cost last season, according to Hill, to prevent them from spreading disease to other animals or humans.

It gives me a reason to get up every day. And when I go to bed at night and Im whooped, I know I accomplished something, Hill said.

Grand Valley Bottle Babies is funded entirely through donations or out of the Hills pocket. More information about the organization can be found on its Facebook page.

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LANSING, MI - This week in Lansing was more about molding legislation than passing bills, at least on major topics.

Both chambers made moves to further clarify key initiatives, with budget talks picking up in the House and Senate and amendments made to Senate Republican election bills.

The House continued to tackle ethics reform, while Republicans in both chambers moved to allow high schools to hold in-person commencements. Heres what happened this week at the Michigan Capitol:

Budget talks evolve

Quarterly budgets for many state agencies, staffing cuts and additional limits on how state agencies can respond to the COVID-19 pandemic all remain on the table as Michigan lawmakers move forward with setting the states annual budget.

Both the state House and Senate appropriations committees reported initial proposals for the state budget to the floor this week, the latest step in ensuring state government agencies and programs are funded for the next fiscal year.

In the House, many proposed state agency budgets are currently designed to operate on a quarterly basis, a departure from the annual budget cycle that House Appropriations Chair Thomas Albert, R-Lowell, said would help the Legislature be nimble in responding to economic changes.

The House-proposed budget also would reduce the number of unclassified positions within state departments, put in place requirements for opening Secretary of State and Unemployment Insurance Agency offices and prohibit state agencies from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations as a condition of providing services.

The Senate plan reported to the floor includes a number of significant changes to the states Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, including decreasing salaries of the Unemployment Insurance Agency director and others in the department and cutting the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration budget by 20%.

Read more: What to know as Michigan budget talks advance

Sen. Ed McBroom speaks in the Senate Chambers at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing on Thursday, April 25, 2019.Neil Blake | MLive.com

Small tweaks to GOP election bills

Michigan Senate Republicans deliberated on elements of their 39-bill election package for the third straight Wednesday afternoon. This time, their focus was on the use of absentee ballot drop boxes.

During a May 5 hearing of the Senate Election Committee, Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, amended his Senate Bill 286, which would close drop boxes at 5 p.m. on Election Day, or three hours before polls close.

The bill previously would have close them at 5 p.m. the day before. In the bills current form, absentee voters could submit their ballots to their clerks office in person after 5 p.m. McBroom has previously told MLive that the bill could make allowances for emergency situations, such as a pandemic.

The intent, according to Broom, is alleviating the burden of local clerks and election workers on dlection night, so theyre not out after hours working all night to process thousands and thousands of ballots.

This was really an effort to help with that administrative hurdle, he said.

Multiple people testified against the bill even with this relaxation, including clerks, Secretary of State representatives and activists.

I think that clerks, what we want to do is meet voters where they are, provide them with access, said Adam Reames, legislative policy director for the Secretary of State, at the hearing. I know clerks share that, as well.

Reames also discussed how the Secretary of State would like to see more time for pre-processing absentee ballots prior to Election Day. Michigan allowed one extra day of prep time for election workers to do this, and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, has indicated that he would support more time for future elections.

The current bills dont provide more time for pre-processing. The committee did not vote on any bills.

Ethics reform in the House

The House Elections and Ethics Committee discussed a proposal Tuesday that would require lawmakers to disclose their personal finances, debating the merits of a plan that would subject elected officials to new disclosure requirements - but without allowing the public to access to that information until after theyre out of office.

The legislation, House Bills 4680 through 4686, would compel lawmakers to submit financial information for themselves and immediate family members  including income sources over $5,000, properties valued over $50,000 excluding their primary residence, and stocks, bonds and annuities valued at $10,000 or more  to a new, permanent legislative ethics committee in their chamber.

The bills have support from House Speaker Jason Wentworth, R-Clare, and House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski, D-Scio Township, as well as the group Voters Not Politicians. Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, who has long held concerns about making lawmakers finances available to the public, has expressed openness to the plan.

Related: Proposed financial disclosure bills wouldnt make current lawmakers finances public

Additionally, the House approved a bill setting limits on severance pay and adding new requirements barring nondisclosure agreements.

Sponsored by Rep. John Roth, R-Traverse City, House Bill 4591 would limit the use of nondisclosure agreements and severance pay for outgoing employees and officials in both the administration and the legislature.

Read more: Michigan House OKs stricter policies for state employee severance pay

State Rep. Steve Carra, R-Three Rivers, as well as Reps. Matt Maddock, R-Macomb Township, and Beau LaFave, R-Iron Mountain, speak about their intentions to introduce bills banning COVID-19 vaccine passports. They made their comments at a rally of about 100 protesters at the Michigan State Capitol.Sam Dodge | MLive.com

House hearing on vaccine passport ban invokes Holocaust comparisons

Government-issued COVID-19 vaccine passports are not a thing in Michigan.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmers office confirmed Thursday that her office isnt exploring any implementation of them. But House Republicans are pushing for a preemptive ban, and they invited anti-vax testimony into a May 6 hearing on the proposed law.

There were two halves to the House Oversight Committee hearing: One featured debate on a bill to bar government agencies from issuing or incentivizing vaccine passports. The other involved a cavalcade of statements from anti-vaccination activists, with a few comparing the idea of mandating passports to the Holocaust.

House Bill 4667, sponsored by Rep. Sue Allor, R-Wolverine, would ban state agencies, departments, districts or other government entities from producing, issuing or entering into a contract to produce or issue a COVID-19 vaccination passport.

Read more: House hearing on COVID-19 vaccine passport ban includes testimony invoking Holocaust

Michigan House and Senate moves to ensure high school commencements go off as planned

On Wednesday, Michigan House and Senate Republicans pushed to allow in-person high school commencement across the state.

Lawmakers approved Senate Bill 335, sponsored by Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, with a vote of 21-15. The bill would ban the state health director or local health officers from ordering a ban or limit on high school commencement ceremonies for this years class of students.

The legislation would apply to public and nonpublic schools alike, and the vote came a day after Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services relaxed mask and outdoor gathering restrictions.

The House also passed House Bill 4728, sponsored by Rep. Ann Bollin, R-Brighton. It would also ban emergency orders to limit or shutdown high school commencement ceremonies. It passed 60-48.

Read more: In-person high school commencements couldnt be banned under approved Michigan Senate bill

In this 2019 file photo, Amber McCann, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, is pictured standing behind Shirkey. McCann is departing Shirkey's staff for a new role in Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel's office. (Lauren Gibbons | MLive)

Shirkey wants natural immunity included in 70% vaccination goal

Michigan still has the worst COVID-19 case rate in the country.

As of Thursday, the state had seen 235 cases per 100,000 residents over a week, the highest of all 50 states, according to the CDC. About 10% of COVID-19 tests still come back positive, per state health data.

But Shirkey advocated for dropping Michigans remaining COVID-19 restrictions in a Monday radio interview, using misleading figures to support his argument.

The state senator spoke on WJR Radio about Gov. Gretchen Whitmers Vacc to Normal plan, which ties state reopening metrics to the percentage of the population with at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Under Whitmers plan, as the state achieves set percentages of vaccinated residents, different business restrictions will be lifted, such as indoor capacity limits on restaurants, stadiums and gyms. The ultimate goal is 70%, when the state will lift mask and gathering limits.

Michigan should be opening this week, Shirkey argued, as he partly cited state health data to speculate that the combination of vaccines administered and COVID-19 recoveries should meet Whitmers thresholds.

Read more: Fact check: Mike Shirkey misuses health data in push for end to COVID-19 restrictions
In the age of the Internet, memes have become currency and billionaires have become influencers. Dogecoin was born out of a joke, but with Elon Musks endorsement the value of the cryptocurrency could mean real success or failure for its investors.

Dogecoin originated in 2013 with the iconic Shiba Inu as its mascot. After the SpaceX and Telsa CEO started tweeting about the cryptocurrency, the stocks skyrocketed with a 12,000% increase since the beginning of 2021.

Social media is abuzz about Musks Saturday Night Live appearance and speculations are circling that he could make reference to Dogecoin and pump the stock even higher.

While young investors are excited about the potential to get rick quick, Matthew Roling, a Wayne State University adjunct professor of finance, is worried the inflated hype will end in deflated bank accounts.

It makes my heart cry every time I see a post about it, he said. I just dont want to see people get left holding the bag here.

Rolings personal finance class includes lessons on cryptocurrency because its captured the hearts and minds of millions and is frighteningly accessible given the 24-hour online market. Roling approaches cryptocurrency with hesitancy in his classes likening it to gambling rather than a building block investment.

Hes quick to remind students that speculative bubbles have burst in the past, pointing to the dot-com and housing market crashes.

What sets cryptocurrency apart is that there is no tangible asset tied to it, Roling said. Dogecoin is a prime example of the rise of a meme stock, he said, an evolution of story stock where investors are drawn in by favorable press rather than fundamentals.

My employer is not going to pay me in Dogecoin, CVS is not going to start accepting it, Roling said. The only thing that drives its value is what people think of it because, again, Dogecoin has zero utility.

As for Musks influence, Roling said its important to remember Musks net worth is $151 billion and hes also been known to be a wild card when it comes to his own investments, for example tweeting the Tesla stock price is too high which resulted in the share price dropping by $60.

In short, the second richest man in the world has money to play with but without the same consequences as someone paying rent, Roling said.

Even Musk himself tweeted early Friday morning, Cryptocurrency is promising, but please invest with caution! Dogecoins stock rose a couple cents as the tweet amassed thousands of retweets and likes.

Its okay to roll the dice, its okay to buy a lottery ticket, its okay to buy some Dogecoin, Roling said. You just have to size the holding in a manner that if it all becomes zero tomorrow, youre not devastated.

Musks influence hasnt been the driving factor for all young investors, though. Arun Datta, University of Michigan alumnus and University of Texas graduate student studying business, said he invested $70 in Dogecoin as an experiment at the beginning of the year.

So far, Datta has 700% return on investment. He doesnt plan to watch Musks SNL performance but he will check the stocks the next morning, he said.

I think the reason I managed to make money off of it was because of him hyping it, he said. But hes Elon. He tweets whatever he feels like tweeting, says whatever he feels like saying.

Datta knows Musks unpredictable nature could make the stock drop just as easily as it could make it soar. Even so, he plans to keep his Dogecoin and ride the wave just in case, he said.

If somehow randomly, by chance, cryptos become huge and go up to the price of Bitcoin, which probably is never going to happen, but even if it goes up to $1,000 Ill become a millionaire out of a $70 investment, he said. Very speculative, but Ill probably be holding it long-term regardless of what he says.

Ahead of Musks Saturday Night Live performance, Dogecoin was 63 cents a share at 4 p.m. Friday. Cryptocurrency can be traded at any time outside of stock market hours.

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Michigan is averaging less than 3,000 new coronavirus cases per day for the first time in six weeks.

Although it continues to report the worst COVID-19 surge in the nation, Michigans daily case average has dropped 60% since it surpassed 7,000 in mid-April, and its also seeing declines in hospitalizations and positive test rates.

Health officials are largely pointing to vaccinations as the biggest factor associated with flattening the curve. Other factors include reduced mobility, a recommitment to mitigation strategies and warmer weather moving activities and gatherings outdoors.

A lot if it is probably a natural pattern of the virus. said Linda Vail, health officer for Ingham County. It comes up, you do the case investigations, the quarantining and isolation, and it comes back down. If you look at March and April of last year, we went through a similar timeframe. It just wasnt as much because we didnt have as much testing last year.

Michigan has gotten an initial shot to nearly 4.17 million residents, or about 51% of the 16 and older population, and about 41.4% are now fully vaccinated. Looking at residents by age brackets, those with the highest vaccination rates are reporting the lowest case and hospitalization rates.

Its the number of people getting vaccinated, which only further illustrates thats whats got to happen to get us out of this, said Steve Kelso, spokesperson for the Kent County Health Department.

Were not doing as many today as we were several weeks ago when everyone who wanted them were rushing to get them, but each and every vaccination is one step forward. Were still moving, albeit at a slower pace.

During the first year of the pandemic, Michiganders younger than 20 years old made up 12.7% of new COVID-19 cases, while the 60-plus age group made up 23.5% of cases.

The tables have since turned thanks to the oldest populations representing the largest rates of vaccinations. Over the last week, kids and teens have made up 25.5% of new cases, while the 60 and older age bracket represents 13.5%.

Heres a breakdown of the average new coronavirus cases per day in December, when vaccines were first introduced, versus what they looked like in April 2021. Also noted is the percentage change between the two daily averages:

0-9 years old: Up 168% from 129 cases per day in December to 347 per day in April.

10-19: Up 157% from 360 daily cases to 924.

20-29: Up 44% from 758 daily cases to 1,089.

30-39: Up 40% from 663 daily cases to 929.

40-49: Up 35% from 610 daily cases to 822.

50-59: Up 20% from 643 daily cases to 769.

60-69: Down 6% from 492 daily cases to 465.

70-79 : Down 33% from 282 daily cases to 189.

80+: Down 57% from 202 daily cases to 87.

Resident mobility was on the rise in Michigan in March prior to the surge. It began declining in late March and continued throughout April, according to data from the University of Michigan. By the end of the month, mobility reached its lowest point since mid-December, when the state had also been working its way down from a surge in new cases.

Additionally, Vail, of Ingham Countys health departmen,t noted that many schools paused in-person learning for two weeks in April, which probably helped a lot. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked  but did not order -- high schools to go virtual April 12-23, and Vail said many of her districts heeded the advice.

Vail also noted the general ebbs and flows of the pandemic, in which surges have led to people regaining caution they might have let down as their communities work way through waves of new cases.

And I think some vaccinated people saw other vaccinated people get COVID, because there are some breakthrough cases, and I think that got some people back into a little more of a cautious mode, she said.

As of Friday, Michigans latest seven-day average was 2,836 cases per day. About 2,611 residents were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, down from more than 3,300 a week prior, and the positive test rate dropped below 10% for the first time since mid-March.

While the recent declines are promising, health officials say its too early to let your guard down. They also continue to stress the importance of getting vaccinated.

The more people who are infected with COVID, the greater chance of more variants developing, and greater the risk of one of those variants being resistant to the vaccines and the existing treatments for COVID disease, reads a statement from the Upper Peninsulas LMAS District Health Department.

The COVID vaccinations are effective at preventing COVID disease and reducing the spread of the virus. Any serious risks from vaccinations are very rare. The risks from having COVID are much more likely, and much more serious, not just for people who are old or have other health conditions. All are at risk of complications or death from COVID disease.

Vaccine appointments, including walk-ins, are available through local health departments, pharmacies and health care providers across the state. For more information, visit the states COVID-19 vaccine website.

To find a testing site near you, check out the states online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

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RAS TAKURA is a Jamaican Dub Poet, a Spoken Word Reggae artist. He is also a Farmer and advocate for Natural Ital, traditional Agriculture in the modern world.

In 2019, RasTakura made his debut on the continent of Africa with a Royal Appearance at the Panafest at the Cape Coast Stadium in Ghana Central region in honour of the Year of Return.

His next project dubbed 'The time of Return' is set to be officially released soon featuring Ghana's evergreen Kuchoko Master Blakk Rasta.

In a telephone interview from his faraway base in Jamaica, he mentioned to the Editor of ModernGhana, William Nana Beeko that he would also be hosting the 11th Dis Poem Wordz & Agro Festival later this year when the date is finalised.

"The 11th Dis Poem Wordz & Agro Festival is usually an all-day Poetry Festival that we used as a forum to invite farmers to take their natural Traditional Heirloom seeds and practice seeds exchange as a means to preserved original seeds in circulation," Ras Takura explained

His first album of 17 tracks titled Food War created a buzz in Jamaica after it was launched and released in New York about 5 years ago.

The album received notable rotations on reggae radio in Jamaica, Europe, and the USA with the album title track Food War becomes a favorite among the radio DJs in Jamaica.

The Science of Agriculture which featured legendary Mutabaruka also received great recognition across the globe.

Takura has made 4 appearances on Rebel Salute, One Time on Reggae Sumfest plus numerous appearances on different festivals, Colleges, and Universities across the USA, Jamaica, and the Caribbean.

On why he chose poetry, this is what he had to share:

"I developed a serious interest in Poetry the first time I heard Tehut 9's album, Mind Magician Album about 19 years ago then I started to compose my own Poetry. Before I was exposed to Poets like Tehut, Mutabaruka, DYCR, Jean Binta, LKJ, and Oku Onoura. I was more of a dancehall DJ I used to imitate Ninja Man.

...My Poems cover global issues, current, African liberation but my work mainly reflects the Agricultural side of things. Heirloom seeds exchange is the title of my book of poems coming out soon. The purpose of Poetry in society is to fill that gap where every other infrastructure to serve the people has failed, so the Poem should give the people hope where they feel hopeless in their direction and focus," he revealed.

Touching on some of the platforms and events he has featured on he mentioned that he has presented on some of the major Poetry Festivals in the USA, Jamaica, and the Caribbean.

Some of these activities include the Anguilla Lit Festival, Microphone Messenger in Tortula, NYC Poetry Festival, Bridge Water International Poetry Festival USA, Charlemont Reggae Festival the USA, Star waves Reggae Festival, LA Reggae Vegan Festival, Vermont Jerk & Reggae Festival USA, Calabash Lit Festival just to name a few.

Ras Takura has been nominated for an award in the category of MOST EDUCATIONAL ENTERTAINER by IRAWMA one of the largest and longest-running organization that gives awards to reggae artists.

"With the exception of the Grammys, IRAWMA is one of the largest and longest-running awards and I feel it is a great honour to be nominated. I feel deeply honored to be nominated among my teachers particularly people like Capleton, Mutabaruka, Kabaka Pyramid, and Anthony B.

All these legends with the exception of Kabaka I have been listening to all my days growing up as a youth in Jamaica so it's an honour to be nominated among them, I already won by been nominated. Last year we walked away with the award of Best Spoken Word Artist in the Mutabaruka category," Ras Takura stated.
Carving a niche for yourself in a foreign land is not an easy task. Aside from just having the passion and the talent, one has to work extra hard to be at the top of their game. That has been the amazing story of Emmanuel Whajah.

Born to Ghanaian parents, Emmanuel Whajah, 27, enjoyed creativity from a very young age. Unlike people who were inspired by the works of other photographers, Whajahs story started with an inspiration from the global icon, Michael Jackson. Seeing Michael Jackson do all the great moves on stage, Emmanuels interest in capturing those moments became the genesis of his over 10-years professional career. At the age of five, Whajah was dancing to Micheal Jackson alongside shooting and editing his own dance videos for YouTube, it was from there he fell in love with videography and photography.

Since then, Whajah is gradually taking over the creative industry in Germany. His attention to detail, Whajah has worked with several top celebrities all over the world including Beyonce, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Jussie Smollet and Keke Palmer . In 2019, Emmanuel Whajah shot Burna Boys The African Giant Returns tour featuring Jorja Smith, Lauryn Hills The Miseducation of Ms. Lauryn Hill Tour, Thilo Kehrer - PSG photo/Video Shoot and Les Twins Europe Tour.

Prior to that, he had worked with Omarion, HipHop International, Jorja Smith and Eric Bellinger just to mention a few.

Currently branded as EMZYPRODUCTIONFILMS, Whajah acts as the official content manager for Keke Palmer.

Recently awarded a high performance award in the service industry in Germany, the young creative has bigger plans for his motherland, Africa. In his view, young creatives in Africa, especially Ghana, are doing their best and churning out amazing content, a hook that is luring him to come home and do collaborations as well as start new projects.

Because I come from a music industry, I see a lof of people in the West trying to imitate the style of African music videos,  Whajah said in an interview.

However, Whajah thinks that Africans can step up more and own their creative ability, tell their own stories and celebrate their own people instead of waiting for foreigners to tell us about our own people, citing Shatta Wale and Beyonces collaboration as an example.

Emmanuel Whajahs success is also not devoid of racial discrimination. According to him, being a black creative in Germany means he has to always prove to people that he is worth their money by working harder but he has always delivered.

His advice to all creatives is for them to treat their passion as a business venture by being entrepreneurial.
A quality of a true leader is the ability to inspire in times of despair and in times when followers seem to be on edge. Not only that, he should be seen in the field working with the followers to educate and dispel rumors when the need arises.

Ever since his nomination in 2008 as a running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has at all times proven to be someone who rises to the occasion when the party and country needed him most. He does this wholeheartedly having no selfish interest whilst exuding the highest level of humility with love and respect for his boss President Akufo-Addo at the expense of vicious attacks from opponents.

In 2012 when the party lost elections, functionaries and leadership were distraught. Those who had hopes in an Akufo-Addo presidency someday almost lost hope that such a day would ever come. And the internal betrayers some of whom as usual are loud these days with criticisms had a field day. A major task ahead to be surmounted which was viewed by many as an impossible task was to prove that the election results was a stolen verdict. But for a party with notable academics and lawyers, who would rise to such an occasion?

With his deep analytical skills, Dr. Bawumia chaired the NPP technical analysis committee that was set up to critically review the election data to make a case for a petition. Dr. Bawumia not only performed his functions as head of the team but was deeply involved in reviewing and making copies of pink sheets. After assembling the evidence, another hurdle was how to present such data to party supporters and Ghanaians at large to assure them of the importance of such a petition. Again Dr. Bawumia in a convincing manner presented the data analyzed to party supporters and Ghanaians at the press conference to the admiration of all.

The toughest of all the hurdles was to find a star witness to lead evidence in court. Dr. Bawumia with all the courage mounted the witness box and his sterling performance as a star witness as well as the intellectual submissions by the legal team saw the case of the party win the favor of 4 Supreme Court justices. And even though the party narrowly lost the case, his performance won the hearts of many Ghanaians setting the stage for a major comeback in 2016. It was this comeback spirit that Mahama and the NDC sought by going to court in 2020 but unfortunately for them they didnt have a Dr. Bawumia Technical Team neither did they have a Dr. Bawumia star witness. Answers by their star witness Asiedu Nketiah who claims to have years of electoral experience ended up being reason for a dismissal of their petition.

With a defeat at the polls and court room in 2012/2013 and Mahamas Government affinity to power by all means, many were those who wrote off the Akufo-Addo-Dr. Bawumia in 2016. A major strategy needed was to create an intellectual awakening among the electorate. During the period prior to 2016, Dr. Bawumias public lectures on the economy was the major headache for Mahamas administration and electoral fortunes. His was not just mere rhetoric but his ability to surgically diagnose the problems and proffer solutions was what struck the deal.

On several occasions the NDC peddled falsehoods and tried to falsify what he said but it was always just a matter of time before the reality exposed them e.g IMF bailout. This earned him the title economic prophet. The NDC realizing how Dr. Bawumia posed a threat to their 2016 campaign sent attack dogs at him and even literally attacking him more than the NPPs presidential candidate. However, the power behind those unmatched intellectual lecture series as well as the collective efforts of the campaign team proved to be too much for the NDC to handle and hence NPP won the elections by Gods grace.

In power and under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, Dr. Bawumia as the head of the Economic Management Team (EMT) worked hard to turn the economic fundamentals of the country into one with an enviable global record. The sober testimony given by Hon. Yaw Osafo Marfo on the kind of hardwork and leadership exhibited by Dr. Bawumia as head of the EMT is inspiring.

He (Osafo Marfo) said: ...if one man has contributed positively to the performance of this current government, in my view its Bawumia.

Yet these praises did not make him bossy and complacent. As the 2020 elections approached, the NDC under an intensive campaign sought to hoodwink Ghanaians into believing that they had performed better in terms of infrastructure as compared to the Akufo-Addo Government. With an era when fake news easily trends, this propaganda gained momentum. Dr. Bawumia through the monumental government project tracker at a public lecture smashed the propaganda of the NDC that nearly cost us a second term. This event proved to be one of the turning points in events leading to the 2020 elections.

Yet again, when in recent times the FixTheCountryNow campaign which others saw as an opportunity to push a sinister agenda to poo-poo the massive success chalked by the Akufo-Addo Government in just 4 years arose, Dr. Bawumia joined hundreds of grassroot supporters to defend the party and Government. He never saw himself too big to respond or join the footsoldiers to defend the party and Government. Rather, he saw it as an opportunity to defend the legacy of the Government he has served with all his heart. As usual in his characteristic humble and intellectual style, he beautifully set the records straight by providing incontestable data on what Government had done to FixTheCountry from the mess left by NDC and to assure citizens that Government is doing all its best to get the country quickly back on track following disruptions by Covid 19.

It is clear Dr. Bawumia remains unmatched and remains the greatest threat to the NDC as far as their hopes of coming back to power is concerned. His selflessness in serving party and Government deserves commendation and is exactly what the people of Ghana look for in a leader.

Your Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, we the youth of the party wish to say a big ayeeko to you for always standing by Government and inspiring us in times when party people seem to have lost hope or are bullied into silence. We appreciate how you join us on the grounds to project the party and clear misconceptions that have the tendency of destroying the great success that your Government has attained for the country. We have nothing for you but to assure you of our unflinching support and to say that just as you are always there for us and the party, we will always be there for you. Thank you once again and stay blessed.

Written by:

Dr. Issah Imoro

( [email protected] )

Issah Imoro (OD)

Student, Master of Science in Optometry (Orthoptics and Padiatric Optometry)

University of South-Eastern Norway

Kongsberg

Norway
China says the upper stage of its Long March 5B rocket that launched the core module of its space station will mostly burn up on re-entry, posing little threat to people and property on the ground.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbing said Chinese authorities will release information about the -re-entry of the rocket, expected over the weekend, in a timely manner.

Wang said China pays great attention to the re-entry of the upper stage of the rocket into the atmosphere."

As far as I understand, this type of rocket adopts a special technical design, and the vast majority of the devices will be burnt up and destructed during the re-entry process, which has a very low probability of causing harm to aviation activities and the ground," Wang said at a regularly scheduled briefing.

Unknown location

The largest section of the rocket that launched the main module of China's first permanent space station into orbit is expected to plunge back to Earth as early as Saturday at an unknown location.

Usually, discarded rocket stages re-enter the atmosphere soon after liftoff, normally over water, and don't go into orbit.

China's National Space Administration has yet to say whether the main stage of the huge Long March 5B rocket is being controlled or will make an out-of-control descent. Last May, another Chinese rocket fell uncontrolled into the Atlantic Ocean off West Africa.

The Communist Party newspaper Global Times said the stage's thin-skinned aluminum-alloy exterior will easily burn up in the atmosphere, posing an extremely remote risk to people, rejecting western media to "hype the China space threat."

Cannot be pinpointed - yet

The U.S. Space Command, an entity under the Defense Department which was re-installed by President Donald Trump in 2019 after having been inactive for 17 years, expects the rocket stage to fall to Earth on Saturday.

Where it will hit cannot be pinpointed until within hours of its reentry, Space Command said in a statement Tuesday.

According to Space Command, its Space Surveillance Network currently tracks more than 27,000 man-made objects in space, "the majority of which are in low-earth orbit. All debris can be potential threats to spaceflight safety and the space domain."

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a Wednesday briefing that the US Space Command was aware of and tracking the location of the Chinese rocket.

The nonprofit Aerospace Corp. expects the debris to hit the Pacific near the Equator after passing over eastern U.S. cities. Its orbit covers a swath of the planet from New Zealand to Newfoundland.

The Long March 5B rocket carried the main module of Tianhe, or Heavenly Harmony, into orbit on April 29. China plans 10 more launches to carry additional parts of the space station into orbit.

Biggest space debris

The roughly 30-meter -long stage would be among the biggest piece of space debris to fall to Earth.

The 18-ton rocket that fell last May was the heaviest debris to fall uncontrolled since the former Soviet space station Salyut 7 in 1991.

China's first space station, Tiangong-1, crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 2016 after Beijing confirmed it had lost control. In 2019, the space agency controlled the demolition of its second station, Tiangong-2, in the atmosphere.

In March, debris from a Falcon 9 rocket launched by U.S. aeronautics company SpaceX fell to Earth in Washington and on the Oregon coast.

(RFI WITH AP)
Thousands protested in Algiers Friday during a weekly demonstration of the Hirak pro-democracy movement despite a heavy police presence, AFP correspondents said.

Protesters changed route for the first time since marches resumed in February in order to avoid police roadblocks.

"Whatever you do, we will not stop," protesters shouted, addressing a massive police presence in the centre of the capital.

Some held pictures of prisoners of conscience -- opposition and Hirak activists -- demanding their release.

"Repression only strengthens the will to fight and cements the solidarity of those subjected to it," other signs read.

The CNLD prisoners' rights group says over 70 people are currently imprisoned in connection to the Hirak or cases related to freedom of expression, and that some detainees have begun hunger strikes to protest their conditions.

Police used force to break up last Friday's rally in Algiers and made several arrests. Most of those detained have since been released.

Amnesty International on Friday called on Algerian authorities to "allow for peaceful protests without resorting to force and other punitive measures unnecessarily".

"All those detained solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association or peaceful assembly must be immediately and unconditionally released and have all charges against them dropped," said Amna Guellali, Amnesty's regional deputy director.

"The police forces' heavy-handed response to brave protesters taking part in the Hirak movement exemplifies why people across Algeria are calling for political reform," she added in a statement. "The use of unlawful force and arbitrary detentions is unacceptable."

The Hirak protest movement was sparked over president Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term in office.

The ailing autocrat was forced to step down weeks later, but the Hirak has continued its demonstrations, demanding a sweeping overhaul of a ruling system in place since Algeria's independence from France in 1962.

Marches were suspended for around a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but protesters have returned to the streets since February as the movement regains momentum.
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Member Parliament (MP) for Asuogyaman Constituency, Hon. Thomas Ampem Nyarko raises concern with MPs who only work on developmental projects in their Constituencies during election year.

He said development is an all-round process that politicians must be committed to working on but not only in election year just to win power.

Hon. Nyarko said this in an interview with a Freelance journalist, Dennis Agyei Boateng who is also the National President of Unilime Foundation, a non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to humanitarian activities when they paid a courtesy call to the MP last Saturday at his residence in Akosombo in the Eastern Region.

Law makers

According to him, even though MPs are lawmakers electorates have redefined their roles as development agents and for that matter expected to do a lot of developments in their constituencies.

I dont wait till election year before I start work because campaign start from now so I focus on developmental issues from now to election period because electorates are smart and know who is working and who wants power, he noted. out.

Tackling some of the development issues in his constituency, Hon. Nyarko expressed commitment to creating more jobs in his Constituency to address the high youth unemployment in the country.

This, he said will help the government to reduce unemployment among the youths and enhance the economy since youth unemployment is a major national security threat.

Vocational and Technical Training

Outlining ways to address the unemployment situation, he said, he would continue to partner with Unilime Foundation under its flagship programme Vocational, Technological and Technical (VOCTECH) to train more youth in Vocational and Technical skills so that he could set them up after their graduation to be self-reliant.

Giving reasons for this partnership, Hon. Nyarko opined that, Unilime Foundation do a lot of research to identify the problems, committed to monitoring and evaluation and are very zealous when working, therefore it would be appropriate to work with them so they can ensure the sustainability of such projects.

According to him, annually as part of creating jobs in his constituency, he recruits more than 100 youth to be trained in Vocational and Technical skills such as sewing, Manson, Tiling, Carpentry, Hairdressing among others and after he set them up for business.

Last year in Frankadua community in my constituency I enrolled 120 young people in the training but at the end of the training only 40 people graduated. I was not encouraged since they were less than 50 percent so with Unilime Foundation they could do a lot of the supervisory on the project. I will be glad to recruit more and fund it so Unilime Foundation can ensure its sustainability, he explained.

Currently, Hon. Nyarko has partnered the NGO to trained 15 youth on their VOCTECH project at Boso in the Eastern region as a pilot project where he funded the training and provided the necessary machines to enhance their training and they would be graduating early next year.

I believe if we can work together with my resources and contacts as well as the zeal and passion from the young volunteers we will be able to achieve a lot of things together, Hon. Nyarko noted.

To create more Jobs

As part of creating more jobs, he would want to partner with GIZ German Corporation to encourage more youth to venture into agriculture.

The MP pointed that, he would empower more youth in the Constituency into agriculture while other would be empowered with Vocational and Technical skills.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Afigya Kwabre North in the Ashanti Region, Mr. Collins Adomako Mensah, has said COVID-19 pandemic has had considerable impacts on Ghanaian businesses, forcing many firms to cut costs by reducing staff hours, cutting wages, and in some cases laying off workers.

He however indicated that Ghanas economy is on track despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Government will continue to implement prudent fiscal measures to quicken the pace of fiscal consolidation, he said, adding that the Finance Minister would update the nation next March on measures to be taken to restore the country to the path of economic recovery, Thomas Kusi Boafo exclusively told Mr. Collins Adomako Mensah on Pae Mu Ka on Accra-based Kingdom FM 107.7

Mr. Collins Adomako Mensah gave a strong indication that government was on course with the policies and programmes to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 on the economy and livelihoods.

He further reiterated that, despite the ravages of disease, there had been marked improvements in food production in the country, which spared Ghana the spectacle of food shortages during the period.
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A great leader posses a clear vision to make life comfortable for his people but not to overburden his people by making unpopular policies to cripple them.

Dr. Bawumia is truly a walking case of dishonesty coupled with crass incompetence.

In the run-up to both the 2016 and 2020 Election, Ghanaians were made to understand through the words of Dr Bawumia that president Mahama is incompetent and is responsible for the supposed economic hardships. Ghanaians believed him so much due to his confidence in telling lies. His government eventually won the election with majority of Ghanaians craving to experience the luscious promises they made. From the look of their performance Ghanaians have realise that the government is not performing and demand from them to fix the country as promised.

Dr Bawumia's quick response to buttress the #FixTheCountry trend on social media can only be regarded as trying to play smart with the intelligence of Ghanaians. For God's sake, he should credit Ghanaians with some level of intelligence and stop these rigmarole spurious responses.

He should stop using COVID-19 as an excuse to shield his incompetence. No amount of justification can shield his monumental incompetence in the management of the economy. Ghana's economy was in a shrink before COVID-19 and this is the reason:

In 2016 when Mahama's economy was witnessing a 7.9% growth in the manufacturing sector Dr Bawumia's economy reduced this growth to 6.3% in 2019. In 2016 construction sector grew by 8.4% but declined to -4.4% in 2019. In 2016 the financial sector grew by 8% but declined to 1.8% in 2019.

In 2016 Fishery Sector grew by 3.1% and declined to a negative rate. In 2016 the Ghana cedi depreciated by 9.6% but depreciated by 12.9% in 2019. In 2016 Private Sector growth was 14% but declined to 2% in 2019. From the above indicators it is an insult to Ghanaians for Dr Bawumia to blame COVID19 for his unequaled incompetence.

Dr Bawumia should understand that;

1. the Hostel facilities that he promised the Kayayes has still not landed and that, the Kayayes are still suffering despite the 5,000 cedis they donated to sponsor his campaign in 2016.

2. One bag of cement which was selling at 30 cedis in 2016 has now galloped to 52 cedis under his watch.

3. The villages in my constituency still lack potable water contrary to his promise that under his watch there will be no village in Ghana with water problem.

4. A gallon of petrol which was sold at 15 cedis in 2016 is now selling at 28.50 cedis under his watch.

5. 16mm of iron rod which was sold at 2,800 cedis per ton is now selling at 5,800 cedis under the watch of the much celebrated economic wizard.

6. A pack of roofing sheet which was selling at 520 cedis in 2016 is now selling at 1,300 cedis under your watch.

No amount of justification can convince the very people you promised to make life comfortable when indeed your records speaks volume of your abysmal performance. The bible even provides in Luke 12:48 that, to whom much is given, much will be required. I hereby invite all persons who are disappointed by the atrocious performance of this government to join the movement with the #FixTheCountry.
I do appreciate the passionate resentment of the elite by some but when the so-called non-elite got their chance, they also failed Ghana, so the issue is not one class or the other, the issue is WE THE PEOPLE.

I have said time and again that our problem is not the systems or institutions, but our number one problem is the people who run them, address that and we are a great nation already.

On the subject of AGYAPA, the idea of ring-fencing loyalties is not bad but still lacks imagination. As fathers and mothers of young Ghanaians, we should be more interested in them being shareholders of a multibillion-dollar global conglomerate than beneficiaries of a $ 200 million dollar domestic revolving loan fund.

You mention interest-free so the opportunity for that $200 million to expand to $ 1 billion is slim to none, meaning the pool of young Ghanaians who can access interest-free loans will always be limited to the fixed $200 million capitalizations.

I frankly have more faith in the free market, and would rather Parliament enforce majority indigenous ownership of a global conglomerate and provide preferential access to shareholding to the informal sector, individual Ghanaians and the micro and SMEs. Real wealth for the Ghanaian is created when they have a personal stake and investment in a company that is global and a beneficiary of global capital.....not a domestic entity that will always be limited by the dept of a domestic economy.

That is precisely the reason why no indigenous Ghanaian company has matured into either a Pan African or global conglomerate whilst still maintaining indigenous ownership. We either cant attract that kind of capital or cant grow the business into something that transcends our domestic economy.

Opening Agyapa to 49% foreign ownership is a fair compromise in the attempt to increase the capitalization quickly and generate wealth for the majority of Ghanaian shareholders in the short to medium term. Plus the multiplier effect in the Ghanaian economy is significantly increased when you have hundreds of small investors holding ownership in an asset that is worth billions of dollars versus holding a note from a $ 200 million dollar domestic fund. It is ultimately a game of numbers, both in terms of multiplier effect and wealth created from market capitalization.

Myles N
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In a patriarchal society, a woman without the protection of a father, husband, or sometimes a brother, is extremely vulnerable to being tagged a witch. Women in the past till now have been subjected to various forms of abuse in the name of culture and tradition or because certain practices are acceptable to societies.

This brings us to the issue of witchcraft allegations and violence. Witchcraft accusations and persecutions are being used as a marginalization tool against women across the globe. The re-emergence of witchcraft beliefs in contemporary society and the prevalence of the violence associated with such beliefs is barbaric and has only received little attention from governments, particularly in Ghana.

Let us walk through the perceived role of witches? In Ghana witches and wizards are believed to possess inherent, supernatural powers that are used to create evil or misfortune. Sicknesses, the inability to have children, accidents, the loss or destruction of property, droughts, floods, and fires are among the events blamed on witches, according to many scholars.

Witchcraft beliefs are part of everyday life in Ghana and part of aging in Ghana as well. Older women marginalized within family systems are vulnerable to attacks and abuse. The sex of alleged witches varies across different societies though. What is however clear is that many studies identified that in many parts of the world, women are largely at the receiving end of witchcraft accusations, compared to men.

Though both men and women can be accused of witchcraft, the vast majority are women, especially the elderly. According to ActionAid, widows, childless or unmarried women are vulnerable to being branded witches as they do not fulfill the expected gender.

A scholar by the name of Macfarlane in 1999, argued that the tendency of women to become witches through the work of the devil is more likely due to what is described as connected to the conception that women are commonly impatient, and being displeased more maliciously, and so more apt to revenge according to their power, and thereby more fit instruments for the devil.

But in my view, the root cause of this, is the weak social protection systems, the lack of influential people to support widows and unmarried women. I could not agree more when ActionAid found that there is a high correlation between the perceived non-contribution of women to the economic needs of the households and witchcraft allegations. We are yet to see career women or women from good socio-economic backgrounds accused of witchcraft.

Let me take some time to chronicle recent organised violence against women that seemingly went unpunished. According to Citi News on April 20, 2021, some irate youth of Nakpali in the Zabzugu District of the Northern Region on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, destroyed the property of a 68-year-old woman they accused of being a witch. The youth also set the house of Amina Mahama ablaze, because she was accused of causing a baobab tree to fall and kill a young man in the town, this in my view beat science and logic.

On Thursday, 23 July 2020, a 90-year-old woman, Madam Akua Denteh was beaten to death in broad daylight at Kafaba near Salaga though the perpetrator is standing trial, Graphic Online. According to newspaper reports, a fetish priestess declared Madam Akua Denteh the witch responsible for the burning of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) youth shed. This is incredible, isnt it?

Another elderly woman in northern Ghana fled her home to live in a so-called witch camp because she has been accused of witchcraft and beaten. For fear of being killed, she found refuge in the camp according to Dw news. Has it become a crime to be a woman? How could society subject women to such cruel and barbaric torture or it is a marginalization tool against women?

According to the universal declaration of human rights, UN 1948, Article 5, no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruelty, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The 1992 constitution also provides every person the right to life. Any person abused in the name of witchcraft in any community, the community, and traditional leadership and the perpetrator should be dealt with in accordance with the laws of Ghana. This will serve as a deterrent to others.

Albert Apotele Nyaaba

Gender Advocate
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The Communications Director of Ghana Gas, Ernest Owusu Bempah has expressed that, the agitation of the masses to fix the country is a call in the right direction.

According to him, Ghanaians trust only Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo-led government, thus why they voted him into office to solve the problems comforting the nation.

In an interview with UTV news, he pointed out that the COVID-19 outbreak has had a negative impact on many countries around.

"COVID-19 has hit many countries and Ghana is one of them and I will like to use this platform to urge the populace to have their trust in the president to turn things around", he said.

The campaign, #Fixthecountry, which started on the microblogging site, Twitter had some thousands of Ghanaians venting their displeasure over what many describe as a failure on the part of successive governments to improve the lives of the citizenry.

The campaign seeks to get the government to fix the country in areas like Unemployment, Sanitation, Health, Bad Roads, the Economy, and others.
Recent killings and kidnappings of reporters in the Sahel have highlighted the severe risks faced by journalists in the war-torn African region, with some describing themselves as "sick with fear".

A brutal jihadist conflict in the Sahel nations of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has left vast swathes of territory outside of state control, and thousands of people dead.

Journalists covering the insurgency often find themselves targeted by armed groups, either because of their reporting, or their ransom value.

The considerable risks involved in practising journalism in the vast semi-arid region were underscored this week when it emerged that French reporter Olivier Dubois, who had gone missing, was likely being held captive by jihadists.

The 46-year-old freelancer had disappeared on April 8 in the northern Malian town of Gao, where he had travelled to interview an al-Qaeda-linked jihadist commander.

But Dubois said in a video that surfaced on Wednesday -- which has not been independently confirmed -- that he had been abducted by the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), the biggest jihadist alliance in the Sahel.

News of his kidnapping also followed the killing of Spanish reporters David Beriain and Roberto Fraile, and Irish NGO worker Rory Young, in Burkina Faso in April.

Salif Zangre, a Burkinabe video journalist, told AFP that the killings are a reminder "of how exposed we can be in our profession".

He added that while this did not affect journalists' desire to cover the news, he stressed that they needed to take serious precautions.

Describing their work, two local reporters -- who are not named for security reasons -- told AFP they are often "sick with fear".

Permanent threat

Serge Daniel, a correspondent for AFP and for Radio France Internationale (RFI) in Mali's capital Bamako, said that the life of a journalist in the Sahel "is not always a happy one".

He explained that even in the relative comfort of Bamako, many live in houses surrounded by barbed wire, and are cautious when they are outside.

Journalists in Sahel countries such as Niger are increasingly taking serious precautions. By ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP/File)

Two French RFI journalists were killed in northern Mali in 2013, in a event which served as a wake-up call to many reporters in the region.

But journalists likely face greater security risks now than they did when the jihadist insurgency first emerged in northern Mali in 2012, according to Daniel.

Islamist fighters later spread to central Mali as well as neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, killing thousands of soldiers and civilians and displacing many hundreds of thousands more.

Local journalists, for their part, say they feel as if they are under permanent threat.

Brehima Sogoba, the editor-in-chief of Mali's private television station Renouveau TV, said that some of his correspondents have stopped signing their reports for fear of reprisals.

'High risk'

In Niger, where attacks on civilians have increased this year, the head of a community radio station told AFP that journalists must think "a thousand times" before speaking.

"The job is now very high risk," said the journalist, who requested anonymity. "The jihadists and other bandits listen to our broadcasts (and are) in the habit of threatening radio stations."

Two Spanish journalists and an Irish NGO worker were murdered in Burkina Faso last month. By JAVIER SORIANO (AFP/File)

Another radio journalist from Niger, who also declined to be named, said he was especially afraid of being kidnapped.

The chilling effect has extended to listeners who call in to radio programmes to debate issues, he said, adding that his station has now mostly replaced that format because few dare to speak on air.

Navigating the dangers of the Sahel conflict, as well staying on top of its mind-boggling complexity, remains a constant challenge for journalists.

Sogoba, the television editor, said that journalists need to "master the material" in order to succeed, and have a solid grasp of the issues at stake.

But he added: "The good journalist is the one who lives."
The head of Ethiopia's Orthodox Church has accused the government of wanting to "destroy" the country's northern Tigray region, in his first public comments about the war there.

The statement from Abune Mathias, a Tigray native, appeared in a video recording ferried out of Ethiopia by a friend, and the patriarch claimed his earlier attempts to speak out had been "stifled and censored."

It represents rare public criticism from a high-profile Ethiopian figure of the six-month-old war pitting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's military against forces loyal to Tigray's once dominant ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

"They are working day and night to destroy Tigray. They have no rest when it comes to destroying Tigrayans," Abune Mathias, speaking in the Amharic language, said in the 14-minute video.

"In all parts of Tigray there are killings. They mean to wipe Tigrayans from the surface of the earth."

Abiy, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, sent troops into Tigray in early November after accusing the TPLF of orchestrating attacks on army camps.

He has stressed the military is targeting the TPLF leadership and not civilians.

But myriad attacks on civilians -- including massacres and brutal gang rapes -- have been documented, with many witnesses and survivors blaming Ethiopian soldiers and troops from neighbouring Eritrea who are backing Abiy.

In the video recording, Abune Mathias described the violence as "the carnage of people -- particularly the killing of innocents."

He lamented damage to Tigray's famed Orthodox monasteries as well as massacres perpetrated on church grounds including in the Tigray town of Dengolat.

The Orthodox Church is the largest in Ethiopia, accounting for more than 40 percent of the country's 110 million people.

Smuggled clip

Dennis Wadley, a friend of Abune Mathias and director of the US-based group Bridges of Hope International, told AFP he recorded the video on April 26 during a trip to Ethiopia.

"The Patriarch asked me not to release it until I was out of the country, back in the US," Wadley said.

An Orthodox official confirmed the authenticity of the recording to AFP.

Abune Mathias said he had previously tried to speak out against the war multiple times including in media interviews but had been barred by the government.

"I spoke out and they held it back. I spoke out again and they held it back. Until now I have not had the opportunity to display my message through the media," he said.

Though Abiy declared victory in late November when the military entered the regional capital Mekele, fighting continues in the region.

As the war drags on, world leaders are increasingly concerned about what US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month called an impending humanitarian "disaster."
The African Union on Saturday named former Ghanaian president John Mahama its High Representative to Somalia to try and resolve a dire political crisis due to a dispute over delayed elections.

Mahama's aim would be "a mutually acceptable compromise towards an all-encompassing resolution for the holding of Somali elections in the shortest possible time," the AU said in a statement.

The continental body's chairman Moussa Faki urged Somali leaders to "negotiate in good faith... for an inclusive settlement to the electoral crisis".

Somalia needs "a democratically elected government with the legitimacy and mandate to resolve the remaining outstanding political and constitutional issues that are posing a threat to the stability of the country and the region as a whole," Faki added.

Mahama, a 62-year-old who led Ghana from 2012 to 2017, is expected in Somalia "in the coming days".

The country's political crisis has sharpened in recent weeks, following a resolution to extend the term of incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed by two years.

John Mahama was president of Ghana from 2012 to 2017. By CRISTINA ALDEHUELA (AFP/File)

No election could be organised before Mohamed, widely known as Farmajo, reached the end of his term on February 8.

Both the Somali opposition and international players condemned the attempt to extend Mohamed's presidency, and opposition fighters took up positions in the capital in late April -- prompting a tense standoff with government troops.

Three were killed in fighting between the two sides when the opposition arrived last month, prompting tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes.

Farmajo has since ordered Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble to set up elections as soon as possible and bring together the leaders of Somalia's regional states later this month.

The deal was enough to secure the withdrawal of opposition fighters from the capital.
With India struggling to curb the spread of a devastating Covid-19 wave and step up vaccinations, experts have warned the country to prepare for a third wave of the pandemic.

In the wake of the changing nature of the variants, we must be ready for the third wave, said K Vijay Raghavan, the principal scientific adviser to the government.

"We can't predict the timing, but it seems inevitable. We must prepare ourselves and be ready for it."

Raghvan's warnings are in stark contrast to the government's messaging at the beginning of this year, after India's first Covid wave ebbed.

Victory was declared over the pandemic in the country.

A few months on, there has been no let-up in the current crippling surge.

Record

India recorded an all-time high of 414,182 new cases of infections and 3,920 fatalities in the last 24 hours.

For more than a fortnight, the country has witnessed more than 300,000 cases, taking its tally well past 21 million cases and pushing its healthcare system to the brink.

Experts warned that a third wave is foreseeable and said that surveillance and vaccine updates were needed as the virus mutates.

Giridhar Babu, epidemiologist and professor at the Indian Institute of Public Health in Bengaluru, said the third wave is likely to hit India around November and early December.

"Thus, ensuring that all vulnerable sections are vaccinated before the festive season is important," added Babu who is also a member and advisor to the Covid task force of Karnataka.

"The next wave will affect mostly young people."

M Vidyasagar, a mathematical modeling expert added: India needs to have its vaccination programme well underway. Even if people begin to lose their immunity, they should not remain susceptible to catch the virus."

Emergency

Estimates show India is in the grip of a public health emergency.

Rural districts in at least 10 states recorded more cases and deaths in April and the list includes high-risk states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan among others.

The rising number of cases and the shortage of available emergency services have also prompted a sort of migration, with villagers heading towards urban centres, sometimes to other states, in a desperate attempt to find care.

Accounts coming in from the ground across many states point to the distress that could quickly turn into misfortune for a huge swathe of the population if not addressed immediately, Bharti Sharma, a public health consultant told RFI.

Despite calls for harsher restrictions, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, has been reluctant to declare a nationwide lockdown over possible repercussions on the recovering economy.

However, several states have extended lockdowns and restrictions.

The southern state of Kerala has announced a nine-day shutdown starting on Saturday. Madhya Pradesh has extended its curfew until 15 May.

The history of this pandemic will have to clearly shout out one key failure - the failure of governance. The distress has reached epochal proportions, said political scientist Suhas Palshikar.

Over the last two weeks ,several high courts have taken up petitions, in some cases of their own accord, over the government's response to the second wave of the pandemic.

India's supreme court has flagged up warnings of an impending third wave of Covid-19 and stressed the need for completing vaccination and for creating buffer stock of oxygen.

We may enter stage three [third wave] and if we prepare today we may be able to handle it," said Justice D Y Chandrachud.

"Whatever stocks procured need to be sent to hospitals. It's not about allocating it to the state but also the logistics to see that it is distributed to hospitals."
Zimasile 'Zim' Ngqawana, died unexpectedly and too soon  on 10 May 2011 at the age of 51  leaving bereft a family and a musical community that spanned the globe.

A flautist and saxophonist, composer and teacher, Ngqawana was born in New Brighton township in then Port Elizabeth, South Africa. After a university music education he became known on the jazz and dance theatre scenes. It was Ngqawana who was chosen to present music  a 100-piece ensemble  at the inauguration of president Nelson Mandela in 1994. He released his debut studio album, San Song , in 1996. He would tour the world with his band Ingoma and work with the likes of Wynton Marsalis , Abdullah Ibrahim and Hugh Masekela , in turn mentoring a new generation of South African musicians. He later established a school, the Zimology Institute.

Ngqawana's biography and his achievements are well known.

Recalling him on the 10th anniversary of his death is to remember how a South African jazz musician's life and death, in a country that generally treats the arts  and especially jazz  as an inconvenience outside of Heritage Day, could resonate so widely.

Ngqawana's sound  indebted to Xhosa traditional musical, western art music and jazz  fills the silence that destruction leaves. Committed to creativity as healing , Ngqawana's legacy continues long after his death.

A long line of saxophonists

In the mid-1800s, Belgium's Adolphe Saxe invented a strange instrument made of brass but which, because of how it produces sound, is classified as a woodwind instrument: the saxophone.

The hybrid instrument was adopted by jazz, a genre that has always embraced hybridity. For jazz scholar Chris Merz, the saxophone in South African jazz became prominent from the 1930s, part of the American Swing craze.

The 1950s saw the global decline of big bands and rise of smaller jazz combos. So began the reign of the alto saxophone in South African jazz, despite some growling intrusions from tenor saxophonists like Winston Mankunku . This is why South African jazz can speak of Ntemi Piliso , Kippie Moeketsi , Gwigwi Mrwebi , Barney Rachabane , Duke Makasi , Robbie Jansen and Dudu Pukwana to name but a few.

It is also why it can speak of Zim Ngqawana.

A self-made brand

We may consider Ngqawana as a 'self-made' brand. Through his creations like Zimphonic Suites, Vadzimu, Zimology, Aphorizims, Zimphony Orchestra and the Zimology Institute, he crafted his own public persona in such a way that the culture industry had to follow rather than shape it for him.

Ngqawana's making of the self was playful, but not superficial. He also resisted the label jazz, which he considered at once too limiting and too all-encompassing. Confronting the controversial view that there is no word for music in African languages, he correctly grasped that this is because, historically, music in Africa was part of life's sacred and profane rituals. It was ingoma (the drums). In his sleeve notes for the 1999 album Ingoma he wrote:

Ingoma is a tour de force of committed conscious kultur warriors, blowing a national clarion to draw the concerned listener's attention to the fire that is engulfing our house as a nation in a state of emergency.

Antiquity and modernity

The call for commitment of the artist as cultural worker and warrior, and for the recognition that people's lives could and must improve, suggests why Ngqawana is important for those who insist on the transformation of our society and refuse to relegate African cultural knowledge systems to the dustbin of the past.

He wrote in 2001's Zimphonic Suites , that it's all about harmony between antiquity and modernity.

For Ngqawana, this clarion should be heard and acknowledged by all. This explains his visibility on South African TV in the 1990s (especially with the hit Qula Kwedini ) and his ubiquity on the airwaves and the live scene and, most importantly, as a teacher.

Meeting Zim

I (Lindelwa Dalamba) first met Ngqawana when was invited to Rhodes University, where he had studied. As a student I was privy to a jazz workshop he held. It was an odd, discomforting jam session.

Ngqawana made us play endless rounds of the standard Stella by Starlight, pushing us to the limits of our tolerance of its melody, chord changes and prior interpretations. That's the point: to push through the given script until you find yourself on the other side. That used to be the point of jazz.

But my most important encounter was when I ran into him at the University of KwaZulu-Natal as a postgraduate student. Avuncular as ever, he declared his pleasure that those he had known as youngsters were continuing to blow the clarion.

When I said I was no longer blowing the saxophone, now determined to be a jazz musicologist, he promptly went to his office and returned with a copy of every single one of his albums, along with a copy of Amiri Baraka's Blues People: Negro Music in White America . This generosity was an assertion of community, possibly the only impulse that has assured jazz's endurance in this country. The gift is my memento mori: Ngqawana's mortality, beyond death and vandalism, continues to inspire and to teach.

The moment of annihilation

Indeed, in 2010 Ngqawana's studio was vandalised by scrap metal thieves. To gouge the metal from the grand piano's legs, it was turned on its side. Windows, the toilet and light fittings were broken. A saxophone was smashed.

At the moment of annihilation, perhaps, our true voice is heard  we scream, sing, respond. In improvising its hesitant future, the artist's voice is born; informed by all it has ever been and seen. The sound bears witness, exhaled into the impassive air.

This vandalism, says Ngqawana in The Exhibition of Vandalizim, a documentary created by African Noise Foundation, shows the extent of what has happened to them  A vandalism of the soul, vandalism of the heart, vandalism of the mind. African Noise Foundation's documentary.

Committed to creativity as healing, Ngqawana left an extensive archive of published and unpublished music. It is important, therefore, that 10 May 2021 also marks the resurrection of the Zimology Institute, the project he initiated as a holding space for his philosophy and music.

Principles of poetics

His legacy is also one of poetics, the principles  conscious or intuitive and understood in retrospect  by which the artist articulates their style. In the film, a stubbornly resilient Ngqawana sits in the rubble left by the vandals and plays a percussive solo on the broken cistern. We are condemned  to move into the unknown, he says. Moving beyond the palpable pain in seeing his instruments and studio destroyed, he insists that the vandals are victims of the barbarism of colonisation. He makes art of the carnage. In filmmaker and writer Aryan Kaganof's film Legacy he stresses Ngqawana's interest in the conscience.

Conscience and consciousness formed themselves through artistic discourse in the 1970s and 1980s, where culture was an inextricable aspect of, and outlet for, the political in music. Ngqawana always went beyond the political postures and personalities of the day, cutting through to the meaning of human events and their impact on the experience of freedom.

For us, Ngqawana's enduring lesson is how art is able to contain, in its creation, its negation:

The true purpose of great music should lead us to silence  from sound to silence.

Qula Kwedini.

Lindelwa Dalamba receives funding from the National Research Foundation (Thuthuka).

Phillippa Yaa de Villiers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

By Lindelwa Dalamba, Music lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand And

Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, Poet and lecturer in Creative Writing, University of the Witwatersrand
IMANI Africa President Franklin Cudjoe has questioned the stoning silence of notable critics of the Mahama administration amid the ongoing #FixTheCountry campaign against the Akufo-Addo administration.

My disappointment is that I did not see some of those leading activists join this particular call, he said on The Big Issue.

Among the notable movements against the Mahama administration was the #Occupyflagstaffhouse movement which was triggered by the deteriorating economic and governance situation in the country.

Mr. Cudjoe surmised that the lack of consistency from the previous protests was because that movement was hijacked by the politicos.

Almost all the leaders have now become appendages or become peeping toms for the government, he noted.

But the IMANI Africa president expects the Fix the country protests to have more staying power.

This is probably going to be much more credible because it is going to have a base network, and it connects with people.

He further stressed that the spirit of the ongoing protests should live in the hearts of everybody.

I think the government will now have to understand that when you are advised by policy wonks or people who deal with paper advise, and you don't listen, very soon, when the immediacy of the impact of your actions get home you will find the kinds of response that you get street-wise.

The #FixTheCountry campaign has been online since it started on Twitter a week ago.

It has since gotten more organised and attempted to hold a demonstration on May 9.

The planned demonstration was however stifled by the state after the Ghana Police Service secured an injunction against it.

The court ruled that the planned protest would not be able to come off until the restriction on public gatherings is lifted.

Conveners of the protest have now moved to challenge the injunction.

The attempt to quell the protest is a misstep by the state, according to Mr. Cudjoe, who further noted that political gathering, among others, were allowed to take place without any challenge from police.

It is not the best way to respond to people when you as politicos have had the opportunity to do everything under the sun to have an election and all of that, he said.

---citinewsroom
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Conveners of social media campaign, #FixTheCountry are unhappy with the Supreme Courts decision to set June 8 as the date to hear their appeal seeking to have an injunction stopping their planned demonstration on May 9 overturned.

According to the group, the date creates a lot of inconveniences looking at the exigency of the matter.

The group declared its intention to protest on May 9, 2021, however, the Ghana Police Service secured an ex-parte injunction against the protest.

The court ruled that the planned demonstration is prohibited until the restriction on public gathering is lifted.

But the group has dragged the matter to the Supreme Court with the hope of getting the apex court to quash the High Courts order.

It thus raised concerns that the development hinders their quest to demonstrate on May 9, 2021, as scheduled and has served notice to file for an abridgement of time.

We have received news that the Supreme Court has fixed the hearing for 8th June 2021. We are naturally disappointed by this decision. As a result, we shall at the earliest opportunity file an application for abridgement time, with the hope that the Supreme Court will hear the matter at an earlier date, a statement issued by conveners of the campaign noted.

Here is the full statement from the group:

As you may have heard, yesterday the 6th of May 2021 the Ghana Police Service obtained an order prohibiting us from exercising our rights under the 1992 Constitution to embark on the planned May 9 Protest.

The order was granted to the Police despite an existing decision by a Judge of the Court of Appeal saying that the Police cannot seek nor obtain an order to prohibit a protest without notifying the organizers.

Earlier today, our lawyers working through the night, filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking to set aside the defective order made by the High Court Judge. It was our hope that in view of the urgency of the matter, and having regard to the grave injustice caused, that extraordinary measures will be taken to expedite the hearing of the matter, to enable us to proceed with the protest on Sunday, May 9th.

However, we have just received news that the Supreme Court has fixed the hearing for 8th June 2021. We are naturally disappointed by this decision, but we continue to place our faith in the Courts. As a result, we shall at the earliest opportunity file an application for abridgement time, with the hope that the Court will hear the matter at an earlier date.

We shall update you in a few hours on our next cause of action regarding the protest.

We assure you all that we will not relent, retreat nor surrender.

Keep up the Faith and the Fight!

#FixTheCountry!

The Convenors

---citinewsroom
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has urged government to be forthright with the #FixTheCountry protestors demanding better governance.

Speaking on The Big Issue, Mr. Ablakwa criticised the manner in which police secured an injunction to stop a planned protest on May 9.

The Ghana Police Service secured an injunction against the protest after a court ruled that the planned protest would not be able to come off until the restriction on public gatherings is lifted.

You invited them to have a talk with them and whilst that is going on, you go behind them and are in court with an ex parte injunction. All of that posturing smacks of bad faith, he stated.

Mr. Ablakwa further warned the government that it cannot outwit the masses, especially the youth.

Instead, he said the government needed to be more open to the concerns of the protestors.

Let the state show good faith. Let us see a certain opening up and embracing approach to sit and listen and give measurable assurance that it is fixing it and responding to your needs.

Beyond showing good faith, the MP said the protest is also a cause for reflection from the political class.

This is the time for very sober reflection. How do we in the political class ensure that we deliver the goods so that we do not erode the gains and people do not lose confidence totally?

The conveners of the protest have moved to challenge the injunction at the Supreme Court, but it has fixed the hearing for June 8, 2021

They now want to file an application for abridgement of time to bring forward the hearing.

The protest has since remained solely online for the past week with Ghanaians voicing their disaffection whilst also naming and shaming MPs perceived to have reneged on developmental duties.

The government has also received support online with counter hashtags like #NanaIsFixingIt and #FixYourSelf emerging in support of the NPP government.

---citinewsroom
Algeria on Saturday honoured thousands killed by French forces in 1945, as the North African country waits for Paris to apologise for its colonial-era crimes.

Pro-independence protests broke out after a rally on May 8, 1945 marking the allied victory over Nazi Germany.

The rioting triggered two weeks of bloody repression in which French troops massacred thousands of mostly unarmed Muslim civilians, a key chapter in Algeria's long independence struggle.

On Saturday, thousands of people took part in a march of remembrance following the same route through the northeastern city of Setif as the May 8 rally 76 years ago, official media reported.

Led by scouts, participants laid a wreath at a monument to Bouzid Saal, a 22-year-old man shot dead by a French policeman in 1945 for refusing to lower his Algerian flag -- the first casualty of the violence.

The crackdown led by French General Raymond Duval left as many as 45,000 dead, according to Algerian official figures.

French historians put the toll at up to 20,000, including 86 European civilians and 16 soldiers killed in revenge attacks.

The killings had a transformative impact on the nascent anti-colonial movement, setting the scene for a full-blown independence war nine years later that finally led to independence in 1962.

Algerian officials have continued to call for a full apology from France for its colonial-era policies, and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has described the 1945 killings as "crimes against humanity".

Government spokesman Ammar Belhimer repeated that demand on Saturday, calling for "the official, definitive and comprehensive recognition by France of its crimes (along with) repentance and fair compensation".

He also called for help dealing with the toxic waste left behind by 17 nuclear tests France carried out in the Algerian desert in the 1960s.

Fortnight of retribution

The summer of 1945 saw French forces carry out a 15-day campaign of violence around Setif, 300 kilometres (190 miles) east of Algiers.

French authorities, which had occupied and colonised the North African country since 1830, imposed martial law and indiscriminately massacred women, children and the elderly.

Nationalist leaders were detained on pure suspicion, and villages suspected of harbouring separatists were strafed by the air force and set ablaze.

Algerian teens beneath a street name plaque honouring Ali Boumendjel, an Algerian lawyer and independence figure killed by the French during. By RYAD KRAMDI (AFP/File)

Some 44 villages were destroyed.

Executions continued until November 1945, and some 4,000 people were arrested.

"I have secured you peace for 10 years," General Duval warned the colonial government in a letter.

"If France does nothing, it will all happen again, only next time it will be worse and may well be irreparable."

Still sensitive, decades on

Setif remains a highly sensitive episode for Algerians as well as for some in France.

Paris only officially recognised the killings in 2005 when the French ambassador in Algiers called the massacres "an inexcusable tragedy".

France has since made moves to recognise other crimes committed during its 132-year occupation of Algeria.

In March, President Emmanuel Macron admitted "in the name of France" that lawyer and independence figure Ali Boumendjel had been detained, tortured and killed by French forces who then covered up his death as a suicide.

Last year, Macron tasked French historian Benjamin Stora to assess how France has dealt with its colonial legacy, and urged officials to accelerate the opening of French archives on the Algerian war.

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) poses with French historian Benjamin Stora for the delivery of a report on the colonisation and the Algerian War. By CHRISTIAN HARTMANN (POOL/AFP/File)

Released in January, the Stora report made several recommendations, including the creation of a "memory and truth commission" to hear testimony from those who suffered during the war.

It did not, however, suggest a formal state apology.

Macron has offered neither "repentance nor apologies" but rather "symbolic acts" of reconciliation.

Algeria did however welcome Macron's admission of French responsibility for Boumendjel's death.
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The Ketu District Council of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called on Government to improve salaries and working conditions of teachers.

Mr. Mickson Kwame Akpavor, the Chairman of the Council, said salaries and working conditions of teachers did not match the efforts and commitment they put in to educate the future leaders of Ghana, thus, deserved more motivation to give off their best.

The Chairman, in his welcome address during the Sixth Quadrennial and 53rd Delegates Conference of the Union at Aflao in the Volta Region, said though the task had been daunting for teachers, the love and trust from colleagues made it easy for leadership to sail through.

He said the Council chalked successes including securing the Secretariat's land by fencing it and ensuring the welfare of members by attending to their issues on an individual basis, visiting schools and constantly updating colleagues on social media platforms.

Mr Akpavor, who retained his position to lead the Council for four more years, said leadership would have successfully served members but for challenges with salaries and working conditions, and called for government's intervention.

We cannot continue to use pre-COVID salary, pre-COVID Recovery Tax Salary, Pre Borla Tax Salary from January 2020 to survive in May 2021. We are pleading with the President and all those who matter to fast-track the negotiation of the base pay and the minimum wage, he said.

Mr Akpavor identified other challenges beyond the capabilities of the leadership and asked for solution in the interest of colleagues.

Two of such challenges are the Legacy Arrears and Diploma teachers waiting for more than seven years before they can upgrade themselves with a degree whilst the Colleges of Education are now awarding Degrees. We are appealing to the Ghana Education Service Management to take a second look at these two issues.

The conference was on the theme: [email protected]; Surviving as a Reliable Teacher Union in the 21st Century: Empowering the Young Teacher for Brighter Future.

It saw all the other eight executives getting the nod of delegates to continue with their mandate for the next four years.

---
Brigitte Dzogbenuku, the 2020 presidential candidate of the Progressive Peoples Party, has taken a swipe at Methodist Church and its role in preventing Muslim students in Wesley Girls' High School from fasting during Ramadan.

Speaking on The Big Issue on Citi TV/FM, Mrs. Dzogbenuku, an alum of Wesley Girls' High School, suggested that the Methodist Church was putting the school in a bad light.

This is a bunch of men in leadership taking decisions for an all-girls school headed by a woman, she said.

In her view, there is no doubt there must be some intimidation of Wesley Girls' High School from the Methodist Church because there is a lot of ego at play.

Methodist church especially, lets stop this show of power we are human beings, and we need to be humble, she instead advised.

The Cape Coast school had been directed by the Ghana Education Service to allow the Muslim students to partake in the fast, but the Methodist Church stepped in to say the school would not heed the directive.

The Parent-Teacher Association of Wesley Girls' High School also justified the decision by the school not to allow Muslim students to partake in the Ramadan fast .

Mrs. Dzogbenuku said this back and forth was putting us [Wesley Girls' High School] in a difficult position.

Moving forward, she said the schools management must be allowed to deliberate and resolve the issue.

Let us run our school as we know. We have had Muslim students there before if we sit down, we can come to a decision on how to tackle this problem.

The Wesley Girls' High School Old Girls' Association has also backed the restrictions on Muslim students but Mrs. Dzogbenuku said her colleague alumnus were being insular on the issue.

She also reiterated the importance of prioritising the welfare of the students.

We are looking at it with tunnel vision. Lets be broad-minded about it We must actually accept at some point and say maybe were are not looking at this as broadly as we have to.

It is not about winning an argument. It is about what is happening on the ground and affecting the lives of certain people.

---citinewsroom
Ambrose Dery, the Minister of the Interior, says COVID-19 is a real threat to national security and called for effective collaboration among security officials to use innovative ways to combat the pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic is a threat to national security and must be dealt with as such, he said.

Events around the world have clearly shown that no single country or institution has been able to tackle the devastating pandemic alone.

Mr Dery said this during the opening ceremony of Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) three-day Management and Regional Commanders Retreat in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua.

He said although the Government had built a strong synergy of interagency approach and collaborative effort among the security services, it was important to device new ways of fighting the pandemic.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, Ghana has taken several steps, including lockdown and formation of Operation COVID-19 Safety Team made up of various security personnel to fight the pandemic.

That notwithstanding, the Minister said: We cannot rest on our oars, we must intensify our efforts and continually think of innovative ways to ensure that our dear nation remains secured.

The GIS Management and Regional Commanders retreat is an annual event aimed to discuss ways of detecting, preventing and deterring illegal movements around Ghana's borders.

The 2021 event, which was organised on the theme: Responding to Evolving National Security Threat in the Era of COVID-19, had several top management and staff of GIS, including Chief Director of the Ministry of Interior, Mr Isaac Ampaw Gyasi, attending.

Mr Dery said COVID-19 had crippled the economies of many nations, including Ghana and killed several people.

The plague triggered some common strategies adopted around the world like enforcement of lockdowns, closure of borders and ports, boosting of medical logistics and the recent introduction of vaccination to mitigate its impacts.

Ghana had its Airport reopened and strict medical protocols put in place requiring all travelling passengers to provide negative COVID-19 test results within the last 72 hours and also undergo tests on arrival.

This is one of the key strategies to help prevent the importation and the resultant spread of the deadly COVID in the country, he said, stressing that Ghanaians must intensify their efforts and continually think of innovative ways to keep the nation secured.

The GIS is noted for its immense efforts in mass contact tracing, securing Ghana's borders during crucial times and maintenance of law and order within.

Despite their contributions, the country expects more from them, Mr Dery said, and commended the Service for restructuring its operations, redesigning the regional organogram, and reviewing its 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.

These are some of the needed strategies to overcome our current national security challenges, he added.

There's the need for the GIS to change its organisational structure or organogram in times like this, it should reflect and institutionalise solutions.

Mr Dery said GIS was also looking at setting up a Department of Health to help health officers within the Border Management Department to prevent the importation of infectious diseases through humans, plants and animals into Ghana.

This is very good, looking at the context of the COVID-19 experience, he said.

The Minister assured GIS of government's readiness to guarantee maximum support by providing personnel with the needed equipment and logistics to secure the borders and provide optimum security.

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for New Juaben South, Mr Isaac Ampaw Gyasi, said GIS was faced with a myriad of challenges such as insufficient logistics, financial constraints, and the implementation of ECOWAS protocols on the free movement of persons, goods and services.

He was hopeful that the retreat would come up with strategies to help solve migration management and national security issues.

Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, the Comptroller General of GIS, mentioned the need for stakeholders to work together and share relevant information for border protection.

He called for effective collaboration with other security agencies and enhanced capacity building on border management.

Mr Takyi said the meeting aimed at finding ways of dealing with undesirable foreign elements staying illegally in Ghana, and preventing irregular migration along the country's borders.

The threat emanating from the borders following the COVID-19 outbreak, he said, required a close alliance with other actors to ensure effective border security.

---GNA
The Tema Regional Police Command has arrested a 25-year old suspected armed robber, Musah Adam alias Adams, in his hideout in Tema.

The suspect had been on the radar of the Police for some time but luck eluded him, leading to his arrest by the Police, acting on intelligence, in Tema on May 5, 2021.

Musah Adamu has since been arraigned before the Tema Circuit Court and remanded into police custody to re-appear on May 17, 2021.

This was contained in a statement signed and issued by Chief Inspector Stella Dede Dzakpasu, Acting Public Relations Officer, Tema Regional Police Command, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Tema.

The statement said the suspects, together with his accomplice, currently on the run, on November 24, 2020, engaged in a robbery activity at Tema Industrial Area at around 0250 hours.

It said he absconded when the police responded to a distress call, leaving behind his mobile phone and his unregistered motorbike which were retried by the police.

The suspect and his gang, the statement noted, specialized in the use of industrial cutters, grinders, heavy-duty hammers and other equipment to break into banks, companies and warehouses.

It further stated that some members of his gang were currently on trial at the Sunyani High Court after their arrest during similar robbery activity.

Other members his gang wanted by the police in connection with the robbery in November 2020 are Ali aka Dangote, Nsiah aka Nab, Efo aka Senior Man, Solani, Quarshie, Santiago and Adamu; a Taxi Driver in Tema, the police said.

The police are, therefore, calling on the general public to volunteer and assist it with any information that would lead to the arrest and subsequent prosecution of the aforementioned suspects who are currently on the run.

---GNA
Lead Counsel for President Akufo-Addo in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition, Anthony Akoto Ampaw has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to review election results collation processes.

I believe that the EC itself and other stakeholders need a closer review of the actual processes and procedures that they took in arriving at the final collation of results in the 2020 Elections and to see whether there is the need for some reforms, Mr Akoto Ampaw stated in his submission at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD Ghana) Roundtable dubbed, Presidential Election Petitions and their Impact on Africa's Democracy.

I can see quite clearly that there may be some reforms to the CI (Constitutional Instrument) 127; looking at it, I can see that from this experience. But I am saying that given the issues that were brought before the Court, frankly speaking, the Court had very little opportunity to make any recommendations for reforms. Mr Akoto Ampaw said.

He noted that if one had a case of this nature before the highest court, and the case raised substantial issues of facts, then one could expect that in coming out with a judgement, the Supreme Court apart from making a decision, would make recommendations based on some of the issues of facts that were raised in the cause of trial.

But honestly, I am of the view that legally speaking, there was no case before the Supreme Court, he said.

He noted that where a substantive grievance was brought before the Court, even if the Court should rule against the petitioner, the Court might see the need to make recommendations.

Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, a member of former President John Dramani Mahama's Legal Team in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition, in a rebuttal, noted that even a Justice of the Supreme Court, who was part of the panel of judges that sat on the case, said there was a reasonable cause of action in the case that was brought before the Court.

Dr Ayine maintained that what Mr Akoto Ampaw was saying was not what the Court said.

He said the ruling of the Apex Court in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition had dampened his faith in the Judiciary.

Mr Yaw Oppong, a Member of President Nana Akufo-Addo's Legal Team in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition, said the ruling of the Supreme Court had both strengthened and enhanced his faith in Ghana's Judiciary.

He noted that given the opportunity for the whole world to watch the trial (on television) brought justice to the doorsteps of the people, adding that it was as if some demystification of the judiciary process was taking place, even though justice emanated from the people and should be as it were enforced in their name.

Professor Henry Kwesi Prempeh, the Executive Director of CDD, said from the stand point of improving election management, he did not think Ghana had made much of an advance.

He noted that in a Presidential Election, put not just the two litigants on trial, but also on trial was the Judiciary, and that that was why the Judges being aware of that allowed the cameras and the videos into the Courtroom.

This, he said, was because the judges were conscious of the fact that this was not just a legal matter but also a political matter and the generality of the public had a keen interest in it, saying the voters were the real parties of interest.

He said voters were the reason why the Court showcased the election petition hearing.

Prof. Prempeh said also on trial in an election petition trial was the Election Management Body (EMB); declaring that its conduct was on trial.

He said that the Court itself should have at least asked the EC some questions in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition and that Ghanaians missed that opportunity by being a little bit too technical about the matter.

There is the need for the public to be satisfied that the EMB had been held accountable, he said.

---citinewsroom
Five suspected armed robbers who double as land guards have been picked up in the Eastern Region by police officers of the National Operation Department.

They are Phillip Kwadwo Larbi, aged 42, Abass Baah, aged 36, Edward Kwafo, aged 35, Sergeant Isaac Asare, a soldier in the Ghana Airforce believed to be a supplier of arms and ammunition to the gang and Nana Baah alias Haruna, said to be a sub-chief of Kyebi-Apapam and the sponsor of the gang.

The suspects were arrested on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, and Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at various locations.

Phillip Kwadwo Larbi was arrested on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, when the police traced the gang to their hideout in an uncompleted building at Ntoaso, a suburb of Nsawam.

Philip and seven others all armed, engaged the police in a shoot-out leading to the injury of four of them and the escape of three.

Sergeant Asare, Abass Baah, and Edward Kwafo all members of the armed robbery gang were also arrested at Kyebi on the same day.

Nana Baah was however arrested at the CID Headquarters on April 2021, where he was sighted.

Meanwhile, the four injured suspects were sent to the police hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival.

Police retrieved items including three (3) assorted pistols each loaded with ammunition; extra loaded magazines, machetes, pepper spray, taser, binoculars, dagger, and motorbikes from the hideout of the suspects.

An Infinity 4-wheel car with registration number GC 598-19 believed to be owned by Nana Baah and driven by Sgt. Isaac Asare at the time of arrest has also been impounded.

Police in a statement appealed to the public, especially health facilities and herbalists in and around Nsawam and Kyebi to be on the lookout for persons with gunshot wounds who may approach them for treatment.

These persons are believed to be heavily armed, thus pose a great danger to them and society. Such suspicious characters should be reported to the nearest Police Station. Persons with credible information are also encouraged to call the Police on Toll-Free Numbers 18555, 191, or 112, the statement added.
The #FixTheCountry protest scheduled for May 9 will still come off as planned.

The Conveners for the social campaign says the protest will come in a new format with remote demonstrations from individuals.

Members who believe in their course are asked to wear black attire tomorrow.

We are declaring this Sunday [May 9, 2021] as a day to serve our Motherland. Remember to honour Mother Ghana by wearing black to tell her that you will not give up on her, the conveners said in a statement.

In addition, on each hour between 1 pm and 4 pm, we are inviting everyone including trotro, taxi, and Uber drivers, and okada riders to blow their horns for 1 minute.

On each hour between 1 pm and 4 pm, we ask all of you at home, in all your communities to bang on utensils for 1 minute, the statement added.

The conveners also said sympathisers could choose to stand alone anywhere, including at vantage points in your community holding placards or signs with the hashtags. Please be assured that the May 9th protest has not been planned as a one-off event."

The movement started last weekend with Ghanaians expressing their displeasure at the Akufo-Addo government over the hardships in the country.

The conveners had hoped to gather supporters for a demonstration but had to change plans after the Ghana Police Service secured an injunction against it.

The court that granted the polices request ruled that the planned protest would not be able to come off until the restriction on public gatherings is lifted.

The conveners of the protest have moved to challenge the injunction at the Supreme Court.

The hearing challenging the injunction has been scheduled for June 8, 2021.

Find below the full statement
"Regardless of who you are or what you do for a living, [depression] doesnt discriminate  The key thing I found is  especially [for] us as guysyou gotta talk about it, youre not alone." ~Dwayne Johnson.

Good health includes a balance between the physical, mental and social wellbeing of an individual and not merely the absence of diseases or infirmities. Mental health has become an important issue in todays world due to the breakdown in external family system and the proliferation of individualism. Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Thus, it goes beyond the absence of mental disorders. Mental health disorders and challenges is no respecter of persons. Both males and females can be affected by anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorders, bipolar disorders, etc. Nevertheless, attention given more to the mental health of children and women as compared to men.

A lot of males have been socialised believing that hiding ones fears and anxiety is the hallmark of a true man. The prevailing societal norms, expectations and traditional roles constantly echo the belief that as a male, there is no need to talk about or seek help for mental health challenges. Hence, a lot of males do not seek help on time, consequently resulting in advanced mental health disorders and mortality. For instance, global statistics shows that suicide rates in men are just over twice as high as for women [1]. Addictions such as alcohol or drug dependence is twice as common in men as in women [2]. This clearly shows that it is time to prioritise the mental health of males now more than ever.

References
Everyone everywhere in Ghana now is busily advancing an argument in favour or against whether or not muslim girls should be allowed to fast in the school. I beg to differ with both proposers and opposers of this religious bone of contention. Did I just say religious bone of contention. What a cheap thought that is! Its rather a socio-cultural matter. It should never have been debatable because

-Wesley Girls was established by the Methodist Church but its currently being run by the government of Ghana with monies accrued from taxes paid by the parents of those girls.

-Article 21(1((c) of the 1992 constitution provides for freedom of worship.

-Wesley Girls like any other organised institution, has its own rules and regulations and under no circumstances MUST those rules be SUPERORDINATE to that of a government parastatal like GES and not to talk of the 1992 constitution of Ghana. Let us remember that the 1992 constitution sacredly upholds its SUPREMACY by stating categorically that any law found to be inconsistent with it (92 constitution) shall be null and void.

Come to think of it, why must we consider laws that were made over 180 years ago this SACROSANCT?

Wow! Just two decades away to two centuries.

180 years ago, there was imperialism in Ghana.

180 years ago, there was segregation in South Africa

180 years ago, there was segregation in America.

180 years ago, women could not vote in America.

180 years ago, a black man could not be the president of America.

All these were laws, but they have been reformed. What is the point here? We are human beings and times change as well. Therefore, we can make mistakes and that which was relevant yesterday might lose its relevance today. You dont expect everything to be right with the laws established by people who had the intention of making you subservient to themselves by a way of colonisation.

Anyway, let me pause here and state my point.

The systematic and diplomatic by muslims to this delicate issue is the reason why kids should not be discriminated upon. So far, almost all muslims and well-wishers who seek redress of the issue have been circumspect and professional in their actions and inactions. These individuals include the National Chief Imam, muslim caucus in parliament and other intellectual individuals. Let us assume that the aforementioned people were not educated and therefore did not understand very well the situation. Perhaps, it was religious discrimination or discrimination of some kind that marred their education. How do you think they would have responded to this issue? Maybe, I need to remind you of the actions of some youth towards Owusu Bempah when he prophesized the death of the National Chief Imam so you can appreciate my argument.

In essence, someone that completes a school like Wesley Girls will scarcely really to vandalism to get their grievances addressed.

MOOMIN ABDULAI SENSEW

[email protected]

0203219297
May 08, 2021 U.S. Officials Claim That Iraqi Kurds Helped To Kill Qassam Soleimani Yahoo has prominently posted a long piece about the early 2020 murder of the Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and the Iraqi resistance leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. 'Conspiracy is hard': Inside the Trump administration's secret plan to kill Qassem Soleimani This article, based on interviews with 15 current and former U.S. officials, reveals new details about the Soleimani strike and the Trump administrations long-running deliberations about killing the Iranian general and other top Iranian officials and proxies. It depicts an operation that was more sophisticated, and with a broader list of people potentially targeted for killing, than was previously known. And it describes previously unreported threats to U.S. officials in the aftermath of the strike. MoA has extensively discussed the consequences of the assassination and most of what is said in the Yahoo piece is not new at all. That makes it suspicious. Soleimani and Muhandis during a battle against ISIS

To recap: On January 3 2020 U.S. drones killed Major General Qassim Soleimani, the famous commander of the Iranian Quds ('Jerusalem') force, while he left the airport of Baghdad where he had just arrived. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the top leader of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, had been there to great him and to pick him up. Both had planned to attend the funeral in Najaf of the 31 Iraqi soldiers the U.S. had killed on December 29 at the Syrian-Iraqi border near Al-Qaim. Soleimani was also supposed to meet the Iraqi prime minister who at that time was a mediator in Iran-Saudi talks. Soleimani carried a letter with the Iranian response to a previous Saudi one. In consequence of the killing of Muhandis the Iraqi parliament decided to remove all U.S. troops from Iraq. There are nearly daily attacks on U.S. forces which are still in Iraq. As revenge for the killing of Soleimani Iran and its resistance axis of Hizbullah, Syria and Ansar Islam in Yemen decided to remove all U.S. military from the Middle East. This is understood to be a decades long project. Hardly anything of that - besides the murder of Soleimani - is mentioned in the Yahoo piece. There is not one word on Muhandis, his role in Iraq or the consequences of his death. There is no mention of the Iraqi parliament vote or of the ongoing attacks on U.S. units in Iraq. Instead the piece prominently emphasizes alleged Kurdish collaboration in the assassination: In late December 2019, Delta Force operators and other special operations members began filtering into Baghdad in small groups. Kurdish operatives, who played a key role in the killing, had already started infiltrating Baghdad International Airport by that point, going undercover as baggage handlers and other staff members.

...

The three sniper teams positioned themselves 600 to 900 yards away from the kill zone, the access road from the airfield, setting up to triangulate their target as he left the airport. [...] A member of the Counter Terrorism Group (CTG), an elite Kurdish unit in northern Iraq with deep links to U.S. Special Operations, helped them make the wind call from down range.

...

After the strike, according to two U.S. officials, a Kurdish operative disguised as an Iraqi police officer walked up to the wreckage of Soleimanis vehicle, snapped photographs and quickly obtained a tissue sample for DNA confirmation before walking away and vanishing into the night. Muhandis and Soleimani were revered by the Shia majority in Iraq. The revelation of Kurdish involvement in Soleimani's death might have harsh consequences for Iraqi Kurds. If the Kurds were really involved why was this released? Why does it come in a piece that is more or less a recap of already known stuff? What are the motives of those who revealed this? I for one do not believe those claims. Who is interested in (re-)launching an ethnic civil war in Iraq?

The Yahoo piece then comes to the consequences of the attack: Iran reacted with predictable fury to Soleimanis killing, lobbing dozens of ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Iraq. Though no one was killed, Pentagon officials later said more than 100 service personnel were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. But the rocket attack was just a slap in the face, said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme leader, and did not represent Irans full retaliation for the killing. U.S. officials and experts believe that Iran may eventually attempt a high-profile assassination of a senior U.S. official or a terrorist attack aimed at a U.S. facility. The 'U.S. officials and experts' believe that they are way more important than they really are. Iran's Supreme Leader Ajatollah Khamenei, who was extremely near to Soleimani, has let it known that there is no one of Soleimani's caliber in U.S. ranks who could be taken out as revenge. There will be no Iranian assassination campaign of U.S. politicians or military leader. Fears of such only shows that the former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, one of the initiator of the assassination of Soleimani, is a craven milquetoast: Tucked into the appropriations bill signed by President Trump in the final days of 2020 was $15 million set aside to provide protective services to former or retired senior Department of State officials who face a serious and credible threat from a foreign power or the agent of a foreign power because of the work they did while in office. The real second part of the revenge that is still coming was announced by Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah: What do we mean by just punishment? Some are saying this must be someone of the same level as Qassem Soleimani - like Chairman of Joint Chiefs, head of @CENTCOM, but there is no one on Soleimani or Muhandis' level. Soleimani's shoe is worth more than Trump's head, so there's no one I can point to to say this is the person we can target. Just punishment therefore means American military presence in the region, U.S. military bases, U.S. military ships, every American officer and soldier in our countries and regions. The U.S. military is the one who killed Soleimani and Muhandis, and they will pay the price. This is the equation.

...

The response to the blood of Soleimani and Al-Muhandis must be expulsion of all U.S, forces from the region. General Esmail Qaani, Soleimani's replacement as commander of the Quds Brigade, confirmed Nasrallah's statement: Going Underground on RT @Underground_RT - 00:14 UTC  Jan 6, 2020 Esmail Qaani, the new leader of Iran's IRGC Quds Force:

"Our promise is to continue the path of martyr Soleimani. Due to the martyrdom of #Soleimani, our promise will be the expulsion of the US from the region in different steps." These are not empty threats but a military project that will play out over the next years. I would not bet on the U.S. as the winner of that war. Posted by b on May 8, 2021 at 15:50 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
Later this month, Sara Harris takes over as the new Midland Development Corp. executive director.

Harris currently serves as the director of operations and previously worked as interim executive director during one of the more transformative periods the development corporation has known.

Sara is the ultimate professional, said Wesley Bownds, board chairman for the Midland Development Corp. She is knowledgeable, meticulous and always courteous.  Her recommendations are based on the facts, and she never loses sight of what is in MIdlands best interest.

The following is a question and answer with Sara Harris, the new executive director of the Midland Development Corp.

Reporter-Telegram: What do you think about the recent conversation about economic development? Theres been kind of an emphasis put on it. Is that good for whats going on at the MDC right now?

Sara Harris: I think dialogue is always healthy. The MDC was approved by the taxpayers, and its a tool of the taxpayers and the City Council. And as such, it needs to be discussed and evaluated as an entity and our projects. I think a main point to hit is the MDC is extremely versatile. The MDC can pivot to meet the needs of the community and the priorities of the City Council in a way that few other government organizations can because of the way that were structured by the local government code, and to that purpose, weve had the opportunity to fill some crucial needs that the community saw in education, in our investment with UTPB, and in health care, by partnering with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center for child and adolescent psychiatry, and also for the Physician Assistant program expansion. And weve been able to address crucial needs in infrastructure with the projects with TxDOT to improve main lanes and interchanges at points around Loop 250, and projects like widening (State Highway) 349 going north out of town. So where theres a need, the MDC can come in and help fill it and meet it as the community develops, with guidance from the City Council and our board.



Reporter-Telegram: Has there been any misconceptions that youve heard recently about economic development, maybe even the MDCs role moving forward?

Sara Harris: A misconception might be that the MDC is limited in what it can do. Certainly one of our organizational missions is strengthening and diversifying the economy. But we can also work with education, we can work with health care, we can work with infrastructure, and importantly, a lot of the MDCs initiatives have directly benefited Midlands core industry, which is oil and gas. Texas Tech Health Sciences Centers Physician Assistant program expansion was something that the oil and gas industry indicated that they supported, as shown by the Permian Strategic Partnerships financial support. The MDC has partnered with Midland College to expand their CDL program to provide qualified drivers for the industry, and to fund their dual-credit and career technology education program with MISD, which helps direct students into the petroleum academy and other targeted workforce programs. So, diversification is only part of the potential. MDC can certainly do that, but we can be here for the community to meet targeted needs in many areas.



Reporter-Telegram: And would the MDCs agreement with Weir be an example of the MDC being supportive of whats going on the oil and gas industry?

Sara Harris: Yes, absolutely. Not only are they a key player in pump manufacturing here in Midland, the facility added to Midlands tax base -- about $30 million -- and they created a substantial number of new jobs. So, yes, thats also an indication of our support for the industry.



Reporter-Telegram: A lot of people -- when they think about economic development and diversification efforts -- going to point 10 years ago, but certain things have happened since the departure of a couple tenants at the airport, including XCOR and Orbital Outfitters. But a lot of things have happened at the Spaceport Business Park, you actually have quite a bit of activity going out there. Can you tell us about some of those?

Sara Harris: Absolutely. The departure of previous tenants functioned as a springboard to bring in new opportunities to Midland, because most of the funds that were expended at the Spaceport Business Park were put into assets that belong to the airport and were used to attract new tenants. So, the MDC worked to deploy existing assets to bring in new companies, including AST and Science, a satellite manufacturer. SpaceXs model uses a satellite to beam a signal to a tower, which then beams a signal to a phone or device. ASTs satellite arrays bypass the tower completely. So, there is no need for any ground infrastructure. The signal goes from satellite to phone, providing communications and internet connectivity and capability to places in the world that have never had it previously, such as less-developed equatorial areas. So thats a really exciting addition to Midland. Its a major manufacturing entity out there, right now committed to up to 160 jobs in Midland, but they do have aggressive expansion plans as well.





Reporter-Telegram: And its not a case where (AST) came here based on some big development corporation check.

Sara Harris: Theres no cash incentive associated with their presence here. Theyre just receiving lease abatement as they meet and maintain the certifications associated with their agreement.



Reporter-Telegram: How does the MDC view the Spaceport Business Park moving forward and the opportunities there?

Sara Harris: Certainly there are opportunities to bring in additional aerospace companies to Midland that will offer great jobs and opportunities for Midlanders, and that is something that we are pursuing.



Reporter-Telegram: What else do you want to talk about when it comes to the MDC, economic development and Midland?

Sara Harris: Something that is very pressing on me is our unemployment rate here. Midland has always been a place where people come for opportunity, for good jobs. They know that they can afford to raise their families based on the wages they get here. And so its very distressing to see high unemployment. And something that I want the MDC to really focus on is bringing jobs into Midland that can help those whove lost their jobs or want new opportunity in Midland. I think about it daily. And while the oil and gas industry is our core industry and will always be here, there are also ways that we can work to make sure that there are opportunities.

Reporter-Telegram: Isnt that just part of how it is in a cyclical economy. One year, we are a 2-point-something percent unemployment; the next year -- if times arent as good -- it could be a 9 or 10 percent unemployment?

Sara Harris: Certainly, and its not the governments role to make sure everyone is employed. And its not the MDCs role to offer everyone a job. But the MDC can deploy its resources to attract industries that can offer opportunities to people who want to work and live here.



Reporter-Telegram: What should people know about you why this is an opportunity right now that youre excited about.

Sara Harris: I came to Midland six years ago, and I didnt have experience with being part of a close-knit community. Id lived in Lubbock, and I felt somewhat disconnected there, even though I was part of a student community and had friends. What Ive experienced from Midland in terms of being welcomed by the community, finding opportunities to volunteer and participate, and meeting the people Ive had the privilege of working with at the MDC has been incredibly impactful. I consider Midland my home, and I have deep feelings for the city and the people who live here. I have a son whos 2. Hes a fourth generation Midlander on his fathers side, and I wake up every day and I want to make sure that this town offers him and his generation the same opportunities that I see here. And thats why I love working here and why I love being in Midland.
I wish the taxing leaders would stop talking about the tax rate. It is not a winning argument.

At this weeks Midland Chamber of Commerce State of Midland event, a question went out about the entities tax rate and how it compared to the state average. In basically each case, the rates were much lower than the state average. That was not unexpected to anyone who has paid attention for the last decade.

In 2019, the Reporter-Telegram performed an analysis of 16 large cities in West Texas and across the state. Some cities were comparable size to Midland. Others were some of the larger metropolitan areas. Either way, the metropolitan area with the lowest total tax rate was Midland.

However, factor in the median price of a home purchased, and Midlands total tax payment ranked it ahead of all cities in West Texas and 10th on that list of 16. And our reviews of tax payment data have showed us that total tax payments on a home purchased in Midland County in 2017 increased by more than $300 by 2019.

Another report showed that even with the tax rate dropping coming into fiscal year 2020, the average homeowner could expect a $52 increase in their total tax payments compared to FY 2019. The increase from FY 2020 to 2021 was expected to be another $119.

Either way, talking about the tax rate isnt telling residents the entire story. The county is particularly guilty of this. Even this week, County Judge Terry Johnson boasted that the county has the lowest tax rate in the state. Again, that is not a big surprise. With as much sales tax money as it collects and as little population that there is outside city limits, it would be a story if the countys tax rate wasnt among the lowest in the state.

Theres also the myth that some say that they have no control over the property valuations and therefore they dont have control over your tax payment. In the case of all taxing entities, they each know the valuations before setting the tax rate. That means when they vote for a tax rate, they know how much they plan to spend. They know the size of the budget they are voting for. They are, in fact, in total control.

It is my view that leaders should shift the focus from tax rates and assessments to execution of services. Midlanders want to know that the money they send the school district, city, county, college and hospital will be spent well.

I am convinced if our schools were A-rated, Midland ISDs tax rate discussion would be next to nothing. The age of the average Midlander has dropped to around 32, and young families want to be in places with successful school districts. I have seen it elsewhere where friends attempt to move into regions with the best schools, and in no case, have I ever heard, Well, we were going to move there but we saw the school districts tax rate. Southlake, Highland Park, Coppell, Allen, Grapevine-Colleyville, Plano and Frisco -- in those high-demand districts, residents pay for results.

So here is what I think. Next year, lets hear about what was accomplished and the value those taxing entities provided to the taxpayer. Did the service provided match our expectations? Remember, heading into FY 2021, the owner of the average home inside the city of Midland will have a tax levy of around $4,985, so yeah, there will be high expectations. But a community on the rise, a top-100 city, and one ready to be the home to Midlanders for the next 30-50 years can set and reach those lofty expectations to be proactive and productive. Tax increases dont phase people in those communities on the rise because government works well for its residents. It can be that way here. Lets focus on that.


iOS Home Application Engineer Santa Clara Valley (Cupertino) , California , United States Software and Services Summary

Posted: May 7, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200242976 The iOS Home is the center for an entire ecosystem of secure and intelligent home connectivity. We are developing technologies and crafting experiences that revolutionize the way people interact with their homes. The team is seeking an expert engineer to help build the integrated Home experience on the iOS platform. Key Qualifications Strong programming skills, preferably with C and Objective-C

iOS user-interface programming experience

Excellent communication and collaborative skills

Passion for product quality and attention to detail

Comfortable with rapid development cycles, tight schedules

Excellent understanding of optimization and performance issues across OS software layers

Thrive in a collaborative environment

Obsessively passionate and inquisitive, and seek to tackle everyday problems in innovative ways

Laser-focused on the smallest details that are important to our customers.

You are upbeat, adaptable, and results oriented with a positive attitude Description As an engineer on our team, your responsibilities will range from high-level user interfaces, to writing background processing and networking code, to developing frameworks used by other teams at Apple and third party developers. You'll be tasked with maintaining and improving existing features and implementing new and innovative ideas for the future. You will also be responsible for delivering the best possible application performance including fast launch times and smooth scrolling. We work closely with the other iOS engineering teams, human interface designers, privacy, security and other groups across Apple and our partners at other companies. Our goals are simple but the task is large - build the most amazing home automation experience in the world that our customers will love. Education & Experience Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science or equivalent experience.


A new crop soon could grow an additional source of revenue for Illinois farmers.

Several agricultural organizations are developing a variety of pennycress that can be used for chicken feed and bio fuels. It also has the potential eventually to be used for food oil.

Burrus Farms in Arenzville is a part of a project studying the development of pennycress, a common weed found around the world.

Covercress is working with Western Illinois University, Illinois State University and farmers to develop the crop for commercial production.

Mark Messmer, vice president of breeding and agronomics for Covercress, said the project has been years in the making, with the company collecting more than 900 varieties of pennycress and studying the characteristics of each before genetically modifying the plants to increase durability, yield and adaptability.

Weve had farmers say theyd like to diversify, so this fits into that, Messmer said.

Covercress showcased pennycress Friday at the Burrus farm in Arenzville.

Pennycress is planted in the fall, after corn and soybeans are harvested, and harvested just before soybean planting season starts.

Pennycress can be planted anytime after Labor Day, but usually corn and soybeans arent ready yet, Messmer said. It can be planted until about the 10th of October usually and then is harvested around May 25.

Jerry Steiner, chairman of Covercresss board of directors and its former CEO, said it is a low-cost crop for farmers, who already have the equipment necessary to plant and harvest it and can add it into their rotation to profit from a new growing period.

What we are aiming to do is have a crop that has enough value for the farmers and for it to be attractive for the end user, Steiner said. The cost to grow this is very inexpensive.

Steiner said Covercress is supplying participating farmers with the seeds. Steiner said the only cost is the cost of a fertilizer application in the spring and to harvest. The company is paid when the grain is delivered to the processor.

Covercress is working to increase yields, with a target base yield of 1,500 pounds an acre, or about 35 to 40 bushels, Messmer said. Some varieties already yield about 2,000 pounds an acre, he said.

Congressmen Darin LaHood and Rodney Davis, both of whom attended Fridays field day, said having a new cash crop in Illinois is a benefit to both farmers and the states economy.

Our farmers will have an opportunity for a commercially viable product, for use of their fields when they are not normally used, Davis said. Itll help keep farming jobs in the future, make it more profitable.

LaHood said it is important for lawmakers to understand changes in agriculture, including new crops, to help influence legislation.

Agriculture is the number one industry in the state, LaHood said. This means more jobs, more products. When you have a new crop brought into the rotation, you have more people to run the machines, more production. It adds a whole new level of opportunity.

As pennycress is developed, LaHood said, it is important for legislation intended to help farmers sell the product to keep up.

Well be looking at the next farm bill and advocating on behalf of pennycress  the education will be helpful, he said.
COVID-19 testing information for west-central Illinois counties:

Morgan County

Jacksonville

Days and times: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Location: Drive-through testing site located at Dunlap Court and Morgan Street.

Details: No appointment necessary. Photo ID and insurance card requested but not required.



Brown County

Mount Sterling

Days and times: By appointment.

Location: Brown County Health Department, 120 E. Main St. 217-773-2714

Details: Testing eligibility determined by telephone screening.



Cass County

Beardstown

Days and times: Monday-Friday 9-11:20 a.m.

Location: Cass County Health Department, 8590 St. Lukes Drive. 217-323-2182

Virginia

Days and times: Monday-Friday 1-3 p.m.

Location: Cass County Health Department, 331 S. Main St. 217-452-3057

Details: Testing by appointment only and is limited to those who live or work in Cass County. Schedules subject to change.



Greene County

Carrollton

Days and times: By appointment. Open seven days a week.

Location: Boyd Rural Health Clinic, 800 School St. 217-942-3600

Details: Testing performed if medically indicated, pre-op with doctors order, or return to work. Must call and leave message with name and callback number.



Jersey County

Jerseyville

Days and times: By appointment.

Location: Jerseyville Community Hospital Walk-in Clinic, 903 S. State St. 618-498-2273

Details: Testing performed if medically indicated.



Macoupin County

Gillespie

Days and times: By appointment.

Location: Maple Street Clinic, 109 E. Maple St. 217-313-5078

Details: Drive-through free testing. Register by phone or online at mcphd.net.



Pike County

Pittsfield

Days and times: By appointment.

Location: Quincy Medical Group, 320 N. Madison St. 217-277-4001

Details: Testing performed if medically indicated.

.

Days and times: Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Location: Illini Express Clinic, 101 E. Washington St. 217-277-3504

Details: Testing performed if medically indicated. Register upon arrival.



Scott County

Winchester:

Days and times: Mondays and Fridays 9-11 a.m.

Location: Scott County Health Department, 335 W. Cherry St.

Details: Schedule subject to change. See Facebook page for updates.
Foreign diplomats praise Chinese NGOs' role in social development, hope for more cooperation

Xinhua) 09:16, May 08, 2021

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ambassadors said on Friday that they are grateful for efforts and contributions China's non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have made in promoting social development and people-to-people exchanges, expressing hope for more and closer cooperation in the future.

In an event to mark the second anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's reply letter to the China-Laos Friendship Nongping Primary School as well as the Silk Road Community Building Initiative, Lao ambassador to China Khamphao Ernthavanh expressed gratitude for China's valuable support and help to her country's construction and development.

The primary school in Laos' capital Vientiane, which was funded by the China Foundation for Peace and Development in 2012, has become a symbol of friendship between Laos and China in the new era, Khamphao told the audience, saying that cooperation between the two countries has achieved fruitful results.

In his reply letter on April 29, 2019, Xi said he hopes students in the school will study hard to make themselves great contributors to Laos' national development as early as possible, and become successors in promoting bilateral friendship.

Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, the Nepalese ambassador to China, said Chinese NGOs, such as the China NGO Network for International Exchanges, have actively participated in fields of culture, education, health and human rights protection, and played a significant role in improving public welfare and increasing people-to-people exchanges around the world.

Noting that NGOs in Nepal and China have their respective advantages, Pandey called for more mutual learning and experience-sharing between the two sides.

"I would like to call on NGOs of both countries to come together, and forge closer partnerships for mutual benefits," he said.

The event, held by the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, was also attended by ambassadors and diplomats of Mongolia, Lebanon, Namibia, Pakistan and Cambodia.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)


UI Configurations Engineer - Apple Customer Systems Santa Clara Valley (Cupertino) , California , United States Software and Services Summary

Posted: May 6, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200235609 Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, great ideas have a way of becoming great products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Apple is a place where extraordinary people gather to do their best work. Together we craft products and experiences people once couldn't have imagined - and now can't imagine living without. If you're motivated by the idea of making a real impact, and joining a team where we pride ourselves in being one of the most diverse and inclusive companies in the world, a career with Apple might be your dream job. The Customer Systems team is looking for an experienced UI & Configuration Engineer. You will play a critical role in working with diverse teams and external vendors to configure cloud based package solutions to meet business needs together with implementing intuitive front end user experiences. Strong judgement, oral and written communication, and leadership skills are required. The ability of drive decisions through consensus and influence change and the ability to resolve conflict effectively is essential to succeed in this role. Key Qualifications 4+ years UI experience building rich visual experiences in enterprise software solutions

Experience in configuring business rules in packaged cloud solutions

Expertise in front-end design, JavaScript libraries and accessibility

Comfortable with ambiguity and time spent outside of comfort zone acquiring new skills

Ability to adapt and approach problems flexibly

Passionate about the customer experience and attention to detail

Excellent communication and teamwork skills

Experience bringing to life impactful features by collaborating with diverse teams Description Developing user experiences for customer interactions within packaged solutions in financial domain. UI modifications and enhancements to screens and workflows. Configuring business rules, polices, procedures to meet defined requirements. Meet with business partners to understand business needs. Troubleshooting application issues. Keep up-to date on latest technology solutions to generate innovative ideas to solve business challenges We need someone with ability to stay focused and prioritize a heavy workload while achieving exceptional quality. You bring passion and dedication to your job and are committed to our vision and supporting the developer community. Education & Experience BS degree in Engineering related field plus 4 years of experience, or equivalent. Additional Requirements Industry experience with financial service solutions

Experience with packaged solutions UI development environments such as Pega, Lightening and Cosmos






Antonio Guterres lays out vision for second term as UN chief View Photo

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Secretary-General Antonio Guterres laid out his vision for a second term as U.N. chief on Friday, calling for a surge in diplomacy for peace, urging the worlds nations to avoid a new type of Cold War, and stressing that in the 21st century everything from the climate crisis to nuclear proliferation and the pushback on human rights is inter-linked.

Guterres is the only candidate in the race so far, and he won support during a three-hour question-and-answer session in the 193-member General Assembly from two major groups  the 120-member Nonaligned Movement of mainly developing nations and the 27-member European Union  as well as smaller groups and individual countries.

In his opening presentation, Guterres painted a grim picture of a world where more and more people live within their own echo chambers  (and) are lured by misinformation, populism, extremism, xenophobia and racism. He called it a kind of post-enlightenment era that has nurtured irrational, even nihilistic belief systems, spreading fear, denying science and truth. And he reiterated his warning about the new geostrategic divide and dysfunctional power relations, making international cooperation infinitely more difficult at a time when we need it most.

Guterres stressed his strong belief in nations working together to solve the worlds crises and conflicts but said multilateralism depends a lot on the establishment of trust among member states, and on making functional relationship among the biggest powers.

If there is no trust among member states and if the relationship among the biggest powers remains dysfunctional, then theres not much the multilateral system can do, he said. If those two things are properly addressed, then I think there is a chance for multilateralism to be more effective.

While the General Assembly elects the secretary-general, it is on the recommendation of the 15-member Security Council where the five permanent members  the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France  have veto power. So their support is crucial.

Before Guterres was elected, the assembly adopted a resolution in 2015 that made the previously largely secretive selection of the secretary-general more open and transparent. It allowed the world bodys member states for the first time to see basic information about all candidates, including their resumes, and to meet and question them at open sessions.

Traditionally, candidates have been nominated by a U.N. member state, but that is not a requirement in the U.N. Charter or the resolution.

Guterres, whose current 5-year term ends on Dec. 31, was nominated by Portugal, his home country. But this year has also seen seven individuals submit applications to be secretary-general without backing from any government including most recently former Ecuadorean president Rosalia Arteaga.

General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir told a news conference on Tuesday the rule is that an applicant can only become a candidate when a letter signed jointly by the presidents of the assembly and the Security Council is sent to all member states.

It looks like the Security Council has the opinion that, traditionally, only applicants supported by a country can become a candidate, he said, so the only joint letter has been sent on behalf of Guterres. An email request to China, the current council president, seeking comment was not answered.

Arteaga, whose candidacy has been pushed by the global political movement Forward, indicated earlier this week that she would have support from the government of Ecuador.

But Ecuadors U.N. Ambassador Cristian Espinosa Canizares told the assembly on Friday: We have been informed that this support of the government of Ecuador expressed at the outset of the year (for Guterres seeking a second term) has been renewed by the new government that will take office in the coming weeks.

During Fridays question-and-answer session, Algerias U.N. Ambassador Sofiane Mimouni, spoke first on behalf of the Nonaligned Movement, telling Guterres it welcomes your readiness to serve a second term and commends  your leadership during the COVID pandemic. European Union Ambassador Olof Skoog said the EU and its member states have welcomed your readiness to serve for a second term and appreciate the vision you have set out.

By EDITH M. LEDERER

Associated Press
Tuolumne County  Tuolumne County Public Health reports one new case today, a woman age 80 to 89. No COVID-positive residents are hospitalized. A total of 17 cases are considered active.

Tuolumne County has a total of 4,122 cases split between 2,705 community cases and 1,417 Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) inmate cases, the California Department of Corrections counts two active inmate cases. Total community cases released from isolation are 2,625 and the total number of tests administered is 92,562. The county report lists 16,823 fully vaccinated residents and 4,891 individuals partially vaccinated.

Tuesday, May 18th, Public Health will be offering Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccines from 9 to 11:40 A.M. at Sierra Bible Church. Appointments can be scheduled at www.MyTurn.ca.gov No need to return for a second dose and anyone 18 and older is eligible. As reported here the more easily transmissible UK variant of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Tuolumne County.

Calaveras County  The Calaveras public health report has five new cases since yesterday with the countys total COVID cases at 2,121. Active cases decreased two to 18 and recoveries increased seven to 2,050 total. One Calaveras resident is hospitalized. In total there have been 989 men, 1,114 women, and 18 with no gender reported infected with COVID-19. The total number of people over 65 years old identified with COVID is 451 since the pandemic began. Calaveras reports 40,966 vaccinations given. Calaveras remains in the Orange Tier of the States Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

Mariposa County  Mariposa County Public Health reports no new cases. One case is hospitalized and four cases are considered currently active. There are a total of 445 cases since the pandemic began. Mariposa County is in the Orange Tier.

Testing- The Mother Lode Fairgrounds testing site is open Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 7 AM to 7 PM. The Groveland site is at the Youth Center, 18950 Hwy 120 on Thursdays from 7 AM to 7 PM. Individuals can select the site location when making their appointment at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 888-634-1123. More details, including Calaveras testing information, are in our events calendar here.

Vaccines  Individuals in Calaveras, Mariposa, and Tuolumne may register at myturn.ca.gov to schedule appointments. You can also call 833-422-4255 if you dont have an email (Mon to Fri 8AM to 8PM, Sat and Sun 8AM-5PM) for assistance. Due to technical issues, those who live in the 95223 area (Arnold) should enter 95222 as their zip code when searching for a location.

As of April 15th, eligibility has opened to everyone 16+ (Pfizer) and 18+ (Moderna and Johnson & Johnson) with photo ID, not currently sick with COVID-19 or had a flu shot within the last 14 days. As reported here, UC And CSU Schools Will Require COVID Vaccinations. Health and Human Services Agency Director Rebecca Espino recommends people who were infected with COVID-19 in the past also get the vaccine, as detailed here. More information about the local pharmacies and other places offering the vaccine are here.

County/Date

Tier Color Active

Cases New Cases

Total Cases COVID

Deaths Amador 5/4 8 2 1,770 38 Calaveras 5/7 18 5 2,121 53 Mariposa 5/7 4 0 445 7 Mono 5/7 4 0 1,020 4 Stanislaus 5/7 523 88 55,285 1,055 Tuolumne 5/7 17 1 4,123 64 For other county-level statistics view our page here.
Authorities: 4 dead, 1 hurt after shooting, fire in Maryland View Photo

WOODLAWN, Md. (AP)  Four people were killed and at least one was injured in a shooting and fire early Saturday morning in Maryland, authorities said, adding the suspect was shot by police and was among the dead.

Authorities said it was not immediately clear what led to the violence on a residential street in suburban Baltimore. They identified the dead suspect in a later news release as Everton Brown, 56, and said he lived on the street.

The police statement added that four officers discharged their firearms and all had been placed on routine administrative duty per departmental policy. It added that police body worn cameras recorded footage of the scene officers encountered and it showed one home was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived.

Gail Watts, who lives down the street from where the fire destroyed at least two residences, told The Associated Press she rushed outside around 6:30 a.m. after hearing an explosion. She saw a massive fire and a man she identified as a longtime neighbor standing in the middle of the street.

Watts then heard gunfire and saw people running for cover. She said she heard the suspects next-door neighbor screaming for help. And next thing I know I looked out and he had shot her and she was laying on the sidewalk, Watts said.

Watts, who said shes lived in the neighborhood for 25 years, said the suspect had been aggressive to neighbors in the past.

Another longtime neighborhood resident, Kweku Quansah, told the Baltimore Sun what took place Saturday morning was not surprising.

Quansah told the newspaper he heard an explosion, went outside to check and found shots were being fired toward him. He told the newspaper that the suspect had often confronted neighbors, who had reported him to police.

We dont know why he was doing that but this has been going on over and over again. A lot of people tried to complain about it but nothing was done, Quansah said.

Baltimore County Police spokeswoman Joy Stewart said at a news conference that officers responded to reports of both a fire and active shooter in the neighborhood in Woodlawn, west of Baltimore, around 6:40 a.m.

Officers found an armed male outside and shot him, she said.

Authorities then began fighting a fire that started in a townhouse and spread to two others, Tim Rostkowski, a county fire department spokesman, said at the news conference.

The building where the fire started as well as one adjacent to it collapsed, Rostkowski said, and a third dwelling was heavily damaged.

We have this fire that happened. We also have this suspect who was armed. How theyre all related, its really too early to tell at this point, Stewart said.

Police initially said the death toll was three. In an update Saturday afternoon, they said that in addition to the suspect, two men and one woman were dead. They added that another man had been taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Police said the investigation that was opened involved several law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal level.

Woodlawn is an unincorporated community in Baltimore County, roughly 9 miles (14 kilometers) northwest of downtown Baltimores Inner Harbor.

___

Rankin reported from Richmond, Va.

By BRIAN WITTE and SARAH RANKIN

Associated Press
Washington Post says US secretly obtained reporters records View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Trump Justice Department secretly seized the phone records of three Washington Post reporters who covered the federal investigation into ties between Russia and Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, the newspaper said Friday.

The disclosure sets up a new clash between the federal government and news organizations and advocates for press freedom, who regard the seizures of reporters records as incursions into constitutionally protected newsgathering activity. Similar actions have occurred only rarely over the past decade, including a seizure of phone records of Associated Press reporters and editors over a 2012 story that revealed a foiled bomb plot.

In a statement published by the newspaper, Cameron Barr, the Posts acting executive editor, said: We are deeply troubled by this use of government power to seek access to the communications of journalists. The Department of Justice should immediately make clear its reasons for this intrusion into the activities of reporters doing their jobs, an activity protected under the First Amendment.

The action is presumably aimed at identifying the reporters sources in national security stories published in the early months of Trumps administration, as federal investigators scrutinized whether his 2016 campaign had coordinated with the Kremlin to sway the election.

The records seizure was approved by Justice Department leadership last year. The reporters  Ellen Nakashima, Greg Miller and Adam Entous, who has since left the Post  were notified in letters dated May 3 that the Justice Department had obtained records for their home, work or cellphone numbers.

The records sought cover the period of April 15, 2017, to July 31, 2017, according to the newspaper. Justice Department guidelines for media leak investigations mandate that such actions are to be taken only when other avenues for obtaining the information have been exhausted, and that the affected reporters are to be notified unless its determined that it would impede the investigation or interfere with national security.

While rare, the Department follows the established procedures within its media guidelines policy when seeking legal process to obtain telephone toll records and non-content email records from media members as part of a criminal investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of classified information, department spokesman Marc Raimondi said in a statement.

The targets of these investigations are not the news media recipients but rather those with access to the national defense information who provided it to the media and thus failed to protect it as lawfully required, he added.

Bruce Brown, the executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said it raises serious First Amendment concerns for the government to obtain records of journalists communications.

It is imperative that the new Justice Department leadership explain exactly when prosecutors seized these records, why it is only now notifying the Post, and on what basis the Justice Department decided to forgo the presumption of advance notification under its own guidelines when the investigation apparently involves reporting over three years in the past, Brown said in a statement.

The government also said it had received a court order to get email records from the reporters that would have shown who they had emailed and when, but that it did not obtain those records, the newspaper said.

The Post said the Justice Department did not specify the purpose of the subpoena or identify any articles at issue. But the time period covered by the subpoena includes the publication of a story that suggested that intelligence intercepts indicated that Jeff Sessions, at the time Trumps attorney general, had discussed campaign issues with Russias then-ambassador, Sergey Kislyak.

The Justice Department under former Attorney General Eric Holder in 2015 announced revised guidelines for obtaining records from the news media during criminal leak investigations, removing language that news organizations said was ambiguous and requiring additional levels of review before a journalist could be subpoenaed.

The updated policy was a response to outrage among news organizations over Obama administration tactics seen as overly aggressive and hostile toward newsgathering.

Sessions, Holders successor, announced in 2017 a renewed crackdown on leaks of national security information to the media.

____

Follow Eric Tucker at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP

By ERIC TUCKER

Associated Press
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP)  A judge has ruled against the Klamath Tribes in a lawsuit that accuses federal regulators of violating the Endangered Species Act by letting water levels fall too low for sucker fish to spawn in a lake that also feeds an elaborate irrigation system along the Oregon-California border.

The ruling, reported Friday by the Herald and News in Klamath Falls, comes as the region confronts one of the driest years in memory. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation last month announced that farmers who irrigate from its Klamath Project water-management area will get so little water that farming may not even be worthwhile this summer.

At the same time, the drought has brought to a head a conflict between the water needs of two protected fish species in the region after decades of instability. The Klamath Tribes consider the federally endangered sucker fish central to their creation story and culture, while the Yurok hold the federally threatened coho salmon in the lower Klamath River sacred and rely on them as a critical food source.

With scarce water in the Klamath Basin, the tribes are left to try to use the courts to secure enough of the precious liquid for the respective fish species.

The Klamath Tribes sued the bureau earlier this year, arguing it had violated the Endangered Species Act by allowing the Upper Klamath Lake to dip below a certain level in 2020 and 2021 that is necessary for successful sucker fish spawning.

The tribes asked the judge to order the bureau to reduce downriver water releases from the lake while the rest of the case worked through the courts, but U.S. District Judge Michael McShane declined. If granted, the order would have meant less water in the Klamath River to combat disease outbreaks downstream that are a huge concern for the Yurok and Karuk tribes and a threat to coho salmon.

The bureau argued it wasnt liable for harm done to sucker fish this year because of the extreme drought and has no control over how much water enters Upper Klamath Lake in dry times.

The Bureau cannot control the current hydrologic conditions; they can only work within these natural limitations, McShane wrote. The Bureau is not responsible for the unprecedented drought this year.

Jay Weiner, the Klamath Tribes lawyer, said his clients were still reviewing the ruling and were not able to comment on the specifics.

Its safe to say were disappointed, he told the newspaper.

The situation in the Klamath Basin was set in motion more than a century ago, when the U.S. government began drawing water from a network of shallow lakes and marshlands and funneling it into the dry desert uplands. Homesteads were offered by lottery to World War II veterans who grew hay, grain and potatoes and pastured cattle.

The project turned the region into an agricultural powerhouse  some of its potato farmers supply In N Out burger  but permanently altered an intricate water system that spans hundreds of miles from southern Oregon to Northern California.

In 1988, two species of sucker fish were listed as endangered under federal law. Less than a decade later, coho salmon that spawn downstream from the reclamation project, in the lower Klamath River, were listed as threatened.

The water necessary to sustain the coho salmon downstream comes from Upper Klamath Lake  the main holding tank for the farmers irrigation system. The sucker fish in the same lake need at least 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of water covering the gravel beds that they use as spawning grounds.

The salmon in the lower Klamath River periodically suffer from a disease outbreak because of lower-than-needed water flows. The Yurok Tribe says the river needs enough water flowing down it to flush out worms that host disease spores that infect and kill salmon.

___

This story has been corrected to say if granted, the order would have meant less water in the Klamath River to combat disease outbreaks downstream that are a huge concern for the Yurok and Karuk tribes and a threat to coho salmon.
Yosemite climbers face new obstacle: overnight permits View Photo

LOS ANGELES (AP)  Climbing El Capitan and the famous big walls of Yosemite National Park got a bit harder Friday.

The park added red tape to cut through before climbers can begin the physically grueling and mentally demanding feat of inching up vertical granite walls that take days to conquer and require spending the night suspended on tiny platforms hundreds or thousands of feet above Yosemite Valley.

Climbers will need to secure free permits before they can attempt multiday climbs on El Cap, Half Dome, the Leaning Tower and other big climbs beginning May 21.

The long-rumored plan will inevitably cause grumbling in the mecca of American rock climbing and among a culture that embraces freedom. But it could help limit the number of climbers on classic routes that have become more crowded as the sport has grown exponentially in popularity.

I think were going to have a lot of climbers whining and complaining because they were gifted this thing that they think is a right and it was really a privilege, said Hans Florine, who with 170 ascents has climbed the 3,000-foot (914-meter) face of El Capitan more than anyone. We were given incredible rag-tag Wild West privileges for the last 40 years in Yosemite. All theyre asking is to let us know youre there.

The two-year pilot program will put climbers on par with backpackers who have been required to get wilderness permits for decades to spend the night in protected backcountry areas of national parks and forests. Unlike hikers, though, the climbing permits will not at first be rationed on a quota basis that limits how many people can be on a designated route each day.

Jeff Webb, the wilderness manager for Yosemite, said the program will measure for the first time how many people are doing overnight or multiday climbs to see what areas are getting the most use and could eventually lead to limits on certain routes, such as The Nose on El Capitan.

The park will seek voluntary compliance but could fine climbers who break the rules, Webb said.

Yosemite is not the first park to require permits for multiday climbs. Zion National Park in Utah and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Rocky Mountain National Parks in Colorado also have permit systems.

Daniel Duane, a climber and author of El Capitan: Historic Feats and Radical Routes, said there was a certain sadness to the development because it was a reminder of an era when Yosemites signature climbs werent crowded.

Some climbers used to camp for months in the park and climb every day. City dwellers could call a friend on Thursday to plan a last-minute trip, drive all night from San Francisco or Los Angeles and hit the rock on Friday morning.

One of the kind of weird and wonderful mysteries of Yosemite forever has been that you could just show up there, he said. You could drive up to the base of El Cap  and start climbing. And the Yosemite Valley climbing lifestyle has been kind of a miracle in that way.

But the rise of climbing gyms has created a huge generation of new climbers that has led to the sport being included in the summer Olympics this year for the first time. Films about the feats of a few rock stars on El Capitan have captured the imaginations of moviegoers and put them on the edge of their seats as if they were standing on sliver-width ledges and gripping tiny cracks on the sheer monolith thousands of feet above the valley.

Free Solo, which portrayed Alex Honnolds climb up El Capitans Freerider route with no rope or protection, won the best feature documentary Oscar in 2019. The Dawn Wall, documenting Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgesons epic 19-day ascent without any aid  using only ropes to catch their falls  similarly riveted audiences.

When Duane was planning an overnight climb with this daughter last year on the south face of Washington Column, friends warned that they wouldnt be alone. He heard stories of five parties being on the route and five more waiting in line to start climbing.

Although he canceled the trip because of the coronavirus pandemic, he said that type of situation sucks for all parties involved.

While hes not opposed to the change, Duane said permit reservations required four to 15 days in advance will remove any spontaneity and will be seen as another slap by climbers who have often been odds with the park administration.

Climbers are not crazy to have felt that some really substantial part of park culture just wishes they would go away, he said. This little step, as benign as it seems and, frankly, as sensible as it seems, definitely raises those concerns for all of us.

Corey Rich, cinematographer of The Dawn Wall, who has spent his professional career hanging off the side of Yosemites largest cliffs as an adventure photographer, said the move would be polarizing among climbers.

The loss of freedom is a bummer for him but it seems like a necessary evil as the sport evolves and grows and will help protect the walls they all cherish.

Im also one of these old dogs that will have to learn the new trick of how to apply for a permit the next time I go up El Cap, Rich said.

By BRIAN MELLEY

Associated Press
(Editors note: This project is a collaboration between the Plainview Herald and Saint Francis Ministries to showcase kids who are cleared for adoption.)

Hailey is a curious and playful 11-year-old girl. It is quite obvious that she enjoys the company of others.

Hailey loves to swim and stays busy with several different activities. She is currently learning sign language and uses gestures to express her wants and needs.

This girl adapts and overcomes! Despite any day-to-day challenges she may face, Hailey maintains her lighthearted demeanor. Are you the right person to give this happy girl the unconditional love she deserves?

---

Hailey is one of the children listed on the Texas Adoption Resource Exchange (TARE) website. Visit https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Application/TARE/Home.aspx/Default for more details.

Saint Francis Ministries is a nonprofit organization and a community-based care provider for the Texas Department of Family Protective Services Region 1. This region includes 41 counties across the Panhandle and South Plains.

To learn more about fostering or adopting, those interested are encouraged to attend one of the monthly virtual meetings hosted by Saint Francis Ministries and other child placing agencies. The meetings provide information about how to get started, the basic qualifications and more, in addition to providing opportunity for attendees to ask questions.

Those interested can visit Saint Francis Texas on Facebook @SFMtexas to register for the online meetings, which can also be found below:

The meetings are scheduled for the second Thursday of the month (Lubbock area  https://lubbock-area-foster-care-adoption.eventbrite.com) and the third Thursday of the month (Amarillo area  https://amarillo-area-foster-care-adoption.eventbrite.com).

For more information, please contact Erin Baxter at (806) 317-5631 or email texasinfo@st-francis.org. Visit Saint Francis Ministries online at https://saintfrancisministries.org.
Unemployment in Hale County is up to 6% with an available workforce of 11,800. With all the official announcements of new business activity in Plainview, Mike Fox said he cant understand how those numbers continue to be so high.

During a City Council work session on Thursday, Fox cited the statistics in his Quarterly Economic Development Corporation report.

Fox, executive director of the Plainview-Hale County EDC, noted the opening of Ace Hardware, of Smith Auto Group (both new businesses actively looking for employees) and mentioned the upcoming job fair to be hosted by the city and the Plainview Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. There are jobs available, he said. Interest just seems low.

Following his presentation, which included updates on EDC efforts to recruit businesses, councilmembers spoke of the struggles regarding recruitment.

Part of the struggle is attributed to increased government aid introduced to supplement earnings lost as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic prompted the creation of additional benefit programs.

Everyones having the same problem everywhere, said City Manager Jeffrey Snyder.

The lack of applicants led the city to partner with the Chamber of Commerce to host a job fair, which is set for Thursday from 3-7 p.m. at the Plainview Civic Center. More than 35 local businesses were from across several different industries were signed up to participate by Friday.

The Chamber posted a list of the businesses with a note on its Facebook page that says WE SHOULD NOT HAVE ANYONE UNEMPLOYED IN PLAINVIEW & HALE COUNTY WITH THIS MANY BUSINESSES HIRING. That message also noted that more businesses had called to register.

The need for recruits is trickling down to services like police and fire. During a pre-council meeting work session in late April, Snyder noted the need for applicants for the Fire and Police Departments. The city has been struggling to fill those vacancies, which as of Wednesday, included four or five positions within the Plainview Police Department and at least two open positions in the Fire Department.

Police wise, I would say were pretty critical right now, Snyder said during the Council work session.

The reason behind the lack of new recruits is not well understood. It could be caused by factors like retirements or recruitment from bigger departments, he said.

Law enforcement and first responder recruitment and general lack of applicants for other jobs is just a Plainview problem, its happening nationwide.

The key to solving unemployment is just as unclear. Employers are doing what they can.

Snyder told The Herald the city is considering the idea of sending potential law enforcement recruits to academies. Fox said the EDC and Chamber are looking at ways to incorporate career and technical education training from Plainview ISD to help at least some local employers. Theyre also working with South Plains College and Wayland Baptist University.

Councilman Larry Williams also suggested reaching out to Texas Tech.

Snyder said hes hopeful about the job fair.

Following this discussion, Foxs report was unanimously approved by the Council with a 7-0 vote. Mayor Charles Starnes was absent.

The Council is set to meet for its regular meeting on Tuesday at the Plainview Country Club/Civic Center. The pre-meeting work session starts at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m. It is open to the public.
April 30

A crash was reported at the corner of W. 7th and N. Columbia on April 30 around 4:40 p.m. A vehicle was stopped at the intersection waiting to make a left turn when it was rear-ended by another vehicle. Vehicle damage was reported.

A crash was reported at the 3200 block of Lexington St. on April 30 around 6:40 p.m. A food delivery driver struck a garage when pulling into the driveway during a delivery. Property damage was reported but no injuries occurred.

A crash resulting in vehicle damage was reported at the 1300 block of W. 11th St. on April 30 around 6:45 p.m. Two vehicles were backing out of their driveway and turned to enter the westbound lane when the collision occurred.

Plainview police assisted with the investigation of fraud at the 1600 block of W. 9th St. on April 30 around 10:45 a.m.

A theft was reported at the 1300 block of W. 6th St. on April 30 around 2:30 p.m.

May 1

A disturbance was reported at the 800 block of Oakland St. on May 1 around 1 a.m.

An assault was reported at the 1500 block of W. 16th St. on May 1 just before 2 a.m. Several unknown individuals caused damage to a vehicle at the reported location. A known person was also reported to have made offensive physical contact with another.

An assault between exes was reported at the 1300 block of W. 5th St. on May 1 around 2:45 a.m. A male reported hed been struck in the face by a female. No injuries were reported.

Criminal mischief was reported at the 1500 block of Houston St. on May 1 around 7:30 a.m. An unknown person damaged a glass door and a vehicle with a BB gun.

Theft of property was reported at the 900 block of W. 5th St. on May 1 around 11:20 p.m. The victim reported a stolen bicycle.

Theft and property damage were reported May 1 at the 1200 block of Joliet St. around midnight. A suspected person believed to have taken a television is believed to have also damaged a tire to the owners vehicle.

May 2

Burglary of a firearm was reported at the 600 block of Denver St. on May 2.

A crash was reported at the 3700 block of Olton Road on May 2 around 11 a.m. Property damage was reported.

A crash was reported at the 1200 block of W. 24th St. on May 2 around 2 p.m. A vehicle hit another when backing out of a parking space. Vehicle damage was reported.

Police responded to the 3200 block of W. 10th St. on May 2 around midnight. Officers were called about a reckless driver ran off the roadway. The vehicle was caught at the intersection of Ennis and Olton Road. It was observed driving north in the southbound lanes of Ennis St. The male driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Monday, May 3

Police responded to the 2000 block of Galveston St. on Monday around 8:50 p.m. The caller reported a vehicle spinning its tires. It sped off and almost struck the caller so the caller followed the vehicle to the 700 block of W. 21st St. and told the driver that he or she almost struck the caller. One of the individuals yelled a racial slur and threatened to shoot the caller.

Illegal use of a credit card was reported on Monday at the 2900 block of Lometa St. around 9:30 a.m.

An assault was reported at the 2200 block of W. 4th St. on Monday around 10:20 a.m.

A burglary was reported at the 1200 block of Joliet St. on Monday around 2:20 p.m. The victim reported stolen televisions, jewelry and jeans.

Criminal trespass was reported on Monday at the 1200 block of Joliet St. just after 9:30 a.m.

A 22-year-old man was arrested Monday at the 800 block of Canyon St. Police found a clear plastic baggie with a leafy green substance that tested as marijuana. The individual was charged with possession of marijuana.

Tuesday, May 4

A 36-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday at the 400 block of Utica St. after reports of someone driving under the influence of alcohol. The man was charged with driving while intoxicated and with an outstanding warrant.

Burglary of a habitation was reported on Tuesday at the 3000 block of Dimmitt Road. A homeowner returned from spending the day in Lubbock to find his TV missing along with some lottery tickets valued to $416. The homeowner believes the burglar was his ex-girlfriend. The call was reported at 7 p.m.

A juvenile was arrested at the 200 block of SE 5th St. on May 4 just after 6 p.m. Officers were called to the location in reference to an assault. According to the police report, a known person hit another in the mouth with an air freshener can causing injury to the victims lip.

A crash was reported at the 2500 block of W. 24th St. on May 4 around 5:40 p.m. A motorist struck an EMT vehicle. The driver was cited for failure to control speed. Vehicle damage was reported.

An aggravated assault was reported on May 4 around 5:30 p.m. A male told police he was assault a week or so earlier in Lubbock by the mother of his unborn child. She grabbed a knife during an argument and allegedly stabbed him in the tricep.

A crash was reported at the intersection of W. 5th and N. Columbia on May 4 just after 9 a.m. A vehicle leaving a business driveway failed to yield right-of-way to a vehicle traveling along 5th Street and was struck. Vehicle damage was reported but there were no injuries.

Police arrested Frankie Lee Cada Jr. on May 4 just after 8:30 a.m. for two outstanding warrants  one out of Hale County and the other out of Floyd County.

A suspicious driver was reported to be recklessly driving through the neighborhood on May 4 at the 400 block of Utica. Contact was made with the vehicle during a traffic stop and the driver was observed to be intoxicated  which was proven with a field sobriety test. The driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated and for an outstanding warrant.

Criminal mischief was reported at the 600 block of Baltimore St. on May 4 at 7:50 a.m. A suspect broke the window of a vehicle.

Theft was reported at the 800 block of El Paso on May 4 around 8 a.m. According to a police report, an unknown person impersonated Publishers Clearing House and scammed the victim out of a large amount of money.

Wednesday, May 5

Burglary of a building was reported at the 1300 block of Galveston St. on Wednesday around 7 p.m.

A crash was reported at the 1700 block of W. 5th St. on Wednesday just before 1 p.m. A vehicle traveling westbound at the 1700 block of W. 5th was stopped at a signal light when a second vehicle was attempting to turn at the 1800 block of W. 5th St. facing east. The driver of that vehicle had a seizure and struck the first vehicle.

A burglary was reported at the 500 block of W. 10th St. on Wednesday around 9 p.m.

A miscellaneous incident was reported at the 600 block of N. I-27 on Wednesday around midnight.

Theft of a vehicle (a motorcycle) was reported at the 2400 block of W. 20th St. around 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 6

A theft was reported at the 600 block of W. 11th St. on Thursday around 8 p.m.

A theft was reported at the 1500 block of N. I-27 on Thursday around 3:20 p.m.

An aggravated assault with a deadly weapon was reported at the 1300 block of Oakland St. on Thursday around 9:30 p.m. A man was stabbed.

A crash was reported at the 1900 block of Wayland St. on Thursday around 10:30 a.m. A vehicle traveling northbound was struck by another vehicle backing out of a driveway. Vehicle damage was reported.

Criminal mischief was reported at the 1600 block of Kermit St. Thursday around 9:15 a.m. The front glass window of a business at the location was destroyed.

Criminal trespass was reported at the 1200 block of Joliet on Thursday around 8 a.m. A known person took the sheets off a bed at the location.
Magnolia, AR (71754)

Today

Cloudy this evening with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 74F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 74F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Melinda Gates told her friends that she was uncomfortable when she first met the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to the Daily Beast.

Gates was frustrated about her husband Bills relationship with Epstein and told her friends that she wanted nothing to do with the latter, the publication reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Friends of the Gates told the Daily Beast that Epstein still haunts her.

The news comes days after the couple announced their divorce. On Monday, Bill announced on Twitter that he and Gates were separating after 27 years of marriage.

Related: 3 Leadership Lessons From Bill and Melinda Gates' Divorce

Gates first met Epstein with her husband in New York City in 2013, on the same day the couple received the Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award at the Pierre Hotel, according to the Daily Beast.

An anonymous associate in the tech industry who attended events where Epstein was also a guest told the Daily Beast that Gates disapproval of Epstein was unsurprising.

He just was an obnoxious guy. He almost made a point of having bad manners, not paying attention at dinner  I could see how anybody, even without suspicions, would not want to be around him, the associate described Epstein.

Epstein reportedly claimed to be a tax consultant for Microsoft, according to a New York Times article in 2019, although a company spokesperson later refuted that assertion. Another story from the newspaper that same year reported that Bill started meeting Epstein in 2011 and did so on multiple occasions. Epstein allegedly discussed philanthropy projects with Bill and tried to pitch a new charitable fund to the Gates Foundation and managers at JPMorgan, according to the Times.

If you ask Bill Gates [about Epsteins sex abuse], hell say, Oh I had absolutely no idea he wasnt up to anything of the highest moral character. But I seriously doubted Epsteins moral character, the anonymous associate told the Daily Beast.

The people around him [Epstein] had a varying spectrum of what they knew and what they didnt know and how they rationalized it, the associate added.

Bill was criticized over his connection with Epstein following the financiers arrest in July 2019, according to the Daily Beast. Epstein was charged with sex trafficking and died in prison later that year.

I met him. I didnt have any business relationship or friendship with him, Bill said in September 2019, as quoted by the publication. Every meeting where I was with him were meetings with men. I was never at any parties or anything like that. He never donated any money to anything that I know about.

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The top political consultant to Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller was arrested Thursday on allegations that he participated in a scheme to solicit money and campaign contributions for state hemp licenses issued by Millers Texas Department of Agriculture.

The consultant, Todd Smith, ultimately took $55,000 as part of the scheme, an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by The Texas Tribune says. Smith and others involved in the scheme are alleged in the warrant to have solicited a total of $150,000 to guarantee a license, including a $25,000 upfront cost for a survey that they said was required to get a license in Texas. Some of the money would also go toward funding unnamed political campaigns, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit alleges that Smith committed third-degree felony theft.

Todd Smith created by words and his conduct, a false impression of fact that affected the judgment of others in the transactions to obtain a hemp license and/or conduct a survey that was never attempted by Todd Smith," the affidavit says.

Smith's arrest was part of an ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers' Public Integrity Unit, which is responsible for looking into claims of public corruption.

This matter is being investigated by the Texas Rangers on behalf of the Department of Public Safety in collaboration with the Travis County District Attorneys office," Travis Considine, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety, said in a statement Friday afternoon. "Our offices will be keeping the community updated as more information becomes available.

Smith was arrested Thursday and booked into Travis County jail at 9:23 p.m., according to Kristen Dark, a spokesperson for the county sheriffs office. Smith was released at 2:59 a.m. Friday on a personal recognizance bond. Bail was set at $10,000.

Smith did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Friday morning. Neither did a TDA spokesperson.

The affidavit says Smith used another person as a middle man between himself and those interested in getting licenses. The affidavit does not provide much information about the middle man other than that he was introduced to Todd Smith by a friend in August 2019.

The affidavit includes the account of one man who wanted to get involved in the hemp industry and met the middle man at a social gathering in August 2019. The affidavit says the middle man told the license-seeker that he was working directly with senior leadership at the TDA and that he needed $150,000.00 in cash, with some of the money going toward campaign contributions, in order to receive the guaranteed hemp license.

The license-seeking man agreed to the deal, setting off a chain of events that included a November 2019 visit to Austin where he handed the middle man $30,000 cash in a car outside El Mercado, a Mexican restaurant in downtown Austin near the TDA offices, according to the affidavit. Williams went through an alley to take the money to the TDA headquarters before returning to the car and collecting Vinson for a scheduled meeting at the offices.

The affidavit says the license-seeker learned later that month that he was not guaranteed a license, despite the scheme that had been proposed to him. He reached Smith via phone, who denied any knowledge but did admit to receiving a $5,000.00 gift from the middle man, according to the allegations.

The hemp licenses were opened as a result of House Bill 1325, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in 2019 and allowed the states farmers to legally grow industrial hemp. Hemp is a cousin of the marijuana plant that contains low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive element in marijuana known as THC.

Smith has previously been under scrutiny for blurring campaign and official lines. The Austin American-Statesman reported in 2018 that Smith told a San Antonio businessman he could get a TDA appointment if he donated to Millers campaign  then Smith asked the businessman for a $29,000 personal loan.

Years earlier, Miller created four new assistant commissioner positions and gave one of them to Smiths wife, Kellie Housewright-Smith. The positions had annual salaries exceeding $180,000, making them among the highest-paid employees at the TDA.

The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
JERRY LARA/San Antonio Express-News

Locals who enjoy their time of fun in the sun will want to live it up this weekend  especially because we havent seen the last of the less-than-desirable weather of late.

From now through Sunday, San Antonio will be blessed with lovely weather perfect for the weekend, according to predictions from the National Weather Service. With the high temperature of 90 on Saturday and 94 on Sunday, San Antonians will want to take advantage of the recently reopened city swimming pools and the various splash pads around town. In the evenings during the weekend, San Antonio is also expected to be in the low 70s with partly to mostly cloudy skies.
The fight over Senate Bill 7 is reaching past Texas all the way to Hollywood.

The bill, which would drastically alter voting accessibility in Texas, passed through the Texas House of Representatives early Friday morning. Now, celebrities are weighing in and urging followers to fight the bill with their wallets via Twitter.

HERE IN HOUSTON: Meet the Houstonian making city council meetings more accessible

The chain reaction seems to have started with Kevin McHale, an actor from Plano best known for playing Artie Abrams in "Glee."

"Tell the Texas GOP: Dont mess with Democracy. Help [Texas Democrats] fight back," McHale wrote on Twitter with a link to Texas Democrats donation page to fight Senate Bill 7 and House Bill 6.

Thus, McHale basically created a form letter for Hollywood's politically engaged to copy and paste into Twitter.

Canadian band Tegan and Sara weighed in.

... As did other "Glee" star Jenna Ushkowitz.

SENATE BILL 7: 63 Texas civil rights groups target GOP voter suppression bills

Paul Bettany, an English actor known for playing Vision in multiple Marvel films and "WandaVision," doubly made his feelings known.

And then Emmy winner and fictional vice president Julia Louis-Dreyfus quoted Bettany.

JOE WIDEN?: President Joe Biden once again confirmed human, not a giant

If it passes, Senate Bill 7 will limit early voting hours, ban drive-thru and overnight voting, and limit the number of polling places in Texas' largest counties under the guise of "election security." (Texas has only prosecuted 174 cases of voter fraud since 2005  a minuscule portion of the more than 93 million ballots cast since then, according to the Houston Chronicle editorial board.)

No telling if this game of celebrity hot potato for our voting rights will make a difference in the end.
Yves here. For those of us on the other side of the pond, the Labour wipeout seems hard to fathom. The Tories ran a shambolic Brexit and many businesses are taking it in the teeth as a result. But Labour seems to have acted as if it were due a win as a matter of right. The resurgence of Blairites in the form of Kier Starmer and the mean-spirited treatment of Corbyn and his followers (who did deny Theresa May what the Tories had expected to be a seismic win in the 2016 snap election) disgusted some once-loyal backers. And as UK-based readers discussed in comments to yesterdays Links, the Tories played a ruthless ground game. For instance, from Terry Flynn:

The Conservatives in a key former red wall county actually LOST quite heavily to a new anti-Westminster, anti-Europe party in a district that is Old Labour  left-wing economically and small-c conservative socially (and very LEAVE supporting). However, they clawed back these losses by (1) exterminating their coalition partner  another similar local party based in Old Labour area  turnout DOUBLED in those seats compared to rest of Notts, and

(2) grabbing Labour seats that were also Old Labourish but had Starmer/New Labour candidates.

By Caroline Molloy, editor of openDemocracy UK and OurNHS, a journalist and speaker. She has written extensively on politics, public services and the welfare state. Originally published at openDemocracy

Today is a bleak day for the Labour Party.

Yesterday, England held one of its biggest ever batches of elections. Though ballots in races for local councils, police and crime commissioners and metro mayors are still being counted, the results for Labour look set to be even worse than the bad results that leader Keir Starmer was preparing the party for.

Most councils were electing only a third of their councillors yesterday, meaning dramatic shifts were hard to achieve. But the Conservatives have nonetheless seized control of councils that have been run by Labour for most of their history, in the North, Midlands and South. And Labour has also seen its vote eroded by the Lib Dems and the Greens.

The Tories took Harlow, which Labour had controlled for the past nine years, and most of the past 40, but where it lost six of the seven seats it was defending.

In Nuneaton and Bedworth, Labour lost 11 seats to the Tories, who took control of the council for the first time since 2008.

In Redditch, the Tories won all nine of the seats up for grabs. Until 2018 Labour controlled the council  the party now has just four councillors left out of 29.

In many of its heartlands, Labour saw its majorities eroded from all sides. In Sunderland, Labour lost nine of the 22 seats it was defending, five to the Tories and four to the Lib Dems on huge swings. In Oldham, where Labour controlled 15 of the 20 seats up for grabs, it lost three to the Conservatives, two to independents, and one to the Liberal Democrats. In South Tyneside, Labour lost seats to two Greens, one Tory and an independent. In Labour-held Newcastle-upon-Tyne the party lost two seats, including its leader, to independents.

In Stockport the Lib Dems overtook Labour to become the single biggest party. The Liberal Democrats also surged in Cambridgeshire, edging the Tories out of overall control. In Sheffield, where results have just started to come in, the Labour leader has been toppled by a Green candidate on a massive swing.

The Conservatives also won overall majorities in Dudley and in Northumberland, both of which they previously ran as minority administrations, and strengthened their minority-administrations grip on Derby, which was Labour-run as recently as 2016.

The best news so far for Labour has come from Gateshead and Rochdale, both previously Labour-controlled, where the party has managed to hold onto all its seats and overall control, and in Colchester and Southendwhere Labour managed to hold onto its seats and deny the Tories the chance to retake either council from current Lib/Labour/Green coalitions.

But there were very few signs of gains anywhere, and Labour made no inroads in Thurrock, where itd claimed to be eyeing the Blue Wall council.

So What Now for Labour?

Labours response to the dire results would appear to be more internecine battles, with arch-Blairite Lord Mandelson and shadow communities secretary Steve Reed rolled out on the airwaves as a bulwark against grumbles from the Left.

The biggest danger for the party might not be the loss of councillors and vote share  damaging though that is to its presence in communities and its ability to campaign and recover in future.

Its that  as one party insider told me yesterday  the movement has moved on.

Activists are in despair, she added, at how the party has wasted the last two years on backwards-looking internal battles that are an utter turn-off, particularly given the urgency of the mounting, interlocking crises of climate, racism and policing, as well as the economic and social fallout from COVID.

Many of those who coalesced around former leader Jeremy Corbyn have simply run out of patience with Labours timidity on policy and vision.

And Labour seems to have little idea how to bring these voters back, and is unsure if it even wants to. Other, newer, climate and anti-racism activists speak of their resentment at clumsy attempts to co-opt them into the party machine from party figures intimating they need the protection and support of the big boys who know how to do politics properly. Newer activists might not always encounter the hostility that some sections of Labour demonstrated towards the Momentum movement from the start  but the patronising stance doesnt tend to go down too well with anyone  those knocking on the doors and those answering them alike.

Community organising was supposed to square this circle  to connect with peoples real concerns, building communication and trust over time, including with those who would never go near a party meeting. Its a point Labours former shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, made on BBC Radio 4 this morning.

But instead Labour is disbanding its Community Organising Unit amidst bitter acrimony, one battle in whats viewed internally as a war on Corbyns legacy. It appears to be reverting to its old tendency of thinking that the movement box is ticked by its links with the unions, the largest of which, Unite, is currently distracted by a leadership battle of its own.

The lack of deep local connection was brought home forcefully in the Hartlepool by-election, where Labours super-Remain candidate parachuted in by party HQ, Paul Williams, was also revealed to have co-written a report that recommended the 2013 closure of the local hospitals urgent care unit. Whilst he disputes the extent its fair to blame him for the cut, there was enough evidence for his opponents to label him a hospital hypocrite, mount a pretty effective voter suppression campaign and undermine Labours NHS trump card. Did it not occur to the leadership in London that hospital cuts strongly endure in local memories?
Animals laugh too, analysis of vocalization data suggests PhysOrg (Robert M)

San Diego Gas & Electric Begins Wildfire-Fighting Pilot Program With Goats KPBS (David L)

The Speed of Sound Is Innately Encoded in The Brains of Bats, Scientists Discover ScienceAlert (furzy)

Sharks can navigate via Earths magnetic field, study confirms for the first time National Geographic (David L)

3 More Dead Gray Whales Reported In San Francisco Bay Recently SFGate :-(

How at-home euthanasia can help pets and owners Washington Post (Dr. Kevin). You can get that in NYC. One of the reasons I rationalize not having euthanized my second cat, who went into a pretty fast final decline with cancer, was he hated going to the vet. When he was healthy, hed do everything in his power to tear the carrier apart.

Powerful Magnetic Fields in Space Have Been Seen Bending Black Hole Jets ScienceAlert (Kevin W)

Nuclear Reactions Are Smoldering Again At Chernobyl Science :-(

Sustainable flat-packed pasta morphs into shape as it cooks New Atlas (David L)

Grapefruit Is One of the Weirdest Fruits on the Planet Atlas Obscura (Chuck L)

Bibliometrics or Peer Review for Research Assessment: Is That the Right Question? Institute for New Economic Thinking

#COVID-19

Modi and Bolsonaro: 2 populists approach to COVID-19 DW (resilc)

China?

Old Blighty

Colombia on the Brink CounterPunch

Amid LNG Impact Fears, EU Aims to Send Troops Against Mozambique Insurgency As Soon as Possible Sputnik

New Cold War

Detente: The Vital Word Missing From Discourse On Russia And China Caitlin Johnstone (Chuck L)

Syraqistan

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Biden

Less Is More Heisenberg Report (UserFriendly)

GOP Civil War

Stefanik privately pledges to serve only through 2022 in House GOP leadership Politico. If you believe that, I have a bridge Id like to sell you.

The GOPs Critical Race Theory Obsession Atlantic (furzy). Putting here even though there seems to be a strong GOP consensus on this issue.

Right-wing coffee companies want to make coffee great again Vox

Black Injustice Tipping Point

Police-Overhaul Efforts Draws Bipartisan Agreement on Key Issues Wall Street Journal

Gunz

Our Famously Free Press

This is really eyebrow-raising. Not necessarily improper but theyve got some serioussplainin to do. via @nytimes https://t.co/udlptZnJ5D  Harry Litman (@harrylitman) May 8, 2021 Great now do this for Julian Assange too, otherwise you look like an unprincipled NATO toolhttps://t.co/SNNVmt0zZi  Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) May 7, 2021

Introducing Racket of the Week Matt Taibbi

Yale endowment chief David Swensen dies aged 67 Financial Times. Neglected to include this yesterday.

ERCOT Expects Record Power Demand In Texas This Summer OilPrice (resilc)

Californias population falls in first-ever yearly decline BBC

Elon Musks SpaceX Is Buying Up a Texas Village. Homeowners Cry Foul. Wall Street Journal (Kevin W)

Elon Musks Own Engineers Say He Exaggerates Autopilot Capabilities The Verge. Litigation futures?

Class Warfare

Antidote du jour:

And a bonus (dk):

I'll feature some genera of theridiids in this thread. First up is Thwaitesia, commonly known as the mirror spider, sequined spider or stained glass spider. The reflective patches expand when the spider is at rest, forming an almost seamless mirror. pic.twitter.com/mJVLtMLEHb  Nicky Bay (@singaporemacro) May 7, 2021

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Pushing back on the right-wing narrative about the reason for real or perceived labor shortages in some markets nationwide, progressives on Friday told corporations that if they want to hire more people, theyll need to start paying better wages.

Soon after the Labor Department released its April jobs report, the U.S. Chamber of Congress blamed last months weak employment growth on the existence of a $300 weekly supplemental jobless benefit and began urging lawmakers to eliminate the federally enhanced unemployment payments that were extended through early September when congressional Democrats passed President Joe Bidens American Rescue Plan.

No. We dont need to end [the additional] $300 a week in emergency unemployment benefits that workers desperately need, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) saidin response to the grumbles of the nations largest business lobbying group. We need to end starvation wages in America.

If $300 a week is preventing employers from hiring low-wage workers theres a simple solution, Sanders added. Raise your wages. Pay decent benefits.

According to the Chambers analysis, the extra $300 unemployment insurance (UI) benefit results in roughly one in four recipients taking home more pay than they earned working.

In response to that claim, Sanders staff director Warren Gunnelssaid: If one in four recipients are making more off unemployment than they did working, thats not an indictment of $300 a week in UI benefits. Its an indictment of corporations paying starvation wages.

Raise your wages and benefits or flip your own damn burgers and sweep your own damn floors, Gunnels added.

Other progressives like former labor secretary Robert Reich and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) also chimed in.

This is not complicated. If you cant afford to pay your employees a living wage, you do not have a viable business model.  Robert Reich (@RBReich) May 7, 2021

Fun fact: the US Chamber of Commerce is a secretive business lobby that supported a $3M effort to primary me out of office last year bc I stand up to Wall Street. (They lost ) Wal-mart was outed as a secret client. If UI > wages, the solution is to actually pay a living wage. https://t.co/04C2pCEZsY  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 7, 2021



We do not have a shortage of willing workers in this country, Morris Pearl of the Patriotic Millionaires said in a Friday afternoon statement responding to the Chamber. We have a shortage of employers who are willing to pay workers enough to live.

Claiming that todays disappointing jobs report is a result of expanded unemployment insurance is nothing more than a cruel tactic to pressure the administration into helping companies that they represent to continue to underpay and exploit their workforce, Pearl continued. Our leaders are supposed to be helping to increase wages for low paid workers, not helping employers to keep wages down.

Instead of blaming struggling workers, Pearl continued, large corporations that do not pay their employees a liveable wage should take this moment to self-reflect. Maybejust maybepaying their workers more than starvation wages would incentivize workers to reenter the workforce.

Writing for Jacobinearlier this week, Sandy Barnard noted that another overlooked factor is the increased morbidity rates among food and agricultural workers, which increased more than any other occupation during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a recent study from the University of CaliforniaSan Francisco.

Living, breathing people have decided they do not want to risk their lives for $7.25 per hour and no health benefits, Barnard wrote.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) responded to the Chambers call for an end to enhanced unemployment benefits by arguing that the interests of big business are at war with the interests of the working class.

They will spend millions of dollars to take $300 a [week] away from you and your family, to force you to work for them for pennies, she added. Their greed has no bounds.
(Natural News) Honeywell has agreed to pay the State Department $13 million after it transferred to other countries  including China  unauthorized technical data on the F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, among other weapon systems.

(Article by Ellen Mitchell republished from TheHill.com)

The defense contractor will pay $8 million in civilian penalties and $5 million on its own remedial compliance measures after unauthorized exports and retransfers of technical data to Canada, Ireland, Mexico, China and Taiwan, the State Department announced Monday.

The violations included sharing engineering prints showing dimensions, geometries, and layouts for manufacturing castings and finished parts for multiple aircraft, gas turbine engines, and military electronics, according to the statement.

Honeywell, which faced 34 charges, voluntarily disclosed the violations, which took place between 2011 and 2015. The Charlotte, N.C.-based company said it inadvertently shared the data during normal business discussions and no detailed manufacturing or engineering expertise was given out.

A Bureau of Political-Military Affairs charging document said the data to China consisted of drawings for certain parts and components for the engine platforms for the F-35 joint strike fighter, B-1B Lancer long-range strategic bomber and F-22 fighter aircraft, which harmed U.S. national security.

Other platforms shared include the F/A-18 Hornet fighter, C-130 transport aircraft, A-7H Corsair aircraft, A-10 Warthog aircraft, Apache Longbow helicopter, M1A1 Abrams tank, the Tomahawk missile and the F135, F414, T55 and CTS800 turboshaft engines.

Since Honeywell voluntarily self-reported these disclosures, we have taken several actions to ensure there are no repeat incidents. These actions included enhancing export security, investing in additional compliance personnel, and increasing compliance training, the State Department said.

Read more at: TheHill.com and Traitors.news.
(Natural News) A new study published in the journal Nature Communications uncovered the first evidence of ancient honey hunting in West Africa. Researchers from Goethe University in Germany and the University of Bristol found traces of beeswax in pottery shards from the ancient Nok culture, which emerged some 3,500 years ago in what is now Nigeria.

This is a remarkable example of how biomolecular information extracted from prehistoric pottery, combined with ethnographic data, has provided the first insights into ancient honey hunting in West Africa 3,500 years ago, Julie Dunne, a professor of chemistry at the University of Bristol and the lead researcher of the study, said in a statement.

Studying ancient West African pots

For their study, Dunne and her colleagues analyzed over 450 pottery fragments from the Nok culture to investigate what foods Nok people ate. Named after the Nigerian village of the same name, the Nok culture flourished for 1,500 years in an area where farmers and foragers coexisted. It was known for its giant terracotta figurines and early iron production.

After studying fat residues in the fragments, the researchers found that one-third of the pottery shards contained traces of beeswax. This indicated that the Nok people likely used pot vessels to melt wax combs, cook beeswax, store honey or keep beehives. As some of the pottery shards also contained animal fats, the researchers surmised that Nok pots might have also served as containers for honey-preserved meat. (Related: Ancient secrets to fantastic hair: Scientists uncovered 3000 year old hair wax from the hair of Ancient Egyptian noblewomen.)

The presence of beeswax was quite unexpected since the researchers were originally looking for something else. We originally started the study of chemical residues in pottery shards because of the lack of animal bones at Nok sites, hoping to find evidence for meat processing in the pots, said Peter Breunig, an archaeologist from Goethe University and one of the studys researchers.

That the Nok people exploited honey 3,500 years ago was completely unexpected and is unique in West African prehistory, Breunig remarked. Archaeologists had suspected that ancient Africans had been harvesting beehives for a long time. But it wasnt clear exactly how long that had been practiced.

The researchers recommended more studies to investigate whether earlier tribes harvested beehives. They noted that honey hunting might be older than the Nok culture since African pottery predated the latter by 8,000 years.

Ancient uses of honey and other bee products

Honey, then a rare source of sweetness, was thought to be highly sought-after in ancient times because it was energy-dense and easy to digest. Some studies suggested that honey played a role in linking nutrition to the expansion of the human brain. There was also evidence showing that humans closest living relatives, the chimpanzees, foraged for honey.

Historical accounts showed that ancient African cultures used honey to make drinks, such as beer and wine. The writings of Muslim scholar Ibn Battuta in 1352, for example, showed that the people of Mauritania mixed honey with water, milk and ground millet to fix a sour drink.

Other African tribes also used honey and other bee products such as propolis medicinally. Dunne and her colleagues noted that bee products possess various bioactive properties and have a long history of therapeutic use both in West Africa and globally. Propolis, for instance, has antiseptic and anesthetic properties and is commonly used as an ingredient in medicine, toothpastes, oral sprays and chewing gums.

Archaeological records also indicated that beeswax was used in prehistoric times as a waterproofing agent, lamp illuminant and raw material for candles. Meanwhile, honey was used as a preservative. The Okiek people of Kenya, for example, used honey to preserve smoked meat.

Artifacts.news has more on ancient civilizations and their ways of life.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Nature.com
(Natural News) The Christian Institute in the United Kingdom revealed this week it will take legal action if lawmakers go ahead with a strategy to ban conversation therapy that would impact churches missions, ministries, and even praying to God.

(Article by Bob Unruh republished from WND.com)

Jason Coppel, QC, wrote in a detailed legal opinion for the faith organization that activists who are proposing new definitions in law to address their fears of conversion therapy would criminalize the ordinary work of churches.

Activists claim so-called conversion therapy is an orchestrated strategy to persuade homosexual individuals to leave that lifestyle choice and become straight. But often its counseling that is in response to an individuals own desire to rid themselves of unwanted same-sex attractions.

Coppel warned that prayer, evangelism, church membership, baptism and communion could all breach a broad conversion-therapy law like the one recently passed in Victoria, Australia.

Churches that follow the Bibles teaching on gender and sexuality were targeted recently in a debate in the British Parliament over legislation that would ban so-called conversion therapy.

Member of Parliament Alicia Kearns dismissed concerns over the impact of such a ban on freedom of religious expression, according to the U.K.s Christian Institute.

Religious liberty is fundamental, but so too is peoples liberty to live their lives free from identity-based violence and abuse, she told her colleagues.

Kearns insisted that any prayer inconsistent with LGBT theology should be banned.

Supporters of counseling for people with unwanted sexual attractions reject the term conversion therapy, describing it as an ideological term used by the LGBT activists who seek to link compassionate spiritual care and talk therapy with disreputable practices.

The Westminster Hall debate focused on a petition to make it a criminal offense to practice conversion therapy in the U.K. or send people abroad for it.

Several MPs branded prayer and pastoral support as conversion therapy, which was also described as torture.

Last month, Kearns, writing for The House magazine, condemned prayer sessions used to help counsel people with unwanted attractions as abhorrent practice comparable to electroshocks and corrective rape.

Kearns defined conversion therapy as any attempt to stop someone from expressing their chosen gender identity or sexual orientation.

She said a ban must include not only conversion therapy to change sexual orientation but also non-consensual attempts to prevent someone from expressing their own identity.

But Coppel said in his analysis that such legislation would violate existing U.K. human rights laws that protect the freedom of church organizations to preach their beliefs on sexual ethics and gender identity.

Further, he said, a demand that parents to affirm a childs desire to change sex would also endanger parents ability to bring up their children in accordance with their beliefs.

Such beliefs, he wrote, are not eccentric or peripheral matters of belief. They have a long history within Christian theology and sexual ethics.

Courts, he said, have consistently regarded such beliefs as protected by Article 9 ECHR and worthy of respect.

The legal requirement, he said, is that the government treat those beliefs with neutrality and impartiality.

The Christian Institutes Deputy Director for Public Affairs Simon Calvert, said: A ban on spiritual guidance and prayer would be tyrannical and unworkable. Do they expect police, prosecutors and courts to decide which kinds of prayer are criminal and which are not?

He said, Most people would be horrified by the prospect of someone being convicted for praying the wrong kind of prayer. We must not allow activists to exploit legitimate concerns as a cover for pursuing anti-religious agendas.

A court case would follow immediately of the government caves into demands to widen the ban to include the ordinary, everyday activities of churches, he said.

Lawmakers specifically said parents should face charges if they help their children with such therapy.

Parliamentarian Elliot Colburn claimed conversion therapy can be anything from pseudo-psychological treatments and aversion therapies to practices that are religiously based, such as purification or fasting.

And MP Angela Eagle condemned being told by faith leaders or your family that you are sinful.

Being told to pray harder to change and to question your innermost feelings and thoughts  none of that should be legal, she said.

LGBT activists have been working on their agenda to criminalize the work of Christians and Christian churches for years.

Josiah Hesse, a writer for the London Guardian newspaper, in 2018 charged that prayer had become conversion therapy.

The reaction was prompted by a video of Emily Thomes testimony released by Anchored North, an evangelical media company.

The group releases BuzzFeed-style videos, and this one is titled Love is Love.

While packaged similar to pro-LGBT marketing campaigns, Thomes message is that a person can be freed from same-sex attractions through the power of Jesus Christ.

Its not gay to straight, its lost to saved, she explains.

The concept of conversion therapy presumes there is an underlying cause for same-sex attractions that can be addressed. Such counseling has been banned for youth in several U.S. states, but those restrictions on the First Amendments freedom of speech and freedom of religion still are being challenged.

Read more at: WND.com and Conspiracy.news.
(Natural News) The Arabian Peninsula is home to more than 1,000 ancient monuments that are more than 2,500 years older than the U.K.s Stonehenge. Called mustatils, which is the Arabian term for rectangles, these rectangular stone structures were likely used by Arabian cattle herders to perform rituals.

Researchers from the University of Western Australia arrived at this conclusion after excavating the site in northwestern Saudi Arabia. They uncovered cattle horns and skulls in one mustatil, suggesting that ancient Arabians might have used cattle fragments as ritual offerings.

Based on the age of the skulls, the researchers posited that mustatils were built between 5300 and 5000 B.C. This would make the monuments the earliest large-scale, ritual site anywhere in the world, predating Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids by more than two millennia.

This could completely rewrite our understanding of cults in this area at this time, said team member Melissa Kennedy. She explained that religious groups located further south became focused on homes, with families displaying small shrines. But the opposite was happening in ancient Saudi Arabia with mustatils, she went on.

The researchers detailed their findings in the journal Antiquity.

Ancient Arabians likely used stone monuments to pray to weather gods

Made of blocks of sandstone piled on top of each other, mustatils were originally called gates because they resembled traditional European field gates when viewed from above. They were discovered in the 1970s but received little attention from archaeologists until recently.

Lead researcher Hugh Thomas and his team embarked on the largest investigation into mustatils to date to learn more about these structures. After flying over northwestern Saudi Arabia and surveying the ground, the researchers found more than 1,000 mustatils spread across 20 million hectares, which were twice as many as previously thought to exist in the area.

The open-air rectangular structures ranged from 65 feet to nearly 2,000 feet in length but their walls stood only around four feet high. According to Thomas, they were not designed to keep anything in but to demarcate an area that needed to be isolated.

In a typical mustatil, long walls surrounded a central courtyard that was bounded at one end by a distinctive rubble platform, or head, and an entryway at the opposite end. In some mustatils, the entrance was blocked by stones, suggesting that the mustatil might have been decommissioned after use.

Many structures also featured a chamber in the center of the rubble platform. In one mustatil, the chamber contained cattle fragments that might have been used as ritual offerings to weather gods.

As the study showed, mustatils were built during the Holocene Humid Phase  a period between 8000 and 4000 B.C. during which Arabia and parts of Africa were wetter and what are now deserts were grasslands. But despite this humid environment, droughts were still common in these areas. As such, ancient Arabians might have herded and offered cattle to the gods to protect the land from changes in the weather, according to Kennedy. (Related: Archaeologists uncover a dark chapter in Ancient Egyptian history: 60 Mummies found with evidence of GRUESOME deaths.)

Gary Rollefson, a professor of anthropology at Whitman College who was not part of the study, opined that the rituals in mustatils were also important for bringing communities together. Indeed, mustatils were typically clustered in groups of two to 10, suggesting that ancient Arabians held gatherings that were broken up into small social groups.

The mustatils themselves are probably associated with an annual or generational coming-together of people who would normally be out with their herds and cattle, he said. But theres no indication that these guys spent a lot of time around the mustatil.

Learn more about ancient monuments and the cultures that built them at Artifacts.news

Sources include:

Nature.com

NewScientist.com

Cambridge.org
(Natural News) A number of British citizens have criticized health authorities in the U.K. for their slow response regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine. Many countries halted the use of the vaccine, manufactured in partnership with the University of Oxford, following reports of blood clots in some patients. However, regulators at home did not immediately issue guidance  even denying any connection to the adverse reactions. Because of this slow response, even experts have voiced their concerns regarding its domestic use.

Among these critics is Peter, a retired medical professional. The retired doctor lost his 59-year-old wife Julia to the AstraZeneca vaccines adverse reaction. She died March 31, two days after Peter found her unconscious at home. Julia initially experienced a headache that lasted for nine days, after she got the first shot of the two-dose vaccine in mid-March. It was only on March 29 that Peter came home and found her in a coma.

Doctors at the Harrogate District Hospital in North Yorkshire, England determined that Julia suffered a catastrophic brain injury. They added that her injury resulted from a blood clot in a vessel near the brain, coupled with a dismally low platelet count. Both ailments were connected to reactions that followed inoculation with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The retired doctor partly blamed himself for not having picked up the signs of a brain hemorrhage earlier. But he also pointed his finger at U.K. authorities for their lack of transparency regarding serious reactions from the vaccine. According to Peter, his wife  a former drug representative for the British pharmaceutical firm  could have been saved had the government alerted the public of the vaccines possible side effects sooner. There was an opportunity  when something could have been done, he lamented.

The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) was already probing the connection between the AstraZeneca vaccine and the adverse reactions around the time that Julia started experiencing headaches. It was only around March 18 that the British regulator released a statement saying that the vaccine had nothing to do with the blood clots.

The MHRA said that time: This has been reported in less than one in a million people vaccinated so far in the U.K., and can also occur naturally. A causal association with the vaccine has not been established. It turned down a recent request by the Financial Times to provide a timeline of when the adverse reactions occurred, citing patient confidentiality. We cannot release details related to individual reports  as these risk identification of individuals, its response said.

The MHRA belatedly released guidance regarding AstraZeneca  to the disappointment of experts

On April 7, the MHRA released guidance that said adults below the age of 30 should be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine. The agency announced the new guidance during a joint news conference with the U.K. Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization. The decision to limit the use of the vaccine to those under 30 was based on data that showed the age group having a higher risk of adverse reactions from the vaccines than developing serious COVID-19.

Experts have been unwilling to criticize the MHRA publicly for its response to the AstraZeneca vaccine side effects, given the agencys high regard among British medical circles. But several scientists told FT that the agency was too slow both in picking up the reports of adverse reactions and relaying its findings to the medical community, the media and the general public.

University of Bristol psychologist Stephan Lewandowsky said: The MHRA was slow in responding to the emergence of  symptoms associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, and slow to communicate what they were finding. He continued that he was not the only one who thought that way.

Dr. Gillies OBryan-Tear of the U.K. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine remarked that things would turn out better had the British regulator acted sooner. He commented: Their response  has been measured but, yes, a bit late. Deciding how and when to communicate this sort of information is very tricky indeed

Science Media Centre Chief Executive Fiona Fox meanwhile remarked that the MHRAs delayed response could have serious repercussions. I dont object to the MHRA taking more time to assess the evidence, but I really worry about them leaving a vacuum that could be filled with misinformation, she said.

While the MHRA was still mulling over guidance regarding the vaccine, many countries have moved to suspend use of the vaccine, albeit temporarily. Some of these countries have since resumed using it. However, Denmark officially banned the vaccine in the country on April 14.

Danish Health Authority Director General Sren Brostrm said in a statement: Based on the scientific findings, our overall assessment is there is a real risk of severe side effects associated with using the COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca. We have, therefore, decided to remove the vaccine from our vaccination program.

Visit Pandemic.news to read more news about the dangers of the AstraZeneca Wuhan coronavirus vaccine.

Sources include:

FT.com

Gov.uk

SST.dk
(Natural News) The Department of Defense warned that a Chinese rocket hurtling unpredictably back to Earth could crash on a populated area on Saturday, May 8. The Pentagon added that it could not determine at this point where the space junk would land, but reports suggested the range of its potential impact region included New York.

U.S. Space Command is aware of and tracking the location of the Chinese Long March 5B in space, but its exact entry point into the Earths atmosphere cannot be pinpointed until within hours of its re-entry, which is expected around May 8, Pentagon spokesperson Mike Howard said, adding that the government would provide additional information as it became available.

China used the Long March 5B rocket to launch the Tianhe core module last week. The latter is a major component of the countrys planned space station. The rockets 23-ton backbone, the so-called core stage, spiraled out of control after separating from Tianhe and is now tumbling unpredictably back into the planet.

Named 2021-035B by the U.S. military, the space debris measures 100 feet long and 16 feet wide and is traveling at a rate of more than four miles per second, which is fast enough to loop Earth in under two hours.

Rockets re-entry could be destructive

Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, opined that the core stages re-entry could be destructive. He noted that the last time China launched a Long March 5B rocket, long rods of metal showered the sky and damaged several buildings on Ivory Coast in Africa.

Most of it burned up, but there were these enormous pieces of metal that hit the ground. We are very lucky no one was hurt, McDowell told The Guardian.

Earlier this week, McDowell said that the rockets body would re-enter the atmosphere in an uncontrolled manner. Its path would take it to a latitude approximately level with New York, Madrid and as far south as southern Chile and New Zealand, SpaceNews reported.

After burning up in the atmosphere, the surviving debris of the space junk could land anywhere in this range, though the debris could also fall into the ocean and on other uninhabited areas.

McDowell said that China should have enhanced the rocket to perform a controlled de-orbit. He noted that the rocket is seven times more massive than the 4.5-ton upper body of SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket that burned up above Washington last March.

Pieces of the space junk streaked across the night sky like a meteor shower after an uncontrolled re-entry. There were no reports of injuries but some chunks might have reached the ground on the Rocky Mountains near the U.S.-Canada border. (Related: Biggest piece of ISS space junk will tumble down to Earth in a few years.)

I think by current standards its unacceptable to let [the core stage] re-enter uncontrolled, he told SpaceNews.

A Chinese commander said last month that Tianhes rocket went through upgrades, but apparently, the capacity for a de-orbit maneuver was not accounted for.

China to launch more rockets into space

The Tianhe launch is just the first of 11 missions needed to complete Chinas Tiangong Space Station, which the country aims to complete by the end of 2022. Over the course of two years, China will send two other core modules, four manned spacecraft and four cargo spacecraft into space.

Once complete, the space station will orbit the Earth at an altitude of 211 to 280 miles and have a mass between 88 to 110 tons, which is roughly one-fifth of the International Space Stations 460 tons.

China aims to become a leading space explorer by 2030 to keep up with the likes of the U.S. and the European Union. On top of building the space station, it also ramps up its spacefaring efforts with missions to the moon and Mars.

For more articles about space, visit Space.news.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

ArsTechnica.com

SpaceNews.com
(Natural News) Following an intense wave of backlash, the Coca-Cola Company has suspended an aggressive diversity plan that called for anti-white racial quotas and other racist initiatives.

The change was made almost immediately after Cokes former general counsel Bradley Gayton abruptly resigned last month after less than a year on the job. Gayton was accused of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by threatening outside law firms if they failed to hire more blacks and browns.

Gayton and other social justice warriors (SJWs) should know by now that discriminating against people on the basis of skin color is illegal. Coke apparently thought that it was woke, which is why the company is now hanging by a thread.

When there is a leadership change, it takes time for the new leader to review the current status of the team, organization and initiatives, commented Coke spokesman Scott Leith, pretending as though everything is normal.

Monica is fully committed to the notions of equity and diversity in the legal profession, and we fully expect she will take the time necessary to thoughtfully review any plans going forward, he added, referring to Monica Howard Douglas, Gaytons replacement.

Gayton will now make $12 million per year consulting Coke CEO James Quincey

Gayton first made headlines back in January when he announced that diversity quotas would be imposed on all outside law firms that work with Coke. He threatened to slash their fees or cut ties with them altogether if they did not obey.

Under the plan, any law firm seeking to do business with the company was required to commit that at least 30 percent of billed time would be from diverse attorneys, and at least half of that time would be from Black [sic] attorneys, reported Fox Business about the fiasco.

The hard truth is that our profession is not treating the issue of diversity and inclusion as a business imperative, Gayton himself wrote. We have a crisis on our hands and we need to commit ourselves to specific actions that will accelerate the diversity of the legal profession.

Gayton then resigned suddenly, calling into question what would become of his racist plan. Around the same time, the legal defense foundation Project on Fair Representation published an open letter to Coke warning that racial quota requirements are unlawful.

In meeting with Cokes global legal team, Douglas indicated that her new employer would be taking a pause for now with the racial quota requirements, though some parts of the diversity plan would likely be salvaged.

Gayton previously worked at Ford for 30 years as its top lawyer. He has since signed a new contract to be a consultant for Coke CEO James Quincey. In this role, Gayton will make $12 million per year, plus a $4 million sign-on fee and a monthly consulting fee of $666,666, according to an April 21 securities filing.

In February, Coca-Cola encouraged its employees to try to be less white. A Confronting Racism course was also imposed, offered by the LinkedIn Education team.

In the U.S. and other Western nations, white people are socialized to feel that they are inherently superior because they are white, one of the slides from Cokes diversity course explained.

Another called on white employees at Coke to be less oppressive and to listen to people with dark skin and believe everything they say. At the same time, white Coke employees were encouraged to break with white solidarity, meaning they were told to betray their white colleagues, family members, and friends in favor of blacks and browns.

More related news about Coca-Cola and other woke companies can be found at Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

FoxBusiness.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Dr. Lee Merritt, an orthopedic spinal surgeon, was interviewed by Mike Adams on a recent episode of Brighteon Conversations. Dr. Merritt joins a growing list of medical professionals who see forced vaccines as a holocaust-level crime against humanity.

Medical systems are threatening doctors and nurses with termination if they do not comply with the forced vaccines. Universities are threatening to withhold education from students if they do not comply. Corporations are threatening to segregate people from venues, flights and other social gatherings if they do not comply. Governors like Gretchen Whitmer have turned the state of Michigan into a vaccine prison camp; she has threatened to take away everyones freedoms if they do not comply.

Lock downs are now tied to vaccination status, medical experimentation that echoes the crimes of the Third Reich

Canada is threatening Americans from the north, forcing them to show their vaccine papers to enter the country. Israel has already implemented a technocratic vaccine passport system that denies people entry into buildings if they do not show their digital papers of vaccine compliance. Israelis must renew their digital passport every six months, showing they have all the government-approved booster shots.

All of these acts of coercion and authoritarianism smack of the Third Reich and the Holocaust. Since the start of lock downs, entire communities, school districts and job sites have literally been turned into prison camps of medical experimentation and brainwashing torture. A free society does not enforce bodily requirements, behavioral controls and various levels of obedience training, all to prop up medical fraud, bio-terror, medical error, fraudulently-calibrated medical tests, and censorship and omission of science-backed antiviral strategies that support healthy immune function. All the abuse is sold as safety measures but all of the paranoia, isolation and obedience training only weakens humanity, suppressing the immune system and making populations more susceptible to severe illness.

All of these acts violate fundamental human rights, the principle of informed consent and the Nuremberg Code, a code of medical research ethics that was established in the wake of the second world war. The Nuremberg Code restricts against medical experiments, which were conducted by regular doctors during the reign of Nazi Germany.

Three important points that will legally defend you against forced vaccines

If you or someone you know is facing intimidation and coercion to vaccinate, now is the time to stand up to the abuse. Here are three important points that you should pose in writing to any authority figure who is using coercion to compel you to comply with vaccines.

EUA products are unapproved, unlicensed and experimental. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance on emergency use authorization (EUA) of medical products requires the FDA to ensure that recipients are informed to the extent practicable given the applicable circumstances provided they have the option to accept or refuse the EUA product. Ask the authority figure if they are aware of this statement, and pressure them to inform all employees/customers that they have the option to refuse. Employees and customers are not the property of the CEO, the board, the governor, a doctor, or any public health official.

The FDA requires EUA vaccine recipients be provided with certain vaccine-specific information to help them make an informed decision about the product. The EUA fact sheets must be provided and must specify the purpose of each injection, including the manufacturers of the injections. The fact sheets must provide the most current and up-to-date information on the injections, and vaccine recipients must also receive information about adverse events. Ask the authority figure if they have read, understood and provided everyone with these fact sheets and with current information on adverse events so that everyone can make an educated decision. The science of vaccination is not absolute or exclusive. The science on immunity actually favors the millions of people who have beaten the virus and gained broad spectrum B-cell and T-cell natural immunity.

Finally, ask the authority figure if they have reviewed the available databases of material adverse events reported to date for people who have received Covid-19 injections. Potential and reported adverse events include death, anaphylaxis, neurological disorders, blood clots, autoimmune disorders, other long-term inflammatory chronic diseases, blindness, deafness, infertility, fetal damage, miscarriage, stillbirth and occupational exposure. In the event an EUA product is approved by the FDA, informed consent and parental consent are ABSOLUTE.

Exemptions to vaccination are fundamental religious freedoms, and laws already accommodate parents who do not wish to vaccinate their child. Medical discrimination laws protect individuals from harassment and segregation based on their personal medical decisions. Ask the authority figure if they are willing to be held liable for any vaccine injury or be held liable for any civil rights lawsuit that results from stripping individuals of their right to informed consent.

Protect your rights and download an official form:

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

CoreysDigs.com [PDF]


Miles below the surface of the earth, there's an origin of renewable energy that is capable of sustaining all of humanity for the expected future.

Geothermal Energy

Just about 0.1% of Earth's entire heat content could meet the needs of our energy for 2 million years, as stated by ARPA-E, the government agency that sponsors R&D attempts for improved energy technologies. It's known as geothermal energy, it is sort of old news in some ways. Since the late 1800s, It's been used in heating buildings and since the 1900s provide electricity.

The U.S. has the highest installed geothermal capacity in the world, but it is still just responsible for around 0.4% of our total electricity mix. That's due to the fact that in most places, it's very high-priced and challenging to auger geothermal wells. There could be a change in a short time, though.

A number of establishments in the geothermal space have obtained traction, like Sage Geoystems, GreenFire Energy, Fervo Energy, and Eavor Technologies over the last few years. While their technologies and methods vary, all are attempting to puzzle out how to gain access to the "heat below our feet" in areas that have traditionally been considered too hard to reach.

Also Read: Good News: Costa Rica Now Fossil Fuel-Free, Running on Renewable Energy for 2 Months

Sources of Geothermal Energy

First used in 1904 in Italy, geothermal in recent years has been a constant - and increasing - energy source. Geothermal energy has developed steadily from about 10GW worldwide in 2010 to 13.3GW in 2018, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Geothermal energy is the heat that emerges from the earth's sub-surface. It is can be seen in the rocks and fluids below the earth's crust and can be discovered as far down to the earth's hot molten rock, magma.To generate power from geothermal energy, wells are usually dug a mile deep into reservoirs that are underground to gain access to the steam and hot water there, which can then be used in the driving of turbines that are connected to electricity generators.

Geothermal Power Plant

There are three kinds of geothermal power plant which includes, flash, dry steam, and binary. The oldest form of geothermal technology is dry steam and it removes steam out of the ground and uses it for the direct driving of a turbine. Flash plants use high-pressure hot water into low-pressure, cool water while binary plants move hot water via a secondary liquid with a lower boiling point, which changes to vapor so that the turbine will be driven.

More than 20 countries make use of Geothermal energy. The largest geothermal energy producer in the world is the United States and it hosts the largest geothermal field. Called the Geysers in California, the field extends over 117 square kilometers and made of 22 power plants, with an installed capacity of more than 1.5GW.

Related Article: Iceland Is Harvesting Renewable Energy From Molten Magma

For more news, updates about geothermal energy and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Malibu, CA (90265)

Today

Clear skies. Low 53F. NW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 53F. NW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
Iffath Fathima By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: It is not just patients or their relatives, who are breaking down unable to find oxygenated beds, but even hospital chiefs are cracking under pressure. Dr Jothi S Neeraja, CEO of People Tree Hospital in Yeshwanthpur, sobbed uncontrollably while talking to The New Indian Express as her hospital was severely short of oxygen on Thursday even as 100 critically ill patients were dependent on it.

It was a nightmare for all of us. Our hospital looked like a war room as we were continuously making calls to get oxygen. All the doctors joined the search, making calls to oxygen suppliers, different hospitals and even elected representatives to help us out. We tried so hard that we all broke down as the lives of 100 patients were at risk.

I sent an SOS to many hospitals to accommodate these patients, but no beds were available anywhere, she said. The hospital requires 3,000 litres of liquid oxygen every day. On Thursday, with the intervention of an elected representative, they got some oxygen stock. But it will last only for 12 hours. What will we do after that? Once it is over, it will be the same story again.

All oxygen suppliers are saying that they dont have stocks and we are not getting help from anywhere, she said. The hospital has now decided to reduce the number of admission of patients dependent on oxygen. We had 10 discharges on Friday, but we are not taking in new admissions, as we have no oxygen. We dont want to risk the lives of patients, she added.
Bansy Kalappa By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: As the Covid second wave rages on, private hospitals are asking patients to hunt for ICU beds on their own. A woman Covid patient, 44-yearold Chandra Kumari (name changed), who was being treated at Ravi Kirloskar Hospital, was told to find an ICU bed as her condition started deteriorating with her oxygen saturation levels dipping.

When her family members called up the BBMP helpline, they were told to go to a hospital in Rajarajeshwarinagar where she had been allocated a bed. As they were getting ready to leave, the hospital called them up and asked them not to come as no ICU beds were available. The anxious relatives had not found a bed, even 24 hours after the search.

CMR Director General Balram Bhargava has warned that the second wave has been more severe than the first one, and people are turning critical within the first week of the infection, while it was two weeks or more in the first wave. In another instance, Amrutesh Sharma (54) (name changed), who was suffering from Covid pneumonia and desaturation and has comorbidities, reached Sagar Hospital after searching for beds for two days. His oxygen saturation level was 70 without oxygen support.

The day he got admitted, his condition started worsening, and by evening, the hospital told him to vacate as there were no ICU beds. He managed to get a bed through the BBMP helpline at a Covid ward. His condition continued to worsen and early on Thursday morning, he needed ventilation support and plasma transfusion. He continued to be critical on Friday. Not just private hospitals, even government facilities are asking critical patients to move out as they do not have ICU beds.

A 60-year-old patient at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases was asked to shift to another facility around 10 am on Thursday. His relatives were told to search for an ICU bed as his condition had deteriorated. A senior doctor said that any facility can be converted into a temporary ICU and monitored remotely if there is a shortage of experts. He advised that the government should divide hospitals into primary, secondary and tertiary care units and allocate beds to patients depending on their condition.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: In one of the biggest seizures of narcotics at Chennai International Airport, Air Customs officials seized 15.6 kg of heroin worth Rs 100 crore from two Tanzanian nationals on Friday, according to Air Customs Commissioner Rajan Chaudhary.Working on a tip-off from Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, a couple, who arrived by Qatar Airways flight from Johannesburg via Doha was intercepted.

The duo was carrying two stroller bags each as their check-in baggage. During a check, it was found that there was a false bottom in which plastic packets were concealed. In each stroller, five plastic packets were found and on opening, white powder was found. The plastic packets were sprinkled with some spicy powder to camouflage the smell. The powder tested positive for heroin. It is learnt that the woman was travelling to India for medical treatment along with her attendant at a super speciality hospital in Bengaluru. As they couldnt get a direct flight, they landed in Chennai.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: A PIL was moved in the Delhi High Court on Saturday urging it to direct the Centre and the Delhi government to set up drive-in vaccination centres in open areas, including stadiums, as has been done in Mumbai.

The plea by Delhi-based trader Amandeep Aggarwal seeks setting up of the drive-in vaccination centres, as done in Mumbai, to ensure citizens do not come into contact with each other and social distancing is maintained when people get vaccinated.

The petition, filed through advocate Rushab Aggarwal, contends that the purpose of imposing a curfew or lockdown would be defeated if people are queuing or crowding at closed spaces like vaccination centres or hospitals to get vaccinated.

The plea further contends that creating vaccination centres in open spaces would reduce the pressure on the medical staff and infrastructure at hospitals that are struggling to cater to the increasing number of COVID-19 patients in the national capital.

"The drive-in vaccination centres will encourage people to get vaccinated at the earliest without compromising themselves from coming in contact with other citizens," the plea said.

ALSO WATCH:
Himabindu Reddy By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: We are a little over a year into the pandemic and it has been established that Covid-19 has some long-term effects on the body  rashes and blips on the skin, fatigue, hair loss and body pains.But of late, there has been a lot of talk on Covid nails. Social media is abuzz with posts warning netizens of some visible changes in the nails of patients in recovery. It all started when British epidemiologist and science writer Tim Spector recently posted a picture of a persons finger nails bearing horizontal ridges and a red half moon at the tips.

Do your nails look odd? COVID nails are increasingly being recognised as the nails recover after infection and the growth recovers leaving a clear line. Can occur without skin rashes and appears harmless (sic), he captioned it. And started the frenzy  people posting pictures of their nails on social media, seeking advice from fellow users on whether such nails are a sign of the virus presence in the body, so on and so forth.

Fret not. This piece attempts to clear the air about this new-found impact the virus may have on your nails. According to doctors in the city, any long-term illness has such late manifestations on the body. Covid nails is not a different disease or complication, but a late manifestation which is usually seen after two-three weeks of the illness, says Dr Jagadeesh Kumar V, consultant physician at AIG Hospitals.

This condition is called Beaus lines, wherein nails develop horizontal dents or grooves as a sign of severe or prolonged illness. Its a self-improving condition which needs no treatment and is directly proportional to ones overall wellbeing, he says.

In fact, any viral or bacterial infection can cause Beaus lines. This is not specific to Covid-19 and theres no specific treatment for it. It just depends on how well you nourish yourself while you are recovering, says Dr Swapna Priya, consultant dermatologist at Care Hospitals in Banjara Hills. Finger nails usually take two months to get back to their original form, while the toe nails take three-four months.

In short, when one is unwell for a long period of time (a month and more) their nutrition levels drop, which reflects on their nails and hair. In the case of hair, they suffer extreme hair loss. The doctors strongly advice that people should not panic when they come across such posts in their social media feed. It is a common phenomenon when bodily functions are compromised due to prolonged illnesses. And, everything cannot be linked to Covid-19.

Sign of illness

Social media is abuzz with posts warning netizens of some visible changes in the nails of Covid patients in recovery. It all started when British epidemiologist and science writer Tim Spector recently posted a picture of a persons finger nails bearing horizontal ridges and a red half moon at the tips. This condition is called Beaus lines, wherein nails develop horizontal dents or grooves as a sign of severe or prolonged illness. And, it is not specific to Covid, say city doctors

 Himabindu Reddy

himabindugopinath@newindianexpress.com

@himureddy
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The Additional Inspector of Sultan Bazar police station in Hyderabad city S Laxman (39) and his wife Jhansi (34) were killed in a road crash at Abdullapurmet on the city outskirts in the early hours of Saturday.

Their son Kushalav escaped unhurt in the accident when the car they were travelling in crashed into a parked lorry, the police said.

Two days ago, the family had gone to their native place in Suryapet district for a family ritual. After completing the ceremony, they were returning to the city in their car (TS 08 EV 8055) which Jhansi was driving.

On the Vijayawada-Hyderabad highway, when they reached Abdullapurmet area, Jhansi lost control of the vehicle and crashed the vehicle into a lorry which was parked on the left side of the road.

The front portion of the car was completely crushed under the lorry and Jhansi and Laxman died on the spot, while their son Kushalav (7) who was sitting in the rear seats at the time of the incident, escaped unhurt, the police said.

While the police registered a case and have started investigation, the bodies have been shifted for postmortem.
Mahima Anna Jacob By

Express News Service

KOCHI: Mathachan was working as a professor in the Telecommunications Department at the King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia when he got an opportunity to visit China as an Arabic to English translator.  That is when I came across the Danshui Fisheries Research Center in Wuxi, China. They offered diploma courses in pearl cultivation. I quit my job and pursued farming mussels in 1999, says 66-year-old Mathachan.

He has a 30m X 15m X 6ft tank that can hold 20 lakh litres of water, and seven other small ponds in his six acres. There are 52 varieties of mussels. I grow Lamellidens marginalis, he said. Mathachan sources freshwater mussels from Kaveri River. These are found in abundance in the Western Ghats as well.

His process

Acrylic nuclei made in his factory is implanted in the flesh between the outer coverings of a mussel. The mussels are then submerged in water inside a porous basket. For their healthy growth, Mathachan imports Australian plankton rich in protein. Mostly, freshwater mussels feed on 0.5mg zooplanktons. I feed them 2mg planktons from Australia, says Mathachan.

The pearls will mature in 18 months. The mussels will generate nacre layers coating the nucleus. When 540 layers such layers are formed, the pearl gets its look. Harvesting is done manually. Shells are separated carefully to extract the pearl, before sending it to a gemologist for certification.

There are three types of pearls- artificial, cultured, and natural. Pearls are cheap in India because most of them are artificial, with a synthetic coating. Cultured and natural pearls are the real ones. One gram of cultured pearl costs around Rs 3,500 he explains.

The hard work gets paid off when the pearls are exported to Australia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and Kuwait. Freshwater pearls have more market all over the world, he adds. When Mathachan started pearl cultivation in the 90s, not many people knew about its possibility. I faced a lot of criticism in the beginning, but I had faith that this unique farming method would yield me better results, he said. Mathachen also creates artwork using waste shells. Mathachan also trains people on how to cultivate mussels. Now, he takes classes online. Apart from pearl cultivation, Mathachan also farms vanilla, coconuts and mango.
By Express News Service

If its not acting, its studies, dance or watching films for Kiss heroine, Sreeleela. All of this is keeping her occupied during the current pandemic.

When I look at the terrible things happening around, I am just like Oh God. Initially, when the second wave hit, nobody cared much. Earlier this year, the count had much reduced but now the situation is really worrisome, says Sreeleela.

The young talent from the Kannada industry is all set to make it big in Tollywood. The Bharaate actor, who is making her Tollywood debut with Pelli Sandadi, is paired opposite Roshan Meka in a film directed by debutant, Gowri.

The entire project is supervised by veteran director and producer K Raghavendra Rao. Sreeleela, who was juggling between shooting for director Hari Santhoshs ByTwoLove and her film in Telugu, managed to complete major portions just before the lockdown.

Ask the actor about her first experience of working in a Telugu flick, and she says she didnt find much of a difference between the two industries.

The set is the same, probably only the language is different. Some of those on the sets spoke to me in Kannada at times, and made sure I was comfortable, she says.

Sreeleela also confirms of her association with Crack hero, Ravi Teja. What is her reaction to the offer of working with an experienced actor?

When I first got the offer, I felt like me, really?. Eventually, I warmed up to the idea. The story made sense, and I am happy to be a part of it. This is the next acting assignment which I will begin once the pandemic subsides and we are allowed to shoot, says Sreeleela, who also has a project signed opposite Dhruva Sarja, which is yet to go on floors. Sreeleela, who want to be a doctor, is simultaneously focusing on her education, and studies are what she considers a break from acting.

Dancing to some good music is another form of relaxation, says the actor, who is also making time to watch movies of different genres.

Till now I have worked in colourful films. I am interested in being part of other genres as well. I am making use of this lockdown to watch various films, to expand my knowledge on cinema, she signs off.
Sajin Shrijith By

Express News Service

There is a new Portuguese film out on Amazon Prime Video, which I decided to check out for a simple reason. The lead character is a writer-columnist battling severe anxiety issues. Losing My Marbles (Depois a louca sou eu) has a strong female presence on and off-screen.

It comes from the imagination of author Tati Bernardi, whose novel became the basis for the film; director Julia Rezende; and actress Debora Falabella.

Since I havent read the book, Im assuming the lead character, Dani (Debora Falabella), is the alter-ego of Tati Bernardi. For Dani, almost everything around her is a trigger. Have you ever cancelled that birthday party, that meeting, or that date simply because sudden panic held you in its vice-like grip?

Then you would find Dani to be a very relatable character even if you havent experienced the sort of extreme episodes that she goes through in the film. Anxiety, in varying degrees, is the films primary antagonist.

When the film opens, Dani pictures the child version of her running with a bag of marbles that unwraps itself to send its contents rolling in different directions.

Dani, who works as a copywriter in an ad agency and writes a self-help column in a newspaper, often finds her anxiety getting in the way of her work. She fears cockroaches, failure, the thought of her parents dying, the world ending, and so on.

Debora acts out each of these episodes so convincingly that one can feel everything she is going through. And there is no particular incident that made Dani this way.

She was born in a family where each member has their quirks. Her mother, for example, has separation anxiety. She is also overprotective, which doesnt help Dani when she makes an important career decision.

To find a solution, she knocks on the doors of all kinds of spiritual healers, but they dont offer any hope. And there is a doctor who comes up with a wrong diagnosis that makes her feel as though she has a worrying physical condition.

During one of these group therapy meets, she hooks up with a psychotherapist (Gustavo Vaz), and the film goes into romantic comedy mode, albeit briefly.

But when he says something that she didnt want to hear, it becomes too difficult for her to bear. It makes sense from his point of view, though. He is just like her, going through the same emotions.

But she is eventually forced to understand this situation because it brings up conflicted feelings not too different from the ones associated with her bond with her mother.

These portions address the sacrifices one has to make to manage ones troubles and the guilt that stems from them. It also cautions against being too dependent on meds.

When Dani uses them more than necessary, her life spirals out of control. Fortunately, the film is careful not to get too serious. If it had, it wouldve jarringly deviated from the tone established in the beginning.

Losing My Marbles is a simple film that came at the right time, even though it doesnt have anything to do with the pandemic.

Its eccentric energy brought to mind the popular French comedy Amelie, especially in its use of amusing narrative devices to present some of its ideas. It wants us to accept who we are and not feel guilty or ashamed about being vulnerable.

It not only wants us to go easy on ourselves but also those around us struggling with anxiety. For someone living in a country where seeking a therapist is frowned upon, a film like Losing My Marbles is much-needed.
RAM VENKAT SRIKAR By

Express News Service

Thank You Brother embodies every claustrophobics worst nightmare  getting trapped in an elevator  but the consequential terror is minimal, and its punches, barely effective.

A remake of the Nigerian thriller, Elevator Baby, it doesnt take much to figure out why the makers chose to remake it in Telugu. The original managed to strike the right proportion of exhilaration, humour, and most importantly, melodrama, deemed as the essential ingredient in the recipe of a Telugu film.

The Nigerian thriller has the DNA of a quintessential Telugu film, and Ramesh Raparthis Thank You Brother succeeds in replicating the soul for most of the running time, and as a result, also ends up inheriting the tonal issues of the original.

The plot brings together two distinctive individuals from different walks of life going through a distressing phase; Abhi (Viraj Aswin) is the brutish failson who spends his days and night roistering, unresponsive to accountabilities. In a lengthy dialogue, his mother (Archana Ananth), a token character in every way, shares with her current spouse (Anish Kuruvilla), the highs and lows of Abhis childhood that could have shaped his personality.

She explains how the death of Abhis father, and the subsequent parental failures from her side, culminated in Abhis insolence. Mouthed by a mother, the said dialogue is the mother of expositions. Unlike the hasty original, the Telugu film takes its time to make the arrogant Abhi disdainful in every sense.

Thanks to the screenplays commitment to painting Abhi in all his immodesty, the young mans momentary reformation from being boorish to compassionate in the climax works beautifully, despite the fact that some of his early histrionics come across as stubs of lazy and stereotypical writing

The second character, a recently widowed, pregnant Priya (Anasuya Bharadwaj) hails from the other end of the social and emotional spectrums. Unlike Abhi, from the relatively short backstory she gets, we can comprehend that she is a kind person who certainly isnt well off, especially after the death of her husband in undisclosed circumstances.

Early in the film, when Priya runs into Abhi in an elevator of a residential tower, she spills water over him and Abhi, being the snob he is, retorts with, why would anyone have water in an elevator? and Priya does not hold back either, and quickly retaliates by underlining his arrogance, before stepping out. There begins this clash of personalities which neatly sets the foundation for the drama to follow.

A 40-minute flashback later, when they both yet again find themselves in the elevator, fate and the screenwriter seem to have other plans.

A power failure leaves both of them trapped in the elevator and things worsen when Priya goes into labour. The film places drama over logic and to be honest, this strategy works in favour of the story. For instance, you may question how difficult it can be to rescue two people from a trapped elevator in an occupied apartment, under the modern-day 24X7 surveillance systems.

But its this human absurdity that makes this otherwise traumatic story, a light-hearted commentary on human behaviour in the Nigerian original. In the Telugu film too, the friend who mistakes Abhis pleas for a prank call, the live feed from the elevator thats cast across social media and television networks, and the useless spectators, can all be perceived as fragments of society.

These ideas sound far-fetched and incessantly keep questioning the logic. Almost every single rescue MO is rendered so inept and feeble that you start suspecting Abhis mother for meticulously designing a social experiment to educate her son about the importance of human connection. Spoiler alert: no, this is serious business, although the film does become a comedy the moment it steps out of the grim elevator.

The little tweaks that Ramesh Raparthi does to the usual survival-drama cliches come off as refreshing. For instance, Abigail in the original reveals that she slept with the husband of the woman she worked for, after he promised her a house in exchange for a baby boy, but was cheated after the scan reports reveal a girl.

While its understandable that Telugu film compromises on this angle to make the character more sympathetic and morally virtuous, they retained the discourse pertaining to the gender of the child.

When a triad of transgender women pay a visit to Priyas house, they initially bless her with a healthy boy child, a notion which Priyas mother-in-law (the ever-reliable Annapurna) immediately rejects and instead, wishes for a healthy child, regardless of the gender. This scene finds a beautiful closure towards the end. Its these tiny, carefully written moments that make the film a better drama than a thriller.

One significant deflection from the original that works against the film is that it seems to focus on the minutiae of Abhis character arc, and how this uneventful chance encounter changes HIM as a person, making it more of a coming-of-age story than a social drama-thriller, which the original was, in its intent to put two contrasting personalities in an uneasy situation. Priya, unlike Abigail in the original, is reduced to a middle-aged damsel in distress, deprived of the characters strong and self-made vibes.

On the brighter side, the sense of familiarity towards the end between the protagonists of the original comes across as odd, which the remake fixes to an extent. In the final act, Abhis step-father, who also happens to be a doctor, asks Abhi to place his hand in Priyas cervix, as a part of his virtual instructions to assist Priyas normal delivery, for checking her degree of dilatation.

And before doing so, he mandates him to clean his hands with a sanitizer. Had it been a couple of years back, finding a sanitizer in a trapped elevator would have been as difficult as finding a Mahesh Babu film devoid of a social message, but thanks to the films strategic pandemic setting, Abhi finds a sanitizer in Priyas handbag.

This is the farthest the film goes in terms of logical reasoning. Thank You Brother is a better drama than a thriller. It does fall for a few cinematic traps such as the melodramatic mother-son-relationship, a lady who judges her boyfriend based on his interaction with his mother, and most importantly, one of the most annoying cliches of Indian cinema to establish mood and context reaction shots of random strangers watching the proceedings live on their electronic devices. Nevertheless, the 94-minute runtime, although it cannot recompense its impeded potential, makes it an easy watch.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: The World War II Rupsi airport in Assam, which lay defunct since 1984, became operational on Saturday with the landing of a commercial flight of the Flybig airline.

Upon arrival from Guwahati, the aircraft was accorded a water cannon salute by the airport officials. Twenty-four passengers had deboarded. The airline will operate flights on the Guwahati-Rupsi-Kolkata route four days a week -- Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

On May 5, the airline had conducted a successful trial of its flight at the airport.

The regular flight services were launched under the RCS-UDAN programme of the Government of India. The airport officials described the day as "historic'.

Local MLA, Nizanur Rahman said he was happy to have become a part of history.

"It is a historic moment for all of us living in Western Assam. I hope the service is sustained for the benefit of people," he said.

ALSO READ | Assam potato merchant balances book of life by giving employment, financial aid to poor

The airstrip was redeveloped by the Airport Authority of India at a cost of Rs 70 crore for the operation of ATR-72 type of aircraft. The work also involved building the 3500-square metre terminal.

In 2019, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had laid the foundation stone for the project's re-development. The airport straddles across 337 acres and the runway measures 1.8 km.

Located near Gauripur, about 15 km from district headquarters Dhubri, the airport will benefit the travellers of Western Assam districts, particularly Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Chirang and Bongaigaon.

The airport was constructed by the British during World War II to supply arms, manpower and ammunition to the Allied forces. The US Air Force had used it in the China-Burma-India theater.

Regional airline Vayudoot operated in the 1980s but withdrew the services in 1984. Later, the state government had made some unsuccessful attempts to revive it with the joint initiative of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the North Eastern Council.


Simran Ahuja By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: While many start to hit the sack at 11.30pm is when Saddam Baig jumps into action. Since Ramadan began, the advocate has been volunteering to distribute food for sehri (a meal consumed early in the morning before Muslims begin fasting during the holy month) to over 500 people in Padarayanapura.

A resident of the area himself, Baig says, There are many slums around and the daily wage workers are struggling to get food these days. Baig took part in this initiative last year too, but then, there were more groups catering to different areas of the city such as Koramangala and RT Nagar as well. Not wanting to give up the good deed this year, the 28-year-old decided to take it up again. The initiative has been started by Aayina Trust, a charitable organisation, but includes volunteers both from the trust and outside. Every day, the team has been packing food for those in need, with funds coming from their own pockets and through donations.

Weve had many people show their goodwill at this time. For example, our cooking team has three people, wherein the main chef takes only Rs 1,000 per day to prepare 100kg of rice, one type of chakna and one gravy, says Baig, who is a trustee of Aayina Trust. Once the food is prepared by 11.30pm, the team gets to work with packing it and then heads out to distribute the meals at 3am, without catching a wink of sleep in between.

I dont sleep before because I know there are people depending on us. One day, we were 10-15 minutes late but when we reached, some of the families were waiting and they had tears in their eyes. They thought they wouldnt be able to get a meal that day, recalls Baig, adding that the team only sits down for their own sehri after the distribution to others in need is done. I sleep less these days but its peaceful slumber. And helping others gives me energy to deal with the fatigue, he adds.

Irfan Ahamad Z, who is the chairman of the trust, says they dont want to keep the initiative limited to just Ramzan. If the lockdown continues, we want to help during that time as well, he says.

Baig adds, So far, we havent faced any trouble despite the restrictions in place. Even the police personnel in our area are aware of our work and dont mind us stepping out for it. We divide ourselves into teams of two and make sure not to disturb anyone.
By PTI

JAIPUR: Twenty-one people died in as many days at a village in Rajasthan's Sikar district allegedly after a COVID-19-infected corpse was buried without following protocol.

However, officials said that only four deaths have occurred due to the virus between April 15 and May 5.

According to officials, a COVID-19-infected body was brought to Kheerva village on April 21 and about 150 people attended the last rites and the burial was done without following coronavirus protocol.

The body was taken out of the plastic bag and several people touched it during burial, they said.

"Only 3-4 deaths have occurred due to COVID-19 out of 21 deaths. A majority of deaths are from older age group.

"We have taken sample of 147 members of families where deaths have occurred to check whether it is Covid-19 community transmission," Lakshmangarh sub-divisional officer Kulraj Meena told PTI on Saturday.

He said that the administration has carried out sanitisation drive in the village.

Villagers are explained about the severity of the problem and now they are cooperating.

Sikar's Chief Medical and Health Officer Ajay Chaudhary said that a report has been sought from the local authorities following which he will be able to comment on the matter.

Kheerva falls in Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra's assembly constituency.

He had first shared the information about deaths following burial of infected corpse on social media, but later removed it.

"With profound grief, I have to say that more than 20 people have lost their lives and several are infected," he had tweeted.

ALSO WATCH:
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Amid speculation over the next chief minister of Assam, senior BJP leader from the state Himanta Biswa Sarma met party president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Saturday.

Both Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Health Minister Himanta Sarma were on Friday called to New Delhi by the BJP central leadership, apparently to discuss the leadership issue of the next government.

Though both leaders from Assam reached Delhi on Saturday morning it was Sarma who reached Nadda's residence to meet him and BJP general secretary (Organisation) B L Santhosh, sources said.

They were later joined by Amit Shah.

It is expected that Sonawal would also reach Nadda's residence to meet the BJP's top brass, where a decision on the next chief minister of Assam could be taken.

ALSO READ | Who will take over the reigns in Assam: CM Sonowal or Himanta?

It is immediately not known whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present in the meeting, they added.

Sonowal, who belongs to Assam's indigenous Sonowal-Kachari tribals, and Sarma, the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance, both are contenders for the top post of the Assam government.

The BJP had not announced a chief ministerial candidate before the Assembly polls in Assam.

In the 2016 Assembly polls, the BJP had projected Sonowal as its chief ministerial candidate and won, forming the first saffron party government in the northeast.

This time, the party has been maintaining that it would decide who would be the next chief minister of Assam after the elections.

In the results announced for the 126-member Assam assembly last Sunday, the BJP won 60 seats while its alliance partners AGP got nine seats and UPPL six.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Following Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacking the Union government over its Central Vista project terming it criminal wastage, Union urban affairs minister Hardeep Puri on Friday said that Congresss discourse on Central Vista is bizarre.

The minister said that it was during the UPA when Congress leaders wrote about the need for a new parliament. Congress wants to distract people from the monumental governance failures in their states by spreading lies, the minister added.

Congresss discourse on Central Vista is bizarre. Cost of Central Vista is about Rs 20,000 crore, over several years. GoI has allocated nearly twice that amount for vaccination! Indias healthcare budget for this year was over Rs 3 lakh crore. We know our priorities, the minister asserted in a series of tweets.

Moreover, only projects for New Parliament Building & Central Vista Avenue have been awarded at an estimated cost of Rs 862 crore & Rs 477 crore respectively till now. As I said, there are many components in Central Vista project which are spread over several years, the minister tweeted.

While Central Vista is not new, see Congress hypocrisy. Congress & its allies are splurging on a new MLA hostel in Maharashtra & building a new Assembly in Chhattisgarh. If this is fine, what is the problem with Central Vista? Puri said

During UPA, Congress leaders wrote about the need for a new parliament. The Speaker in 2012 wrote a letter to Urban Development Ministry for the same. And now they have the gall to oppose the same project?, the minister added.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Sekhawat said, While the world recognises our efforts to stand up to the challenges, the Congress is desperate to dismiss Indias mammoth efforts.
Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The massive requirement of oxygen availability across the country for COVID-19 patients has acquired the focus of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Navy, who have raised the scale of their operations.

Naval warships have been ferrying oxygen-laden containers from friendly foreign countries and Air Force is flying such medical equipment not only to India from abroad but also is distributing it to various locations within the country.

The navy has deployed its nine warships under the Operation Samudra Setu. The deployed ships - INS Talwar, INS Kolkata, INS Airavat, INS Kochi, INS Tabar, INS Trikand, INS Jalashwa and INS Shardul - will ferry oxygen containers/cylinders/concentrators and related equipment from friendly foreign countries.

Giving details Indian Navy spokesperson Commander (Cdr) Vivek Madhwal said, "While one has already delivered oxygen at New Mangalore, five others are homeward bound and will reach between 9-11 May. Three warships will also be embarking on fetching oxygen and medical Supplies."



The overall breakup of oxygen and medical supplies delivered/embarked includes 11 x 27 MT LMO (Liquid Medical Oxygen) Filled Cryogenic Containers, 2300 Oxygen Cylinders, 57 Oxygen concentrators, 08 x 20 T empty cryogenic oxygen cylinders, 3150 Empty oxygen cylinders, 10,000 - Rapid Antigen Test kits and 450 PPE kits.

Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Singapore are some of the friendly countries which made the supplies available.

Loading of oxygen containers and other medical supplies has also been planned on INS Tarkash, INS Shardul and INS Jalashwa from Doha, Kuwait and Muara, Brunei respectively in the coming days, told Cdr Madhwal.

The IAF has deployed its transport fleet including the 50 aircraft and 20 helicopters. The fleet of C-17 and IL-76 are being used to fly back equipment from abroad. It has intensified its efforts to aid the civil administration in tackling the current COVID-19 situation by ferrying oxygen containers and medical equipment.

Indian Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander (Wg Cdr) Ashish Moghe said, "IAF aircrafts conducted 59 international sorties to airlift 72 cryogenic oxygen storage containers of 1,233 MT total capacity along with 1,252 empty oxygen cylinders."

The containers and cylinders were procured from Singapore, Dubai, Bangkok, UK, Germany, Belgium and Australia. In addition, the C-17 and IL-76 aircraft have been tasked to airlift cryogenic oxygen containers, oxygen generators and ventilators from Israel and Singapore.

"As on May 7, 2021, the C-17 aircraft of IAF have conducted 400 sorties from within the country, including 351 to airlift 252 oxygen tankers of total capacity of 4,904 Metric Tonnes (MT)," said Wg Cdr Moghe.

The cities covered were Jamnagar, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Panagarh, Indore, Ranchi, Agra, Jodhpur, Begumpet, Bhubaneswar, Pune, Surat, Raipur, Udaipur, Mumbai, Lucknow, Nagpur, Gwalior, Vijaywada, Baroda, Dimapur and Hindan.



In addition to the equipment, there is also requirement of trained medical professionals to run COVID hospitals and Armed forces have deployed a significant number of its personnel for COVID Duty.

Towards capacity enhancement, in the form of skilled manpower and to bolster the fight against the COVID pandemic, a contingent of 41 naval personnel from Western Naval Command, comprising medical officers, nursing officers, paramedics and support staff have been deputed to the PM Cares COVID Hospital, Dhanvantari at Ahmedabad on 6 May.

This is in addition to a 57-member naval medical team already positioned at the hospital on 29 April. With the present augmentation, the total manpower provided to the hospital by the Navy has gone up to 210. "The team is being deployed for a period of two months and will assist the hospital administration in handling covid patients," said Cdr Vivek Madhwal.

The Indian Navy on Friday established a COVID Care Centre at its Training Establishment, INS Chilka to treat COVID positive patients of Khurda district, Odisha. The 150-bed isolation centre with additional 15 bed oxygen facility at INHS Nivarini, the naval hospital, is all geared up for treating mild symptomatic COVID positive Patients. The Centre was inaugurated by Khurda collector SK Mohanty.
Sumi Sukanya Dutta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Early indications from an analysis of the growth of the B.1.617 variant of the Covid-19 virus has shown it to be at least twice as infectious as the UK variant and thrice as infectious as the variant behind last year's Covid-19 wave.

The findings follow the admission by the government recently that this lineage of the virus may be behind the rapid Covid-19 surge in several states in India.

Scientists involved in the whole genome sequencing as part of the Centre's Covid-19 genomic surveillance exercise told The New Indian Express that this conclusion is based on the growth of this mutant, as compared to others, in districts where B.1.617 has been identified along with other variants in samples collected from infected individuals.

"We have been examining this data carefully and the way this lineage of virus, also called the double mutant, is growing as compared to others is remarkable," said a senior scientist involved in the INSACOG project, a consortium of several institutions under the National Centre for Disease Control that carry out an extensive genomic surveillance. "For the public, what needs to be communicated very clearly is that there is a greater need to double mask and maintain social distancing as this virus is highly infectious."

ALSO READ | DRDO's anti-COVID drug reducing oxygen dependence approved for emergency use

Their analysis, he said, has confirmed that B.1.617 lineage of SARS CoV-2, which was declared a variant of concern in the UK on Friday, is 50-70% more infectious as compared to the B.117 lineage or the UK variant.

On Monday, in a briefing by the Union health ministry, NCDC director Sujeet Kumar Singh, while declaring the B.1.617 as a variant of concern for the first time, said that it may be driving the Covid-19 surge in India.

As per the figures shared by him, samples collected from at least 18 states, which have undergone genomic surveillance, have shown the presence of this variant with a large number of samples from Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana apart from Maharashtra where the variant was first detected.

This variant with -- E484Q and L452R together  had been first identified in February and its spread has been growing ever since, overtaking several other variants. In other countries, it has been established that while E484Q can escape antibody neutralisation, L452R is known to increase transmissibility.

ALSO WATCH:

Singh, in the briefing, however, insisted that an exercise was still underway to establish the correlation between the lineage's rise and its clinical and epidemiological significance.

He did not respond to a query by The New Indian Express on the status of this exercise but another scientist associated with the INSACOG too said that a preliminary analysis of how B.1.617 and B.1.117 are behaving in locations where they co-exist and how their proportions are changing week after week has been completed.

ALSO READ | Dancing doctors in Kannur hit social media with a strong message against the virus

The scientists used data from Maharashtra, Bengaluru, West Bengal Bengal, Kerala and the UK and at all these places, they were able to obtain week-by-week sequencing data.

In Kerala, B.1.617 has gone from 0% to 7% in two months while in the UK too, this lineage has changed from 0% to 6% over the 8 weeks.

"If both were equally infectious, they should also change at the same rate but that is not the case -- the rate of growth of the double mutant virus is over twice that of the UK variant but we will have a clearer picture in a week's time," he said.

A study carried out by ICMR scientists, including its chief Balram Bhargava, meanwhile has also found that B.1.617 lineage caused more severe disease in hamsters and raised the chances of hypoxia, but virologist Shahid Jameel, chief advisor to INSACOG, when approached for his opinion said that he was cautious but not yet "concerned".

"While hamsters are a good model to study transmission, I am not sure if they accurately predict disease severity in humans," he said.
Sumi Sukanya Dutta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday said that conditional exemption will be provided for experimental drone flights for Covid-19 vaccine delivery, even though the availability of the vaccines remains a major concern in most parts of India.

Under the project, the first trials are set to be conducted in Telangana at the end of this month.

The Union government said that the ministry of civil aviation and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have granted a conditional exemption to the state government for conducting experimental Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flights for the delivery of vaccines.

The exemption has been granted from Unmanned Aircraft System rules, 2021.

Last month, Telangana was granted a conditional exemption for conducting experimental delivery of Covid-19 vaccines within the VLOS range using drones.

ALSO READ | DRDO's anti-COVID drug reducing oxygen dependence approved for emergency use

Now, to accelerate the drone deployment process to formulate application-based models, the grant has been extended to BVLOS, said the Centre.

Earlier, the ICMR was granted conditional exemption last month for conducting a feasibility study of Covid-19 vaccine delivery using drones in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.

The Centre said that the grant of these permissions is intended to achieve the dual objectives of faster vaccine delivery and improved healthcare access by ensuring primary healthcare delivery at the citizen's doorstep, limiting human exposure to Covid-congested or Covid-prone areas through aerial delivery.

ALSO READ | Covid double mutant at least twice as infectious as earlier variants, say Indian scientists

It will also help in ensuring access to healthcare to the last mile, especially in remote areas, lead to a possible integration into the middle mile of medical logistics for long-range drones and improve medical supply chain, with millions of doses to be transported across India, the government claimed.
By PTI

JABALPUR: The shop and other premises of a Jabalpur-based businessman picked up by Gujarat police for allegedly dealing in fake Remdesivir injections were raided on Saturday, an official said here.

Sapan Jain was held by Gujarat police from here on Friday, after which local police raided his shop and other premises a day later to gather details about his fake Remdesivir sales network, said Additional Superintendent of Police Rohit Kashwani.

Jain was held after Gujarat police on May 1 busted a factory in Surat making fake Remdesivir injections, officials added.
By PTI

CHANDIGARH: Despite appeals by farmers who took out protest marches against the weekend lockdown imposed by the state government, shopkeepers in Punjab kept their shops shut on Saturday.

Punjab's 32 farmer unions, protesting the Central farm laws, had announced to hold street protests against the lockdown in the state and had urged shopkeepers to defy the restrictions.

Amid a second wave of COVID-19, farmers took out protest marches at several places, including Moga, Patiala, Amritsar, Ajnala, Nabha, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda.

Carrying flags of their unions, farmers, including women, took out marches in the markets and appealed to shopkeepers and traders through loudspeakers to open their shops.

However, the shopkeepers kept their shops closed.

Police personnel in adequate numbers were deployed across the state in the wake of the protest call by farmers.

"We told farmers that we will not go against the law and order of the state and whatever the government decides, we will go by that," said Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal general secretary Sameer Jain.

Another Ludhiana-based trader, Sunil Mehra, said shopkeepers will continue to raise their voice in a democratic way.

"How could we open shops when there is a weekend lockdown in the state," asked Mehra.

Some traders said the district administrations had also assured them to find ways for the opening of shops dealing in non-essential items next week.

"We appealed to shopkeepers to open their shops. We told them that we are with them," said Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan in Moga.

"The lockdown is not a solution to deal with the COVID-19 crisis," he said, alleging that shopkeepers were forced to shut their shops.

Khokrikalan also accused the government of doing nothing to improve the health infrastructure despite being well aware of the second wave of COVID-19.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday had directed the state DGP to strictly enforce the weekend lockdown in the state and deal stringently with any violation in view of the farmers' call for the protest.

The state government has imposed extensive COVID-19 curbs in addition to measures like the weekend lockdown and night curfew till May 15.

In Amritsar, a farmer leader said if the state government wanted to impose a weekend lockdown, then it should give ration to shopkeepers and waive their electricity bills and other taxes.

A police team took out a flag march in a market in Ajnala with officials saying nobody will be allowed to violate the curbs.

Earlier this week, shopkeepers in Punjab had held protests against the state government's order of the closure of shops dealing in non-essential items.

The chief minister on Friday had authorised the deputy commissioners to take any decision on the opening of shops or private officers on rotation, after taking the local MLAs and other stakeholders into confidence.

ALSO WATCH:
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Three men, including a staff of a government hospital in Faridabad, have been arrested for allegedly black-marketing Tocilizumab injections, used in the treatment of COVID patients, police said on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Utkrisht Gupta (22), a resident of Vaishali in Ghaziabad, Manish (32), a resident of Laxmi Nagar, and Raghubir (27), a resident of Faridabad, they said.

On Friday, police received information that a man was selling Tocilizumab injection at an exorbitant price.

A client posing as a buyer then called the man who agreed to sell one vial of the injection at Rs 2.90 lakh, a senior police officer said.

The man asked the customer to come to Laxmi Nagar to get the vial, police said.

"Police laid a trap at Laxmi Nagar and nabbed Gupta on Friday night. One vial of Tocilizumab injection and one mobile phone was recovered from his possession," Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) R P Meena said.

Police also searched Gupta's residence in Sakarpur and recovered another vial of the injection. Gupta disclosed that he had received the vial from Manish, the DCP said.

Thereafter, Manish was also apprehended from Laxmi Nagar.

Manish told the police that he had got the vial from Raghuvir who is staff at ESI Hospital in Faridabad, Meena said.

A trap was then laid at the hospital and when Raghubir came to deliver another vial of Tocilizumab injection to Manish at Rs 1.60 lakh, he was arrested, he said.

He used to steal the vials from the hospital and sell them to Manish, they said.

Manish used to supply those injections to Gupta who further sold them in the black market, police said, adding three vials of Tocilizumab injections, one motorcycle and one scooter were recovered from his possession.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: With the fierce second COVID wave now tightening its grip over southern states, Kerala came under complete lockdown from Saturday morning, while Tamil Nadu too clamped a two-week "total" shut down starting May 10.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had on Friday announced lockdown-like restrictions with more stringent curbs from May 10 to May 24 in the state.

The Kerala government decided to impose a nine-day complete shutdpwn as the weekend restrictions and curbs imposed earlier failed to create any desired impact in terms of the daily caseload of the infected persons.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state was facing more challenges in the second wave.

Kerala recorded 41,971 fresh cases on Saturday, pushing the COVID-19 tally to 18,66,827, while the toll mounted to 5,746 with 64 more deaths.

Active cases now stood at 4.17 lakh, the state government said.

Only essential services are exempted and people have been strictly warned against coming out in public places or travelling unnecessarily, with police intensifying patrolling.

Major temples are closed.

All borders are under the strict surveillance of the police and only freight vehicles and those having permission from the authorities concerned are permitted through check-posts, state police added.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said that a total lockdown had to be clamped in the backdrop of a sharp increase in daily new infections of about 25,000 which was likely to go up.

"The total lockdown will be enforced from 4 AM on May 10 to 4 AM on May 24 to further intensify the efforts to curb the spread of the disease," he said.

Puducherry is already under lockdown till May 10. Andhra Pradesh had announced a partial lockdown with curfew from 12 noon to 6 AM from May 6 for two weeks.

The state had earlier imposed a night curfew.

Telangana has extended night curfew till May 15. Twelve states accounted for 80.68 percent of India's over 37.23 lakh active coronavirus cases, according to official data.

Maharashtra has the maximum number of active cases at 6.57 lakh, followed by Karnataka 5,36,661, Kerala 4,02,997, Uttar Pradesh 2,54,118, and Rajasthan 1,99,147 cases.

The other states having large active cases are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Haryana and Bihar.

Ten states accounted for 70.77 per cent of the new cases in the last 24 hours, out of which Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 54,022, followed by Karnataka 48,781 and Kerala 38,460 new cases.

Among the remaining seven states and union territories with high daily new cases are Uttar Pradesh (27,763), Tamil Nadu (26,465) and Delhi (19,832).

A record 4,187 COVID-19 fatalities in a day took India's death toll to 2,38,270, while 4,01,078 new infections were reported during the period, pushing the tally of cases to 2,18,92,676, according to Union Health Ministry data on Saturday morning.

The 4,187 new fatalities include 898 from Maharashtra, 592 from Karnataka, 372 from Uttar Pradesh, 341 from Delhi, 208 from Chhattisgarh and 197 from Tamil Nadu.

Many of the states have already announced lockdown or similar curbs like corona curfew.

In the Northeast, Mizoram government has announced seven-day complete lockdown from May 10 and Sikkim has imposed lockdown-like restrictions till May 16.

Here is a look at coronavirus-induced restrictions imposed by states and union territories.

*Delhi: The national capital has been under lockdown since April 19 and it was last extended till May 10.

*Haryana is under a seven-day long lockdown from May 3. Earlier, weekend curfew was enforced in nine districts.

*Bihar on May 4 imposed a lockdown till May 15.

*Uttar Pradesh has extended the duration of the weekend lockdown till 7 AM on May 10.

*Odisha is under a 14-day lockdown from May 5 till May 19.

*Rajasthan has decided to implement a strict lockdown in the state from May 10 to 24 though curbs continue to be in place since last month.

*Jharkhand had extended the lockdown-like restrictions till May 13. The restrictions were first imposed on April 22 as "Health Safety Week".

*Chhattisgarh has announced weekend lockdown while earlier allowing district collectors to extend local lockdowns till May 15.

*Punjab has imposed extensive curbs, in addition to measures like a weekend lockdown and night curfew till May 15.

*Chandigarh administration has also imposed weekend lockdowns.

*Madhya Pradesh has imposed 'Janta curfew' till May 15 with only essential services allowed.

*Gujarat has imposed night curfew (from 8 PM to 6 AM) and other day-time restrictions in 36 cities till May 12.

*Maharashtra had imposed lockdown-like curbs on April 5 coupled with prohibitory orders and restrictions on the movement of people.

The curbs were later extended till May 15. Local lockdowns in district like Latur and Solapur have been imposed, and curbs tightened in Amravati, Akola and Yavatmal.

*Goa government to impose a curfew from May 9 to May 24.

It lifted a four-day lockdown on Monday, except in tourist hotspots like Calangute and Candolim in North Goa, though restrictions were continuing.

*West Bengal has since last week imposed extensive curbs including ban on all kinds of gatherings.

*Assam advanced the night curfew to 6 PM from the current 8 PM with restrictions imposed on the movement of people at public places from Wednesday.

Night curfew was imposed on April 27 till May seven.

*Nagaland has imposed partial lockdown with stricter rules from April 30 to May 14.

*Mizoram government has announced seven-day complete lockdown from 4 AM of May 10 to 4 AM of May 17.

*Arunachal Pradesh has imposed night curfew -- from 6.30 pm to 5 am -- for the entire month starting Saturday.

*Manipur government has imposed curfew in seven districts from May 8 till May 17.

*Sikkim imposed lockdown-like restrictions till May 16.

*Jammu and Kashmir administration has extended the lockdown in four districts of Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam and Jammu till May 10, while Samba too will see similar restrictions.

Night curfew continues in all municipal/urban local body limits of all 20 districts.

*Uttarakhand has reimposed several restrictions including ight curfew. Curfew, imposed in April-end, has been extended in three heavy caseload districts of Dehradun. Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar in Uttarakhand till May 10

*Himachal Pradesh has imposed lockdown or "corona curfew" in the state from May 7 to May 16.

*Puducherry has extended the night curfew to a lockdown from May 10 to May 24.

*Kerala: Lockdown from May 8 to May 16.

*Tamil Nadu: Lockdown from May 10 to May 24.
Pranab Mondal By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: For the third consecutive day since the start of her third term on Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote to the Prime Minister seeking the allocation of more medical oxygen for the state. In her letter, the TMC supremo alleged that the Centre has increased allocation of medical oxygen to other states from the total production in West Bengal in the past 10 days, but kept the allocation for the state constant at a level which is much less than the requirement.

Mamatas non-stop letter-bomb targeting the BJP-led Centre is said to be part of her efforts to counter the saffron camps attack on the ruling TMC government over the post-election violence in West Bengal. Alleging that the Centre is not paying any heed to the states request, the Bengal CM wrote, Instead of allocating oxygen as per the requirement of West Bengal, Government of India has increased allocation of oxygen to other states, from the total production in West Bengal, during the last 10 days from 230 MT to 360 MT, keeping the allocation for West Bengal constant at 308 MT per day despite its requirement being of 550 MT per day.

Replying to Mamata, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday wrote saying that Centre stands ready to provide all support to the state in order to help it effectively fight the pandemic. He however also urged Banerjee, who also holds the health portfolio in the state, to ramp up testing, especially in districts that have reported more than 40% test positivity rate. On oxygen, Vardhan wrote that as many as five Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants have been sanctioned for the state, out of which, two have already been made functional. Similarly, 849 D-Type and 1504 B-Type oxygen cylinders have been allocated to West Bengal. Out of this, 700 will be delivered on or before May 21.

Two, including BJP worker, arrested

The West Bengal CID arrested two youth, including a member of BJPs students wing ABVP, on Friday on the charges of circulating fake videos related to post-poll violence on social media. Argha Saha, an ABVP member was arrested from his residence in Sonarpur, South 24 Parganas
Following the torrential rainfall recorded during the month of April this year, a loss assessment exercise was carried out by officers of the Agricultural Services of the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security, the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute

(FAREI) and the Small Farmers Welfare Fund (SFWF).

In view of the unprecedented rainfall, Government has approved a payment of Rs 2,000 under the Agricultural Calamities Solidarity Scheme (ACASS) as well as a one- off financial assistance of Rs 4,000 per arpent, that is, a total of Rs 6, 000 per arpent to registered planters whose fields have encountered damages of 50% or more.

Planters who have adhered to the Crop Loss Compensation Scheme (CLCS) would be compensated based on the extent of loss incurred and in line with the subscribed plan.

In view of the current sanitary restrictions due to COVID- 19, the Ministry of Agro- Industry and Food Security and the Small Farmers Welfare Fund will be effecting payments by mode of crossed cheque through the Postal Services to concerned planters as from Thursday 13 May 2021 in order to avoid crowding at the offices of the Ministry and SFWF.

The Small Farmers Welfare Fund is available on phone number 4331564/65/66 for more information.

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Express News Service By

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to the CMs of four states, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, separately over the phone and discussed the Covid-19 situation.

Speaking to Thackeray, Modi appraised the Maharashtra governments work to tackle the Covid-19 in the state.

Thackeray also thanked Modi for the Centres guidance and cooperation during the pandemic. In a letter to Modi, Thackeray said the vaccination drive in Maharashtra has been the fastest and the most efficient in the country.

A doctor does a check-up of a new born baby in an isolation ward in Mumbai | PTI

At present, people have to register their names on CoWIN platform introduced by the central government for the vaccination.

As we plan to open up vaccination for the 18 to 45 age group through the states procurement, the CoWIN app is seeing a sudden surge in the number of citizens wanting to register nationally. There is fear about the app malfunctioning and crashing as it did on the first day of registration of the age group, he said.

ALSO WATCH:

Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin requested the Centre to enhance the oxygen allocation to Tamil Nadu to 500 MT. The CM assured the PM that the state would stand by the Centre in the fight. The PM assured Stalin that he would consider his request immediately.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan apprised Modi of the Covid situation including the improving recovery rate, the CMO said. Modi expressed satisfaction about the MP governments efforts and the measures it has taken to curb the infection rate, the CMO said.
Sumi Sukanya Dutta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Saturday ruled that a positive test report will no longer be mandatory for admission into dedicated Covid centres for coronavirus patients in need of treatment, under the revised national policy for admission of Covid patients to such facilities.

The revised policy applies to both government as well as private hospitals, earmarked for treating Covid patients.

The move to tweak norms comes after anecdotal reports from several states that Covid centres have been turning away patients needing immediate medical intervention, leading to further deterioration in their condition, in the absence of test reports.

Some states, including Delhi, have already made it clear that hospitals should not insist on a positive test result to grant admission to a patient, in need of medical care.

Doing away with this criterion, said the Centre, will make the national policy for admission of Covid patients to various categories of coronavirus facilities, more patient-centric.

ALSO READ | DRDO's anti-COVID drug reducing oxygen dependence approved for emergency use

The requirement of a positive test for the coronavirus is not mandatory for admission to a Covid health facility, the new norms say and add that a suspect case should be admitted to the suspect ward of Covid care center, dedicated Covid healthcare centre, or dedicated Covid hospitals.

The policy also says that no patient will be refused services on any count.

This includes medications such as oxygen or essential drugs even if the patient belongs to a different city, the tweaked norms say.

It has also been clarified that no patient should be refused admission on the ground that they are not able to produce a valid identity card from the city or place where the hospital is located.

The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry also said that admissions to the hospital must be based on need.

It should be ensured that beds are not occupied by persons who do not need hospitalization. Further, the discharge should be strictly in accordance with the revised discharge policy, the Centre has said.

The Union government has asked chief secretaries of the states to issue necessary orders and circulars, incorporating these directions within three days, which will be enforced till replaced by an appropriate uniform policy.

This patient-centric measure aims to ensure a prompt, effective, and comprehensive treatment of patients suffering from Covid, said the ministry in a statement.
By PTI

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Saturday said that while smaller countries in the neighbourhood are offering help to India to tackle COVID-19, the Modi government is not even ready to stop the work of the multi-crore Central Vista project.

The party also said that the system created in the past 70 years by previous prime ministers, including Pandit Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, has helped the country live through the tough times that it is facing today.

"The UNICEF has expressed fear that there is a threat to the world from India due to the pace at which coronavirus is spreading in the country. It has also made an appeal that maximum number of countries should help India in the fight against COVID-19. Bangladesh has sent 10,000 Remdesivir vials, while Bhutan has sent medical oxygen. Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka have also offered help to 'aatmanirbhar' India," the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"In clear terms, India is surviving on the system created by Nehru-Gandhi. Many poor countries are offering help to India. Earlier, countries like Pakistan, Rwanda and Congo used to get help from others. But due to the wrong policies of today's rulers, India is going through that situation now," it said.

But while poor countries are helping India in their own way, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not ready to stop the ambitious project of Central Vista worth Rs 20,000 crore, the Sena added.

The party expressed surprise that nobody feels regret that on the one hand, India accepts aid from countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, while on the other, Modi is not ready to stop work on the multi-crore Central Vista project for construction of a new Parliament building and the house of the prime minister.

The redevelopment project of the Central Vista - the power corridor of the country - envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and new residences for the prime minister and the vice president.

The Sena said that even as the world is battling a second wave of COVID-19, experts have predicted that the third wave will be more severe.

But the ruling BJP is doing all it can to corner Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal even today.

"A sensitive and a nationalist government would not have thought about the political pros and cons and set up a national panel of all main political parties to discuss ways to defeat the pandemic," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has demanded that Union minister Nitin Gadkari be given the charge of the health ministry and this is a proof that the current union health ministry has been a complete failure, it added.

India has reported the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in the last 10 days.

Globally, one out of the five active patients is in India.

In the last ten days, 36,110 deaths have occurred.

Every hour, there are 150 COVID-19 deaths in the country. We have left USA and Brazil behind in terms of deaths due to virus. The world fears India now, the Sena said.

According to it, several countries have stopped their citizens from travelling to India and our country is bearing the economic brunt of the pandemic.

"The country is presently surviving thanks to the development works, projects set up by and the confidence given by the previous governments of PanditNehru, (Lal Bahadur) Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao, Manmohan Singh," it said.

The prime ministerwill have to do a lot of hard work andthink of non-political nationalismto help the country come out of the pandemic, it said.

On Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had attacked the Union government over the Central Vista project, terming it a "criminal wastage" and asked the dispensation to focus on people's lives.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Taking note of the "unprecedented surge" in COVID-19 cases, the Supreme Court on Saturday moved to decongest prisons and ordered the immediate release of prisoners who were granted bail or parole last year.

Observing that the decongestion of prisons housing around 4 lakh inmates across the country is a matter concerning "health and right to life of" prisoners and police personnel, a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said all those who were allowed to go out on bail in March last year by the high-powered committees of states and Union Territories (UTs) be granted the same relief without any reconsideration to avoid delay.

"Further we direct that, those inmates who were granted parole, pursuant to our earlier orders, should be again granted parole for a period of 90 days in order to tide over the pandemic," the bench, also having Justices L Nageswara Rao and Surya Kant, said in its order uploaded on the apex court's website on Saturday.

There is a serious concern about the spread of COVID-19 in "overcrowded prisons where there is lack of proper sanitation, hygiene and medical facilities", the bench said, adding "there is a requirement for effective management of pandemic from within the prison walls so as to defeat this deadly virus."

The top court took note of its March 23, 2020, order by which it had directed all states and UTs to constitute high-powered committee (HPC) to consider releasing on parole or interim bail prisoners and the under trials for offences entailing up to 7-year jail term to decongest prisons in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

It had also directed states that the HPC shall consist of (i) Chairman of the State Legal Services Committee, (ii) the Principal Secretary (Home/Prison) by whatever designation is known as, (ii) Director General of Prison(s), to determine which class of prisoners can be released on parole or an interim bail for such period as may be thought appropriate.

CJI Ramana, writing the order for the bench, said, "The rapid proliferation of the virus amongst the inmates of congested prisons is a matter of serious concern.

"The HPCs shall consider release of prisoners by adopting the guidelines (such as inter alia, SOP laid down by NALSA) followed by them last year, at the earliest.

"Such of those States which have not constituted High Powered Committees last year are directed to do so immediately. Commissioner of Police Delhi shall also be a member of the High Powered Committee, Delhi," the order said.

Referring to immediate concern of raging pandemic, the bench highlighted the importance of prisons' decongestion and said HPCs, in addition to considering fresh release, should forthwith release all the inmates who had been released earlier pursuant to our order March 23, 2020, by imposing appropriate conditions. Such an exercise is mandated in order to save valuable time."

Referring to a judgement, the top court said as a measure and being the "sentinel on the qui vive of the fundamental rights" there was a need to strictly "control and limit the authorities" from arresting accused in contravention of guidelines laid down by this court in the Arnesh Kumar judgement.

"All the State Governments instruct its police officers not to automatically arrest when a case under Section 498A IPC (Dowry harassment) is registered but to satisfy themselves about the necessity for arrest under the parameters laid down above flowing from Section 41 CrPC," the judgment had said.

The apex court said the direction prohibiting automatic arrest will not be restricted to dowry harassment cases only would be applicable to "cases where offence is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may be less than seven years or which may extend to seven years, whether with or without fine".

The fight against pandemic is "greatly benefitted" by transparent administration, it said and took note of the example of Delhi, where the prison occupancy is updated in websites.

"Such measures are required to be considered by other States and should be adopted as good practice. Moreover, all the decisions of HPCs need to be published on respective State Legal Service Authorities/State Governments/High Courts websites in order to enable effective dissemination of information. It said overcrowding of prisons is a problem plaguing several countries including India and directed the jail authorities to provide proper medical care to those who do not want to come out of prisons."

ALSO WATCH:

The authorities are directed to ensure that proper medical facilities are provided to all prisoners who are imprisoned.

"The spread of Covid19 virus should be controlled in the prisons by regular testing being done of the prisoners but also the jail staff and immediate treatment should be made available to the inmates and the staff," it said.

It is necessary to maintain levels of daily hygiene and sanitation required to be improved and suitable precautions shall be taken to prevent the transmission of the deadly virus amongst inmates, it said.

On Friday, the bench had termed the situation "very alarming" and had said that it would pass orders to ensure release of prisoners to decongest prisons in view of a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.

On March 16, 2020, the top court had taken suo motu cognisance of overcrowding of prisons across the country and said it is difficult for jail inmates to maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
By ANI

INDORE: Indore police on Friday arrested two ward boys of Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital for allegedly molesting a COVID-19 patient.

The accused have been identified as Shubham and Hridyesh.

"Both the accused tried to molest a COVID-19 patient in the chest ward of the MY Hospital. The incident took place on the intervening night of May 5 and May 6," said Ashutosh Bagri, Superintendent of Police, Indore.

"The girl complained about the incident to her family members but till then both accused had fled the hospital. Sanyogitaganj police station has filed a case and arrested both the accused," Bagri added.

The SP further said that the police are now verifying with the hospital management if the ward boys recruited on a contract basis have a criminal record or not.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: The BJP is likely to announce the name of the next Assam chief minister on Sunday after a meeting of the legislature party in Guwahati.

While leaving the residence of party national president JP Nadda in New Delhi on Saturday, Himanta Biswa Sarma asked journalists to wait till the legislature party meeting.

Dont ask me any question. The BJP (Assam) Legislature Party is likely to meet in Guwahati tomorrow. You will get the answers to all (your) questions there, he said before hastily leaving the place.

Initially, the waiting scribes had approached the car of Sarbananda Sonowal but he did not come out. Sarmas car was behind Sonowals car. The BJP strongman came out and made the statement without being approached.

ALSO READ | Question mark continues to hang over next Assam CM leaving BJP leaders embarrassed

Called by the central leaders, the duo had left Guwahati in a chartered flight on Saturday morning. They were accompanied by BJP MLAs Taranga Gogoi and Bimal Bora.

BJP central leaders including Shah, BL Santhosh, Narendra Singh Tomar, Baijayant Panda besides Nadda held three rounds of meetings with Sonowal and Sarma. First, the meeting was with Sarma and then with Sonowal. The third meeting was with both.

It is felt that the BJP central leadership has already made the decision and it will be conveyed to the party MLAs during the legislature party meeting. Two central observers are likely to be present at the legislature party meeting.

They will accompany the two BJP biggies when they return to Guwahati on Saturday evening on the same chartered flight.

Clearly, there are two BJP factions in Assam. MLAs loyal to Sarma met him on Monday after the declaration of results of elections on Sunday. They met him again on Friday.
By PTI

KOLKATA: West Bengal on Saturday registered its highest single-day COVID-19 deaths with 127 new fatalities, pushing the death toll to 12,203, the health department said.

The coronavirus caseload increased to 9,73,718 after the state also recorded its highest one-day spike of 19,436 fresh cases, it said.

North 24 Parganas district accounted for the highest number of fatalities at 39 while the city registered 34 deaths, it said.

Neighbouring Hooghly district reported 9 COVID-19 deaths, South 24 Parganas (7), Howrah (6), and the rest of the fatalities were from the other districts.

Out of the 127 deaths, 50 were due to comorbidities where COVID-19 was incidental.

As many as 3,982 fresh infections were reported from North 24 Parganas while there were 3,961 new cases in the city.

In the last 24 hours, 18,243 patients have recuperated from the disease in West Bengal and the discharge rate has improved slightly to 85.89 per cent.

So far, 8,36,351 people have recovered from the infection. At present, there are 1,25,164 active COVID-19 cases in the state.

Since Friday, 63,377 samples have been tested for coronavirus in West Bengal, the bulletin said.

Altogether 1,09,05,646 samples have been tested for the infection in the state so far.

On Saturday, Dr Smarajit Jana, founder of Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Samiti, an NGO which works for the development and uplift of sex workers of the state, succumbed to COVID-19 at a private hospital.

Dr Jana (68), who breathed his last at around 11 AM on Saturday, played a pioneering role in combating the trafficking of women.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief over Dr Jana's death.

Meanwhile, around 1,00,641 people were vaccinated in West Bengal and no adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) were reported on Saturday.
Ashoke K Maitra By

The Covid-19 pandemic is the greatest risk management proposition that any global leader could have faced in the last two years. The question is whether it could have been managed better. Was there enough knowledge that something like this could strike us? The reality is that there was enough evidence to suggest that a pandemic like Covid-19 was likely to happen. American business magnate and philanthropist Bill Gates has written in his book that he had predicted something akin to this was on the cards with the kind of environmental degradation that was taking place.

However, the United States, which too funded research on coronaviruses in the Chinese lab in Wuhan, did not prepare a strategic plan to deal with it if it did strike as they had anticipated. They had enough information that if the virus escaped, it would really spread very fast globally and kill many people. Yet, strangely they did not prepare a preventive management plan to stop it or even contain it. The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States did not do much to control Covid-19. All they did was data analytics and reporting. The whole world today is at the risk of getting infected because of poor planning and preventive management.

It is important for everyone to realise that this is not a national issue of just India or Brazil. If the virus spreads disproportionately and exponentially, it can infect every other person on the planet. Therefore, closing borders to any country is not the answer. The answer lies in global cooperation to share vaccination and inoculating everyone across the world. There is a lot of unequal distribution of vaccines. A few rich countries have hoarded huge amounts of Covid-19 vaccines, while the poorer nations do not have enough.

The European Union and the United States are sitting on a disproportionate amount of vaccines that they dont need, while countries in Africa, Asia and South America are facing a huge vaccine shortage.

Can the World Health Organization intervene and tell the United States and the European Union to part with the vaccines that they dont need and give it to the poorer countries to save everyone, including themselves? This is the time for the US and the EU to give away their surplus to save the world. This is the time for our prime minister to import as many ready vaccines as possible from the US and the EU and vaccinate as many people in our country as possible.

Manufacturing will take 10 more months. We dont have the time for this. It is already too late. The virus is mutating. The present vaccination will be of no use if it does not work on the mutated virus. The entire money spent on research could get wasted. Let us accept this is a global problem. United States President Joe Bidens decision of lifting patent rights in manufacture of vaccines is a great thing in the long run. But Biden will do well to part with vaccines he does not need to India, Africa and South America to stop the further spread of the Covid-19 virus. The realisation that we are all in this together has to sink in for international humanitarian action.

Ashoke K Maitra

Founder and CEO, Sri Ramakrishna International Institute of Management

(ashoke.maitra@gmail.com)
Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty By

The air bridge bringing in American assistance to India to combat the Chinese-origin Covid pandemic is in operation, putting an end to the uncertainty and hesitation that marked the Biden administrations initial stand on this issue. Indians growing up in the 1960s remember the PL-480 wheat shipments for a grain-starved India were each personally authorised by President Lyndon Johnson. He was irritated by Indias stand on the Vietnam war. The American State Departments official spokespersons comments that the nations obligation devolved first on its own citizens and this would be good for the world must rank as insensitive, if not an egregious faux pas during the Covid pandemic.

The Biden administration had earlier invoked the US Defense Production Act to ban the export of critical raw material for the production of vaccines and other medical equipment. This Act, whose purpose was to ensure that raw material and finished equipment was available for Americans and not exported, goes back to the Korean war in the 1950s. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines being produced in the US depend on crucial raw material supplied by some Indian companies. If the US could ban export of such precursors for vaccine manufacturers, so could India.

The fact that this came on the heels of a kerfuffle caused by the Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) by an American Navy Destroyer through Indias EEZ near Lakshadweep didnt help matters, particularly the statement put out by the US Navy about its position on the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). India had signed up to the UNCLOS with reservations about FONOPs by naval ships in her EEZ. Ironically, the US has not even ratified the UNCLOS and does not accept any restriction on FONOPS; it has exercised this right in the South China Sea and the Taiwan straits.

The reaction in India to the export ban was uniformly negative, with Indians recalling that India had supplied essential drugs when the US ran short during the first phase of the pandemic. All of a sudden, India-USA ties, hitherto touted as the emerging strategic partnership of the 21st century, seemed headed for the doldrums. Clearly, the reaction in India led to a flurry of high-level political contacts between the two countries to contain the damage. The Indian-American community weighed in on behalf of India, as did several leading political leaders in the US Congress.

The problem was triggered by Adar Poonawallas appeal to President Biden to permit export of precursors that are vital to the production of vaccines at the Serum Institute of India (SII). The lumbering American deep state sprang into action only after the negative reaction in India gathered momentum. The Biden administration quickly took policy decisions that it can now count among its achievements of the first 100 days. Its policy to revisit and reverse some decisions that were crucial to both the global and Indias fightback against the virus has been helpful. These policy reversals were important for bilateral ties that were suddenly poised at a sensitive juncture. President Biden must be commended for quickly absorbing the implications of not acting on this issue and being decisive after some initial confusion. The consequences of not acting would have left bilateral ties bruised and taken years to heal.

China, which has kept a wary eye on Indias growing ties with the US and forward movement in the Quad, jumped in gleefully to drive a wedge by unleashing a torrent of editorials, cartoons and social media posts via the CCPs media propaganda arm the Global Times. It pointedly accused the US of being an unreliable partner and deliberately harming India by withholding supplies. Their closeness to each other is fragile and superficial, the media outlet crowed. Simultaneously, it urged India to improve ties with China and quickly organised a conference of South Asian countries on Covid cooperation to leverage Indias inability to export vaccines. India declined to attend.

China reached out to India with a telephone call from their FM to our EAM, preceded by a letter from President Xi Jinping to PM Narendra Modi, offering assistance for the fight against the pandemic. This was the first letter after Beijing provoked a bloody conflict in Ladakh. At the same time, China banned flights that prevented commercial medical supplies, required for the struggling healthcare sector, to reach India. The low level of trust was further undermined by such devious actions at a time of medical emergency.

Social media posts by Chinese government security agencies also mocked India by juxtaposing pictures of funeral pyres and the launch of a Chinese rocket. The sarcastic caption that accompanied these said that China was igniting a fire for sending a rocket into space while India was igniting fires to burn the dead. The photos of several funeral pyres burning together were similar to the ones published by media outlets in Western countries, which are also quick to depict India as negatively as possible. We have to blame ourselves too, since Indian photojournalists were selling these photos to the highest bidder among foreign media organisations.

In China, there was a social media backlash from the general public that remains sympathetic to the people of India. The photos and caption were quickly withdrawn and China has since been offering help which has, so far, remained limited to expediting cargo flights carrying medical supplies, contracted by Indian companies. True to her mercantile interests, China is merely facilitating supply of medical goods for which its companies will be making hefty profits. Chinas rethinking of her policy may be linked to the potential spread of the mutant virus to the nation as the pandemic spreads to Indias neighbours. The pandemic knows no borders. China has not yet offered government-to-government aid to India, unlike the US, France, Russia, UK and many others. It is unlikely that the Indian government will accept any aid from China after such duplicity.

The controversy generated by Poonawallas visit to London and his media interview about pressure and threats has added to the toxic mix of controversy about vaccine production and pricing. Delhi was clearly aware of this situation since it authorised a high level of security to the industrialist. The paucity in the supply of vaccines for developing countries has starkly undermined trust between developed and developing countries, with the former hoarding vaccines and withholding medical precursors for manufacture of vaccines in India. These developments have increased traction in India for those arguing for strategic autonomy and creating doubts about the US. Realising this, Russia quickly expedited export of its vaccine Sputnik that has reached India along with other medical supplies like oxygen. China will want to play catch up with Russia.

The macro takeaway from this crisis is the inevitable conclusion that the Indian government underestimated the ferocity of the second wave and believed that that the pandemic was over. This negated its success in containing the first wave with draconian measures like the lockdown that was clamped so suddenly that it led to a migrant crisis. The inability to fund the ramping up of vaccine production early enough has led to the current shortage of doses in the country. Though the initial export and gifting of vaccines has resulted in reciprocal sympathy and aid from several countries, it has also led some countries to grumble about Indias ban on export of vaccines even though contracts had been signed by the SII.

Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty

(The author is also a founder director of the think tank DeepStrat)

(pr.chakravarty@gmail.com)
A completely needless confrontation is building up between the Centre and the West Bengal government ever since Mamata Banerjee scored a landslide victory in the recent Assembly polls. At least 15 people have been killed in the spate of post-poll violence, including BJP and Trinamool supporters. Grim videos of the barbarity ought to have spurred the administration into action, but there was hardly any visible effort, though the chief minister later said that violence wont be tolerated.

On May 6, the day she took her fresh oath of office, a Mamata flunkey trotted out the specious excuse of her inability to issue orders to restore law and order since the model code of conduct for the polls was in force. But the model code ended on May 2, the day the votes were counted, which incidentally was when the violence began. When a mob attack had left four persons dead in Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar district in the middle of the elections, Mamata railed against the Election Commission for not letting her visit the families of the victims to share their grief. Yet, when a post-poll flare up happened in the same Sitalkuchi, she had better things to do than make a repeat trip.

Amid all the opposition anger against what it called state-sponsored attacks, the BJP committed a faux pas as the photo of one of the nine partymen it claimed were slain in Sitalkuchi, turned out to be that of a mediaperson now based in Delhi. But that doesnt detract from the fact that Mamata failed to take immediate corrective action and let the situation slip. Also, almost condoning a mob attack on Union minister V Muraleedharans car in West Midnapore district, asking why he was in the state in the first place, and warning the Centre to honour the peoples mandate, was a little over the top.

That Didi is an icon of anti-BJP forces is beyond dispute. But she has to promote amity and deliver good governance. Rulers ought to follow raj dharma. Governance ought to be visible and even-handed in line with the rule of law. There can be no place for violence in democracy.
Combined data from the state and Philadelphia health departments show that as of Saturday, there were 10.4 million total vaccines administered and 6.4 million partial vaccines administered. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two separate doses given three to four weeks apart.
At a time when the world is moving towards a waiver on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) on Covid-19 vaccines, Indian state governments are grappling with differential pricing policies of indigenous developers and inequity in distribution by the Centre. A recent tweet by former Union minister and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh encapsulated this conundrum. Why did Gujarat alone have 60% of all 18-44 age vaccinations on May 2nd? he asked, pointing to a Press Information Bureau release. On the said day, over 51,000 beneficiaries in the specified age group had been vaccinated in Gujarat as against a mere 527 in Tamil Nadu and 649 in Karnataka. Recently, the Madras High Court intervened in the matter, and asked the Central government to make vaccine distribution to states transparent.

Experts have called for the Centre to adopt a scientific formula with regards to vaccine distribution. Though states have the freedom to purchase vaccines now, the differential pricing and ballooning fiscal deficits have made this unattractive. In this context, will the IP waiver make an impact on the ground? If the US proposal for IP waiver is accepted, vaccines like those produced by Pfizer and Moderna can be manufactured in bulk for middle and low income countries. If they are able to identify multiple manufacturers, theoretically, it would bridge the vaccine shortage across the world, thereby lowering chances of further mutation of the virus.

Countries like Canada, South Korea and Bangladesh have expressed interest in manufacturing vaccines if the patents are waived. Surplus supply will break market monopoly, thereby making vaccines affordable even for state governments. Several influencers in the health policy space are, however, not convinced. Bill Gates, for instance, expressed concern over safety of vaccines if the production was to be handed over to multiple companies. Speaking specifically about India, Gates claimed that vaccine production in India has been made possible only by grants and expertise provided by foundations such as his.Naysayers aside, the IP waiver presents India and the world a massive opportunity to contain the pandemic. The global community must waste no time in tedious deliberations. Public good must triumph profiteering.
By Express News Service

CHITTOOR : The Department of Horticulture and farmers have set a target of exporting 300 tonnes of mangoes to other countries from Chittoor district. Farmers have exported around 32 tonnes of mangoes to Germany, Ireland, Netherlands and South Korea from Chittoor district so far this year. Totapuri variety in Chittoor district is very famous and growers are getting good returns for the same. Farmers across the district have cultivated mango in around 1.12 lakh hectares of land and Totapuri variety in 70,000 acres.

Farmers expect a good yield, 7 to 9 lakh mangoes per one hectare, but changes in climatic conditions may decrease the yield. Farmers export their crop to China, Germany, New Zealand, Malaysia, Netherlands, Dubai and Switzerland. Around 300-400 tonnes of mangoes will be exported to those countries every year.

We are taking measures for the export of mangoes. The main aim of exporting is to provide a good support price to the farmers in the region. The department has set a target of exporting 300 tonnes this year. Despite the partial curfew, there is no need to panic as it will not affect the exports, said Srinivasulu, Deputy Director, Horticulture.

Some farmers will sell their produce to traders in other states such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Further, traders from northern parts of the country such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat reach the mango mandis in the district and purchase the produce for selling in their regions.

Normally, the export of mangoes starts by the end of April and continues till the end of July. Now, traders and owners of the pulp industries are coming forward to purchase Totapuri variety. Majority of the farmers export their produce to other countries after getting a good price, said NSukumar Reddy, a farmer from Bangarupalyam mandal. The Totapuri variety of mangoes are fetching a good price in Bangarupalyam mango mandi in the district. Officials said that farmers are getting `60-70 per one kilo if they export their produce to other countries.
Anusha Ravi By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Starting 6 am on Monday, a near-complete lockdown will be enforced across Karnataka. With 592 Covid-19 deaths reported on Friday, the highest so far, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa acknowledged that the Corona Curfew, that is in force, had been ineffective and hence, there was a need to implement more stringent restrictions.

A 14-day lockdown has been announced from May 10 till 6 AM on May 24 in the state. Vehicular movement will be strictly prohibited in a bid to stop people from getting on to the roads. While goods vehicles and home delivery service providers are exempted, the use of personal vehicles will be prohibited even to buy essentials or takeaways.

ALSO READ | Karnataka lockdown: Here are services exempted from restrictions from May 10-24

The second wave of Covid-19 is wreaking havoc across the state. The Corona Curfew hasnt yielded expected results in reducing the spread of infection and death rate. Therefore, the government has decided to impose a complete lockdown to check the spread of the disease and deaths, said Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa before announcing the 14-day lockdown.

Soon after the CMs press conference, Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar clarified that it wasnt a lockdown, but additional stringent measures. He added that the prohibition of vehicular movement and industries were the biggest changes in the new guidelines. Vehicle movement was allowed so far, but starting Monday it wont be. One has to walk even to buy essentials from neighbourhood shops or food from hotels. No vehicles will be allowed, but hotels can use vehicles for home delivery.

No vehicular movement will be allowed except in case of emergencies or to catch scheduled flights and trains. Industries were earlier allowed to function, but now only those that have in-situ staff will be allowed. E-commerce will be allowed, Ravi Kumar said, adding that there wont be any vehicle pass system.

Pharmacies, banks allowed in lockdown

Yediyurappa on Friday morning had insisted that a lockdown would become inevitable, given the number of cases in the state and announced it later in the evening. During a meeting of ministers and officials in the day, the CM asked for a detailed impact assessment report on last years lockdown for cues. The decision to allow pushcart vendors till 6 pm, in-situ construction and industrial production were taken based on the report.

In-situ construction and industrial production is allowed. I appeal to labourers not to rush back to their hometowns, Yediyurappa said in his announcement. Essential services like pharmacies, chemists, fuel stations, banks, ATMs, government offices, etc., will be allowed during the lockdown. Medical supply production units, agriculture and allied activities, food processing industry, public utilities like electricity and water boards will remain open.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Theres fresh crisis in AIADMK, which has emerged as the principal opposition in the State. This time, its over the election of the Leader of Opposition. The first meeting of the newly elected AIADMK legislators, held on Friday, ended without a decision on the matter. The party MLAs will meet again on May 10 to elect their legislature party leader.

Ahead of the MLAs meeting, there were hectic parleys between the top leaders of party at the ground floor of the headquarters while the newly elected MLAs were waiting at the first floor. At the headquarters, there was open verbal duel between the supporters of O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami on Leader of the Opposition post. Supporters of both leaders had displayed posters in support of Panneerselvam and Palaniswami. Former Ministers SP Velumani, P Thangamani and D Jayakumarand others were present in the office-bearers meeting.

Sources said during the discussions, Panneerselvam and Palaniswami themselves engaged in heated exchanges over the reasons for the AIADMKs defeat in the elections. While Panneerselvam was said to have pointed out the 10.5 per cent reservation for Vanniyars as one of the key reasons for the partys defeat, Palaniswami denied and highlighted his work during the campaign besides the partys big win in the Kongu region. The supporters of Panneerselvam said to have argued the failure to rope in the AMMK cost the party dearly.

Later, the difference of opinion between the supporters of Panneerselvam and Palaniswami came to the fore when both leaders led the newly elected MLAs and other office bearers to the memorials of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Marina.
By Express News Service

PUDUCHERRY: With covid-19 pandemic becoming severe by the day, former Chief Minister of Puducherry and former Union minister of state V Narayanasamy urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately declare total lockdown in the country, so that the chain of transmission of the virus can be controlled.

He also sought the release a financial package of Rs 6,000 per month to be given to the families of individuals who are living without employment during the crisis.

In a letter to Prime minister on Saturday, Narayanasamy pointed out that in the last one week more than 4 lakh people have been affected by COVID and about 3,700 to 4,000 people are dying everyday.

He noted that it was due to the shortage of oxygen in hospitals and non-availability of oxygen beds, ICU beds in government-run and private medical colleges and hospitals.

"Patients' relatives are running to various hospitals while their kin lies in the ambulances, cars and auto-rickshaws with oxygen cylinders. The unprecedented second wave of COVID-19 has taken the lives of younger people as well. The supply of vaccines from manufacturers is not adequate which is why the vaccination program is caught in a slow phase. Everyday bodies of those who lost their lives to COVID-19 are piling up," he added.

He also mentioned that the pandemic has affected the Indian economy adversely. He noted that the economy is suffering due to unemployment and unorganized labour.

Addint that crores of people have stopped earning and many have lost their jobs leaving several families struggling for financial support, he urged PM Modi to immediately release a financial package to those families.

He also referred to party leader Rahul Gandhi's appeal to the Government of India to go for a full lockdown for at least 15 days to a month in order to stop the spread of the virus.
Debjani Dutta By

Express News Service

PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy has issued orders enhancing the pension for aged, widows, spinsters and destitute women and transgenders by Rs 500 to help them tide over the COVID pandemic situation.

At present, 1,54,847 beneficiaries are getting old age, widow, destitute women, unmarried women and transgender pension under the old age and destitute pension scheme in Puducherry. Due to enhancement of the pension by Rs 500 per month the government will incur an additional expenditure of Rs 7,74,23,500 per month (1,54,847 x Rs 500).

It was one of the electoral promises made by the All India NR Congress in its manifesto, which the Chief Minister has fulfilled immediately after assuming charge.

It may be recalled that the previous Congress government led by V Narayanasamy had also tried to enhance the old age and destitute pension, but its proposal did not get approval from the then Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and hence could not be implemented.

The former Welfare Minister in the Narayanasamy cabinet, M Kandasamy, had sat on a dharna inside the legislative assembly complex demanding approval to this proposal as well as 14 other proposals including enhancement of marriage assistance, housing subsidy for Adi Dravida people and others. But the dharna did not yield results as Bedi did not budge.

The beneficiaries who remained expectant of a hike in old age pension and destitute pension are now however a happy lot.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Saturday ordered the state government not to take any action against petitioners S Satyanarayana Reddy and four others who prayed for a direction for a halt to the inquiry into how they came in possession of lands which belonged to Sitaramaswami Temple at Devarayanajal village in Shamirpet Mandal in Medchal-Malkajgiri district.

The court, taking up the petition, expressed surprise over the haste with which the government had constituted a committee with four IAS officers to inquire into the allegations of encroachment of temple lands at a time when people were dying due to the COVID-19 second wave in the state.

The Advocate General brought to the notice of the court that it was only a preliminary inquiry and that action would be taken only after a detailed inquiry. As of now, the government had no intention of razing any structures that have come up on the lands, he said.

The court, however, asked the government to issue notices even for preliminary inquiry and, addressing those facing the allegations, asked them to cooperate with the government as it conducts the probe. The court directed the government and the Endowments department to file a detailed counter on the issue.

The state government, while ordering inquiry (GO No:1014) recently, had said that the Endowment department was claiming that 1,521 acres of land which belonged to Sitaramsway temple in Deverayanjal had been encroached upon. The government also quoted newspaper reports as stating that a large portion of land worth about Rs 1,000 crore had been occupied illegally by former minister Eatala Rajender and a few others. The IAS officers' committee is headed by Panchayat Raj Commissioner M Raghunandan Rao.
By PTI

DHAKA: Bangladesh has detected six people, who had recently visited India, infected with the Indian variant of the COVID-19, a top health official said on Saturday.

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) spokesman Professor Dr Nazmul Islam Munna said the cases were detected by health officials overnight.

Out of the six people, two were detected in the national capital Dhaka.

All of them were exposed to the variant, also known as B.1.617, as they recently visited India and are currently kept under quarantine.

"Six people have been found to be carrying the Indian variant so far and we expect more people to be detected with identical types of virus in the coming days," Munna said.

"This development means we in Bangladesh need extreme caution, perfect compliance of health guidelines...If we maintain the guidelines, no variant -- deadly or not -- can cause major problems," Munna said.

Last month, Bangladesh sealed its borders with India due to the raging number of coronavirus cases in the neighbouring country.

But officials and reports said many people came to Bangladesh from India under special arrangements and some of them fled a mandatory quarantine, heightening risks of spreading the pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) described the Indian variant as a "variant of interest," suggesting it may have mutations that would make the virus more transmissible, cause more severe disease or evade vaccine immunity.

Bangladesh reported 45 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to 11,878.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 772,127 with 1,285 fresh infections reported on Saturday.

ALSO WATCH:
By PTI

WASHINGTON: Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has issued an urgent appeal to raise funds for India, which is experiencing one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19. "India needs our help - and it's our moral responsibility to rise to the challenge. This is a global pandemic and until we crush the virus everywhere, we cannot fully recover," Jayapal said on Friday.

Jayapal, who was recently in India to visit her family before the surge spiraled out of control, said all the funds raised would go to three initiatives. First is the WISH Foundation, which works round-the-clock to set up COVID care centres.

Second is GiveIndia which supports families living in poverty who have lost a loved one - often the sole breadwinner - with direct cash payments of Rs 30,000.

Third is EdelGive Foundation, which in coordination with Goonj and Jan Sahas, works to provide migrants and vulnerable population cash support, food and health supplies, the Indian-American Congresswoman said.

Talking about her recent visit to India, she said, "The cases had started ramping up, and my parents - who are 80 and 90 years old - were both diagnosed with COVID just weeks after receiving their first dose of a vaccine."

"They both ended up in the hospital and have recovered - but I shudder to think what would have happened had they not been vaccinated, or had they gotten sick at the height of the surge we're seeing now," she said.

Describing the situation in India as dire, Jayapal said hundreds of thousands of new COVID cases are confirmed every day. "There are no hospital beds open. There is no oxygen supply left. People are dying before they can even get to a doctor," she said.
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: In a first, a Hindu woman in Pakistan has cleared the country's prestigious Central Superior Services (CSS) examination and has been selected for the elite Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS).

Sana Ramachand is an MBBS doctor, hailing from rural area of Shikarpur district in Sindh province, which has the largest Hindu population in Pakistan. She is one of the 221 candidates declared successful in the CSS examination out of the 18,553 who had appeared in the written tests.

The final selection has been made after an elaborate medical, psychological and oral tests. The groups are allotted at the last stage when final merit is determined.

After the result, Ramchand tweeted: "Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh", and added, "I'm pleased to share that by the grace of Allah Almighty, I have cleared the CSS 2020 and been allocated to PAS. All credit goes to my parents."

The pass percentage in the latest CSS has been less than 2 per cent which shows the tough competition as well as the rigorous standards applied by the Federal Public Service Commission responsible for these recruitments.

The PAS is the top tier often followed by Pakistan Police Services and Foreign Services of Pakistan and others. Those allotted PAS are appointed Assistant Commissioners and later promoted District Commissioners, the powerful administrators controlling the districts.

BBC Urdu reported that Ramchand is the first Hindu woman who had been selected for the PAS after passing the CSS examination. A total of 79 women made it to the final list and have been allotted various groups including PAS.

The topper is also a woman, Maheen Hassan, who was also allotted the PAS. Ramchand did her MBBS from Chandka Medical College in Sindh province and completed her house job in the Civil Hospital Karachi.

She is currently doing FCPS from Sindh Institute of Urology and Transparent and soon would become a qualified surgeon. Several people, including some political leaders, congratulated her on social media for her achievement.

"Congratulations to Dr Sana Ramchand. She has done proud the Hindu community of Pakistan, indeed the whole country," Senior leader of Pakistan People Party Farhatullah Babar tweeted.

A social media user Sumeet Rathore tweeted: "Amidst all the unusual news every day, let's congratulate Dr Sana Ramchand" the first Hindu female for successfully qualifying CSS2020Exam, and appointed as an Assistant Commissioner -Proud for All the Hindu Community."
Pennsylvania troopers spotted the truck traveling west on I-80 near mile marker 309 and they attempted to stop it. The truck then rammed and repeatedly struck a marked state police vehicle. A trooper then fired his weapon into the drivers side door of Wilsons truck, which continued to accelerate, ram and then flee, police said.
Nikita Sharma By

Express News Service

The current wave of COVID-19 is nothing closer to what it was last year. It is aggressive and taking down elderly, young and children equally.

Shortage of beds, oxygen cylinders and medication has put India on spot as the epicentre of the pandemic. In this grim situation, NRIs Rohit Mediratta (42) and his wife Kanika (42) took the initiative of raising funds and arranging concentrators for India.

Kanika and Rohit, who have been living in Palo Alto, California, for the past eight years, got to know about the acute shortage of oxygen for patients while speaking to the latters brother who is a neurosurgeon at a prominent hospital in Delhi.

"His hospital had stopped all routine admissions and was conducting only life-saving emergency surgeries. There were other reports of critically ill patients being turned away from hospitals because of oxygen shortage. We felt helpless and started looking around to see what we could do sitting so far from India," says Kanika, who works for First Republic Bank.

In the third week of April, they launched the campaign on a GoFundMe page to raise funds. So far, their campaign has managed to raise over USD 500,000 (over Rs 37 lakh) including direct donations to their partner, Save Life Foundation.

"We discussed what we could do and what this would mean for our family. We both have full-time jobs and two young children of two and five years old. But this felt bigger than us and we were both certain that if we could save a life, make even a small difference, then the efforts we were taking on would be worthwhile," adds Rohit, Senior Director of Engineering, Nokia Inc.It took them about 24 hours to start the initiative.

"We first identified a supplier for oxygen concentrators. I called about 20 manufacturers, distributors and suppliers, before we got a lead. My father Madhusudan Thakar who lives in Delhi, sent out a message to his IIT group, and one of his contacts introduced us to Piyush Tewari - the founder of SaveLife Foundation," adds Kanika.

Kanika says, "Initially we struggled to get the word out. Rohit and I had never done a fundraiser before and we didnt know what information would be needed. People questioned if this was a scam, others questioned whether these life-saving units would even get to people in need or just be hoarded by people with influence. Over the course of the last few days, we have gotten help from people of Indian community living in Singapore, UK, Switzerland, and India."

Kanika's cousin Monica Khosla helped them create a website - covidreliefindia.com to post updates. Rohit says, "Mukesh Aggarwal - an engineer who recently created a Bot app to alert people in the Bay area about Covid vaccine availability - helped us restructure our Go-fundMe page and provided advice on how to expand our reach. Congressman Ro Khanna tweeted about our initiative and various media networks have helped us spread the word and gain traction."

In partnership with SaveLIFE, they could procure 224 oxygen concentrators, of which 140 have been delivered and are operational at the Burari Hospital.Managing office work and the initiative has not been easy.

"A lot of coordination happens late night and early mornings because of the different time zones. We had very little sleep in the last few weeks, but cant complain. Our efforts are nothing in comparison to those of the doctors, nurses and families of loved ones dealing with the Covid crisis in India," shares Rohit.

With the focus on providing medical equipment to boost the supply of oxygen in Delhi, the couple plan to continue raising awareness and funds for the campaign.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: SpiceJet said it airlifted 1,800 oxygen concentrators and other relief material from Hong Kong and Nanjing to India on Saturday using its wide-body cargo aircraft.

These items were brought to India on two flights, one landing in Delhi and another in Mumbai, it said in a statement.

India has been badly hit by the second wave of coronavirus infections and hospitals in several states are reeling under shortage of vaccines, oxygen, drugs, equipment and beds.

SpiceJet said it has airlifted more than 15,750 oxygen concentrators from the US, Hong Kong, Singapore and China so far.

A record 4,187 COVID-19 fatalities in a day took India's death toll to 2,38,270, while 4,01,078 new infections were reported during the period, pushing the tally of cases to 2,18,92,676, according to Union Health Ministry data on Saturday.

Registering a steady increase, active cases have reached 37,23,446 which comprise 17.01 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 81.90 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.
Whether she visited in Ridley, Media or any of our hometown stores, we are thrilled she enjoyed the Wawa experience and, of course, would like to welcome her back any time, Wawa corporate spokesperson Lori Bruce said. Were proud and honored to represent our hometown in this way on the show and in the lives of the friends and neighbors we serve. We cant wait to see this weeks episode.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Chinese legislators hear report on CPC history study

Xinhua) 09:47, May 08, 2021

Li Zhanshu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, and secretary of its leading Party members group, attends a gathering to hear a report on studying the history of the CPC in Beijing, capital of China, May 7, 2021. The leading Party members group of the Standing Committee of the NPC on Friday attended the gathering. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The leading Party members group of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Friday attended a gathering in Beijing to hear a report on studying the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Li Zhanshu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, and secretary of its leading Party members group, attended the gathering.

Qu Qingshan, head of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, delivered the report titled "Drawing Wisdom and Strength from the CPC's Century-old History."

In the report, Qu described the CPC's achievements since its founding a century ago, as well as the content and key points of Party history learning and education.

Some Party cadres of the NPC also attended the gathering to hear the report.

Members of the leading Party members group of the NPC Standing Committee held a discussion on the theme of the report.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
He was there when Barack and I needed a break, sauntering into one of our offices like he owned the place, a ball clamped firmly in his teeth. He was there when we flew on Air Force One, when tens of thousands flocked to the South Lawn for the Easter Egg Roll, and when the Pope came to visit, she wrote.
Neonatal hypothermia -- which occurs when an infant's core body temperature falls below the normal range needed to maintain health -- contributes to approximately one million deaths each year, and countless cases of stunted growth, almost exclusively in low- and middle-income countries.

To address this common but preventable condition, researchers from Boston Children's Hospital, engineers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and colleagues in Rwanda developed the Dream Warmer, a low cost, reusable non-electric infant warmer to prevent and treat hypothermia. A new study from the team shows that infants who received treatment with the warmer had only an 11 percent rate of hypothermia compared to 29 percent of those who did not. Infant death rates also dropped, from 2.8 percent among infants who did not use the warmer to 0.9 percent of those who did. Results of the study were published in eClinicalMedicine from The Lancet.

Infant hypothermia is a silent killer, but it's a modifiable risk factor, and this study shows that reducing it can have a large impact on survival and also likely on the long-term neurodevelopment of these babies." Anne Hansen, MD, MPH, Study Leader, Division of Newborn Medicine and Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Boston Children's

Warmer was effective and safe

The primary aim of the study was to see if the warmer increased body temperatures in infants who are hypothermic or at risk of hypothermia due to prematurity or low birth weight compared to the standard of care in rural Rwandan hospitals.

Over the study period from November 2019 to July 2020, 464 infants at ten of the largest neonatal wards in Rwandan district hospitals used the warmer 892 times. Data was also collected on over a thousand patients on the neonatal ward who did not receive the warmer.

The study found that:

The rate of achieving a normal body temperature rose from 51 percent before introduction of the warmer to 67 percent after the warmer was introduced.

Use of the warmer did not lead to an increased rate of excessively high core temperatures.

The warmer caused no burns, rashes or other safety concerns, and no instances of incorrect warmer use were observed.

"This is a good option for treatment in setting where incubators are not the right solution, whether it is because they are too expensive, (about $100 compared with $5,000 for an incubator) require electricity, or require extensive training to correctly use and maintain," says Hansen, who adds that the warmer was specifically designed to complement skin-to-skin care, known as kangaroo mother care, either when it provides insufficient heat or if the mother needs to take a break. "And, the nurses needed only a couple minutes of training to prepare, use and clean it correctly because it is quite intuitive."

Ten years in the making

Dr. Hansen has been working in Rwanda for more than a decade to address these and other preventable causes of infant disease and death. She teamed up with engineers from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, to develop this low-cost, reusable infant warming mattress. The warmer contains 12 wax "candles" that are made of a material specially designed to melt at exactly skin temperature. When heated in boiled water, the candles melt and remain at body temperature for about six hours. Once they cool, the mattress can be cleaned and reused multiple times.

"The final design is a skin temperature heating pad that the infant can either lay on or be wrapped around the infant's back in addition to skin-to-skin care with the mother," says Hansen. Two smaller studies conducted by Hansen's team in Rwanda in 2016-2018 showed the warmer was effective, safe, and usable without needing an extensive training.

"Because treating neonatal hypothermia is relatively easy given the appropriate equipment, we hope this warmer can play a significant role in optimizing the health of these vulnerable infants in low- and middle-income countries," says Hansen, who is now partnering with others with the goal of distributing the infant warmer across Sub Saharan Africa as well as Haiti and Chiapas, Mexico.
For some people, social gatherings can be a time to imbibe. And for some, that can turn into a time to overindulge. But how do your neighborhood and your social network affect binge drinking?

Along with colleagues at the RAND corporation in Santa Monica, Indiana University researcher Hank Green examined how neighborhood and social network characteristics were related to adult binge drinking. He and his co-authors found that both factors play a role in how much someone drinks, information that can help us better understand binge drinking among adults.

The study was published in the journal Health and Place, indexed in Science Direct and PubMed.

"Adults living in cohesive neighborhoods where people get along, help and look out for one another had a lower likelihood of any binge drinking at all compared to those living in less cohesive neighborhoods," the co-authors point out.

Living in a highly cohesive neighborhood may impact social norms and constrain behavior in such a way that binge drinking is very unlikely, even if the opportunity to drink arises." Hank Green, Researcher, Indiana University

The researchers also found that, for those who live in neighborhoods they consider safe and orderly, and who have a more interconnected social network, the likelihood of social drinking increases, and drinking heavily might occur in those social drinking situations, regardless of how cohesive they find their neighborhood to be. However, the study also found that those neighborhood and network factors also restrict how often someone binge-drinks, probably through social control processes such as friends and neighbors looking out for each other or commenting on someone's drinking, etc.

"We also found that binge drinking was more likely among adults who lived in orderly neighborhoods and who had denser social networks, but reported lower neighborhood cohesion," said Green, associate professor at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington.

In neighborhoods ranked by study participants as disordered, unsafe, and lacking cohesion, neighborhood factors lose their overall impact. Social networks tend to take over the role of social control, according to the study. In these types of neighborhoods, it's people with more interconnected social networks who binge less often.

Researchers utilized online surveys from adults ages 30-80 drawn randomly from the RAND American Life Panel. The main predictor variables were neighborhood cohesion (do neighbors help neighbors, do neighbors get along); neighborhood order (my neighborhood is clean, safe); and social network density. Associations of these measures with past month binge drinking (any, number of days) were examined, controlling for demographic characteristics.

Green said the study could help inform intervention practices such as cognitive behavioral therapy because those approaches already focus on identifying people and places that trigger binge drinking and addressing those triggers with behavioral changes. Indirectly, Green said, the study suggests that those interventions could also focus on people and places that discourage binge drinking or facilitate less frequent binge drinking and better drinking choices. Those interventions could also consider a broader definition of "place" that moves beyond a specific location to consider how larger areas like neighborhoods might impact drinking.

"Because neighborhood and social network factors work in tandem to affect the likelihood of binge drinking and the frequency of binge drinking, interventions for problem drinking should incorporate both of these aspects to make them more effective," Green said.

The study was funded by ongoing National Institutes of Health grants to explore how social networks impact adult health.
Probing the unique biology of human pancreatic cancer cells in a laboratory has yielded unexpected insights of a weakness that can be used against the cells to kill them.

Led by Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM) Scientist Dr. Marianne Koritzinsky, researchers showed that about half of patient-derived pancreatic cancer cell lines are highly dependent or "addicted" to the protein peroxiredoxin 4 (PRDX4), as a result of the altered metabolic state of the cancer cell.

This addiction is vital for the cancer cell's survival, thereby also making it a precise, potential target against the cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease with an overall five-year survival of only eight per cent. Moreover, 36% to 46% of patients who undergo surgery with curative intent develop a recurrence of pancreatic cancer, despite adjuvant chemotherapy.

Research results are published on May 7, 2021 in Science Advances, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

It's been known for decades that cancer cells acquire key changes in their metabolism to support their continuous need for building blocks from nutrients to divide and grow faster, explains Dr. Koritzinsky, who is the senior author of the study, and an Associate Professor in the Departments of Radiation Oncology, Medical Biophysics and the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto.

This latest research reveals that the same metabolic deregulation that fuels cell growth, can create novel vulnerabilities in cancer.

It was previously known that pancreatic cancer cells increased levels of a key metabolite known as NADPH which acts to fuel uncontrolled levels of cell growth. Dr. Koritzinsky discovered that high levels of NADPH in the pancreatic cancer cells created a novel form of oxidative stress and a corresponding requirement for PRDX4 to survive.

Essentially, cancer cells need PRDX4, an antioxidant protein, to destroy the toxic byproducts resulting from the uncontrolled metabolism.

Dr. Koritzinsky showed that targeting PRDX4 in patient-derived cancer cells lines led to toxic accumulation of oxidative stress, resulting in DNA damage, and cell death, and impaired tumour growth in preclinical models. Equally important, loss of PRDX4 had no measurable effect on normal cells.

Taken together, this body of work reveals the potential of targeted therapies to exploit unique metabolic features of cancer cells that are far more specific than, for example, chemotherapy which affects both cancer and normal cells.

It's not hard to kill cancer cells. It's hard to kill cancer cells without harming the cancer patient." Dr. Marianne Koritzinsky, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM) Scientist

She goes on to explain that targeting a specific protein that is needed by a cancer cell, but not a normal one, opens up a wider therapeutic window, with potentially less toxicity to normal tissue.

For this research, Dr. Koritzinsky teamed up with Dr. Jason Moffat, Professor, Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto and PM Senior Scientist/Staff Physician Dr. David Hedley to mine large functional genomics data sets and validate findings in patient-derived tumour cells, including recent samples from Princess Margaret patients.

Through this data set mining, they were able to assess about 20,000 different proteins for a comprehensive picture of which ones are important in helping cancer cells survive. PRDX4 turned out to be key.

Based on these discoveries, Dr. Koritzinsky would like to develop new drugs against PRDX4 that could be tested in preclinical models, and eventually translated to the clinic.

She adds that there may be other ways to take advantage of these new biological insights, including combining this targeted approach with other DNA damaging treatments such as radiotherapy, and establishing biomarkers that can identify the patients who will benefit from PRDX4 targeting.
Spurred by unproven assumptions that vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes, a team at West Virginia University is conducting a three-year study on the effects of vaping during pregnancy.

It is estimated that half of all women who smoke prior to becoming pregnant will continue to smoke during and after the pregnancy. The impact of smoking while pregnant can lead to preterm birth, birth defects and an increased chance of sudden infant death syndrome. Because of this, a growing number of women who choose to smoke while pregnant are being encouraged to switch to vaping.

Mark Olfert, WVU associate professor, is the contact principal investigator for this multi-PI study, which involves three other School of Medicine faculty. In addition to Olfert, Paul Chantler, Jonathan Boyd and Duaa Dakhlallah, are all members of the research team. Dr. Eiman Aboaziza, Ph.D. candidate in the Clinical and Translational Science program and one of several students in Olfert's lab, was integral to the initial research examining how vaping during pregnancy affects long-term health outcomes to offspring.

We know that when someone vapes, their blood vessels react by temporarily constricting - or getting smaller, which affects children while in the womb because their fetal environment is also altered." Mark Olfert, WVU Associate Professor

Altering the blood supply in the fetal environment can create a hostile environment for the fetus and result in serious issues during child and adult life. A major finding from a prior work published by Olfert and Chantler in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2018 showed the vaping produced similar dysfunctional response in blood vessels of male and female animals as did smoking cigarettes. So there is great concern that women who are switching to vaping during pregnancy because they think it is better than smoking are wrong, and that vaping will lead to the same problems and complications for offspring as smoking.

Olfert and his team's current research is building off the prior study to conduct a deeper dive into the reasons and causes that underline the harm, and, importantly, what effect these have on the long-term vascular health in the adolescent and adult life of offspring that experienced fetal exposure to maternal vaping.

The American Heart Association awarded the study a three-year multi-PI Collaboration Science Grant for $750,000.
The group of about 20 had set out early in August 2020 on a 745-mile march from Milwaukee to the nations capital to mark the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream Speech. Late on Aug. 24, 2020, the group stopped alongside rural Route 30 in Bedford County near the towing garage and home of Myers father, who saw them outside and yelled at them to leave, although police said there was no indication that they heard him.
(Newser)  It will take more than a COVID-19 vaccination to make everyone eager to return to the workplace, restaurants, and in-person contact with others in general. An American Psychological Association study found that 49% of adults expect to feel uncomfortable about resuming in-person interactions. And 48% of those who have received a COVID vaccine said the same thing, Scientific American reports. Over the past year, there's been "a lot of fear and anxiety because of the risk of illness and death, along with the repercussions in many areas of life," says Jacqueline Gollan, a professor at Northwestern University. "Even though a person may be vaccinated, they still may find it difficult to let go of that fear because they're overestimating the risk and probability." Florida psychiatrist Arthur Bregman coined the term "cave syndrome" to describe this phenomenon, writes Christopher Elliott in the Washington Post.

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Alan Teo, who teaches at Oregon Health and Science University, links it to three factors: habit, risk perception, and social connections. Any habit is hard to break, he said. People often overestimate the risk involved. And the attention has been on "the risk of infection and death rather than the risk of dying from being lonely and disconnected," he says. Treatment can include medication or gradual exposure to the fearful conditions. There often are good reasons to prefer staying home, says Bregman. "The danger is in getting overly attached to the point where it interferes with life even in the face of a return to normalcy." When Nicholas Goldberg wrote about all this in a Los Angeles Times column, readers said they recognized themselves. "Simply knowing others have this reaction too makes it less overwhelming emotionally," one said. (Read more self-isolation stories.)
(Newser)  An Amazon employee at the warehouse where unionization efforts were recently rejected has died. The man, whose name has not yet been released, was found unconscious in a bathroom and taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, AL.com reports. An Amazon spokesperson, Maria Boschetti, said, "We're deeply saddened by the passing of a member of our team, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his loved ones during this difficult time," GeekWire reports. No more details were released about what Amazon called a "personal medical incident."

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The Bessemer warehouse workers were in the spotlight last month when they voted not to unionize. Complaints about treatment at Amazon often make the news, and CEO Jeff Bezos has gone on record saying he wants the company to do better. The Seattle-based company pays new hires $15 per hour, and is planning to raise pay for other workers staring this month. Labor organizers still have their eye on Amazons warehouses, and other major retailers are boosting wages, too. (Read more stories about Amazon.)
(Newser)  India's surge in coronavirus cases is having a dangerous effect on neighboring Bangladesh. Health experts warn of imminent vaccine shortages just as the country should be stepping up its vaccination drive, and as more contagious virus variants are beginning to be detected. On Saturday, health authorities said that for the first time, a coronavirus variant originally identified in India was detected in Bangladesh, without providing further details, per the AP. For weeks, South African variants have dominated the samples sequenced in Bangladesh. There are concerns that these versions spread more easily and that first-generation vaccines could be less effective against them. Although the border with India is closed to people, goods continue to cross. Virus sequencing in Bangladesh, like other countries (including the US), has been scant. This means there could easily be blind spots.

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"We can't rule out that the Indian variant would not make a new wave in Bangladesh. We have a porous border with India," says Dr. ASM Alamgir, a scientist with the government's Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control, and Research. A nationwide lockdown has been extended until at least May 16, but many businesses, markets, and transportation hubs remain crowded. Although intercity travel is banned, tens of thousands are expected to leave the capital of Dhaka for their home villages to celebrate next week's Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. "If we fail to maintain safety procedures across the country, the virus will make its natural progression," Alamgir says. India, however, has banned the export of vaccines as it grapples with its own crisis. Bangladesh is seeking new avenues for vaccines, trying to produce Russian and Chinese vaccines by bringing tech from both nations. Bangladesh is expecting 500,000 doses of Chinese vaccines next week and has sought help from the US.

(Read more Bangladesh stories.)
(Newser)  A bomb exploded near a girl's school in a majority Shiite district of west Kabul on Saturday, killing at least 25 people, many them young pupils between 11 and 15 years old, an Afghan government spokesmen said. The Taliban condemned the attack apparently aimed at civilians and denied any responsibility. Ambulances rushed to the scene of the blast near the the Syed Al-Shahda school, in the Shiite majority neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said. Residents in the area said the explosion was deafening. One witness told the AP he heard three separate explosions, although there was no official confirmation of multiple blasts. While no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, previous brutal attacks in the same neighborhood have been claimed by the Afghan Islamic State affiliate.

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In Dasht-e-Barchi, angry crowds attacked the ambulances and even beat health workers as they tried to evacuate the wounded, a Health Ministry spokesman said. Images circulating on social media purportedly showed bloodied school backpacks and books strewn across the street in front of the school and smoke rising above the neighborhood. At one nearby hospital, AP journalists saw at least 20 dead bodies lined up in hallways and rooms, with dozens of wounded people and families of victims seen throughout the facility. The attack comes days after the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 American troops officially began leaving the country. They'll be out by Sept. 11 at the latest. The pullout comes amid a resurgent Taliban, who control or hold sway over half of Afghanistan.

(Read more Afghanistan stories.)
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Providing insight into happiness  what it is, where you find it, how it can be achieved and sustained  has become something of a cottage industry. There are projects and programs, YouTube videos and TED Talks, workshops and business webinars on the subject. There seems to be no excuse for anyone to be unhappy these days. Not with so much material on hand to provide guidance. You simply have to work on pumping more positivity into your life.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain Journalists Association (BJA) issued a book dedicated to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa marking Bahrain Press Day. It included the signatures of more than 200 journalists, media persons, writers, photographers and media students. BJA recalled with pride the royal directive issued in May 2014 to observe Bahrain Press Day on May 7 every year.

BJA Chairperson Ahdia Ahmed Al-Sayed said the book contained words written by the participants in the expression of their good feelings towards HM the King, the first supporter of journalism and journalists in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

She added the press community in the kingdom wanted through this book to show their feelings towards HM the King marking the historical occasion and keep the initiative carved in the national memory. She paid tribute to HM the King for his unlimited support to the press and media field in Bahrain.

BJA extended congratulations to HM the King and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister on Bahrain Press Day. It praised the contributions of the founders of the Bahrain press by setting up newspapers that have contributed substantially to the kingdoms growth, citing particularly the author, poet and journalist Abdullah Al-Zayed, the founder of the Bahrain newspaper in the 1930s.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The reopening of the King Fahd causeway, the only terrestrial link connecting Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, after months-long closure owing to the deadly pandemic, is predicted to give the economy of Bahrain a 2.9 billion dollar boost from an expected spending surge.

Bahrain is bracing for a large influx of travellers after reopening, said Khalid Najibi, the first vice-chairman of the Bahrain Chamber, board member of King Fahd Causeway Authority, citing spending habits from 2019.

He said that Bahrain received around 75 thousand tourists per day through the King Fahd Causeway in 2019. The arrivals will revitalise many sectors of the national economy, key among which is tourism and hospitality, recreation, and retail.

Saudi Arabia has said it will reopen land, sea and air border crossings on May 17. The 25 km (16 miles) causeway opened in 1986 had average daily traffic of 45,000 passengers, which increases to about 60,000 vehicles during weekends before closure. Bahrain, reportedly, attracted nearly 11 million visitors in 2019, of which 9 million were tourists.

The majority of the visitors, 88% of them, were Saudis. Najibi called all tourism, recreation, and commercial facilities to strictly adhere to preventative protocols and procedures, as directed by the National Taskforce, to curb the spread of the Coronavirus and support the efforts to combat it.
Reuters | Washington

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A sixth-grade girl pulled a handgun from a backpack at her eastern Idaho school on Thursday and opened fire, hitting two fellow students and a member of school staff and inflicting non-life-threatening injuries on them, officials said.

The girl was disarmed by a teacher at Rigby Middle School in Rigby, Idaho, a remote community about 270 miles (435 km) east of Boise, and held until law enforcement arrived, Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson said. Her name and exact age werent immediately released. She fired multiple rounds inside of the school and out, Anderson said at a news conference. We dont have a lot of details of why.

That is being investigated. Students were sent home with their parents immediately after the shootings and classes will be cancelled yesterday, Jefferson School District Superintendent Chad Martin said.

This is the worst nightmare any school district could ever face, said Martin. We prepare for it and were never truly ready for it. Several law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigation of the shooting, which happened shortly after 9 a.m. local time, Jefferson County Sheriff Anderson said.

Local media had previously reported that a male student was taken into custody after the shooting. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Taylor said charges against the girl could include three counts of attempted murder.

None of the gunshot wounds was life-threatening, Michael Lemon, trauma director at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center said. They could be so much worse, Lemon said. We feel absolutely blessed. The school staff member was treated and released for his injury, while the two students were being kept overnight for observation, he said.

Idaho Governor Brad Little issued a brief statement shortly after the incident. Thank you to our law enforcement agencies and school leaders for their efforts in responding to the incident, Little said on Twitter. I am staying updated on the situation.
News

Salsman pleads guilty, resigns as DA

Pat McDonald/Morning Times Former Bradford County District Attorney Chad Salsman, who is pictured here being escorted into District Justice Todd Carrs office by Pennsylvania State Police in February, has agreed to plead guilty to promoting prostitution, obstruction of justice and witness intimidation. editor / Pat McDonald/Morning Times Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Daniel J. Dye speaks outside the Bradford County Courthouse on Friday.

TOWANDA  Bradford County District Attorney Chad Salsman pleaded guilty to charges of promoting prostitution, witness intimidation and obstruction of justice while also submitting his resignation during a court proceeding at the Bradford County Courthouse on Friday morning.

As Attorney General, I have a responsibility to stand up for the most vulnerable in our Commonwealth. Chad Salsman used his position as a private attorney, and then as the District Attorney, to intimidate and silence his victims and interfere with our investigation. Today is a powerful reminder that no one is above the law, said Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

The maximum penalty Salsman could face is 11 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. Promoting prostitution, which is a third-degree felony, carries a maximum penalty of 7 years in prison and a $15,000 fine. Obstruction and witness intimidation, both second-degree misdemeanors, carry a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison and $5,000 fines.

With this admission of guilt, the Office of Attorney General has ensured Mr. Salsman faces serious consequences, without retraumatizing vulnerable victims who came forward and testified to the Grand Jury. Despite Mr. Salsmans efforts to interfere in the investigation and his claims that the Grand Jury was politically motivated, today he is taking responsibility for his actions, a press release from Shapiros office said.

Salsman was arrested in February and originally faced two dozen charges, including three separate charges of sexual assault, five separate charges of indecent assault, twelve counts of intimidation of a witness or victim, two counts of obstruction of justice, and two counts related to prostitution.

Shapiro said at a Feb. 3 press conference that a grand jury heard from numerous women who were coerced, manipulated, and sexually assaulted by Salsman while he served as their defense attorney. He repeatedly leveraged his power over his victims, who he counseled in criminal and child custody cases, by taking advantage of their vulnerabilities, exploiting them, and then forcing them into submission and silence.

According to the findings of facts from the grand jury, Salsman used his knowledge of (his clients) vulnerabilities to overcome their lack of consent and sexually assault them. In one case, Salsman assaulted a woman who he knew had been the victim of a prior violent rape. In another case, Salsman assaulted a woman who faced incarceration if Salsman did not help her.

Many of his clients struggled with addiction, some even had a history themselves of being sexually assaulted. These are the people that Salsman targeted for his own sick gratification, Shapiro said.

Salsmans attorney, Samuel Stretton, announced during Fridays court proceeding that Salsman has agreed to a disbarment by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Stretton also asked the court to allow for a mental health report to be completed before sentencing. According to his attorney, Salsman has been seeing a therapist who would submit a report, but they also asked for an independent mental health report to be completed. Judge Joseph M. Augello stated that the Bradford County Probation Department would pick a mental health professional to complete the report.

Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Daniel J. Dye acknowledged that getting Salsman to agree to resign as district attorney was a key part of negotiations.

The victims did not feel comfortable with him as district attorney of Bradford County. I dont think the county felt comfortable with him being the district attorney of Bradford County, so it was a significant consideration in coming to this agreement. It avoided the challenges of putting victims through a trial and retraumatizing them so they are happy with this agreement and we are as well, Dye said.

When asked if the victims had any hesitation when it came to this plea agreement, Dyes answer was short.

No, none, he said.

He could face up to 11 years in prison. He did plead guilty to serious charges. He pled guilty to a felony and most importantly we got Bradford County back for the citizens of Bradford County, Dye said. For any trial, it can be a challenge. Victims have to testify, they have to relive their abuse. You have to go through that process and be questioned, so not putting them through that trial while also pleading guilty to serious offenses while also at the same time releasing his stranglehold on arguably the most powerful office in the county, its a good day for the commonwealth, its a good day for the victims.

A pre-sentencing report will be completed by the Bradford County Probation Department on May 14. Salsman, who remains free on bail, will then be sentenced on July 9 at 10 a.m. at the Bradford County Courthouse.
Sayre, PA (18840)

Today

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 60F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 60F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
NEW MILFORD  While Alyssa Milczarski isnt allowed to attend senior prom Saturday night, she still plans to go out for a fun time  and wear her prom dress.

For the past two weeks, Milczarski and other New Milford High School seniors have been quarantining at home and taking classes remotely because they came into contact with another student who tested positive for COVID-19.

The school says we were exposed last Thursday when we were at school, at lunch outside with our friends. Then we got called down to the nurses office that following Monday and they said we were contact traced and we had to quarantine for 14 days, said Milczarski, 18.

Saturday marks the last day of quarantining for Milczarski and the other students who were exposed.

Even though we tested negative for COVID, they told us we still have to quarantine and cant attend prom nor consider moving the prom date, said Milczarski, adding there is a total of about 20 students who cant attend prom.

Milczarski said she and her friends are upset since students who were exposed meet the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

CDC guidelines say quarantine times can be reduced to seven days after receiving a negative COVID test on or after the five-day mark.

In a letter to the New Milford school community on Thursday, Superintendent Alisha DiCorpo reminded parents that the district follows the 10-day quarantine guidance for people known to be close contacts of cases of COVID-19.

After seven days, persons need to continue to take the measures needed to prevent COVID-19, including but not limited to: wearing a mask when out in public and avoiding gatherings with people who are not in your immediate household, according to the CDC guidance that DiCorpo included in the memo to parents.

The districts medical advisor and the local health director support the school districts decision to continue utilizing the 10-day quarantine period guidance, DiCorpo wrote in her letter.

She also wrote that students who were deemed a close contact, meaning they were within 3 to 6 feet for more than 15 minutes or 15 minutes over the course of the day to someone who tested positive, cannot test out of the 10-day required quarantine.

DiCorpos letter said the only exceptions were if students had COVID-19 in the prior 90 days or 14 days have elapsed since they received their final vaccine shot.

DiCorpo and New Milfords principal did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday.

Milczarski said she is scheduled to receive her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine dose on Wednesday.

Milczarski said she and her friends who were exposed are planning to continue remote learning until two weeks after they have been vaccinated. She said they dont want to miss the remaining senior activities because of quarantine rules.

Last week, New Milford High School students started a petition on change.org called Prom 2021, requesting the prom date be pushed back to allow for more students to attend. More than 200 people have signed, and there were more than 20 comments posted in support.

Not being allowed to attend prom is not stopping Milczarski and her friends from enjoying a night on the town.

About four or five of us are going out anyway, in our prom dresses, she said. We figured its prom night and we should do something.

Their evening plans include a Japanese restaurant and a local recreation center, according to Milczarski, who purchased an aqua-colored prom dress.

We will hang out in our dresses, she said. We figured we might as well wear them since we cant wear them to prom.
The UAE and Kuwait, among other nations, delivered desperately needed coronavirus supplies to India on Tuesday, according to the countrys foreign affairs ministry. Oxygen tanks and concentrators, ventilators, and other medical equipment were included in the shipment.

As India puts up a resilient fight against the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, help has poured in from all over the world. Emergency Covid-19 (medical) supplies have arrived from different nations, including the United Kingdom, Mauritius, Singapore, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Kuwait, Romania, the United States, Thailand, Germany, Uzbekistan, France, Belgium, and Italy.

The UAE and Kuwait, among other nations, delivered desperately needed coronavirus supplies to India on Tuesday, according to the countrys foreign affairs ministry. Oxygen tanks and concentrators, ventilators, and other medical equipment were included in the shipment.

A flight carrying 282 oxygen cylinders, 60 oxygen concentrators, ventilators, and other medical supplies arrived on Tuesday from Kuwait, Indias Ministry of External Affairs said, while shipments containing liquid oxygen tanks arrived from the UAE at the Mundra Port on Indias western coast.

Seven ISO tanks containing 20 MT liquid medical oxygen (LMO) each arrived at Mundra Port, further cementing our extensive strategic partnership (India). This is the first time LMO has been sent to India. Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for the UAEs Ministry of External Affairs, tweeted, Deeply appreciate the support from UAE.

Several nations have been sending oxygen cylinders, oxygen generators, cryogenic tankers, ventilators, drugs, BiPAP devices, pulse oximeters, PPE coveralls, N-95 masks, Flaviparivir, and gowns amid an ongoing crisis. Mauritius, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Thailand, Russia, Romania, and Uzbekistan have all sent oxygen concentrators. According to reports, India has received a total of 40 lakh different things like foreign aid. Ventilators, on the other hand, are supplied by the United Kingdom (200), Germany (120), Russia (75), the United Arab Emirates (157), Germany (120), Ireland (365), France (28), and Italy (20).

Earlier, Dharmendra Pradhan, Indias oil minister, had consulted his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain to help bridge the countrys massive medical oxygen shortage for COVID patients.

Also read: Coronavirus: Why is its origin still a mystery?
The recent relative lack of news reporting about the back-and-forth between and among the United States, Europe and Iran regarding reestablishment of the so-called Iran deal is troubling. The actions of our administration require serious public scrutiny before the administration and its operatives, in their desperation to make a deal  any deal  irrevocably surrender all of our leverage.

While President Biden originally announced that, rather than merely reenter the deal, he would expand the deal to address Irans support of terrorism and the advancement of its missile technology and not merely cursorily address Irans quest for nuclear weapons, he now seems content, maybe desperate, to revive the original bare-bones deal that gives us no protection on any matter. Accordingly, the administration has indicated its willingness to voluntarily abandon many, maybe all, of the sanctions that have been suffocating Irans economy and threatening the regimes survival. One learns, however, in Negotiating 101 that you dont give away your only leverage without receiving significant benefit in exchange. Maybe the president or his negotiator, Robert Malley, was absent that day.
The immediate past spokesman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chuks Ibegbu, on Saturday, vowed to ensure the emergence of an Igbo presidency in 2023. Ibe...





The immediate past spokesman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chuks Ibegbu, on Saturday, vowed to ensure the emergence of an Igbo presidency in 2023.

Ibegbu, who was recently appointed as the Special Envoy on Nigeria Presidency on Ndigbo Extraction by a coalition of Igbo organisations, vowed to put an executive Zik in Aso Rock in 2023.

In a terse statement he signed and forwarded to DAILY POST, the Ohanaeze chieftain promised to build bridges with all stakeholders, groups and power points in the country to realise his ambition.

Ibegbu noted that the Nigeria Presidency is not gotten by sentiments, threats or emotions but through diplomatic persuasion and he will reach out to all Nigerian stakeholders and party leaders to achieve that.

He called on presidential aspirants of Igbo extraction to start showing interest now so that the Igbos will be taken serious on the issue.

The former Ohanaezes spokesman also appealed to Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and others showing interest in 2023 Presidency to sheathe such interest in the overall interest of the nation.

He called on Nigerians to do everything to ensure peace, unity and progress of the country, stressing that If Nigeria breaks, Africa and the black race is doomed.

Ibegbu noted that there has to be political, economic and structural justice in the nation.

He urged people of the Southeast to put their acts together in the pursuit of their legitimate rights in Nigeria and condemned the killings all over the country.
Primate Elijah Ayodele, the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church leader, has cautioned the Southeast against contesting the 2023 presidential...

Primate Elijah Ayodele, the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church leader, has cautioned the Southeast against contesting the 2023 presidential election.

Primate Ayodele warned that the presidency would elude the Southeast in 2023.

He spoke while reacting to comments that the Igbo Presidency was the solution to Nigerias economic and insecurity challenges.

Some groups from the Southeast advocating for Nigerias next president to come from the region had stressed that the Igbo presidency was the panacea to the countrys woes.

However, Primate Ayodele, in a chat with Dailypost, pointed out that the pendulum is not swinging towards the southeast.

He said: Who said Igbo president is the solution? Its not a matter of ethnicity or where you are coming from; as a matter of fact, we need a very good person that God has ordained to be our president.

Igbo presidency is not the solution to Nigerians problem, I am not a politician but am speaking as a prophet not as a pastor because so many pastors have corrupted the system and cant tell the truth because they believe they are of government interest. However, everybody is of government interests. If the government is not doing the right, there are some prophets that God will send to the nation, to the prime ministers in the bible, telling them that he is against their ruling. So people who are saying those right words; they will not want them.

So I am telling you that the 2023 presidency will elude the Igbo, mark my words; if they are looking for the presidency maybe they will wait for another time. The pendulum is not swinging towards the Igbos.

I will say lets do it rotationally when its Igbo turn, let them do it, but the spirit of Igbo is no more in Nigeria, and since their spirit is no more in Nigeria, the country will break peacefully.
Unknown gunmen on Friday night attacked three Police Stations in Rivers State and reportedly shot seven policemen dead. Security sou...

Unknown gunmen on Friday night attacked three Police Stations in Rivers State and reportedly shot seven policemen dead.

Security sources said that at Elimgbu Police Station about four policemen were killed by the gunmen, while at Choba Police Station along East-West road, opposite University of Port Harcourt, two policemen were killed.

The Choba and Elimgbu Police Stations are both in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, while one policeman was allegedly killed at Rumuji Police Station, in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Also, unconfirmed numbers of operational vehicles were reportedly burnt.

Both Choba and Rumuji Police Stations are located along East-West road.

The spate of attacks on Rumuji, Choba and Elimgbu Police Stations are coming on the heels of 8pm to 6am curfew imposed on the axis and entry towns bordering Rivers.

Another curfew was imposed on residents within the state starting from 10 pm to 6am.

The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the attacks last night and said the top hierarchy of the Police Command would visit the affected Police Stations today.

SP Nnamdi Omoni, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, confirmed the attacks but did not give details of casualties and levels of damages to the attacked Police Stations.
President Muhammadu Buhari says some unpatriotic Nigerians have continued to undermine his policies aimed at curbing insecurity and streng...

President Muhammadu Buhari says some unpatriotic Nigerians have continued to undermine his policies aimed at curbing insecurity and strengthening the economy.

Buhari, who spoke at the sixth regular meeting with the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) on Friday, said such persons are rather bent on wreaking havoc on the nation.

In March, Buhari directed security agencies to shoot anyone seen with AK-47 while ordering a clampdown on bandits.

The president, however, said despite his order, bandits and smugglers have continued their criminal activities.

He also said even though the nations land borders were closed, illegal arms and other smuggled items still somehow found their way into the country.

Some people are mercilessly against this country. We closed the borders to control the smuggling of petroleum products, and check the influx of smuggled goods, arms and ammunition, he said.

That was when the comptroller-general of Customs called me, saying 40 tankers laden with petrol had been impounded. I told him to sell the fuel, sell the trucks, and put the money in the treasury.





They still brought arms and ammunition into the country, brought in rice in vehicles and motorcycles.

I said shoot anyone found illegally with AK-47, yet they havent stopped. People must show consideration for their own country.

On food security, Buhari said his administration will focus on development of irrigation facilities in the country, and also encourage more people to go into agriculture.

He noted that agriculture is a good way for the country to overcome the economic challenges confronting it.

We need to go back to the land. Technology is doing away with petroleum, but we are lucky we have other resources  gas, vast arable land, which we are not using enough, he said.
The Benue State Government has accused the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai of misleading President Muhammadu Buhari on issues of secur...





The Benue State Government has accused the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai of misleading President Muhammadu Buhari on issues of security in Nigeria.

It was learnt that Governor El-Rufai had in a statement, accused his Benue counterpart, Governor Ortom of using the insecurity in Benue to attack the Federal Government in order to cover up his failure.

Reacting, in a statement issued on Saturday by Terver Akase, the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, the state government said El-Rufai is unqualified to speak on security issues in the country owing to his inability to curb kidnapping and killings in his state.

The statement also accused the Governor of dividing the people of Kaduna State stressing that Ortom is not the cause of the high level of insecurity in Kaduna State.

The statement reads: We want to believe that El-Rufai was wrongly quoted. A man who has failed in several aspects as Governor of Kaduna has no moral justification to accuse another Governor.

A Governor who has divided the good people of Kaduna against one another by not hiding his hatred of indigenes of the state on account of religion and ethnicity is not qualified to judge another Governor on any issue whatsoever. A Governor who chose a Muslim deputy in a state where Christians have a huge population is certainly not one to preach unity and peaceful co-existence.

El-Rufais attack on Governor Ortom is merely to make him look good before the Presidency. He has apparently fallen out of favour at the Villa and wants to use Governor Ortom as a launch pad back to reckoning. How has he handled his own problems in Kaduna? This is a man who has insulted almost every prominent Nigerian including the late President Umaru Musa YarAdua and former President Olusegun Obasanjo; a man who is his former boss and one who brought him to limelight.

Nigerians have not forgotten the unprintable things El-Rufai said during Goodluck Jonathans time as President. He insulted the then President and publicly supported terrorists attacking parts of the country. His statements on the abduction of Chibok girls and several other acts of terrorism are still fresh in our minds. El-Rufai is on record to have said repeatedly that Fulani people must retaliate any wrong done to them no matter how long it takes.

Is Governor Ortom responsible for El-Rufais inability to ensure peace in Kaduna State where bandits have taken over some communities while kidnappings and killings occur on a daily basis?

El-Rufai admitted to paying Fulani herdsmen whom he invited from other West African countries in the name of stopping attacks in Southern Kaduna. Since he made the confessional statement, attacks on the people of Southern Kaduna have escalated. This is why he wants men of good conscience like Governor Ortom to be silent to pave the way for the conquest and expansion agenda to succeed.

Kidnapping has become a common crime in Kaduna State under Nasir el-Rufai.

Aside from the much celebrated cases, it has been estimated that at every given time, not less than 300 persons are abducted in Kaduna by kidnappers who are always identified as El-Rufais kinsmen. He pays them billions to embolden them. He has turned the state into one of the most unsafe places to live in Nigeria today.

Talking about taking someone seriously, if other Nigerians take El-Rufai seriously, we in Benue do not do the same. A man who has no regard for humanity does not deserve our attention.

Nasir el-Rufai is a sycophant, ethnic champion and religious bigot who hates anyone who does not share the same faith with him. He is among the very few persons who have misled President Muhammadu Buhari. El-Rufai is one of the real enemies of this country who do not hide their divisive tendencies by elevating nepotism and ethnicity above the good values that have held Nigeria together over the decades.

Nasir el-Rufai doesnt possess the credentials to counsel anyone on payment of salaries and the welfare of workers. This is a Governor who recently sacked 4,000 workers for no just cause. He ought to be ashamed of himself. What happened to the lofty promises he made to the Kaduna people in 2015?

The Kaduna Governor should know that only two days ago, the people of Benue State met at a stakeholders meeting in Makurdi and unanimously passed a vote of confidence on Governor Ortom in recognition of his performance. That meeting was attended across party lines with leaders of All Progressives Congress, APC also present.

El-Rufai and his conspirators must note that Benue State will not repeal the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, no matter the amount of blackmail, hatred and threats they wage against Governor Ortom.

We advise the Kaduna State Governor to focus on addressing the numerous problems he has created in his state and leave Governor Ortom to lead Benue in peace.
A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has described the call by Chief Robert Clark (SAN) fo...

A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has described the call by Chief Robert Clark (SAN) for President Muhammadu, to hand over power to the military as not only shocking but also irresponsible.

Oshiomhole stated this on Friday, while receiving the leadership of the Law Students Association of Nigeria, in his private office, in Abuja.

According to him, it is wrong to canvass for military intervention, because the nation was going through a right patch.

Clark, during a recent interview on TV, asked Buhari to hand over to the military since he was incapable of securing the lives and property of Nigerians.

I watched on a national television one of your very senior colleagues, Chief Roberts Clark. I was shocked when I saw him calling on the president to hand over to the military.

I thought that was the height of irresponsibility, given his knowledge, given his age and a very senior member of the bar, and what is it that he wanted? He wants a military that will restructure Nigeria.

It is again for me senseless, because the structure as it is today, who put it in place? Who overthrew the parliamentary system?

The parliamentary system was overthrown by the military, that is on record. Who created 12 states from the four regions by decree? It was the military. The current 36 states and FCT who created it by military decree? It is the military, Oshiomhole said.
DEAR ABBY: While shopping with a friend recently, I was put in an awkward situation in regard to a store discount. Having served in the military, I qualify for a discount at that particular store. She was aware of that discount, and while she was at the checkout lane, she yelled at me, Hey, you! Whats your phone number for your military discount?

We are both retired and living on one income, although I am married and live on my husbands pension. Shes retired from a job in the medical field, owns her home and shows up conveniently at friends homes for coffee and food.

I was so dumbfounded at her request for the number that I gave it to her. Im uncomfortable going shopping with her now. I havent addressed it with her, and I have tried to avoid any shopping trips with her since that incident. It feels like shes stealing my valor since my husband and I served in the military. Am I too easily offended? -- RETIRED IN ALASKA

DEAR RETIRED: Im glad you mentioned valor in your letter because its time for you to summon up some more. Unless you want this person to continue taking advantage of you, set her straight. She is not entitled to the discount, and you must learn to refuse if and when she puts you in that position again.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips.

** ** **

DEAR ABBY: My ex-husband always had a difficult relationship with his family. I never understood and would force him to call them on holidays, birthdays and special occasions. We divorced after he had an affair. It was ugly at the start, but we are civil now.

Following the divorce, COVID and some bad decisions on his part, he has lost everything. Hes now homeless and lives in his car or at motels. The other day he came to me desperate. I took him out of the cold for a while, fed him and dropped him off at a friends. I then reached out to his family to tell them about how bad he is doing. I didnt even get to tell them before they cut me off saying they have washed their hands of him because of his bad decisions.

My ex isnt perfect, but although he never did anything to his family like he did to me, they are punishing him for that. Should I reach out to them again and tell them he needs them now more than ever, or should I just let it go like he told me to years ago? -- EX WITH A HEART

DEAR EX: If you think it will soften their hearts, contact them once more and tell them that you have forgiven him for the hurt he caused you and suggest they stop punishing him for it. However, its entirely possible that some of your exs other bad decisions may have affected his relatives. If thats the case, let the matter drop. Remember, theres a difference between being softhearted and softheaded, and he must solve his own problems without you being dragged back in.

** ** **

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.

** ** **

For everything you need to know about wedding planning, order How to Have a Lovely Wedding. Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Wedding Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

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Atlantic Citys top casino has dropped its lawsuit against a rival it accused of poaching key executives and attempting to steal valuable trade secrets.

MGM Resorts International, which owns the Borgata, said in a statement Friday it has dropped its litigation against Atlantic Citys Ocean Casino Resort, following a settlement agreed to by both parties.

A court filing gave no details of the terms of the agreement other than that it was reached amicably.

Ocean has denied any wrongdoing.

But MGM Resorts said in a statement that, Ocean has agreed to honor Borgatas restrictive covenants, including its non-compete, non-solicitation and confidentiality provisions that are designed to protect Borgatas trade secrets.

Ocean would only say it is glad the matter has been resolved.

In a lawsuit filed last August, the Borgata, which is owned by MGM Resorts, accused its rival Ocean of poaching a half-dozen of its top marketing executives in an attempt to cripple it by using secret details about its best and most profitable customers.

At particular issue was a cellphone one of the executives was said to have taken with him from Borgata to Ocean, containing priceless information on Borgatas top customers  including their personal cellphone numbers, gambling preferences, likes and dislikes including favorite foods and beverages, how much the casino might be willing to discount large losses for them, and instances in which the casino might change the rules of some games for these players.

A judge later ordered the cellphone returned to the Borgata.

The lawsuit claimed one of the former Borgata executives oversaw that casinos highest-level customers: those who spent $1.5 million to $4 million per visit. Collectively, these customers were worth at least $25 million a year to the Borgata, which would use its corporate jet to fly them to events, and to and from the casino.

The Borgata continues to lead the nine-casino market. But the lawsuit paints Ocean as indisputably Borgatas direct and primary competitor for high-level casino customers in Atlantic City  an assertion that might raise a few eyebrows over at the Hard Rock casino.

Ocean is the former Revel casino, which shut down in 2014 after little more than two years of operation during which it never came close to making a profit. But having reopened in 2018 under the Ocean brand, and currently owned by New York hedge fund Luxor Capital, the casino has turned things around and improved its standing in the Atlantic City market. It ranked fifth among the nine casinos in terms of total revenue in 2020, although the Borgata still takes in nearly three times what Ocean does.
With the three COVID-19 vaccines now readily available for anyone over the age of 16, many universities in New Jersey are requiring their students to be vaccinated before the start of the 2021-22 school year.

Everyone in New Jersey age 16 and older became eligible for a vaccine on April 19 and many sites across the state are now accepting walk-ins for those who wish to get one, prompting several university officials to mandate vaccinations for students who live on campus or attend in-person classes.

The following universities have announced that they will require students who live on campus to be vaccinated:

Drew University: Students who take online only courses are exempt, with the private school in Madison to consider other medical and religious exceptions, the school said in a statement. Drew officials were still considering whether or not vaccines will be required from faculty and staff members.

Fairleigh Dickinson University: The university said it will require all students who attend either the Metropolitan or Florham campus to be fully vaccinated before the fall semester begins. This will include all students who will be on campus to live, attend classes, or engage in any in-person activities.

Georgian Court University: All residential students will need to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to moving in this fall, a university spokeswoman told NJ Advance Media this week. The university has partnered with Walmart to host a pop-up vaccine clinic on campus on May 10 that will be open to students, faculty, staff, and the public. The university president will be first in line to receive it, the spokeswoman said.

Kean University: All students must submit a vaccination record to the university that shows they are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by Aug. 31 to attend in-person classes in the fall. Most fall Kean courses will be held in-person, so students who remain unvaccinated will not have access to campus facilities and should consider transitioning to online courses, the university president said.

Montclair State University: The school said the only exceptions will be for medical or religious reasons. Students enrolled in fully online programs that offer no on-campus instruction, activities, or services also do not need to be vaccinated.

New Jersey City University: Students taking in-person classes will be required to show proof of immunization, the university president said.

New Jersey Institute of Technology: The university will require both students and employees to be administered the coronavirus vaccine.

Princeton University: The Ivy League schools requirement applies to its nearly 7,800 students, including undergraduates, graduate students and international students. But, some exceptions will be made.

Rider University: Rider University will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled for the fall 2021 semester, a release from the school stated. The requirement applies to all students who are enrolled or will otherwise be present on campus for any reason. Students enrolled in fully online degree programs who do not physically come to campus will not require vaccination.

Rowan University: Rowan University students who live in on-campus housing, affiliated housing or attend in-person classes will be required to be vaccinated, unless they are able to opt out in accordance with guidelines for the emergency use authorization of the current vaccines, Rowan University President Ali A. Houshmand announced Thursday. Full-time students who show proof of vaccination before Aug. 7 will receive a $500 credit to their fall 2021 course registration bill and those who live on campus will receive another $500 credit to their housing bill, the university president said.

Rutgers University: The 71,000-student university will allow medical and religious exemptions as it does for other mandatory vaccines, said Antonio Calcado, the universitys executive vice president and chief operating officer. But Rutgers will otherwise require the vaccine even if some students are largely learning remotely in the fall, he said.

Stevens Institute of Technology: The private Hoboken college will require students, faculty and staff to receive a COVID-19 vaccination before returning to campus this fall.

Stockton University: All students must submit complete vaccination documentation to Student Health Services at least two weeks prior to arrival on campus, but no later than Aug. 1, unless they have a medical or religious exemption, officials said.

The College of New Jersey: The college announced Friday that it will require all students to get the COVID-19 vaccine for the fall semester.

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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
New cases of the coronavirus have dropped significantly over the past two weeks.

Statewide, there were 9.5 new cases of COVID-19 per 10,000 residents for the week of April 29-May 5. Thats a 59% decline from two weeks ago, when the state added 23.1 cases per 10,000.

New case numbers were not available last week, as a statistical correction by the state left a number of counties showing a negative number of cases added for the week in NJ Advance Medias tracking.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

The largest number of new cases per capita came in Salem County, which added 17.2 cases per 10,000 residents. They were joined in the top five by Gloucester County (13.9 new cases per 10,000 residents), Sussex County (13.4), Camden County (13.3), and Cumberland County (12.6).

On the low end, Hunterdon County added the fewest new cases at 6.9 per 10,000 people. They were one of 12 counties to show a new case total of fewer than 10 per 10,000 residents.

Is the map not displaying? Click here.

The low numbers reflect a recent drop in the seven-day average for new cases per 100,000 per day. After peaking at 46.76 on April 1 in the current wave of the coronavirus, the figure sat at 14.72 on Thursday.

New Jersey added 880 new cases on Monday, the first time that total has dropped under 1,000 in more than six months.

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Nick Devlin is a reporter on the data & investigations team. He can be reached at ndevlin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @nickdevlin.
Since the coronavirus first appeared in New Jersey last March, wreaking deadly havoc in every corner of the state, one phrase kept being uttered regularly, a seemingly magical yet nebulous two-word goal: Herd immunity.

Its a point when a community reaches protection from an infectious disease because a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to infection through vaccination or previous illness. Only when we reach that point can we truly get back to our old way of life.

The problem: reaching herd immunity across the state may never happen, according to public health experts. Even as vaccinations in New Jersey are being doled out at breakneck speeds  more than 3.2 million people, or 48% of the states 6.9 million adults, are fully vaccinated as of Thursday  it still likely wont be enough.

A combination of factors most likely will prevent New Jersey from the threshold, the experts said, including: researchers arent certain how transmissible COVID-19 variants are in fully vaccinated people; its not known exactly how long vaccinations or previous infections offer immunity from the virus; and a significant portion of residents appear to be refusing to get vaccinated.

As long as you have multiple uncertainties, getting to herd immunity is something Im not betting on, because I dont know how the uncertainties are going to play out, said Daniel Varga, the chief physician executive at Hackensack Meridian Health.

The other complicating factor is no one knows what percentage of the population needs to be protected to reach herd immunity. Some experts initially estimated it could be achieved with roughly 70% vaccinated or previously infected. But predictions still vary wildly and change almost month to month.

Its all speculation, said Brian L. Strom, the chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. There are some diseases, you can do at 60%, 70% or 90%. But we dont know for this disease.

Many now are switching focus from the idea of reaching herd immunity to preparing society to live with COVID long-term.

Realistically, this is a disease were going to need to learn to coexist with, Strom said. Its not going to go away.

That means being nimble and able to adjust on the fly to emerging cases or hot spots, keeping masks handy in crowded spaces or during cold and flu season for months, if not years, and working coronavirus vaccine shots into our regular, annual health routines.

Social distancing outdoors, and especially indoors, and proof of vaccination to gain entrance into private venues also are realistic possibilities, the experts said. Some school districts could still temporarily close when cases pop up, and remote working could linger for years.

Its pretty clear that coronavirus is going to be part of our future for quite some time, said Martin J. Blaser, director of the Rutgers Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine. But the more people who get vaccinated, the smaller a part of our future its going to be.

Can we still reach the coveted threshold?

All hope of reaching herd immunity in New Jersey is not lost, some experts still believe. But many have taken stock of the uncertainties surrounding the virus and surmised that crossing the threshold will be increasingly challenging, if not impossible.

Already, several prominent COVID-19 variants have emerged, and although initial research indicates vaccinations provide some level of protection against them, more variants are likely to pop up, and some could be vaccine-resistant, experts said.

With these variants, we keep upping the proposed proportion to reach herd immunity, said George DiFerdinando Jr., chair of the Princeton Board of Health. A year ago, people were saying it was 60% or 70%. Now were up to 80%. If its 80%, well know it when it happens.

The most recent data in New Jersey are providing a glimmer of hope. The states transmission rate fell Tuesday to a record-low 0.27; the previous low was 0.60 last May, when residents were still in near-lockdown. (Any number under 1 indicates the outbreak is slowing and each new case is leading to less than one additional case.)

As of Thursday, 4.6 million New Jerseyans have had at least one vaccine shot. Another 160,084 New Jersey residents have been vaccinated out of state.

Nationally, more than 110 million Americans, or 33% of the population, have been fully vaccinated. Public health experts also said this week its unlikely the U.S. overall reaches herd immunity, according to a report by the New York Times.

The pandemic is nosediving in New Jersey, Strom said. Were certainly nowhere near what would be conventional herd immunity. But the drop in cases, hospitalizations and transmission rate is wonderful. It means the pandemic is rapidly shrinking.

The drastic reductions in cases and rates have occurred even despite vaccine hesitancy, anti-vaxxers and new COVID variants. Its another encouraging sign for snuffing out the virus  eventually.

Right now, what were doing is working, Varga said. The degree that New Jersey has hit the vaccine bandwagon has made all the difference.

If New Jersey has an outside shot at herd immunity, it will need to continue pushing to get shots to people in underserved or densely populated areas where residents lack access to vaccines. Also, it will have to convince a portion of the states anti-vaxxers or the vaccine hesitant to get their doses, experts said.

Over time, experts believe the state can make even more headway as people witness the effectiveness of the vaccines.

Its my prediction that over time, when people are still dying and it turns out theyre all unvaccinated, that more and more people will say, You know, I think I will get vaccinated, Blaser said.

Glass half empty or full?

So, what does New Jersey look like without reaching herd immunity?

Experts say it likely will lie somewhere in between the current state of affairs and our pre-pandemic world. But no one knows for sure.

Most experts believe masking will be here to stay for the foreseeable future, especially in crowded spaces, indoors, during cold and flu season and potentially even on public transit or in some office buildings. Even if the state government eliminates a mask mandate at some point, some places of businesses could still require them indoors, experts said.

Another way of life that could be different is the possibility of controversial vaccine passports. Most experts believe the federal government will not mandate showing proof of vaccination, and already the idea has been met by fierce pushback from people who dont want the government to interfere with their lives. Even so, private companies and venues could still require them.

In fact, versions of this already exist, experts said. The United States requires a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery for all incoming international travelers, including U.S. citizens. And Rutgers University, Montclair State University and New Jersey City University all will require students to be vaccinated against the coronavirus before returning to school for the fall semester.

As to the question of whether the entire notion of herd immunity was overstated or if it was ever going to be the silver bullet that public health officials initially suggested, experts said it was hard to predict an outcome due to the once-in-a-lifetime nature of the pandemic and the novel virus.

But the concept was not without precedent: In the U.S., smallpox and polio have both been eradicated because of vaccination. Smallpox was around for centuries before it was stamped out in North America in 1952, and the polio vaccine helped eliminate that disease in the 1970s.

The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 ended by the summer of the next year  not through vaccination, but because those who were infected either died or developed immunity.

Other viruses like influenza have not been able to be eliminated through vaccination. Thats why some experts believe COVID ultimately will be treated similarly to the flu with annual inoculations. Others say its possible COVID continues mutating and becomes less potent, until it resembles the common cold.

Still, many researchers are optimistic that even without herd immunity, the U.S. will be able to manage the virus and significantly reduce its lethalness, even if it lingers for years to come.

Is the glass half empty or half full? Blaser said. I think the glass is going to be mostly full. Im hopeful that a year from now things are going to look much more like they did in 2019. But I dont think theyll be exactly the same.

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Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
It was the only school district in New Jersey where students attended high school in New York, and the arrangement lasted for 85 years.

Now a plan to resume sending students from Montague to Port Jervis High School has collapsed, seven years after the rural K-8 district in New Jerseys northwestern corner switched to High Point Regional High School in Wantage.

The Montague school board has rescinded a request to the New Jersey education commissioner, unanimously approved by the same board under different membership in October 2019, and will keep sending students to High Point.

It is the latest and perhaps final twist in a debate that has endured for decades in Montague, the only New Jersey municipality bordering both New York and Pennsylvania. Supporters of Port Jervis cited the promise of reduced costs and the incentive of qualifying for reduced, in-state college tuition rates in both New York and New Jersey, while advocates for High Point said they preferred keeping students in their home state.

Montague school board president Barbara Holstein joined four other board members  all five were seated in the past 16 months  in voting April 28 to withdraw from seeking a return to Port Jervis. Two others were opposed.

This has been a long, long, long time coming, said Holstein, who lost re-election in 2013 after joining the then-board majority in approving the switch to High Point.

She regained her seat in January.

High Point Regional opened in 1966, nearly three decades after Montague began sending students to Port Jervis. Of High Points 889 students, a total of 82 are from Montague.

High Point Regional High SchoolRob Jennings / NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Voting to stick with High Point was not the only consequential decision at the April 28 meeting in Montague. The same five school board members approved placing Montague Superintendent Timothy Capone, hired on 2017, on paid leave  a decision that Holstein, citing employee privacy, declined to discuss.

Capone could not be reached for comment.

The five board members also voted to withdraw from a lawsuit, filed last fall, in which Montague accused High Points school board, superintendent and board attorney of trying to sabotage the Port Jervis application  a charge denied by High Point.

Montague agreed in November 2018 to pay more than $200,000 to High Point to resolve litigation over disputed special education tuition costs, but in return High Point agreed not to oppose any effort by Montague to send its students elsewhere.

In July, then-High Point school board president William Kehoe told the state education department that losing the $16,368-per-student tuition fees from Montague, in conjunction with decreasing state aid, could lead to fewer teaching jobs and classes at the school  among the details included by Montague in its now-withdrawn lawsuit.

One of the two dissenting school board members, Jennifer VanNess, quit the board at the end of last weeks meeting.

I resigned in disgust and disappointment, VanNess told NJ Advance Media, adding that her concerns with the boards direction had been escalating for several months.

State education department spokesperson Michael Yaple said Friday that it had been notified of the reversal and that the matter is concluded. The department had agreed, not long after Holstein and a second supporter of High Point took office four months ago, to hold off on any decision.

The city of Port Jervis offers a contrast to Montague. It has more than twice as many residents, 8,595, but is less than 6% of Montagues land size. Port Jervis is slightly more diverse, with white people making up 74% of the population, compared to 93% in Montague.

Montague is home to 3,681 and among the states most remote municipalities, covering more than 45 square miles but without a single traffic light. Until expanding the Montague Township School building several years ago, it sent students in 7th and 8th grades to Port Jervis Middle school.

Holstein acknowledged the longstanding ties between Montague and Port Jervis, stating, Admittedly, our community is very tight with the city of Port Jervis.

The relationship drew its first serious challenge in the 1990s, when a group of Montague residents filed a lawsuit arguing that the arrangement was in violation of the New Jersey Constitution. They claimed that the Montague students were subject to different standards than those in New Jersey, and that it amounted to taxation without representation because they did not get a vote in Port Jervis school matters. A judge ruled against them.

Holstein maintained that, in her view, High Point offers a better education. She said her 19-year-old daughter, now in the U.S. Marines, graduated from High Point in 2019.

I believe that our children should be educated in New Jersey. I have always maintained that publicly, and I would continue to do so, Holstein said at the meeting.

Montague school board member Glen Plotsky, the boards president until four months ago, joined VanNess in voting against withdrawing the Port Jervis application.

The Montague Elementary School on Route 206, which enrolls students from kindergarten through eighth grade, in Montague, Feb. 15, 2020Rob Jennings / NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Plotsky, at the meeting, said an agreement could have been reached giving parents an option.

I understand many people in the audience, and otherwise, are interested in sending their children to High Point, Plotsky said.

The arrangement that we were attempting to negotiate would have been a send-receive with the Port Jervis city school district, but would have allowed for (childrens parent to choose)  or where the children themselves chose, with their parents consent  to attend schools in New Jersey, Plotsky said.

It was the opportunity to give them choice, he added.

Holstein disagreed, arguing that specific placements in New Jersey districts would not have been guaranteed under the Port Jervis agreement.

The High Point arrangement ensures every student in our district a guaranteed seat in their New Jersey state of residence, Holstein said.

If Port Jervis wanted to make an arrangement privately with people, thats their business, Holstein said.

Port Jervis school board president Deborah Lasch and the citys schools superintendent, Michael Rydell, did not respond to requests for comment.

The current High Point school board president, Wayne Dunn, said Tuesday he is encouraged about the potential of further solidifying the relationship with Montague.

For many years now, Montague students have enjoyed the benefits of attending High Point Regional High School and they have truly become an integral part of our school family. High Point remains open to discussing new avenues of cooperation with Montague and is very hopeful that the current boards of both districts will be able to move past former disagreements to jointly accomplish great things for our communities, Dunn said.

Holstein said the next school board meeting in Montague will feature a discussion of the districts future plans.

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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
Every night in her dreams, shed see it  shed feel it.

Even Kate Winslet was not immune to the charms of Wawa.

The Oscar-winning British actor had heard much about the mythical convenience store in the course of working on the HBO series Mare of Easttown.

The show, set in Delaware County, Pennsylvania (despite the real Easttown being in Chester County), filmed in several local towns.

In fact, Winslet had built up the place in her mind so much that when she finally stepped foot in one of the convenience stores, the experience was something akin to crossing through the pearly gates  only there were Tastykakes and coffee instead of angels playing harps.

Winslet, an executive producer of the series, adopted a hoagie and wooder ice-inflected Delco accent to star as local detective Mare Sheehan. The regional flourishes are as key to the hard-boiled, driven character as her incessant vaping and knowledge of just about everyone in her community.

It was up there with the hardest accents Ive ever done, in the top three for sure, Winslet, 45, said at a virtual panel, as reported by IndieWire. Its one of only two dialects in my life that made me throw things  that and the dialogue that they made me do in the movie about Steve Jobs.

Kate Winslet as Det. Mare Sheehan in HBO's "Mare of Easttown." The Oscar winner embraces a Delco accent in the series.Michele K. Short | HBO

Winslet told the Los Angeles Times podcast The Envelope that she didnt want to veer into caricature with the accent. She worked with recordings of real Delco locals, like teacher Trish Lauria from Drexel Hill, who she would listen to in the car on her way to work every day. Her goal was to have the accent disappear entirely during the performance  be present, but not conspicuously so.

Its pretty hard not to hear a Delco dialect, though, let me tell you, Winslet said.

And even if Winslet didnt exactly have vivid dreams about Wawa, she was utterly enchanted by the place.

It almost felt like a mythical place, Wawa, the actor told the Los Angeles Times. And so by the time I got there, I was like, Oh, its real! It was like Lapland, she said, laughing. Walking into a Wawa was kind of an honor in a funny way because to me, that was the heart of Delco. To finally walk through the door of a Wawa, I felt like, Ah, yes, Im here! I belong! This is where its at! Wawa.

When prompted to make Wawa recommendations, Winslet said she only partook of the coffee.

I did just like hanging out in there, she said.

Her co-star, Evan Peters, who plays a county detective in the series, was a big fan of stuffing himself to the gills with a Gobbler (then passing out).

It was this gigantic sub, basically  or hoagie  and its like turkey and the stuffing, Winslet said, describing the holiday-themed concoction. Its basically a Thanksgiving meal in a hoagie.

In the series, created by Brad Igelsby, who grew up in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Sheehan has to contend with two tough investigations in her hometown, including the death of a teen mother.

The cast and crew of Mare of Easttown had to stop filming in March 2020 because of COVID-19. Production resumed in September.

Winslet shadowed police in Pennsylvania for several months  including law enforcement in the real Easttown  in preparation for the role. To further immerse herself in her surroundings, Winslet also subscribed to the Delco Times and read the local news every day.

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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup on Twitter.
A group of scholars and curators is calling on The Newark Museum of Art to reconsider auctioning off a historic painting to help curb a $6 million revenue loss during the pandemic.

The 1846 Arch of Nero painting by Thomas Cole is slated to go to auction on May 19 and is estimated to go for $500,000 to $700,000. The museum  which has been closed throughout most of the pandemic and has not yet reopened  plans to auction 17 pieces, including those by Georgia OKeeffe and Thomas Moran.

Now, more than 50 scholars and curators from around the nation are imploring leadership at the museum to sell less prominent pieces than the Cole. They sent a letter on Friday to Newark Museum of Art Director and CEO Linda Harrison.

By monetizing this and other works, you and your trustees are inflicting irreparable damage to your recently re-named museum of art and to the broader fields of history, art history, and American history, the letter said. We beseech you to cancel the self-diminishment and monetization of Newarks art. Welcome The Arch of Nero and the other paintings and sculpture back into your collection

Harrison said mid-19th century landscape paintings are a highlight of the museums American collection. The pieces that were selected for auction were chosen for many different reasons, including redundancy.

The influence of Europe on American culture is an extremely well-told story at The Newark Museum of Art and museums around the country, and we will still be able to share extraordinary examples and tell those stories going forward, Harrison said in a statement.

At the start of the pandemic, the Association of Art Museum Directors eased regulations to allow museums to use proceeds from the sale of art for collection care costs, including salaries. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, in a controversial move, has also started selling art to stay afloat.

One letter signor was William Coleman, who was a curator of The Newark Museum of Arts American collection from about 2017 to 2019 under a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. The painting has been part of the American collection since it was first purchased by the museum in the 1950s, he said.

It depicts a now-lost structure in Italy that was dedicated to the Roman emperor, Nero. The painting has rarely been put into storage at the museum since it was acquired, Coleman said.

Cole painted it at the height of his artistic prowess toward the end of his life. The piece could be interpreted as a juxtaposition between the decadence in the Roman Empire and the moral decline America was facing in 1848 over slavery just before the Civil War, Coleman explained.

It is helping this museum speak to the present and the future, Coleman said.

Harrison, who became director of the Newark museum in 2018, said thinking about the future of the museum also requires reconsidering the past. The museum is now looking to ensure that as many voices are represented in its collections as well.

For our Museum, with its 112-year history, we need to cast a critical eye on outdated and harmful narratives that have hung in our galleries without enough questions being asked, Harrison said. From here, we look toward righting previous misrepresentations and ensuring that as many voices as possible are heard.

Our focus is to be a modern art institution that is an agent of change for diversity and inclusion in our community, state and nation.

The Newark Museum of Art has been closed throughout most of the pandemic, but there are plans underway to partially reopen by June. The museum lost $6 million in revenue during the pandemic, saw reduced donations and admissions were greatly impacted, Harrison said.

The museum has 130,000 holdings and the 17 pieces of artwork slated for auction represent a small portion of what it has. The museums curators identified pieces of artwork to be sold based on physical condition, depth of holdings, redundancy or attribution, collection fit and capacity for storage.

Proceeds from the sale of deaccessioned work will go to a permanent fund that supports the ongoing and long-term care of the museums collections, Harrison said.

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Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com.
The vacant ground floor space of a prominent Asbury Park building where President Woodrow Wilson put in summer officer hours will be reoccupied as a pub run by a local celebrity chef after its predecessors closed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Black Swan Public House will open in the Byrum Building at the corner of Mattison Avenue and Emory Street, formerly the site of Modine, said the new pubs chef and owner James Avery.

Averys existing eatery in Asbury Park, the Bonney Read chowder house on Cookman Avenue, has been a hit since opening in 2015.

The target is to be open by Fourth of July, said Avery, a friend of the notoriously hot-tempered host of Foxs Hells Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay, and a repeat guest on the restaurant reality series.

Averys plans for the pub, previously reported by The Asbury Park Press, are consistent with his taste for no-nonsense formats.

Im a purest, he told NJ Advance Media in an interview this week. I love doing old concepts. Like, the Bonney Read is a very simple, straightforward chowder house. You know, theres not a lot of bells and whistles to it. But we do it really well. So, that was kind of the inspiration.

Growing up on the Jersey Shore I just love pubs. I love Irish pubs, I love Irish food. You know, corned beef, I love shepherds pie, said Avery, a 40-year-old Manasquan resident of Irish descent, whose tattoo collection is still growing. Typically, Irish pubs in America, they have nachos and penne vodka. Its all over the place.

But, he added, I dont want to call it an Irish Pub, or anything really, just because if you were to go to England or Ireland, you would just go to the pub. And I feel like a lot of times, when you call things an Irish pub theres an expectation that theres going to be shamrocks on the walls and loud music. And I really want to be authentic and true to what it is over in Europe.

What it will be in Asbury Park is a 5,000-square foot establishment with separate bar and restaurant areas, with indoor seating for 150 plus additional outdoor tables wrapping around the buildings rounded corner facade on its Mattison Avenue and Emory Street sides.

The fare will include anglophilean staples like shepherds pie, fish n chips, curried chicken, and burgers, along with Guinness and a modest variety of other stouts, porters and ales that should be familiar to most Yanks.

The Black Swan, a traditional pub name thats also a literal reference to the darker waterfowl of nearby Deal Lake, will fill a year-long vacancy left by the Modine, a southern-themed restaurant that closed last June a little over two years after opening. An upscale seafood restaurant, Fish, had occupied the space before that. New Jersey chef David Burke briefly operated a pop-up eatery, Asbury Kitchen, after Modines owners folded its napkins for the last time, though they continue to operate Talulas, a popular pizzeria on Cookman Avenue.

Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sylvia Sylvia-Cioffi said having a new tenant in such a key location was positive in its own right. But beyond that, having yet another contribution by Avery to Asbury Parks food scene was doubly exciting. And if any restaurateur can successfully open a new venue during a pandemic, she added, its Avery.

Theres nothing he cant do, Sylvia-Cioffi said. Im so thrilled.

The site is at the base of the Byrum Building, a five-story Romanesque fortress of limestone blocks and arched doorways, originally built as a 3-story structure in 1886, before two additional stories were added in the same style and materials following a fire 30 years later, according to National Parks Service records accompanying the Asbury Park Historic Commercial Districts placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

The building gained fame as the White House Summer Executive Offices in 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson and his wife resided in nearby Long Branch, the Park Service states, in a reference to the Byram Building and to Long Branchs oceanfront colony of Elberon, the summer retreat of several U.S. presidents.

The ground floors earliest occupants included a post office and the Asbury Park Trust Company, a bank that was part of the Asbury Park financial district that provided the capital for much of the surrounding shore regions development from the late 19th and to the mid-20th Century, according to the Parks Department.

The building was converted to 18 condominiums by Sackman Enterprises, an Asbury Park-based real estate company that still owns the ground floor space where the Black Swan will be located. The company did not respond to a request for comment, and Avery declined to discuss the length or terms of his lease.

He said the Byrum Buildings age, its solid look and feel, and its location in a high-traffic area in Asbury Parks downtown restaurant and retail district made it a natural setting for a pub, which he said would better exploit the opportunity for walk-in traffic than its predecessors.

That building just lends itself, Avery said. I love architecture, I love old-world, I love those types of buildings. And when I look at that building Ive said in the last six years walking past it, since Ive had the Bonney Read, its been three restaurants, you had Fish, you had Modine, and you had David Burke. And every time I walked by it Id scratch my head and say, How come nobodys making that a pub?

Chef and restaurateur James Avery at his Asbury Park chowder house, the Bonney Read, in 2017. Avery plans to open a pub, the Black Swan, around the corner by July 4th.NJ Advance Media file photo

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Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com.
Jenna DeLorenzi has always been a hands-on restaurant owner. Shes used to jumping in and helping out her front-of-the-house staff at the Mulberry House in Westfield. But now, as dining ramps back up and restaurants face a massive staffing shortage, the 90-hour work weeks are becoming too much.

Sometimes it just takes over your life, and before you know it, a year has passed, DeLorenzi told NJ Advance Media. Youre just mentally, physically, emotionally strained, and it just weighs on you.

With Mothers Day this weekend, restaurants are readying for one of springs biggest dining holidays, perhaps one of the final laps around the pandemics seemingly endless circular track and a critical test for the industrys rocky reopening.

Weve been preparing now for weeks, so were going to be ready to go, DeLorenzi said. Its going to be a crazy day and its going to fly by, and I cant wait for Monday.

Ahead of the holiday, a family favorite for decadent French toast brunches or fancy candlelit dinners, owners are struggling to staff their eateries.

They fear that kitchen and service staff have found new jobs after being laid off early in the pandemic or are simply earning too much on unemployment to motivate them to work for equal or less.

Employers and labor experts say the worker shortage issue is complex and goes beyond unemployment payments. Other reasons may be safety concerns because of COVID or lack of child care.

And, as New Jersey ups its reopening guidelines again  restaurants can expand from 50% capacity to 100% as long as tables are still spaced six feet apart, starting May 19 owners face a confusing math equation, juggling variables of floor space, labor and increasing demand after a year of meager profits.

Everything is so hand-to-mouth, Im afraid to overstaff, John Ropelski Jr., owner of &grain in Garwood, told NJ Advance Media. I dont know what to do with staffing.

Clearly, now is not an easy time to own a restaurant  so, as diners flood back into restaurants for much-needed family celebrations this weekend, restauranteurs have a few tips for patrons, many of whom are starting to eat out again for the first time in over a year (and may need a refresher on pandemic dining etiquette).

Tip well

As NJ Advance Medias food writer Jeremy Schneider wrote last June, restaurant workers are dealing with much less business than normal and putting their health at risk to serve you. You should be tipping 20% all the time. During a pandemic? Theres no excuse.

I feel like everybody in the world should work as a tipped person in a restaurant for a month, just so they can understand, Ropelski Jr. said.

If youre still having trouble digging out your wallet, Schneider advises: Think of it as hazard pay. Or a welcome back gift.

Make reservations intentionally

Before you submit that reservation on OpenTable, make sure that it suits your needs. Asking to switch tables or making too many special requests puts an undue burden on an already overburdened staff.

Every time you need to move a guest because theyre unhappy  they thought they wanted to be outside cause theyre still scared to dine inside, but they see that the restaurant looks safe and then they decide they want to be inside because its freezing  and then the amount of time it takes to sanitize, wash every glass, put out new linens, change your sections, Neilly Robinson, owner of Heirloom Kitchen in Old Bridge, told NJ Advance Media. Everything that we do takes a lot of intention, time, consideration.

Call ahead of time if you need info about the heated patio. View the restaurants menu prior to dining to see if theyre not offering a certain item, instead of demanding to know why theyre not serving the chicken right now.

And, definitely vacate your table when staff ask you to go. Those 90-minute time limits are key to restaurants flipping enough tables and earning a profit, so know how long youre allowed to dine before you book.

Respect COVID guidelines

This one should go without saying: restaurant owners dont set COVID-19 guidelines. If you have an issue, take it up with Gov. Murphy.

But keep your gripes about distancing or mask-wearing in restaurants to yourself.

Cant go in, cant sit outside, gotta be closed at a certain time, why cant I have a real dish if Im outside, its cold out can I come inside, why are you closed  just ridiculous questions, Ann Gauthier, owner of Shut Up and Eat in Toms River, told NJ Advance Media about the complaints customer would incessantly lob back in March.

Owners say diners often forego their masks while walking around the restaurant or to the bathroom, putting staff in an uncomfortable position of enforcing the rules.

There are people that arent vaccinated  just because you feel comfortable somebody else might not, Ropelski Jr. said. Its about respecting everybody else. These are the guidelines that are given and just respecting that.

Be patient

Between new staff, updated reopening guidelines and a dramatic change in demand, restaurants are constantly adapting as they go.

Keep that in mind and be understanding about longer-than-expected wait times, limited changes, time limits, COVID rules and any other pandemic changes.

Bear with us, Ropelski Jr. said. Its going to be a transition. There might be waits, there might be errors, because were training people on the fly.

If these simple acts of common courtesy are heeded, restaurants can get back to doing what they do best, owners said.

Were ready to get people to feel like theyre experiencing normalcy, were ready to dote on guests, were excited to be there for people right now, its important for celebratory occasions, people just looking for a moment to escape everything going on in the world, I think thats what restaurants can do for them right now, Robinson said.
Mexico City has been experiencing major problems with their water sustainability for over a century now, and this has finally put their city at a brink of crisis.

According to Science Alert, Mexico is sinking in an alarmingly fast rate. There is currently no hope for elevation as the lake bed beneath where the city sits have been sucked up over the years, causing the sediments it was built on to compress a lot more.

Due to the city's current environmental status, other problems have risen up along with its sinking soil and detrimental effects is very likely to happen to water security and infrastructures.

Mexico City then

Historically, Aztecs built Mexico in the middle of a lake that had formed in a volcanic crater. In 1519, the Spaniards took over and filled the lake with deep wells to bring water up from underground aquifers. This means centuries of water drainage and groundwater extraction had occurred since the beginning.

The growing population and urbanization have been factors to the land subsidence as well. The rising demand for water has put the aquifer beneath the city at a brink of collapsing. Eddie Bromhead, a geotechnical engineer at Kingston University told The Guardian in 2004 that the heavy buildings and shallow foundations, along with removing the water beneath, resulted the soil to compact.

Bromhead said they have made attempts to control water usage at the time, however the installation of pumping stations to draw water from rivers did not help that much as water demand had been increasing rapidly.

Also read: Nanotechnology May Start Big Leaps in Solving Worsening Pollution Crisis

Mexico City now

A recent study reported that Mexico City's land has been depressing at a rate of up to 50 centimeters a year, and data showed that the land subsidence is almost fully irreversible. Although the water drainage and groundwater drilling were discontinued in the 1950s, 115 years of leveling data and 24 years of GPS data showed the city's freefall is still roughly at the same rate.

In early 1900's, scientists had recorded Mexico's sinking rate to be 8 centimeters a year. It then jumped to 29 centimeters a year in 1958. This difference had encouraged the city to reduce the amount of water that could be brought up from wells in the city proper. Subsequently, the rate returned to less than 9 centimeters a year. However, after over 20 years, a consistent rate of up to 40 centimeters a year has been recorded which is considered to be an 'alarming and unstoppable rate'.

In the recent study, it was foreseen that it will take 150 years until clay sheets underneath Mexico City could eventually compress by 30 percent. As of today, Mexico is already at 17 percent.

While the sinking rate is not uniformed with other areas, researchers believe this will cause damage to infrastructures. Bromhead once said that the closest solution to preventing infrastructural damage was to replace badly founded buildings with better ones.

Lastly, the city would be at risk in terms of its water supply. As the clay underneath the city's soil sink and crack, this will become a source of a 'water pollution crisis'. Contamination within groundwater extraction wells would mean 70 percent of the city's drinking water to be at risk as well.

Also read: China's Plan to Build World's Biggest Hydroelectric Dam Hampered by Melting Glaciers
The Hudson County Prosecutors Office has charged a 16-year-old suspect with the murder of Benjamin Stone, a Jersey City fashion photographer who was found dead in his apartment last month.

The suspect, who has not been identified, has been charged with first-degree murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon. He was arrested yesterday afternoon at the prosecutors office.

Stone, 40, a well-known fashion photographer, was found dead by police at his Storms Avenue apartment on April 27 during a welfare check. A friend was said to have requested the check after Stone stopped responding to calls and texts.

Officials determined that Stones death was caused by blunt force trauma and ruled it a homicide earlier this week. Information about the date of Stones death, as well as the weapon used, has not been released.

James Stone, Benjamins father, said that learning of Benjamins death was the worst news you could get in your life.

I couldnt believe it, he said. I didnt want to believe it.

Everybody loved him, said Rachael Kloke, a lifelong friend of Stone. I think youd have a very difficult time finding somebody who had something negative to say about him.

Stone grew up in Deland, Florida. After graduating high school, he studied photography at Daytona Beach Community College and then moved to New York City, according to Kloke. He had been living in Jersey City for about five years.

According to his website, Stone was a photographer and retoucher whose clients included Vogue, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and PopSugar.

Michael Barbieri, who attended high school with Stone and maintained a friendship through adulthood, said his death was heart-wrenching.

Stone was the best photographer Ive known, and Ive worked with a lot of people, Barbieri said. Its going to be a loss to the fashion community.

A friend of Stone has created a GoFundMe to cover any financial responsibilities, i.e. funeral costs, lawyers, that would be involved with this heartbreaking situation. The page has raised more than $17,000 in just six days.

I am sitting here staring at this screen in shock, with no words to express such pure tragedy, one donor wrote. He was a singular, creative talent with a one of kind wit, a total joy to work with and be around.
Starting the end of May, Jersey City police officers will have their eyes on the citys closed-circuit television cameras, focusing on crime hotspots and known or suspected criminals.

The city is moving the CCTV unit away from civilians in the communications division, to police officers in investigative units on a full-time basis starting May 31, human resources deputy director Scott Carbone said in a letter to Julio Cordero, the president of the Jersey City Public Employees Union Local 246, and union lawyer Paul Mackey.

The officers already have access to CCTV cameras on their phones and computer monitors in their offices.

Carbone said in the letter that the Department of Public Safety and the police department have determined it would be more efficient to focus CCTV functions on observing known criminal hotspots and/or surveillance of known or suspected criminals, rather than simply viewing numerous CCTV feeds, which is what the current civilian CCTV unit is doing.

Having these specialized police officers access the CCTV feeds in real time has produced significant positive results in solving and preventing criminal activity ... Conversely, the civilians currently in the CCTV unit have provided very little assistance to the police officers with regard to these functions.

But, according to Cordero, police officers will be not be monitoring 24 hours a day. He said if police are favoring some areas, then others may be ignored.

Youre not going to have a cop just watching cameras, Cordero said. (The civilian CCTV unit) had a body for each district where they monitored multiple cameras, where police, they are going to be monitoring a specific camera or location but not the entire city.

City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione defended the citys decision.

The administrations complete overhaul of the previously antiquated CCTV system has added hundreds of cameras with upgraded technology that is now directly accessible to JCPD officers in real-time (via cell phones, tablets, etc.) so that they can utilize their training and intel more effectively and efficiently, which has already resulted in significantly more arrests, more guns recovered, more prosecutions of criminals, and the like, Wallace-Scalcione said.

Its unfortunate that the union would prefer to waste taxpayers money to maintain superfluous positions when each CCTV worker will be guaranteed a job within the Public Safety Department and guaranteed their salary.

The 16 members of the civilian unit will be transferred to other positions inside the Department of Public Safety and promoted to new titles, like public safety communicators. But most of the unit will have to pass a test to receive that position, Cordero said, while also noting that public safety communicators handle police calls.

No worker will lose their job or have their pay reduced, he said.

The city did not respond to The Jersey Journals request to interview Public Safety Director James Shea. Wallace-Scalcione did not respond to questions of how many cameras a CCTV worker oversees, nor did she give an exact number of active CCTV cameras in the city.

Cordero added he feels sorry for the employees, but the city is within its right to make the change as the city isnt saving money with the move, which the union could fight. He said the employees who complete their public safety communication training could see their salary go up by $2,000.

Not everybody is capable of passing the test, Cordero said. Not everyone is capable of handling the stress of, lets say, when somebody is yelling, screaming, crying, shots fired or my baby fell out of a window because some people clam up.
EDITORS NOTE: On May 20, NJ Cannabis Insider in collaboration with Advance Media New York hosts a virtual business networking event, featuring some of New York states most prominent industry leaders. Tickets are limited.

A cannabis company has opened its flagship medical marijuana dispensary in North Jersey, becoming the 17th in the state as buzz continues to grow around legal weed sales.

The Apothecarium, owned by the Canadian company TerrAscend, opened in Maplewood Friday afternoon. Its the companys second medical dispensary to open in New Jersey (the first opened in Phillipsburg in November), but TerrAscend hopes it will also serve the 21 and older market once legal weed sales begin.

We think that this is going to be one of the best supplied dispensaries in the state, said Greg Rochlin, head of TerrAscends northeast operations.

Gov. Phil Murphy in February signed a law that makes cannabis use legal for those 21 and older. But the Cannabis Regulatory Commission must still develop rules and regulations for the industry and license new dispensaries  a process that could take months.

The new Apothecarium dispensary is the companys largest East Coast store. Rochlin expects it to see a high demand from patients in densely populated Essex County  along with those 21 and older.

Supply has long been a problem in the medical marijuana program. The states 107,000 patients have just 17 dispensaries.

Medical dispensaries will likely get the first shot at selling to those 21 and older. But they must first certify they have enough cannabis for patients and an influx of new customers.

As new dispensaries open and marijuana cultivation sites ramp up production, they inch closer to that goal. TerrAscends cultivation site in Boonton Township began growing in December and is now ready to bring cannabis to the market.

The Apothecarium held a ribbon cutting on Friday, May 7, 2021 as it opened its second store in the state. (Jelani Gibson | NJ Advance Media)

At the Maplewood dispensary, the words High. Hello. Welcome. greet patients as they enter the lobby. Behind another door is a sleek, large dispensary room. Glass display cases show off products, and one table features a station where patients can smell different strains of cannabis on display.

Were progressive in many ways  and progressive in business, said Maplewood Mayor Frank McGehee.

He said the town did not push back against the opening of the medical dispensary, but that its too soon to say if Maplewood will ban any part of legal weed sales. Towns have until mid-August to decide if they want to pass ordinances blocking any part of the cannabis industry, from growing to selling.

McGehee called the new storefront a premium experience and high class establishment, noting it would help to serve local patients and even chip away at stigma surrounding cannabis. It added 17 jobs, many of them going to the towns residents after the company held a career fair at the local library.

TerrAscend plans to open a third dispensary in New Jersey this summer. The company has yet to announce the location.

But on Friday, TerrAscend celebrated this milestone, cutting a ribbon and letting a line of patients through the doors at noon.

Its been a lot of ups and downs and challenges to get here, but we got here, said Jason Wild, TerrAsecends executive chairman. In my view, this is going to be one of the top dispensaries in the country.

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Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj.
In all of Sidney Finkles 100 years, there arent many people hes met that he doesnt like.

I met a couple of people with guns I didnt like, he said recently, recounting wartime stories from the early 1940s, when Finkle enlisted and served as a Navy Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class during World War II. Outside that, there wasnt anybody I didnt like, he said. Everybodys nice.

The comments came at a ceremony last month when Finkle was presented with the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal (NJDSM) by Walter Nall, the states Acting Deputy Commissioner for Veterans Affairs. The outdoor event happened at Brandywine Living at Pennington where for the last seven years, the Trenton-born and raised veteran has been living with his wife of 72 years, Jean.

Jeans first cousin, Stan Saperstein, read aloud from the framed citation from Gov. Phil Murphy before Nall clasped the medal onto Finkles coat, pressing on his chest, then congratulating him with a hearty handshake and a, Congratulations, Sid.

Applause and cheers erupted from the assembled group.

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - Stan Saperstein, 2nd from right, reads the citation from NJ Governor Phil Murphy presented to 100-year-old World War II veteran Sidney Finkle, seated at left, next to his wife of 72 years, Jean.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - 100-year-old World War II veteran Sidney Finkle is congratulated by by Walter Nall, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Veterans Affairs at State of New Jersey, after he presented Finkle with the Distinguished Service Medal from the State of New Jersey Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - 100-year-old World War II veteran Sidney Finkle smiles for a selfie with former neighbor of 21 years, Lynn Lowe. Finkle received the Distinguished Service Medal from the State of New Jersey in a ceremony at Brandywine Living at Pennington, where her lives with his wife of 72 years, Jean.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - 100-year-old World War II veteran Sidney Finkle, left, chats with former next-door neighbor Teri Vacirca, right, following a ceremony where he received the Distinguished Service Medal from the State of New Jersey in a ceremony at Brandywine Living at Pennington. Others circled around from left are Lynne Lowe, Stan Saperstein, Cindy Saperstein, and Vito Vacirca. Finkle's wife of 72 years, Jean is seated next to Sid.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - In a reflection on a tablet computer screen, Grace Finkle, bottom and her husband, Jack Loeser, can be seen watching a ceremony where Grace's father, 100-year-old World War II veteran Sidney Finkle (seated next to his wife of 72 years, Jean) was awarded the Distinguished Service medal from the State of New Jersey. Jill Langone; Escapades Expert at Brandywine Living at Pennington, holds the tablet.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med

The couples daughter, Grace Finkle, and her husband live in North Carolina, but they were able to virtually attend the ceremony via teleconference on a tablet computer held by Brandywine staffer Jill Langone. Grace Finkle described how her father is so outgoing and welcoming to his fellow residents, that his nickname is The Mayor of Brandywine.

Former neighbors of the Finkles were among those physically present, including Lynn Lowe, a neighbor of 21 years in Ewing.

We come up here. We visit them, Lowe said. We bring them Easter goodies, Valentines Day gifts, just to remind them that we love them.

After the ceremony ended and Sid Finkle was back in the lobby, away from the spotlight, he recalled the war, and memories that brought with them strong emotions.

There were thousands, thousands of other people who went to war much worse than I was, he said. People that you never hear of anymore. They just disappeared. Remembering a particular friend of his that was wounded even while inside the expected safety of a tank, he emphatically stated, Nothing is indestructible.

I have many friends of mine Ill never see again, he said. With a wave of his hand, he started to explain more. Some of them I see... he said, his voice beginning to falter. Quickly standing up from his chair reaching for his walker, he tearfully finished the thought ...in my dreams.

But despite the painful memories, Finkle said he appreciated the opportunity to talk about them and receive the state honor.

Its been a lovely day.

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - A 100-year-old World War II veteran Sidney Finkle, who served in the U.S. Navy during WWII as an aviation ordinance man third class, receives the Distinguished Service Medal from the State of New Jersey Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - Detail of a citation from NJ Governor Phil Murphy and the Distinguished Service Medal from the State of New Jersey presented to Sidney Finkle, a 100-year-old World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Navy during WWII as an aviation ordinance man third class.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - Detail of the Distinguished Service Medal from the State of New Jersey presented to Sidney Finkle, a 100-year-old World War II veteran who served in the U.S. Navy during WWII as an aviation ordinance man third class.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - A 100-year-old World War II veteran Sidney Finkle, pictured in the present day and when he served in the U.S. Navy during WWII as an aviation ordinance man third class. He received the Distinguished Service Medal from the State of New Jersey.Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Med

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A Monmouth County Grand Jury indicted a Wall Township man Friday on charges that he killed his 6-week-old daughter, authorities said.

Austin Meli, 23 was charged with murder and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a statement from the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office.

Wall police responded to a home on March 9, 2019 for a reported unresponsive infant, and found the infant, identified only as G.B, who died a short time later at a hospital in Brick, the office said. Investigators said they learned Meli was caring for his daughter at the time.

An investigation revealed more details surrounding the incident and detectives determined the manner of the babys death to be a homicide, officials said.

On March 13, 2020 Meli was sentenced to 10 years in state prison for harming his 15-month-old son, A.B., in March 2019, the office previously said.

The abuse of Melis son was discovered the same time police were called to his to investigate the death of his daughter, authorities said. At the time, Meli was not charged for causing G.B.s death, but he was charged with abusing A.B.

In that case, Meli pleaded guilty to second-degree aggravated assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and fourth-degree tampering with evidence, officials said.

If convicted of murder, Meli faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in a New Jersey State Prison without parole and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without parole, the office said in its most recent statement.

He was scheduled to be arraigned on May 24, a prosecutors office spokesman told NJ Advance Media. An attorney representing him could not immediately be reached Friday night.

Anyone with information about that case concerning Melis daughter was asked to contact Monmouth County Prosecutors Office Sergeant Shawn Murphy at 732-431-7160 ext. 7032 or Wall Township Police Detective Chris Lisewski at 732-449-4800 ext. 1140.

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Q. Are there any grounds that my adult children, siblings or ex-wife can contest my living will or the power of attorney that I have signed into effect for my caregiver?

 Planning

A. Family fights over an estate after someone dies is unfortunately not uncommon.

And it could happen.

Third parties may be able to challenge powers of attorney or living wills on the grounds that the principal  the person who appointed an attorney-in-fact or agent  was mentally incapacitated when the document was signed, said Shirley Whitenack, an estate planning attorney with Schenck, Price, Smith & King in Florham Park.

In addition, she said, third parties may be able to challenge a power of attorney on the grounds that the agent abused his or her authority.

Finally, a power of attorney and living will can be challenged on the grounds that the documents were not executed properly, Whitenack said.

For example, the documents may not have been witnessed by the number of witnesses required by state law or notarized if state law requires notarization, she said.

You should work with your estate planning attorney to try to limit the success of any challengeshttps://njmoneyhelp.com/2018/09/rights-family-fights-will/ that may come up.

Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com.

Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter.
A Mercer County mom has launched an initiative called She Shares Her Story to provide employed and unemployed mothers with career resources and other opportunities, amid the pandemic that has decimated womens labor rates in the workforce.

Ashley Reckdenwald, a resident of Princeton Junction and the founder and CEO of Working Mom Notes, and Kimberly Didrikson, the CEO of Learning Motherhood, are partnering with people and companies who can help support bringing women back into the workforce.

Working Mom Notes is a supportive platform for working mothers and Learning Motherhood is an organization that educates and empowers working parents. Both offer resources and communities for working moms.

I was sick of reading the stories, about women being forced out of the workforce without offering solutions, Reckdenwald told NJ Advance Media.

So she created a space for businesses and organizations to advertise the ways they advocate for working women. Its free and an opportunity to help disadvantaged and unemployed mothers, she said.

Between March and April 2020, about 3.5 million mothers living with school-age children left active work, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Almost 1 in 2, or 45% of mothers of school-age children were not actively working last April.

The initiative focuses on three main areas of resources: childcare, hiring support, and employer support. Women are also encouraged to share their own stories of employment struggles or accomplishments through downloadable graphics and with the hashtag #shesharesherstory.

Some businesses are offering discounts, like The Nanny Leaguea matching service for professional nannieswhich is offering a 20% discount to moms easing back into the workforce. Others, like WRK/360, an HR consultancy agency, are offering free micro courses for working moms.

Government legislation is important, but often too slow for women currently struggling, Reckdenwald said. It takes time and unemployed people dont have time, she said. They need immediate answers.

She has 26 partnering organizations so far, all of which are nationwide or available to women across the country. She hopes the resources open a conversation and allow women to share their stories of pandemic struggles, but also successes.

Erin Erenberg, the CEO and founder of Totum Women, said she partnered with the initiative because it allows for more women to have a seat at the table in their careers.

I think its a wonderful collection of women who are dedicated to making life better for women in the workplace and beyond, said Erenberg, a mom of three based in South Carolina. Launched in 2018, Totum Women helps modern women be whole with resources and conversations, she said

As part of the initiative, Totum is offering a one-on-one session at a friends and family rate. The input call, at the reduced price of $300, involves reviewing company policies, pain points and recommendations for employers.

So when women create something like this, Erenberg added, its taken a wonderful stand for the leadership thats inclusive and supportive of one another.

Reckdenwald said all the current partnering organizations are female-led. Its really more a grassroots on the ground level movement that Im hoping to achieve, she said.

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Can Americans still have a sensible and friendly political discussion across the partisan divide? The answer is yes, and we intend to prove it. Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends throughout. Here, they discuss the weeks events with Tom Moran, editorial page editor of The Star-Ledger.

Q. Facebook banned Donald Trump for at least another six months, prompting this response from the former president: Free speech has been taken away from the president of the United States because the radical left lunatics are afraid of the truth. Thoughts?

Julie: We are a long way from a Republican Party that believed in the free market, but Republicans, ironically, have a point about Trump being singled out when Facebooks entire algorithm is designed to promote his kind of hateful, dangerous, divisive rhetoric. Facebooks model  if not its business model  is inherently broken and if it wants to get serious about its role in fomenting violence, it will revamp the type of posts it programs to appear more prominently in news feeds.

Mike: Julies right. Facebook used Donald Trump to drive hundreds of millions of dollars to their platform, but now that hes not president, and not as much of a revenue generator for them, they pretend to jump on some moral high ground. Facebook is holding Donald Trump to a different standard than so many other users around the world now that he doesnt produce as much cash.

Q. President Biden moved to suspend patent protections on the Covid vaccines to allow other countries, especially India, to produce more on their own. A spokesman for the industry responded with fury, saying Biden was handing over American innovations to countries looking to undermine our leadership in biomedical discovery. What say you?

Julie: Lets calm down here. We are in an unprecedented pandemic, with millions of people dying across the globe. This is a Marshall Plan for COVID and it is exactly the type of American leadership that has been sorely lacking in recent years. It will pay dividends for America  and, dare I say, American companies  for a generation.

Mike: I am often cursed with the ability to see both sides of an issue. The president is right that we need to do something to help others in the world, especially India, the worlds largest democracy. This pandemic has proven were all in this together. But the strength of Americas pharmaceutical industry is precisely the reason why we are in a position to help the rest of world. Their R&D work and manufacturing capabilities being protected will ensure the world is prepared for the next pandemic.

.@AdyBarkan: "If the US discovers a vaccine first, will you commit to sharing that technology w/ other countries? And will you ensure there are no patents to stand in the way of other countries & companies producing those life-saving vaccines?"



Biden: "Absolutely, positively" https://t.co/mjfYUAB8t6  Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) May 4, 2021

Q. Republicans in the House seem poised to dethrone Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney from her leadership post and replace her with a Trump loyalist, a fight that seems to be tearing at the partys soul. Cheney pushed back hard, warning Republicans to reject the Trump cult of personality. What does this fight tell us about the future of the GOP?

Julie: All you need to know about the modern GOP is that it is prepared to drive Rep. Cheney out of town on a rail because she is telling the truth about the outcome of the election but is keeping notoriously silent about Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is under federal investigation for paying for sex with underage girls. Its not a political party anymore. Its a cult of personality, in thrall to wild conspiracy theories peddled by a for-profit huckster.

Mike: Im with Liz Cheney. I know her personally from when I worked for her dad. She is as conservative as they come. Shes far more conservative than Donald Trump. The fact that she is being forced from GOP leadership simply for not parroting Trumps election lie is a disgrace. Matt Gaetz is gross.

Q. Jersey City became the first to pass a resolution urging the state to divest pension funds from fossil fuel companies, following the lead of Rutgers and Princeton. But Murphy says no, so far. Does this issue have political legs?

Julie: Its an interesting debate. On the one hand, the responsibility of the pension funds is to get a good return on investment. On the other hand is the notion that New Jersey, as a state, should use its financial power to reflect its values. Governor Christie signed overwhelmingly bipartisan legislation banning pension funds from investing in companies that boycott Israel, so there is precedent. Since New Jersey already put a marker down that our pension funds will act as activist investors, I have a few other ideas: How about divesting in companies that use forced arbitration and non-disclosure agreements for toxic work issues, which have driven millions of women out of the workforce? And will New Jersey ever put its money where its mouth is in order to live up to the values it claims to espouse?

Mike: The governor is right not to follow. The very companies that will lead us to a cleaner energy future are the ones environmentalists suggest we should divest from. I am 100% for more solar and wind power, but right now, they provide very little of New Jerseys electricity, which is mostly delivered by natural gas and nuclear. Emissions in the US are way down because natural gas is replacing coal as a primary source of power generation. Natural gas can work with renewables until renewables can scale up, figure out battery capacity and become affordable to the average homeowner. And the big energy companies are precisely the ones who are investing the most in renewables and will figure out how to scale them.

Q. The Covid infection rate in New Jersey is dropping like a rock, and Gov. Phil Murphy promises to loosen restrictions again on May 19. Republican Sen. Declan OScanlon is among those saying that, with vaccines everywhere, all restrictions should be lifted on that day. Is he right?

Julie: Can we let the science really dictate outcomes for a change? Lets loosen restrictions on May 19th, see what the empirical data shows several weeks afterwards, and make a determination then about loosening things further.

Mike: Im with Sen. OScanlon. With vaccinations up, COVID rates down, hospitalizations down, and outdoor season upon us, theres your scientific answer. We need to push harder. Fully opening doesnt mean we should pretend COVID is over. We must continue to test, take precautions and quickly react when there are cases. Schools should be fully opened, for example. If theres a positive case, contract tracing should happen and those kids isolate. But everyone else keeps going to school. We need aggressive thinking and action.

We have no choice but to take risks...with lives and with our economy. Tough decisions to be sure. But the lives and well-being of all New Jerseyans depend on us boldly stepping up.



Saving our economy IS saving lives! https://t.co/I4MNmEonYJ  Declan O'Scanlon (@declanoscanlon) May 4, 2020

Q. The state is enlisting breweries to offer free beer in return for getting a vaccination, while CVS, Walmart, and Sams Club are all offering walk-in shots. Im vaccinated, and my bitter half is wondering how long I have to wear a mask to protect the knuckleheads who refuse to protect themselves by getting the jab. Am I alone in my foul temper?

Julie: Stop it, Tom. Your foul temper didnt just suddenly begin when you had to don a mask. Its like youre pretending we didnt know you in the pre-COVID days.

Mike: I feel like Ive been hoodwinked. I got vaccinated before the free beer offer. Can I get vaccinated again so I can get the free beer?

I should have waited. pic.twitter.com/SFzbXjqYDZ  Mike DuHaime (@MikeDuHaime) May 3, 2021

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By Tom Deignan

Alexander Roth boarded the S.S. Westernland and left Poland in 1898, bound for Boston to serve as a rabbi.

But Roth had misgivings about his religious calling, then learned there was work to be had at a hat factory in East Orange.

Roths immigrant journey is outlined in a hefty, new biography of his grandson, Philip, just released to rave reviews.

Over a career spanning six decades, Philip Roth established himself not only as a great American writer, but a vivid chronicler of Newark, including those terrifying days ... July 14 and 15, 1967, as Roth wrote in American Pastoral (1997), outlining how decades of neglect exploded into violence  riots to some, rebellion to others.

When the sniper fire ended and the flames were extinguished, Roth wrote, twenty-one Newarkers were counted dead.

The 1960s Newark unrest will also be featured prominently in the much-anticipated movie The Many Saints of Newark, due out in September.

All of this comes as movements such as Black Lives Matter force Americans to confront the far-reaching consequences of racism.

Trouble is the messy details of urban conflict are often ill-suited to increasingly popular concepts like supremacy, or systemic power since the adversaries involved are often as similar as they are different. A perpetrator of oppression one minute might be a victim of it the next.

Addressing some of these complexities might help us diagnose  or avoid  21st-century tensions, as more recent immigrants continue to assimilate.

Consider the recent violence against Asian Americans.

When the attackers ... happen to be Black, Jay Caspian King noted in the New York Times, there is no available language to discuss what is essentially minority-on-minority violence.

A similar deficiency marks many of the conflicts between Ellis Island immigrants and Great Migration refugees from the Jim Crow south.

When a dominant elite wields its might to dehumanize the powerless, the terms of debate are obvious, and remedies clear.

But how should we discuss, and respond to, a clash in which both parties are but a generation removed from privation and persecution?

Post-World War II racial tensions in northern cities like Newark  and Brooklyn, Boston and Chicago  unfolded at a time of dizzying urban transformation.

The Silver Meteor train pulled into Newarks Penn Station ... often filled with African Americans from the south headed for New York City, Isabel Wilkerson writes in her best-selling 2011 book - soon-to-be-a-Netflix series, The Warmth of Other Suns.

Many of these migrants were so nervous about missing their (New York) stop, some got off prematurely, and, it is said, that is how Newark gained a good portion of its black population.

Southern Blacks were seeking work, and to leave behind an apartheid legal system that denied them the vote and sanctioned violence against the children and grandchildren of former slaves.

These Jim Crow refugees landed on Newark sidewalks alongside tens of thousands of immigrants from Ireland, Italy and across Eastern Europe, who fled poverty, pogroms and disease.

All of these desperate, yet hopeful, souls converged on Newark in the first half of the 20th Century, when the citys population nearly doubled and the U.S. became a predominantly urban nation.

The national backlash to these demographic shifts was fierce.

The Ku Klux Klan became a mainstream organization, with millions of members railing against urban Catholics and Jews, as well as African Americans.

Prohibition, the Johnson-Reed anti-immigration Act of 1924, and Al Smiths resounding loss in the 1928 presidential election were all fueled by nativist disdain for Ellis Island immigrants.

Whose Country Is This? sneered future president Calvin Coolidge, in the respectable pages of Good Housekeeping, 100 years ago. In Coolidges words: The unassimilated alien child menaces our children, as the alien industrial worker, who has destruction  in mind, menaces our industry.

All those Eastern European Jews and Italian Catholics, Coolidge suggested, could never become loyal Americans. Biological laws tell us that certain divergent people will not mix or blend.

Philip Roth and Sopranos creator David Chase are the offspring of these divergent people.

It is no accident that the 1967 unrest in Newark is believed to have been ignited by two police officers who had Italian names  as did the mayor they worked under. Which in no way excuses the well-documented shortcomings of second-generation cops and politicians, whose climb out of poverty was unquestionably aided by the genetic quirk of pale skin. But this does leave us with some uncomfortable questions.

Should those who fled famine and pogroms be included in critiques of problematic, power structures?And if Americas much-celebrated tradition of immigration ultimately reinforced white supremacy, should we have just built a wall 150 years ago?

And what if todays demographic shifts, spurred largely by non-white newcomers, nevertheless start to produce similarly disturbing problems?

Do we yet have the language to talk honestly and productively about resolving such conflicts?

Tom Deignan is a journalist and author who lives in Woodbridge. He has written about history for The New York Times and Washington Post, and is currently researching a book about America during the Ellis Island years.

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Lawmakers are seeking harsher penalties for people found guilty of hazing by upgrading the Timothy J. Piazza bill, which made hazing a disorderly persons offense.

Under the bill, A3149, a person accused of hazing could be charged with a fourth degree crime, and a person facing aggravated hazing charges would face third degree charges, rather than fourth degree.

The measure was unanimously voted out of the Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee this week, and heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for another vote. The state Senate passed the bill in June 2020 without any no votes.

The bill was spurred by the 2017 death of Timothy J. Piazza, a Readington teen who died after falling down the stairs during a hazing initiation at a Penn State University fraternity.

Over the course of 82 minutes at Beta Theta Pi, Piazza consumed 18 alcoholic drinks. His blood alcohol content was between .28 and .35, which is nearly five times the legal limit. He fell down a flight of stairs, and fraternity members waited until the next morning to call for medical help.

Hazing has been a problem plaguing our institutions of higher education for years, said Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, D-Burlington, who is sponsoring the bill. Far too many students looking to socialize and fit in with their peers have been pressured into participating in dangerous activities with very real consequences. We must do everything we can to prevent the loss of any more lives as a result of hazing.

The bill also clarifies that hazing includes, but isnt limited to, causing, coercing or forcing someone to consume alcohol or drugs.

Piazzas parents have been advocating for nationwide hazing laws after their sons death.

Simply put, students like Timothy Piazza should never feel as though school is a dangerous environment, said Assemblyman Roy Freiman, D-Somerset. This measure will help prevent senseless losses of life in our universities and ensure students college experiences are safer going forward.

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Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz.

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"We can't continue to jeopardize pollinator populations." As Michael Gove announced the ban on bee-killing pesticides in 2018, he said this.

Pesticides, especially a class of bee-killing insecticides known as neonicotinoids, are blamed by scientists as one of the key causes of bee extinction (or neonics).

When neonics are used to prepare crops, the contaminants end up in the pollen and nectar of the plants, which is bad news for bees and other pollinators.

So, after the government outlawed bee-killing pesticides in 2018, what has changed? It isn't the science, to be sure. Pesticides, including neonicotinoids, continue to be harmful to bees. These pesticides have been shown in studies to impair bee navigational ability and breeding success, and they are ravaging other insects as well.

EU Upholding the Ban

The EU's top court upheld the EU's partial ban on three insecticides linked to bee damage, banning their use on some crops.

Appeal to Lift the Ban

Monsanto, Dow Chemical, Bayer, and Syngenta are among the major agrichemical firms battling bans. Syngenta has also requested federal authorities for approval to use even more of these pesticides than is legally permitted - up to 400 times more than is currently permitted.

Bayer's appeal to reverse a lower EU court's decision to uphold the injunction was rejected by the European Court of Justice on Thursday.

Related Article: Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Designed to Suppress Virus Bearing Mosquitoes Released in the US

Ban on Major Insecticide Producers

The decision applies to three active ingredients: Bayer CropScience's imidacloprid, Takeda Chemical Industries, and Bayer CropScience's clothianidin, and Syngenta's thiamethoxam.

A Bayer spokesperson expressed disappointment with the decision but insisted that the drugs were safe and that they were already being used in other regions with adequate risk reduction mechanisms in place.

"The ruling seems to give the (European) Commission almost carte blanche to review current permits based on the tiniest piece of evidence, which may not even have to be new scientific data," the spokesperson added.

Restrictions

In 2013, the European Commission imposed restrictions on the use of neonicotinoids, prohibiting them from being used on rice, rapeseed, and other spring cereals. Other crops, such as sugar beet, may also benefit from them.

Because of the destruction of bee colonies owing to pesticide misuse, the commission had inspected the permissions.

Bayer said that modern scientific information was insufficient to explain the restrictions. The EU's top court denied the appeal on Thursday, ordering Bayer to pay its own expenses as well as those of other parties.

Greenpeace legal analyst Andrea Carta said, "The court of justice has reaffirmed that defending biodiversity and people's welfare takes priority over the limited commercial interests of dominant multinationals."

Farmers would return to older pesticides and expand spraying if the insecticides were banned, according to Bayer and ChemChina-owned Syngenta.

Emergency Authorizations

Despite the ban, emergency authorizations for the substances' use in the EU were issued between 2013 and 2019. Last year, EU auditors stated that this pesticide use, though lawful, was believed to be the cause of honeybee losses.

To protect bees, the European Commission has suggested goals of halving the use of chemical pesticides in the EU by 2030 and reducing fertilizer use by 20%.

Also Read: Scientist Claims That Wasps Aren't Just Pointless Creatures

For the most recent updates about the environment and the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Rep. Tom Malinowski last fall endorsed intelligence reports claiming Russia paid bounties to the Taliban to kill American troops.

The bounties happened, Malinowski said during a debate with state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr., R-Union. Ive been briefed on all of that.

But it turned out that the intelligence wasnt so clear cut. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last month that there was just low to moderate confidence in those intelligence reports.

New Jersey Republicans hoping to oust Malinowski in November 2022 have gone after the congressman for his statement. Along with Malinowskis failure to timely disclose certain stock trades, the GOP is trying to build a case against a Democratic incumbent that it came close to defeating in 2020.

Kean is not seeking re-election to the state Senate this fall, raising speculation that he is gearing up for a rematch against Malinowski, who raised $923,020 during the first quarter of the year after being targeted by the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Tom Malinowski holds himself to a very different standard than what he preaches, said Republican consultant Harrison Neely, who worked on the Kean campaign. He will never let the truth or the law get in the way of accomplishing his political ambitions.

Malinowski wasnt alone, though.

During the Oct. 22 presidential debate, Joe Biden said: I dont understand why this president is unwilling to take on Putin when hes actually paying bounties to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan.

And Rep. Andy Kim, a former national security aide, told Fox News last July that the intelligence reports were significant.

When I went to the secure room at the Capitol, read the written intelligence written by our intelligence community, what I found deeply alarming was the consensus across the board that there was actually Russian support to the Taliban that was being targeted toward the United States, said Kim, D-3rd Dist.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy pilot and former Russian policy officer for the Commander in Chief, U.S. Navy Europe office, was more circumspect.

To hear the allegations that Russia put a bounty on the heads of our troops, this crosses a line and is something that was really unacceptable, Sherrill, D-11th Dist., said in June after an intelligence briefing with then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. I was glad that Meadows held a briefing but certainly it didnt not answer all the questions. We want to hear from the intelligence agencies.

Malinowski acknowledged in a recent interview that there was some imprecision regarding Russias role, but believed the intelligence was credible.

They wanted the Taliban to kill Americans, said Malinowski, a former assistant U.S. secretary of state. Where the intelligence was less conclusive was whether there was a specific bounty program. Thats the piece where there were, I think credible reports, sufficient to merit that very serious warning that ultimately was delivered to the Russians.

A former acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Michael Morell, told the New York Times that low confidence simply means concerns about the sourcing, not the conclusion.

A judgment at any confidence level is a judgment that the analysts believe to be true, he told the newspaper. Even when you have a judgment that is low confidence, the analysts believe that judgment is correct. So in this case, the analysts believe that the Russians were offering bounties.

Malinowski said this shouldnt be an issue in the next campaign.

The pre-Trump Republican Party would never in a million years criticize us for wanting to warn Russia not to kill out troops, he said. Todays Republican Party seems to take criticism of Russia personally.

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A Browns Mills man was charged in the killing of another man at a Salem County truck stop, police said Friday.

Marchello Williams was being held at the Salem County Correctional Facility on charges of homicide and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to police.

Officers were called to an altercation shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday in the drivers lounge at Flying J Travel Center on Slapes Corner Road in Carneys Point, police Chief Dale VanNamee said.

Police found Williams sitting at a table while a victim was lying on the floor, the chief said. Police identified the victim as Tysheem Porter, 47, of Newark, Delaware.

Porter died at the scene from blunt force trauma to his head, according to the chief, who offered condolences to the mans family.

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Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.
Rutgers law professor and recent appointee to the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court Elise Boddie will an online talk titled Struggling for the Soul of Public Education 6 p.m. Thursday, May 13.

The lecture will address the challenges of integration in the North and why school segregation is a threat to public education and to democracy. After her presentation, Boddie will be in conversation with Lynda Dodd, a lecturer in Public Affairs at Princeton Universitys School of Public and International Affairs who specializes in civil rights and constitutional law.

This event free. To register, visit: tinyurl.com/BoddieDodd. Sponsors of the event are Not In Our Town Princeton, Princeton Public Library, Princeton Civil Rights Commission, Campaign to End the New Jim Crow (Greater Trenton Chapter), Citizens for a Diverse & Open Society, Congregation Beth Chaim Racial Justice Task Force, Congregation Kehilat Shalom Racial Justice Working Group (Belle Mead), Har Sinai Temple Racial Justice Committee, Hopewell Valley Together, Kidsbridge, Lawrence Citizen Activists, the Lawrence League of Women Voters, Live Well Church (Windsor), Princeton Mutual Aid, Princeton Progressive Action Group, the Racial Justice Task Force of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton and the Racial Justice Team of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church (Princeton Junction)

Boddie is a professor of law, Henry Rutgers professor and Judge Robert L. Carter scholar at Rutgers, where she teaches constitutional law, civil rights, and state and local government law. Her research focuses on the spatial regulation of race and how dynamic systems perpetuate racial inequality.

As founder and director of the Inclusion Project at Rutgers Law School, she is engaged with communities, students, faith leaders, educators and researchers in a multi-sector initiative to build equitable education systems in New Jersey public schools.

Before joining the Rutgers faculty, Boddie was director of litigation for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc. and supervised its nationwide litigation program, including its advocacy in several major U.S. Supreme Court cases. Boddie was named the founding Rutgers-Newark director for the Institute for the Study of Global Racial Justice at Rutgers University this year. President Biden recently appointed her to the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States.

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Chinese medical team visits COVID-19 sampling site in Vientiane, Laos

Xinhua) 10:14, May 08, 2021

Members of a Chinese medical expert team inspect a COVID-19 sampling site in Vientiane, Laos, May 7, 2021. A team of Chinese medical experts, along with medical materials, arrived in Lao capital Vientiane on Tuesday to assist Laos in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The medical team will help the Lao side in upgrading the precaution and treatment scheme, improving the technical level and response capabilities, studying the trend of the COVID-19 epidemic and making corresponding recommendations. (Chinese medical expert team/Handout via Xinhua)

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
To meet New York's green energy targets, solar developers can look at using lower-quality agricultural land for solar energy, encourage dual-use (combined agriculture and solar) alternatives, discourage concentrated solar production, and involve communities early, according to a new Cornell University study.

Agricultural Land and Solar Power

"Agricultural land will be the prime focus for potential solar energy production because it is basically flat and cleared," said Max Zhang, professor at the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. "Good agriculture, on the other hand, isn't perfect."

Zhang is a senior author on the paper "Strategic Land Use Analysis for Solar Energy Development in New York State," published in Renewable Energy in August 2021.

Related Article: Despite Criticisms, Solar Industry Hires More and Pays Higher for Union Labor





New York's Climate Status

New York state's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 mandates that the state generates 70% clean electricity by 2030 and 100% by 2040. The state will require 21.6 gigawatts of utility-scale solar energy power to meet the mark, assuming no more offshore wind energy production above the proposed 9-gigawatt goal.

Agrivoltaics

According to the report, this aim cannot be met without using lower-grade agricultural land and dual-use (agrivoltaics) options.

According to the researchers, 40 percent of existing solar energy production has been built on agricultural land, while 84 percent of land listed as ideal for potential solar growth (roughly 140 gigawatts) is agricultural.

"Solar farms are still eating up agricultural space, and New York's electricity targets would certainly necessitate even more," Zhang said. "This comes as no surprise to the solar energy world. However, this comes as a shock to the farming world."

Keeping solar plants from being too clustered in some areas would undoubtedly aid in the reduction of harmful economic activity. According to the article, this type of concentration contributes to agricultural land transfer, which then triggers a negative economic chain reaction for companies that rely on farming.

Related Article: Agrivoltaics: The Answer to Water Demand, Carbon Emissions, and Rural Areas





Solar Development

During their study on solar development, the engineers discovered growing public opposition to utility-scale development projects in rural communities. According to Zhang, addressing civic issues through neighborhood engagement is critical for solar's long-term success in New York.

Developing a decision-making process that engages the community early in the process will help to reduce public resistance to solar production. During a preliminary investigation, the organization discovered that more than 80% of the land with major structures is privately owned, with developers usually signing a contract with private landlords before approaching the general public. This decide-announce-defend strategy, according to Zhang, elicits defensive behavior from the larger population.

"If the business is to produce solar energy flows, it makes economic sense to look at the long term," said Zhang, a faculty fellow at Cornell's Atkinson Center for Sustainability. "The closer the partnership between energy providers and the government, the more likely the community can assist in the development of more energy on surrounding property. Rather than defending behavior, it is better to involve and teach the group."

This research was supported by Cornell Atkinson and the National Science Foundation.

Also Read: Solar Pavements Installed in Barcelona as a Part of Spain's Photovoltaic Initiatives

For more Environmental news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Two people were shot in separate incidents Friday afternoon, according to a report from New Orleans police.

It's unclear when the first incident occurred, but a man arrived at a New Orleans hospital suffering from a gunshot wound about 2:26 p.m. Investigators learned the shooting occurred near the intersection of Egania and North Roman Streets in the Lower 9th Ward.

The second incident occurred about 5:40 p.m. in Algiers, police said. A male juvenile suffered a graze wound after shots were fired in the 2900 block of Oliver Street.

No further information was immediately available.
Two men were killed within 15 minutes early Saturday in traffic wrecks in New Orleans East and on the Westbank Expressway.

New Orleans police said a 71-year-old man was walking across Chef Menteur Highway at Werner Drive (map) at 1:18 a.m. when a Mazda CX9 struck him. The pedestrian, whom police did not identify, died at the scene.

The Mazda driver remained at the site. Police did not say whether they arrested the motorist.

At about 1:30 a.m., a motorcyclist died in a spectacular crash on the Westbank Expressway near Wayne Avenue (map), in front of Bayou Segnette State Park. Louisiana State Police identified him as Troy Wingerter, 52, of Westwego.

Police said Wingerter was speeding east on a Harley Davidson when he lost control, ran off the river side of the road and struck a cement fixture. That launched the motorcycle back toward the roadway, whereupon it hit a traffic signal, ejecting Wingerter.

Wingerter was not wearing a U.S. Department of Transportation-approved helmet as required by state law, police said.
A dozen spot for bison shooters at Grand Canyon National Park has garnered multiple applications from up to 45,000 people.

The population of the bison herd has grown since 1906. What was thought to be a superior animal turned out as a 'lackluster result', according to study. A group of students in a Northern Arizona University undergraduate conservation biology studied the impacts of a prolific bison herd near the Grand Canyon's North Rim. It was observed that 'bison have trampled archaeological sites, affected water resources and damaged native plants through overgrazing and reducing plant diversity', and this causes imbalance in ecosystem.

The National Park Service opened up a chance for skilled shooters to kill bison at the Grand Canyon's North Rim and were given 48 hours to apply, which will be until midnight Tuesday. Grand Canyon spokeswoman Kaitlyn Thomas said on Wednesday that 25 names out of the 45,040 applicants will initially be selected, but only the first 12 who were able to submit a packet of information requested by the park service will be part of the volunteer program. The volunteers who are selected will be announced on May 17 and shooting event will commence in the fall.

In addition, Larry Phoenix, a regional supervisor for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, said that 15% of the applicants were from Arizona and one-third were from Texas, California, Colorado and Utah.

Reducing Bison Population

While park officials clarified it is not a hunt, since hunting is illegal within national parks, they confirmed they were authorized to kill animals that harm resources in the area. In September 2017, the park strategized a plan to corral animals near the highway that leads to the North Rim and relocate them for skilled volunteers to shoot. About 90 animals were removed so far and the park claims this will not reduce the herd by much. 200 is the goal population out of an estimated number of 300-500 inhabiting the far northern reaches of Arizona.

In the upcoming event, volunteer shooters would be elevated on a foot of 8,000 (2,438 meters) or higher at the Grand Canyon's North Rim and shoot the bison from a distance that can weigh up to 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms). Motorized transportation and use of farm animals are prohibited. Officials say snow can make it more challenging.

Also read: 'Kill 90% of the Wolf Population,' A New Bill from Idaho Lawmakers Demands

Volunteer Shooters Standpoint in Bison-killing

The shooting event garnering over 45,000 applications from people can only mean one thing: killing the bison is an opportunity for Arizonians.

An applicant, Rich Dawley Jr. a 29-year-old farmer outside of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania even quoted "You can't win unless you play." on Grand Canyon National Park's shooting-a-bison event.

Another applicant, an archaeologist in Flagstaff named Matt Mallery explained that this needs to happen for management purposes. Less bison would mean less harmful effects in ecosystem and opportunity to harvest organic meat that can be 'cost-prohibitive through the state hunt'.

Other applicants such as James Vasco just thought it would be awesome and 'a cool experience' to go to Grand Canyon to hunt.

Also read: South Africa's Captive-Bred Lion Trade Soon to End


MORE than 170 000 new jobs have been created in various sectors of the economy since 2017, with Zimbabwes employment figures continuing on an upward trend since the coming in of the New Dispensation nearly four years ago.

Data obtained from the National Social Security Authority (Nssa), collated through P3 forms submitted by new employees, shows that over 7 000 jobs have already been created in the first four months of this year.

Job creation figures peaked at 57 265 in 2018 before slowing to 46 208 the following year. Official statistics show that just under 40 000 people were employed last year, when the economy took a battering from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe (Emcoz) described the latest figures as a positive signal in any economy.

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) describes an employee as anyone who works for a public or private employer for more than 30 hours per week, while an employer is any individual or entity that employs a worker for more than 30 hours a week.

Responding to questions from our Harare Bureau, Nssa deputy director (marketing and communication), Mr Tendai Mutseyekwa, said the agriculture sector accounted for the bulk of the new jobs at 28 997 since 2017, while 27 546 new jobs were created in the manufacturing sector. He said over the same period, the mining sector took up 12 777 new employees, while the commercial and transport sectors accounted for 53 984 and 5 792 new workers respectively. In addition, the public administration and health sectors took up 19 684 new employees, while 5787 people were employed in the education and professional sport sectors. The post and telecommunications sector had 1 547 new workers and the civil engineering, construction and motor vehicle repair sectors took up 13 309 new employees.

A cumulative total of 172 068 new employments have been registered from the year 2017 to date. While the commercial sector accounts for 31 percent of the new jobs, farming alone comes second with 17 percent, indicating the role of agriculture in the economy. The commercial sector constitutes many small sub-players, making agriculture the highest contributor to the new job creation over the period.

Emcoz president Mr Israel Murefu said the new job numbers point towards an economic rebound.

Generally, employment growth, especially in the private sector, is associated with economic recovery and businesses experiencing higher capacity utilisation, new investment coming, whether foreign or local, as well as increasing aggregate demand in the economy.

An increase in employment numbers is a positive signal in any economy, Zimbabwe included. What we have seen in 2020 and part of 2021 is falling employment numbers as a result of the impact of Covid-19 and our projection is that it may take up to two or three years for employment to recover to pre-Covid-19 levels before we can expect further growth especially in the formal sector. Sunday News
AN error by the Bulawayo City Council recorders has revealed disagreements between Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube and councillors on his request to be referred to as a Retired Major.

It has emerged that Mr Dube sent a letter to the General Purposes Committee on April 26 requesting to be referred to with the rank of Major (Retired) that he retired holding from the army.

However, council sources say the request was rejected by councillors who argued that Mr Dube had all along used his civilian title even when he was at the Victoria Falls Municipality before joining Bulawayo City Council as Town Clerk in 2016.

Councillors wondered why all of a sudden Dube wanted his title to be changed after so many years in public service and there was a feeling that there should be consistency.

After the request was rejected by members of the General Purposes Committee, Dube then said he was withdrawing the letter and it was agreed to proceed as if the matter was never discussed, said a council source.

The agreement seems to have skipped the recorders who included the matter in the latest council minutes. The matter has caused ructions within council.

According to the latest council minutes, the town clerk wrote a letter requesting that he be addressed as Major (Retired).

The Town Clerk reported (26th April, 2021) that Members of the Committee may be aware of the fact that he had served in the army and retired from it having reached the rank of Major. It was normal practice that retired senior army officers were called by their title even after retirement. It was his desire to use this title in line with practice the world over, read the minutes.

Contacted for comment yesterday, Mr Dube denied making the request and referred this reporter to the chamber secretary Mrs Sikhangele Zhou.

Just contact the chamber secretary, she will explain because I do not know anything about that letter. The document that you are referring to is not council minutes, just ask Mrs Zhou. She will tell you that thing does not even exist, said Mr Dube.

No comment could be obtained from Mrs Zhou as she was said to be out of town.

However, Bulawayo deputy Mayor Councillor Mlandu Ncube said Mr Dubes letter was sent to the General Purpose Committee.

This came after his recent interview with the media so the letter just reminded the General Purpose Committee that he served in the army.

It has nothing to do with the council as we cannot discuss how anyone should be addressed, its up to individuals that is why the letter was withdrawn. Its just that there was an error in documenting the minutes, said Clr Ncube.

Mr Dube, a veteran of the liberation struggle having trained in Angola, served in the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) until he left the military in 1994 for civilian service. Before becoming Bulawayos town clerk in 2016, he served in Victoria Falls for four years.

Between 2003 and 2008, Mr Dube was a director of finance in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.

In 2009, Mr Dube became Victoria Falls Town Treasurer and in May 2014 became the resort citys town clerk.

There is nothing amiss for Mr Dube to ask to be addressed as Retired Major because senior army officers from Major and above retain their titles even after leaving the army.

These officers leave with their uniforms and are free to put on their uniforms during national events such as Independence Day celebrations or Defence Forces Day commemorations. Chronicle
Prominent Gweru businessman Douglas Kwande who is said to be close to President Mnangagwa has turned the premises of Zimbabwe Glass Holdings (Zimglass) which he bought for US$22m in 2019 into a cattle pen after failing to deliver on a turnaround programme he promised.

He bought the company from the state-run Industrial Development Corporation but workers have dismissed as cheap propaganda claims that he paid US$22m.

Zimglass, Zimbabwes sole producer of glass used to export to Malawi and Zambia, churning out 120 tonnes per week and employing 500 workers. It was one of the biggest companies in Gweru run by the state-owned IDC.

The Mirror visited the company and established that the sprawling 10-hectare premises located along Bristol Road in Gweru are now used as grazing and a cattle pen for Kwandes 100 herds of cattle.

Patrick Chirombo a former HR Officer at Zimglass said it was painful to see the giant company sinking further into abyss. He attacked Government for giving the company to someone who has no capacity.

Gweru Mayor Josiah Makombe lamented the deal between IDC and Kwande as an economic disaster for Gweru. Zimglass closed shop in 2010.

The arrangement is a violation of the Citys by-laws which bans the keeping of cattle in the city.

The Mirror established that Kwande has also set up grinding mills at Zimglass where he is processing Premier maize meal that is sold in his supermarkets.

Kwande acquired the company through his Brainman Investments at a time when the new dispensation under President Mnangagwa promised a quick fix of defunct companies including CSC, Shabani Mashaba Mines and Zisco.

Kwande requested a face-to-face interview with The Mirror but failed to show up on numerous occasions.

Makombe said that it is illegal for Kwande to keep cattle in the city and a team of council workers would be dispatched to investigate. He said the grinding mills must be properly licensed for them to operate.

The glass produced by Zimglass was mainly sold to Delta Beverages, African Distillers, Mutare Bottling Company, Straitia Investments, Olivine Industries, Datlabs and E. Snell and Company.

It is sad for the city and the country that the firm was bought by someone who cannot revive it. Obviously we needed an investor who comes to create jobs and wealth, said Makombe.

Residents who spoke to The Mirror said Government assets in Gweru have become fruits for easy picking by those connected to Zanu PF leadership.

Moses Chikwadzi, a former secretary for the workers committee said Zimglass remains a strategic company to the country and called for an immediate intervention.

He said that hundreds of workers including some who worked for the company for 30 years walked out of the company empty handed. The understanding was that the workers were going to be paid their benefits from the proceeds of the sale of the company.

Its painful and l feel like crying. All workers walked out with nothing. We must be paid our benefits from the US$22m that IDC received from Kwande, said Chikwadzi.

Chirombo dismissed the US$22m tag on the company and said there is evidence from lawyers that the company was sold for a song. He said it went for RTGS$22m

He described the price as peanuts considering that the company has machinery worth millions of dollars.

The Mirror understands that Kwande also got the industrial sand claim some 10km outside Gweru. This is where sand used for making glass is obtained but instead of keeping the sand for glass making, this is now being sold to those building houses and moulding bricks. Masvingo Mirror
According to reports, Samsung's next Android tablet will be the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus Lite, or Galaxy Tab S7+ Lite for short. Setting aside its mouthful of a name, the tablet should arrive in June with a Snapdragon 750G SoC, a 12.4-inch display and in a minimum of two colours.

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There have already been several leaks about the Galaxy Tab S7 Lite, as we have reported. Apparently, Samsung will equip the device with a 12.4-inch display, 4 GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 750G SoC, specifications that are all suitable for a 'Lite' tablet.

However, a 12.4-inch display would make the device a lesser version of the Tab S7 Plus that Samsung launched last year. Accordingly, Roland Quandt insists that Samsung will sell the tablet as the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus/+ Lite, which would make sense.

Evan Blass has also published multiple marketing renders of the Tab S7 Plus Lite, which you can see below. So far, the leaker has revealed the Tab S7 Plus Lite's Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black colours that have featured across Samsung's product stack recently. It looks like there will be two ways to store the tablet's S Pen too; one on its back and another within its book case.
ZIMBABWE has become a shining beacon in its approach to contain Covid-19 after it emerged that more than 400 learners and staff members from different schools in Matabeleland South who recently tested positive for the disease have all recovered, with no hospitalisation or death recorded.

There was an outbreak of Covid-19 cases last month at Sacred Heart Primary and Secondary School in Umzingwane District as well as Embakwe High School in Plumtree.

The development comes as Zimbabwe on Friday reached half-a-million people who have so far received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. The Ministry of Health and Child Care on Friday reported that Zimbabwe has now recorded 500 422 people who have received the first dose and 140 340 people have received both doses. As at Friday, the country had recorded a total of 38 403 Covid-19 cases since the first case in March last year. A total of 36 041 people have recovered while 1 576 succumbed to the disease.

In addition, on Friday the World Health Organisation announced that it has approved the use of the Chinese developed Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for emergency, one of the vaccines that Zimbabwe has been using since it started vaccinating its population in February. Of note is also how the country has managed its positive cases with the recovery rate hovering above 93 percent.

Matabeleland South Provincial Medical Director Dr Rudo Chikodzore told Sunday News yesterday that all the cases that were reported in schools in the province have been contained.

At Embakwe High School we had a total of 156 cases including one staff member. There were no hospitalisations and no deaths recorded. All cases were put in isolation and discharged. Currently there are no active cases at the school, she said.

Dr Chikodzore said the last of those isolated at the three schools in Umzingwane was released a fortnight ago.

We currently dont have active cases there in schools. Those who tested positive were de-isolated two weeks ago, she said.

Despite Covid-19 outbreaks in various schools around the country, Primary and Secondary Education Ministry director of communication and advocacy Mr Taungana Ndoro said schools should not be characterised as epicentres as they imported the virus from surrounding communities.

The issue here is that schools are being used as barometers because they are usually the first to detect Covid-19 cases. This is because they follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and whenever there is a case it is detected quickly. We are therefore the ones that alert authorities to the fact that there is Covid-19 in the community, he said.

Mr Ndoro said the schools were a victim of the success of their testing and tracing mechanisms, as it meant that they detected and reported cases promptly.

The communities around these schools do not detect Covid-19 as quickly as schools do because they dont follow any SOPs. If they did then cases would also be noted quicker. As things stand in those communities there would be people with the virus but ignorant of it because they would not have been tested. So, when they pass it on to children who then get tested, it creates the impression that the pupils are the source of infections when that is not the case, he said.

Mr Ndoro said the ministry was constantly monitoring schools to make sure that they were observing Covid-19 SOPs. Mr Ndoro also said the training of Provincial Educational Health Focal teams was now complete, with the teams expected to aid in the containment of the virus in schools around the country.

The Provincial Educational Health Focal teams were trained last week, so I expect that they are now on the ground. We anticipate that this will help greatly in detecting and containing the spread of the virus, he said.

The efforts by Zimbabwe in containing Covid-19 have not gone unnoticed with other countries now scrambling to copy how the Government has been able to manage the situation. According to the Sowetan, a South African publication, some South Africans were flocking to Zimbabwe to receive their Covid-19 vaccines. President Mnangagwa last month said visitors can receive their Covid-19 jabs in Zimbabwe for a fee.

The Covid-19 vaccine rollout is slow in South Africa, and my extended family in Cape Town needed to get vaccinated. We made a decision to bring them to Zimbabwe to get vaccinated. The private clinics in Zimbabwe are charging foreign nationals US$70 for both jabs, we are happy to pay and it sounds reasonable, Mr Grant Evans is quoted as saying in the paper. Sunday News
TWENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD *Thamu* feels the edge to get high ripple through his body.

Getting high, however, comes at a cost financially and as a drug user for the last four years, Thamu knows that buying illegal drugs always leaves him with an empty pocket despite the fact that the high lasts just a few hours.

In his own words getting high is a feeling that leaves the youngster with a weird feeling of losing his feet while still attached to his body coupled with pleasant hallucinations that make him temporarily forget about his problems.

His illegal drug of choice is mbanje (marijuana) smoked after drinking broncleer  a cough syrup widely abused by youths and readily available on the streets.

A bottle of broncleer sourced on the black market  a thriving business as a result of high demand for the cough syrup on the streets of Bulawayo  now costs US$5. The cost of getting high has gotten even more expensive in the last year for users like Thamu who take both broncleer and mbanje.

Since the closure of the Beitbridge border due to the Covid-19 pandemic last year, smugglers who supply the black market with broncleer are struggling to meet the demand for the product thus pushing its price even higher.

This is why some youths, who are always chasing the next high, are taking substance abuse to a new level: getting high from boiling diapers.

It has taken more than two weeks to track down Thamu and arrange for a sit-down and an impromptu demonstration on how a basic commodity like a diaper  a piece of towelling wrapped around a babys bottom and between its legs to absorb and retain urine and faeces  is getting youths high.

Before the coronavirus outbreak, we used to buy bronco (slang name for broncleer) for US$3 because many people like omalayitsha and cross-border traders used to smuggle it from South Africa so it was abundant on the streets, making it affordable.

Now a bottle costs US$5 and the guys who sell the bronco say the prices have gone up because borders are closed and its now risky to smuggle it from South Africa, he tells Saturday Leisure.

Now enter the diapers craze!

Thamu says when he first heard about it at the end of last year, he was equally shocked but he has since joined youths in his Entumbane suburb who are hooked to the diapers craze.

What we want is the white stuff inside pampers (diaper) which we boil in water and it forms a greyish substance. Most guys dont drink the substance on its own because it smells and tastes bad but if you add it to half-a-bottle of bronco, it tastes much better. You get high for longer, said Thamu.

On average, according to the youngster, one person needs about two bottles of broncleer per day to stay high, but with the diapers concoction added to the mix, four guys can get high from just two bottles.

Its all about getting high for a long period while spending less money. Its hard to get money to get high from bronco alone so adding the mixture from boiled diapers does the trick for us, he said.

Do the youths scavenge for used diapers? I dont know if others do it, but its disgusting to go around peoples dust bins searching for used pampers. They (diapers) are cheap so its better to just buy new ones and boil them. If I dont have money for bronco, I will just drink the pampers mixture on its own, even if it tastes bad . . . at the end of the day I just want to get high, he said.

Thamu, however, said he doesnt have an idea what is contained in the diapers that make him and his peers get high from the boiled concoction.

A medical doctor, Dr Nomsa Mlalazi said diapers and sanitary pads contain a chemical known as sodium polyacrylate, which is used as an absorbent.

If you were to tear up a diaper, you would see a white granular powder and that is sodium polyacrylate which absorbs water hence its used in the manufacture of diapers.

Now from my understanding, these youths boil the material containing sodium polyacrylate but because of its horrible taste, they will add sugar or milk to the concoction before drinking it.

The health implications of drinking such chemicals are dire and its only a matter of time before those abusing sodium polyacrylate start experiencing life-threatening health problems, said Dr Mlalazi.

Thousands of kilometres away in Sierra Leone, in West Africa, authorities there are also battling the same problem.

As reported by Associated Press (AP) in February, Sierra Leone is facing a new phenomenon of drug abuse which sees the countrys youth, especially in the capital city Freetown, ingesting the boiled mixture from disposable diapers as an intoxicant.

The countrys Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, Lusine Kallon, sounded alarm bells at the rate the youths were abusing diapers to get high.

The supply of diapers is a multimillion-dollar industry, not only in Sierra Leone but in other countries in West Africa, but we are facing a new problem with our youths abusing the diapers to get high. I call on our health campaigners to educate youths on the dangers of taking in harmful chemicals, he told the AP.

A Bulawayo resident Sibekiwe Nkiwane said she is not surprised that youths are getting high from diapers.

When the bronco craze started some years ago, we were shocked because we only knew it as a cough syrup that every parent kept in their home, especially during winter.

But now I dont keep even a single bottle in my house lest my teenage son tries it and gets hooked. These kids experiment with anything so Im not surprised that they are now drinking stuff from boiled pampers, said Nkiwane.

According to a search on the Zimbabwean material safety data sheets (SDS), sodium polyacrylate, like many other drugs, may be hazardous to health as it may cause long-term illnesses. Chronicle
New coronavirus cases have fallen drastically in New Jersey, where at times this spring the virus was spreading faster than anywhere else in the United States.

Over the past two weeks, the state has seen its average number of new daily cases drop by 61 percent, according to a New York Times database.

New Jerseys case numbers are dropping along with the rest of the countrys. But the states decline is the steepest in the United States and its rate of new daily cases per person is now just above the national average.
To the Editor:

Re Biden Endorses Effort to Share Vaccine Secrets (front page, May 6):

Congratulations to President Biden for supporting the suspension of patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines. This will help bolster availability to nations where supplies are urgently needed and promote an end to our worldwide crisis.

Not surprisingly, the pharmaceutical industry is angry. Sharing trade secrets could impinge upon profits. No matter that we are faced with a moral imperative to assist developing nations. The industry has already called Mr. Bidens announcement an unprecedented step that will undermine our global response to the pandemic and compromise safety.

Such threats are nothing new. These and other tactics have been exposed over the years as Congress has held hearings on the exorbitant earnings of this group, described at a hearing back in 2003 as perhaps the most profitable industry in the world.

As justification that the very same drugs cost more in America than in Europe and Canada, companies cite their need to pay for research.
According to a lawsuit filed by Mr. Parkers family, Officer Darby was the third officer to arrive at Mr. Parkers house that day.

Officer Pegues had entered with her gun pointed down and found Mr. Parker sitting on a couch with a gun to his head, according to the lawsuit. She had been talking to him when Officer Darby arrived about five minutes later, according to the lawsuit.

Officer Darby began screaming at Officer Pegues while he was still in the front yard, according to the lawsuit, telling her to point her gun at Mr. Parker because he can shoot you! Officer Darby then repeatedly yelled at Mr. Parker to put his gun down before firing a single shot that killed Mr. Parker, the lawsuit states.

About a month later, a review board convened by the Huntsville Police Department concluded that Officer Darbys use of deadly force had been within policy, the city said.

But a Madison County grand jury indicted the officer in August 2018.

At Officer Darbys trial, Officer Pegues testified that she had never felt that Mr. Parker was a threat, and a prosecutor argued that Officer Darby had been the initial aggressor, according to WSFA, a local television station.

Officer Darbys lawyer, Robert Tuten, contended that Officer Darby had not been the initial aggressor and had been protecting not only himself but his fellow officers, WFSA reported. After the verdict on Friday, Mr. Tuten vowed to appeal.

To say that people are shocked by this verdict would be a big understatement, Mr. Tuten said at a news conference. This was a very important case to Alabama law enforcement, he added, and could affect the way officers throughout the state respond to people with guns and threats of suicide.
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Democrats are struggling to build a surefire legal strategy to block new Republican-backed restrictions on voting rights, relying on broadly worded warnings and urgent pleas that are designed, in part, to build political pressure on the White House, Congress and the Justice Department to act, as well as to engage their supporters to mobilize in advance of the 2022 midterm elections.

The approach is aimed at persuading recalcitrant Senate Democrats in Washington to pass a sweeping federal elections bill, painting the new Republican laws in the news media as suspect on arrival, and convincing the swing voters who last year helped elect President Biden that the G.O.P. is more interested in fixing elections for itself than in winning those voters back.

Locked out of power in the Republican-run states that are enacting laws making it harder to vote, Democrats are engaged in a partywide effort to push back against the legislation that has as much to do with winning hearts and minds outside courtrooms as it does legal victories inside them.

Were taking an all-of-the-above approach because we cant allow these things to stand, Jaime Harrison, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said in an interview on Friday. As Democrats, we have to make this personal and we have to tell the story as to why this is important. This is fundamental. The most fundamental thing we have to do is protect the right of all folks to vote.
WASHINGTON  The Justice Department proposed a rule on Friday that would expand the definition of a firearm and help close a loophole that has allowed people to buy so-called ghost guns, firearms that are easily assembled from kits but are not regulated by federal gun laws.

The proposal was the latest effort by the Biden administration to crack down on gun deaths. President Biden ordered the Justice Department last month to find a way within 30 days to curb the spread of ghost guns, with an eye toward keeping them from criminals who might not otherwise be able to pass a background check and buy a gun.

Criminals and others barred from owning a gun should not be able to exploit a loophole to evade background checks and to escape detection by law enforcement, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement announcing the proposal.

This proposed rule would help keep guns out of the wrong hands and make it easier for law enforcement to trace guns used to commit violent crimes, while protecting the rights of law-abiding Americans, he said.
It is imperative that the new Justice Department leadership explain exactly when prosecutors seized these records, why it is only now notifying the Post, and on what basis the Justice Department decided to forgo the presumption of advance notification under its own guidelines when the investigation apparently involves reporting over three years in the past, Mr. Brown said.

Leak cases, as they are known inside the Justice Department, are notoriously hard to prosecute and require F.B.I. agents to spend large amounts of time on cases that rarely lead to charges.

It was not clear what prompted the Justice Department to seize the Posts records, but in July 2017, the newspaper published an article about Sergey I. Kislyak, who was then Russias ambassador to the United States, and Jeff Sessions, who was the attorney general at the time the article was published.

The Post reported that the two men had discussed the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election, when Mr. Sessions was a Republican senator from Alabama and a prominent supporter of Mr. Trump. The article referred to U.S. surveillance intercepts, which are highly classified and some of the most closely held secrets in the government.

Beyond the phone records of the Post reporters  Ellen Nakashima, Greg Miller and Adam Entous, who now works at The New Yorker  prosecutors also secured a court order to obtain metadata for the reporters work email accounts, the newspaper said.

The New York Times also reported in June 2017 that surveillance intercepts appeared to indicate that Mr. Kislyak discussed a private meeting he had with Mr. Sessions at a Trump campaign event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington. The Times has not received any indication that its reporters records were seized.

The media leaks infuriated Mr. Trump, who repeatedly railed against them, especially those that revealed details of the governments efforts to investigate Russias interference in the 2016 election and whether any of his campaign advisers had conspired with Russia.
Some landlords have declined to participate, betting they have more to gain by forcing out tenants in arrears and attracting those better able to pay.

A moratorium on evictions, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offered tenants some protection, though it contains significant exceptions and has been unevenly enforced. Landlords have objected to the ban, saying it unfairly imposed on them the costs of housing the needy, and courts have split on the issue.

In the most significant ruling on the issue, Judge Dabney L. Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday found the agency had exceeded its powers in issuing the moratorium, which was established under the Trump administration and expanded under President Biden. The Biden administration is appealing the court ruling, which Judge Friedrich put on hold until next Wednesday.

It is unclear what effect the removal of the moratorium would have. About 20 states have their own eviction bans, and the federal version is scheduled to expire on June 30, though it might be extended again if its legality is upheld.

Still, the prospect of increased evictions has alarmed the administration, which was already searching for ways to get localities to speed up the use of their vast rental funds. Gene Sperling, the White House official in charge of making sure the $1.9 trillion package of emergency relief passed in March is distributed quickly and efficiently, said officials were taking all steps in our power to prevent evictions.

Some of the streamlined rules announced on Friday apply only to the second pot of funding, approved in March, which only became available to programs on Friday. The administration used the new rules to make a point of telling programs not to let reluctant landlords stand in the way.

While the December round of assistance already allowed states to aid tenants whose landlords refuse to apply, the new rules require it. They also reduce the time programs must wait for a landlord response.
The Ohio Republican Party censured Representative Anthony Gonzalez on Friday and called for his resignation for voting to impeach former President Donald J. Trump in January.

Bob Paduchik, the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, called Mr. Trumps impeachment an unconstitutional, politically motivated process that served no purpose.

Republicans and Democratic members alike have the right to vote in any way they so choose, Mr. Paduchik said in a statement. This committee also has a right to stand on principle and conviction.

Mr. Gonzalez is the latest Republican lawmaker to face backlash for voting to impeach Mr. Trump for inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, joining just nine other House Republicans. State Republican parties have also voted to censure Senators Richard Burr of North Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana for voting to convict Mr. Trump in the Senate.
MIDLOTHIAN, Va.  One candidate brands himself a conservative outlaw. Another boasts of her bipartisan censure by the State Senate for calling the Capitol rioters patriots. A third, asked about Dominion voting machines  the subject of egregious conspiracy theories on the right  called them the most important issue of the campaign.

These are not fringe candidates for the Republican nomination for Virginia governor.

They are three of the leading contenders in a race that in many ways embodies the decade-long meltdown of Republican power in Virginia, a once-purple state that has gyrated more decisively toward Democrats than perhaps any in the country. In part, that is because of the hard-right focus of recent Republican officeseekers, a trend that preceded former President Donald J. Trump and became a riptide during his time in the White House.

The partys race to the right shows no sign of tempering as a preselected group of Republicans gather on Saturday at 39 sites around Virginia to choose a nominee for governor. That candidate will advance to a November general election that has traditionally been a report card on the party in power in Washington, as well as a portent of the midterms nationally.

After a monthslong G.O.P. schism, Virginia Republicans decided to hold a nominating convention rather than a primary, which would attract a broader field of voters. At the partys disassembled convention, as it is called, delegates who have been vetted by local Republican officials will choose the nominee, which critics say perpetuates the partys narrow appeal.
The Biden administration released its first batch of White House visitor logs on Friday as part of an effort to restore transparency to government.

The list included 400 names of individuals who had been in and out of the West Wing from Jan. 20-31.

Mr. Biden committed during the transition to making White House visitor logs public, after President Donald J. Trump refused for four years to release the names of people coming and going from the White House complex.

The Trump administration faced legal challenges to that stance and, in 2018, reached a settlement that allowed the monthly publication of visitor logs for some White House offices, including the Office of Management and Budget. But that never extended to the entirety of the West Wing.
Jewish settlers and right-wing Israeli activists are also taking a stand there. They say that the Palestinian residents are squatters, and that the district, which is built beside the tomb of a Jewish high priest from antiquity, was Jewish until 1948.

I would ask you, said Aryeh King, a settler leader and deputy mayor of Jerusalem, if you are the owner of the property and somebody is squatting on your property, wouldnt you have the right to take him out from your property?

Hundreds of East Jerusalem residents have gathered in Sheikh Jarrah each night for the past week to argue the opposite. Their vigils often begin with outdoor iftar meals, marking the end of the daily Ramadan fast, followed by protests and dancing, culminating in clashes with the police. The police have charged them on horseback, sprayed them with skunk water and thrown stun grenades.

Cars have been burned, guns drawn, scores arrested. Last month, a Jewish member of Parliament from a predominantly Arab party was beaten by the police. On Thursday night, a far-right lawmaker, Itamar Ben Gvir, set up a makeshift office opposite a home listed for eviction, setting off a brawl between protesters and settlers.

The United Nations and the European Union have expressed alarm.

Were deeply concerned about the heightened tensions in Jerusalem, the State Department spokeswoman Jalina Porter said Friday, calling for calm to de-escalate tensions and avoid violent confrontation.

The Israeli government has tried to play down the conflict, describing the case as a private matter between the Arab families who moved to the neighborhood in the 1950s, and the settler groups whom Israeli courts have ruled are the legal owners of the families homes.

In a statement on Friday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian terrorists were presenting a real-estate dispute between private parties as a nationalistic cause in order to incite violence in Jerusalem.
Mary Beth Meehan and

Mary Beth Meehan is an independent photographer and writer. Fred Turner is a professor of communication at Stanford University.

The workers of Silicon Valley rarely look like the men idealized in its lore. They are sometimes heavier, sometimes older, often female, often darker skinned. Many migrated from elsewhere. And most earn far less than Mark Zuckerberg or Tim Cook.

This is a place of divides.

As the valleys tech companies have driven the American economy since the Great Recession, the region has remained one of the most unequal in the United States.

During the depths of the pandemic, four in 10 families in the area with children could not be sure that they would have enough to eat on any given day, according to an analysis by the Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Studies. Just months later, Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, who recently added Technoking to his title, briefly became the worlds richest man. The median home price in Santa Clara County  home to Apple and Alphabet  is now $1.4 million, according to the California Association of Realtors.

For those who have not been fortunate enough to make billionaire lists, for midlevel engineers and food truck workers and longtime residents, the valley has become increasingly inhospitable, testing their resilience and resolve.
A fight among several men in Times Square on Saturday led at least one of them to pull out a gun and open fire, injuring two women and a 4-year-old girl, the police said.

The girl, who was toy shopping with her family, was shot in the leg and expected to survive, as were the two women, a 23-year-old tourist from Rhode Island, who was also shot in the leg, and a 43-year-old from New Jersey, who was shot in the foot, the police said.

The victims, who did not know one another, were taken to Bellevue Hospital Center after the shooting at about 4:55 p.m. near Seventh Avenue and West 45th Street, the police said. The girl was undergoing surgery on Saturday evening, the police said.
Third Street, seen, between the Old Steese Highway and Hamilton Avenue will be reconstructed and widened.
This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here.

To much of the outside world, the city of Bhopal, India, lingers as an emblem of industrial disaster, the place where a 1984 toxic gas leak from a Union Carbide plant killed thousands of people instantly and up to 15,000 over time.

Manzoor Ahtesham, a Bhopal native who was one of the most significant contemporary voices in Hindi literature, showed his readers a far more complex place.

To be sure, that disaster often hovers, metaphorically and otherwise, in his works. In one of his most acclaimed books, The Tale of the Missing Man (1995), his alienated antihero was with a prostitute behind his wifes back on the night of the gas leak.
Lets acknowledge who created the template for Trumps Big Lie.

It was her father, Dick Cheney, whose Big Lie about the Iraq war led to the worst mistake in the history of American foreign policy. Liz, who was the captain of her high school cheerleading team and titled her college thesis The Evolution of Presidential War Powers, cheered on her dad as he spread fear, propaganda and warped intelligence.

From her patronage perch in the State Department during the Bush-Cheney years, she bolstered her fathers trumped-up case for an invasion of Iraq. Even after no W.M.D.s were found, she continued to believe the invasion was the right thing to do.

She almost thrives in an atmosphere where the overall philosophy is discredited and she is a lonely voice, a State Department official who worked with Liz told Joe Hagan for a 2010 New York magazine profile of the younger Cheney on her way up.

She was a staunch defender of the torture program. Well, it wasnt torture, Norah, so thats not the right way to lay out the argument, she instructed Norah ODonnell in 2009, looking on the bright side of waterboarding.

She backed the futile, 20-year occupation of the feudal Afghanistan. (Even Bob Gates thinks we should have left in 2002.) Last month, when President Biden announced plans to pull out, Liz Cheney  who wrote a book with her father that accused Barack Obama of abandoning Iraq and making America weaker  slapped back: We know that this kind of pullback is reckless. Its dangerous.

For many years, she had no trouble swimming in Fox News bile. Given the chance to denounce the Obama birther conspiracy, she demurred, interpreting it live on air as people being uncomfortable with having for the first time ever, I think, a president who seems so reluctant to defend the nation overseas.

Thanks to that kind of reasoning, we ended up with a president who fomented an attack on the nation at home.
The report on Wednesday that U.S. birthrates fell to a record low in 2020 was expected but still grim. On Twitter the news was greeted, characteristically, by conservative laments and liberal comments implying that its mostly conservatisms fault  because American capitalism allegedly makes parenthood unaffordable, work-life balance impossible and atomization inevitable.

This is a specific version of a longstanding argument about the tensions between traditionalism and capitalism, which seems especially relevant now that the right doesnt know what its conserving anymore.

In a recent essay for New York magazine, for instance, Eric Levitz argues that the social trends American conservatives most dislike, the rise of expressive individualism and the decline of religion, marriage and the family, are driven by socioeconomic forces the rights free-market doctrines actively encourage. Americas moral traditionalists are wedded to an economic system that is radically anti-traditional, he writes, and Republicans can neither wage war on capitalism nor make peace with its social implications.

This argument is intuitively compelling. But the historical record is more complex. If the anti-traditional churn of capitalism inevitably doomed religious practice, communal associations or the institution of marriage, you would expect those things to simply decline with rapid growth and swift technological change. Imagine, basically, a Tocquevillian early America of sturdy families, thriving civic life and full-to-bursting pews giving way, through industrialization and suburbanization, to an ever-more-individualistic society.
Shes a character more complicated than most of the reactions to her, just as aspects of her situation are more complicated than much of the commentary about it acknowledges.

For example: Did you know that during Trumps presidency, Cheney, his supposed foil, voted in line with him more frequently than Representative Elise Stefanik, the New Yorker whos positioning herself to replace Cheney in leadership? Its true. But it gets lost in much of the black-and-white coverage of circumstances that have at least a few stipples of gray.

Also: While Cheney bucked an overwhelming majority of Republicans in the House to impeach Trump early this year, she joined them in voting against his prior impeachment (so many impeachments, so little time!), though he had severely compromised the stature of the United States on the world stage and shes supposedly all about that.

Over the past few days, a growing chorus of political observers began to counter the idea that she was so admirable in her adherence to her principles, whether you shared them or not. They questioned the firmness of that adherence and whether certain principles deserve it in the first place.

Those are crucial points. Cheneys overwrought opposition to President Barack Obama  which, as my colleague Charles Blow noted, extended to a minimizing of the so-called birthers  was a gross way to curry Tea Party favor. Her entry into the 2014 Senate race, during which she mounted a primary challenge to Wyomings incumbent Republican, Mike Enzi, smacked of entitlement.

But what I remember about that candidacy is something that has been strangely forgotten in nearly all of the forensic analyses of Cheneys character recently: her fervently expressed disapproval back then of marriage equality.

That dovetailed with the perspective of most Wyoming Republicans. But it threw her only sibling, Mary, under the bus. Mary came out as lesbian many years earlier, and her and Lizs father, Dick, departed from the views of other Republicans  including the president for whom he worked, George W. Bush  with the wording of the support that he expressed for her. He said that while the federal government should leave the question of marriage equality to each individual state, freedom means freedom for everyone and people ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to.
What is the rocket and what was it launching?

Long March 5B is Chinas largest rocket, and one of the largest currently in use by any nation. The countrys space program needed a large, powerful vehicle to carry Tianhe, the main module of Tiangong, the new space station, which is to be operational by 2022 after more pieces are launched and connected in orbit.

The full rocket contained multiple pieces. Several smaller side boosters dropped off shortly after the launch, crashing harmlessly in the Pacific Ocean. (Disposing of used, unwanted rocket pieces in the ocean is a common practice.) But the core booster stage  a 10-story cylinder weighing 23 tons empty  carried the Tianhe module into orbit.

In recent decades, rocket stages that reach orbit typically fire the engine again after releasing their payloads so that they drop out of orbit, aimed at an unoccupied area like the middle of an ocean.

China did not elect to do that for this launch, and so that large booster headed back uncontrollably.

Mr. Nelson, the NASA administrator, said in his statement, Spacefaring nations must minimize the risks to people and property on Earth of re-entries of space objects and maximize transparency regarding those operations.

Has this happened before, and will it happen again?

China has a long history of letting pieces of its space equipment come down where they may.

Rockets from one of its principal launch sites, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, routinely fell on rural areas downrange, occasionally causing damage. China has since moved many of its launches, including the Long March 5Bs, to a new site in Wenchang, a city on Hainan, an island off the southeastern coast.

Last year, the first launch of a Long March 5B rocket lifted a prototype of Chinas crewed space capsule. The booster from that rocket also made an uncontrolled re-entry, with some debris raining down on a village in Ivory Coast.
Nouriel Roubini, the economist who in 2007 became known as Dr. Doom after predicting the collapse of the housing market, actually sounded ebullient about the future of New York City Tuesday night.

Im reasonably optimistic, he said, standing in the cavernous living room of his East Village triplex. I was walking around my neighborhood this weekend. Every restaurant was open, I hadnt seen so many people since before Covid.

It was the evening before Frieze New York opened (the first in-person art fair in Manhattan since the start of the pandemic) and Mr. Roubini was hosting a party was for his best friend, Shai Baitel, who in January was named the artistic director of the Modern Art Museum Shanghai.
One of the nations largest pipelines, which carries refined gasoline and jet fuel from Texas up the East Coast to New York, was forced to shut down after being hit by ransomware in a vivid demonstration of the vulnerability of energy infrastructure to cyberattacks.

The operator of the system, Colonial Pipeline, said in a vaguely worded statement late Friday that it had shut down its 5,500 miles of pipeline, which it says carries 45 percent of the East Coasts fuel supplies, in an effort to contain the breach. Earlier Friday, there were disruptions along the pipeline, but it was not clear at the time whether that was a direct result of the attack or of the companys moves to proactively halt it.

On Saturday, as the F.B.I., the Energy Department and the White House delved into the details, Colonial Pipeline acknowledged that its corporate computer networks had been hit by a ransomware attack, in which criminal groups hold data hostage until the victim pays a ransom. The company said it had shut the pipeline itself, a precautionary act, apparently for fear that the hackers might have obtained information that would enable them to attack susceptible parts of the pipeline.

Administration officials said they believed the attack was the act of a criminal group, rather than a nation seeking to disrupt critical infrastructure in the United States. But at times, such groups have had loose affiliations with foreign intelligence agencies and have operated on their behalf.
Tell me a bit about being and becoming a brand leader for fire purple weed.

I love fine tequilas. But I also love an incredible mezcal and that unmistakable smokey flavor. I view purple weed the same as I view great mezcals. There are so many varieties and flavors. Consumers and fans of purples just feel woefully underserved in the marketplace.

The recreational market is really in its infancy, so we are truly in a space where only a few brands have stepped forward and established themselves as leaders. In 710 Labs, we found a unique opportunity. Theyre a quality first brand that is also well-known within the cannabis community due to their commitment to the culture. Combining the organic relationship I have with purple cannabis in conjunction with a highly skilled cultivation team put us in the position to put out perhaps the best purple cannabis on shelves anywhere. I make this claim humbly, but I also know what our grow squad can do.

How has it felt seeing Purple Urkle strains flooding into cannabis marketplaces across the country throughout the years?

Its been trippy to see how organically purple cannabis has made a comeback in the marketplace. But it also just made me want to do it better than anyone else.

For years, cannabis has been widely criminalized, mainly for Black and Latino people. What are your opinions on the shift now that its becoming legalized across the country? Any changes you hope to see within the cannabis industry?

Federal legalization has to happen and putting an end to these archaic laws that affect people of color the most. Once that happens, we can begin to explore and have access to real scientific studies from verified medical researchers that show us exactly how cannabis can help people who suffer from an entire range of health issues. Think of all the people that could benefit from proper access to the plant.

Wed like to see the true pioneers of this industry  the folks who were in it when it wasnt as popular  have access to compete within the space they helped create, as well as some of our brothers who have been locked up for engaging in what has now become legal behavior. We need them out free and to be able to participate in the marketplace.
Bo, the Portuguese water dog who became the first presidential pet in the Obama White House, romping in the halls of power, died on Saturday.

Bo, who was 12, had cancer, Michelle Obama said on Instagram. President Barack Obama said the family had lost a true friend and loyal companion.

For more than a decade, Bo was a constant, gentle presence in our lives  happy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and everyday in between, Mr. Obama wrote on Twitter.

He tolerated all the fuss that came with being in the White House, had a big bark but no bite, loved to jump in the pool in the summer, was unflappable with children, lived for scraps around the dinner table, and had great hair.
Mourners in protective gear, or watching from home. Long waits at the cremation grounds. The trauma of loss has become both lonely and public.

NEW DELHI  The lifeless are picked up from infected homes by exhausted volunteers, piled into ambulances by hospital workers or carried in the back of auto-rickshaws by grieving relatives.

At the cremation grounds, where the fires only briefly cool off late at night, relatives wait hours for their turn to say goodbye. The scenes are photographed, filmed, broadcast. They are beamed to relatives under lockdown across India. They are shown on news sites and newspapers around the world, putting Indias personal tragedies on display to a global audience.

Local residents record the fires from their roofs to show the world why they must wear masks even inside their homes. The smoke and smell of death is so constant, so thick, that it covers the narrow lanes for much of the day, seeping through shuttered windows.

The flames bear witness to the devastation wrought by Indias Covid-19 crisis. They show the losses in a country where the dead and infected are widely believed to be grossly undercounted. They stand as a rebuke to a government accused of mismanagement by many of its people.
The Pfizer-BioNTech deal, which garnered unanimous support among EU members, requires vaccine production occur within the European Union and that all materials also be sourced from within the bloc of nations. The massive batch of vaccines, scheduled to be distributed through 2023, would also account for threats that are still unknown, like the emergence of another variant for example, or the need for a third round of booster shots.
The millions of votes cast across Scotland Thursday could be among the most consequential in recent times, and not because of their impact on things like health, education and fisheries. The greatest issue facing the country, and the one that was really at stake, was nowhere to be found on the ballot, and that is the future of its 314-year-old union with England.

In the vote for parliamentary elections, the pro-independence Scottish National Party fell short of the majority it had hoped would create an irresistible momentum for a new referendum on breaking away from the United Kingdom. But it will retain power in Edinburgh, probably with the support of the Scottish Greens, guaranteeing that the issue will continue to dominate Scottish politics, as it has in recent years.

Whats at stake?

A lot. A second independence plebiscite, following one in 2014, could lead to the fracturing of the United Kingdom. Were Scotland to become independent, Britain would lose eight percent of its population, a third of its landmass and significant amounts of international prestige.

Some say the loss of Scotland would be the biggest blow to a British prime minister since Lord North lost the colonies in America in the 18th century. Understandably, the current prime minister, Boris Johnson, is no fan of the idea.
As glaciers melt and shrink in the Alps of Northern Italy, long-frozen relics of World War I have been emerging from the ice.

They include cups, cans, letters, weapons and bones with the marrow sucked dry. They were found in cave barracks not far from the frigid summit of Mount Scorluzzo, which reaches more than 10,000 feet over sea level in Northern Italy, near Switzerland.

The Austro-Hungarian soldiers who occupied those barracks were fighting Italian troops in what became known as the White War. There in the Alps  removed from the more famous Western Front, a site of bloody trench warfare between Germany and France  troops climbed to precarious heights in the stinging cold to carve fortifications into the rock and snow.

The weather that tested the troops on Mount Scorluzzo ultimately preserved their barracks, freezing the entrance shut after soldiers abandoned their post at the end of the war in 1918. The structure was essentially impenetrable for decades  until 2017, when enough of the ice and snow had melted, allowing researchers to enter.
LONDON  Hopes for a swift path to independence in Scotland were tempered on Saturday, as the dominant Scottish nationalist party fell one seat short of a majority in the countrys Parliament.

The Scottish National Partys results, though impressive, deprived it of a symbolic victory in a closely fought election. That, in turn, is likely to stiffen the determination of Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain to deny Scottish voters the chance to hold a second referendum on independence.

Yet pro-independence parties stayed in control and even expanded their overall majority in Thursdays election, which will keep the flame of Scottish nationalism alive and ensure that the threat of Scotlands breaking away from the United Kingdom will continue to bedevil British politics.

The number of seats won by the Scottish National Party is in some ways less important than the political winds, which are still blowing in the separatists direction. By allying with the pro-independence Scottish Greens, the Scottish nationalists will tighten their control over the regional Parliament.
A MAN who was seen masturbating in his car by a secondary school student in Kilbeggan was fined 200 at Tullamore District Court last week.

Judge Catherine Staines said the student was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time but told defendant Denis Legac, aged 40 and with an address at Ballinaminton, Tubber, Clara, that she took the matter very seriously.

A donation of 500 to the female student, who was 18 at the time of the offence on January 30 last year, was accepted by the court.

A guilty plea to an offence under Section 45 of the Criminal Law Sexual Offences Act was entered on Mr Legac's behalf by Patrick Martin, solicitor, on April 7 last.

That court sitting was told the accused was seen in a yellow Mini Cooper by an 18-year-old girl as she walked from Kilbeggan secondary school.

The student first noticed the car at the roundabout near the post office after she had come from the school at about 5.10pm.

Sergeant James O'Sullivan told the court she continued walking along Main Street in the town because she was on her way to a friend's house on the Clara Road.

At the Kilbeggan distillery she saw the same very distinctive car parked on her side of the road with its passenger window down.

As she passed she saw the sole occupant masturbating. She kept on walking and the defendant did not speak to her.

Sergeant O'Sullivan said the student had the presence of mind to video his car as she passed it and he was then identified from the footage when the car was traced.

Mr Legac attended at Athlone Garda Station by appointment and admitted the offence, telling gardai that he was watching a video on his phone at the time.

Sergeant O'Sullivan said the accused had no previous convictions.

Sentencing was adjourned to April 28 and a victim impact report was handed to Judge Staines.

Mr Martin said his client was very embarrassed by what had happened and his full co-operation and admission to the gardai had greatly assisted in the case.

Judge Staines it had been extremely upsetting for the young girl to have to witness the man doing what he was doing and it was something where she'd consider a prison sentence.

However, he had no previous convictions and had pleaded guilty.

Convicting the man, she said that he would go to prison if he was convicted again of something similar. The judge said the money could be accepted by the girl or given to charity and she instructed the gardai to inform the girl that she took the matter extremely seriously and it was a case where she was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The wait is finally over as Penneys is set to welcome customers back to its 36 Irish stores; from Monday 10 May, stores will be operating on a shopping by appointment basis until full re-opening on Monday 17 May in line with government guidelines.

Customers can book an appointment to shop in any Penneys store next week exclusively through its online booking system at Primark.com which opened at 10am this morning.

With limited numbers allowed in store, appointments are expected to book out quickly, but anyone disappointed thankfully wont have to wait much longer, as all Penneys stores will re-open fully on Monday 17 May. Full details and link to make an appointment next week can be found HERE.

Once in-store, customers can shop Penneys brand new Spring/Summer collections across fashion, accessories, home and beauty.

When they fully reopen, Penneys will have extended opening hours across every store initially to help reduce queues, spread demand and give customers more time to shop safely. Times will vary by store so customers should check their local opening hours.

Safety remains the number one priority at Penneys so employees and customers can return to stores with confidence, maintaining the high safety standards in place in stores over the past year.

Penneys CEO, Paul Marchant, said: We are thrilled to welcome everyone back to Penneys; weve really missed our customers and fantastic retail teams, so it feels great to finally reopen our doors. We can promise it will have been worth the wait; with our fresh new season fashion collections alongside our great value, everyday must-haves and all at Penneys famous amazing prices, there really is something for everyone waiting in-store.

"Safety remains at the front of our minds. We have extended opening hours across all our stores to help meet demand safely but were also asking our customers to keep up the support and spirit they showed last year, particularly if queuing outside or in-store.
A mother of four in the Midlands has said she would rather go to jail than pay any compensation money to a woman she dragged back by the hair along Longford's Main Street last year.

Claire Hishon (31), 5 OConnor Park, Longford, delivered the ultimatum at a sitting of Longford District Court last week after she appeared charged with assaulting Gemma Kirwan at Main Street, Longford town on November 18 2020.

I am not giving any more money to her, she told Judge Hughes after Ms Hishons defence solicitor Frank Gearty said the row revolved around 150 which had been given to Ms Kirwan and not repaid.

The latter had earlier given evidence to say she had been accosted by Ms Hishon as she exited Longford Post Office.

She (Ms Hishon) attacked me as I was coming out, she said.

She said I owed her money.

Ms Kirwan indicated she had borrowed 500 from Ms Hishons partner and had paid back 700 and something in return.

Under direct questioning from Judge Hughes, Ms Kirwan was asked if she was aware that the man in question was a moneylender.

Yeah, came the reply as she was asked further questions about her ordeal.

She (Ms Hishon) just grabbed me and said I want my money now. I couldnt say anything because of the way she had me.

Ms Kirwan also revealed the entire episode played out in front of her own children who looked on in horror.

My kids were roaring and crying in front of her, telling her to stop and let me go, added Ms Kirwan.

Judge Hughes, in his deliberations, examined photographs of Ms Kirwans alleged injuries which included an apparent injury to her thumb.

Thats a nasty bite, he said, noting how a medical report also contained injuries which cited how Ms Kirwan had similarly sustained pain to her lower back.

Mr Gearty said Ms Hishons version of events were somewhat different and dismissed any notions that she was involved in any underhanded moneylending activity.

She says it was over 150 she lent her (Ms Kirwan) that she never got back.

She says she knows nothing of the money (700 and something) she is referring to, he contended.

Ms Hishon attempted to shed further light on what led up to the row, claiming an appeal for the loan of money was made firstly by her own sister in law on the phone.

After initially refusing, Ms Hishon said she then spoke to Ms Kirwan who said she needed money as her childs communion was coming up.

She added no attempt was made to reimburse her since and after being told to meet her at the post office, allegedly found Ms Kirwan sniggering and smiling as she exited the building.

She also denied suggestions her partner actively lent money, adding she was willing to make a payment to charity but not to Ms Kirwan.

Judge Hughes, however warned her some form of recompense would have to be made to her victim or a custodial sentence would result, the maximum term for which carried a 12 month spell behind bars.

Ms Hishon remained adamant nonetheless, insisting she would prefer to spend a period incarcerated than hand over money to Ms Kirwan.

If I have to go to prison today, I will, she told Judge Hughes.

If you want to put me into jail, put me into jail. I will give her no more money.

Ms Hishon was remanded on bail with the case set to reappear next week (May 11).
Xi says China will support Sierra Leone's anti-pandemic fight

Xinhua) 10:34, May 08, 2021

Photo taken on Feb. 25, 2021 shows a consignment of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine donated by China at an airport in Freetown, Sierra Leone. (Photo by Abu/Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with and provide support and assistance for Sierra Leone in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Xi made the remarks during a telephone conversation with Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Sierra Leone, Xi pointed out that over the half century, no matter how the international situation changes, the two countries have always supported each other on issues related to their respective core interests and major concerns, and have always stood firmly together at critical moments in the face of such major infectious diseases as Ebola and COVID-19.

The two sides, he added, have always maintained a high level of political mutual trust and are good brothers and good friends.

Chinese medical teams, expert teams, anti-epidemic supplies and vaccines have played a positive role in Sierra Leone's epidemic prevention and control, he said.

A ship is loaded with iron ore before heading to China at Pepel Port in Sierra Leone, Jan. 26, 2021.(Kingho Investment Company Limited/Handout via Xinhua)

Stressing that this year is important to the two countries, their parties and their relations, Xi suggested that the two sides join hands to hold 50th-anniversary celebrations, carry forward their traditional friendship, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and promote common development.

China will continue to provide as much support and assistance as its capacity allows for Sierra Leone's national economic development, he said, adding that as the world is undergoing transformations rarely seen in a century, the two sides should strengthen unity and cooperation, firmly support each other, and jointly safeguard international equity and justice as well as the common interests of developing countries.

The Chinese side, he said, is willing to work with Sierra Leone to strengthen coordination within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC.

Artists perform during the "Sierra Leone Day" event of the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 28, 2019. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

For his part, Bio expressed warm congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Sierra Leone and China.

Bio said that China, in the spirit of putting people first, has made remarkable achievements in getting rid of poverty and fighting the COVID-19 epidemic, which has not only made itself stronger, but also made important contributions to world peace, security and economic growth.

He thanked China for its concrete and practical assistance for Sierra Leone's economic and social development and the African country's fight against the pandemic, saying that China is a true and trustworthy good friend of Sierra Leone and the African people.

Sierra Leone firmly upholds the one-China policy and firmly supports China in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, Bio said.

Sierra Leone stands ready to work with China to deepen their friendship, strengthen cooperation in such areas as education, health and food security, and advance cooperation within the framework of the FOCAC, he added.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Reports at the time of the October protest indicated that Tischler riled up the crowd against Kornbluh, who was attacked by Hasidic Jews denouncing him as Hitler and a Nazi. Tischler initially faced additional charges of unlawful imprisonment, menacing and harassment for his role in the incident.
About 150 protesters gathered in Cleveland, just metres away from Dr Lamings office, ahead of his return to Parliament.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs has been assigned protection after she was the target of death threats related to the election audit being conducted in Maricopa County, Az. The audit is being conducted by a Florida-based consulting firm called Cyber Ninjas, which has absolutely zero prior experience in auditing elections. Among other ridiculousness, the []
Portugal, Gibraltar and Israel are among the countries and territories people will be able to visit without quarantining on their return to the UK, the government has said.
Residents in Hay River, Northwest Territories are on high alert as the river continues to break up.
Dozens of Palestinians and six Israeli police officers have been wounded after a clash at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, amid tensions over orders to Palestinian families to leave their homes to make way for Israeli settlers.
I wanted to take him to the hospital, but Uber was taking too long. He was begging for water. I called an ambulance. They arrived and said they were doing CPR and thats when I knew he was gone. I couldnt believe he was gone so fast.
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Eurasia Review 27 May 2021

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After Rabat's recall of the ambassador and harsh allegations against Germany, Berlin has called for explanations, hoping for a quick resumption of bilateral relations - in the interests of both countries.
Pakistan's business community has expressed concern over a possible revocation of the EU's preferential trade status. The country's economy is under pressure from the COVID crisis and the government's mismanagement.
The prime minister has called a summit with the leaders of the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, saying the UK is "best served when we work together".
Eurasia Review 17 May 2021

By Ken Heydon*



The death rate in India from COVID-19 has reached alarming levels and thats intensified attention on..
Wisconsin Democrats posted a video on TikTok and Twitter Friday celebrating the distribution of the latest U.S. government $1,400 stimulus check even as the latest federal jobs report disappointed many experts. The state's Democrats asked people to take a video of them doing...
Tensions have soared in recent weeks in east Jerusalem, which is claimed by both Israel and the Palestinians
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Accusations have also been brought against John Barrowman, with the BBC saying it plans to investigate any specific allegations



Noel Clarke has been accused of sexual misconduct on the set of BBCs Doctor Who, which he appeared on from 2005 to 2010 in the role of Mickey Smith.



According to The Guardian, several people have come forward with allegations that they were sexually harassed or inappropriately touched by Bulletproof actor Clarke when he worked on Doctor Who, both on the set and at a promotional event for the show. Accusations have also been made against John Barrowman, who played Capt. Jack Harkness on both Doctor Who and Torchwood, with sources telling per The Guardian Barrowman repeatedly exposed himself to co-workers on the sets of two BBC productions.



The BBC is against all forms of inappropriate behaviour and were shocked to hear of these allegations, a BBC spokesperson said in a statement to TheWrap Friday. To be absolutely clear, we will investigate any specific allegations made by individuals to the BBC  and if anyone has been subjected to or witnessed inappropriate behaviour of any kind we would encourage them to raise it with us directly. We have a zero tolerance approach and robust processes are in place  which are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect best practice  to ensure any complaints or concerns are handled with the utmost seriousness and care.



Representatives for both Clarke  who a week ago ITV, Sky and the BBC cut ties with following the publishing of a Guardian report including misconduct accusations made by several women against Clarke  and Barrowman did not immediately respond to TheWraps request for comment Friday.



According to The Guardian, Clarke denied all new accusations to the outlet and Barrowman called his behavior tomfoolery that he now knows upset co-workers, but said his actions were not intended or inferred to be sexual.



On April 29, The Guardian published a story including accounts rom 20 women who accused the Bulletproof actor of sexual harassment, unwanted groping, inappropriate comments made on set, sharing explicit photos and videos without consent and bullying. Clarke denied all allegations except for one, admitting he once made inappropriate comments about one woman.



In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me. If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologize, Clarke said in a statement to The Guardian at the time. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations.



Following the accusations, BAFTA suspended Clarkes membership as well as his recent Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award.
I was an EMT you want to talk struggling that was really rough, he explained. I had to have somebody rent out my living room just to be able to cover the rent. Thats how hard it was. After doing that for three, four years, I was like, Im done with this. I quit. Im over it.
Palestinian worshippers clashed with Israeli police late Friday at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, a major holy site sacred to Muslims and Jews, in an escalation of weeks of violence in Jerusalem that has reverberated across the region.
Palestinian worshippers clashed with Israeli police late Friday (local time) at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, a major holy site sacred to Muslims and Jews, in an escalation of weeks of violence in Jerusalem that has reverberated across...
(RFE/RL) -- Iran held a fourth round of high-level talks with world powers on May 7 aimed at returning the United States back into a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.



The negotiations, which kicked off in Vienna in early April, are focused on creating a road map for Washington to lift sanctions on Iran and for Tehran to reinstate...
The town of Hay River in the Northwest Territories has issued an evacuation order for about 200 households due to a threat of flooding.
Aziz Abdul Alim, from a remote part of northern Pakistan, urges people to get their COVID shot: 'Everyone should have the courage to take it.'
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New Deal Between Habanero and 888 Expands New Agreement into Spain

Published May 8, 2021 by Lee R

Habanero and 888 are vitalising the Spanish market and expanding ambitiously themselves.

The Spanish market just got a boost with the entrance of premium slots and table games provider Habanero's announcement of a deal to go live in Spain with 888casino.

Expansion Project

The move appears to be establishing a new model for multi-jurisdictional expansion across the key iGaming markets in the EU.

The Italy Precedent

The precedent for the Spain entry is the earlier agreement between Habanero and 888 which initiated launch of Habanero product on the 888casino platform in Italy earlier in the year.

Implementation

The agreement opened the door for players in Italy to enjoy a selection of the Habanero's immersive titles, including leading names Hot Hot Fruit, Wild Trucks and Egyptian Dreamstitles which will now debut in Spain.

Habanero's Organisational Expansion

This is the latest expansion for the company which has entrenched itself in Europe, to the tune of 17 markets established so far on the continent to increasing popularity.

Habanero has more plans for 2021, looking to extend its reach on the heels of acquisition of Romanian and MGA licences for Q1 2021.

Habanero Head Speaks

Of the agreement, Habanero Head of European Development Arcangelo Lonoce said:

Joining forces with such a prominent operator as 888 reinforces our deserved reputation as one of the industrys fastest-growing providers, and we have no doubt that our titles will get a warm welcome from its extensive player base.

Maintaining Momentum

Lonoce further looks forward to maintaining the momentum his organisation established from 2020 through a string of high-profile deals and accreditations in 2021.

888 Rep Speaks

B2C Casino VP at 888 Talya Benyamini lauded the huge variety of immersive titles in Habaneros premium games portfolio that have already proven enormously popular with our customers in Italy as the deal moves into Spain.

Spain's Shifting Landscape

This certainly looks like a good time for the Spanish market to diversify and become more resilient, in the wake of new regulations updates which are shifting the landscape there.

Outlook

The deal is also a salient reminder that new entrants to the Spanish market are eager to comply with any regulation updates to compete in one of Europe's largest and most dynamic markets, with 888 and Habanero clearly looking to duplicate the feat in further jurisdictions.
DEAR DR. ROACH: I was receiving my second injection of the Moderna COVID vaccine when I felt wetness on my arm and hand. It appears some or all of the vaccine leaked. I felt the needle enter my arm and then the wetness. The nurse stated the vaccine entered my arm. He wiped down my arm. I did NOT have a sore arm nor any other side effects. After the first injection I had a sore arm and fatigue. So, am I fully vaccinated? Should I receive another injection? -- A.B.

ANSWER: It is not uncommon for a small amount of the vaccine to leak out of the arm after injection. Recommendations from experts state that if at least half of the vaccine went in, the dose does not need to be repeated. Presumably the nurse noted only a small amount of leak, but I cant say for sure what happened or how much went in.

A small proportion of the vaccine can look like a whole lot on the outside of your arm. If you are really worried that you didnt get enough of the vaccine, I would discuss with the person in charge of the administration site the possibility of getting another dose.

* * *

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.

(c) 2021 North America Syndicate Inc.
The investigation was launched after a student at the high-performing school in Morningside Heights and her mother complained about the Sept. 30 incident. They submitted several clips of Fletcher that were circulated by students on the social media site Snapchat.
The Oregon Health Authority on Friday reported eight COVID-19 deaths and 844 coronavirus cases, with the states case trajectory continuing a slow descent.

Oregon is averaging 739 cases a day over the past week, down 12% from the April 27 spring peak. Active hospitalizations among people with COVID-19 also sank for a fourth day in a row, down nearly 8% since peaking earlier this month.

Despite those signs of optimism, coronavirus spread remains a source of concern, Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the states health officer and epidemiologist, said in a recorded video Friday. Oregons test positivity rate for the past week remains above 6%  meaning six out of every 100 tests return a positive result  exceeding the states goal of 5%.

The percentage of people testing positive for the virus is stubbornly high, he said. This is a hallmark of the new more transmissible variants that are present here in Oregon. The virus is attacking younger and unvaccinated people.

Sidelinger also talked generally about students testing positive, without providing statistics, and asked people to stay home if sick or exposed.

Were seeing an increase in people who get sick in the community and then attend school. Safety measures in place in schools have limited the spread, he said.

But students who are exposed need to quarantine in case they get sick, he added. And this is disruptive to their education, particularly at a time when many just recently returned to in-person education. We all have a role in limiting the spread of COVID in our schools and in our communities.

Vaccines: Oregon reported 54,747 newly administered doses, which includes 31,750 Thursday and the remainder from previous days.

Where the new cases are by county: Baker (2), Benton (16), Clackamas (104), Clatsop (3), Columbia (10), Coos (4), Crook (12), Deschutes (87), Douglas (11), Gilliam (1), Grant (5), Harney (3), Hood River (4), Jackson (36), Jefferson (12), Josephine (7), KIamath (42), Lake (1), Lane (71), Lincoln (2), Linn (44), Malheur (1), Marion (80), Morrow (1), Multnomah (146), Polk (12), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (10), Union (4), Wasco (2), Washington (94), Wheeler (2) and Yamhill (14).

Who died: Oregons 2,515th death linked to COVID-19 is a 74-year-old Coos County man who tested positive April 11 and died May 6. His location of death is not yet known.

The 2,516th fatality is an 89-year-old Grant County man who tested positive April 12 and died May 5 at his residence.

Oregons 2,517th death is a 60-year-old Jackson County man who tested positive April 10 and died May 5 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center.

The 2,518th fatality is a 57-year-old Marion County man who tested positive April 18 and died May 2 at Oregon Health & Science University Hospital.

Oregons 2,519th death is an 84-year-old Multnomah County woman who tested positive April 19 and died April 26 at her residence.

The 2,520th fatality is an 87-year-old Multnomah County man who tested positive April 19 and died April 21 at his residence.

Oregons 2,521st death is a 100-year-old Multnomah County woman who tested positive April 30 and died May 6 at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.

The 2,522nd fatality is a 57-year-old Jefferson County man who tested positive April 9 and died May 6 at St. Charles Madras Hospital.

Each person had underlying health conditions or state officials were confirming if the person had underlying conditions.

Hospitalizations: 324 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are hospitalized, down four from Thursday. That includes 90 people in intensive care, unchanged from Thursday.

Since it began: Oregon has reported 189,986 confirmed or presumed infections and 2,522 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the nation. To date, the state has reported 3,213,945 vaccine doses administered, fully vaccinating 1,385,116 people and partially vaccinating 541,905 people.

To see more data and trends, visit https://projects.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/

-- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt
The man in the video on Karma Sammys smartphone plays guitar in a crisply pressed suit. He sings along to the clapping of those around him. His eyes light up the room.

Weeks later, her husband, 67-year-old Ken Sammy, was dressed in a washed-out hospital gown, paralyzed and unable to speak. His mouth, nose, and throat were riddled with sores from intubations, ventilators, oxygen masks, and feeding tubes. His body was exhausted from its struggle with COVID-19.

He could communicate only with his eyes and he used them, fiercely, to tell nurse Nikky Oldham to back off. She got the message. Even behind gloves, gown, mask, and face shield, she could tell he was afraid.

He couldnt move, breathe, talk, said Oldham, He was trapped inside his body and couldnt communicate with his hands, but any time you came toward his face meant pain. It was hard to reassure him; I dont think he trusted anybody.

The Sunday Oregonian on May 9 carries a special section on Health Care Heroes in the age of COVID-19. Read all the stories and first-person accounts at oregonlive.com/health.

Later, Ken would say he dreamed that weapon-wielding extraterrestrials in space suits were attacking him. He desperately tried to ward them off. He scratched and pulled in his sleep, often dislodging his IVs or feeding tube. At times, he had to be restrained.

Though Ken was only dimly aware of it, he was at the center of a titanic, months-long struggle between the novel coronavirus and the medical team dedicated to saving him. His case is a grim illustration of the extreme efforts sometimes needed to defeat COVID-19. More than that, it is a story of life and near-death, of epic suffering, of long-lingering harm, and of lasting love.

Fever and muscle aches

Ken and Karma Sammy met as teenagers at a church in Trinidad, the larger of two islands of the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Ken played guitar; Karma sang in the choir. Soon, they were inseparable. They immigrated to the United States, became citizens, and raised four children in Portland. Their youngest daughter, Rachael Schulz, lives just down the street with her husband, Danny, and their four young girls. The Sammys remain active church members.

Ken has a devotion to grand Christmas displays. On Jan. 1 he spent several hours dismantling his 2020 installation in the winter rain. He came down with a cough that evening. Karma chalked it up to a cold, brought on by a long day in poor weather.

By the next day, he had fever and muscle aches. Rachael suggested he go to urgent care; he insisted he was fine. The tug-of-war continued for the next few days, as his condition worsened. Eventually, he agreed to a virtual visit with his primary care provider, who sent him for a COVID-19 test.

The nurse checking his vital signs was so surprised by his low blood-oxygen level that she replaced the batteries to ensure the unit was working. Then she sent him to the emergency room.

They arrived at Providence Milwaukie hospital on Jan. 6, and Ken struggled to communicate but was upright and walking. Dr. Reed Epstein, the emergency physician, recognized the pattern: A patient appears mostly fine, but the pulse oximeter reads in the 60s or 70s. Right when we saw that oxygen saturation, said Epstein, we knew he had to be separated and moved to an isolation room.

All three family members were tested for SARS-Cov-2. Only Kens came back positive. Rachael and Karma had no choice but to leave. Ken was becoming incoherent, and the couple said their goodbyes through looks not words. Kens eyes pleaded with Karma to stay. Karmas, fearful, said how sorry she was to go.

Post-holiday surge

Six hours later, Ken lay in an ambulance headed for Portland Providence Medical Centers intensive care unit, 10 miles away. Much of the country was grappling with a post-holiday surge that was overwhelming hospitals and filling ICU beds to capacity.

Providence Health and Services, a statewide not-for-profit network of hospitals and care centers, had prepared for COVID-19 by consolidating coronavirus care at its two larger Portland hospitals. That allowed it to create specialized COVID-care teams and to consolidate personal protective equipment.

Even so, the pandemic battered the hospitals 3,500 caregivers.

For months, some caregivers recalled, PPE guidelines seemed to change almost daily, fueling fears of catching the virus or bringing it home to loved ones. There were more patients, with more complex needs, but less time to spare because of the constant need to don, doff, sanitize, and dispose of gear. Caregivers reported feeling physically and mentally exhausted. But they kept showing up for work.

At the height of the hospitals COVID-19 surge in November, there were 93 inpatients with COVID-19, nearly 20% of available beds.

Ken was one of the tougher patients.

Intensive care can cost upwards of $10,000 per patient, per day, which only begins to describe the strain COVID-19 imposed on healthcare systems.

In the ICU, Kens body wrestled with inflammation, delirium, and kidney failure. On Jan. 9, he was intubated and placed on a ventilator. Isolation protocols banned family in the room. Karma relied on critical-care nurse Lee Bulwinkle to keep her updated on Kens status. Bulwinkle would hold a phone up to Kens ear. Sometimes his grandchildren said hello and sometimes Karma prayed or sang to him.

With COVID, thats a huge part of my job, said Bulwinkle, We need to take care of the family because we cant take people in to see the patients themselves.

For 13 days, it was touch and go. A rotating corps of 20 nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and respiratory therapists fought around the clock to give Kens body time to fight the virus.

They administered medication to counteract the virus and help him tolerate the ventilator, and they repositioned him in his bed to ease his breathing. Kept mostly prone, Ken needed regular head turns every two hours. It took six people to flip him.

Kens lungs were the big danger. COVID-19 causes the lungs to harden. Caregivers must balance between providing enough oxygen and staying within the lungs capacity to receive it. Blowing too much air into stiff lungs risks damaging healthy tissue.

Bacterial or fungal infections were another risk. They watched for temperature spikes or other signs that he might need medication.

Blood clots were known killers. They constantly monitored his blood pressure and looked for signs of swollen limbs.

Eventually, Ken began to improve. The critical care unit follows a holistic approach to treatment shown to improve outcomes. They turned off Kens sedation, woke him up, tested his breathing off the ventilator, and got him moving.

Once stabilized, he was transferred to the medical floor, where the hospital allowed patients one visitor per day. Everyone agreed that person should be Karma.

Their reunion was joyous, but brief.

It was a very busy night, and I got a call from the rapid response nurse that they were worried, recalled pulmonologist Dr. David Hotchkin. When I went to go meet Ken, he looked just terrible.

Ken was wheeled back into critical care. Karma asked to stay at his side. Hotchkin agreed to make an exception.

It was so refreshing to have some normalcy, despite everything that was not normal, said Hotchkin, reflecting on how often loved ones would stay with family pre-pandemic, Its so much easier to see someone as a person. I got to meet his wife. I got to see who he was.

One of COVID-19s cruel habits is to circle back on recovering patients and take them down again. Kens relapse was swift and serious. Intubated a second time and back on the ventilator, he began bleeding internally. Ken lost so much blood he required a transfusion. Then, one day, for no obvious reason, the bleeding stopped.

ICU doctors and nurses told Karma what it all meant and what the treatment options were.

Instead of feeling fear in that moment, I felt a sudden strength, said Karma, I told them, I want to do anything we can possibly do to help him make it. If he doesnt make it, at least Id know we tried, and you had done your best.

By the next day, Jan. 23, Kens organs were shutting down. Doctors told Karma it was time to contact family. Watching Kens shallow breathing, the doctors checking on his brain activity every 15 minutes, Karma turned to her faith. She called her pastors to pray, holding the phone to Kens ear.

The beginning of a miracle

The next day, as she rubbed Kens ice-cold feet, she felt them warm to her touch. She moved to his hands; as she heated them up, his blood pressure went down. These small moments propelled her.

I knew that was the beginning of a miracle, she recalled.

About 30 percent of the patients put on ventilators die. By Jan. 27, it appeared Ken would be a survivor. Doctors eased back on his sedation and, the next morning, took him off the ventilator. He opened his eyes.

Various caregivers attributed his recovery to luck, genetics, Kens resiliency, or Karmas support. Many said thats just how COVID-19 worked sometimes. Some said, miracle.

After 21 total days in critical care, Ken returned to the COVID-dedicated medical floor. He was out of the ICU but still deep in the woods. The virus had wreaked havoc on his body. He was not responding or moving. His eyes did not track motion in the room.

Nobody knew what to expect, physical therapist Justin Philips said. We didnt know if he had a hypoxic brain injury, was in a hospital-induced delirium. ... He could not speak. He was not even making attempts to speak.

To stimulate Kens senses, Philips introduced passive range-of-motion exercises to Karma, who took the reins without hesitation.

She made note of small daily changes. The first time Ken wiggled his toes, the time he whispered as she shaved his face, the call with his niece in Trinidad, when he appeared to look for her in the room. She watched his eyes beginning to track people.

Karma showed nurse Nikky Oldham the video of Ken singing and playing guitar. Oldham could hardly reconcile her patient with the polished man on the screen, but she recognized the support Karma provided.

She was amazing. It was just an incredible image of love that they shared, said Oldham. It was hard not to fall in love with them.

Cari Piercy, a respiratory therapist, walked into the room to do a routine nebulizer treatment. Karma just started talking to me, she recalled. She started talking about life. She just has this glow, this light, when she talks about him, and this never-ending love.

A certified nursing assistant for 27 years, Karma had the medical know-how to ask the right questions. She helped with turning and hygiene and lifting. She rarely left Kens side.

Ken has no solid memories from Jan. 1 through early February. Back on the medical ward, though, I think I became really aware, he said. When I became conscious, I realized that I had no energy to speak, but I kept trying and trying and trying. I could feel the pain and pressure on my vocal cords.

After multiple or prolonged intubations, many patients take time to regain their voices. But as days went on and Kens voice did not return, speech-language pathologist Myranda Sena became concerned. She requested a bedside evaluation that could determine if trauma or paralysis explained things.

Kens vocal cords proved to be functional. Perhaps buoyed by the good news, Ken saw his voice begin a slow return. As he gained strength, his communication evolved from eyes to gestures to whispers to words. The process took several weeks.

Hospitalist Dr. Laura Kuipers could see Kens personality emerge, I could see he had a sort of dry humor; the eye-rolling or the eye brow up, almost teasing me. He had a way of communicating even when not speaking.

Slowly, he started to say a word or two, nurse Oldham recalled. One time, he whispered to me something to the effect of She talks too much. Karma giggled at that.

Ken and Karma requested Oldham whenever she was working. Nikky, Ken recalled later. Even on days when she wasnt working in our section, she came to see me, and that felt so good.

Patients recovering from serious COVID-19 infections would normally go to a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation. Ken and Karma wanted to go straight home, though, and their care team agreed.

They are a bit of an unusual family, just because of their closeness, their devotion to each other, their willingness to be available for one another, said Erika Petersen, the licensed clinical social worker involved in discharge planning. Everybody felt for their mental health that going home was the best choice.

Before he could go home, Ken needed a hospital bed, a wheelchair, and supplies for the feeding tube that sustained him, while he regained the strength to swallow. Some equipment was covered by insurance, some not. Margaret Grant, RN care manager, monitored their equipment and medical needs, discussed their goals, and ensured he was set for home visits from nurses and therapists.

Even after he left the hospital, Ken would need the support of a small medical village.

Discharge day

After a 59-day stay, Ken was ready to go. Oldham stopped by on his discharge day. There are some who just touch my heart beyond words, and they become lifelong friends, she said, You develop a bond.

Piercy, his respiratory therapist, also stopped by, I had to run back to their room and give them air hugs, she said.

Ken was one of those people that everybody banded together around, said Philips, the physical therapist, Just celebrating his recovery together as someone you could think of as a good reminder of why we do this.

At Portland Providence Medical Center, every time a COVID patient is discharged, Here Comes the Sun plays over the hospital sound system. On March 5, 2021, Ken and Karma left the hospital with George Harrisons song and the cheers of the staff as background music.

At home, Rachael and Danny stopped by and the grandchildren made posters. Seeing the grandkids for the first time in months, Ken looked like a child on Christmas morning, Karma said.

As sunny as their return was, there were difficult days ahead.

I have a form of PTSD; I get nervous, said Ken, I have to put on my oxygen. It still turns in my mind. I would see my wife in the other room start talking about something, and Id just start hyperventilating.

Ashley Witty, an occupational therapist with Providence Home Health, visits Ken twice per week. She said it is common to see PTSD, anxiety, and depression in patients recovering from COVID-19. Many have sudden episodes of rapid heart rates or an overwhelming feeling of respiratory difficulty.

Mental health support for so-called long COVID is spotty. Online grassroots efforts such as Body Politic or Survivor Corps aim to bring together COVID-19 long-haulers to network and share resources. Ken has a home health team that includes a mental health nurse and other therapists, who together are able to address the trauma of a hospital stay and managing expectations.

Right now, instead of thinking about too far in the future, it becomes overwhelming, said Deborah Folk, Providence Home Health RN, who works with the Sammys, We have to focus on day by day. I reinforce: you have made progress, incredible progress. Every week, I see him stronger.

We live in a world of instant gratification, where even your groceries can be delivered in two hours, said Witty, The human body doesnt get better in two hours or two days. The human body takes time, and with COVID, it takes even more time.

COVID took healthy people and made them chronically ill, said Kuipers, the Providence hospitalist. What we are seeing is mostly healthy people get super sick, and take a long time to recover.

Ken has big goals, like finishing a bathroom renovation started before he got sick. For now, though, his therapists are working on smaller steps, such as bathing, fixing himself a snack, and getting in and out of a car.

Its difficult to know where I got this thing, but its here, and people should take it seriously, Ken said.

Also on Kens to-do list is thanking his caregivers by returning to the hospital to play guitar and sing for them. Hes working to get his voice strong enough to sing, his body strong enough to play.

I like to keep my word. When I say I am going to do something, to not do it thats just not in my DNA, said Ken, It will be my privilege to go back and share that with them.

Lee Ann Moyer lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and four children. She is a freelance writer and small business owner. Contact her at hello@gulchmedia.com.
Over 20 years ago, while delivering my daughter, it was nurses who got me through the difficult moments of that unique and most awesome experience. I thought at the time, If I ever change careers, Ill be a nurse, which is what I did. Ive worked here since 2009. Helping patients and their families when they most need it is the greatest privilege for me.

In early 2020, I thought COVID-19 would be eradicated before reaching the United States. I never imagined the magnitude of this virus.

The Sunday Oregonian on May 9 carries a special section on Health Care Heroes in the age of COVID-19. Read all the stories and first-person accounts at oregonlive.com/health.

My unit used to be the orthopedic unit. We converted to taking care of patients with COVID. Its been a big change.

At first, I had some anxiety. I had to think about how to put on and take off the protective gear. I worried about bringing the disease home to my family, which has always given me their love and support. After a 12-hour shift, I just wanted to be able to go home and be with them.

Thankfully, my colleagues helped me overcome the anxiety. Theyre amazing, and Im very proud to be part of the team. Its like were a symphony, and everybody knows what to do.

Sadly, the virus often chose the music.

One of my patients, a middle-aged man, had arrived at my unit in the middle of the night. I started taking care of him at 7 a.m. His oxygen needs increased rapidly and by 11 a.m. he was transferring to the Critical Care Unit. I will never forget his eyes during the transfer. He was clearly scared. My heart broke when he asked me, Am I going to be fine? Days later, he came back to my unit and, fortunately, he was discharged home.

I also remember a beautiful elderly couple whose first language was Spanish, which happens to be my first language. Their rooms were next to each other. One day, I found myself carrying messages back and forth between them. The wife asked me to tell her husband that she loved him very much. When I conveyed this message to the husband, he asked me to tell his wife that he loved and missed her. I went back to the wife to deliver the message. The wife asked me to tell him that she loved him more.

Unfortunately, I found out later that they did not survive. I will never forget them, but I know they are together loving each other.

There have been so many situations when a patient is not doing well and everybody on my team supports each other. Some go inside the room with the patient and others stand by outside, just in case something is needed.

It has been an incredible year. I have never lived through anything like this. I have seen people gasping for air. I have seen nurses crying or being stressed out. But I have also seen nurses feeling relief when a patient goes home. I have seen a community being thankful to nurses and sending food and flowers. I have seen people in lines getting their vaccine.

Our team has done an excellent job at learning and growing as COVID nurses. It is hard to imagine that we went from Orthopedic to COVID nurses all of a sudden. Ive also learned to take care of myself. You have to do that before you can take care of others. And Ive learned the value of dealing with the unexpected. COVID has taught me that we can do it if we work together. We can walk any journey together. For now, lets keep working together by wearing a facemask. COVID will go away, hopefully, soon.
Portland city officials said they welcomed constructive criticism from U.S. Justice Department lawyers who found the Police Bureau has failed to adhere to a settlement governing officer use of force but then blamed the federal government for contributing to the lapses.

Federal agents escalated the tension on Portlands streets last summer, city attorneys wrote in a 40-page response Friday to the Justice Departments formal notice of noncompliance with the 2014 settlement.

City attorneys spent the first seven pages highlighting inappropriate actions by federal officers during clashes downtown amid mass social justice protests.

They noted the tear-gassing of Mayor Ted Wheeler outside the federal courthouse, a federal agents firing of an impact munition at the head of a man standing across the street from the courthouse with his hands in the air and federal agents grabbing at least two people off the street into an unmarked van.

The City hopes the DOJ understands that the conduct of the United States in Portland in 2020 made a difficult situation worse, inflamed the demonstrations and contributed to the protracted and more intense protests in the City, the response said.

City attorneys said theyre prepared to explain to a federal judge, if necessary, how the federal governments conduct contributed to the Police Bureaus inability to satisfy all the requirements of the settlement agreement.

The City of Portland is committed to police reform and accountability, and to re-establishing substantial compliance with the settlement agreement, wrote City Attorney Robert Taylor and Chief Deputy City Attorney Heidi Brown. The City appreciates the assistance of the DOJ in the evolution of the Police Bureau and policing in the City of Portland.

The response isnt expected to draw favor from Justice Department lawyers.

If the two sides cant reach an agreement through mediation, theyre likely to return before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon.

In April, the Justice Department issued the city a formal notice of noncompliance with the settlement -- the first time it had taken that step since Simon approved the agreement seven years ago.

In February, the Justice Department found the Police Bureau failed to meet four key reforms, citing inappropriate police use and management of force during the protests last year, inadequate training, subpar police oversight and a failure to adequately share an annual Police Bureau report with the public as required.

The settlement followed a federal investigation that found Portland officers used excessive force against people with mental illness. It called for widespread changes to Portland police force and Taser policies, training, supervision and oversight, a restructuring of police crisis intervention services and quicker investigations into alleged police misconduct.

Federal lawyers in March said they had asked Portland police to produce a plan on how theyll properly report, analyze and investigate officers use of force, but the city balked, saying the settlement didnt require the city to produce a corrective plan.

Justice Department lawyers earlier this week blasted the Police Bureaus own assessment of its handling of mass protests, calling it an advocacy piece to justify what PPB did, blame shortcomings on other entities and circumstances beyond PPBs control and seek additional funds for new equipment, training and personnel.

The city blamed the 2020 protests for overloading the Police Bureaus use-of-force reporting system and argued the problem wasnt unlike hospitals that couldnt meet demands during the coronavirus pandemic.

PPBs force use and reporting policies were not developed for a protest event lasting approximately 170 days -- something unprecedented and unanticipated, and which was exacerbated by the federal governments actions in Portland, the city attorneys wrote.

The city acknowledged that supervisory reviews of force from the demonstrations often failed to meet the federal requirements and 72-hour completion deadline. The city also conceded that the lack of reviews created a gap in addressing potentially problematic instances of such force. And the city admitted that force reviews by supervisors should be more critical.

Sergeants who werent at the scene but reviewed the force reports created unresolvable challenges, city lawyers wrote. Yet they argued current policy allows that setup.

But going forward, the city has assigned sergeants who do those reviews to be at the crowd control events. The sergeants also must interview officers before they end their shifts, the citys response said.

City attorneys also will provide training in June to all officers on the bureaus policy that calls for firing less-lethal munitions only when officers see someone engaged in active aggression.

Officers with the Rapid Response Team and Mobile Field Team got the training in March and April.

The training is required as a sanction by U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez, who found the city in contempt of his order restricting the use of less-lethal launchers during protests. The training must include videos and examples of incidents from the past year.

The city also will train officers next month about a new standard operating procedure reflecting Mayor Ted Wheelers direction that they cant use tear gas for crowd control unless the mayor or a designee allows it to respond to actions that threaten someones life.

Annual police refresher skills-based training, which was halted last year due to the pandemic, has been offered to officers who missed it and that will be completed by the end of May, according to the city.

The city disagreed with the Justice Departments criticism of the sole reliance by police on their sound truck, or long-range acoustical device, to warn demonstrators before using force.

The city asked how the Justice Department expects someone to hear a warning from a single officer about to use force when the officer is wearing a face covering in a loud protest.

Among other things, the city again urged the purchase of Microsoft Office 365 for the Police Bureau so it can more easily share and track the force reports and video or photo files.

The city response also noted that complaints by community members or police about force used during protests went to the bureaus internal affairs investigators or the citys Independent Police Review office. The city did not say what, if any discipline, has resulted from those inquiries.

A police training division review showed that less-lethal 40mm rounds fired are not always effective, but the alternative is a harder round that causes greater injury, the city response said.

While the Justice Department has cited concerns about faulty conclusions by the bureaus Police Review Board, which reviews alleged police misconduct and recommends discipline, the city noted that regardless of the boards findings, its the police chief who is the final arbiter.

If the Police Chief holds officers accountable for use of force violations, then the City has met the objectives of the settlement agreement, city lawyers wrote.

After police fatally shot a man who grabbed a knife from an officers outer vest in January 2019, the Justice Department criticized the bureau for continuing to train offices on how to use knives as a deadly weapon.

In response, the bureau clarified its policy, restricting knives for use only as last-ditch defensive tools in life-threatening situations.

The bureau last year put in an order for knives to use only for utility purposes, but the order was held up during the pandemic and officers didnt get any. The knives are in stock now and training is almost completed, the city response said.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian
A second Forest Grove police officer is facing a criminal charge in the case of a colleague accused of vandalizing a home that was flying a Black Lives Matter flag last fall.

Officer Bradley Schuetz was indicted Thursday by a grand jury on one count of first-degree official misconduct. He was arrested, cited and released, police said.

Schuetz picked up fellow Officer Steven Teets from the crime scene on Oct. 31 and drove him home, investigators said.

Teets faces charges of second-degree criminal mischief and second-degree disorderly conduct for allegedly walking into the driveway of a Forest Grove couples home, setting off the alarm on their truck, banging on the Black Lives Matter flag hanging outside their garage and kicking and pounding on their front door.

The family had called Forest Grove police to report the intruder, and another officer arrived and identified Teets. A second officer, Schuetz, then responded and took Teets home, investigators said.

Teets was off-duty at the time. Schuetz was on duty.

In not arresting Teets, Schuetz prevented the investigation from happening, said Beaverton police Sgt. Kevin MacDonald.

Forest Grove police in November asked the Beaverton Police Department to investigate Schuetzs involvement.

Teets has been on administrative desk duty while the Washington County Sheriffs Office investigated the familys report. Per standard practice, Schuetz is currently on paid administrative leave, according to Forest Grove Police Capt. Michael Hall.

A lawsuit filed by Mirella Castaneda, one of the residents of the home, alleges that Teets targeted the house because of the Black Lives Matter flag outside and harassed her because of her personal and political beliefs.

Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR
Portland Public Schools will see a boost of about $14 million in its general fund next year. The district also has about $74 million left in federal relief money it can tap.

But its $762 million spending plan will not be enough to mount a full-scale return to classrooms in the fall if the Oregon Department of Education maintains its three-foot distancing rules beyond this school year, Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero told the school board Tuesday.

Thats because the district would need more teachers in order to ensure desks are spaced properly in every classroom.

It would also have to hire more bus drivers since seating capacity would be limited.

You dont have a proposed budget that provides for those contingencies, Guerrero said, later adding he expects the district will offer a full-time return in the fall. Its all conjecture at this point.

About 29,000 of the districts 47,000 students are learning in person at least part-time, according to Oregon Department of Education figures released this week.

The agency has not signaled whether it will require the states public schools to abide by COVID-19 restrictions such as physical distancing and mask wearing in the fall.

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also have not signaled when they might alter their recommended restrictions on indoor distancing.

Officials in one New York school district said last month theyre planning for both hybrid and full in-person returns in the fall while the superintendent of another district in Philadelphia told The Washington Post he cant promise what the next school year will look like because we dont know what we dont know.

Guerrero told the board he expects Oregon districts wont know until mid-summer whether the state will require masking or distancing in schools.

Vaccination rates in many Oregon counties are low. Only three  Benton, Lincoln and Hood River  reported that more than half of their residents had received at least one dose this week. Nearly one in three Oregonians overall are fully vaccinated.

A new variant of the virus in wide circulation across the state appears to be more contagious than the one that struck beginning in early 2020.

In a sign that backs Guerreros hunch that state health officials might continue restrictions into the fall, Gov. Kate Brown last week extended by 60 days Oregons state of emergency, which carries with it measures such as indoor mask mandates and capacity limits for indoor dining.

During the first public meeting on the proposed schools budget Tuesday evening, school board member Julia Brim-Edwards grilled district officials on whether Guerreros proposed spending plan would suffice if Portland Public Schools were required to continue some of this years COVID-19 protocols.

Chief Financial Officer Nolberto Delgadillo immediately told her yes before Guerrero stepped in.

Im not sure thats the case, Guerrero said. I think this is a proposed budget for playing school the way we traditionally always have.

Board member Andrew Scott said he didnt expect the budget to answer for those contingencies.

The challenge were going to be facing as a board and the superintendent with his staff, is can we get guidance from the state early enough? he said. If the state is going to lift the three-feet requirement, we need to know that as soon as we can so that we can plan for a full-time reopening as normal.

Guerrero said he didnt fault state leaders for not having those answers sooner.

They dont have a crystal ball and they are certainly looking at the health metrics right now, he said, nodding to the recent surge in coronavirus cases that forced restaurants in 15 counties to shutter their indoor seating for a week.

District leaders broke down how they intend to spend much of Portland Public Schools $32 million take of Oregons $1 billion-a-year corporate tax for education, which is about $13 million more than the district got last year.

The line items for spending the corporate tax proceeds include about $14 million for adding teachers, mostly in elementary grades, and $16 million for more counselors, social workers to boost attendance and address other needs, and staff training. The remaining $2 million will fund enterprise and community services.

Those figures include nearly $4.8 million to pay for 42 elementary teaching positions over the next year, about $2.4 million for 20 middle school educators and $460,000 for four high school educators.

Nearly $3.7 million of the corporate tax proceeds would pay for 36 social workers and $3.4 million would go toward 30 counselors.

But officials have said little about how they propose to spend the remaining $74 million infusion from the federal government.

Board member Brim-Edwards criticized district finance leaders for that lapse, saying district leaders have an obligation to show how theyre spending taxpayer money.

Even with a college degree and as somebody whos looked at budgets for 20 years, she said, this doesnt tell me what were doing.

Altogether, the proposed $762 general fund budget plus the $286 million special resources spending would amount to a 14% increase from the current school year.

The lions share of that increase comes from federal relief. Portland Public Schools will get nearly 55% more state and federal funding than it did last year: $102 million.

The districts general fund is 2% higher than it was in 2020.

Both school board members and district leaders warily described Portland Public Schools federal windfall as the meeting went on.

The $100 million the district received in pandemic relief over the last 14 months is a use-it-or-lose-it allocation that must be spent by October 2023. Scott and other board members, along with district leaders, warned against using the money to fund any programs or positions the Portland Public Schools planned to keep long-term.

The federal resources are extremely helpful, but theyre time-limited, Scott said.

Under Guerreros proposal, Portland Public Schools would spend about $385 million of its general fund dollars on instruction.

About $324 million of Portland Public Schools $762 million general fund would pay for support services.

That includes about $14 million for social workers, $25 million on counselors and $12 million on speech pathologists. The largest chunk, about $53 million, would pay the salaries for staffing in administrative offices, including principals.

--Eder Campuzano | 503-221-4344 | @edercampuzano | Eder on Facebook

Eder is The Oregonians education reporter. Do you have a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email ecampuzano@oregonian.com.
A school cafeteria worker in Louisiana was arrested after an investigation revealed she hosted a sleepover for several students at her home, according to KLFY.

Dawn Marie Baye, 38, was charged with 10 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and eight counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile, the report said.

Baye was accused of hosting sleepovers for boys, ages 13-16, where they watched pornography, drank alcohol and participated in sexual activities, according to the report. That led to an investigation by police.

According to the report, Baye worked in the cafeteria at a school where she met some of the victims.

Following the investigation and discovery of information shared on social media, Baye was interviewed by police and later arrested, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Tim Soignet said. She has been booked with a $50,000 bond, Soignet said.
By ALAN SUDERMAN and ERIC TUCKER, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)  A company that operates a major U.S. energy pipeline says it was forced to temporarily halt all pipeline operations following a cybersecurity attack.

In a statement, Colonial Pipeline said the attack took place Friday and also affected some of its information technology systems. The company describes itself as the largest refined products pipeline in the United States. It says its responsible for transporting more than 100 million gallons of fuel daily, through a pipeline system spanning more than 5,500 miles between Texas and New Jersey.

The New York Times says the company carries 45% of the East Coasts fuel supplies.

The Alpharetta, Georgia-based company said it hired an outside cybersecurity firm to investigate the nature and scope of the attack and has also contacted law enforcement and federal agencies.

Colonial Pipeline is taking steps to understand and resolve this issue, the company said in a late Friday statement. At this time, our primary focus is the safe and efficient restoration of our service and our efforts to return to normal operation. This process is already underway, and we are working diligently to address this matter and to minimize disruption to our customers and those who rely on Colonial Pipeline.

The precise nature of the incident was unclear, including who launched the attack and what the motives were.

Mike Chapple, teaching professor of IT, analytics and operations at the University of Notre Dames Mendoza College of Business and a former computer scientist with the National Security Agency, said systems that control pipelines should not be connected to the internet and vulnerable to cyber intrusions.

The attacks were extremely sophisticated and they were able to defeat some pretty sophisticated security controls, or the right degree of security controls werent in place, Chapple said.

The FBI and the White Houses National Security Council did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The federal Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency referred questions about the incident to the company.

A hackers botched attempt to poison the water supply of a small Florida city raised alarms about how vulnerable the nations critical infrastructure may be to attacks by more sophisticated intruders.

Anne Neuberger, the Biden administrations deputy national security adviser for cybersecurity and emerging technology, said in an interview with The Associated Press in April that the government was undertaking a new effort to help electric utilities, water districts and other critical industries protect against potentially damaging cyberattacks. She said the goal was to ensure that control systems serving 50,000 or more Americans have the core technology to detect and block malicious cyber activity.
A woman on a scooter was killed in a crash in Northeast Portland early Saturday morning, police said.

Officers responded to reports of the crash near Northeast Sandy Boulevard and Northeast 149th Avenue just after 12:30 a.m., according to police.

They found a woman who had been riding a Lime electric scooter when she was hit by a driver in a vehicle. Paramedics at the scene determined she had been killed in the crash, police said. The victim was not identified.

Police originally said the driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene of the crash and was cooperating with investigators, but in a later statement officials said the driver who was contacted after the crash was not the one who struck the woman. That driver was interviewed and released as investigators now believe the driver responsible for the crash fled the scene.

Investigators did not release any information about the vehicle that hit the woman, but asked anyone who has any information about the crash or the vehicle involved in it to contact Traffic Investigations Unit Officer Chris Johnson by email at Chris.Johnson@portlandoregon.gov or by calling 503-823-2213.

The death marks the 26th traffic fatality of 2021, twice as many as had occurred at this time last year. A passenger in an SUV was killed Thursday night when a driver, suspected of driving under the influence, crashed into a power pole in Northeast Portland not far from the scene of Saturday mornings fatality.

The driver in that crash was arrested on charges of manslaughter, police said.

On Friday, transportation officials announced they would be requesting $3.35 million in safety improvements for one particularly dangerous stretch of Northeast 82nd Avenue, including the installation of new streetlights and pedestrian crossings at an intersection where two men were struck and killed by drivers last month.

The proposal also includes a number of other safety improvements like reducing the speed limit from 35 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour and adding 10 speed reader signs on the nearly eight-mile stretch of urban highway.

A short stretch of Northeast Sandy Boulevard was closed after Saturday mornings crash while the Portland Police Major Crash Team investigated, but has since reopened.

-- Kale Williams; kwilliams@oregonian.com; 503-294-4048; @sfkale
Tree No. 252256 is a 95-foot Douglas Fir that stands south of Oregon 22 east of Mehama, one of dozens of trees in this patch of the Santiam Canyon that has been tagged to be cut as part of the states troubled hazard tree removal program.

The massive undertaking is slowly creeping westward, leaving swaths of denuded highway and private properties in its wake.

This particular tree, one of nearly 143,000 that officials estimate needs to be removed statewide, was inspected March 21, and its removal was approved by a certified arborist from Pennsylvania who is now working in Oregon.

Details about the tree come from a mapping database that CDR Maguire, the contractor monitoring the program under a $75 million contract, is maintaining to document the work for reimbursement by the federal government. The data includes pictures of every tree, some basic measurements, and the names of the inspectors and arborists who evaluated it. But theres not much information on the call to cut No. 252256.

Condition: Poor

Recommendation: Remove

Yet the owner of the land and two independent tree experts who toured the forest patch Monday raised concerns about this tree and others tagged in this tiny portion of the immense project. Light to moderate bark char extends only 15 feet up the trunk of the tree, they said, and the crown  the top branches  look healthy.

There is just very light cosmetic damage to the tree, Rick Till, a certified arborist and qualified tree risk assessor from Portland, said after shaving off a bit of blackened bark with his hatchet. If it did fall, it would fall into the woods. It is a very low-risk tree, yet its marked for removal, and someones going to get paid a few thousand bucks for cutting down this tree, which should take about 10 minutes work.

Perhaps a hundred feet away sits tree No. 252300, another Douglas Fir tagged the same day by a different certified arborist from Florida. Its clearly dead, probably from before the fire. The top has fallen out. If has significant decay.

But its leaning away from the highway. If it falls, Till said, it too is going into the woods.

The risk of this doing anything to the traveling public is minimal, said Till, who until 2016 spent a decade working for a conservation group that is not involved in the current conflict. If they remove it, no big deal, but on the scale of this project, people are getting paid a lot of money to remove this tree. Its not hurting anyone by removing it, but it raises serious concerns in my mind about how theyre doing this and inflating the number of trees that need to be removed for private profit.

That, in a nutshell, is whats driving the controversy around the states enormous tree removal and debris cleanup effort stemming from Labor Days wildfires. The Oregon Department of Transportation says it need to act with urgency, removing hazards to the traveling public and members of the communities ravaged in the wildfires. And its clear to even the casual observer traveling Oregon 22 between Salem and the Cascade Range that many trees need to go.

But former employees on the project, landowners and local elected officials maintain that program is being mismanaged, with rampant overcutting of trees that pose little risk today, and may never.

The issue came to a head last week in two hearings at the Legislature, where former employees described a project that has gone badly astray, with over-tagging of trees by untrained and unqualified personnel, financial incentives for contractors to cut more, drug use in the field, inadequate safety protocols and alleged instances of fraud over reported work hours and documentation of trees being cut.

By contrast, what officials from the Oregon Department of Transportation described to lawmakers was a meticulously designed program in which trees are being evaluated not once, but three times, including two checks by certified arborists and foresters to ensure they meet the criteria for removal. Those protocols include whether individual trees have a 50% probability of dying in the next three to five years, and whether they pose a risk to motorists or community members if they do fail.

Its clearly a subjective process, and at no time during Mondays tour did the arborists stumble across any trees that had been marked for cutting that were not at least partially charred or showing other signs of distress.

But signs of char arent necessarily enough, particularly with fire-adapted trees with thick bark like Douglas Fir, said David Shaw, an Oregon State University forestry professor and forest health expert who was on hand during Mondays tour.







Evaluating a trees health after a fire involves examining the extent of the bark char, the fires penetration into the trees cambium layer  the growth layer that makes new cells  as well the loss of foliage and the level of crown scorch.

Douglas Fir, with their thick bark, can really protect, Shaw said. It can burn for a while. So some of these trees are going to do fine even with the charring the way it looks. The key here would be what happened to the crowns.

Determining whether a tree is a hazard to the public and needs to be removed involves an additional layer of analysis looking at its proximity to roadways or structures, and which direction it leans and is likely to fall.

Those complexities are the reason the state required CDR Maguire to not only hire certified arborists for the job, but arborists with at least five years post-fire experience in the Pacific Northwest. Former employees have told The Oregonian/OregonLive and Oregon lawmakers that many arborists on the job lack that experience, and that inexperienced monitors were sometimes tagging trees and using arborists credentials to log the trees into the system  even when an arborist wasnt on site.

Based on his online resume, it does not appear that Mason Maye, the Pennsylvania arborist who is listed as having signed off on cutting down tree No. 252256, has the required level of experience. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reached on his mobile phone, Austin Kreutzfeld, the Florida arborist who is listed as approving the falling of tree No. 252300, declined to comment.

CDR Maguires chief executive, Carlos Duart, told lawmakers last week that all the firms arborists and foresters had the level of experience required by its contract with the state. But based on an emailed statement he sent to the Oregonian/OregonLive this week, neither Maye nor Kreutzfeld strictly meet the bar.

Maye is a certified arborist and has 3 years experience in the Pacific West Coast including the Paradise fires as a tree assessor, Duart wrote. Mr. Kreutzfeld is also a certified arborist with 3 years experience and is a former combat medic.

For that matter, Till, the Portland arborist who examined some of CDRs work, also acknowledged he doesnt have five years experience monitoring conifers post-fire in the region.

Its a small pool of people.

Regardless of arborists experience, critics maintain the state and its contractors should be cutting very conservatively, waiting in some cases for two to three years to determine which trees recover, and which ultimately become real hazards.

Its a decision with financial implications, as the tree removal efforts could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Up to 75% is reimbursable by the federal government, but only if the state can document its done the job right. Meanwhile, Oregon taxpayers will still be on the hook for a quarter of the bill.

Its an aesthetic and quality of life issue, too, as the tree removal adds to the wildfire devastation and community trauma along some of Oregons most beloved and scenic mountain corridors, which wont be the same for decades, if ever.

And its a potential environmental problem, conservationists say, as the vast number of trees being removed could lead to erosion, water quality and habitat issues.

ODOT officials told lawmakers last week that they would follow up on all the allegations made in the hearings, though its not clear any of the whistleblowers have been contacted by the agency. An ODOT spokesman, Tony Andersen, said if the claims are substantiated, corrective action would be taken. He also said CDR Maguire has launched its own internal investigation.

ODOT is also currently drafting the contract procedure for hiring an independent arborist/forester to provide an additional level of oversight to the check, double-check, and triple-check hazard tree evaluation process currently underway Andersen said in an email. He said the state was in expedited negotiations on the contract, and the timeline of the review will result from those negotiations.

The cost of temporarily stopping the work, as some lawmakers have called for, would be onerous, Andersen said, including de-mobilizing contractors, safety liabilities, delays in rebuilding and potentially putting the states federal reimbursements at risk.

So the cutting goes on.

Contractors have taken down more than 31,000 trees so far within the footprint of wildfires that burned 1 million acres last year. The cutting is particularly heavy along the Clackamas, Santiam, McKenzie and North Umpqua river corridors, all heavily scorched by the wind-driven conflagrations that raced down the valleys starting Labor Day evening.

Some areas, such as Oregon 224 in Clackamas County and the North Fork of the Santiam River, are still closed to the public, so there is little visibility into the project aside from personal accounts from landowners and contractors who have worked on the project and describe a shocking, and in some cases unnecessarily heavy level of cutting.

Along the highway corridors that have reopened, the impacts are obvious.

Ron Carmickle, the mayor of Gates, has been shaken by what hes seen and been told, first near Detroit, then closer to home as the logging show has moved westward through the Santiam Canyon. In recent weeks, he said, he started noticing blue dots spray painted on the trunks of hundreds of trees on the highway and on private properties through Gates, including his own burned property.

Then came the orange, bar-coded tags on a subset of the trees marked with the blue dots  essentially a receipt for each tree being removed. Carmickle said he then realized what was coming.

Duart says the trees are evaluated in a three-phase process, first in a production pass then in two further quality assurance checks by arborists and foresters. Duart did not answer whether all the trees with orange tags would ultimately be cut.

Carmickle testified in the hearing last week, and on Monday he invited county officials and members of the media to see some of the activity that has taken place along Oregon 22. Also summoned by Carmickle were Till, the Portland arborist who similarly testified in front of lawmakers last week, and Shaw, the OSU professor who is one of the states foremost experts in tree mortality and forest health.

Theres so many questions in all of this, Carmickle said, and how much of it is actually a money grab and how much of it is actually to save our land, to save our forests and to save our trees, save our beauty of Oregon. This is ugly. This is horrid.

The tour started in Minto Park, on the east side of Gates, where contractors cut down dozens of trees in previous days. Till and Shaw cut into the moist and apparently healthy cambium layer of a 70-year-old fir tree lying on the ground. They noted the thin layer of bark charring. The downed tree next to it showed scorching only four to five feet up the trunk and the remains of green branches above.

These trees are about 80 years old in this grove, and theres no evidence of butt rot or root disease, said Shaw, noting two things that would compromise a trees health. These trees were clearly vigorous and doing very well.  The wildcard for us would be what the crown looked like, and whether it was completely scorched or not.

That was impossible to tell, though he and Till noted the intact canopy of a nearby tree that was still standing and a large pile of green limbs nearby.

Till, who said his interest in the project was sparked when he was contacted by a former employee on the project who raised significant concerns about the work by CDR Maguire, emphasized that a dead tree is not necessarily a hazard. He repeated what the projects former lead arborist told lawmakers last week: the protocols used to identify dead and hazardous trees had not been scientifically vetted and were rushed into production.

County officials didnt stick around long. Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell stressed that the county had no oversight role in the process, but that it had tried to be a liaison to the state when landowners raised concerns. She also said the county was grateful to leave the process to ODOT, removing potential safety hazards and liability on its property. She didnt know where the wood was going, but if it was being sold and defrayed the states costs, that was fine by her.

Other landowners arent so sanguine. The next leg of the tour was the patch of forest east of Mehama. The elderly landowner dropped by to see what was happening, and though he declined to be interviewed, said he was alarmed by the number of trees being marked. Another neighbor stopped his truck and said several cedars had been cut on his property.

They hauled my wood away, he said. I lost about a thousand dollars worth of cedar.

After Till and Shaw tromped through the grove and examined some of the trees tagged for cutting, Carmickle asked them what theyd seen, and whether too many trees were marked for removal.

Shaw said some of trees tagged for cutting are really good calls. But he added that it looks like some of them will survive, in my estimation.

Theres a handful of trees in this grove that I would say arent necessarily going to be a danger.

 Ted Sickinger; tsickinger@oregonian.com; 503-221-8505; @tedsickinger
He would have told me, but its not something he ever said to me, said the boys cousin Roodwiny Xantus, 28. He goes to school every day, and nothing like this ever happened before ... I did speak to his teacher, and she was just telling me about how nice Romy was. And how they all got along in class, and she loved him.
Shelterhouse received a lift in more ways than one on Friday morning.

The nonprofit organization accepted the donation of a forklift from Michigan Sugar Company for its Resale Shop and Outlet in Midland.

Since the Resale Shop opened in 2013, volunteers have manually moved more than 960 pounds of clothing per day between stores and Shelterhouses trailer to be distributed to community partners.

When Shelterhouse Vice President Pedro Figueroa, who also happens to be vice president of sales and marketing for Michigan Sugar, heard about the amount of work being spent, he wanted to help in any way he could.

For him, the donation is both practical and symbolic of how Shelterhouse lifts up survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

I feel very blessed. Its a way for me to tie in my professional life with community efforts, Figueroa said. My family and I have been here for three years. As a family, were all trying to do our best to impact different parts of our community.

In addition to Figueroa, Shelterhouse Executive Director Denise Berry and Director of Retail Operations Brittany Henne were present on Friday for the official presentation of the keys. They were joined by Rob Clark, director of communications and community relations for Michigan Sugar Company, and John Hendricks, product support sales representative at Alta Equipment Company, which serviced the forklift at no cost.

It was an honor to provide service on this forklift and be a part of todays donation, Hendricks said. On behalf of the entire team at Alta, we hope this piece of equipment helps Shelterhouse Resale Shop and Outlet better serve the community for years to come.

At Michigan Sugar Company, we like to say weve been making life sweeter since 1906, said Clark. It means making life sweeter for our communities and incredible organizations like Shelterhouse that are doing important and life-changing work to make life sweeter for those in need.

Henne explained the forklift will cut processing time as well as staffing costs at the stores, create less waste, and increase overall productivity. Shelterhouse will obtain an overall license to operate the forklift and will train its staff to utilize it properly.

This donation is one of those donations that shows how generous our community is, Henne said. When we were in need and the need was mentioned, Pedro and everyone at Michigan Sugar Company just took the reins and they found the solution to the problem.

In addition to the forklift, Michigan Sugar Company is contributing $1,000 to Shelterhouse for Chefs and Survivors campaign, which launched on Friday morning. To learn more and to donate to the fundraiser, visit shelterhousemidland.org/donate.
An investigation later revealed that both men were stabbed before the fire. At least one of the victims had three knife wounds, cops said.
This week, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall for Kidde TruSense Smoke and Combination Smoke/Carbon Monoxide alarms due to risk of failure to alert consumers to a fire.

The recalled units are Kidde Model Series 2040, 2050, 2060, and 2070 Smoke and Combination Smoke/Carbon Monoxide alarms that were sold at Walmart, Home Depot, Menards, Amazon and other stores between May 2019 and September 2020.
Midland County is joining the rest of the state in gradually and carefully preparing for the next phase of the pandemic.

Last week, the State of Michigan's "Return-to-Office" workgroup provided Gov. Gretchen Whitmer their recommendations for how employers can begin to plan a safe, phased reopening of offices.

The workgroup, established on March 15, consists of business, labor and public health experts, stated a press release.

Workers and their safety are our top priority, stated Michigan COVID-19 Workplace Safety Director Sean Egan. We have taken a proactive approach to listen and collect feedback from a wide array of stakeholders, as we try to address challenges and concerns of employers who are looking to align their reopen plans with health guidance and safety rules.

The workgroups recommendations included: the reduction of office density; daily health screenings, including staggering entry times to avoid congregation at screening checkpoints; establishing quarantine, isolation and testing guidelines to ensure policy clearly articulates the ability of employees to quarantine/isolate/test without risk of job loss; and the establishment of a return policy that allows employees with caregiving obligations to continue remote work regardless of the cohort group returning.

"I certainly appreciate this group working through this process," said Tony Stamas, Midland Business Alliance president and CEO. "It's a challenging time -- dealing with something there really isn't a blueprint for."

Regarding vaccines, employers are advised to provide up-to-date information to employees, as well as links to vaccination sites/sign-up information.

"Our local employers want to make sure they're keeping their customers and employees safe," Stamas said. "The guidelines are helpful in terms of giving information."

Stamas said it is important to provide businesses with clear and concise advice as the state slowly begins reopening.
To the editor:

It is very hard to forget that the last presidential election has been certified with best voter turnout, with bipartisan election official approval, and with numerous over 50 court opinions rejecting challenges for lack of any compelling evidence. So why would the Republicans continue to foment the idea that the election was fraudulent or rigged?

Think about this. In the last election, voter turnout set a new record. Nationwide bipartisan election officials were unanimous about it being the most proper election in history. Perhaps what is too good to be true deserves a second look. Guess what there was a second look by the courts, in one state after another, confirming the results.

Trusting in the bipartisan election officials to do their job seems logical. This does not mean there cannot be improvements. However, careful review is needed. Many of the proposed Michigan bills include changes that will make it harder to vote by spending more time complying with increased voter registration requirements and procedures.

A quick focus on just three of 39 Michigan voter bills follows. First, SB285 and SB303 focus driver's license identification. Many older citizens no longer drive. Applying for a driver's license or state ID is burdensome. Further being required to present these ID cards not once but perhaps as many as three times is plainly not easier! Second, SB289 concerning the spending of authorized federal election funds and approval by the Michigan legislature. This may not make sense. Let the elected state officials do their jobs! Third, SB287 proposes to prohibit prepaid postage for absentee ballots. This clearly is not easier! How would our Senator Jim Stamas, the sponsor, feel if he were denied voting privileges? Other bills being considered focus on absentee return ballot boxes, do not make voting easier.

Our representatives should be working together to propose true and helpful legislation. All voters should think more about the political process, voting, candidates, and voice their opinions. Look into this and decide for yourself if these Michigan voting bills are either easier and helpful, proper or not.

HUGH GERSHON

Midland
FDNY officials said Garcia and at least one other tenant inside the first-floor apartment near E. 187th St. escaped the fire without closing the door, which caused the flames to spread. Neither apartment had working smoke alarms.
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The 60-year-old victim was waiting for a Brooklyn-bound No. 2 train in the 135th St. station at Lenox Ave. around 5 a.m. when suspect Keshon Malachi stormed up and shoved him onto the tracks, said cops.
A new report provides information about a partial survey Apple has reportedly sent out to Apple Watch users in Brazil about health monitoring including managing medications and glucose monitoring as presented below in Portuguese translated to English.

(Click on image to View Survey Translation larger)

It's not exactly glaring evidence that Apple will deliver an Apple Watch glucose monitoring feature in the short term but it does show that the Apple Watch team is interested in user feedback on this possible future health feature. The original partial survey was sent 9to5Mac and could be viewed here.

There have been rumors on the possible introduction of glucose monitoring in the next Apple Watch, though why do a survey if the feature is guaranteed to be out this year? There seems to be a credibility gap here.

On January 6 Patently Apple posted a report titled "In an effort to get ahead of Apple Watch Health Features, Samsung has patented a Wearable Blood Sugar monitoring device." Then on January 24, Korea's ETNews reported that Samsung was set to deliver a blood glucose measurement function for their next-gen Galaxy Watch 4 coming in the second half of 2021.

The rumor report went one step further by claiming that the next-gen Apple Watch 7 would also be introducing a similar blood glucose monitoring system.

There's no doubt that Apple is working on a glucose monitoring system, as we reported way back in 2017 that a "Secret Apple Team" was closing in on diabetes testing breakthrough using an Apple Watch. A 2015 patent figure in that report, now illustrated below, shows Blood Sugar measurement data being shown on an iPhone.

The only thing in question at present is the timing of this feature coming to a future Apple Watch. This may very well be they year that this feature comes to Apple Watch, but the timing of the Brazilian survey would strongly suggest that Apple is still in research mode.
A report from Hong Kong today states that Hong Kong authorities asked Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter for information on 1,399 users between July 2019-June 2020 and hundreds of requests were granted until the advent of the national security law caused the tech giants to stop cooperating, according to the companies transparency reports for the period.

It was not clear from the reports what kind of data Hong Kong authorities requested. Months of pro-democracy protests and unrest  organized and fueled partly by social media and messaging apps  began in June 2019. Some requests may have been made as part of investigations into crimes unrelated to the protests, such as credit card fraud or stolen devices.

After Beijing imposed the sweeping national security law on Hong Kong last June 30, US technology and social media giants including Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter and Telegram announced they would halt the processing all data requests from the city authorities.

In response to a Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) enquiry on their transparency data and their latest approach to Hong Kong government requests, Apple and Google said they had no additional comment.

Apple

In their transparency reports, Apple and Facebook differentiate between supplying content and non-content data, with requests for the two types of information handled differently. In general, content data covers emails and other messages, lists of contacts, photos and what is said in social media posts.

Non-content data is metadata such as login time, IP addresses, registration information, or even the number of characters contained in a message  but not what the message says.

After the security law came into force, Apple told TechCrunch  that requests for user content data must be submitted through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty between the US and Hong Kong.

Apple said it stored iCloud data for Hong Kong users in the US. Requests to access user content must be approved by the US Department of Justice and supported by a warrant issued by a US federal judge, before the data could be handed to Hong Kong. It was also assessing the new security law, the company said.

Its statement at the time made no mention of data it had given to authorities that did not involve "user content."

Apple received three types of requests from Hong Kong authorities between July 2019 and June 2020, according to its transparency reports for the period.

The Hong Kong government made 16 requests for data for 25 Apple accounts in that period. The company rejected five of these requests in part or in full, but complied with seven  although it supplied only non-content data. It was not clear what happened in the other four cases. Apple did not provide "content data" in response to requests from Hong Kong during the period, the report said.

Non-content data may include "subscriber, account connections or transactional information," the transparency reports say, while content data refers to material "such as stored photos, email, iOS device backups, contacts or calendars."

Separately, Apple also received 294 requests from Hong Kong for information on 355 devices during this period. Data was provided in response to 169 of these requests.

Apple also provided data in 128 out of 293 requests for information related to financial identifiers, such as credit card numbers registered on the Apple app store. These involved 765 financial identifiers.

In its transparency reports, Apple said it only responds to valid legal requests from governments, and will "challenge or reject" them if they are invalid, unclear, or overly broad. The requests may be related to investigations on stolen devices or credit card fraud, and are responded to through a "centralized and standardized process" by a legal team.

The company would also notify its customers of such government requests unless explicitly legally banned from doing so, or if notification would risk causing injury or death to an identifiable person, or if it would endanger children, the reports said.

Apple did not respond to HKFPs question over whether its Hong Kong users had been notified of government data requests.





Wong Ho-wa, a data scientist and current Election Committee representative for the IT industry, said customer data is typically understood to include both content and non-content data. "It is not quite fair" to users if companies like Apple have policies which differentiate between the two categories of information, he told HKFP.

Both content and non-content data are part of personal privacy and should be handled under the same policies, so I dont see why it should be different, Wong said.

A Responsibility to Educate

Wong said social media and tech companies could do more to educate users about the data they disclose to authorities. "Tech giants have the responsibility to educate ordinary people on how their data are stored," Wong said. "They may seem to have done their jobs by making disclosures in reports, but ethically speaking they should make it clear that they have different policies on customer data."

Non-content data would also be useful in law enforcement investigations. "Suppose that the content of an email was removed apart from the email [address] and IP address. In fact, it would still provide more information for investigation to see if [someone] committed something," Wong said.

"Even though we may not have seen the data presented in court as evidence, it doesnt mean it was never used to find evidence about a person." For on this regarding Facebook and Google, read the full Hong Kong Free Press report.
The Zulu Queen, Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu, who died unexpectedly last week, has been buried in a private ceremony in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province.



She was appointed regent of the country's largest ethnic group in March following the death of her husband King Goodwill Zwelithini.



The queen's death, at 65, has triggered a bitter family feud and a power struggle over the succession.

The family has dismissed rumours that she had been poisoned.



But the cause of the queen's death is yet to be announced by the royal family.



Her eldest son Prince Misizulu, who is seen as the favourite to become the next king, has called for unity in a speech.



"We have no doubt we will unite as a family. Let us emulate the king by being peaceful and continue to love all the queens," TimesLives quotes him as saying at his mother's memorial.



He also reflected on her qualities, adding "she was my strength, she was an extraordinary mother. She taught us love, respect and the value of hard work, the importance of honouring tradition".



The decision on who will now lead the Zulu nation of about 11 million people is yet to be made.



The throne does not have formal political power and the monarch's role within broader South African society is largely ceremonial. But the Zulu monarchy remains hugely influential, and has a yearly taxpayer-funded budget of more than $4.9m (3.5m).



Queen Dlamini-Zulu was buried at KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace in a town about 480km (300 miles) from South Africa's main city Johannesburg in the early hours of Friday morning after a night vigil.

Source: BBC









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An Accra High Court has ordered Dr Stephen Opuni, former Chief Executive Officer, COCOBOD and two others to open their defence in their ongoing trial.



The Court said the prosecution had made a prima facie case against them.



The Court presided over by Justice Clemence Honyenuga in his ruling on a submission of no case, said the prosecution had succeeded in proving the essential ingredients in the charges levelled against the accused persons except for three charges on money laundering.



The prosecution however failed to establish a prima facie case against the accused persons on the charges of money laundering and they are hereby acquitted and discharged, he said.



The Court, therefore, ordered Dr Opuni to open his defence on May 17, 2021.



Mr Samuel Codjoe, Counsel for Dr Opuni, payed for 14 days that they could prepare very well and to also enable them obtain a copy of the ruling from the Courts registry.



Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney-General said the fundamental of every trial was expeditious time.



He said the Court has indicated that the ruling would be filed by Monday and the accused persons would have ample time between Monday and May 14 to prepare for their defense.



"I do not know why they need the ruling before they can open their defense unless they intend to embark on a different cause," he said.



The Judge said the trial has taken almost three years and he wanted to finish it as quickly as possible so that he could concentrate on his core duties at the Supreme Court.



Dr Opuni, Seidu Agongo, a Businessman, and one other filed separate applications asking the Court to acquit and discharge them in the ongoing trial for allegedly causing financial loss to the state.



The accused persons argued that the prosecution at the end of its case failed to adduce sufficient evidence to prove any of the 27 charges levelled against them.



The prosecution also contended that contrary to that assertions made in the accused persons submissions of no case applications, the evidence of the prosecution witnesses were not in any way discredited under cross-examination, and their evidence remain credible and reliable.



Dr Opuni and Mr Agongo are facing 27 charges including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the State, money laundering, corruption by public officer and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.



They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges and are on a GHS300,000.00 self-recognizance bail, each.

Source: GNA









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With barely 48 hours to go, Achimota Mall has announced it has stumbled onto a new recipe for appreciating, pampering and literally spoiling mothers, during this years Mothers Day celebration.



Achimota Retail Centre (Achimota Mall) management says a superb blend of special body care treatment for mother, a series of exciting experiential engagements and some well-tailored giveaways should be enough to make this years Mothers Day an indelible occasion for any mother.



The mall has been busy all weeklong perfecting the recipe, and setting up to deliver what the Marketing Manager, Kobby Ampong, describes as a lifetime treat for all our mothers.



The recipe is unique..an extended version of what Mothers Day celebrations normally look like. This year, following all the anxieties and stress, brought by the COVID pandemic, we are giving our patrons and their families a therapeutic recreational package that should turn things around for everyone  especially our dear mothers, Ampong told journalists in an interview.



In what appeared to be a sneak line-up of what will happen at the Centre on Mothers Day and beyond, the Marketing Manager said, during the next couple of weeks, starting from this weekend, the malls ambience will switch to that of a pleasantly soothing family setting, generated by classic DJ music, special gourmet offering from food vendors, cultural shows, eye-popping magical and comic shows, acrobatic displays and Kizomba dance demonstrations, Kobby Ampong told journalists in an interview.













On Mothers Day itself, we will look out for five lucky mothers for special recognition and attention. Could be anybodys mother, but we will take over the spoiling business, and this will include offering them respective full-body massage sessions, courtesy of our massage experts, Body Basics and give them gifts of fabrics from MV Accessories, he disclosed.



He further disclosed that special rewards have been reserved for patrons who will be picked randomly for displaying exciting photographs of themselves and their mother along with a special message of appreciation for mother in front of their favourite ARC shop, or at a special Mothers Day Photobooth.



Every mother in Accra is entitled to be part of this exceptional Mothers Day episode, Ampong said, adding that the least a mother and child may take home is a souvenir photo memorabilia of a good time with family, which every mother visiting the mall (and their relations) can take at the special Mothers Day Photo Booth designed and erected for the purpose.



Located at Dome, off the Accra-Nsawam highway, Achimota Retail Centre, popularly known by patrons as the Achimota Mall has brought modern, secured one-stop shopping to the south-eastern quarter of the capital since 2015 and now serves diverse social categories from almost a dozen adjoining communities in the Ga East Municipal Area



The Centre is anchored by the popular food store chain, Shoprite and the general merchandise retailer, Game and offers customers an appealing variety of tenant mix comprising both international and Ghanaian brands with offerings in different retail categories including, fashion and clothing, electronics, grocery and a range of alluring delicatessen and eateries.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Three organizers of Christ Embassy Pneumatic All Night church service have appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.



They are Alex Asomani, Wilson Delali Agyemang, Kumi Nutifafa.



The three have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime namely: failing to comply with restrictions imposed and failing to comply with restrictions imposed.



Also in the dock was Edmond Dapaah, the facility Manager of the Fantasy Dome at Trade Fair Centre.



He is being held on the charge of abetment of crime.



All the accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges.



The Court has, however, directed the prosecution to take amend the charge relating to failing to comply with restrictions imposed, as it found it to be defective.



The Court, presided over by Mrs Ellen Ofei Ayeh, then preserved three of the accused persons' plea on the defective charge.



The trial judge ascertained that the accused persons places of abode and their occupation, saying the defence counsel failed to address her on those areas.



The accused have been, subsequently, granted bail in the sum of GHC 80,000 with two sureties each, who are gainfully employed or are public/civil servants earning not less than GHC 1,400.



The investigator was ordered by the court to investigate the residence of sureties, while the sureties are to deposit their passport pictures with the court.



The accused are expected to reappear on May 24.



Prior to the bail, Nana Beyin Arhin, who represented the organisers of the all-night church service, prayed for bail, saying they would appear in court whenever they were needed.



Jerry Avernorgbor, counsel for Dapaah, told the court that his client did not deserve to be in court and he would prove that during the trial.



Mr Avernorgbor said his client would not interfere with investigations but would rather assist.



The Defence Counsel said the accused had sufficient sureties who were ready to sign his bail bond.



Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Simon Apiorsornu narrated that the Police gathered intelligence that the youth wing of Christ Embassy Church, Ghana, had organized an all-night service dubbed, Pneumatic Night at the Fantasy Dome within the Trade Fair Center, without obeying COVID-19 safety protocols.



He said a video footage of the said church service was also cited on various social media platforms and in the video, it was observed that, the congregants were not wearing face or nose mask.



Chief Inspector Apiorsornu said upon the intelligence gathered, the police proceeded to the Trade Fair Center where they met the head of security of the center, Justice Tuuru Konlan.



The prosecutor said the security confirmed to Police that the Christ Embassy Church organised the said programme on the 30th of April, this year, from about 2000 hours at the Fantasy Dome within the Trade Fair Center and closed in the morning of May 1.



The Management of the Fantasy Dome did not officially inform the Management of Trade Fair Center about the said programme, he said.



The prosecutor said the Police conducted an inspection within the Fantasy Dome, as well as the Round Pavilion.



Upon the measurement of the intervals between the arranged chairs, it was observed that the one-metre rule of social distancing between congregants was not observed, he said.



Also, there was no fresh air ventilation and that the church relied on air conditioners.



According to the Prosecutor, further enquiries revealed that the programme exceeded the maximum two-hour duration.



Consequently, Asomani, Agyeman, Nutifafa were the

Organizers of the all-night church service were arrested by the Police.



The Prosecution said Dapaah, the facility manager of the Fantasy Dome was also arrested by the police for questioning.



In their investigation and cautioned statements, Chief Inspector Apiorsornu said the accused persons could not give any tangible reasons for flouting the COVID-19 protocols.

Source: GNA









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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.
Some people have been taken into custody in Egypt after a video began circulating on social media this week showing a South Sudanese teenager being verbally and physically assaulted.



The subsequent outrage prompted Sudan Sudans embassy in Egypt to investigate.



It found that the footage, which seems to have first appeared on Tik-Tok, showed Akok Kuol, a 14-year-old asylum seeker whose family is registered with the UN refugee agency in Egypt.



The incident was filmed last Friday in the capital, Cairo, and showed the boy being sworn at, beaten and forced to wash dishes.



His private parts [were] also exposed to a source of flame, the embassy said.



Joseph Moum Majak, South Sudans ambassador to Egypt, said in a letter published on Twitter that he had taken action to ensure Akok Kuol and his family were safe.



The authorities arrested the perpetrators and remanded them for two weeks for further investigation, he said.



Egypts embassy in Juba has also released a statement condemning the unjust behaviour" in the video, saying it did not represent Egyptian values.

Source: BBC









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Mr Ambrose Dery, the Minister of the Interior, says COVID-19 is a real threat to national security and called for effective collaboration among security officials to use innovative ways to combat the pandemic.



The Covid-19 pandemic is a threat to national security and must be dealt with as such, he said.



Events around the world have clearly shown that no single country or institution has been able to tackle the devastating pandemic alone.



Mr Dery said this during the opening ceremony of Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) three-day Management and Regional Commanders Retreat in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua.



He said although the Government had built a strong synergy of interagency approach and collaborative effort among the security services, it was important to devise new ways of fighting the pandemic.



Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, Ghana has taken several steps, including lockdown and formation of Operation COVID-19 Safety Team made up of various security personnel to fight the pandemic.



That notwithstanding, the Minister said: We cannot rest on our oars, we must intensify our efforts and continually think of innovative ways to ensure that our dear nation remains secured.



The GIS Management and Regional Commanders retreat is an annual event aimed to discuss ways of detecting, preventing and deterring illegal movements around Ghanas borders.



The 2021 event, which was organised on the theme: Responding to Evolving National Security Threat in the Era of COVID-19, had several top management and staff of GIS, including Chief Director of the Ministry of Interior, Mr Isaac Ampaw Gyasi, attending.



Mr Dery said COVID-19 had crippled the economies of many nations, including Ghana and killed several people.



The plague triggered some common strategies adopted around the world like enforcement of lockdowns, closure of borders and ports, boosting of medical logistics and the recent introduction of vaccination to mitigate its impacts.



Ghana had its Airport reopened and strict medical protocols put in place requiring all travelling passengers to provide negative COVID-19 test results within the last 72 hours and also undergo tests on arrival.



This is one of the key strategies to help prevent the importation and the resultant spread of the deadly COVID in the country, he said, stressing that Ghanaians must intensify their efforts and continually think of innovative ways to keep the nation secured.



The GIS is noted for its immense efforts in mass contact tracing, securing Ghanas borders during crucial times and maintenance of law and order within.



Despite their contributions, the country expects more from them, Mr Dery said, and commended the Service for restructuring its operations, redesigning the regional organogram, and reviewing its 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.



These are some of the needed strategies to overcome our current national security challenges, he added.

Theres the need for the GIS to change its organizational structure or organogram in times like this, it should reflect and institutionalize solutions.



Mr Dery said GIS was also looking at setting up a Department of Health to help health officers within the Border Management Department to prevent the importation of infectious diseases through humans, plants and animals into Ghana.



This is very good, looking at the context of the COVID-19 experience, he said.



The Minister assured GIS of governments readiness to guarantee maximum support by providing personnel with the needed equipment and logistics to secure the borders and provide optimum security.

Source: GNA









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Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe affectionately called Abronye DC says National Security must keep an eye on Conveners of the #FixTheCountry demonstration.



He claims they have a mindset of 'coup plotters', adding that their activities are a threat to the country.



National Security must start investigating them since they have the mindset of plotting a coup . . . the Conveners of the #FixTheCountry demonstration are planning something . . .  he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie.



Abronye DC explained that, a similar demonstration happened in Nigeria and later the authorities found out that the Conveners were coup plotters. We wont allow this to happen in this country.



Police injunction against #FixTheCountry demo



The Accra Regional Police Command had indicated that it cannot permit the march after receiving the campaigners letter to that effect.



The police secured a restraining order from an Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Ruby Aryeetey to stop the planned protest.



This follows an affidavit filed by the police against the Conveners of the protest march pursuant to Section 1 (6) of the Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 491).







However, according to the Conveners, they will disregard an unconstitutional conduct of the police to the effect that they cannot proceed on their May 9 march due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.The group said in its letter to the police that the event, which is a single-purpose one, is being organised on the back of a string of consistently broken promises by successive governments; and in the exercise of our democratic rights as citizens to express our frustration over perennial governmental incompetence, refusal, and/or inability to fix the country.The organisers said they believe, "as does the President, that democracy is not a spectator sport, adding, We are committed to improving the substance of governance in this country by ensuring that the ordinary voices of Ghanaians provide a mechanism to hold elected officials accountable.There comes a point where enough is enough. Just fix the Country!!! Thats our only message. We have had it with purposeful deceit and the absence of truth and genuine accountability in how this country is being governed," the group said.But NPPs Abronye DC maintained that, the country will not tolerate any uprise that will lead to something else. The Conveners must be investigated.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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

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EMTs from Mastic Ambulance rushed the little boy to Long Island Community Hospital. The child was later transferred to Stony Brook University Hospital for additional care but he could not be saved, police said.
Mr Anthony Akoto Ampaw, Lead Counsel of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition, has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to review election results coalition processes.



I believe that the EC itself and other stakeholders need a closer review of the actual processes and procedures that they took in arriving at the final Coalition of results in the 2020 Elections. And to see whether there is the need for some reforms, Mr Akoto Ampaw stated in his submission at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD Ghana) Roundtable dubbed, Presidential Election Petitions and their Impact on Africas Democracy.



I can see quite clearly that there may be some reforms to the CI (Constitutional Instrument) 127; looking at it, I can see that from this experience. But I am saying that given the issues that were brought before the Court, frankly speaking, the Court had very little opportunity to make any recommendations for reforms. Mr Akoto Ampaw said.



He noted that if one had a case of this nature before the Highest Court, and the case raised substantial issues of facts, then one could expect that in coming out with a judgement, the Supreme Court apart from making a decision, would make recommendations based on some of the issues of facts that were raised in the cause of trial.



But honestly, I am of the view that legally speaking, there was no case before the Supreme Court, he said.



He noted that where a substantive grievance was brought before the Court, even if the Court should rule against the petitioner, the Court might see the need to make recommendations.



Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, a member of former President John Dramani Mahamas Legal Team in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition, in a rebuttal, noted that even a Justice of the Supreme Court, who was part of the panel of judges that sat on the case, said there was a reasonable cause of action in the case that was brought before the Court.



Dr Ayine maintained that what Mr Akoto Ampaw was saying was not what the Court said.



He said the ruling of the Apex Court in the 2020 Presidential Election Petition had dampened his faith in the Judiciary.

Source: GNA









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Featured Video
Ghanaian socialite and television presenter, Efia Odo has stated that the call by concerned Ghanaians for the country to be fixed is not political but it is part of human rights so anybody against it, is not okay mentally.



"If you have a problem that the people are campaigning for a better country, then there is something wrong with you. If you are getting paid to dispute what we are doing then you metally not okay", she stated in a viral video.



Efia Odo who added her voice to the #FixTheCountry agenda calling on the Akufo Addo led government to fix the nation with regards to utility tariffs, intermittent cuts in power supply, lack of jobs, lack of access to potable water in some communities, fuel price hikes among other problems bordering the ordinary Ghanaian took to social media and called out the leaders to improve the livelihood of Ghanaians.



Concurring with the general idea that before the country is fixed, the citizenry must also change their attitude and mindset and that she has resolved to cover her body but even after covering her body and dumping n*dity, the plight of Ghanaians have not been erased.



She decried the poor remuneration some Ghanaian teachers are paid as she revealed some are paid as low as GHC 250.00 monthly and how women have to sleep with men just to survive because of unavailability of jobs.



Sharing the video, she captioned; Im covered now is the water clean? Have jobs been created? Our leaders need to fix their mindsets so the country can be fixed, so the people can be fixed! #fixthecountry.



Watch the full video below:



Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com









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

Featured Video
TAMPA, Fla.  Five years ago, a diminutive teenage girl with striking brown eyes stood shackled and weeping in a Tampa courtroom.

Jennifer Carvajal admitted she was drunk early one morning a few weeks shy of her 17th birthday. She admitted that shed blown through a red light and slammed into another car, killing the driver. She admitted shed made a terrible mistake and vowed to become a better person.

One person paid the ultimate price for my selfish behavior, she said.

She got five years in prison.

Last summer, Carvajal was once again in court, accused of violating probation by walking away from a substance abuse treatment facility.

Shes dancing around a big ol fire, Judge Nick Nazaretian warned her attorney. And shes gonna get burned if she gets too close to that.

Admonished to do better, she went back to treatment.

Two weeks ago, authorities say Carvajal was once again driving drunk. Once again, they say, she crashed and killed a man.

What happened here? The full story is yet to be told. But court and police records yield a glimpse of a tragic life full of wrong turns that also ended two other lives and left many more in pain.

A troubled child

Jennifer Carvajal was born in Tampa in 1997, the second-oldest child in a family of two girls and three boys.

She would later recall childhood memories of hearing her parents fight, of hiding in a closet with her siblings or running down the street to call the police.

Her father sold and used drugs, according to court testimony. He drank. Her mother seemed aloof, once leaving the children for a week.

When she was about 6 years old, several older men in her extended family began to sexually abuse her, according to court testimony. It wasnt discovered until she was 9, when she developed an infection that a doctor diagnosed as a sexually transmitted disease.

At 11, her father was arrested for raping an older female relative. He spent five years in prison, then was deported to Mexico.

At 12, she tried marijuana. At 15, she was smoking and drinking regularly. She was twice hospitalized after trying to take her own life.

Her school attendance was sporadic. She got poor grades and was suspended from Simmons Career Center in Plant City for sneaking off to see a boy.

She would later recall that her boyfriend gave her access to alcohol. She would recall drinking to escape and to forget.

She would recall one early morning when she stayed out all night, taking her mothers car without asking. Shed returned home but left again when her cousin called and asked for a ride to school.

A crash

Keith Allen Davis was 52. He was from Pennsylvania but moved to Florida as an adult. His parents and two brothers died when he was young. He had been on his own since he was 16. The person he loved most was Susan Blain, his longtime girlfriend.

They shared a small house in a tidy Plant City subdivision. They had three dogs. He worked delivering the Tampa Tribune and other newspapers in east Hillsborough County.

Thats what he was doing on Feb. 5, 2014. It was chilly at 6:30 a.m., with a light fog, as he worked his route in a black Toyota Echo. It was mostly dark when he descended the exit ramp from eastbound Interstate 4 toward North Alexander Street. He turned left through a green traffic signal to head north.

At that moment, a gold Lincoln Navigator sped northward on Alexander Street at 55 mph. Its headlights were off. It zipped through the red light and plowed into Davis car.

The Toyota was shoved back and smashed into a concrete divider.

The Lincoln kept going, veering off the roadway, striking a pedestrian crosswalk sign and crushing an above-ground water main before stopping against a palm tree.

I am sorry, it was my fault, Carvajal said when a bystander approached. I just got my learners permit. I dont have insurance.

Davis lay unconscious, bleeding, his bones crushed. He was rushed to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, where he died at 8:09 a.m.

On the floor of the Lincoln, police found an empty can of Four Loko, a fruit-flavored malt beverage known for its high alcohol content. They also found an empty beer can and an empty bottle of Patron tequila.

Lab tests would measure Carvajals blood-alcohol content at .13 a few hours after the crash. The legal limit is .08.

Consequences

Carvajal pleaded no contest to DUI manslaughter in adult court. She was 18 when she faced sentencing. She clutched a tissue as she stood with her chestnut hair dyed blonde at the ends, brushing the top of her orange shirt.

Her voice trembled. She asked for forgiveness. She spoke of feeling lost and broken. Instead of seeking help, she said, she tried to forget the pain by drinking.

Now I have no choice but to face reality, she said. Reality is that my actions caused a lot of people pain. ... If there was a way, I wouldnt hesitate to ask for God to take me instead.

She said she wanted to pay for what shed done, but she also wanted help.

Judge Thomas Barber heard from Valerie McClain, a forensic psychologist, who testified that Carvajal showed signs of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. She recommended that any sentence include a requirement that she participate in at least a year of substance abuse and mental health treatment. She opined that a long incarceration would only further the damage.

The judge also heard from people who knew Davis.

Im sorry that Miss Carvajal has had such a hard life, but its still not an excuse, said Toby Stogner, a longtime friend of the victim. When you make a decision to drive with no drivers license  making a decision to drink and drive  those are adult decisions.

Blain, the victims girlfriend, said shed been unable to pay their bills after he died. Shed lost her companion and her home. (She could not be reached for comment for this story.)

State sentencing guidelines put Carvajal in the range of 10 years in prison. Blain told the judge the lowest sentence she could accept was four years  the mandatory minimum for DUI manslaughter.

Carvajals defense attorney, Dee Ann Athan, emphasized her youth and her abusive childhood. She asked for juvenile sanctions or for the judge to treat Carvajal as a youthful offender  a designation that could allow for a less-punitive sentence.

The judge noted that Carvajal accepted responsibility and expressed remorse. He also noted the severity of her crime.

The bottom line to me ... is regardless of a persons life circumstances, you cant kill another person and not receive some punishment, Barber said.

He gave Carvajal five years. He also gave her five years probation, with a requirement to enroll in a residential treatment program.

She was ordered to pay Blain $8,068 for funeral expenses and was permanently barred from holding a drivers license.

New life, more trouble

Corrections records show that Carvajal accumulated a handful of disciplinary actions in prison for refusing to work, fighting, disrespecting officials and sex acts.

She was released in October 2019. Records indicate she got a job with a cleaning company. She later went to work at a Dunkin Donuts, lawyers said.

Her restitution remained unpaid, records show.

She enrolled in DACCO, a residential substance-abuse treatment program in Tampa. On May 5 last year, she got a warning for appearing to be in a relationship with a peer, according to a probation violation report. When spoken to, she slammed a door, then packed her bags and left.

On May 21, she was back in jail.

In July, Carvajal appeared in Judge Nazaretians courtroom.

She was told that she could do more time. She was also told that DACCO was willing to take her back.

She said she didnt want more jail time.

She killed somebody because she drank alcohol, the judge said. That is extremely serious. And if that was me, it would haunt me forever. And she needs to appreciate and make sure she does what shes supposed to do. Because the other hammer, which is going to be a lot more than five years, could drop in the future. He asked if she understood.

Yes, sir, Carvajal said, her voice small.

A public defender mentioned that Carvajal had completed a three-month treatment program while in prison. She wanted to get credit for it, but had been denied. She also asked if she could go to a different program. The judge declined.

Im not big on lectures today, but this is so serious, what happened, you cant make it worse, okay? Nazaretian said. Youve already spent five years of your life in prison. You dont want to spend another day there.

He gave her a new five-year probation term. Like before, it forbid her to use alcohol or drugs. Like before, it forbid her to drive. Like before, it required that she complete substance-abuse treatment.

The judge also imposed a curfew, requiring Carvajal to be home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Records show that she completed her treatment on March 10.

Another crash

Six weeks later, on April 25, Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Moore was cruising the eastbound lanes of Interstate 4. After 1:30 a.m., he noticed a pair of oncoming headlights moving west, much faster than the rest. Moores radar showed a speed topping 110 mph.

The sergeant made a U-turn and raced to catch up to the speeding car, siren blaring, blue lights flashing.

A minute later, near the exit to Mango Road, he pulled up behind a Hyundai Elantra. The Hyundai made an abrupt right turn onto the shoulder, down a grassy slope, then up an embankment.

Four wheels left the ground. The car clipped a wire fence as it sailed into the Gator Ford dealership lot. It slammed onto a parked truck, then overturned, smashing into a concrete light pole and a palm tree. When it stopped, the Hyundai lay on its roof, its back end a snarl of crumpled metal.

Two people were thrown to the pavement. When Moore got to the wreckage, he found one of them, Lexcia Gonzalez, 20, crawling away. Both of her legs were broken.

Asked who was driving, she pointed toward a chain-link fence. There stood Jennifer Carvajal.

Carvajal denied she was the driver.

Moore noted bruising on her left shoulder, which he said extended across her chest toward her right hip. The cars drivers seat belt was extended, hanging loose.

She and Gonzalez were taken to Tampa General Hospital with two others. Grady Ramirez, 19, who had been restrained in a front passenger seat, endured injuries described in a report as incapacitating.

Pedro Carbajal, 22, the other ejected passenger, later died.

He was Jennifer Carvajals cousin. An online obituary states that he had three brothers and three sisters. Lexcia Gonzalez was his girlfriend. They had a son named Julian.

At the hospital, Trooper Joshua Lugo met with Carvajal. He noted that her speech was slurred, her eyes were glassy, she had trouble staying awake, and she smelled of alcohol. A medical test pegged Carvajals blood-alcohol content at .10, slightly above the legal limit. Results of a second test, a legal blood draw taken as a result of a search warrant, remain pending.

Reached via phone last week, Carvajals aunt, Cindy Rosales, said the family did not want to comment.

Theyre all in a state of mourning, said Barry Taracks, Carvajals private defense lawyer. Obviously, the charge is extremely serious for my client. She has the deepest sympathy for the deceased as well as the injured.

The Hyundai was registered to Gonzalez. The group had attended a family members birthday party that evening, Taracks said. Gonzalez drove them there, he said. It remains unclear whether she drove after the group left the party, her attorney said.

Carvajal faces a litany of new criminal charges, including DUI manslaughter.

If convicted as charged, Carvajal could face a total of 40 years in prison.

Trevor Bethea, a state probation officer, wrote up a probation violation report, imploring a judge to impose the maximum penalty.

This is the second person that has lost their life at the hands of this offender, he wrote, and her actions continue to display a disregard for the public at large that should be alarming to all parties.

Carvajal is due back in court on Monday.
By RAHIM FAIZ, The Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  A bomb exploded near a school in west Kabul on Saturday, killing at least 25 people, many them young students, Afghan government spokesmen said.

Ambulances were rushing to evacuate wounded from the scene of the blast near Syed Al-Shahda school, in the Shiite majority neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said.

Angry crowds attacked the ambulances and even beat health workers, said Health Ministry spokesman Ghulam Dastigar Nazari. He implored residents to cooperate and allow ambulances free access to the site.

Images circulating on social media purportedly showed smoke rising above the neighborhood.

At one nearby hospital, Associated Press journalists saw at least 20 dead bodies lined up in hallways and rooms, with dozens of wounded people and families of victims pressing through the facility.

Outside the Muhammad Ali Jinnah Hospital, dozens of people lined up to donate blood, while family members checked casualty posted lists on the walls.

Both Arian and Nazari said that at least 50 people were also wounded, and that the casualty toll could rise. The attack occurred just as the fasting day came to an end.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, although the Islamic State group previously claimed attacks against minority Shiites in the same area.

Last year the extremists claimed two brutal attacks on education facilities that killed 50 people, most of them students. Even as the IS has been degraded in Afghanistan, according to government and US officials, it has stepped-up its attacks particularly against Shiite Muslims and women workers.

Earlier the group took responsibility for the targeted killing of three women media personnel in eastern Afghanistan.

A U.S. plane flies over the Bagram Air base in northern Kabul, Afghanistan, May 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, file)AP

The attack comes days after the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 American troops began leaving the country. They will be out by Sept. 11 at the latest. The pullout comes amid a resurgent Taliban, who control or hold sway over half of Afghanistan.

The top U.S. military officer said Sunday that Afghan government forces face an uncertain future and possibly some bad possible outcomes against Taliban insurgents as the withdrawal accelerates in the coming weeks.

More: What remains as U.S. ends a forever war in Afghanistan: Explainer
Huntsville police Officer William Ben Darby today was convicted of murder for shooting and killing Jeff Parker, a suicidal man, three years ago.

A Madison County jury found Darby guilty after about two hours of deliberations on Friday morning, returning a verdict that left local police in the first stages of shock.

Circuit Judge Donna Pate ordered that Darby be taken to the Madison County jail from the courtroom. He was released on a $100,000 bond just over two hours later, records show.

Madison County District Attorney Rob Broussard Friday morning welcomed the verdict. Im not saying it was a pleasant day, he said at a press conference, but the facts bore out there was nothing justified about this encounter.

Darbys defense attorney Robert Tuten said he looks forward to appealing the case and believes the verdict wont stand.

The jury got it wrong, Tuten said at a press conference outside his office.

Darby was on duty when he shot and killed Parker on April 3, 2018. Parker called 911 that afternoon and said that he was armed and suicidal.

When the first two officers got to Parkers west Huntsville home, they found him sitting on a couch with a gun to his own head. The first officer, Genisha Pegues, testified against Darby and told the jury that she was de-escalating the situation before he got there.

Darby testified that he shot Parker in defense of himself and other officers because he feared Parker might shoot them.

Body camera video showed Darby grab a shotgun from his patrol car and sprint to the house. Less than a minute later, he shot Parker in the face. Darby testified that he had to take over the situation from Pegues, a senior officer, because he believed she was putting herself in danger by talking to Parker.

Darby walked up to the house and shouted for Pegues to point your (expletive) gun at him, bodycam video showed. Darby repeatedly shouted for Parker to drop his gun. Darby fired the fatal shot 11 seconds after entering the house, according to the video.

In closing arguments, Tuten told the jury that Darby had to shoot. He said if Parker had decided to turn his gun on the police, it would have taken twice as long for the officers to return fire.

Madison County prosecutors saw the case differently. Tim Douthit, an assistant district attorney, argued that Darby killed Parker because the man didnt follow his orders to drop the gun.

Tim Gann, Madison Countys chief trial attorney, said that Darby violated his oath to serve and protect.

An innocent man was murdered, Gann told the jury. He called for help and he got Ben Darby.

In a case that has divided city and county leaders, Huntsville police issued an immediate response.

We are in the first stages of shock, said Chief Mark McMurray in a statement emailed to the news media. While we thank the jury for their service in this difficult case, I do not believe Officer Darby is a murderer.

Officers are forced to make split-second decisions every day, and Officer Darby believed his life and the lives of other officers were in danger. Any situation that involves a loss of life is tragic. Our hearts go out to everyone involved.

The Huntsville City Council voted to dedicate $125,000 in public money for Darbys criminal defense. In 2018, when approving the first $75,000 in support, the city resolution said Darbys shooting was within the line and scope of his duty. The council voted without seeing the bodycam footage.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle has said the shooting was within policy and that he disagreed with the district attorneys office.

While I respect the jurys opinion, said Battle today, I disagree with the verdict.

We recognize this was a hard case with a lot of technical information to process. Officer Darby followed the appropriate safety protocols in his response on the scene. He was doing what he was trained to do in the line of duty. Fortunately, Officer Darby has the same appeal rights as any other citizen and is entitled to exercise those rights.

District Attorney Rob Broussard this morning said the evidence was off the charts. He was not justified in any way.

Broussard said the case was not a reflection on Huntsville police or local law enforcement. We have as good of law enforcement as any community could ever hope to have, he said.

Broussard said Parker showed zero hostility or aggression during the encounter, and that Officer Pegues did what you would hope for from police. She was trying to help this man. As for Darby, he said: He had maybe no business being a police officer, truthfully. He was not wired for it  pretty clear.

Pegues and Justin Beckles, the second officer who arrived at Parkers home on the day of the shooting, have both since left the Huntsville Police Department. After the shooting, they were both sent to remedial training, while an internal police department review cleared Darby of wrongdoing.

Tuten said he believes that Darbys appeal will be successful and that the case will clarify Alabama law regarding on-duty police shootings and will impact the way law enforcement protect Alabamians and perform their duties.

We look forward to the appeal of this case, he concluded.

Parkers brother Bill Parker, speaking at a press conference on the courthouse steps, said that he hopes the city of Huntsville will improve its response to people who are suffering from mental illness.

Bill Parks, a longtime friend of Jeff Parker, said the city should re-evaluate its policies and procedures for police responding to mental health calls.

We cant bring Jeff back, he said.

Martin Weinberg, an attorney representing Parkers family in a lawsuit against Darby and the city, thanked the DAs office for prosecuting the case. He said he expects the lawsuit will move forward now that the criminal trial is over.

The fight for justice does not end today, Weinberg said.

AL.com reporter Lee Roop contributed to this story.
On May 8, 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced on radio that Nazi Germanys forces had surrendered.

This is a solemn but glorious hour, said Truman. General Eisenhower informs me that the forces of Germany have surrendered to the United Nations. The flags of freedom fly all over Europe.

Victory in Europe Day celebrates the acceptance of Nazi Germanys unconditional surrender of its armed forces, marking the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe.

Massive celebrations erupted around the world. V-E Day also happened on Trumans 61st birthday. And, Truman and his family had just moved into the White House the day before.

In Harrisburg, newspaper reports indicate people expressed solemn joy.

The Patriot reported, People in Harrisburg heard the news of Germanys surrender yesterday with a solemn joy, obviously mindful that war for our Nation will not be over until hostilities cease with victory over the Japanese in the Pacific.

Unlike residents of some metropolitan areas who, according to reports, expressed their feelings with unrestrained jubilation and merriment, delight at the announcement of the enemys unconditional surrender was tempered here with sad memories for those men who gave their lives to make the victory possible and a reaffirmation by the people of the American pledge to continue their efforts with renewed vigor until victory is complete.

The Patriot reported that plans to celebrate include worship services, prayers and serious programs in schools.

Programs and special services during the day will be keynoted by their serious vein, with no parade or any other hilarious activity arranged to lend a carnival spirit to the great occasion.

In his address, however, Truman, went on to note that World War II was not over.

His words, from the American Presidency Project: We can repay the debt which we owe to our God, to our dead, and to our children, only by work, by ceaseless devotion to the responsibilities which lie ahead of us. If I could give you a single watchword for the coming months, that word is work, work, and more work. We must work to finish the war. Our victory is only half over.

Now, we have got another little release here, which doesnt go into the speech, but it informs the Japanese what they can expect. We are going to be in a position where we can turn the greatest war machine in the history of the world loose on the Japanese; and I am informed by the Chiefs of Staff, by the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of the Navy, that Japan is going to have a terrible time from now on. This release here, I will read it.

The Japanese people have felt the weight of our land, air, and naval attacks. So long as their leaders and the armed forces continue the war, the striking power and intensity of our blows will steadily increase, and will bring utter destruction to Japans industrial war production, to its shipping, and to everything that supports its military activity.

The longer the war lasts, the greater will be the suffering and hardships which the people of Japan will undergo-all in vain. Our blows will not cease until the Japanese military and naval forces lay down their arms in unconditional surrender.

Just what does the unconditional surrender of the armed forces mean for the Japanese people?

It means the end of the war.

It means the termination of the influence of the military leaders who brought Japan to the present brink of disaster.

It means provision for the return of soldiers and sailors to their families, their farms, and their jobs.

And it means not prolonging the present agony and suffering of the Japanese in the vain hope of victory.

Unconditional surrender does not mean the extermination or enslavement of the Japanese people.

The West is free but the East is still in bondage to the treacherous tyranny of the Japanese. When the last Japanese division has surrendered unconditionally, then only will our fighting job be done.

We must work to bind up the wounds of a suffering world - to build an abiding peace, a peace rooted in justice and in law.

On Aug. 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, and on Aug. 9 dropped one on Nagasaki.

On Aug. 14, 1945, Japan surrendered. That surrender was accepted in September by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, ending World War II. Both Aug. 14 and Sept. 2 are noted as being V-J Day.

Pfc. Clarence K. Ayers of Evansville, Ind., reads the news of V-E Day as newly arrived German prisoners stand on a New York City pier, May 8, 1945. (AP Photo/John Rooney)AP

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By Alishine Osman

Of all the conspiracy theorists weve witnessed over the last decade, none has been more prevalent and more disgusting than the so-called replacement theory. The replacement theory suggests that immigrants are being brought to the United States to dilute the power of white voters and hand the country over to hostile foreigners.

It was at the core of Birtherism, the idea that President Barack Obama was secretly a foreigner unleashed on the country to ruin its institutions. It was behind the chants in Charlottesville that Jews will not replace us. And it continues to fuel the anxiety and resentment behind the near constant attempts to scapegoat immigrants for the countrys economic and social woes.

For many years, it was a fringe theory, promoted only by white supremacist groups and online trolls. But during the last five years, it has inched closer and closer to the mainstream, espoused by powerful figures like Stephen Miller, former President Donald Trump, and, most recently, the number one cable news host, Tucker Carlson.

That it had become so widespread did nothing to prepare me for what occurred on the House Floor on April 14. I was shocked and horrified to see my congressional representative, Scott Perry, use his time in the sacred House of Representatives to espouse a version of that theory. Rep. Perry invoking the replacement theory only continues to divide our nation during this pandemic. It is essential that he is held accountable for humiliating others and causing outrage back in his home district.

As a Somali refugee, I could not have asked for a better place to be resettled than the Midstate. Living in Central PA, with neighbors of all races, religions and political beliefs who have been nothing but kind and welcoming, has been a dream. While many of those neighbors may have voted for Mr. Perry, I can assure you he doesnt represent the values of the good people of the 10th District when he espouses this nonsense.

Immigrants and refugees come to the United States in order to pursue freedom, opportunity and become contributing members of this ever-increasingly diverse society. There are several thousand Somalis in Rep. Perrys district, not to mention Nepalese, Sudanese, Moroccans, Pakistanis among others. They work hard, pay taxes and love America. They arent trying to replace Mr. Perry, they are trying to live out their own American Dream.

Besides, folks in Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, and York are wondering how we are going to survive this pandemic, keep our businesses alive, educate our children. find jobs, and rebuild our economy. The people of the district (where as many as 15% are foreign-born) know that refugees and immigrants are hardworking people struggling to recover from the pandemic and that rhetoric and racist commentary serve only to add injury to insult toward a community already experiencing the impact of this pandemic.

Perhaps the congressmans affinity for conspiracy theories demonstrates that he doesnt have ideas about how to govern or address the many issues America faces and so turns to playing the worst form of identity politics. Imagine believing that the 800,000 Pennsylvania immigrants naturalized since 2016 (who, by the way, have single-handedly kept Pennsylvania from losing population) dont have anything to contribute to the district, and can be dismissed, or worst silenced, because the congressman has anxiety that his beliefs have to exist alongside others.

As a former refugee, a citizen of the greatest nation on earth and your neighbor, I ask that you join me in condemning these remarks and asking Rep. Perry to repudiate the idea that immigrants are here to replace traditional American voters. America is not a place that fears immigrants diluting the power of Anglo-Saxon institutions. Such fears obscure the fact that a core American value is welcoming people fleeing from war and persecution and giving them safe haven in a land of freedom and opportunity. I might argue that as a refugee fleeing persecution in Somalia, I know more than most the American promise of freedom and safety.

The replacement theory is not only morally wrong, its also bad politics. Instead of looking at the diverse community in his district and seeing people he might win to his side, he sees unapproachable others who he imagines are trying to erase him. Recently, a Somali leader made this exact point to a local politician, telling him Somalis are naturally hard-working, entrepreneurial people who care about tradition and family values. Theres a lot we might like about the Republicans economic message.

Unfortunately, the nativist element in the party has made us feel that our religion and our immigrant status is the defining feature of our identities and have cut us out of the conversation.

As immigrants prepare for the citizenship test we are told that what is unique about America is that it represents a set of ideals (limited government, individual freedom) not the wishes of a specific group of people. The idea expressed by Rep. Perry-- that certain peoples ideas dont count as much as his because of that persons background--is the exact opposite of what the country was founded on. Perhaps the congressman might do well to relearn those civics lessons when he complains that his vote is being diluted by foreigners.

Alishine Osman, MBA, immigrated to Central Pennsylvania from Somalia.
The former director of the Perry County Family Center has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for embezzling more than $150,000, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler of the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo sentenced Shelley A. Dreyer-Aurila, 55, of New Bloomfield to the prison term on April 28 at the court in Harrisburg. Dreyer-Aurila was also ordered to pay $127,764 in restitution. She had already repaid $22,520.

Dreyer-Aurila, former executive director of the nonprofit Perry County Family Center, plead guilty to the embezzlement charge in October 2019. She admitted to taking the money between 2010 and 2017 for her own uses. The indictment originally charged her with stealing more than $200,000. The center received more than $10,000 annually in federal grants through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the state, for programs like early childhood home visits and child abuse prevention.

Dreyer-Aurilas indictment in April 2019 threw the Perry County Family Center into troubled times. Other nonprofit leaders in the county who had worked with the family center were concerned it could hurt the centers ability to help children and young families on limited incomes.

In 2020, Tri County Community Action acquired the Perry County Family Center and reopened programs under TCCA to continue serving the central Perry communities. TCCA, a similar social services nonprofit based in Harrisburg, has an office in Newport.

Jim T. Ryan can be reached via email at
Central Pennsylvanians should brace for heavy rain, thunder, hail and up to 35 mph winds Saturday afternoon, forecasters said.

Scattered but numerous showers could fall over parts of the midstate this afternoon through about 6 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Some showers tied to a strong upper air disturbance could turn into storms thatll likely produce small hail, a brief period of 35 mph winds, and possible thunder, according to a special weather statement.

Forecasters said the showers will slowly diminish and stop completely in the evening. The weather statement was issued for many central Pennsylvania counties, including Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry, Lebanon, Adams, York and Lancaster. A full list can be found here.

The rain wont stay away for long, according to the NWS. Showers are likely from 1 p.m. onward Sunday, and forecasters said they could continue through Monday.

Forecasts for next week show the rain finally letting up for a mix of sunny and cloudy skies Tuesday and Wednesday.
Brown family attorney Chantel Cherry-Lassiter told reporters her clients have viewed 20 seconds of footage from a single body camera that begins with shots being fired while the 42-year-old old man is in his driveway with his hands on his steering wheel. She also claimed Brown only tried driving away once he was under fire and posed to threat to police.
Ally Thomas, 12, seen in an undated family handout photo, died on April 14 from a suspected overdose. Her family says they are frustrated more public supports weren't available when they tried to get her help. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Adriana Londono, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
U.S. human rights violations: exporting turmoil and leaving other countries behind in chaos

10:37, May 08, 2021 By Zhang Mengxu ( People's Daily Online

U.S. President Joe Biden recently announced his decision to withdraw all the remaining U.S. troops currently stationed in Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021, bringing an end to Americas longest war. During the 20-year war in Afghanistan, at least 2,500 U.S. service members were killed in all. In Afghanistan itself, the war led to the deaths of more than 30,000 civilians, while injuring more than 60,000 civilians and generating around 11 million refugees.

U.S. soldiers stand guard at the site of car bombing in Nangarhar Province, east Afghanistan, Jan. 5, 2015. (Xinhua/Tahir Safi)

The U.S. initially deployed troops in the name of counter-terrorism, but in the end left behind a chaotic mess in the region. Under the pretext of preserving justice, the U.S. launched wars in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, giving rise to tragic consequences for these countries and horrendous suffering among their local people.

In April 2019, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter stated that the U.S. only enjoyed 16 years of peace in its 242-year history, making the country "the most warlike nation in the history of the world."

Interference in other countries' internal affairs has always been a key feature of the foreign policies of the U.S.

During the period of Westward Expansion, which began shortly after the founding of the U.S. republic, white colonists massacred Native American tribes and drove these peoples from their native land and onto barren reservations.

Former President James Monroe would later come to proclaim his Monroe Doctrine, a U.S. foreign policy stance developed in the 19th century, which openly claimed the Americas as its own sphere of influence and forbid outside powers from wantonly engaging in any attempts at takeover and expansion in their backyard.

During the Cold War, a period when Americans engaged in hostilities on the Korean Peninsula and in Vietnam on the Indochina Peninsula, the U.S. waged proxy wars throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America to counter the so-called communist threat and suppress hostile governments.

After the end of the Cold War, the U.S. took its interference in other countries internal affairs to a new level. Just as Robert O. Keohane, Professor of International Affairs, noted in his book After Hegemony: Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy, since 9/11, we have moved into a new era, characterized by [the] vigorous exercise of Americas unprecedented political and military power.

The war crimes committed by the U.S. during the course of its history are too numerous to list. According to the American media outlet The Intercept, U.S. Navy SEALs launched a now infamous operation in a village situated in Yemens al Bayda province on Jan. 29, 2017. While the SEALs were taking heavy fire on the lower slopes of an adjacent hillside, attack helicopters swept over the hamlet from above and unleashed their full fury. In what seems to have been a moment of blind panic, the gunships bombarded the entire village, striking more than a dozen buildings, razing stone dwellings where families were sleeping, and killing at least six women as well as 10 children under the age of 13, while mowing down more than 120 goats, sheep, and donkeys.

Later the Pentagon explained that the raid was launched in an effort to capture or kill Qassim al Rimi, the leader of al Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula. This case was only one of untold instances of purportedly inadvertent bombings and civilian casualties that took place during the war on terror over the past 20 years.

The Nation magazine noted that in recent years, U.S. special forces have been accused of a series of heinous acts, including massacres, murders, prisoner abuse, child rape, sexual abuse, drug trafficking, and theft of government property. However, almost no one has been held accountable for these crimes.

Preoccupied with interfering in other countries affairs and exporting its own sociopolitical system abroad, the constant saber-rattling of the U.S. has caused prolonged periods of turmoil in many countries. Its actions have upset the regional balance in the Middle East, turning countries such as Iraq and Syria into hotbeds for terrorism and militant extremism. Due to its direct involvement in the region, the terrorist organization Islamic State received a major boost and prospered in the shadow of retreating American forces, with the violent jihadist group posing a huge risk to world peace and security.

In some countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the U.S. established non-governmental organizations in the name of promoting democratic reform, which in fact served as a vehicle for cultivating anti-government forces and carrying out a long-term campaign of political infiltration. These NGOs also recruited radical young students as a driving force to spearhead color revolutions and engage in grassroots politics, which eventually developed into internal divisions and sowed the seeds of prolonged instability in these countries.

The Costs of War Project produced by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University found that since the beginning of the war on terror in 2001 at least 800,000 people have died as a direct result of war violence, of which over 335,000 civilians lost their lives. Roughly 21 million Afghan, Iraqi, Pakistani, and Syrian people are now living as war refugees and internally displaced persons, eking out an existence in grossly inadequate conditions.

As everyone should know, those who attempt to start fires will eventually get burned themselves. The magazine Foreign Affairs has noted that the U.S. pursuit of hegemony has only brought misery to the countrys own doorstep, having propagated more adversaries and enemies, further corroding the domestic political regime, and leading to further divisions and xenophobia in the country.

Our world is a place full of enormous diversity. However, some U.S. politicians continue to maintain a blind eye to the wider world and cling onto an outmoded mentality based on zero-sum politics, hegemonic power, and a clash of civilizations. They have sent out a clear message that whosoever should follow the U.S. will survive and prosper, while those acting in defiance shall perish. The turmoil the U.S. has exported abroad has enveloped many countries and regions in nothing but chaos and has brought ruin to families, including separating and uprooting countless children from their parents and their homes. This behavior can by no means be regarded as befitting a worldwide guarantor of human rights  not now, not ever.

Related reading:

The sin of U.S. colonialism: Americas genocide against Native Americans

Ethnic minorities in the U.S. have long suffered from bullying, discrimination

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
A zebra caused a tizzy in Cookeville, a Tennessee city about 80 miles outside of Nashville, after it escaped from an exotic livestock auction of Friday. The creature dashed down Highway 111 around 4 a.m., but managed to escape injury due to a lack of traffic at the time.
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Memorial Day in Aiken will be marked downtown  two days early  with a full-scale parade again this year, following the trimmed-down version of 2020.

Plans are for this year's event to be Saturday, May 29, starting at 10 a.m. The starting point is the City of Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum (406 Park Ave.), and the procession is to head to Laurens Street going past Trinity on Laurens (retirement home) and end at Edgefield Avenue.

Saturday is the deadline for participants to register. Registration is required and participation is free.

The top honorees in this year's procession will be Norman W. Thibodeau, the grand marshal, whose career included four years in the Marine Corps followed by 31 years in the Army; and Jeanne J. Townes, the first lady, whose career included study at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing and three years of active duty in the Army Nurse Corps.

Townes, whose local roles included service as an instructor in USC Aiken's nursing school, retired in 2010 but continued at USCA as a teaching assistant on a part-time basis. She is a native of Philadelphia and met her husband, the late Michael Lloyd Townes, while she was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he was recuperating from injuries sustained in Vietnam. They married in 1972.

Both were later assigned to Fort Gordon, where her roles included three years divided between time as an assistant head nurse in a pulmonary-neurology unit and as a nurse manager in a obstetrics-gynecology unit. Her husband eventually formed a business partnership at Aiken Lumber Company. He died of cancer in 2004.

Thibodeau, whose has been married to the former Sue Ann Duffey since 1958, was on board in Korea as a Marine before the peace accords of 1953 resulted in an armistice. His service legacy, sandwiched around a brief period of civilian life between the Marine and Army years, included receiving the Legion of Merit medal, which is bestowed "for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements."

The second half of Thibodeau's career included time at Fort Devens (now inactive), in Massachusetts, where he agreed to be recalled to active duty to serve as the command sergeant major for the Army Military Intelligence School in 1991, during Operation Desert Storm. He is a native of East Hartford, Connecticut.

Registration for the parade can be done through aikenmemorialdayparade.com and by phone at 803-226-0546.

Related events on the calendar include a ceremony to be held May 29 at 10 a.m. at Horse Creek/Midland Valley Veterans Park, on SC 421, in Burnettown, with sponsorship by American Legion Post 153; one set for May 31 in Aiken, at Aiken County Veterans Park, 1453 Richland Ave. E., at 11 a.m., sponsored by Marine Corps League Detachment 939; and a ceremony set for May 31 at 11 a.m. in North Augusta, at American Legion Post 71's headquarters, at 333 East Spring Grove Avenue, near North Augusta Elementary School.
Residents in the area said the explosion was deafening. One, Naser Rahimi, told The Associated Press he heard three separate explosions, although there was no official confirmation of multiple blasts. Rahimi also said he believed that the sheer power of the explosion meant the death toll would almost certainly climb.
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A 208-unit senior living development is in the works for King Street in downtown Charleston as part of the 12-acre Courier Square project.

Wilmington, N.C.-based Liberty Senior Living plans to build a multistory facility on 2.5 acres owned by the parent of The Post and Courier between Line and Spring streets, according to plans submitted to the city of Charleston.

The proposed structure will have 149 independent living units and 59 health care rooms in an adjoining facility.

The planned facility has not been named, and the investment amount was not immediately disclosed, according to Liberty spokesman Dean Dellaria.

"We are still finalizing our plans," added Will Purvis, president of Liberty Senior Living.

Site plans show restaurant and retail spaces along King as well as a courtyard and pool on the project's interior.

The project will provide 216 below-grade parking spaces and 16 on the ground floor. Another 22 are required by the city, and plans call for those to be offered at a nearby parking deck.

The project includes two vehicle access points off Spring and St. Philip streets as well as a motor court on King for the entrance across from Columbus Street.

The site, which is owned by Evening Post Industries, currently is used as a parking lot, houses a one-story building and is bisected by Rodgers Alley.

An adjacent phase of Courier Square shows 315 apartments in three buildings at King, Line and St. Philip, just north of the Liberty site.

Both projects are making their way through the city review process.

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The Liberty development on King will mark its second undertaking on the peninsula.

The company and Trident Construction recently held a topping out ceremony for a six-story, 92-unit senior housing project at 194 Spring St., near the Medical University of South Carolina. The $46 million complex will include 71 assisted-living and memory care residential units and 21 skilled-nursing-care rooms on the upper floors.

The project is expected to be completed by the fall.

Liberty also developed the 27-acre South Bay senior living complex in Mount Pleasant.

$19M makeover

A Lone Star State-based construction firm was recently awarded a $19 million contract to renovate the 300-unit, low-income Bridgeview Village Apartments on Charleston's upper peninsula.

General contractor FTK Construction Services of Allen, Texas, will refurbish the multifamily units at 108 N. Romney St., the site of the largest privately owned affordable housing community in the city. The company specializes in low-income housing tax credit rehabilitation projects.

The work will include interior and exterior renovations over 23 months.

Exterior repairs or replacements are planned for the parking lot, sidewalks, lighting systems, fencing and other elements. The interior makeovers will include new central heating and air conditioning systems, plumbing and electrical upgrades, flooring and doors. Kitchens and bathrooms also will be overhauled.

Also, a community center will be constructed and will include fitness and business areas.

Bridgeview Village is being developed by a partnership led by Standard Communities.
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$300M-plus Downtown Nexton breaks ground near Summerville

A new $300 million-plus, mixed-use development of retail, restaurants, offices, hotels and apartments is now underway in the suburban Charleston area.

New Jersey-based Sharbell Development Corp. recently broke ground on the 99-acre Downtown Nexton project between Sigma Drive and Brighton Park Boulevard in the growing Nexton community in Berkeley County.

The company bought the parcel in 2019 for $18.5 million, according to Berkeley County land records. It's west of the retail and restaurant center called Nexton Square.

With construction expected in phases over the next four or five years, the first project will include multifamily units, a mixed-use building with loft apartments over ground-level retail spaces and several outparcel buildings.

Altogether, three apartment parcels will offer a variety of tenant offerings, including a 55-plus, upscale rental community. Some of the mixed-used buildings will include upper-floor lofts with a rooftop lounge and several common-use rooms. Units will range from studio to three bedrooms.

The new construction will offer 110,000 square feet of office space for sale or lease, starting at 9,000 square feet in flexible, two-story buildings on Brighton Park Boulevard. CBRE of Charleston is handling sales and leasing.

Additionally, Downtown Nexton will include more than 200,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space interspersed throughout the project and along Sigma Drive.

Outdoor amenities will include walking trails, pocket parks and two manicured ponds on the north and south sides of the project.

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Developer and homebuilder Brookfield Residential will acquire Nexton developer Newland on June 1 under current plans.

By the numbers

1,000: High-side estimate of the number of affordable, or low-rent, apartments that could be added to the city of Charleston under a bold plan to renovate or replace all of Charleston Housing Authority's public housing.

1,378: Number of homes listed as "active" for sale in the Charleston region at the end of April, far less than 9,000-10,000 needed for a healthy market to keep prices in check.

7,935: Estimated number of real estate agents in the Charleston region competing to sell a dearth of homes on the market.

This week in real estate

+ Pop-up to permanent: Pakistani restaurant Ma'am Saab will move into the former Jestine's Kitchen site in downtown Charleston by late summer.

+ Grave concerns: Citing likely graves, DHEC stops work on Oak Bluff development in Cainhoy.

+ Sea of questions: Plans to build a wall around the Charleston peninsula to keep rising waters at bay are raising more questions than answers.

North Carolina-based Liberty Senior Living is planning a 208-unit facility, right, on King Street next to student apartments Hoffler Place on the Charleston peninsula. The property is owned by the parent company of The Post and Courier. Rendering/RAMSA/LS3P/City of Charleston

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COLUMBIA  A housing boom in lower Richland County has residents and some elected officials on edge, fearful over the long-term impacts on its schools, roadways and water systems.

Many residents feel they have no way of airing concerns that could influence zoning and permitting decisions by county leaders because in-person meetings ground to a halt due to the coronavirus and lack of high-speed internet in pockets of the county.

One state lawmaker called for a halt to development in the area until in-person meeting resume.

We have a livid community right now, Richland One School District trustee Cheryl Harris said during an April 27 board meeting.

At issue recently is a proposal to build 846 homes, apartments and commercial space on 179 acres of dove fields and farmland off of Garners Ferry Road near Lower Richland High School as part of a mixed-use project overseen by Columbia-based development firm LandTech.

Lower Richland High School had a student headcount of 1,200  nearly 7 percent higher than at the same time a ago, according to state Department of Education data. Enrollment across Richland One is down 5 percent in the past year.

The zoning for the area 10 miles southeast of downtown Columbia was changed with County Councils blessing in 2007 from rural to a planned development district, which zoning administrator Geonard Price said in a recent public meeting essentially allows a developer to design its own zoning within the boundaries.

Developers are asking to change the approved district to allow more single-family homes and fewer apartments.

I just felt there was a real need for people to have an opportunity to ask questions, with the county being for the most part closed, Richland County Councilwoman Chakisse Newton said during a virtual town hall she held April 15.

LandTech President Kevin Steelman said his company was sensitive to the issues raised by critics, which is why planners cut back their proposed number of homes by 18 percent.

I think clustering the homes on smaller lots will allow the project to be very harmonious with the surrounding development," he said during the town hall. "I think we've tried to come to the table with a plan that is mindful of the need to blend and reduce overall density."

Newton noted the proposal would be subject to a zoning public hearing May 25 and that a separate, future town hall would address development in Richland County more broadly.

But state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, a Hopkins Democrat whose House District 80 is in the heart of the building burst, said any housing work should be put on hold until people can attend meetings in person again.

There's a large percentage of our population, due to broadband, that didn't have a way to voice their opposition or approval or any of that for any of this development, he told The Post and Courier. Development is going up relatively easily with minimal pushback just due to that fact there.

Johnson is asking that county leaders suspend all new development and planned rezones until meetings reopen to the public face-to-face.

I'm always for smart development, things that can grow with your community, not just throwing stuff up. Its got to be done the right way, he said.

When Robert Reese, who said his family has lived in lower Richland for seven generations, returned home from Minnesota a few years ago, he was surprised to hear residents opposing water and sewer expansion into the community.

He learned residents were wary of the new utilities paving the way for new development, instead preferring the rural feel of their communities.

This area, if you're going to look at Columbia, is one of the last bastions of development they have, said Reese, chairman of an advocacy group called the Lower Richland Community Action Committee. Were close to the city, (a) rural community, undeveloped community, and we know that this is ripe and ample space for developers  and developers know that.

Harris said she was bothered because county officials didnt inform Richland One School District leaders about the pending developments even though the addition of more housing would add students.

It creates a financial hardship on this district, which is then handed over to the taxpayer, and it's not right and it's not fair, she said. Let me be clear: I have no problem and no issue with growth. It is necessary, and we have to adjust for it. But right now its everywhere, and its all of the sudden.

Add to that a lack of broadband in outlying areas of Richland County, and it can be hard for residents to feel like they're engaged with government.

Catherine Fleming Bruce, a Columbia activist, recently played host to a collection of community leaders for a news conference in Lower Richland opposing the countys proposal to cut money for the county conservation commission from its general fund budget.

She noted the lack of widespread broadband access for the communitys residents as an impediment to participating in public meetings during the pandemic, and that many residents who relied on the library for the technology to stay informed on local issues didnt have that option for almost a year before libraries recently reopened to the public.

So theres a bigger gap than a lot of us imagine in terms of people being able to know whats going on and to adequately comment, Bruce said. I think putting the brakes on until we figure out how to do that better is a good idea.
So I took inventory this week on just how many different columns I have written in the last year where time was spent referencing possible vaccines or receiving a vaccination. By my count, its about a dozen or so. The subject runs a close second to the topic of hand-washing or using hand sanitizer. On this Mothers Day, I believe my mom would be suitably proud of her oldest child for repeated efforts to keep his hands clean.

What Ive yet to come to grips with, though, are those who just wont bother or refuse to get even the first injection, much less the second one. Various mass immunization locations are starting to shut down. Theyre just not very busy anymore.

Is that because these facilities are no longer needed? Or because a significant number of adults just refuse to take the time or believe they know better than the nations best and brightest?

As the present rate of participation, the experts tell us our country will not reach herd immunity. According to recent CDC numbers, 43 percent of the U.S. population has had at least one shot. Approximately 30 percent of us are fully vaccinated.

Have we totally forgotten what weve all endured since March 2020? Does American amnesia conveniently erase the sacrifices of not seeing friends and family, along with the loss of jobs by the millions? Have we become so fond of direct deposit of the stimulus checks that we forget altogether that COVID-19 killed about half a million Americans in a little more than a year?

You know what I remember? Schools, bars and restaurants that closed their doors. Sporting events and concerts that were cancelled. And maybe the most sobering recollection of all: refrigerated trucks, parked outside of hospitals, filled with dead bodies.

Reasons and excuses

Different people cite different reasons for feeling they dont need the protection an injection provides. Some who get the first shot feel thatll be enough. These same people argue a second shot is just extra and not really needed. Ive also heard that theres a fear of side effects, or that they just cant find the time.

Admittedly, its counter-productive when politicians contradict science and pass along medical advice thats flawed. I wish there was a way we could be inoculated from them.

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President Joe Bidens latest goal is to fully vaccinate 160 million Americans by July Fourth. There are also conversations about including pre-teens and teenagers soon, then casting the net to toddlers up to 11-year-olds by September.

If certain grown-ups dont show-up for shots, can we expect their off-spring to understand the need?

We Americans are opinionated, independent and not always comfortable being told what we should do. There also seems, though, an element of stubbornness and arrogance built in that creates know-it-alls who are quite comfortable with their ignorance.

Young people are still being hospitalized with this virus, even though theyre not the most vulnerable. Unvaccinated people can still get infected and spread it to someone who is susceptible.

Virus, vials and victory

Certain states are starting to roll back some restrictions. More and more fans are attending sporting events, and high school proms are being staged with certain protocols in place. Were hardly back to normal, but it feels like we can see it from here.

Maybe in years to come well witness the next generation of vaccines in the form of a pill or a patch? Needles and syringes will give way to a future dose thats inhaled through the nose.

If youve been on the fence about getting your shot, get with the program. Supplies are increasing, and more convenient locations come on line everyday.

Heres the latest capitalistic opportunity Ive yet to see around all this. I saw a vaccine card holder advertised just the other day. Its a little leather pouch designed to carry the card verifying your vaccination. The name of it? Its called the "Fauci Ouchie."

Im OK with the countrys sense of humor returning bit by bit. I just wish more of us would embrace this race with the same resolve. If, in fact, the finish line is visible in the distance, wont we all be better off if we all keep running as hard as we can until we get there?
Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds light and variable.
Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill granting all military veterans and their dependents in-state tuition at South Carolina's universities regardless of when they left the service.

McMaster's signature May 6 amends a 2015 law supported by then-S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley which granted in-state tuition to all former service members using education benefits from the GI Bill.

Veterans and their spouses don't have to currently live in South Carolina to apply for the in-state tuition rate but must move here after becoming enrolled.

The law from Haley's tenure, however, specified that a veteran must apply to South Carolina's schools within three years of leaving military service to be eligible for in-state tuition rates.

Under the bill signed by McMaster, that time limit no longer applies.

"South Carolina has a long and storied history of supporting the men and women who have sacrificed to serve in the Armed Forces, and Gov. McMaster is proud to have signed this bill into law that will build on that reputation and attract even more of these brave Americans to our great state," said Brian Symmes, a spokesman for the governor.

The GI Bill covers the cost of in-state tuition but doesnt cover the difference in out-of-state fees and tuition. Haley's law helped incentivise former service members to consider South Carolina for their education.

It can lead to huge savings for veterans. At the University of South Carolina in Columbia, for example, the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition is nearly $10,000.

With the time limit requirement waived, advocates such as Gen. William Grimsley, McMaster's secretary of Veterans' Affairs, believe a larger group of veterans nationwide could relocate to South Carolina as a result.

"This is an awesome way to keep transitioning veterans to South Carolina," Grimsley said. "And there's a strong chance that if you go to school here then you'll want to stay here, too."

But there is also a potential concern about how this could impact funding for state schools.

The bill says allowing in-state tuition for veterans "may have a negative impact on other funds revenue" for South Carolina's public colleges.

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For technical schools in the state, which mainly draw from local residents, the impact would be "minimal," according to the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education.

South Carolina's Commission on Higher Education surveyed public schools in the state to see what the impact would be but "has received no response," according to the most recent version of the bill.

The bill would be updated with the findings if or when the commission responds.

David Brunori, a professor at George Washington University and a senior director at the consulting firm RSM US, specializes in state and local taxation. He said the bill is a good benefit for veterans and mirrors initiatives by many other states to try and get former servicemembers to relocate in an effort to bolster their economies.

But funding should always be a concern, he said.

"Any time you do something for veterans it resonates well politically," he said. "South Carolina gets a lot of out-of-state students now. But, typically, the out-of-state tuition subsidizes the cost of the in-state-tuition ... So, you lose some of that."

State Sen. Tom Young Jr., R-Aiken, sponsored the 2015 and 2021 versions of the bill that were signed into law.

Young said he was excited to see this version pass and is glad the improvements will help even more veterans.

"It's a win for veterans and their dependents," he said. "It ensures that veterans and their dependents have the same educational opportunities in South Carolina as they would have in other states, and it will help South Carolina attract more veterans to our state."

South Carolina already boasts a large veteran population, according to a 2017 economic study.

There are 56,969 military retirees among the states 417,515 veterans. South Carolina has the 10th highest total Department of Defense personnel and the ninth highest military retiree population in the country.

McMaster has made supporting these veterans one of his main priorities in 2021 and has also advocated for the Statehouse to eliminate all state income taxes for military retirees.
Today most public issues  social and political  revolve around a discussion of rights. Do I have a right to refuse to wear a mask during a pandemic? Do I have a right to an abortion? Do I have a right to put a fence around my property? Do I have a right to own any gun I wish? Americans have embraced the language of rights that was first popularized by the philosopher John Locke and later enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

The problem is that it is a flawed doctrine, and our founders understood this.

The doctrine of natural rights is a modern doctrine. It is not the same as the biblical or classical idea that some things are right and others are wrong. Natural rights, as Locke argued, belong to each of us individually; they are linked to our undeniable (inalienable) instinct for self-preservation. This is why Locke also talked about the rights to liberty and property. Without them, life itself is at risk. So despite the lofty expression "natural rights," which evokes memories of the biblical and classical ideas of right and wrong, all we are really talking about is our strong, personal desire to stay alive.

In other words, the American regime is founded on a doctrine that focuses on the individual. But do we pay a price for this focus on self?

Our Founding Fathers believed in the doctrine of rights, but they followed Locke in never believing it could stand by itself. Herbert Storing points out in his article, "The Constitution and the Bill of Rights," that "the friends of the Constitution  feared that an undue concern with rights might be fatal to American liberty." Storing asks: "Does a constant emphasis on unalienable natural rights foster good citizenship or a sense of community?"

If our first instinct as citizens is always to assert our rights, won't we find ourselves in constant conflict with one another? I would argue that an excessive focus on rights has had a detrimental effect on what Robert Putnam has called the "stock of social capital" that helps make democracy work. While there is nothing wrong with standing up for our rights, society will suffer if that is all we do.

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The founders had serious concerns about this American emphasis on rights and the selfishness they engender. They hoped that preexisting civic characteristics would remain active, among them a belief in God and morality. Regardless of their personal views of religion, they felt that religion served an important political purpose, as George Washington said in his Farewell Address: "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens." Note that Washington does not suggest that government should prop up religion, and he does not specifically praise Christianity over other religions. He simply states that religion and morality are important supports.

Were the founders too optimistic about the survival of religion and morality in a regime of rights? I believe they were.

Could it be that our founding principle is actually playing a role in undermining the founding? In "Politics," Aristotle argues that any political principle will undermine itself if pushed to an extreme. If a belief in natural rights cannot be balanced with or mitigated by other forces, it can be detrimental to the civility and social connectedness that are essential to an effective government and to a strong, healthy society.

Shouldn't we think first of what our religion teaches us about moral behavior before we dig in our feet and assert our rights?

Shouldn't we think first of how we could just be good neighbors before we rush to assert our rights?

And most importantly, shouldn't we remember that the needs of our fellow citizens and fellow human beings around the world should not be obscured by what can become an overwhelming desire to focus on ourselves?

Solomon D. Stevens received his doctorate in political science from Boston College. His two books are Challenges to Peace in the Middle East and Religion, Politics, and the Law (co-authored).
Is the South Carolina GOP losing its mind?

How else could any reasonable person describe a party seriously considering elevating a conspiracy theory-spouting lawyer from Georgia as its statewide leader?

Attorney Lin Wood is under investigation by the State Bar of Georgia for numerous allegations. He also has labeled traditional Republicans who refuse to bow to former President Donald Trump RINOs, meaning Republicans in Name Only.

This is after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol and Trump continuing to spread the big lie about the 2020 election.

It is Lin Wood, the insurrectionists, the white supremacists, the neo-Nazis, the election-result deniers and, yes, the former president who are the RINOs.

The South Carolina GOP and the national GOP must exorcise themselves of these false patriots, get back to their traditional roots and stop the endless nonsense and lies espoused by MAGA and Trumpism.

Otherwise, the Grand Old Party will become irrelevant and die a slow death.

DAVID SCHAEFFER

Governors Drive

Kiawah Island

Innovative solutions

President Joe Biden recently made a virtual visit to Proterras manufacturing operation in Greenville where electric buses are produced.

Proterras innovative operations should be highlighted and celebrated, but they are far from the only Upstate company in the vanguard of green technology.

In Greenville, General Electric designs and manufactures the 9HA turbine, the worlds most fuel-efficient natural gas turbine. The company also designs and tests wind turbine blades such as those on the Haliade-X, the worlds largest offshore wind turbine.

At the Advanced Manufacturing Works facility, the company is reducing carbon footprints with new additive manufacturing technologies.

BMW, the U.S. leader in automotive exports, produces SUVs, including plug-in hybrids, in Spartanburg.

In 2022, the company will release the BMW iX, its first all-electric compact SUV, with a driving range of 300 miles. By 2030, officials expect half of global deliveries to be electric vehicles.

When companies like Proterra, GE and BMW grow, the entire Upstate economy grows with them.

Suppliers here will share in the success, as will local small businesses who provide services to the regions workforce.

With the Upstate poised to grow, our legislators should pursue policies that accelerate the transition to the green energy future.

The three mechanisms in the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act that do this are a carbon price, a carbon dividend and a border adjustment.

Knowing the compounding effects on the Upstate economy, 4th District Rep. William Timmons and Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott should champion the energy act as a bipartisan, market-based, pro-growth solution.

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TRENTON TRIOLA

Guess Street

Greenville

Tax help appreciated

It was a relief and joy to have our 2020 taxes finished. We are still quarantined in senior living and do not use a computer.

Thanks to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program at the Charleston County Library, a volunteer came to our center, picked up our papers from 2019 and 2020, reviewed them over the phone and returned them finished.

Thank you, VITA.

TOM SLOGGETT and

RUTH SLOGGETT

Liberty Midtown Drive

Mount Pleasant

Honor moms every day

Make every day Mothers Day is an expression that Ive said quite often to family and friends. I seemed to say it more frequently the last few years when my mother was in a nursing facility.

As I realized my time with her was short, I wanted her to know how truly special she was, especially on Mothers Day.

Now that she is gone, I continue to tell family and friends to treat every day as Mothers Day, but with a different purpose. I tell those with a mother, or someone they consider a mother figure, to make them feel special.

Mothers, and parents in general, sacrifice a lot to raise their children and give them the best opportunities possible. Sometimes, the roles later are reversed as children become caregivers to parents. It is then we begin to understand some of the hardships and tough choices they had to make.

That is when we come to the realization of what the role of a mother is truly about and better appreciate their value, not only to the family but to those whose lives theyve touched.

Last year, I wrote a letter to the editor on how Fathers Day is often overshadowed by Mothers Day. Even a special day like Mothers Day can be overlooked or forgotten.

During these tumultuous times, we need to stop and recognize all mothers for helping shape our lives and make us the truly special people they expected us to be.

BRIAN KIZER

McAlhany Road

Reevesville
She would go to the microphone at a press conference, face a panel of Catholic bishops peering down from a dais, and ask the pivotal question that cut right to the heart of the matter, Goodstein said via email. Then amidst the hubbub in the press room, she would hammer out a clear, even-handed, compelling story on the religious controversy of the day.
The Trump Justice Department aggressively protected religious rights and liberties. In this post from December 2019, I described five cases in which the DOJ, under the leadership of Eric Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, filed papers in defense of religious freedom.

One of them was a case from Indianapolis, Indiana. In that case, the DOJ sided with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis which had been sued for firing a teacher in a Catholic school due to the teachers same sex marriage. I wrote:

I dont like to see anyone fired over a same-sex marriage, but I agree with the DOJ that the First Amendment protects the free exercise of religion and gives faith-based schools the right not to associate with people whose actions fly in the face of church doctrine.

Now, an Indiana court has also agreed with the Trump DOJ. It dismissed the teachers lawsuit against the Archdiocese. The courts one-page order is here. The Archdioceses 31-page brief in support of its motion to dismiss is here.

The Justice Departments Statement of Interest to the court is here. It concludes with this passage:

The First Amendment demands that this lawsuit be dismissed. Perhaps anticipating lawsuits like this one, the Supreme Court, in cementing Plaintiffs constitutional right to civilly marry the person of his choosing, took care both to emphasize that [m]any who deem same-sex marriage to be wrong reach that conclusion based on decent and honorable religious or philosophical premises, and to reinforce the longstanding right of religious organizations to freely exercise their faith, which may include advocat[ing] . . . that, by divine precepts, same sex marriage should not be condoned. Obergefell, 135 S. Ct. at 2602, 2607. The Archdiocese has done exactly that. The Archdiocese determined that, consistent with its interpretation of Church teachings, a school within its diocesan boundaries cannot identify as Catholic and simultaneously employ a teacher in a public, same-sex marriage. Many may lament the Archdioceses determination. But the First Amendment forbids this Court from interfering with the Archdioceses right to expressive association, and from second-guessing the Archdioceses interpretation and application of Catholic law. . . .

Becket, which defended the Archdiocese, discusses the ruling here. It states:

If the First Amendment means anything, it means the government cant punish the Catholic Church for asking Catholic educators to support Catholic teaching. This has always been a very simple case, because the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed the freedom of religious schools to choose teachers who support their religious faith.

I imagine the teacher will appeal. I imagine, too, that the Biden DOJ wont support the Archdiocese. I hope it will stay out of the case and not cause the Department to do an embarrassing about-face.
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Jaiz Bank Plc has reported a 43 per cent increase in its gross revenue for the first quarter.

In its financial result reported to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the bank said its revenue rose from N4.18 billion in 2020 during the same period to N5.99 billion for the period ended March 31.

Profit before tax increased significantly by 54 per cent which amounted to N979.17 million as against N636.69 million recorded in the same period last year.

The consistent earnings result is obviously reassuring to all stakeholders and the investing public that the Bank will brace the tape strongly at the end of the current financial year in December 2021, the bank said in a statement.

Jaiz Bank, Nigerias first non-interest bank, said it is set to meet its profit forecasts and dividend promise to its shareholders.

In the last financial year, Jaiz Bank paid out over N833 million as dividend to its shareholders. Meanwhile, the Banks earnings per share increased from 1.88 kobo in the first quarter of 2020 to 2.82 kobo in the first quarter of 2021.

Speaking on the result, the Managing Director/CEO, Hassan Usman, said that the result reflects the Banks positive outing in 2020, where it recorded a Profit Before Tax of N3.07 billion. He assured that with this development and despite the pandemic, the Bank is positioned to maintain this positive outlook for the whole year.
At least 205 Palestinians and 17 officers were injured Friday after Israeli police stormed and dispersed worshippers from Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islams third-holiest site, and in clashes around East Jerusalem, Reuters reported.

The invasion, which occurred during Friday night Ramadan prayer, sparked a face off outside the mosque, and Palestinian worshippers responded to the rubber-coated metal bullets and stun grenades fired by the Israeli police by hurling rocks.

At least 178 Palestinian protesters were injured, and 88 hospitalised, Red Crescent, a national humanitarian organisation, said.

One of the injured lost an eye, two suffered serious head wounds and two had their jaws fractured, the group noted, adding that most of the rest of the injuries were minor.

The clash is an escalation of weeks of violence in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. There have also been nightly clashes in East Jerusalems Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, an area Palestinians face a potential eviction.

An overwhelming number of residents in the neighbourhood are Palestinians, but it is also home to a site revered by religious Jews as the tomb of an ancient high priest, Simon the Just.

Police used water cannons mounted on armoured vehicles to disperse several hundred protesters gathered near the homes of families facing potential eviction, Reuters reported.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas praised the courageous stand of the protesters and said on Palestine TV that Israel bore full responsibility for the violence.

Israelis and Palestinians are bracing for more violence in the coming days.

Sunday night is Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Destiny), the most sacred in the fasting month of Ramadan. Thousands of worshippers are expected to gather for intense nighttime prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem.

The same night marks the start of Jerusalem Day, a national holiday in which Israel celebrates its annexation of East Jerusalem. On Monday, Israels Supreme Court is expected to issue a verdict on the Sheikh Jarrah evictions.

The United Nations has urged Israel to call off any forced evictions in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, warning that its actions could amount to war crimes.

We call on Israel to immediately call off all forced evictions, UN rights office spokesman, Rupert Colville, said.

We wish to emphasise that East Jerusalem remains part of the occupied Palestinian territory, in which international humanitarian law applies, Mr Colville added.

The occupying power cannot confiscate private property in occupied territory, he said, adding that transferring civilian populations into occupied territory was illegal under international law and may amount to war crimes.

The U.S. said it was deeply concerned about the potential eviction of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighbourhoods of Jerusalem.

We are extremely concerned about ongoing confrontations in Jerusalem, including on the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount and in Sheikh Jarrah. We call on Israeli and Palestinian officials to act decisively to deescalate tensions & bring a halt to the violence. https://t.co/WV5adgCfmS  Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) May 8, 2021

There is no excuse for violence, but such bloodshed is especially disturbing now, coming as it does on the last days of Ramadan, Department of State spokesman, Ned Price, tweeted. This includes Fridays attack on Israeli soldiers and reciprocal price tag attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, which we condemn in no uncertain terms.

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Some have criticised the U.S. and the international community of not doing enough to end hostilities between Israel and Palestine and delivering justice for the displaced Palestinians. Some observers have also called the forceful occupation as ethnic cleansing.

A Human Rights Watch report indicted Israel for committing apartheid against Palestinians, saying the Israeli government has demonstrated an intent to maintain the domination of Jewish Israelis over Palestinians across Israel and the occupied Palestinians territory.

Turkish presidents spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said the disgraceful attacks on Masjid al-Aqsa in this holy month of fasting was shameful.

Shame on Israel and those who keep silent in the face of disgraceful attacks on Masjid al-Aqsa in this holy month of fasting.

Palestine and the Palestinians are not alone.

We call on everyone to stand up against the policies of occupation and aggression of this apartheid state.  Ibrahim Kalin (@ikalin1) May 7, 2021

Neighboring Saudi Arabia and Jordan (which made peace with Israel in 1994 and is the custodian of Al-Aqsa) have both condemned the attack with the latter saying Israels continuation of its illegal practices and provocative steps in the city is a dangerous game.

Israels Foreign Ministry has also accused the Palestinians of seizing on the threatened evictions, which it described as a real-estate dispute between private parties, in order to incite violence.

Regrettably, the PA and Palestinian terror groups are presenting a real-estate dispute between private parties, as a nationalistic cause, in order to incite violence in Jerusalem (1/2)  Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 7, 2021

The (Palestinian Authority) and Palestinian terror groups will bear full responsibility for the violence emanating from their actions. The Israel police will ensure public order is maintained, the ministry said in a tweet.

Israel captured East Jerusalem, along with the West Bank and Gaza from Palestine in the 1967 Mideast war. It annexed East Jerusalem and views the entire city as its capital. Although, internationally, it is not recognised so.

Palestine also views East Jerusalem  which houses major holy sites for Jews, Christians and Muslims  as their capital.

Disputes over the lands have resulted in year-long violence and legal battle with casualties on both sides, but more to the Palestinians.
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In continuation of a steady run of low figures, Nigeria on Friday recorded 39 new COVID-19 infections.

Fridays tally brings the total number of infections in the West African nation to 165,340, an update published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Friday night indicates.

According to the update, no new death was recorded from the virus which has already claimed 2,065 lives in the country.

The number of deaths recorded from the virus has declined recently with only four deaths recorded in the last 23days.

The new COVID-19 cases were recorded in eight states: Lagos-23, FCT-4, Kano-4, Zamfara-4, Akwa Ibom-1, Gombe-1, Nasarawa-1 and Plateau-1.

A breakdown of the data shows that 30 people were discharged on Friday after testing negative for the virus. This brings the total number of discharged persons after treatment to 155,454.

Meanwhile, 7,823 infections are still active in the country, according to the NCDC.

Low cases

Nigeria has continued to report low COVID-19 cases since February 2021.

The country has also taken precautionary measures to prevent importation of cases from countries experiencing a surge in COVID-19.

Nigeria recently banned travels from Brazil, India and Turkey. Brazil and India reported about half of the total number of new COVID-19 cases recorded globally last week, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The Nigerian government said non-Nigerians who had travelled to any of the three countries in the previous 14 days would not be allowed into Nigeria.

While working to prevent imported COVID-19 cases, Nigeria is also continuing with its vaccination programme with over 1.2 million Nigerians receiving their first of two shots of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Nigeria has, so far, received about 4.4 million doses of the vaccine.
The former Democratic presidential candidate used his own life experience to argue that New York needs to urgently get back its mojo after the COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered offices and restaurants for more than a year.
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The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to focus energy, time and resources (on) any form of propaganda against religious leaders who disagree with (his) performance.

In a statement on Thursday signed by its president, Augustine Akubeze, the CBCN described the recent allegations by the presidency and the State Security Service (also called the DSS) of a plot to impeach Mr Buhari as needless attempts by the federal government to blackmail anyone who criticises (his) government.

The CBCN said Nigerias democracy belongs to all of its citizens who do not need to be card-carrying members of a party to be able to express their views on the governments failings. It called on the Buhari administration to learn to listen to every Nigerian, both political actors in other parties and non-political actors in Nigeria and the diaspora.

Earlier, in separate statements by Mr Buharis Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the army and the DSS, the federal government alleged attempts by unnamed political and religious leaders to initiate a coup or a referendum and a vote of no confidence that would result in the ultimate removal of the Buhari administration.

The statements followed growing criticism of the federal government over the worsening security situation in the country and a call by fiery Catholic priest Ejika Mbaka for Mr Buhari to either resign or be removed from office.

The federal governments statements said the concerned Nigerians had connived with external forces to execute their plot and warned of possible treasonable charges against perpetrators.

But according to the CBCN, the decision to speak out was not for the APC Government to fail, but for Nigeria to succeed.

The Catholic leaders affirmed their stance against the undemocratic transfer of power but added that Mr Buhari has relegated his obligation of concern for the welfare and security of the people to spokespersons and consequently denigrated the Nigerians who voted him to power.

In every democracy, the welfare of the citizens is of great concern to the President. From time to time, Presidents address the people and give an account of the state of affairs in the country. In Nigeria, we hardly hear directly from our President. Most of the time, we hear from the Presidency. Nigerians did not elect presidential media spokespersons.

The CBCN said Nigeria was on a path of destruction if the federal government continue(s) to ignore the constructive criticisms and recommendations of Nigerians from every sector.

We are speedily getting there. Police stations are being burnt, our gallant military men and women are being killed, barracks are attacked, IDP camps are attacked, farmlands are invaded, youth unemployment is at its highest, private sectors are not giving enabling environment to thrive, and appointments to offices are not reflective of our diversities; the complaints are almost endless  could the sounds signalling a collapsing nation be louder than this?, the CBCN queried.

The Catholic leaders urged religious and notable Nigerians to avoid inflammatory comments that would distort the meanings of their proposed message to the government and to unite for the good of Nigeria.
Late President Umar Musa YarAdua dreamt of fixing Nigerias power and energy sector by 2020.

Elected in 2007, Mr YarAdua planned to carry out infrastructural and institutional reforms in the sector but died three years into his tenure in 2010. However, 11 years after his death, Nigeria is still grappling with erratic power supply.

In the first six months, it will be power and energy. That is what is so critical, and I have said publicly that I will declare the sector a national emergency because almost all the other sectors of our economic and social life, in trying to develop a modern nation, depend on it, the late president said in an interview with The News shortly after his victory at the poll.

This sector impacts on the development of other sectors and without sorting out the problems of the power and energy sector, we will just keep going round. It is the most critical sector which drives a modern and industrialised economy. We must, as a nation, commit ourselves to solving the problems of this sector. We have the potential.

He made this a priority in his seven-point agenda.

The infrastructural reforms in the power sector would aim at the development of sufficient and adequate power supply to ensure Nigerias ability to compete as a modern economy and achieve full industrialisation by the year 2015.

The plan is to increase power supply to 10,000 megawatts (mw) in 2011 and 50,000 mw by 2015, the document published by the Central Bank of Nigeria read.

But on May 5, 2010, Mr YarAdua died, marking not just the end of his presidency but also of his lofty aspirations for Nigeria.

Since Mr YarAduas death, Nigeria has had two presidents: Goodluck Jonathan and incumbent Muhammadu Buhari. But the systemic challenge continues.

Mr Jonathan served six years between 2010 and 2015 while Mr Buharis second term will end in 2023.

Analysts agreed that not too much has been recorded in the sector since Mr YarAduas death in terms of power generation and distribution.

Still in a mess

Although installed generation capacity, mostly from thermal and hydro sources, has improved over the years, less than 50 per cent of the generated power is being distributed to Nigerians.

Last year, the Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, said the country had an installed generation capacity of 13,000 megawatts but distributes less than 6,000 MW.

According to statistics provided by GET.invest, an European programme focused on renewable energy projects, only 3,500 MW to 5,000 MW is typically available for onward transmission to the final consumers in Nigeria.

This significant difference in production and distribution has been blamed on the countrys poor transmission network and incessant collapse of the national grid amongst other factors.

This is happening despite the privatisation of 11 electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) and six generating companies (GENCOs) with the federal government retaining 100 per cent ownership of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

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Also, in spite of the poor distribution, electricity tariff continues to be raised, despite protests by workers unions.

In all of these, communities continue to suffer outages as a result of faulty transformers and cables.

PREMIUM TIMES findings showed that about 25 communities in Lagos, Ekiti, Osun and Ogun states have been in darkness for months because the authorities have turned a blind eye to dilapidated electricity equipment.

Businesses running at a loss

The World Bank says Nigerian businesses lose $29 billion annually to erratic power supply.

The bank says average Nigerians consume four times less energy than their counterparts in a typical lower middle-income country.

This is stated in the banks Power Sector Recovery Programme factsheet presented during the World Banks virtual meeting with journalists in April.

According to the banks practice manager, West and Central Africa Energy, Ashish Khanna, for every N10 worth of electricity received by distribution companies, about N2.60 is lost to poor distribution infrastructure and through power theft while another N3.40 is not being paid for by customers.

Commenting on the situation, Ademola Adigun, a development expert, said rather than improve, the sector has been regressing.

The issues are still there. Nothing has really moved forward in the sector. Weve had inconsistent policies and inconsistent administrations. We have massive debts in the sector. We are reluctant to allow the sector to be market driven. As it is, the issues have not changed.

Mr Adigun said the country is still struggling to evacuate power above six thousand megawatts, adding that 126 grid collapses were recorded last year across the country.

He believes that the situation might have improved if Mr YarAdua had continued the power projects initiated by his predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo.

If YarAdua had allowed Obasanjos project to continue, we would have been better than we are. But YarAdua, in his lack of foresight, stalled the initial Obasanjo design and started what was impracticable, then Jonathan compounded it, Mr Adigun told PREMIUM TIMES.

He was referring to the Nigerian National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) initiated by the Obasanjo Administration in 2004 to address insufficient electric power generation and gas flaring from oil exploration in the Niger Delta region.

Seven power plants were located in gas-producing states under the project but the YarAdua Administration abandoned the project.

It was later restarted by Mr Jonathan but now, the Bureau of Public Enterprises is planning to sell five of the 11 NIPP projects.

This was disclosed in a statement released by the Director-General of the BPE, Alex Okoh on Sunday.

Mr Adigun said selling the projects may not be the intervention needed, stating that many companies buy governments asset without plans to improve the finances.

The sector needs people who are able to invest money beyond purchasing them, the development expert said.

He also canvassed for the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which contains transparency and accountability provisions needed to reform Nigerias oil and gas sector.

He said the passage of the bill, which scaled second reading in October 2020, is necessary because Nigeria needs gas for its power projects.

Untapped potentials

The situation would have been better if Nigeria harnessed the gases being flared annually and other alternatives, another expert stated.

Michael Bukoye, an engineer based in Kwara State, said the country has abandoned other means of generating power.

Look at the gas being wasted in oil companies. It is sad. I served in one of the oil companies in Delta State and I can tell you that the gas flared in those communities are underreported. We can convert them to our advantage rather than allow them to kill people. But you know what? Our government does not care.

In 2020 alone, natural gas valued at $1.24 billion was burned off by oil companies in Nigeria, according to the NOSDRA, a government-run satellite tracker.

Nigerias gas flaring commercialisation programme, established in 2017 to see to the good use of gas by private companies and end gas flaring by 2020, was stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic and tussles in the petroleum ministry, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Apart from the flared gas, some facilities like the Ikere Gorge Dam in Iseyin, Oyo State have also been neglected.

The dam was designed to support a hydropower project, but lack of equipment and climate change have kept the project a mirage, PREMIUM TIMES reported last year.

In fact, PREMIUM TIMES findings showed that the area has no access to electricity, despite the project.

Peter Farai, a professor of physics in the University of Ibadan, advised Nigerians to invest in solar power to complement the existing power generation means.

According to him, with N1.5 million, a house can generate power through solar.

READ ALSO: Nigeria suffers massive power outage as several plants break down

Some people can afford it. Theyll relieve the national grid and that means more power to those that cannot afford it.

But he also expressed confidence in some power projects of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

One of these is the six-year contract with Germanys Siemens AG recently signed to increase Nigerias power generation to 25,000 MW.

The N1.15 trillion (about $3.8 billion) contract is a three-phase electrification project.

Also, last year June, the government approved a $120 million for the completion of the Kashimbila multipurpose dam in Taraba State, expected to generate 40 MW and water for the community.

However, with Nigerias poor record in seeing through public projects, it is difficult to see the country ending its electric power supply woes any time soon.
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Several police officers have been killed by unknown gunmen in a fresh attack on a police facility in Akwa Ibom State, Nigerias South-south.

Six officers were said to have been killed in the attack which took place in the early hours of Saturday in a local police station in Ini Local Government Area of the state.

An official of the Akwa Ibom state government, who did not want his name mentioned in the report, said a part of the station was razed by the attackers.

They went to the police quarters where the police officers were sleeping and shot them dead, the official said.

The chairman of the local council and the member of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly representing the area have visited the scene of the attack.

The police spokesperson in the state, Odiko MacDon, confirmed the attack, but declined to mention the number of officers killed. He said six people were killed, but that not all of them were police officers.

He said a wife to one of the officers was among those killed.

Yes, there was an attack in Ini Divisional Police Headquarters, Mr MacDon.

We are trying to assess the situation, we will get back to you, he added.

Just seven days ago, some gunmen killed two police officers during a similar attack in another local police facility in Akwa Ibom State.

There has been a spate of attacks on security agencies in the South-east and South-south which has compounded the security challenges in the two regions.
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Seven police officers have reportedly been killed in fresh multiple gun attacks on Friday night in Rivers State, Nigerias South-south, according to a report by Punch newspaper.

The paper, which said the police in the state have confirmed the attacks, reported that three police officers were feared killed in Elimgbu police station, while two were killed at another facility, the divisional police headquarters in Rumuji.

Two other officers were killed at an attack on a security checkpoint along the East-West Road, the paper said.

The police spokesperson in Rivers State, Nnamdi Omoni, said he would make details of the attacks available to reporters after a visit to the scene, Punch said.

The latest attacks occurred despite the night curfew imposed by the Rivers State Government in all the 23 local government areas of the state.

Eight security operatives, including some police officers, were killed in Rivers on April 25 in one of the deadliest attacks in the oil-rich state.

Akwa Ibom attack

The attacks in Rivers appeared to have occurred simultaneously with a similar attack on a police facility in the neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.

Six police officers were said to have been killed in the Akwa Ibom attack which occurred in the early hours of Saturday at a local police station in Ini Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Odiko MacDon, confirmed the attack to PREMIUM TIMES, Saturday afternoon.

The gunmen razed a part of the police station.

They (the gunmen) went to the police quarters where the police officers were sleeping and shot them dead, a state government official said.

There has been a spate of attacks on security agencies in the South-east and South-south which has compounded the security challenges in the two regions.
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Samaila Burga, Chairman, Technical Committee on the Control of Avian Influenza, said the Bauchi government has killed about 27,000 birds to curtail the spread of Bird flu in the State.

Mr Burga said the Bird Flu, also known as Avian Influenza, broke out in two Local Government Areas, Bauchi and Toro.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Bauchi that nine poultry farms were affected by the outbreak in the two local government areas of the state.

He said that 27,000 birds were killed in one of the poultry farms to avert its spread across the state.

The birds were depopulated to prevent other birds from contracting the deadly disease.

The committee was constituted by the state government as part of efforts to stop the spread of bird flu, which had spread to two local government in the states, he said.

Mr Burga, also the state Commissioner for Agriculture and rural Development, said 130 veterinary doctors have been deployed to all the 20 local government areas for surveillance.

He said the government would embark on sensitisation of various stakeholders to educate them on how to detect any live bird infected with the disease.

Mr Burga urged poultry owners to ensure adherence to guidelines on setting up of poultry and protection against the birds deadly diseases.

He said that the state government is committed to tackling the menace and resurgence of such influenza virus.

Mr Burga warned people to avoid eating affected birds.

(NAN)
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Legal icon, Afe Babalola, on Friday said the peace conference he is planning will find ways out of the current national challenges and not to divide the country.

The nonagenarian said this in a goodwill message at the foundation-laying ceremony of the NBA House, located along NTA road in Ado Ekiti.

Mr Babalola said he is a steady friend of governments and that his views and advise have always been respected in the past.

He said his initiative of peace conference is a direct response to an earlier request by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, for men and women of goodwill to contribute to moving Nigeria forward.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Babalola had pleaded with the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, to lead other opinion leaders and moulders like former Presidents, National Assembly, traditional and religious leaders, Civil Society Organisations to the conference, tagged Summit of Hope.

NAN quoted Mr Babalola as saying that attendants would consist of past Presidents, members and representatives of National and State Assemblies, University Vice Chancellors, Obas, Emirs, Trade Unionists, among others, who will suggest how the country will have a new constitution to solve our labyrinth of problems.

Mr Babalola said lawyers knew that the constitution is clear on the right of all of us, either singly or together, to advise government, in good faith, on how the country can move forward, devoid of disintegration or anarchy.

Mr Babalola said Vice President Osinbajos blame on Nigerian elites for keeping quiet, formed part of the reasons he took up the challenge.

All I am doing, in my own case, is to prevent the country from disintegration and drifting into anarchy so that it can remain an indivisible entity, and not to throw the country into turmoil as being suggested.

I am here to spend my own money and time to help government return decorum to our dear nation. There must not be anarchy or civil war, he said.

Support

Meanwhile, Ekiti State Council of Elders, in a separate statement after its Strategic Committee meetings, expressed support for Mr Babalolas move to help the Federal government return normalcy and peace to the country.

A communique, jointly signed by its President, Joseph Oluwasanmi, General-Secretary, Niyi Ajibulu,

and Public Relations Officer, Bayo Orire, said the council is proud to identify with Mr Babalola.

The council said it is also proud of the cooperation exhibited by the Ooni of Ife and urged others to emulate his kind gestures.

The council said it will also organise a mini summit which will act as a prelude to the one being contemplated by the eminent lawyer.

(NAN)
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The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday, said the government had planned to attack the terrorists who kidnapped students in the state, even if it meant losing some of the victims in the process.

According to Mr El-Rufai, that was the plan before the bandits released 27 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State.

The governor disclosed this during a webinar organised by the Africa Leadership Group. PREMIUM TIMES obtained the video clip of the governors comments.

Mr El-Rufai was responding to a question on his policy of not negotiating with kidnappers and payment of ransom.

The governor said the loss of lives of kidnap victims would only be collateral damage and a price he would be willing to pay instead of paying ransom to the criminals.

Two days after the abduction of the Afaka young people, I was assured by the air force and the army that they knew where the kidnappers were with the students and they had encircled [them], the governor said.

We were going to attack them. We would lose a few students but we would kill all the bandits and we would recover some of the students.

That was our plan. That was the plan of the air force and the army But they slipped through the cordon of the army. That is why they were not attacked.

We know it is risky. We know in the process we may lose some of the abductees but it is a price we have to pay.

This is war, there will always be collateral damage in war and we will rather do that than pay money because paying money has not solved the problem anywhere in the world, he said.

This newspaper had reported how the remaining abducted 27 students of the college regained their freedom on Wednesday.

Controversial Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gummi, said he, alongside former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, brokered the negotiations to secure their release.

Parents of the students also paid millions of naira in exchange for their wards, this newspaper gathered.

However, the freed students are separate from the 16 students of Greenfield University, Kaduna, who have yet to be released with their abductors threatening mass killing if a ransom is not paid for them.

As of the time of filing this report, the state government is yet to respond to the threats of the abductors, 72 hours after the expiration of the ultimatum they gave.
The medical director of Grandville Trauma Centre, Aranmolate Ayobami, has told the Lagos Judicial Panel that the hospital treated 15 patients who suffered gunshot injuries during the October 20, 2020, Lekki shooting incident.

Mr Ayobami, who is also a surgeon at the hospital, said a total number of 15 patients presented at the facility, were all transferred from other hospitals in Lagos.

Mr Ayobami appeared before the panel on Saturday based on a summons issued to Grandville Trauma Centre to give account of their encounter with protesters from the Lekki incident.

His testimony at the panel followed the evidence given by a witness of the Lekki Shooting incident, Sarah Ibrahim, who said there were many casualties and hospitals were overwhelmed with injured victims.

We had a total number of 15 patients, four referrals from Vedic life Healthcare, seven referrals from Reddington hospital and two from Doreen hospital, he said. He did not expatiate on the outstanding two patients.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at Redington Hospital, Babajide Lawson, told the panel that their facilities were overwhelmed on the night of the Lekki Shooting incident.

Explaining the role that Grandville centre played in treating victims, Mr Ayobami said the staff of the hospital also donated blood for one of the victims who needed blood.

He said although the government promised to pay the medical bills, the hospital and concerned members of the public shouldered the medical bills of the victims treated.

Mr Ayobami said the hospital recorded no deaths as all the 15 patients brought in were subsequently discharged.

He also gave names and details of the conditions of the patients treated, as requested by the chairperson of the panel, Doris Okuwobi.

Some of the cases mentioned are as follows: Ikwrogbo Theophilus, 38 (gunshot injury to the lower limb, had an x-fix; metal objects attached to the broken bones); Adamu Hassan Yinusa, 27 (gunshot injury to the elbow bone and had x-fix as well; and Nicholas Okpe, 43 (gunshot injury to the chest, a chest tube was passed into the lungs to allow for air and blood and was transferred to LASUTH for further care).

Others

Ogbonna Emmanuel, 20 (gunshot injury to the thigh and had a broken femur); Olalekan Faleye, 23 (gunshot injury to the leg; taken in for vascular ligation to save his life; took five pints of blood and referred to Igbobi where he had amputation of the limb); Joshua James, 32 (gunshot injury to the left thigh, had multiple dressings); and Patric Okolo, 22 (gunshot injury to the right forearm).

During cross-examination, Olumide Fusika, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, representing some #EndSARS victims, asked who paid the hospital bills.

Mr Ayobami said the hospital and members of the public handled the bills.

While the process was going on, we were informed that some Nigerians were involved. Some members of the public volunteered to send some money to pay the bills.

The Lagos State government actually promised to pay, because during the protest, the Ministry of Health was in communication with us.

I recall one of the patients, the one that had amputation, we needed blood and we called their attention that we needed two pints. They were able to bring one pint of blood and some of my staff actually donated about two pints of blood also, Mr Ayobami said.

Meanwhile, Gbajumo Kehinde, Director, Hospital Administration and Human Resources of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), also appeared before the panel.

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Mr Kehinde, who appeared following a summons, tendered some documents to the panel. The content of the documents is yet to be ascertained.

Mrs Okuwobi, a retired judge heading the panel, adjourned the matter till May 15 for further hearing.
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)has finally been served a letter, three days after news of her suspension broke in the media.

The news of Ms Usmans suspension was first reported on Thursday evening, with the NPA MD saying she had not been queried or communicated.

Transportation Ministrys officials first told PREMIUM TIMES late Friday that the official was served her letter on Friday afternoon through the NPA liaison office in Abuja.

When contacted Saturday, Ms Usman confirmed the letter was scanned to her by her agencys Abuja office on Friday evening.

In the letter dated May 6, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Magdalene Ajani, wrote: Consequent upon the approval of Mr President to constitute an Administrative Panel of Inquiry on the Management of Nigerian Ports Authority, I am to convey the approval of the Honourable Minister to request you to step aside as the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority.

In view of the above, you are required to hand over to Mohammad Koko (Executive Director, Finance & Accounts) with immediate effect.

Please, accept the warm regards of the Honourable Minister.

Mr Amaechi had written to President Buhari on March 4 saying the yearly remittances of operating surpluses by the NPA from 2016 to 2020 was far short of the amount due for actual remittance.

In the letter, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the minister said within the stipulated years, the NPA failed to remit N165 billion (N165, 320, 962, 697) to the nations Consolidated Revenue Fund. He thereafter suggested that the financial account of the NPA be audited.

Mr Buhari approved his request after which the Ministry of Transportation wrote to the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation on April 6 asking it to nominate a firm or grant the ministry approval to appoint one to audit the NPA.

Ten days later, April 16, the Auditor-General of the Federation, Adolphus Aghughu, notified the transportation ministry that two audit firms  Messrs Muhtari Dangana & Co (Chartered Accountants) and SIAO Chartered Accountants  appointed by the NPA board, already audited the maritime agency.

In the letter, the auditor-general added that the said audit firms had indeed audited and published the accounts of NPA in 2016, 2017, and 2018 financial years and that the 2019 audit was ongoing.

The Auditor-General added that his own office also conducted periodic checks on the agency and released appropriate reports on the exercises.

Quoting the NPA law and the Nigerian constitution, the auditor-general concluded that since reputable professional audit firms were already engaged by the NPA Board in line with the agencys enabling act, there was no justification for the ministry to conduct a parallel audit exercise.

But after the auditor-general opposed another probe of the finances of the agency, Mr Amaechi returned to Mr Buhari with another proposal.

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In a May 5 letter, which sources said he personally took to the President, Mr Amaechi wrote as follows:

Recall the series of memoranda and the attendant approvals which the management of NPA has refused to implement.

One of the memoranda included the insubordination of the management of NPA. The management of the parastatal and some financial expenditures would require a review.

PRAYER

The Ministry, therefore, requests the President to approve the setting up of an Administrative Panel of Inquiry to be headed by the Director, Maritime Services, with the Deputy Director, Legal, as the Secretary. Other members will be appointed by the Minister. That the Managing Director of NPA should step aside until the outcome of the panel has been submitted to the President. That Mr Mohammed Koko be appointed in her stead. That the secretariat of the Presidency be directed to convey this approval to the Minister for Transport, to carry out the directive pending when the office of the Chief of Staff to the President will convey the approval.

Mr Buhari okayed the above requests by simply writing on Mr Amaechis memo: Your above prayers 1,2,3 and 4 approved.

Ms Usman has denied involvement in any financial impropriety at the agency. She also said the NPA did not under-remit revenues to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.
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Many young women are questioning the whole idea of motherhood as necessary to a womans identity. They want to be able to make a choice and define themselves as they deem fit Because of this work, they are impoverished, derided and punished as the weaker sex, and they are sometimes ignored in old age by the children they sacrificed the most for.

Sunday, May 9 is Mothers Day in America, the day we celebrate the unique role of women in bearing and rearing children. It is an acknowledgement of the great sacrifice of women, many of whom raise children against all odds. No song rivals Nico Mbargas Sweet Mother at Nigerian-American parties. It gets everyone off their chairs because it strikes a deep chord in us. It is an ode to our mothers selflessness, caring and love. It is the work women have been doing for millennia, this renewal of society, the life-giving necessary work that humanity depends on to regenerate. In recent times, however, womens attitude towards this work is changing. Some women do not have any desire to have children. Falling or low birth rates are being reported in the United States, Japan, Korea, Italy and even in China where the policy now allows couples to have more than one child. Women are not leaping at the opportunity. Many are content with just one child. A few women are advocating loudly for child-free lives, telling us they are happy and productive without children.

Anyone who chooses to be a mother knows it is a costly choice, but in many societies, women are forced to bear this burden alone, sacrificing time, talent, ambition, and the ability to earn good money, build, create, explore and imagine. Motherhood also skews the relationships between husbands and wives, giving more power and control to the husband because he becomes the main income earner, while his wife becomes a dependent, along with the children. It is a few men who do not exploit the power shift when this happens in marriages. While we all appreciate what our mothers do for us, the reality of what some of them face at the end of their lives does not reflect their loving and decades-long investment in their children and grandchildren..

I come from a culture where the assumption that sons would take care of their mothers in old age is a given. I saw this model in my own family as a young girl in Ekiti, which was as traditional as it could get. My two grandmothers were cared for this way, but the real story is that the caring was done by their daughters-in-law, because behind every son is a wife or wives who does the actual work of care-giving. My maternal grandmother, who lived to a ripe old age, was cared for by one dedicated and hardworking daughter-in-law, whose husband, my mothers older brother, had died decades earlier. She was loyal and loving to my grandmother to the end, even though she was a widow in that household. My paternal grandmother was cared for by my mother and her co-wife. These neat patriarchal arrangements seemed to have worked well, except that even back then it was not perfect, once you factor in the human element, the humanity of the persons involved in these arrangements.

My paternal grandmother was a woman who knew her own mind and the value of dignity. As the story goes, she left her abusive marriage three days after she delivered her last and third child, to move into her parents home. That was in 1930s rural Ekiti. She lived in her parents home, in her natal quarter, with her brothers and sisters nearby, within a community in which she grew up. She thrived and prospered, and it was in that house I grew to know her, as her granddaughter. She talked to me, not like the pre-teen I was, but like the woman she hoped I would become. She emphasised the importance of financial independence, that my hand is the most important thing to me, the hand being a metaphor for hard work and self-reliance in Yorubaland. But women have always worked hard. What she meant was work that was not exploited by other people, especially husbands. Some in contemporary times would classify this rural woman as a feminist.

She was prosperous enough in her cocoa and palm kernel trade that she was able to assist my father financially while he was studying in the university. She lived in her natal house, even after my father had become a university-educated teacher in our town. We, as grandchildren, would visit her and enjoy tasty meals and the kind of talk elders engaged in, in those times. She talked to me about life, people, events, some of which probably went over my young head. She was a philosopher. At some point, my father learnt through the grapevine that his mother was planning to build a new house. Perhaps, it was a life-long desire of hers to build her own house, or she just wanted to live in a more modern house, I would never know.

My own mother, in the 21st Century, experienced something different as she aged She did her duty by her children, sacrificing and enduring an extremely difficult marriage so that we could succeed.The assumption that my mothers sons would care for her did not materialise because her daughters-in-laws are modern women who live in cities and juggle so many responsibilities, including caring for their own parents.

This news disturbed my father enough that he immediately requested her to move in with us. She did, bowing to patriarchy. Now, with the understanding of an adult, I can see that it was not a happy arrangement for her. She did so, so that her son could save face, so that no one could look down on him for not taking care of his mother. Her building her own house threatened his status in the community. She moved into our house, leaving behind the community and activities she really enjoyed. The new arrangement meant she could no longer trade, an activity which required buying and selling around the town, and plenty of social interactions. This activity sometimes involved carrying baskets on her head, as she shopped for products. That mode of commerce was now beneath the new status of her son, who was Western-educated and was becoming a leader in the town. It would be shameful to see his mother carrying baskets on her head around town.

She no longer lived near her own kin, a community of people she loved and who loved and respected her. Her family members still visited her but it was not like living near each other. She could not even cook her own meals, because her sons wives were now supposed to cook for her, and they did. And she made me bear witness. She did not like their cooking. She invited me sometimes to taste the stew and pounded yam with my ten-year-old palate. She was not nitpicking. Young as I was, I could tell the difference. Her cooking, when she lived in her own house, was much better and tastier than the offerings in our house. She ate well when she was by herself. She did not count pennies because she did not have many mouths to feed, like in our house. She cooked whatever she liked and I, as a grandchild, visiting her, devoured her delicious food. My formerly contented grandmother became irritable and discontented, eventually falling ill and dying. I was thirteen. My father did his best, taking her to the best hospitals around but she succumbed to illness. This model of mother-care in old age was the best our system could offer then, with everyone playing their part. There was a consensus about who did what and it was workable because most family members lived near each other, and there was an established tradition.

My own mother, in the 21st Century, experienced something different as she aged. She had lived in the same town for most of her life. She did her duty by her children, sacrificing and enduring an extremely difficult marriage so that we could succeed. In contemporary times, though, success for children means migration away from home, from the town, city or country where their parents live. Most families experience this if their children are ambitious or adventurous. This also means that all the traditional structures and assumptions about who cares for mothers in old age are breaking down, or have broken down completely. The assumption that my mothers sons would care for her did not materialise because her daughters-in-laws are modern women who live in cities and juggle so many responsibilities, including caring for their own parents.

The son who stepped in to care for her turned out to be a grifter, who charmed her and drained all the money from her account, a significant portion of which I sent to her so that she could be well taken off. He also sat on her rental property, collected the rents for years and spent it on himself, while reporting to me that he was keeping strict financial records. I visited home a year before my mother died and discovered her son had cleaned out all her money. This is not an uncommon experience for many Nigerian immigrants, as cheating and lying siblings at home their usurp parents assets, including the money repatriated by diaspora siblings. He did hire a woman to take of my mother, a loving and hardworking woman who did her job well, but when I visited I could see the severe loneliness that my mother was suffering. She was immobile because of osteoporosis, and all her children and grandchildren lived away from her. The house was quiet all the time.

Some neighbours and family members would occasionally dropped by, but unrelenting silence was the major condition of the house. I wondered quietly to myself if it had been worth it for her, sacrificing so much to raise four children, none of who was around at sunset to enliven her life. She did not really enjoy living with her children either, and she was not interested in living with me abroad because of her fear of winter and loneliness. Someone had told her that mothers visiting their children abroad are often left to themselves all day because their families go to work and school, and do not return until late. I also suspect her fear of flying was probably a factor.

During one visit, she said to me that she only wants to sit on the beach and eat a piece of chicken. That was her fantasy as she lay isolated in this sterile nursing home. Outraged, I called one of her sons but was only able to speak to his wife. American women do not have the obligations of taking care of their mothers-in-law in old age.

On this side of the Atlantic, I have also witnessed mother-care in the later stages. Aunt G was one of the kindest women I knew here in America. She cared deeply for her two sons, whom she raised almost single-handedly as a public school teacher after a divorce, six years after her marriage to their father was over. She was smart, graceful, elegant, and independent. She had a network of many siblings, nieces and nephews. Her sons are successful, one of them a high-achieving professional. She was very close to me and my husband. She traveled to attend our childrens music recitals, graduations, and birthdays, and she engaged them in elderly talk. We took her out to fabulous restaurants and museums whenever we visited her city. She was a community activist who, through her writing and community-organising, fought environmental racism. Her minority neighbourhood was being used as a dumping ground by the city. She wrote books to document the history of her family and town of origin. She was passionate about early literacy and the education of minority children. During the holidays, she baked scrumptious cakes and sent them to her loved ones. In my home, we never shared Aunt Gs cake with anyone. It was that delicious.

She lived independently in a townhouse she owned, when one day, she fell. It became impossible for her to live alone. Gradually, she ended up in a nursing home. My husband and I visited her there several times, and I saw how such a place could be regarded as Gods waiting room, a place designed for people to wait for death. Her loneliness was severe. The overworked and underpaid staff probably did their best, but their work even under the best conditions could not take care of the emotional and intellectual stimulation of their wards. What shocked me was the absence of her sons in her caregiving. Their active role could have made her final years happy.

During one visit, she said to me that she only wants to sit on the beach and eat a piece of chicken. That was her fantasy as she lay isolated in this sterile nursing home. Outraged, I called one of her sons but was only able to speak to his wife. American women do not have the obligations of taking care of their mothers-in-law in old age. That is not a part of their tradition. Her daughter-in-law told me men do not know how to take care of their parents in old age. In fact, she said in her own family, she was the one who had to drive ninety miles every week to see her old father in the nursing home, because her brothers who live in the same city with their father were not taking care of him. I looked at our dear Aunt G and wondered what the benefits of motherhood were for her when she needed them the most. Her sons eulogised her as a great mother during her funeral ceremony. Great for whom? What difference would it have made if she did not have any child? Perhaps she would have made different and better professional and financial choices in her youth.

Motherhood compromises womens development and financial well-being. The strange twist is that women who did less mothering for their children and put more energy in developing themselves and making money seem to fare better in old age. They have the financial resources to live in fancier nursing homes, and adult children who might not have wanted the financial burden of taking care of aged parents, are incentivised to take a more active role because there are sufficient assets owned by their mother to do so. Many young women are questioning the whole idea of motherhood as necessary to a womans identity. They want to be able to make a choice and define themselves as they deem fit. For this, they are being shamed, or even called unnatural. What is shameful is the burden placed on women by society to care for children, parents, in-laws and husbands, while they are asked to sacrifice themselves to please everyone. Because of this work, they are impoverished, derided and punished as the weaker sex, and they are sometimes ignored in old age by the children they sacrificed the most for. One could see the logic of young women resisting motherhood.

Bunmi Fatoye-Matory lives in Durham, North Carolina with her family. She could be contacted via email: bunmimatory@gmail.com
At the end of his first year back in school, my son was confronted by a school safety agent while carrying his friends bookbag. The bag contained contraband in it that he didnt know about, but the cop wouldnt listen to him  and he was arrested. While the arrest didnt lead to a court order, it stayed on his record, giving the courts a reason to escalate punishment in the future. Meanwhile, he still struggled with serious mental health issues  but the school had just one guidance counselor and one social worker for 800 students. So instead of getting the mental health support he needed, he was bounced between his over-policed school and the criminal legal system. At school, he was always one misstep away from a police officer who had no patience for his trauma.
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Anna would be appalled at how little we have done for our country and the black race since our flag independence 61 years ago. She would be appalled at tribalism and ethnicity fanned by our rulers, the impudence at the highest echelons, and how we do the same thing over again and expect different results.

Great stories are made when misfortunes spin a fortunate turn. We relish a tragic plot that fails to deliver sad ending. So, the grass to grace story of a raggedy start and happy ending tickles the soul. We love it when a dwarf falls a giant. That is why David and Goliath and their battle in the valley at Ella resonate. The story of the little man in defiance of gravity rekindles hope for the miraculous; it reassures that we too can spring great surprises.

Rarely does fate turn tragedies around as it did in the case of Anna, the seven-year old girl from Egbado area, captured in a raid by King Ghezo in 1848. Anna lost all her family members in the raid and was whisked to Dahomey by the slaver-king, with other captives. The young girl had thought she would be sold into a far-flung land, it was unknown to her, as she contemplated her fate, that the king had a different plan; a morbid plot to keep her aside, later to be offered as a sacrifice to his gods. Anna was still on the ledge of the horrid fate when Captain Fredrick E. Forbes landed at the Whydah port in 1850, two years into her captivity.

The Captain was in Dahomey as an emissary of Queen Victoria to make the slaver-king see that it was time to end the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade that Britain had abetted for more than three centuries. Forbes would later recount that he was driven by the intelligence of the little girl slated for the gods, to ask the King to allow him take her to England as a gift to Queen Victoria, and King Ghezo mercifully consented.

Forbes gave Anna a new name, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, after himself and the ship that sailed them out of Whydah port in 1850. He presented the girl to Queen Victoria as he landed, and the monarch took a liking to the maiden the moment she set eyes on her. She affectionately named her Sally and brought her in to live at Windsor Castle.

Like a piece from a fantastic tale, the one who was pledged to the gods by the Dahomey king became the ward of the palace in England. Queen Victoria later described her as sharp and intelligent, superlatives rarely used on blacks by whites in those days, in the deeply racial English society. Anna also enrolled in school under a royal sponsorship when formal schooling was still a rarity here in the continent of her birth. The ward of the Queen was married to James Labulo Davis, a Yoruba compatriot in England as she turned 19 in 1862.

Although it is sounds like a tapestry for fables, the story of Anna and her rendezvous with fate is a rarity in history. It was unusual for a slave, pledged to the gods, to end up getting a reprieve from a mindless fellow such as King Ghezo. It was not also commonplace for the Queen of England to adopt a black child, send her to school and arrange for her to be married in the deeply racial Victorian society.

You would have thought the unusual peculiarities of that story would offer Anna a special mention in our history, despite our disdain for history. Anna still lurks in the apocryphal and in anonymity, while we laud the likes of Lord Lugard, Mungo Park and Lord Harcourt.

The story of the young Egbado native, Aina, aka Anna in the Ghezo court; Sarah Forbes Bonetta to Captain Forbes; and Sally to Queen Victoria, portends some lessons for the present. First, that story put paid to the fantastic tales of why Europe and America should bear all the responsibilities for the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Anna proves that African elites were not just sitting idly by in the inhuman trafficking of fellow Africans to the whites. King Ghezo and his ilk make the one-sided calls for reparations ahistorical and tenuous.

Second, the intervention by Forbes to save sharp and intelligent Anna from her appointment with the gods directly speaks to our disposition here for wasting human resources. The trajectory of Anna would have led to a tragic denouement but for the providential interventions of the outsider. No doubt, many sharp and intelligent Annas were swept away by the tide of the 300-year trans-Atlantic slavery, aided and abetted by our past elites. Some were obviously offered as propitiations to the gods by the likes of Ghezo. Sad stuff, how the young; male and female, are still daily ground to dust and sacrificed to the lust and incompetence of our current elites. It seems that our own modern day Ghezo is insisting on the ruination of our country.

Third, and why Anna is relevant, is that contempt for life that still looms large here, in her place of birth. Life now is nasty, brutish and short, like in the days of her captivity. Now like then, armed men stomp our homes, roads and forests in murderous rage and without fear of recompense. Commuting from one point to another has become a hazardous undertaking.

While our Ghezo snores, we receive press releases from men we did not elect, threatening fire and brimstones to victims as the assailants roam unmolested in the forests and IDP camps. Sure, Anna would wince at how things have changed and still remain the same. She would cringe that kidnappers now batter their victims in broad daylight, just like in the old days. Only now, the abductors wield AK-47s, instead of bows and arrows, as they bay for huge ransoms from their preys. They could not sell them for rewards in foreign lands now because the slave galleons no longer berth in our docks.

Yet, keepers of our portals keep reeling out fantastic numbers, telling us that we are not seeing what we see, that we in fact are better off since we voted them into power.

Anna would be appalled at how little we have done for our country and the black race since our flag independence 61 years ago. She would be appalled at tribalism and ethnicity fanned by our rulers, the impudence at the highest echelons, and how we do the same thing over again and expect different results. But think of it, who wouldnt be appalled at us?

Wole Akinyosoye, a commentator on public affairs, lives in Lagos.
The Programme Officer, Immunisation Services, FCT Primary Health Care Board (FPHCB), Salome Tor, says the current COVID-19 vaccination exercise will end in six days time, precisely May 14.

The officer addressed journalists on Friday in Abuja at a one-day media orientation workshop on COVID-19 vaccination in FCT.

The media orientation workshop was aimed at encouraging more people to get vaccinated before the exercise closes and to charge media to help pass the information to the public.

According to her, FCT received 248,400 doses of vaccine to immunise the FCT populace and that a total of 96,559 have been successfully vaccinated as of May 6, 2021.

She added that the FCT was using 169 health workers for the vaccination, saying they were capable to do the work and get everybody vaccinated.

We have a minimum of three health workers in each team, they have all been distributed into the six area council, all the government hospitals in the FCT are selected location for this vaccination.

We also have temporary fixed post team; these are special teams who visit various organisations or special location. We urge people to go and vaccinate before the exercise closes, she stressed.

Ms Tor also said that in spite of the campaign about COVID-19, some people had yet to get the message about the virus and urged the media to champion the information before vaccination halts.

In his opening address, the Executive Secretary, FPHCB, Iwot Ndaeyo, noted that not being vaccinated posed dangers to everyone.

According to him, the FCT authority is working toward making sure that 80 per cent of people in a community gets vaccinated to have immunity over the virus.

We need at least seven out of 10 people to be vaccinated to be able to withstand the SARS 2 virus of COVID-19.

I consider that as a deliberate hazard that will become hazardous to the community, so we advice that people shouldnt put themselves in that position, they should go ahead and take the vaccine.

We started this vaccination in FCT on March 15, the country at large started it on March 5, we have not seen anybody who complains of the vaccine in FCT, maybe blood clot or death.

Why are people waiting, they should go ahead and take this vaccine in the health facility within the 62 wards of the FCT, the vaccine is safe, Mr Ndaeyo said.

Ruqayya Wamakko, the Director in charge of the Primary Healthcare Unit, FPHCB, charged the media to help champion the information about the vaccine.

According to her, no intervention will work without telling people of what to do and that media can help drive the information that will encourage people to turn out for the vaccine.

She said that COVID-19 vaccine development was given priority because of the emergency attached to the virus in the rate which was killing people and advised people to take the vaccination serious.

Coronavirus vaccine is the fastest developed vaccine in the world, emergency is given to it because of the way it has been killing people.

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A lot of stages must be past before a vaccine is developed, but COVID-19 vaccine case is different, Mr Wamakko said.

Also, Abdulrasheed Jimoh, World Health Organisation (WHO) Consultant to FCT healthcare board, called on the media to help develop attitudinal change in the mind of the public about COVID-19 and the vaccine.

He urged members of the public to do away with myths and lies about COVID-19 vaccine.

(NAN)
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Troops have foiled a kidnap attempt in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing one of the bandits on Friday.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said this in a statement issued on Friday in Kaduna.

Mr Aruwan said, Troops and police operatives in the early hours of Friday, May 7, engaged armed bandits in the Rigachikun axis of the Kaduna-Zaria dual carriage way in Igabi LGA.

The bandits had earlier attacked a Fulani settlement belonging to a popular herder, Damina Kukumake, at Kukumake village

The bandits who kidnapped some members of the herders family, also rustled several cattle and were making their escape when security agencies received a distress call.

The security personnel comprising troops of the army and air force, as well as police operatives, made contact with the bandits as they attempted to cross the Kaduna-Zaria expressway.

In the fierce gun duel, a notorious bandit was neutralized while many other bandits escaped with bullet wounds.

During the gunfight, the abducted hostages escaped and the rustled cattle scattered.

After a check, the remaining cattle were recovered as some were confirmed to have been killed in the skirmish.

Mr Aruwan said the troops and police operatives were now combing the general area in a clearance operation.

(NAN)
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has created 1,374 new polling units in Akwa Ibom State, bringing the total polling units in the state to 4,354.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mike Igini, announced this on Saturday in Uyo at a stakeholders briefing on the expansion of voters access and establishment of new polling units.

Mr Igini said the exercise was entirely data driven and status neutral, stressing that despite the increased number of registered voters the access to polling units has remained constant in the last 25 years. This, he said, informed the creation of new polling units.

Mr igini said polling units in the state had witnessed over-crowding in previous elections as a result of the phenomenal increase in the number of registered voters which, according to him, now stood at 2,119,727.

He said the situation has become a discouraging factor for voters participation in the voting process, resulting in delays, disruptions, and violence and voter apathy which necessitated the creation of new polling units.

By 2023 General Election, Nigeria will be conducting a centenary Election  100 years of efforts at conducting democratic elections.

With the astronomical increase in the number of registered voters, the existing polling units created in 1996 that were projected to serve about 50 million registered voters, however, served 57.93 million (1999), 60.82 million (2003), 61.56 (2007),73.52 million (2011), 68.83 (2015) and 84,004,084 (2019) registered voters.

Akwa Ibom State alone that was only a part of the old Calabar Municipality with just 453 registered voters then, now has 2,119,727 registered voters. This is expected to increase after the commencement of Continuous Voters Registration (CVR)

This phenomenal increase in the number of registered voters relative to the limited number of polling units (2,980) coupled with the emergence of new settlements has led to over-crowded and over-congested polling units across the country and here in Akwa Ibom State.

This is the situation the Commission is seeking to address given that limited access to polling units have become a discouraging factor for voter participation and the voting process, resulting in delays, disruptions, violence and voter apathy.

To address these problems, the Commission pursuant to its power under section 42 of the Electoral Act decided to convert the existing and well-known 1,374 voting points to full-fledged polling units. This brings the total number of polling units in Akwa Ibom State to 4,354.

Mr Igini disclosed that the new polling units will be relocated to places where people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups could have access to them.

Concerns

Addressing some concerns on the creation of new wards by Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission, Mr Igini said INEC will only conduct elections on the existing 329 Registration Areas.

A representative of the people living with disabilities sought to know how elections can be fair when people on wheelchairs are excluded from polling units.

He advocated the use of electronic voting in 2023 so that people with disabilities can vote at the comfort of their house. He appealed that a sign language interpreter be engaged in subsequent meetings.

The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, promised to support INEC in conducting successful elections in the state.

Mr Emmanuel, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Moses Ekpo, appealed to politicians and political parties to collaborate with INEC in ensuring free and fair elections.
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Nurses in Ondo State on Friday rejected the payment of 60 per cent of their February salaries in May asking Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to pay them fully.

The Ondo State government paid the nurses 70 per cent of their salaries in December 2020 and paid the balance of 30 per cent alongside their January 2021 salaries in March.

Percentage payment of salaries in Ondo State is not peculiar to nurses and midwives as teachers had been getting percentage payment of salaries for as far back as eight months.

At his inauguration for a second term on February 23, Governor Akeredolu swore to always put workers welfare on the front burner.

Also at her inauguration as Secretary to the State Government on March 17, Catherine Odu, commended Governor Akeredolu for keeping to his promise of making workers welfare a priority issue.

Operating on the platform of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), the Ondo State nurses issued a statement on Friday, however, rejecting the 60 per cent payment of February salaries in May.

The statement was signed by the states chairman of the association, Olomiye Kehinde, and the secretary, Aina Oluwasegun, respectively.

In a situation where available funds cannot pay 100 per cent salaries, the money should be kept till when 100 per cent salaries can be paid to our members.

The act of paying 60 per cent salary to our members is unacceptable.

The leadership of NANNM urges the state government not to pay nurses in percentage salaries henceforth.

Only 100 per cent salary is acceptable as far as the association is concerned, the statement read.

(NAN)
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The Lagos State Government says it has begun payment of compensations to the 16 traditional land owning families for the land it acquired for agricultural activities in Igbodu Area of Epe, Lagos.

The state Commissioner of Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, made this known at the presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries at the ministrys Cooperative College Hall, Oko-Oba, Agege in Lagos, on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had acquired about 500 hectares of lands in 1985 to revatalise food production in Molajoye, Aleke and Igbodu areas of Epe.

Ms Olusanya said the state government had paid about N40 million so far as compensations to the 16 families, whose lands were acquired for the states agricultural activities.

She said the criteria for the compensation was based on the size of lands owned by each affected family, adding that there was a certain amount paid for each hectares of land.

The programme is part of our strategies along with the five points agenda that was launched recently toward acquiring land for agricultural estate development to the areas.

Negotiation with the families is not about the monetary aspect alone, because what we are doing by acquiring the land for agricultural purposes is one of the ways of bringing jobs to that area.

It is also part of our strategies along with the five points agenda that was launched recently toward acquiring land for agricultural estate development to the areas.

We will bring private investors to the place and obviously whatever businesses that will be set up in that location will require labour.

Therefore, the programme initiated by the state government is not about the compensation alone, but it is about the development that will take place in those areas, she said.

The commissioner commended the land owning families for joining forces with the state government to change the face of its agricultural development.

According to her, we appreciate the families that have allowed us to take ownership of their lands for the state development in line with our five points agenda to revitalise food production in the state.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Hakeem Adeniji, thanked the families for releasing their land to the state government for its agricultural development.

Mr Adeniji explained that 16 families had been presented cheques which was the fulfilment of the promise of the state government to the land owners.

Speaking on behalf of the 16 families, David Ogungbesan, the Head, Oshinuga Lagbodu Family, thanked the state government for keeping to its promise of compensating the land owners.

(NAN)
The family of late Peju Ugboma, a Lagos-based chef, Thursday accused Premier Specialist Medical Centre, Lekki, of unprofessional conduct resulting in her untimely demise.

In a statement signed by Nwabeze Ugboma on behalf of the family and made available to PREMIUM TIMES, the deceased died days after undergoing fibroid surgery in the hospital.

The family said an independent autopsy by pathologists at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) showed that Mrs Ugboma suffered internal bleeding after the surgical procedure.

The autopsy discovered, the family said, that she had about two litres of blood in her abdomen and pelvic area.

The deceased

Mrs Ugboma, until her death, was the founder and chief executive officer, of a pastry company, I Luv Desserts, with over ten years of experience. She also ran a blog, The Service Critic, where she reviews her dining experiences.

She was formerly the Head of Business Strategy at First Independent Global before resigning and setting up her company.

A search by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that she made her last post on her Instagram page on April 15.

How it happened

According to Mr Ugboma, the events leading to Mrs Ugbomas death on April 25 began when she was scheduled for an elective surgery following a fibroid issue three days earlier as advised by doctors at Premier Specialist Medical Centre.

She walked into the Hospital by herself unaided as it was by no means an emergency surgical procedure. She had concluded all the necessary tests required before the surgery, including ECG, PCV, and Covid -19 tests. Her vitals were okay and she had no preexisting conditions prior to surgery, Mr Ugboma said.

All payments were made for the preliminary tests. The hospital demanded their account be funded to the tune of N1.5 million and the family deposited N1 million immediately.

The surgery was carried out on the morning of Friday 23rd April 2021, by Dr Akinsiku, Iwuh, Asemota, Renner, and some other medical personnel in Premier Specialist Hospital, Victoria Island.

Meanwhile, after the surgery was done, Mrs Ugboma complained of intense abdominal pain and discomfort to her husband who thought it was normal and temporal since she had just come out of surgery.

However, her blood pressure had dropped to as low as the range of 50/30. The doctors then gave her a blood transfusion because she had lost a lot of blood during the surgery, her husband said.

Early on Saturday morning, she told her husband that the veins on her hands had collapsed and the hospital wanted to give her fluids on a vein close to her neck and collarbone.

She also mentioned that the doctors said her kidneys were not functioning optimally, and a consultant nephrologist had been called in to come in that Saturday morning. This was a shock to them both as all tests prior to surgery were fine. The Consultant eventually came in as scheduled but dismissed both their concerns.

By Saturday evening, she had been given 3 pints of blood. Its worthy to note that none of the gynecologists who performed the surgery attended to her throughout that Saturday despite all her pain and concerns expressed by her husband.

That same Saturday evening, her blood pressure dipped further. Dr. Renner told her husband that they would need to move her to the ICU. He was asked to pay an additional N1.5 million before she could be moved to the ICU and he paid the money without delay. Peju was admitted into the ICU immediately after payment.

One of the doctors, Mr Renner, then told her Mr Ugboma that he needed an additional three pints of newly donated B+ blood, as Premier Specialist Hospital did not have any in its blood bank.

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This left him with no choice but to go on a blood donation drive from friends and family. Several donors were screened and they donated a total of nine pints of blood that night.

As this was going on, Peju kept complaining of severe pains, and her eyes had turned yellowish. At about midnight that Saturday, she was sedated intravenously.

By 6.30 a.m. on Sunday, her husband was surprised to find out that his wife had been placed on a respirator. Dr Renner told him that her condition had deteriorated through the night. Her husband saw that she looked pale, and her eyes had been taped as if to keep them closed, but she was still breathing and the monitors were still reading.

The statement said that the deceaseds husband, who was worried about his wifes deteriorating condition, reached out to a family friend who is a UK-based medical consultant gynecologist. The consultant raised alarm and insisted on speaking with the doctors.

The UK-based consultant spoke to Dr Asemota, Iwuh, and the medical director, Dr Oshinowo stated expressly that he was of the opinion that she had severe internal bleeding and needed to be moved back to the operating theatre for the bleeding to be arrested immediately, but the doctors ignored the advice.

The family said on Sunday morning, Mr Ugboma was informed that his wife would be transferred to Evercare Hospital in Lekki for a CT scan and possible dialysis.

The family noted that the transfer was done three hours after her husband was informed and he was asked to pay another N1 million which he did immediately.

However, it took three hours before she was moved to Evercare hospital in Lekki area of the state. Immediately she arrived there she was met by their medical team and taken to the ICU. Her husband was asked to pay another N1 million at Evercare, and he made the payment immediately.

The family noted that Mrs Ugboma was pronounced dead an hour after she was transferred to Evercare hospital.

The head of the ICU detected that Peju did not have a pulse and emergency CPR commenced immediately. This failed and she was pronounced dead by 2.20 pm on Sunday.

Premier Specialist Hospital offered to do an autopsy, however, the family insisted on an independent autopsy. The independent pathologist requested Pejus full medical report prior to the autopsy as is normal practice but Premier Specialist Hospital management was playing games to stall releasing it.

It took a visit by the family of the deceased to Premier Hospital who engaged the doctors and management in a shouting match and nearly resulted in a physical confrontation before the medical reports were released.

The deceaseds family alleged that the medical reports sent to the independent pathologist may have been tampered with or altered.

It is clear that Peju bled internally from Friday after the surgery till Sunday when she died, and it is shocking to note that Premier hospital was negligent enough not to pick this up and save her life. Pejus tragic and unfortunate death has left behind two heartbroken little girls, a grieving husband, and an aged mother and loved ones.

Legal action

Mr Ugboma told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that the medical record given to him by Premier Specialist Medical Centre was incomplete.

I had to go and block their gate and started telling their patients they are murderers and when I started threatening them, that was when they now gave us a medical record. Before they wanted to give us a medical report to the pathologist, he said during a telephone interview.

When the pathologist saw the medical record, he said it looks like its not complete, that they withheld some information.

He stated that a lawsuit would be filed against the hospital.

We are already talking to our lawyers, he added.

Since Friday, PREMIUM TIMES had made repeated efforts to reach the management of Premier Medical Centre. A lady, who spoke on the phone and identified herself as Ijeoma Ezimoha, said her superior would get back to this newspaper.

On Saturday, another lady who answered the phone and identified herself as Mary said they would get back.

They were yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
A petitioner, Taiwo Oyewunmi, on Friday narrated to the Lagos Judicial Panel on police brutality how he was handcuffed with his 14-year-old son, Ayomide, by some unnamed police officers in Ajah.

The petitioner demanded financial compensation of N25 million.

Mr Oyewunmi, who represented his son, alleged that on September 10, 2020, some uninformed men stormed his apartment in the Ajah area of Lagos, and arrested him and his two sons including the 14-year-old.

I was at home on the 10th of September 2020, I was about to use the bathroom, my first child, Olamide Oyewunmi, a graduate, had gone to work early in the morning as usual. While in the bathroom, I heard a noise, I was naked already in the bathroom. I didnt know the direction that the noise was coming from. I took my boxers, he said.

I saw three men in my bedroom, barging into my bathroom before I wore my boxers, they had gripped me in my house, and I questioned them. They didnt answer me.

While they were dragging me from the bathroom, I quickly took my phone to call my people, they snatched the phone from me and handcuffed me.

While Mr Oyewunmi was being dragged to his sitting-room, he said he met his son, Olamide, in handcuffs.

As they dragged me to the sitting room, I saw my son in handcuffs and I questioned him, Olamide what did you do, what happened, he said he didnt do anything, that as he was coming from Ajah, two men from a Sienna stopped him, the next thing was that they drove him into the vehicle and brought him home in handcuffs, and they took his phone, so he could not make any contacts.

He said he was arrested while in his underwears and taken to the police station despite pleas from his wife and neighbours.

People started coming out when my wife raised an alarm. My wife asked where they were taking us to. They came with guns, when my wife laid on the floor in front of their vehicle, they shot into the air.

Mr Oyewunmi said the police took him to Langbasa police station in Ajah, then took him again to their Ikeja branch where he was detained without charges for a week.

When we got there (station), a lot of people had gathered and the DPO was invited, when he came out, he said that this man is well known in this area, what happened? Then he asked If they were policemen and from where did they come from?

Then they said they were policemen, the DPO demanded to see their ID cards, so they went back to the vehicle and brought out their ID cards to the DPO.

The DPO said if they want to take us anywhere, there must be an invitation to back it up, which they didnt provide, even the warrant of arrest was not provided.

So, he said they should submit their ID cards while he made photocopies of it. After they had submitted the IDs for photocopy, they said the arrest was from a higher authority. So, the DPO left.

So the DPO said they should allow me to wear clothes, so someone brought clothes which I wore.

How minor was arrested

Narrating his sons ordeal, he said after they left Langbasa police station, the leader of the policemen called his 14-year-old son.

After Langbasa police state, at a roundabout, their leader asked them to stop, three people came down, they asked me to unlock my phone password, then they went a little distance, leaving me and Olamide in handcuffs. About 15 minutes later, my son (Olamide) said, this is Ayomide coming and I said, to come and do what?

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Mr Oyewunmi said when Ayomide arrived, the policemen dragged him from the bike, released Olamide, and arrested Ayomide with handcuffs.

There is a paper-like higher education note, they called him (Ayomide) from there, and he arrived there with a bike. We saw him from the back, the policemen dragged him off the bike, then one of the policemen asked me to come down and took me to where the boy was.

And they asked him, who I was to him, he said he is my father. And they removed one of my handcuffs and put it in Ayomides hand. Then they paraded us to the vehicle.

He said Ayomide was traumatised following the incident and had not recovered till now.

He said some minutes after the minor was arrested, the police officers freed Olamide and drove to a police station in Ikeja. During this movement, Ayomide was in tears, said Mr Oyeyemi.

Mr Oyewunmi added that it took the intervention of the stations DCO and instruction from the higher authority not to detain the minor in the cell.

A police boss came out to say they should remove the handcuff because the boy was a minor, but the officers said they were following the higher authoritys directive, he said.

When they wanted to lock both of us in a cell, I started shouting, then the DCO said they should tell the higher authority that this boy is too young for this.

After phone calls were made, an order came that the boy should be released. Then the DCO asked how my son will get home. They pushed my son outside and pushed me in the cell.

Discharged and rearrested

Mr Oyewunmi said after spending a week in police custody, he was taken to a magistrate and federal high court without being charged.

He said the presiding judge discharged him but he was arrested again after he stepped out of the Magistrates court.

I was there for about six to seven days without writing any statement. I saw some patrolmen in uniform, they called me from the cell, I asked where we were going, they said we were going to Panti. But on our way going, they went to Yaba Magistrate Court. The judge discharged and acquitted me.

After I was released, the police arrested me again immediately after I stepped out of the court. Nine days after they took me to Federal High Court, he said.

From there I was released on bail.

He said three days after he was granted bail, his wife narrated how Ayomide was found.

My wife told me that my son was roaming about and was found by a familiar person.

It was that person that called my wife that he saw my son roaming about. That was how my wife was able to trace his location, the boy had no phone to communicate but later in the evening, his mother collected the phone at the police station, he said.

Meanwhile, the petitioners lawyer, Kayode Bankole, presented the Magistrate and Federal High court rulings to the judge, Dorris Okuwobi. These were admitted as pieces of evidence in the petition.
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To ensure timely completion of work at the Gatankowa ICT Village relocation site, Bridgeway Global Project Ltd has called on the Lagos State Government to evacuate illegal occupants from the site.

Bridgeway Global Project Ltd is the developer handling the relocation of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Village from its present location in Ikeja to Gatankowa area in Agbado-Okiodo LCDA.

Jimmy Onyemenam, Chief Executive Officer of Bridgeway Global Project Ltd, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday.

He said that unless urgent action was taken, the miscreants who had built shanties on the site would delay the timely completion of the proposed ICT Village project.

According to Mr Onyemenam, the miscreants have also constituted a security threat to workers who have been attacked several times, thereby hindering the ongoing relocation project at Gatankowa area.

He lamented the activities of hoodlums in Lagos in recent times, stressing that concerned state government agencies should curb their activities before they get out of hands.

We have written several letters to the Commissioner of Physical Planning and Urban Development on the issue of the over 3,000 illegal immigrants occupying the cleared site for the project.

They have been there for years and established an ecosystem before the place was acquired by the state government to be used for the ICT village.

But when the demolition was done and they had nowhere to go, they returned to the same place that is under construction now with more aggression.

They threaten the lives of the workers on site and people living in the environment. They destroy their work.

You will also see people who claim to be mechanics, who drive in with good cars into the place, dismantle them and sell them as scraps, he said.

According to the developer, it is only with the intervention of the state government through the ministry in charge, that can evacuate the miscreants.

Mr Onyemenam acknowledged that the office of the governor had been supportive, adding that more help was needed from the supervising ministry and security agencies to ensure timely completion of the project.

He said so much money had been spent on security issues but regretted that not much had been achieved.

He said it was imperative to complete work on the site as it was a development project. (NAN)
Lets talk about Europe

We would like to extend our best wishes to all European citizens on the occasion of Europe Day.

This Europe Day is special. For the second year in a row, we are celebrating it in the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sympathise with all those who have suffered because of it.

This year's Europe Day is also special because it marks the beginning of the Conference on the Future of Europe. We call on all EU citizens to use this unique opportunity to shape our common future.

The circumstances surrounding this discussion on the future of Europe are very different from those of previous years. It may seem that there is not sufficient time for an in-depth discussion on the future of Europe in the current situation. On the contrary, the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of what is truly important in our lives: our health, our relationship with nature, our relationships with our fellow human beings, mutual solidarity and working together. It has opened up questions about the way we live our lives. It has showed the strengths of European integration, as well as its weaknesses. We need to talk about all of this.

The challenges we face as Europeans are manifold: from tackling the climate crisis and the creation of green economies, while concurrently balancing the increasing competition among the global actors, to striving for the digital transformation of our societies. We will need to develop new methods and new solutions. As democracies, our strength lies in engaging the many voices of our societies to identify the best way forward. The more people participate in a broad and open-minded discussion, the better for our Union.

The European project is unprecedented in history. It has been 70 years since the signing of the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, and 64 since the birth of the European Community in Rome. At that time, European leaders found ways to unify war-torn Europe. Thirty years ago, Europe's East and West began to connect more closely. Very different countries joined together to form the European Union. Each country has its own historical experiences and burdens of the past, which it deals with on its own and in its relations with other countries.

The European project is a project of peace and reconciliation. It has been so since its conception and remains so today. We advocate for a common strategic vision for Europe, a Europe that is whole, free, united and at peace.

All the fundamental principles of European integration remain extremely relevant today: freedom, equality, respect for human rights, the rule of law and freedom of expression, solidarity, democracy and loyalty among the Member States. How can we jointly ensure that these fundamental principles of European integration remain relevant for the future?

Although the European Union may sometimes seem ill-equipped to face the many challenges that have arisen over the last decade  from the economic and financial crisis to the challenges in working towards a just and equitable EU migration system and the ongoing pandemic  we are aware that it would be much harder for each of us if we were alone. How can we best strengthen European cooperation and solidarity and make sure that we emerge from the health crisis in a way that makes us more resilient to future challenges?

We need a strong and effective European Union, a European Union that will be a global leader in the transition to sustainable, climate neutral, and digitally supported development. We need a European Union we can all identify with, certain in the knowledge that we have done our utmost for the benefit of future generations. Together, we can achieve this.

The Conference on the Future of Europe will be an opportunity to talk openly about the European Union and to listen our citizens, especially young people. It creates a space for dialogue, conversation and discussions on of what we expect from the EU tomorrow and what we can contribute today.

We need to think about our common future; therefore, we invite you to join the discussion and help find a way forward together.

Andrzej Duda

President of the Republic of Poland

Alexander Van der Bellen

President of the Republic of Austria

Rumen Radev

President of the Republic of Bulgaria

Zoran Milanovic

President of the Republic of Croatia

Nicos Anastasiades

President of the Republic of Cyprus

Milos Zeman

President of the Czech Republic

Kersti Kaljulaid

President of the Republic of Estonia

Sauli Niinisto

President of the Republic of Finland

Emmanuel Macron

President of the French Republic

Frank-Walter Steinmeier

President of the Federal Republic of Germany

Katerina Sakellaropoulou

President of the Hellenic Republic

Janos Ader

President of the Republic of Hungary

Michael D. Higgins

Uachtaran na hEireann

President of Ireland

Sergio Mattarella

President of the Italian Republic

Egils Levits

President of the Republic of Latvia

Gitanas Nauseda

President of the Republic of Lithuania

George Vella

President of the Republic of Malta

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa

President of the Portuguese Republic

Klaus Iohannis

President of Romania

Zuzana Caputova

President of the Slovak Republic

Borut Pahor

President of the Republic of Slovenia
But a stark reality is the material impact of a wrongful conviction is the financial hardships on working-class families, and Wills knows this firsthand, as do too many others. Namely, the Central Park Five and, more recently, the East Elmhurst Three, men whose murder convictions were overturned by a judge who admonished prosecutors for withholding evidence that cast serious doubt on their guilt.
How does the president express gratitude and love to his mother? Xi's way can be figured out when he stressed the importance of family bonds and family love and emphasized family education on many occasions.

Pass down family tradition

When President Xi delivered his first New Year address in 2013, photos placed on his bookshelves caught the online community's attention, especially the image of him walking hand in hand with his mother.

Xi is a filial son. He chats with his mother Qi Xin, and takes a walk with her whenever he has time.

While meeting with representatives to the first National Conference of Model Families in December 2016, Xi told a story about family education. The conference was the first of its kind to honor model families selected nationwide. A total of 300 model families were honored.

"When I was a child, my mother gave me a picture-story book series'The Legend of Yue Fei.' One of its more than 10 volumes shows Yue Fei's mother tattooing four characters saying 'serve the country with the utmost loyalty' across his back," Xi said, adding that the story of Yue Fei, a well-known ancient military figure fighting against invasion, deeply impressed him.

Self-discipline

Qi led a simple life, which became a tradition for the family. No matter how painstaking to take care of the family while working, she never compromised her work. Her lifestyle and the family atmosphere guided Xi's values.

"A person who failed to be incorruptible and self-disciplined will become a person with no guts. Keep in mind that honesty is a blessing and greed is a curse while establishing a correct view of power, status, and interests," Qi once wrote in a letter to Xi, reminding him of self-discipline. Xi has incorporated these beliefs into his ideology and governance practices.

Calling corruption the "biggest" risk to the Party's governance, Xi has stressed there is "no alternative" but to fight corruption against all odds and called for rigorous self-discipline within the Party.

While going after corrupt officials, including both high-ranking "tigers" to lower-level "flies" on the domestic front, Beijing has also carried out such operations as "Sky Net" and "Fox Hunt" to hunt down venal officials who have fled abroad.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-05-08/How-does-Xi-Jinping-express-gratitude-and-love-to-his-mother--10617ntrTAk/index.html

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1506094/Xi_Jinping_mother_Qi_Xin.jpg

Related Links

www.cgtn.com



SOURCE CGTN
ATLANTA, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A coalition of criminal justice reform advocates praised Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp for signing into law earlier this week a bill that would streamline processes within the state's probation system. Senate Bill 105 garnered bipartisan support, passing 169-2 in the Georgia House of Representatives and unanimously in the State Senate. Supporters say it is key to ending a "probation to prison pipeline" that continues to contribute to the problem of overincarceration.

Georgia has more people on community supervision than any other state in the country because of its average lengthy probation term of 6.3 years, compared to the national average of two years. Forty percent of probation sentences in Georgia exceeded 10 years, which has created an environment where 1 of every 18 Georgians are in the supervision system.

SB 105 will allow thousands of Georgians who have proven rehabilitation through good behavior a chance to escape the traps of technical violations  which include things like crossing county lines without permission  that could return them to incarceration. The bill also creates uniform eligibility requirements that protect public safety and incentivize good behavior so that people who are thriving in the community may be released from supervision in a safe and timely manner.

SB 105 is supported by a number of organizations committed to criminal justice reform, including the American Conservative Union, Americans for Prosperity Georgia, End Mass Incarceration Georgia Network, Faith and Freedom Coalition, Fighting Against Institutionalized Railroading, Georgia Justice Project, Greater Gwinnett Reentry Alliance, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, National Incarceration Association, Partnership for Southern Equity, REFORM Alliance, RED, Restore Her, and The Temple.

REFORM Alliance CEO Robert Rooks thanked Georgia lawmakers and Gov. Kemp for passing a bill that makes the probation system more effective and just.

"SB 105 is a bipartisan, evidence-based reform that will safely reduce the prison population, save taxpayer dollars and allow resources to be redirected towards true public safety priorities," said Rooks. "It is a sensible and essential step toward ensuring a probation system that gives Georgians a meaningful second chance and an opportunity for real redemption."

REFORM Alliance is a criminal justice nonprofit organization working to create safe communities by dramatically reducing the number of people trapped by the criminal justice system and expanding real pathways to work and wellbeing.

REFORM Alliance works with a bipartisan coalition of allies to support impactful reforms to Probation and Parole systems around the country in a variety of ways. We work directly with legislators and governors to identify or draft and pass bills, increase public awareness and interest with storytelling that communicates experiences of directly impacted individuals through digital and earned media campaigns, and advocate on the ground with our grassroots organizers and partner organizations.

Media Contact: Alex Weintz; 914.282.3229; [email protected]

SOURCE REFORM Alliance

Related Links

https://reformalliance.com


VANCOUVER, BC, May 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Delic Holdings Inc. ("DELIC" or the "Company") (CSE: DELC) (OTCQB: DELCF), a psychedelic wellness-focused company, announces that the Company is not aware of any material undisclosed information and wishes to make the following statements regarding recent sponsored news and marketing activities concerning its shares of common shares traded on the OTCQB market.

On May 6, 2021, OTC Markets Group ("OTC Markets") sent the Company a copy of a newsletter article published by Financial News Now.com on March 16, 2021 (the "Article") and email distribution between May 6-7 and requested comment from the Company. The article and email discuss recent mental health research, current events in the psychedelics industry, a description of the Company's business plan, board of directors, state of the current market, and matters relating to investment in the Company. The website is owned by IDR Marketing, Inc. ("IDR"), which was retained by the Company to assist with financial marketing efforts in order to increase investor awareness within North America. This was previously disclosed by news release by the Company on February 5, 2021. The Company engaged IDR to provide financial marketing, public relations services, social media support and/or other related services. The company notes that trading activity remained consistent during this time.

IDR's engagement is to factually tell the Company's story in an accretive and transparent manner. Statements made in the promotional materials are not materially false and/or misleading. The factual information provided in the promotional material, which was extracted from the Company's public disclosure, website and press releases, is accurate, however, any opinions expressed by the author are his alone as the Company had no right of edit or control over those opinions.

Since its public listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange on November 18, 2020, the Company has further engaged the following additional parties to provide investor relations, public relations services, marketing or other related services including Investor Direct Media, Octagon Media, Equity Guru, Streetwise Reports, Triple Bull Consulting, and Capital Analytica.

After reasonable inquiry, management is not aware of any directors, officers or any third-party service providers that have sold or purchased the Company's securities within the past 90 days.

Since its public listing, the Company has issued shares to arms-length parties for services and for acquisitions. The Company has not issued convertible instruments allowing conversion to equity securities, at prices constituting a discount to the current market rate at the time of the issuance.

About DELIC

DELIC Always Expanding. In All Ways.

DELIC was formed in 2019 to address the growing interest in psychedelic wellness backed by science. DELIC was the first psychedelic umbrella platform and is currently a trusted source for those interested in psychedelic culture, psychedelic clinics, and more. DELIC's offerings include, Ketamine Infusion Center (under binding acquisition agreement), a limited liability corporation formed under the laws of Arizona and runs two ketamine clinics in Arizona and California, "Reality Sandwich", a free public education platform providing psychedelic guides, news and culture, "Meet Delic", the first ever psychedelic wellness summit, and "The Delic", an e-commerce lifestyle brand. For more information, check out www.deliccorp.com.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of DELIC's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein may include, but are not limited to, closing of the transaction with CBDV, the private placement and conversion of subscription receipts, the growth and business of CBDV, potential earn out payments, anticipated continued growth in the health and wellness sector (and, in particular, related to psychedelics), the continued emergence of psychedelics from stigmas, the ability of the Company to maintain sensible messaging, the ability of the Company to avoid dogmatic practices and binary rhetoric, the ability of DELIC to successfully achieve business objectives, and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors.

By identifying such information and statements in this manner, DELIC is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of DELIC to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. In addition, in connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, DELIC has made certain assumptions. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information and statements are the following: the ability to consummate the Transaction; the ability to satisfy the conditions to closing of the Transaction on the proposed terms and schedule; the potential impact of the announcement or consummation of the acquisition on relationships, including with regulatory bodies, employees, suppliers, customers and competitors; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; compliance with extensive government regulation; and the diversion of management time on the Transaction.

Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.

Although DELIC believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and DELIC does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward- looking information and statements attributable to DELIC or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice.

SOURCE Delic Holdings Inc.
In August 2019, I was arrested while trying to advocate for my 16-year-old son, who has been routinely criminalized for his mental health issues in our neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens. I had called emergency medical services for support during one of his anxiety attacks. After 41 minutes of counseling, Justin began to calm down, yet the police insisted that he be removed from our home. I let the officers know Justin was calm and safe, and that I could take care of him from here. As the police approached me, I was tackled to the ground from behind. I have never been arrested. I was shocked.
On the question-and-answer site Quora, the question "which country have you visited that turned out to be nothing like how it is depicted" created quite a lot of buzz recently. The top post is about China. The user said that having grown up in the 1980s and '90s, when China-U.S. relations remained very tense, China was described to him at school in "villainous terms." But after moving to the country, he discovered that it was nothing like he'd been led to believe: Though China differs from the U.S., Chinese people are friendly, live normal lives and care about others. In the meantime, the nation is staunch in upholding their national sovereignty. At the end of his answer, the user encourages people not to believe the hype and to come and see things for themselves. Many in the comments section shared his opinions about China.

Under the same topic, a user from the U.K. shared how his opinions of people in the U.S. changed after spending a few months there. Similar stories about countries like Russia and Iran were also commented on.

Such answers are not unexpected. Take China for example: Vloggers from other countries have recorded the real China with their cameras, discussing how safe they feel walking alone at night, or the dramatic transformations of Chinese villages. What they saw themselves turned out to be completely different from what they'd heard.

Be it the huge gulf between "what others say" and "what you see," or the transformation of opinions after experiencing, these all speak to one point: The indirect information we get, either filtered through other people's views or influenced by politics, are always limited. For Chinese, every day they see how diverse and inclusive the country is. They have also seen firsthand the efforts that China is making on various fronts. But it's easy to understand why people from different cultures, used to different political systems, misunderstand China. When you don't know a country, especially one hugely different from your own, it's a lot easier to go along with a stereotype than it is to try and understand.

Even a coin has two sides, and in the same way, stereotypes can never capture every aspect of a vast country. The world is such a big place that it's worth putting aside your preconceptions and experiencing it with an open mind.

You're welcome to visit China and see for yourself.

China Mosaic

http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

Keep an open mind and see for yourself

http://www.china.org.cn/video/2021-05/07/content_77472459.htm

SOURCE China.org.cn
NEW YORK, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018-2020 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating EQT Corp. ("EQT" or the "Company") (EQT) relating to its proposed acquisition of Alta Resources Development, LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, EQT will acquire all of the membership interests in Alta's subsidiaries for approximately $2.925 billion, comprised of approximately $1.0 billion in cash and 105 million shares of EQT common stock issued to Alta's shareholders.

The investigation focuses on whether EQT Corp. 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: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/eqt-corp. 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 2018-2020 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 2017-2020 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, over the years the firm has recovered or secured over a dozen cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases.

If you owned common stock in the Company 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.

Contact:

Juan E. Monteverde, Esq.

MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC

The Empire State Building

350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4405

New York, NY 10118

United States of America

[email protected]

Tel: (212) 971-1341

Attorney Advertising. (C) 2021 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC

Related Links

http://www.monteverdelaw.com


NEW YORK, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018-2020 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating Perpetual Federal Savings Bank ("PFOH" or the "Company") (PFOH) relating to its proposed acquisition by Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (FMAO). Under the terms of the agreement, PFOH shareholders will receive either $41.20 in cash or 1.7766 shares of FMAO stock per share they own.

The investigation focuses on whether Perpetual Federal Savings Bank 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: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/perpetual-federal-savings-bank. 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 2018-2020 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 2017-2020 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, over the years the firm has recovered or secured over a dozen cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases.

If you owned common stock in the Company 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.

Contact:

Juan E. Monteverde, Esq.

MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC

The Empire State Building

350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4405

New York, NY 10118

United States of America

[email protected]

Tel: (212) 971-1341

Attorney Advertising. (C) 2021 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC

Related Links

http://www.monteverdelaw.com


LOS ANGELES, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Skypod is pleased to announce their support of the American Pregnancy Association with a $1 million credit donation to all mothers, new and expecting. This past year has been a challenge for all and Skypod recognizes the challenges that new mothers are facing during this unprecedented time. As the world is ever-changing, Skypod would like to give the gift of digital time capsules, to allow new mothers to capture every moment, every smile, every laugh and deliver those messages to loved ones. Up to 20,000 new mothers may sign up at www.skypod.com/mom to receive their free credits. No credit card information will be needed, and they may use their credits within one year.

"With everything going on in the world, Skypod's leadership team wanted to help people around the world create digital time capsules full of family memories, words of wisdom, or simple expressions of love and hope," said Skypod Founder and CEO, Richard Jardine.

The concept of Skypod.com was inspired by the many routine flights its CEO, Richard Jardine, had taken over the years. Jardine looked out above the clouds and thought, "What if today was my last day? What would happen to my family, my friends? How would I be remembered? I have so many life lessons, stories, and memories to share with loved ones." From there, an idea struck him to create the Skypod.com cloud platform; a digital method of storing all the things that matter to him, where he can share and make them viewable to loved ones at specific times in the future. With Skypod, Richard gained peace of mind, knowing he can give his life's wisdom to his children, even after he is gone. With Skypod, Richard also realized that his loved ones would never risk not "being together" on a birthday, holiday, or special occasion.

From pregnancy options to conception through birth planning, the American Pregnancy Association, in hand with nurses and pregnancy educators, helps to provide the resources and information women need for the healthiest possible pregnancy. A national health organization, the American Pregnancy Association, is committed to promoting reproductive and pregnancy wellness through education, support, advocacy, and community awareness.

Skypod is a patent-pending, cloud storage technology that empowers its users to share important life-changing memories and special messages by creating digital time capsules. The encrypted digital time capsules are safe, secured messages, photos, or videos that are encrypted, delivered immediately and made viewable to loved ones at a later date and time, up to five years in the future. Users of Skypod.com discover that even if they can't be there physically - they can still show up for the people they love during life's most precious occasions. Innovative and one-of-a-kind, Skypod digital time capsules are simple to create and share for all occasions, especially useful during end-of-life planning.

About Skypod

Skypod is an innovative, patent-pending, cloud storage platform that allows users to save, record and upload personal videos, photos, and other digital files to be encrypted then delivered to one or more recipients and made viewable at a later date  both during and after life. The encrypted digital time capsules are safe and secured, ideal for those who may want to share a video message on a momentous occasion, including end of life planning, birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries, or to leave behind words of wisdom. This innovative platform was developed to help individuals share special messages with loved ones on any date in the future, especially when they may not be around to deliver them. Skypod gives millions in free credits to anyone in need.

About the American Pregnancy Association

The American Pregnancy Association is a national health organization committed to promoting reproductive and pregnancy wellness through education, support, advocacy, and community awareness. The Association seeks to support women and families by lobbying the legislature, businesses, and insurance providers to promote pregnancy and family health issues. Through community awareness, the Association seeks to increase awareness of the reproductive and pregnancy needs in our society along with the resources necessary to address these needs.

For more information visit Skypod.com. You can also follow Skypod on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

SOURCE Skypod

Related Links

https://www.skypod.com


Enterprises will go through the Response, Recovery, and Renew phases.

Download the Free Sample Report on COVID-19

The car rental market will witness a negative impact during the forecast period owing to the widespread growth of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per Technavio's pandemic-focused market research, market growth is likely to increase in 2021 as compared to 2020.

With the continuing spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic, organizations across the globe are gradually flattening their recessionary curve by leveraging technology. Many businesses will go through response, recovery, and renewal phases. Building business resilience and enabling agility will aid organizations to move forward in their journey out of the COVID-19 crisis towards the Next Normal.

This post-pandemic business planning research will aid clients to:

Adjust their strategic planning to move ahead once business stability kicks in.

to move ahead once business stability kicks in. Build Resilience by making effective resource and investment choices for individual business units, products, and service lines.

making effective resource and investment choices for individual business units, products, and service lines. Conceptualize scenario-based planning to mitigate future crisis situations.

Download the Post-Pandemic Business Planning Structure

Key Considerations for Market Forecast:

Impact of lockdowns, supply chain disruptions, demand destruction, and change in customer behavior

Optimistic, probable, and pessimistic scenarios for all markets as the impact of pandemic unfolds

Pre- as well as post-COVID-19 market estimates

Quarterly impact analysis and updates on market estimates

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports.

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Related Report on Financials Include:

Global Automotive Usage-based Insurance Market - Global automotive usage-based insurance market is segmented by pricing scheme (PHYD, PAYD, and MHYD), application (embedded UBI and app-based UBI), and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, MEA, and South America).

Download Exclusive Free Sample Report

Railcar Leasing Market in Europe - Railcar leasing market in Europe is segmented by type (freight cars, tank wagons, and intermodals) and geography (Germany, France, the UK, Poland, and the Rest of Europe).

Download Exclusive Free Sample Report

Major Three Car Rental Market Participants:

Avis Budget Group Inc.

The company offers car rental service through its brands Avis, Budget, and Zipcar.

Carzonrent India Pvt. Ltd.

The company offers a line of car rental services including intra-city taxis, outstation cabs, airport pick-up/drop service, and corporate car rental among others.

Enterprise Holdings Inc.

The company offers car rental service through its brand Enterprise Rent-A-Car (ECAR).

If you purchase a report that is updated in the next 60 days, we will send you the new edition and data extract FREE! Get a report snapshot here for a detailed market share analysis of market participants during COVID-19 lockdown:

https://www.technavio.com/report/car-rental-market-industry-analysis

Car Rental Market 2021-2025: Segmentation

Car rental market is segmented as below:

Type

Economy Cars



Executive Cars



Luxury Cars



SUVs



MUVs

Geography

North America



Europe



APAC



South America



MEA

The car rental market is driven by the growth in the travel and tourism industry. In addition, the advent of intermediaries is expected to trigger the car rental market toward witnessing a CAGR of over over 18% during the forecast period.

Get more insights about the global trends impacting the future of the car rental market, Request Free Sample @ https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40065

Market Drivers

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Competitive scenario

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

Report: www.technavio.com/report/car-rental-market-industry-analysis

SOURCE Technavio
WASHINGTON, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders of the National Press Club and National Press Club Journalism Institute issued the following statement in response to a news report that the Justice Department subpoenaed phone records of three Washington Post reporters.

The Post reporters in question had been reporting on Russian interference in the 2016 election, including classified intercepts showing contacts in 2016 between Jeff Sessions, then a Trump campaign official, and Russia's ambassador to the United States.

NPC President Lisa Nicole Matthews and NPCJI President Angela Greiling Keane said:

"This is yet another deeply disturbing example in a series of violations by the Trump administration of America's trust in government and an outright assault against the press and the First Amendment. While the government has a right to probe leaks of classified information, it must take great care to avoid a harm that could prove more serious: chilling the flow of information to the free press. The motives behind the Trump administration's subpoenas are not known, but their timing and circumstances raise the possibility that officials may have been more interested in punishing the source of embarrassing leaks than protecting national security.

We also ask that Attorney General Merrick Garland investigate whether anyone in the Trump White House was involved in the decision to subpoena or saw the reporters' records."

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute, the Club's non-profit affiliate, promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement.

Contact: John M. Donnelly, Chairman, NPC Press Freedom Team: [email protected]; 202 650 6738.

SOURCE National Press Club

Related Links

http://press.org


ATLANTA, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff announced Friday afternoon that Clark Atlanta University will receive approximately $16.4 million in federal funding as part of Pres. Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan. The university joins fellow Atlanta HBCUs Morehouse College and Spelman College as recipients of the federal funds.

"We are so grateful for the critical work done by Pres. Biden, Sen. Ossoff, Sen. Warnock and Georgia's Congressional Representatives to help lift up HBCUs as we emerge from a once-in-a-lifetime health event," said Clark Atlanta University President Dr. George T. French. "These funds will go a long way toward elevating our university's mission of preparing the next generation of future leaders."

The American Rescue Plan was signed into law by Pres. Biden in March 2021 and included $3 billion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as institutions that serve minority populations. Universities can utilize the funds in a number of ways, including providing emergency financial aid and grants to students experiencing hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

HBCUs like Clark Atlanta University have seen a significant increase in both federal funds and individual donations in the past year.

About Clark Atlanta University

Established in 1988 by the historic consolidation of Atlanta University (1865) and Clark College (1869). Clark Atlanta University continues a 150-year legacy rooted in African-American tradition and focused on the future. Through global innovation, transformative educational experiences, and high-value engagement. CAU cultivates lifted lives that transform the world. Notable alumni include: James Weldon Johnson; American civil rights activist, poet, and songwriter (Lift Every Voice and Sing "The Black National Anthem"; Ralph David Abernathy Sr., American civil rights activist; Congressman Hank Johnson, Georgia District 4; Kenya Barris, American award-winning television and movie producer; Kenny Leon, Tony Award-winning Broadway Director; Jacque Reid, Emmy Award-winning Television Personality and Journalist; Brandon Thompson, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for NASCAR; Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Recording Academy. To learn more about Clark Atlanta University, visit www.cau.edu .

SOURCE Clark Atlanta University

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NEW YORK, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018-2020 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating Chiasma, Inc. ("CHMA" or the "Company") (CHMA) relating to its proposed acquisition by Amryt Pharma plc. Under the terms of the agreement, CHMA shareholders will receive 0.396 Amryt American Depositary Share, each representative of five Amryt ordinary shares, per share they own.

The investigation focuses on whether Chiasma, 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.

Click here for more information: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/chiasma-inc. 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 2018-2020 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 2017-2020 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, over the years the firm has recovered or secured over a dozen cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases.

If you owned common stock in the Company 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.

Contact:

Juan E. Monteverde, Esq.

MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC

The Empire State Building

350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4405

New York, NY 10118

United States of America

[email protected]

Tel: (212) 971-1341

Attorney Advertising. (C) 2021 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC

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NEW YORK, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018-2020 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating Juniper Industrial Holdings, Inc. ("JIH" or the "Company") (JIH) relating to its proposed merger with Janus Midco, LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, JIH will acquire Janus through a reverse merger, with Janus emerging as a publicly traded company.

The investigation focuses on whether Juniper Industrial 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.

Click here for more information: http://monteverdelaw.com/case/juniper-industrial-holdings-inc. 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 2018-2020 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 2017-2020 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, over the years the firm has recovered or secured over a dozen cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases.

If you owned common stock in the Company 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.

Contact:

Juan E. Monteverde, Esq.

MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC

The Empire State Building

350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4405

New York, NY 10118

United States of America

[email protected]

Tel: (212) 971-1341

Attorney Advertising. (C) 2021 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC

Related Links

https://www.monteverdelaw.com


In the lead up to the first official debate, let me say: This isnt a bad field at all, and those who suggest it is are betraying their depressing ingrained cynicism. Among eight major contenders are lefties, center-left types and everything in between, usual political suspects and intriguing newcomers. If you cant find someone worth voting for  and even someone worth ranking second and third  youre not looking hard enough.
It was another active week in the small cap oil and gas sector.

( ) this week added another new discovery in Egypt after its partner Kuwait Energy submitted a notice of commercial discovery to the authorities. It comes as testing of the ASD-1X exploration well confirmed positive results.

The well encountered the lower Bahariya and Abu Roash C (ARC) reservoirs, and, performed positively in short term testing. In the Lower Bahariya reservoir, the well flowed at a maximum rate of 2,187 barrels oil equivalent per day (boepd) meanwhile the ARC reservoir measured a maximum rate of 1,489 boepd. United highlighted that the headline results exceed the companys own internal expectations.

( ) started the countdown for the start of drilling at the Saffron-2 appraisal well in Trinidad, with rig mobilisation due this weekend. The company, which is soon to be relaunched as Challenger Energy Group, in a statement said it is targeting the start of drilling on or around May 23.

It also highlighted efficiencies built into the programme including the re-use of certain equipment from the Perseverance-1 well in the Bahamas and a well design that will allow immediate oil production and sales, subject to results.

Diversified Gas and Oil PLC ( ) enacted its name change and will now be called Diversified Energy Company PLC. The London listed shares will now trade under the ticker DEC.

Looking ahead, under its new moniker, the company said it is excited about its development in 2021 and said it intends to tie its name change in with a more comprehensive rebranding which will be revealed in greater detail in due course.

( ) updated investors on its operations in the Amadeus basin, in EP145 located in Australias Norther Territory, where planning is underway for an exploration programme. The work in Australia is being managed by Dr Julie Daws in consultation with the technical director Andy Carroll.

i3 Energy PLC (LON:I3E, ) told investors that its production in Canada outperformed expectations in the first quarter, with output averaging 8,856 barrels oil equivalent per day (boepd).

It was achieved despite adverse weather conditions and the performance remains above what had been estimated in the competent persons report commissioned last year, at the time of the asset acquisition. The rate of 8,856 boepd comprised 3.16mln cubic feet of gas, 2,123 barrels of natural gas liquids and 1,466 barrels of oil per day.

( ) said it is delivering on its growth strategy with the Greater Buchan Area project in the North Sea. The company, in its results statement for 2020, highlighted that during the year it successfully aggregated its portfolio of discovered resources into GBA, along with what it described as significant exploration upside. It also bolstered its in-house expertise during the period.

( ) chief executive Bill Higgs, in its AGM statement, said it is expecting to end the year with a material cash position. The company highlighted improved oil pricing and noted that catch up payments from the Kurdistan region of Northern Iraq have begun.

(BBER) hired Tim Lines as the companys new technical director.

The company, in a statement, said Lines will lead the supervision and management of the technical aspects of the company's critical M&A, drilling, surface facilities, and pipeline initiatives. In collaboration with the wider management team, he will lead the design and execution of field development, technical standards, processes, and safety efforts.

( ) appointed Ashley Gilbert as the companys new managing director. Gilbert moves over from his position as 88 Energys chief financial officer and company secretary to replace Dave Wall who departs on May 10.

Zephyr Energy PLC ( ) revealed it is hitting the ground running in North Dakota where all recently acquired wells are now expected to be online for production ahead of schedule by the end of July.

The Iverson 11-14HU well was designated as a producer at the time of acquisition and the company has confirmed its first oil payment, with US$140,663 received for volumes produced in February (when the well yielded some 110 barrels of oil per day net to Zephyr).
The company is awaiting the first opportunity to reconvene the required meeting to present its detailed environmental impact assessment for community comment and acceptance.

Aspire director Bold Batamgalan oversees delivery of COVID protection supplies to Tsetserleg soum hospital following a period of quarantine isolation.

Aspire Mining Ltd (ASX:AKM) (FRA:WKU) has focused on advancing site engineering and logistics solutions for its Ovoot Coking Coal Project in Mongolia as it sits out the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

The company remains confident that the local community is supportive of mine development and is awaiting the first opportunity to reconvene a meeting required to present its detailed environmental impact assessment (DEIA) for comment and acceptance.

The final draft of the report has been completed but there is a regulatory requirement for consultation with and approval by the local community before it can be submitted to the Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism (MNET) for final approval.

A planned community meeting on March 15, 2021, to present the DEIA to the local community was unable to proceed following the detection of COVID-19 infections in Khuvsgul aimag and the reintroduction of restrictions on public gatherings.

The Ovoot Coking Coal Project contains a JORC 2012-compliant total coal reserve of 255 million tonnes of high quality (fat) coking coal, which can be used to blend with other coking coals to produce coke, an essential component of producing steel using the blast furnace production route.

This type of coal is in increasing demand in China, Mongolia's southern neighbour, particularly as China's relationship with Australia is strained which impacts the amount of coal imported from Australia.

CHPP and ERT Infrastructure FEED Studies

During the March quarter, the company received eight proposals in relation to conducting a FEED study on CHPP infrastructure and five proposals on conducting a FEED study on ERT infrastructure.

The vendors, who submitted these proposals, included reputable and experienced firms from Mongolia, Europe, China and Australia, as well as combined national-international consortium submissions.

At the end of the quarter, the evaluation process to select vendors to complete both FEEDsStudies was in progress and a separate announcement will be made on the award of these contracts in the current quarter.

Tractor performance simulation

As correct tractor selection is a critical aspect to minimise transportation unit costs, a leading Australian logistics engineering specialist is evaluating the performance of various potential tractors to be utilised across the intended route between the mine and rail terminal.

Key areas of focus include determining the maximum gross combination weight that each tractor can pull across the route within the target timeframes and the expected fuel consumption.

For each tractor, key configuration details such as final drive ratios are also being investigated.

Output from the study will also be used as input into trailer design (targeting payload efficiency via optimising trailer combination within defined maximum gross combination masses) and final road design (where trade-off between road capital costs and transportation operating costs can be made).

COVID-19 response

Having avoided community transmission of COVID-19 until late in 2020, Mongolia is now battling the significant spread of COVID-19 infections with high case numbers, with Tsetserleg soum, Khuvsgul aimag, officially confirming its first cases of COVID-19 on March 11, 2021.

As of April 29, 2021, a total of 34,623 cases and 96 deaths have been recorded in Mongolia, with new infections surpassing 1,300 per day, with lockdown measures implemented nationwide to curb the wave of infections.

In response, Aspire Mining delivered equipment to Tsetserleg soum hospital on March 28, 2021, to support COVID-19 prevention and detection measures, including protective clothing, sanitiser, surgical gloves and COVID-19 rapid test kits.

As part of COVID-19 control measures, the Tsetserleg soum and Khuvsgul aimag are currently prohibiting entry of non-residents to their respective territories.

The Tsetserleg soum local government has set up a system of on-duty officers to guard the entrance posts at all four entrance/exits to the soum.

Aspire Minings information officers have volunteered to guard one of the soum entrance/exit posts from April 13, 2021.

Strengthening coking coal price

The index price for Tianjin washed Mongolia coking coal continued strengthening from the end of the second quarter of financial year 2021 highs through and into the March quarter.

During the March quarter, prices for Mongolian coal delivered into China remained strong due to:

The continued deterioration of Beijing-Canberra relations impacting the volume of coal imported from Australia;

The continued strength in the Chinese domestic steel industry driven by Chinas post-COVID-19 recovery stimulus; and

As a consequence of export volumes being restricted following control measures implemented by China to limit transmission of COVID-19 from Mongolia to China.

International Forest Day

In support of the International Day of Forests on March 21, the company partnered with the National University of Mongolia (NUM) and Creative Motion LLC to promote events for local community stakeholders and national scientific scholars to raise awareness of the importance of forests, their restoration and management, and it will help address climate change and the biodiversity crises.

The company supported the following main activities:

Sponsor a student research conference on Tree Sprouts organised by the NUM School of Forestry under the 5th Annual Conference of Forestry, with assistance from the MNET. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the conference was held online on March 5, 2021;

Sponsored a Facebook account to celebrate International Forest Day in partnership with Creative Motion. As part of this initiative, a series of professional posters was developed to raise awareness and videos featuring interviews with scholars from the NUM and Academy of Science scientists were developed to increase public awareness; and

A thematic visual art drawing competition titled: 'If I were a Forest' was organised among high school and middle school students in Murun soum, Khuvsgul aimag to allow students to express their ideas and findings visually.

Finance

As of March 31, 2021, the company had $34.7 million (US$26.4 million) in cash and term deposits.
Mumbai, May 8 : Hollywood star Drew Barrymore has urged everyone to help India amid the Covid-19 second wave. The actress addressed the issue on her popular talk show, "The Drew Barrymore Show".

"Hello everyone and Namaste India! This one's a special message to the people of India. A lot of you guys already know of my deep-rooted connection with the country and how I've always loved India for its culture, its people and so much more!" she said.

Barrymore added it "holds a very special place in my heart", and that in her visits, she has met so many "wonderful people" who have truly inspired her as a person, which propelled her to write a chapter in her book, too.

"Today, as we cope with the worldwide situation, my heart goes out to the people of India who're trying hard to hold it together. My sincere wishes and prayers to you to stay strong and believe that we will come out stronger together," she said.

The actress added: "I came across a couple of articles online that truly invigorated a sense of faith and positivity in me, like a 110-year-old Covid-19 survivor in India, or how a man donating his entire life's savings towards relief. Countless people, celebrities and organisations coming together and pledging support, people starting food centres and relief groups -- and this is truly the need of the hour." "A small contribution could really help and make a giant difference, and even save a life! I'm doing my bit and urge you to do whatever is in your capacity. Most importantly, I'm sending you a lot of love, healing and prayers and faith in the light at the end of this dark tunnel." "Namaste. Thank you so much and all of my love," Barrymore conclude on the show that airs on Zee Cafe in India.

Many international celebrities including James McAvoy, Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Jada Smith have helped and also urged fans to help the people in need.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
United Nations, May 8 : India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has boycotted a high-level Security Council meeting at the ministerial level that was convened by China, which is the body's President for this month.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla represented India at Friday's high-level meeting on multilateralism that was presided over by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Coming amid tensions between India and China, Jaishankar's absence stood out as the other 14 members of the Security Council sent minister-level officials to the meeting held virtually.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves participated in the meeting.

Seven other countries sent their foreign ministers to the meeting that had the formal title of "Maintenance Of International Peace and Security: Upholding Multilateralism and the UN-Centered International System." The remaining three were represented at the sub-cabinet ministerial level by Ministers of State Tariq Ahmad of Britain and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne of France and Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Raychelle Omamo, who functions as the de facto Foreign Minister.

The country that holds the Council presidency for the month holds what are called signature events - high-level meetings usually at the ministerial-level - on topics of special interest to it.

China is planning two more signature meetings, on Africa and Covid-19 recovery, and on improving the safety of peacekeepers.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic many meetings of the Council are held virtually facilitating the greater participation of ministers who don't have to make the trip to New York. That makes absences noticeable.

Since India joined the Security Council as a non-permanent member in January, Jaishankar has participated in the ministerial-level Security Council meetings convened by the presidents for the month, Vietnam in April, Britain in February and Tunisia in January.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar also spoke at the high-level meeting on climate change called by Britain in February and presided over by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

When the US was in the chair in March, its signature meeting, Conflict and Food Security, was presided over by Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who has cabinet status, rather than Blinken.

Some countries including China, France and Russia did not send ministerial-level representatives and only their permanent representatives participated.

That was the case with India: Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti participated in the meeting.

India will get a chance to hold its own signature events when it presides over the Council in August.

Shringla in his speech on Friday at the Council asserted that global vulnerabilities and fault lines have been exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It is the lack of a coordinated global response that has exposed the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the multilateral system as it stands today, providing a timely reminder for the pressing need for comprehensive reform," he said.

"While the pandemic exposed the fault lines from unreliable global supply chains to inequitable vaccine distribution, it has also underlined the need for global solidarity and strengthened multilateralism," he added.

He pointed out that India provided Covid-19 vaccines, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment to more than 150 countries and said, "In that same spirit of friendship and solidarity, we extend deep appreciation to those that have come forward to provide us with some priority requirements to battle the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic that we are currently facing." Shringla also reiterated the demand for Council reforms, saying, "Today, the UN has 193 Member States, nearly a fourfold increase from 1945. The narrow representation and privileges of a few in the primary decision-making organ of the UN poses a serious challenge to its credibility and effectiveness. How can we explain the contradiction of Africa not being represented in the Security Council in the permanent category, even though African issues dominate its agenda?" In an indirect dig at China, he said India's aid "fostered global socio-economic development through transparent, viable, sustainable and demand-driven partnership programmes." China's aid programmes have been criticised for lack of transparency and driving the recipients to unrepayable debts that lead to loss of assets.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Islamabad, May 8 : Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan embarked on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday evening to enhance bilateral relations and cooperation, said a statement from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Pakistani foreign ministry said earlier that during the visit, the prime minister's consultations with the Saudi leadership will cover all areas of bilateral cooperation including economic, trade, investment, energy and job opportunities for the Pakistani workforce, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Ahead of the prime minister's arrival, Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa had already reached Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and had meetings with the civil and military leadership.

Pakistani army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement on Friday that the army chief had a meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Both sides discussed matters of mutual interest, regional security situation including recent developments in the Afghan peace process, bilateral defence, security, collaboration for regional peace and connectivity, according to the statement.
United Nations, May 8 : The UN General Assembly (UNGA) held an informal dialogue with the incumbent Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the sole candidate for the position.

Guterres presented his vision statement and answered questions from member states and civil society, Brenden Varma, spokesperson for the UNGA President Volkan Bozkir, said at a regular press briefing on Friday.

In 2015, the General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution that set out a new, transparent, open and inclusive process to select and appoint a Secretary-General, which involves presenting a vision statement.

According to Varma, the UNGA President "is committed to ensuring that the selection and appointment process for the position of the secretary-general remains guided by the principles of transparency and inclusivity".

Varma confirmed that, as of now, in addition to the one official candidate, there are seven applicants whose names have been forwarded by the UNGA President to his Security Council counterpart.

Guterres, a former Portuguese Prime Minister who has been the Secretary-General since January 2017, is seeking a second five-year term in office, beginning January 1, 2022.

UN officials confirmed on January 11 that on January 8, Guterres told the five permanent members of the Security Council of his decision.

He also spoke to the UNGA President Bozkir.

On January 11, Guterres notified Bozkir by letter of his intentions as well as the President of the Security Council for the month of January, Tarek Ladeb, Tunisia's Ambassador to the UN.

Article 97 of the UN Charter states that "the Secretary-General shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council".

As a result, the selection is subject to the veto of any of the five permanent members of the Security Council.
Washington, May 8 : The US Capitol Police (USCP) said that threats against members of Congress this year has increased by 107 per cent compared to 2020, and that the number is expected to continue to rise.

"As the Department has previously reported, the number of threats made against Congress has increased significantly. This year alone, there has been a 107 per cent increase in threats against Members compared to 2020," the USCP said in a statement issued on Friday on security recommendations detailed in a third preliminary report by its Inspector General (IG).

"Provided the unique threat environment we currently live in, the Department is confident the number of cases will continue to increase," it added.

The USCP did not elaborate on the nature of these threats or what it believes is contributing to the increase, reports Xinhua news agency.

It noted its support of recommendations for "increasing threat assessment manpower and restructuring the Department to establish a stand-alone counter-surveillance entity", adding, however, that "in order to fully implement this recommendation, the Department would require additional resources for new employees, training, and vehicles as well as approval from Congressional stakeholders".

The third Capitol Police Inspector General report has not yet been released, as the watchdog is expected to testify about its contents next week.

Yet, to illustrate the daunting challenges the USCP has and continues to face, Friday's statement noted that the third report showed "in 2020, the (US Secret Service), which has more than 100 agents and analysts, had approximately 8,000 cases".

"During the same time period, the USCP, which has just over 30 agents and analysts, had approximately 9,000 cases." The House Administration Committee has announced it will hold a hearing on May 10 entitled "Oversight of the January 6th Attack: US Capitol Police Threat Assessment and Counter Surveillance Before and During the Attack".

The IG's previous two reports detailed the department's "deficiencies" that led to the January 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of former President Donald Trump's supporters.

"Since the events of January 6, USCP leadership team has been working closely with Congressional oversight to seek the needed resources to implement the (Office of Inspector General's) recommendations, as well as those from other reviews and assessments," said Friday's statement.

The Office of the IG supervises and conducts audits, inspections, and investigations involving USCP programs, functions, systems, and operations, according to its website.
Washington, May 8 : US President Joe Biden said that he is confident that a meeting with his Russian counterparty Vladimir Putin could be arranged in June, downplaying the impact of the ongoing tension along the Moscow-Kiev border to the summit.

"I'm confident we'll be able to do it. We don't have any specific time or place. That's being worked on," Biden told reporters in the White House on Friday when asked about meeting with Putin in June.

He also suggested Russia's military build-up along the border with Ukraine would not change his intention to meet with Putin, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It does not impact my desire to have a one on one meeting... He (Putin) had more troops (at the border) before. He has withdrawn troops. There are still troops amassed, but significantly less than he had a month ago." White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a briefing later in the day that the discussions between two sides over the summit's location, timing, and agenda are still underway.

She added the US and Russia would continue to disagree over multiple issues while noting these disagreements would not need to be resolved before the summit.

Biden said earlier this week that he expected to meet with Putin during the upcoming trip to Europe in June, when he will attend the G7 Summit in the UK and then the NATO Summit in Belgium.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have been adversarial in recent years.

The two were bitterly divided over Ukraine, human rights, cybersecurity issues, and they mutually accused the other of domestic political interference.
Chennai, May 8 : A day after he and his council of Ministers were sworn in, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday announced total lockdown in Tamil Nadu between May 10-24 to prevent spread of coronavirus, while exempting essential services.

He also said with the impending two week lockdown from Monday onwards all shops and establishments are allowed to function from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

In a statement issued here Stalin said the two week lockdown is announced to intensify actions to prevent the spread of coronavirus and due to unavoidable reasons.

Stalin said the lockdown will kick in from 4 a.m. on May 8 to 4 a.m. on May 24.

According to Stalin liquor shops will also be closed.

The banned and permissible activities during the lockdown are: -International flights are banned other than which are permitted by the Union Home Ministry.

-E-registion on https://eregister.tnega.org must for people coming to Tamil Nadu from other Indian states and overseas.

-Train and flight passengers will be allowed to move on production of tickets.

-Only standalone shops selling groceries, vegetables, meat and fish will be allowed to function till 12 noon without air conditioning.

-Other than above shops, all other shops are to be closed.

-Dunzo like delivery organisations can deliver vegetabls/provisions/grocery/meat/fish only till 12 noon.

-Big format stores (over 3,000 sq.ft) and shopping malls are to be closed.

-State owned liquor shops to be closed.

-Only takeaways permitted at hotels and restaurants and not dine-in. Hotels and lodges to serve food to their guests staying for commercial and medical purposes in their rooms. Otherwise hotels and lodges to remain closed.

-Tea shops to be closed at 12 noon.

-Ban on cultural/political/educational functions in indoor auditoriums and outdoors.

-Only 20 persons allowed at funerals.

-Not more than 50 persons allowed in weddings.

-Closure of barber shops, beauty parlours, spas, saloon.

-Closure of recreation clubs, movie theatres, liquor bars, auditoriums, meeting halls, amusement parks and other places where there will be large gatherings of people.

-Ban on retail sales of fruits and vegetables at Koyambedu Market in Chennai. Similarly ban on retail sales of fruits and vegetables in wholesale markets in other places in the state.

-State government departments other than Secretariat, Fire Service, Police, Revenue, Disaster Management, Medical, Prisons, Electricity, Water Supply, Treasury, Local Bodies, Social Welfare, Womens Welfare- will remain closed.

-These above restrictions are applicable for central government departments as well.

-Other than exempted industries all others, information technology (IT) and information technology enabled services (ITES) units will remain closed. Work-from-home is permitted.

-Closure of places of worship for the public, but daily poojas permitted by the temple staff.

-Ban on all tourists to Nilgris, Kodaikanal, Yercaud and other places.

-People are not allowed to go to the beach across the state.

-Parks, museums, archaeological sites closed to the public.

-Schools, Universities, Colleges and summer camps are banned.

-Sports training academies are to be closed.

-Intra-district and inter-district government/private bus, taxi, autorickshaw service banned except for those travelling to attend weddings, job interviews and to hospitals with proper proof.

-No permission to operate for food and grocery/provisions/vegetable delivery companies like Zomato, Swiggy.

-Essential services like the delivery of milk, newspaper, courier service, hospitals, medical diagnostic labs, ambulance and hearse services are allowed.

-Vehicles carrying goods, oil, agricultural produce, oxygen trucks are allowed.

-Shops selling cattle feed, pesticides and fertilisers are allowed to function between 6 a.m and 12 noon.

-On the days during total lockdown (Sundays) hotels, restaurants can be open between 6-10 a.m., 12 noon to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Food delivery companies like Swiggy and Zomato can function only during this period.

-Amma canteens will function as usual.

-Pavement shops selling vegetables and flowers can function till 12 noon.

-Ration shops to function between 8 a.m. and 12 noon.

-On going construction activities will be permitted.

-Organisations serving old/handicapped people can move around with identity proof.

-Media activities are permitted.

-Continuous process industries and industries manufacturing essential items are allowed to function.

-Banking, postal services, data centres maintenance are allowed.

-Warehouse operations to load and unload goods allowed.

-Petrol, diesel vending outlets can function.

-Banks, insurance companies, ATM transport services are allowed with 50 per cent employees.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, May 8 : Actress Lizaa Malik is in the city to help her employees, who have tested positive for Covid-19.

"It's a precarious time for everyone. Things are falling off for a lot of people. We have about 50 of our employees who tested positive. This is the time we have to stand for them and I am not turning away," Lizaa said.

Lizaa added she, along with her business partner, is providing for ICU beds and anything else that might be required -- be it financially or emotionally.

"We are in it together and we will stand strong. I request everyone to follow all the SOPs and take care of themselves. Stay indoors if it's not an emergency. And this too shall pass. We have to fight this battle together," she said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The HFPA is an organization that was legitimized by the likes of Harvey Weinstein to amass momentum for Academy recognition and the industry followed suit, Johansson said. Unless there is necessary fundamental reform within the organization, I believe it is time that we take a step back from the HFPA and focus on the importance and strength of unity within our unions and the industry as a whole.
Hong Kong, May 8 : Hong Kong will shorten the quarantine period from May 12 for inbound visitors who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Travellers will face varied arrangements depending on their places of departure as public health authorities have divided overseas areas into five categories based on the severity of the pandemic, the Hong Kong government said on Friday.

People from low-risk areas including Australia and Singapore will have their mandatory quarantine shorted from two weeks to one plus self-monitoring for seven days, Thomas Chan, the permanent secretary for food and health (health), said at a press conference.

Chan said those granted the shorter quarantine should take the second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine two weeks before their arrival, reports Xinhua news agency.

The current 21-day quarantine period for those from medium-to-high-risk places will be reduced to two weeks plus seven days of self-monitoring.

But the policies for visitors from places of extremely and very high risks remained unchanged.

Inbound visitors from the mainland, Macao or Taiwan, except those under the "Return2hk" travel scheme, will undergo seven-day quarantine plus self-monitoring for seven days.
Nairobi, May 8 : Kenya has launched a three-month national wildlife census whose results will inform retooling of conservation programs for iconic species grappling with climatic and human-induced threats.

Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Najib Balala said on Friday that the first-ever wildlife census in Kenya will enable the government to obtain accurate data on wildlife resources including giant land mammals, carnivores and marine life, reports Xinhua news agency.

"The census will utilize globally recognized methodologies to obtain accurate data on wildlife resources in the country and mitigate future threats to their survival," Balala said during the televised census launch at Shimba Hills, in the coastal county of Kwale.

He said the census, which will utilize state-of-the-art satellite technology, has been funded by the government to the tune of 250 million shillings ($2 million).

It will strengthen evidence-based management of iconic species that are an integral part of Kenyan heritage besides contributing to national coffers through tourism, Balala said.

"We want precise data on wildlife population in the country to guide effective conservation of species amid challenges like climate change, changing land-use practices, and competition with agriculture," he said.

Data-driven interventions are key to minimizing human-wildlife conflicts that have emerged as a grave threat to the survival of iconic species like elephants, rhinos, and lions, Balala said.

Census data will help Kenya review the existing conservation models, strike a balance between livelihoods and conservation, he said, noting that the census will be carried out in protected areas like forests, marine ecosystems, and rivers.

Fred Segor, principal secretary at the State Department of Wildlife, said the census will help determine the exact population of wildlife species, their distribution, economic value, and emerging threats.

The government is required by law to regularly update wildlife population data as a means to strengthen conservation efforts, he said.

According to Kenya Wildlife Service, the census will count terrestrial, freshwater, marine mammals, key birds, endangered primates and reptiles in the 47 counties across the country, whose rich wildlife resource is one of its key economic pillars.
Tehran, May 8 : Iranians marked the annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day nationwide in support of Palestinians.

The ceremonies on Friday were mostly held online, amid the concerns over the spread of Covid-19, for the second year in a row, reports Xinhua news agency.

Mass rallies to mark Quds Day used to be held in the streets and squares of the Iranian cities before the pandemic hit the country in early 2020.

On Friday, the Iranians swarmed to social media websites and expressed their fury with Israel.

In the capital Tehran and some other cities, a number of people gathered in the squares to show their protest against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

They burned the Israeli flag and chanted anti-Israel and anti-US slogans.

In Tehran's Palestine Square, anthems and songs condemning the "crimes of the Zionists" were sung.

Motorists also held rallies in the streets by raising the Palestinian flags.

In a statement on Thursday, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the Muslims around the world to mark Quds Day and demonstrate their objection to what it called "the violation of rights of Palestinians".

"The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the establishment of sustainable peace in Palestine will be realized only through the settlement of basic problems in the Palestinian crisis," the ministry statement said, adding Israel should end its occupation policy.

Quds Day, initiated by Iran in 1979 to express support for the Palestinians, is an annual event held on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, which falls on May 7 this year.

Protests are held on the day every year in Iran and some regional countries to protest against Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem since the 1967 war.
New Delhi, May 8 : With half the children under five in India being malnourished, the present Covid-19 crisis could further impact child nutrition and service delivery across the country that is in the grip of a ferocious second wave, said the UN Children's Fund UNICEF.

"With 27 million births and 30 million pregnancies every year, life-saving services to help women give birth are critical in India," said Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in India, on Friday.

"However, as health facilities continue to be overwhelmed treating Covid-19 patients, there are reports of pregnant women struggling to find the required support to give birth." She noted that schools across the country remain closed, and remote learning is also disrupted in several states.

"This is tearing 247 million children in elementary and secondary education away from these safe spaces, just when they need them most. In addition, many children do not have access to digital learning. Learning loss will therefore continue for children in India.

"We're assisting the government to ensure that critical services for the most vulnerable children continue to function across all states.

"UNICEF in India has been on-the-ground working tirelessly since the start of the pandemic." The UN official noted that India is in the grip of a ferocious second wave of Covid-19.

"In the last 24 hours (till May 7), India bore the burden of 414,188 new daily cases, which is highest daily case count ever recorded by any country in the history of Covid-19 pandemic -- higher than even the count a day earlier (412,262). There were 3,915 deaths due to Covid-19.

"UNICEF is very concerned about this deadly daily surge in new cases. This wave is almost four times the size of the first wave and the virus is spreading much faster. On an average there were more than four new cases every second and more than two deaths every minute in last 24 hours.

"With the surge in cases, the virus is also affecting more people across age groups, including children and infants." She said, "What is happening in India should raise alarm bells for all of us. The pandemic is far from over. Covid-19 cases are rising at an alarming rate across South Asia, especially in Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Entire health systems could collapse, leading to more tragic loss of life.

"Very low levels of vaccination in most South Asian countries (less than 10 per cent in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal) is adding to concern of the virus spiraling even further. Besides South Asia, we are also seeing alarming situations in other parts of the world.

"Along with the increase in COVID-19 cases, the impact on children being affected by the virus has also increased. And of course the impact of the outbreak and public health and social measures on children is likely to be aggravated following the second wave. They are living through a tragedy.

"Children are losing parents and caregivers to the virus leaving many of them destitute, without parental care." The UN official said, "While there isn't enough data yet, we can see that illegal adoption pleas have surfaced on social media, making these orphans vulnerable to trafficking and abuse.

"UNICEF is calling for greater efforts to safeguard these orphans. We need to promote kinship care, family tracing, enhance functionaries and accelerate the sponsorship of destitute families.

"This surge is having dire consequences for children whose access to essential health, social, protection and education services is being constrained.

"Children are facing mental health issues and are at greater risk of violence, as lockdowns shut them off from their vital support networks.

"They are missing out on life-saving routine immunization, critical care and treatment for pneumonia and other diseases." UNICEF has sent critical lifesaving supplies to support India at this difficult time. For example, 3,000 oxygen concentrators, testing kits and other critical equipment in place.

It has sent additional critical lifesaving supplies to India, including two million face shields and 200,000 surgical masks. Additionally 2,000 more oxygen concentrators will arrive by the second half of May with another 2,650 being procured.

"We support the regular monitoring of more than 50,000 Covid vaccination centres across 27 states of India," the UN official said.

"Covid has shown more than ever we are living in an interconnected world. India is under threat today. We need solidarity to prevent the situation from getting worse in other countries. We are very thankful for the support and compassion from the international community. We need the compassion and contribution to continue until we see the end of the pandemic," she added.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 8 : The probe of recovery of over 500 oxygen concentrators from famous Delhi restaurants has been handed over to the crime branch.

This development comes a day after the Delhi Police arrested another person identified as Gourav Khanna, CEO of Matrix Cellular Services Ltd in connection with its probe into the seizure of over 500 oxygen concentrators in the last two days from popular restaurants in the national capital.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South Delhi Atul Kumar Thakur said that Khanna, a resident of Haryana's Gurugram was arrested on Friday night.

He said that on Friday, police carried out searches at two popular restaurants in South Delhi's upscale Khan Market and recovered 105 concentrators, which are used for treatment of Covid patients.

"During searches at Khan Chacha restraueant in Khan Market, 96 oxygen concentrators were recovered, while nine concentrators were recovered from Town Hall restaurant," Thakur said.

Khan Chacha restaurant is known for its melt-in-the mouth kebabs, while Town Hall restaurant specialises in pan Asian cuisine. The official said that these concentrators were being sold in the black market.

Both outlets are linked to Navneet Kalra, the alleged black marketer of oxygen concentrators in Delhi, the official said.

On Thursday, the police recovered 19 oxygen concentrators after conducting a search at Nega Ju Restaurant and Bar in Central Market of Lodhi Colony. The police arrested four men including the manager of the restaurant.

Thakur said that Friday's searches were based on the inputs shared by arrested accused Hitesh during questioning.

He said that the efforts are on to arrest more people associated with the racket.

Thakur further added that the staff involved in good work is being suitably rewarded.

The official said that it has also recovered WhatsApp messages of the accused for selling the oxygen concentrators at higher prices.

The police is also in touch with the custom department officials to track the import of concentrators from China.

According to police sources, the oxygen concentrators were being imported for Rs 16,000 to Rs 20,000 and were being sold for Rs 70,000.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
San Francisco, May 8 : Despite tall claims made by Elon Musk over Twitter about the full self-driving technology, electric car-maker Tesla has privately admitted that such claims do not match up with the engineering reality.

Tesla vehicles are far from reaching a level of autonomy often described by Musk on social media, according to an internal memo obtained by transparency portal Plainsite.

"Elon's tweet does not match engineering reality per CJ. Tesla is at Level 2 currently," Tesla's director of Autopilot software CJ Moore told the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Level 2 technology refers to a semi-automated driving system, which requires supervision by a human driver.

The memo shows that "Musk has inflated the capabilities of the Autopilot advanced driver assistance system in Tesla vehicles, as well the company's ability to deliver fully autonomous features by the end of the year," reports TechCrunch.

Tesla vehicles come with a driver assistance system called 'Autopilot' that enhances safety and convenience behind the wheel. When used properly, Autopilot reduces your overall workload as a driver.

For an additional $10,000, people can buy "full self-driving" or FSD, that Musk promises will deliver full autonomous driving capabilities.

Full Self-Driving capabilities include navigate on Autopilot, Auto Lane Change, Summon (moves your car in and out of a tight space using the mobile app or key), Smart Summon (your car will navigate more complex environments and parking spaces); Traffic and Stop Sign Control (Beta) and Autosteer on city streets (upcoming).

However, Tesla vehicles are still not driving on their own and "are far from reaching that level of autonomy".

In an earnings call in January, Musk told investors that he was "highly confident the car will be able to drive itself with reliability in excess of human this year".

Tesla, however, is unlikely to achieve Level 5 (L5) autonomy, in which its cars can drive themselves anywhere without any human supervision by the end of 2021.

"The ratio of driver interaction would need to be in the magnitude of 1 or 2 million miles per driver interaction to move into higher levels of automation. Tesla indicated that Elon is extrapolating on the rates of improvement when speaking about L5 capabilities. Tesla couldn't say if the rate of improvement would make it to L5 by end of calendar year," the DMV memo read.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Washington, May 8 : The coronavirus tore through the US' prisons and immigration detention centres over the past year, killing more than 2,700 people who were incarcerated, a media report said.

"The deaths raise troubling questions about the way the country's justice system responded to a pandemic that infected incarcerated people at more than three times the national rate," Xinhua news agency quoted The New York Times report as saying on Friday.

The pandemic has been particularly devastating in the nation's criminal justice system: Tens of thousands of trials and parole hearings were cancelled; families said they were unable to afford even modest bail amounts amid record job losses; and facilities were ill-equipped to handle outbreaks of a virus that spread rapidly, especially in close quarters.

Some counties and states released incarcerated people during the pandemic as a precaution, but a vast majority of US states resisted calls to free inmates early or expedite parole, according to the report.

Battered by rising Covid-19 infections and deaths, local jails and state prison systems around the nation resorted to a drastic strategy to keep the virus at bay: shutting down completely and transferring their inmates elsewhere, it said.

The jails and prisons that stayed open would probably become even more crowded, unsanitary and disease-ridden, and the transfers were likely to help the virus proliferate both inside and outside the walls, the report added.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hyderabad, May 8 : After nearly 10 months, the health department in Telangana reverted to the earlier practice of issuing daily Covid media bulletin in the evening.

Director of public health and family welfare Dr G. Srinivasa Rao said the bulletin will be issued in the evening along the daily press briefing by him and director of medical education K. Ramesh Reddy.

After the pandemic broke out last year, the health authorities were issuing daily bulletins in the evening. However, towards July end they started issuing bulletins in the morning, giving comprehensive data of 24-hour period as directed by the Telangana High Court.

The evening bulletin will cover the 24-hour period from 5.30 p.m. the previous day.

According to first bulletin issued Friday as per the revised timing, the state reported 5,559 new Covid cases and 41 deaths.

The cumulative case tally has gone up to 4,87,199 while death toll mounted to 2,666.

The state continued to see more recoveries than the new cases. A total of 8,061 people recovered from the virus, taking the cumulative number to 4,13,225.

The recovery rate improved further to 84.81 per cent against the national average of 81.9 per cent. The number of active cases also came down to 71,308.

The authorities tested 65,375 samples during the 24-hour period. With this the state has so far conducted 1,34,88,498 tests. The samples tested per million population increased to 3,62,399.

The daily count of cases in Greater Hyderabad declined to below 1,000. The state capital reported 984 cases. Rangareddy and Medchal Malkajgiri adjoining Hyderabad reported 457 and 372 cases respectively.

Warangal Urban reported 296 cases followed by 208 in Nalgonda, 201 in Siddipet, 201 in Karimnagar and 200 in Khammam.

Srinivasa Rao hoped that the current wave of Covid pandemic is likely to subside in the next two to three weeks due to people's adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour and the government's containment efforts.

The government has extended the night curfew till May 15 and also imposed restrictions on gatherings.

The director of public health appealed to citizens not to let down their guard, postpone functions, avoid gatherings, wear double mask when outside and single inside homes.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Beirut, May 8 : Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned the Israeli Arm off any escalation attempts against Lebanon during the manoeuvers the military plans to hold at the borders starting Sunday.

"Any folly or any attempt to change rules of engagements won't go unanswered. We are ready to defend our country," Nasrallah said in a televised speech on the occasion of the international Quds (Jerusalem) Day on Friday.

Hezbollah will not forgive any hostile action toward Lebanon, he added.

The Hezbollah leader noted that Israel has been planning for these manoeuvers for months and these frequent operations reflect the weakness of the Israeli Army.

"If the Israeli army were strong enough, it would not need all these manoeuvers," he said.

Nasrallah also saluted the Palestinian people for confronting the Israeli occupation.
Toronto, May 8 : Authorities in Canada's Ontario province dispatched 3,000 locally made ventilators to New Delhi, even as the Indian-dominated city of Brampton illuminated its city hall with the Tricolour in solidarity with the people of India.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his economic development minister Victor Fedeli joined Indian consul general Apoorva Srivastava and others in flagging off the shipment to India on Thursday.

The Indian Red Cross will receive the ventilators, e700 Transport, which have been manufactured by O-Two Medical Technologies based in Brampton.

The ventilators have been donated in response to requests from the High Commissioner to Canada and the Consul General in Toronto.

"Today, I joined Minister Victor Fedeli, as well as Vikram Khurana, Paul Winters, and Apoorva Srivastava to send 3,000 Ontario-made ventilators to our friends in India," the Premier tweeted.

"I've spoken many times about the #OntarioSpirit and I am very proud to help our friends in need." Ford said: "We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of India during these difficult times. Our government will keep working closely with His Excellency, Ajay Bisaria, High Commissioner of India, and Apoorva Srivastava, Consul General of India to Toronto, and stand ready to assist further with India's urgent needs, for as long as we are able to. We are all in this together and we will all overcome this together." In solidarity with India, Brampton illuminated its city hall with the Indian Tricolour.

"Brampton City Hall was illuminated last night with the tricolours of India to show our solidarity with the people of India given the recent adversity with Covid-19," Mayor Patrick Brown said.

Indo-Canadians make up about a quarter of the city's population of over 600,000.

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-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Which wound cuts deeper: the loss of an only child or loss of a spouse? A new study led by researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and Fudan University suggests that Chinese parents find the loss of an only child to be approximately 1.3 times as psychologically distressing than the loss of a spouse. The findings are published in the journal Aging & Mental Health.

Older adults in China rely heavily on family support, particularly from their adult children. Filial pietythe Confucian idea describing a respect for ones parents and responsibility for adult children to care for their parents as they ageis a central value in traditional Chinese culture.

In the 1970s, China introduced a one-child policy to slow the population growth, resulting in hundreds of millions of families with only children. While the policy ended in 2016, its consequences will be felt for decades, particularly for families who experience the loss of a child.

The death of a child has been recognized as one of the most challenging and traumatic events for a parent, said Bei Wu, PhD, Dean's Professor in Global Health at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and co-director of the NYU Aging Incubator , as well as the studys senior author. Within the cultural context of China, the death of an only child is devastating not only due to the emotional loss, but also the loss of financial and instrumental support that is critical to older adults.

The death of a spouse is also recognized as a distressing life event, forcing older adults to navigate both the emotional loss and the shattering of a married couples social and economic circumstances. In this study, Wu and her colleagues wanted to examine whether the loss of a spouse had a similar impact on psychological well-being as the loss of an only child, and whether the presence of one mitigated the absence of the other.

The researchers analyzed data from a 2013 survey conducted in Shanghai involving more than 1,100 adults, including 128 parents who lost their only child. The survey evaluated the impact of the loss of a spouse or child on participants psychological well-being, including depression, loneliness, and life satisfaction.

They found that adults who lost their only child but have a living spouse had more psychological distress than those who lost their spouse but have a living child. This effect appeared to be stronger in women than in men.

Losing an only child resulted in 1.37 times the level of loneliness and 1.51 times the level depression as losing a spouse, and life satisfaction was 1.14 times worse for those who lost an only child vs. their spouse. Adults whose children and spouse were both alive had better psychological well-being than those who experienced loss.

Our findings demonstrate that the loss of an only child carries more psychological weight than the loss of a spouse in Chinese culture, said Wu.

Wu and her colleagues recommend increasing access to professional mental health services for adults who experience loss, as well as developing culturally relevant interventions to address social isolation and loneliness among older Chinese adults.

Wu collaborated on this study with Yan Liang and Hong Liang of Fudan University, Hanzhang Xu of Duke University, and Feinian Chen of the University of Maryland.
Lisbon, May 8 : Europe's post-pandemic economic recovery will only succeed if it is "fair and inclusive", said Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.

He made the remarks on Friday as he opened the Porto Social Summit, an event hosted by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), reports Xinhua news agency.

Prime Minister Costa, who chairs the Council of the EU, said that "the time has come to rapidly launch economic and social recovery based on the engines of climate and digital transitions in a sustainable way".

These transitions "generate opportunities, but they also generate great anguish and much anxiety for millions of workers, as well as fears for small and medium-sized companies that fear losing competitiveness with the new environmental demands".

"The EU must not forget the flip side of these transitions, the need for a strong social pillar to combat inequality, to create new jobs, to ensure requalification and social protection," Costa said.

He also stated that the European Commission's plans "are not only a response to the current situation, but above all, they are an instrument for the future".

According to the Prime Minister, the Covid-19 pandemic has "revealed the importance of a strong social state," in addition to "multiple weaknesses that still exist in our societies".

"A precarious society is not a resilient society. Recovery cannot just meet the present emergency and the time has come to combine emergency with recovery," he concluded.

Echoing Costa's message, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasised that Europe is "stronger when it is united by social programs".

"Together we are stronger, together we can make our social rules work for all Europeans. Together we can deliver on Europe's promise," she said.

According to von der Leyen, the objective of the summit is "to build a social Europe that is capable of realizing our ambitions".

Thanking Costa for hosting the Social Summit, von der Leyen said that "the pandemic uncertainty is not over yet and recovery is still at an early stage".

"Thanks to our single market social economy, we can give people certainty, who now more than ever need tangible and positive changes." The two-day summit is attended by President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, the European Council President Charles Michel, the Commission's Executive Vice Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, as well as 24 European heads of state and government and other political and institutional leaders, social partners and civil society.

Topping the agenda is the action plan presented by the Commission in March, which sets out three major goals for 2030: have at least 78 per cent of the European population in employment; ensure that at least 60 per cent of adults participate in trainings; and lift 15 million people out of poverty and social exclusion.
Tehran, May 8 : The US and all parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) are serious in efforts to rescue the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, a senior official said here.

After Friday's meeting of the Iran nuclear deal in the Austrian capital of Vienna, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who heads Iran's delegation to the negotiations, was quoted as saying by official media that all parties are serious in reaching a solution despite numerous challenges, Xinhua news agency reported.

Besides, "the news coming to us from the Americans is that they are both serious about returning to the JCPOA and are ready to lift a large part of (anti-Iran) sanctions", he added.

"However, in our opinion, it (the sanctions announced for removal) is not complete yet. For that reason, the negotiations will continue until we reach all our demands," Araqchi added.

Iran is serious in re-embracing its JCPOA obligations if its demands are met, he said, adding that "this has nothing to do with other issues in Tehran, including the upcoming presidential elections".

The JCPOA was reached in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- the US, the UK, Russia, France, China, plus Germany) together with the European Union.

Tehran agreed to roll back parts of its nuclear weapons program in exchange for decreased economic sanctions.

Iran gradually stopped implementing parts of its commitments in May 2019, one year after the administration of former US President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the agreement and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran.

The JCPOA Joint Commission began to meet in offline format on April 6 in Vienna, aiming at getting the US and Iran to resume compliance with the nuclear agreement.
New Delhi, May 8 : Six days after victory in Assam assembly polls, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday reached the national capital to discuss the leadership issue of the next government.

A meeting at BJP chief J.P. Nadda's residence to discuss the formation of the new government in Assam has already started. The BJP won the Assam Assembly polls for a second consecutive term.

The Saffron party has not called its parliamentary board meeting after the poll results, which normally takes a call on who will be the Chief Minister of a state.

The BJP had not announced a chief ministerial candidate before the March-April polls in Assam. The BJP had won 60 seats and its alliance partners AGP nine and UPPL six seats in the 126-member Assam Assembly.

Both Sonowal and Sarma along with Bimal Bora, Taranga Gogoi, Mukul Lahakar, Mantu Thakuria, Santoonu Kalita and Gautam Prasad reached Delhi in the same chartered flight in the morning.

According to sources, in the meeting names for the next Chief Minister will be discussed as six days have passed and no decision has taken on the formation of the new government in Assam.

The BJP had not announced a chief ministerial face before going for the polls. The Saffron party is finding it difficult to choose between the two -- Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma, as the factors on the ground and within the state unit have changed.

"Majority of MLAs are in favour of having Sarma as their Chief Minister. Sarma is also popular among masses for tirelessly working to control the Covid," a Assam BJP leader said.

Sarma, a former Congress leader who joined BJP in 2015, had played an important and crucial role in formation of the BJP government in 2016. He has become one of the most prominent face of the party in the state and the whole of North East region. He is also the convener of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and is considered to be the party's main political brain in the area.

Another party insider said that Sarma left no stone unturned for the Chief Minister post as he believes he not only deserves it but also earned it. On the other hand in 2016, Sonowal had led to the BJP's maiden victory in Assam and successfully run the government for five years. He also enjoys the support of the RSS.
New Delhi, May 8: India and Africa must forge a vaccine alliance to consolidate gains following US President Joe Bidens decision to suspend patents that come in the way of mass producing Covid-19 vaccines.

The Biden administration's brave move, which implies taking on the powerful and highly organised Big Pharma, follows intense lobbying by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organization (WTO), along with 60 other countries.

The two emerging economies had called for the temporary lifting of intellectual property rights held by big pharmaceutical companies so that inexpensive Covid-19 vaccines could be mass produced locally.

India, especially, has been hit hard by a massive second wave of Covid-19, forcing it to do away with some of its international obligations to export vaccines, because of an unexpected surge in demand at home.

Unsurprisingly, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, had last month discussed lifting the patent protections of coronavirus vaccines during a conversation with Biden, in order to augment supplies.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi also informed President Biden about India's initiative at the WTO for a relaxation in the norms of the Agreement on TRIPS to ensure quick and affordable access to vaccines and medicines for developing countries," said an official statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs after the dialogue.

After Biden's move, Africa is now celebrating the patents breakthrough, though there are hurdles ahead because of the Big Pharma's influence in the European Union. Unless all members are on board, including the Europeans, it would not be possible to act upon Biden's waiver, as the WTO decisions are taken only by consensus.

"This is leadership in action! History will remember this decision as a great act of humanity," tweeted John Nkengasong Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control & Prevention.

African Union officials are singling out three countries - South Africa, Senegal and Rwanda - as vaccine hubs for Africa. That includes producing mRNA-type jabs that are being viewed as products based on innovative technology to fight Covid-19.

Both Rwanda and South Africa have already shown intent to bond with India to produce life-saving vaccines.

Speaking virtually at the 6th edition of the Raisina Dialogue, India's flagship conference on geopolitics held last month, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda praised New Delhi for the solidarity it had shown with Africa on vaccinations.

"India, despite its own challenges, has produced most of the vaccine doses sent to Africa under Covax and related programmes. Without India's production capacity and spirit of solidarity it is possible that Africa would not yet have received much vaccine at all," he said.

He signalled that more ambitious private sector investments between India and Africa were required in the pharma sector.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is also a strong advocate of a vaccine alliance among developing countries, including India. "Developing countries must be made to internalise that hoarding available vaccines and not waiving vaccine patents will lead to immense suffering and tremendous loss of human life. None of us are safe until all of us are safe," he tweeted on May 1.

Ramaphosa said during May day celebrations that the rise in the number of coronavirus infections and Covid-19- related deaths in India as well as the looming crisis in Brazil make a strong and an urgent case for developing countries to produce vaccines themselves.

"Many developing countries have the capacity and will be able to manufacture their own vaccines much more quickly, efficiently and much cheaper. South Africa in particular must be alive to the real risk of experiencing a third wave of Covid infections during winter," he observed.

The Financial Times is reporting that South Africa has some of Africa's most advanced vaccine knowhow, including Aspen, a Durban-based company. The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, Senegal, also has vaccine-producing experience, making small quantities of yellow fever jabs each year.

That gives plenty of option for collaboration between India's vast vaccine infrastructure and Africa's significant capability to scale up the production of jabs on an international scale.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/

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New Delhi, May 8: Javed Khan and Aziz Khan, both hail from Madhya Pradesh, are men with limited means but with unlimited passion for selfless service. Both are outstanding examples of how one renders help to people stricken by the second surge of Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

The 34-year-old Javed is an auto driver in Bhopal who has converted his vehicle into an ambulance. While, Aziz Khan, 39, is an Mechanical Engineer of Dhar who has fabricated a bike ambulance that can ferry Coronavirus patients from remote and inaccessible areas to hospitals.

From Auto To Ambulance In an article in Hindustan Times about his inspiration to convert his autorickshaw into an ambulance, Javed Khan said: "During the lockdown, I was sitting at home and reading news that people are facing trouble in reaching hospitals. I thought of helping such people. But I thought just to help them in reaching the hospital is not enough, so I thought of converting my auto into a mini ambulance. The oxygen is one of the most important things for Covid-19 infected patients so I fit an oxygen cylinder in my auto." Disclosing that his wife not only supported his idea but also helped him, Javed shared that she parted with her jewellery to raise money for this venture. "My wife Kishwar Khan helped me financially by giving her gold pendant and earrings. I sold it for ?10,000. I posted my numbers on social media so that people can contact me any time." In fact, in a span of two weeks itself, he helped 12 people in Bhopal.

Fortunately, the most important part of the ambulance, namely the oxygen cylinder and oximeter were given by two donors.

Javed Khan was taught by a doctor how to use the cylinder and oximeter to safely supply the lifesaving gas to patients while he drives them to a hospital.

As he offers the services free, he has been dipping into his savings.

"I have saved some money to repay the loan of my auto but now I am using this money to bear my household expenses," revealed Javed.

Even though it is a struggle to refill the cylinder, Javed does not mind it at all. "It takes four to five hours and someday more than eight hours to get the cylinders refilled at a centre in Govindpura but it motivates me to help more people." People who have used his ambulance appreciate his effort.

Sunil Dug, a resident of Awadhpuri, told Hindustan Times, "I was discharged from the hospital two days ago, I needed an ambulance to reach home but I didn't get any vehicle till late at night. I saw Javed's number on a social media platform. I contacted him, he was 12 kilometres away from the hospital but he came and took me to my home which was 13 kilometres from the hospital. When I asked for money, he refused to take any but I donated some money for his welfare service." In fact Javed Khan acknowledges the help he has received from many.

"Many people have come forward to help me with donations and have requested me to continue driving around until the pandemic is over. It is thanks to the help of so many people, I am able to do this. I couldn't have done this on my own," he said.

Turning Scrap Into Ambulance Aziz Khan, a fabricator from Dhar, was deeply concerned when he read in the media, What's App and Facebook about problems people faced in reaching hospital from remote places due to lack of ambulances.

"I have been working as a fabricator for the past so many years. I read some news that people are facing difficulty in reaching hospitals due to a kutcha road or narrow lane so I thought of developing a bike ambulance. I constructed an attachment with a bed, an oxygen cylinder and a metallic cover. The structure is attached to my bike and this is how I am able to take the patients safely to the hospital," he said.

Like Javed Khan, Aziz too does not charge for the bike ambulance. On the contrary, even though he used a lot of material from his fabrication unit, he says he must have spent Rs.30,000.

It was Aziz's empathy for the relatives of Covid-19 affected patients that motivated him to devise this ambulance. In a video interview, he said, "The patient is lying unaware of what is happening around. It is the attendants and the relatives who are helpless as no ambulance is available to take the patient. In remote areas ambulances don't go as they operate only in the urban areas. I felt that there is a need to develop something indigenous which can be used easily in the countryside and that can be attached to any vehicle for ferry a patient safety with oxygen to the nearest hospital." Being an engineer and an experienced fabricator he looked around his factory for material to make this carrier that could be towed by a vehicle. "Having got the concept I moved to the stage of making it. Due to the lockdown, the first thing I did was look around my factory to see what was available. I found some motorcycle tyres and rims, and some fabrication stuff. I put it all together and in about four days this carrier was ready. I managed to get an oxygen cylinder too for it," shared Aziz in the video.

The ambulance was put to use almost immediately. "My worker whose elder brother suddenly became sick, used this bike ambulance to ferry his brother forty kilometres for admitting him in a hospital. My hard work was immediately paid for as it saved a person's life." What makes the bike ambulance a feasible option is that it can be used by everyone. "In the case of this bike ambulance, the relatives of the Covid-19 affected person can drive the bike and take the patient to the hospital. They don't have to depend on the ambulance or an attendant," said Aziz.

The bike ambulance is readily available for everyone. "I have parked the ambulance outside my factory and whoever needs it can take it as it is free. All they need to show is the doctor's prescription and take the ambulance, use it and return it," informed Aziz.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/

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Gurugram, May 8 : In an initiative to stop black marketing and streamline oxygen supply across the state, the Haryana government will soon start a door-to-door oxygen cylinder refill provision for its people.

To avail this facility, the patient or their family will have to apply online. Application request to be made via oxygenhry.inAor https://t.co/GqyxfuTxPu.

"With this initiative of refilling oxygen cylinders at home, needy Covid patients will get liquid oxygen at their door step and their families will not have to stand in queues for long hours. It will also curb black marketing. Also, many home isolation patients will get cylinders at home and hospital beds with oxygen support will be available for high-risk Covid patients," said a senior administration official.

To avail this facility the applicant will have to upload the photo of the oxygen level in the oximeter and Aadhaar number on the portal.

It is also mandatory to write the age and address of the patient on the portal. An application can be made only once a day from a mobile number. The applicant will receive details via an SMS.

The officer also said amid oxygen shortage, many Covid patients were home isolated and there were many suffering from other diseases and required oxygen.

At present oxygen is being supplied from six centers in Gurugram -- GK Papreja, Kalinga Air at Pataudi Chowk, SR Gases at Kadipur, Air Max Sector-8 in Manesar, Star Gases Sector-7 in Manesar and Shree Rajasthan Gases Sector-5 in Manesar.

In Gurugram the figures of COVID active patients are 39,000 and 36,449 are in home isolation.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
New Delhi, May 8: Hurriyat Conferences pro-Pakistan faction has become virtually headless with the death of the 77-year-old Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) ideologue Mohammad Ashraf Khan aka Ashraf Sehrai at Jammus Government Medical College Hospital on Wednesday, 5 May 2021.

Separatist hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Sehrai were bosom friends who worked with Jamaat-e-Islami continuously from 1959 to 2003. Both contested elections on JeI's ticket but Geelani alone became a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, three times-in 1972, 1977 and 1987.

With the outbreak of militancy in Kashmir, Geelani was among the four Muslim United Front (MUF) MLAs who resigned in 1989. He was among a number of the pro-militant politicians who were arrested and released in three years. In 1993, he was among the Pakistan-backed leaders who formed the first separatist conglomerate in Jammu and Kashmir under the umbrella of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC).

The APHC remained monolithic for 10 years but fragmented in 2003 over the issue of the Peoples Conference's "proxy participation" in the Assembly elections of 2002 in Jammu and Kashmir.

Geelani, representing JeI in the APHC, demanded "action" against the PC while alleging that the party had played infidel to the constitution and fielded 'proxy candidates' in the Assembly elections after its founder chairman Abdul Gani Lone's assassination in a terror strike at Eidgah, Srinagar. In the APHC, Lone was succeeded by his elder son Bilal Lone. As the APHC chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq declined to proceed against the PC, Geelani announced his separation. He alongwith Sehrai broke away from Jamaat and subsequently floated his own organisation, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH). With this development, Geelani launched his own faction of the Hurriyat Conference, commonly known as Hurriyat (G).

While Mirwaiz was elected as the chairman of his faction of the Hurriyat Conference and Geelani headed Hurriyat's pro-Pakistan ensemble, the erstwhile APHC's key constituents, including Yasin Malik's Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), the JeI and the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) did not join either faction. For 15 years, Geelani operated as the head of the TeH as well the chairman of the Hurriyat (G).

Even after Geelani and Sehrai quit the JeI, they continued to draw a many cadres from their old organisation. They drew unflinching support from all the militant outfits, including the JeI's guerrilla arm, Hizbul Mujahideen. Over the years, Geelani grew as an undisputed darling of almost all the militant organisations and the Pakistani establishment. His followers boycotted elections but wherever they voted after 1999, they favoured Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In March 2018, Geelani announced his resignation from the TeH but continued to operate as chairman of the Hurriyat (G). Sehrai was elected as Geelani's successor in TeH. Finally, a dramatic development occurred on 28 June 2020 when Geelani announced his resignation from the Hurriyat (G) and released a statement leveling serious charges on the "Pakistan-based Kashmiri leadership". He declared the Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir based Kashmiri activist Syed Abdullah Gilani as his "representative in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan".

It was around this time that the Pakistani establishment isolated not only its most trusted ace Geelani but also his nominated representative Abdullah Gilani, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Salahuddin, PoK's 'Prime Minister' Raja Farooq Haider and other Kashmiri activists. The Pakistani establishment managed to install Sehrai as chairman of the Hurriyat (G), over a month after his militant son Junaid Sehrai was killed along with two other militants in an encounter at Nawakadal, Srinagar, in May 2020.

The authorities in Srinagar got Sehrai arrested under Public Safety Act (PSA). He was lodged in District Jail Udhampur where he developed medical complications and finally died at GMC Hospital Jammu. Officials maintained that his posthumous RT PCR test showed him as positive in Covid. His last rites were conducted silently in his ancestral village of Tekipora in Kupwara's Lolab valley.

In the last two years, 92-year-old Geelani has been completely deactivated to the extent that he has never interacted with media. Even the two-odd statements on his behalf are believed to have been issued by his family under pressure from unknown quarters. Sources close to his family insist that Geelani has been suffering dementia. Political analysts view it all as the end of an era. It is for the first time since 1989, that the pro-Pakistan political camp has become headless. After Geelani and Sehrai, the only possible contenders for this position were Massarat Alam, former HCBA chief Mian Abdul Qayoom and the Hizbul Mujahideen chief Salahuddin.

While Salahuddin has been in Pakistan continuously since 1993 and Massarat Alam in jail since May 2015-with no prospects of his release in the near future-Qayoom has completely disassociated from political activity after his release by the Supreme Court of India over an undertaking in August 2020.

"With Sehrai's death and Geelani's ailment, Hurriyat (G) has become completely defunct. The Pak establishment may install either a senior Jamaat leader or someone based in PoK as the amalgam's new chairman but none of them has Geelani's or Sehrai's stature", said a professor at the Political Science department of the University of Kashmir.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/
New Delhi, May 8 : Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday slammed the government over the goods and services tax (GST) on vaccines, saying the lives of can be lost but the Prime Minister's tax collection should not be lost.

In a tweet in Hindi, Rahul Gandhi said, "Lives of people can be lost, but the tax collection of the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) should not be lost." He also used the hash tag of GST.

His remarks came after several Congress-ruled states questioned the five per cent GST on the Covid vaccines.

With the five per cent GST on Covid vaccines the state governments have to pay Rs 15-20 extra per dose to the central government.

The Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh governments have opposed the move of collection of GST on Covid vaccines manufactured in India.

Even Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has written to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for waiver of GST on Covid vaccines.

Rahul Gandhi on Friday wrote to the Prime Minister saying his government's lack of a clear and coherent Covid and vaccination strategy, as well as its hubris in declaring premature victory as the virus was exponentially spreading, has placed India in a highly dangerous position.

He also slammed the government over the rise in fuel prices.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
May 08 : Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who recently bagged an international award for his short film Happy Birthday, took to social media to refute rumours about the demise of his wife Kirron Kher, who has been battling cancer.

Taking to his Instagram and Twitter handles, Anupam Kher urged everyone "not to spread such negative news". In a statement, the actor said that Kirron is "absolutely fine" and got her second dose of the coronavirus vaccine on Friday. "There is a rumour going around about Kirron's health. It's all false. She is doing absolutely fine. In fact she got her second vaccination done for Covid this afternoon. I will request people not to spread such negative news. Thanks! Stay safe."

Anupam Kher along with Kirron Kher and his mother and brother got their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine on Friday. He even shared a picture of Kirron after she took the vaccine. It was Kirrons first appearance after she was diagnosed with cancer. Anupam Kher also shared pictures of himself, his mother and brother on Instagram and wrote, "We got our 2nd vaccination done. Thank you #SisterAnnie #DrAfsa and @nanavatihospital for making it possible. Mom was the bravest. Chanting #OmNamahShivay helped me and hopefully @kirronkhermp bhabhi @kherreema and brother @rajukherofficial also!! #MaskUp #StaySafe #GetVaccinated."

In April this year, Anupam Kher had confirmed that Kirron had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, and is undergoing treatment for it. Kher also posted a video to thank his fans and well-wishers for the love that he and his family received. Thank you everybody for your love, concern, best wishes and blessings for @KirronKherBJP. She conveys her gratitude to all of you. You all have been wonderful in these tough times. We feel humbled!! Love and prayers for all of

you!! #Thanks #Gratitude, he had written along with the video.

Recently, Anupam Kher won the Best Actor award at the New York City International Film Festival for his short film Happy Birthday. The film also bagged the Best Short Film award at the film festival.
Ramallah, May 8 : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has held the Israeli government responsible for the recent clashes in East Jerusalem.

"Israel is fully responsible for the repercussions of the dangerous developments, mainly the escalated Israeli assaults on our people in East Jerusalem," Abbas said in a televised speech aired on Palestine TV on Friday.

He also said that Palestine will request from the UN Security Council to convene soon to discuss the situation in East Jerusalem, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Friday, Palestinian and Israeli media sources said that clashes broke out between Palestinian worshippers and the Israeli police at al-Aqsa Mosque in the old city in East Jerusalem.

Palestinian sources said that Israeli police forces stormed the yards of al-Aqsa Mosque and fired rubber bullets and teargas canisters to disperse dozens of prayers that were demonstrating against Israel.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that at least 53 Palestinian worshippers were injured and many others were arrested.

Six Israeli policemen were injured, according to media reports.

Earlier in the day, stones were hurled at Israeli officers and vehicles in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, while fireworks were also set off.

At least 15 people were arrested, according to the Israeli police.

Sheikh Jarrah is located in the Arab eastern part of Jerusalem, north of the Old City.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the central disputes in the Middle East conflict.

Israel claims Jerusalem as its "eternal and indivisible capital", while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as their capital.
Cameroon says administers 40,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, including over half from China

Xinhua) 10:52, May 08, 2021

YAOUNDE, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Some 40,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Cameroon since mid-April, health minister Manaouda Malachie said on Friday.

These included 23,882 doses of China's Sinopharm vaccine and 16,089 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine administered as of Thursday in the central African nation, the minister said on social media.

"Government is encouraging the target populations to be vaccinated for collective protection," he said.

On Tuesday, Manaouda told a cabinet meeting that the COVID-19 situation, which had witnessed an upsurge, was now stable following the vaccination campaign, which was launched on April 12, shortly after Cameroon received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Jenkins gives a cant-look-away performance that has the audience cheering, but should the audience be cheering for Audrey II? In the other leading roles, Ricky Cona makes a charmingly hapless Seymour and is in good voice. He pairs well with Lillie Eliza Thomas, who thankfully makes Audrey her own, foregoing the Kewpie-doll routine usually embraced by actors in the role. Her Somewhere Thats Green is the shows highlight, and she finds depths in Audrey that are missing from the other characters.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 8 : With an all round overhaul on the cards in the now grieving Congress party in Kerala following the electoral drubbing it received in the April 6 assembly polls, all eyes are on the arrival of the two member AICC delegation which will have a one-on-one meeting with the 21 Congress legislators to elect the parliamentary party leader. It will also be decided as to who will take up the post of Leader of Opposition and the word is if such a thing happens, then two time former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will get the nod.

The Congress has formed a team led by senior leader Malikarjuna Kharge and it is expected to arrive in the state on May 20 and will speak to all concerned and it's that which could turn out to be a clincher for Chandy.

At the polls, when the Congress led UDF was all set to take over power, as is the practice in Kerala where the Opposition goes on to form the new government, after the assembly polls, this time it failed to happen, leaving the entire Congress and UDF devastated.

In the 140-member Kerala assembly, while the Pinarayi Vijayan led Left secured 99 seats, the UDF won just 41 seats, down six seats from 2016.

The 77-year-old Chandy after being booted out by Vijayan in 2016, in the five years, did not aim for any post and remained just an ordinary legislator, but utilised his time to be with the people of the state and travelled widely, as he is the last of the vanishing tribe of a Congress leader who has a pan-Kerala acceptance.

In the 2020 local body polls, when despite Vijayan's government coming under a maze of grave allegations, managed to win the polls, it was on the cards that for invigorating the Congress party, something needs to be done.

And, Chandy just before the assembly polls was announced the chairman of the election committee and was in charge of selection of candidates and devising the campaign strategy.

Why Chandy, despite not able to take the UDF to regain power, has a chance to become the new Leader of Opposition is because when results came and Congress was badly mauled, a huge cry broke out demanding the replacement of State Congress president Mullapally Ramachandran and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, there was none who bayed for the blood of Chandy.

However on Friday, at its first review meeting of the political affairs committee of the party, Ramachandran who spoke first lamented that he is being singled out for the beating and it was unfair.

Chandy stepped in and said that if there is one single person who is responsible for the debacle, it's him, as he was the chairman of the election committee and he will take the full responsibility.

Soon came similar statements from the other members and decided not to blame any single person and that turned out to be very decisive to diffuse what was an emotionally charged meeting when it began, with many upset at the way how Ramachandran and Chennithala failed to get the UDF into power, but none ever spoke a word naming Chandy, even though he was the chairman of the election committee.

A Congress legislator on condition of anonymity said even though in the 21 member Congress legislator party, there are more legislators who are in the faction led by Chennithala, if there is going to be a decision which would be made after a one-on-one interaction with the legislators, a few from the camp of Chennithala is certain to say they would prefer Chandy.

"We have told Chandy that at no cost should he voluntarily opt out of the race. He just smiled. He is still recovering after he turned Covid negative, last month. It's just a matter of few weeks of rest and none has any doubt, he will have all the energy to take up any responsibility, what the party asks him to take," said the legislator and added that the final call will be taken by the party high command based on the report of the Kharge committee.

So all eyes are on the arrival of Kharge, as Chandy's close aides are also anxiously waiting.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, May 8 : In 1998, Ray McLennan, who till then had been importing into the UK "all sorts of things" from India like musical instruments, saris, tilak, Tulsi malas and agarbatti, purchased Motilal Books, a small Oxford-based distributor focusing on academic bookshops and university libraries.

In 2014, he set up his own company, Rays Books of India Pvt Ltd, to broaden his accessibility. Between them, the two companies recorded a turnover of 1.7 million pounds in 2020, in spite of the Coronavirus pandemic, riding largely on online sales.

"I needed a new challenge, and having found it hard to get books from India, and the constant issues with payment, quality, reliability, and general information on what is in print, decided to improve all the logistics, providing a much needed service for all Indian publishers, from the biggest to the No.1 authors," McLennan, who is originally from New Zealand, told IANS in an interview from his base in St. Albans in Hertfordshire, north of London.

"My gifts from India to the world are printed books across the full spectrum of subjects, many unique to India and others international, but produced more cheaply in India than elsewhere. Religious and spiritual development titles are the most popular category of Indian publishing worldwide. But all academic subjects, fiction, wildlife and tourism, and of course cookery, are always selling," he added.

And how - 16,000 books were sold per month in 2020 and made for 9,000-plus titles sold during the year.

"We have had an increase in turnover (in spite of the pandemic), but due to increased freight costs, a lower margin. Our greater sales are because online selling is king. Bookshops have been closed much of 2020," McLennan said.

His Indian associate, KPR Nair of Konark Publishers, was quite astounded when he visited McLennan in St Albans in 2019.

"I could not believe my eyes when I saw the kind of stock of books held by him of Indian authors, from Chetan Bhagat to Shobha De to Ramachandra Guha to Shashi Tharoor. I was floored by his in-depth knowledge of our products and equally by his passion about Indian culture and our way of life, etc. What was to be a brief meeting thus ended up in a four-hour-long passionate talk about books, history and culture and untold stories about Indian authors and our publishing industry.

"To sum it up, both of us did not get time even for the minimum civilities of a cup of coffee. We did not simply realize it; we were so caught up in our talk. We smelled, sipped, drank, but it was all books and books," Nair told IANS.

Only in India, McLeenan said, "is the English publishing scene full of titles on an endless range of subjects, authors and publishers. As the world's largest distributor of this material outside of India we work with the worldwide book trade to list between 700-1,000 new titles a month, adding to a range of over 100,000 such titles available today. We have over 9,500 Indian published titles in stock with Amazon.co.uk, and 13,400 units in stock with Amazon.com in the USA".

"We have titles available from more than 750 Indian publishers we exclusively represent into the UK and the worldwide book trade, including Penguin Random House, HarperCollins India, Westland, Konark, Orient Blackswan, TERI, Juggernaut, Kitab Mahal and Jaico.

"We exhibit internationally every year at the London Book Fair (the 2020 edition was cancelled and the 2021 event will be held digitally) where we meet with publishers and customers. We attend the Delhi World Book Fair every year in February (the 2021 edition was virtual), which presents us an opportunity to meet contracted publishers and new publishers, see new titles, and plan future business with them all to maximise sales outside of India," McLennan said.

He visited India originally in 1975, has since visited the country every year, and since 2004, multiple times a year.

The establishment of Rays Books of India Pvt Ltd improved the procurement percentage of all books he had a demand for and that dramatically improved sales. "We went from supplying only 55 per cent of titles ordered by me to 85- 90 per cent, and that, in turn, told the UK market that greater availability was now possible, which again increased orders," McLennan said.

"We are pushing new developments all the time. Adding new titles to our selection is a priority. We are currently adding over 500 new titles to the world's book trade records, every month, every year," he pointed out.

"We want to sell as many of each title as possible, and as a specialised wholesale distributor of Indian publishing, we estimate that around 75-80 per cent of all Indian publishing sold in the UK is sold by Motilal (UK) Books of India," he added.

Over time he built up the inventory of titles held in stock in the UK, "and that again increased the speed of supply to all types of trade customers, such as book chains, independents, libraries, schools and specialist niche markets.

"From 2006 we have been the only major supplier of all Indian publishing worldwide, and although we have had financial collapses, terrorism, changes of governments, ebooks, Brexit, and now Covid, our sales have continued to increase as we create more awareness of what has been published, its price and where to get it.

"Yes, Covid is giving us problems, but we will continue to supply demand which is mainly coming from the USA and the UK as can only be expected as the two biggest centres of English language publishing and selling," McLennan concluded.

(Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in)

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Amaravati, May 8 : At least nine workers were killed and some others injured in gelatin sticks explosion in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district on Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred near Mamillapalle village in Kalasapadu mandal when the labourers were unloading gelatin stick from a vehicle for using them at a limestone mine.

Such was the impact of the explosion that the body parts of the deceased were blown apart and the vehicle was completely burnt.

The workers hailing from Kalasapadu and Pulivendula mandals were carrying gelatin sticks for blasting the rocks at the mine.

Police rushed to the spot and shifted the bodies for autopsy. They took up the investigation and were trying to find out if the quarry had license to use the explosives.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed shock over the deaths in the explosion. He conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased.

The chief minister enquired about the incident and its reasons from senior officials.

TDP national president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu also expressed deep shock and grief over the death of several innocent workers in the blast.

He demanded that the government extend all help and announce ex gratia to the kin of the deceased on par with the LG Polymers in Vizag.

In a statement here, the TDP chief demanded immediate steps to provide better medical care to all those who were injured in the blast. It was unfortunate the tragic incident took place claiming so many lives in the chief minister's own native district. To prevent such incidents, proper safety standards should be followed there. All the workers should be given perfect safety equipment.

Chandrababu Naidu said that the government should immediately launch rescue and relief operations. The rulers should explain to the people why they had allowed the mining works at a time when there was an 18-hour curfew clamped all over the state to check the spread of coronavirus.
New Delhi, May 8 : Actress Raveena Tandon says she is disturbed by the oxygen shortage in the capital amid the second wave of Covid, and has taken it upon herself to send oxygen cylinders to the city.

Raveena has started an initiative called Oxygen Seva On The Wheels Mumbai To Delhi, where she is sending oxygen cylinders through her non-profit organisation, Rudra Foundation to the Capital.

"Just look around you, how can what's happening not need you to do something, instead of just sitting and tweeting about it. As you can see, Delhi is almost gasping for breath, and this is the initiative a few likeminded people along with me decided to take up," Raveena told IANS.

The actress says they are reaching out to those who are well-off for funding, and acknowledges the cooperation of Chintu Kwatra and Khushiyan Foundation.

"I have dispersed a lot of 300 cylinders and for the rest, we are trying to generate funds from likeminded people, whether it is our friends or anyone who has extra money. We are not pressuring people, the common man to come forward and donate. At this moment, everyone needs to save for emergency that they might face. But yes, we are reaching out to people who can make a difference and asking them to chip in," she says.

Not only shortage of oxygen, but people are also being forced to pay exorbitant prices for medical necessities. Talking about the same, the actress says: "Be it ambulances or hospitals, oxygen, oximeters, concentrators, the amount of money being charged is ridiculous. People in dire need of these things are desperate, anything to save their near and dear ones, and are shelling out their life's savings. What can I say about these people taking advantage of the needy at the moment?" she says.

However, she adds that she has also been a lot of support for her initiative. "Many of my family members have chipped in, my extended family, cousins, like-minded friends, people have called me from various places and it is an initiative that is being supported by a lot of people," she says.

Raveena adds that she is making sure to deliver the oxygen to the right people, so that it can go to those who need it, free of cost.

"What we are doing is a drop in the ocean of what is required, but the fact is that we have tied up with people where we know for sure this will go free of cost to the needy. We have tied up with DCP South Delhi, the police, and we are handing over a part of the lot that is going now. Then we are giving Radha Soami Satsang Beas cylinders because they have a centre at Chattarpur, which is free of cost. We are giving part of it to the army and another NGO, which has tied up with us. We are going through Twitter and verifying whoever is most needy at that time and sending cylinders there. It's a personal one- to -one thing that we are doing," she says.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Islamabad/Jeddah, May 8 : Visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Saturday have affirmed their commitment to fortify the 'upward trajectory' in bilateral relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in Islamabad said.

The Prime Minister and the Crown Prince met in Jeddah and held wide-ranging talks on bilateral, regional and international issues, The Express Tribune quoted the Ministry as saying.

"The talks were marked by exceptional cordiality and a commitment to fortify the upward trajectory in the bilateral relationship.

"The two leaders reaffirmed the strong and historic bonds between the two countries rooted firmly in shared beliefs, common values, mutual trust and longstanding tradition of mutual support," it added.

During the meeting, special emphasis was laid on increasing Saudi investments in Pakistan, collaboration in the field of energy, and increased job opportunities for Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia, according to the MoFA.

The two leaders also signed an agreement on the establishment of the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council (SPSCC).

Khan also extended an invitation to Crown Prince Salman to visit Pakistan, stated the MoFA.

Besides Foreign Minister Qureshi, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, Senator Faisal Javed and other senior officials are also part of the official delegation, reports The Express Tribune.

On May 4, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa reached Riyadh to meet Saudi civil and military leadership in what seemed to be part of the preparation of the prime minister's visit.
At a hurriedly called press conference in Nakyal on May 6 in Pakistani Occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK), Awami Workers Party leader Nissar Shah advocate criticised the local Assistant Commissioner, Omar Farooq, for launching what Shah called a vindictive FIR against Shamsher Ali Sher advocate of Samaj Badlo Tehreeks (Change Society Movement) and a candidate in upcoming general elections.

This is not the first time that social justice activists in PoJK are faced with victimisation and it will most definitely not be the last. In the past, student activists of Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF) have faced arrests and torture at the hands of the occupation forces.

Shamsher Ali Sher hails from a respected family of professionals in Nakyal in Kotli district. He is campaigning for the construction of safety walls at blind corners along the Nakyal-Kotli road which is a main cause for frequent road accidents. On December 31, 2020, a Nakyal bound van carrying a family who were travelling back from Gujranwala in Punjab lost control and fell hundreds of feet down into a ravine instantly killing three women and a man.1 Another accident that took place on April 11, 2021, five members of the same family lost their lives. They were travelling from Nakyal to Kotli city. "These loss of lives could have been averted provided there was a safety wall build at the dangerous parts and blind corners of the Nakyal-Kotli Road", says Sher. And now he himself fears for his life and rightly so.

In the past, Arif Shahid social activist from PoJK paid with his life for raising voice against social injustice. He was allegedly killed by an ISI hitman outside his house in Rawalpindi on May 14, 2013. Arif Shahid campaign against the increase bar on political parties to participate in general elections unless they signed a document pledging allegiance to Pakistan.2 In 2011, a doctor and a human rights activist from PoJK was gunned down allegedly by the Pakistani secret service the ISI.3 Most recently Afzal Sulehria, a high profile political and human rights activist and leader of Kashmir National Party, allegedly became yet another victim of the ISI. Sulehria was a towering figure in Muzaffarabad, the capital city of PoJK. He vigorously campaigned against the diversion of Rivers Kishan Ganga (Neelum) and River Jhelum, and in December 2020 had written a letter to the Pakistan army chief demanding all 1. https://www.dawn.com/news/15255333 2. Adams, Brad. "Pakistan: 'Free Kashmir' Far From Free". Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on 2013-03-14. Retrieved 2012-08-08.

Choudhry, Shabbir. "PAKISTAN: Another Azad Kashmiri becomes the victim of ISI butchery". Asian Human Rights Commission. Archived from the original on 2012-03-27. Retrieved 2012-04-14.

Under construction hydropower projects to be brought to an instant halt and deals made between the government of Azad Kashmir and Chinese construction companies be made public. In February 2021, less than two months after he had written to the Army Chief, Sulehria died of a mysterious heart attack. No autopsy was carried out.

It is not uncommon for human rights and political activists such as Shamsher Ali Sher advocate to face persecution after being involved in campaigns that attempt to address issues regarding public interest in PoJK. Those who have raised their voice against the colonial rule of Pakistan, since October 1947, when Pakistan attacked the state of Jammu and Kashmir and forcefully annexed western parts of Jammu province as well as Gilgit Agency, unfortunately share the same fate.

Human Rights Watch report sums up the ordeal we face in PoJK most convincingly as follows: "the Pakistani government in Islamabad, (read military establishment), the Pakistani army and the Pakistani intelligence services (Inter-Services Intelligence, ISI) control all aspects of political life in Azad Kashmir (PoJK)... Azad Kashmir is a land of strict curbs on political pluralism, freedom of expression, and freedom of association; a muzzled press; banned books; arbitrary arrest and detention and torture at the hands of the Pakistani military and the police. Singled out are Kashmiri nationalists who do not support the idea of Kashmir's accession to Pakistan." (Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK.)
Lahore, May 8 : Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has been barred from flying to the UK on Saturday by the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA), a day after the Lahore High Court (LHC) removed his name from the 'blacklist'.

FIA immigration officials reportedly offloaded the opposition leader from a flight to Doha after his name was found to be present on the blacklist, which prevents him from leaving the country, The Express Tribune reported.

He was scheduled to leave Lahore for Doha, after which he was to leave for London after 10 days quarantine in Qatar.

After being denied permission to travel, Sharif returned to his residence in the city.

Speaking to an immigration official at the airport, PML-N leaders informed that the oppostion leader has been granted conditional permission to travel abroad for medical treatment by the LHC, to which the official responded that he was barred from leaving the country until the clearance on the immigration system is updated.

On Friday, LHC granted permission to Sharif to travel abroad once for medical treatment after he filed a petition with the court, seeking directions to the quarters concerned for the removal of his name from the travel blacklist.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
May 08 : Like many other Bollywood celebrities, Anushka Sharma and her husband Virat Kohli have started a fundraiser to extend support to COVID-19 relief work. The actor-producer took to social media today to reveal that they have crossed the halfway mark. While the target was 7 crore, it has already reached 3.6 crore.

Anushka and Virat have contributed 2 crore themselves. Sharing a post on Instagram, Anushka wrote, Grateful to everyone who has donated so far. Thank you for your contribution. We have crossed the half way mark, lets keep going. According to the post, 3.6 crore had already been generated.

The celebrity couple has joined hands with Ketto that aims to raise funds to ensure deployment of oxygen solutions, including concentrators and oxygen plants to hospitals across India, and also look at bolstering medical manpower, home care and help scale Indias vaccination efforts as the country battles the second wave of the pandemic.

In a video on Friday, Anushka and Virat said that they were pained to see the suffering in the country. Expressing their gratitude for those who stepped forward to help others, the actress wrote, "As our country battles the second wave of Covid-19, and our healthcare systems are facing extreme challenges, it breaks my heart to see our people suffering. So, Virat and I have initiated a campaign #InThisTogether, with Ketto, to raise funds for Covid-19 relief."

The Ketto campaign that aimed to raise 7 crore, was launched on Friday on the platform Ketto in association with the NGO, United Way of Bengaluru.

Virat Kohli has also said that his IPL team, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, will offer financial assistance towards COVID-19 relief. The team had decided to wear a "special" blue jersey in one of their matches to raise funds for COVID-19 relief. However, due to the second wave of the coronavirus, the tournament has been postponement indefinitely.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Jerusalem, May 8 : More than 200 people have been injured in heavy clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in Jerusalem, authorities said on Saturday.

The Palestinian Red Crescent gave the number of injured as 205, 88 of whom were taken to hospitals, reports dpa news agency.

Many of them had been hit by rubber bullets.

According to the Israeli police, 17 officers were injured, about half of them needing treatment in hospital.

Clashes occurred between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the Old City on the holy site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.

There were also clashes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.

Thousands of believers had gathered there for prayers on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

According to the police, the clashes began when stones and firecrackers were thrown at officers near an access gate.

Police officers then moved into the compound to deal with the rioters.

The confrontations continued well into the night.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas blamed Israel for the escalation.

The Islamist Hamas movement, which governs the Gaza Strip, condemned Israel's actions.

It will "pay the price for its aggression", Hamas said in a statement.

There was initially no reaction from the Israeli government.

The US State Department and UN special envoy Tor Wennesland expressed deep concern about the ongoing violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Both called for moderation.

Since the start of Ramadan and the delay of Palestinian parliamentary elections, tensions and violence have repeatedly erupted in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israeli security forces had most recently prevented an attack on one of their bases in the north of the West Bank on Friday morning; two attackers were killed.

Unrest was initially triggered by Palestinian anger over Israeli police blockades in the Old City during Ramadan.

A conflict over the possible evictions of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood further exacerbated tensions.

The neighbourhood has been the focus of attention for decades because of property disputes.

Both Israeli settlers and Palestinians claim ownership there.

A decision could be made on May 10 in the case of four families.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the central points of contention in the Middle East conflict.

Israel claims Jerusalem as its "eternal and indivisible capital", while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as their capital.
Baghdad, May 8 : A US-led alliance fighting the Islamic State (IS) terror group on Saturday said an air attack had targeted a military base in western Iraq, causing no casualties.

Alliance spokesman Colonel Wayne Marotto said on Twitter that the "Ain Al-Asad Air Base (AAAB) was attacked by an unmanned aerial surveillance system" at around 11.30 p.m. on Friday, dpa news agency rpeorted.

"No injuries reported. A hangar was damaged. The attack is under investigation," he added.

So far, there has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.

It was the latest in a series of attacks targeting bases housing US forces in Iraq.

In recent months, the heavily-fortified Green Zone in the capital Baghdad, home to the US embassy, and facilities hosting American troops in Iraq have been the target of repeated attacks blamed on pro-Iranian groups.
Jackie Hixon said her son had battled addiction for years, but his brothers death this past summer had sent him on a downward spiral. She said when he called her from jail days before his death, she and her husband were out of town dealing with another death in the family, so they were unable to immediately help him. But, she said, at least initially, they were glad to know exactly where he was  and felt some relief knowing he would at least be safe.
Kabul, May 8 : At least 78 people have died in Afghanistan due to heavy rainfall and flash floods in the past week, the country's National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA) said on Saturday.

Thirty people have been wounded and another 32 are still missing, ANDMA spokesman Ahmad Tamim Azimi told dpa news agency.

Nearly 2,600 residential houses have been destroyed, either partially or completely, and 3,600 animals have perished, Azimi added.

In addition, transportation routes and more than 5,000 acres of agricultural land are destroyed.
New Delhi, May 8 : Even as the recovery of over 500 oxygen concentrators from the famous eatries in Lutyens Delhi has been transferred to the Crime Branch, several prominent people have come on the radar of the Delhi Police, including Navneet Kalra who owns three of those restaurants.

The BJP has demanded strict action against people hoarding oxygen concentrators and selling them on high prices amid the devastating second of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

According to senior Delhi Police sources related to the probe, the oxygen concentrators were being imported from China since October 2020 for as low as Rs 12,000 to Rs 20,000 and were being sold via online portals and WhatsApp between Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000.

The sources said that the police has recovered several WhatsApp messages the discussing sale of concentrators.

However, it is yet not clear if these messages were sent by Kalra.

The sources have confirmed said that it has received an audio recording where Kalra is purportedly heard saying that he cannot answer all calls as he was under immense pressure to deliver the concentrators.

A police official said that Kalra has been allegedly absconding and his mobile phone is switched off.

The police on Friday night arrested Gourav Kapoor, CEO of Matrix Cellular Services Ltd, in connection with its probe into the seizure of over 500 oxygen concentrators in the last two days.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South Delhi Atul Kumar Thakur confirmed the arrest of Khanna, a resident of Haryana's Gurugram.

He said that on Friday, police carried out searches at two popular restaurants in South Delhi's upscale Khan Market and recovered 105 concentrators, which are used for treatment of Covid patients.

"During searches at Khan Chacha restraueant in Khan Market, 96 oxygen concentrators were recovered, while nine concentrators were recovered from Town Hall restaurant," Thakur said.

Khan Chacha restaurant is known for its melt-in-the mouth kebabs, while Town Hall restaurant specialises in pan-Asian cuisine.

The official said that these concentrators were being sold in the black market.

Both outlets are linked to Kalra, the alleged black marketer of oxygen concentrators in Delhi, the official said.

On Thursday, the police recovered 419 oxygen concentrators after conducting a search at Nege & Ju Restaurant and Bar in Lodhi Colony, also owned by Kalra. The police arrested four men, including the manager of the restaurant.

Thakur said that Friday's searches were based on the inputs shared by arrested accused Hitesh during questioning.

"After searching the restaurant one person was found sitting on a laptop and he was getting orders online for oxygen concentrators by Xpect Everything online portal and on searching the restaurant premises, a total of 32 boxes of oxygen concentrators having capacity of 9 litre and 5 litre each and one box of thermal scanner and another box containing N95 masks were found," he had said.

Thakursaid that after verification it was found that the owner of the restaurant and bar is Kalra.

He said that a case was registered under several sections of IPC, Essential Commodities Act and Epidemic Diseases Act and four accused persons -- Gaurav, Satish Sethi, Vikrant and Hitesh were taken into custody.

Thakur said that on detailed interrogation, the accused persons disclosed about their warehouse in Khullar Farm, Mandi Village.

The police is also in touch with Customs department to verify the imports of the concentrators.

Taking on the black marketing of oxygen concentrators and oxygen cylinders, BJP leader Kapil Mishra demanded the police to take strict action against the accused.

In a video statement, Mishra said: "At a time when peole of Delhi are facing shortage of oxygen cylinders, Delhi Minister Imran Hussain is hoarding over 600 oxygen cylinders at his home. A case should be registered against him.

"I urge the Commissioner of Delhi Police to take strict action against them."

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 8 : Amidst increasing Covid-19 vaccine demands in the country, wastage of the key injection has been a matter of concern for the government with reports of highest 22 per cent wastage of the vaccine in Lakshadweep followed by Haryana and Assam.

After Lakshadweep, Haryana account for the second highest state with wastage of 6.65 per cent Covid vaccine followed by Assam (6.07 per cent), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's (MoHFW) latest data said.

Rajasthan has reported 5.50 per cent wastage of Covid vaccine, Punjab reports 5.05 per cent wastage and Bihar recorded 4.96 per cent wastage.

Dadra and Nagar reported 4.93 per cent Covid vaccine wastage followed by Meghalaya (4.21 per cent), Tamil Nadu (3.94 per cent) and Manipur (3.56 per cent).

Two days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Kerala for reducing vaccine wastage. "Good to see our healthcare workers and nurses set an example in reducing vaccine wastage. Reducing vaccine wastage is important in strengthening the fight against COVID-19," PM Modi tweeted.

The nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive was started on January 16 for the healthcare workers. The country had launched its third phase of the vaccination drive on May 1 for people aged between 18-44 years.

As per official data, Centre has so far provided more than 17.49 crore vaccine doses (17,49,57,770) to states and UTs free of cost. Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 16,65,49,583 doses, according to official data made available at 8 a.m.

The total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered stands at 16,73,46,544, according to the Union Health Ministry.

India on Saturday recorded 4,187 deaths due to Covid-19 pandemic in the last 24 hours -- the highest so far, along with 4,01,078 fresh cases, taking the total number of cases in the country to 2,18,92,676.

It is the fourth time after May 1 that India has crossed the four-lakh-mark of new cases in last 24 hours. On Friday, India recorded 4,14,188 cases. The country also breached the maximum deaths in 24 hours. On May 6, India recorded 3,980 deaths -- the highest till then.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hyderabad, May 8 : Telangana police on Saturday arrested Peddapalli Zilla Parishad chairman Putta Madhu, whose name had figured in the murder of a lawyer couple and was 'missing' for nearly a week.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader was picked up by Ramagundam town police in Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh. He was being brought to Ramagundam.

The development also assumes significance as he is said to be a follower of Eatala Rajender who was dropped from state cabinet by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao early this week over allegations of encroaching farmers' land.

With the government ordering probe into land dealings by the former minister, Madhu who reportedly had business relations with Rajender went missing.

There were also reports that he was in Hyderabad and tried to meet the chief minister.

It was immediately not clear if he was arrested for questioning in the murder case or in connection with probe against Rajender.

Madhu's name had cropped up during the investigations into the murder of Gattu Vaman Rao and Nagamani.

The high court advocate couple was brutally hacked to death in broad daylight on February 17 this year.

Before succumbing to his injuries, Vaman Rao had taken the name of Kunta Srinivas, a local TRS leader. Police had arrested Srinivas and Madhu's nephew Bittu Seenu The family of the deceased couple alleged that Madhu was behind the murder as they were fighting controversial cases, including a disproportionate assets case against Madhu.

Madhu's name had surfaced during the investigations after an audio clip came to light in which Srinivas was heard speaking to person who sounded like a contract killer, by taking the name of Madhu several times.

However, the Zilla Parishad chairman was not arrested. Vaman Rao's father had recently lodged a fresh complaint with the police, seeking a probe into Madhu's role in the twin murders.
Islamabad, May 8 : Pakistan on Saturday received its first consignment of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine as the country of 220 million scrambles to secure more supplies amid a third wave of the pandemic.

The first shipment of over 1.2 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has arrived in Islamabad, Rana Safdar, a senior Health Ministry official, told dpa news agncy.

Pakistan secured 17 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the World Health Organization's COVAX programme.

The first delivery was expected in March but got delayed due to an Indian ban on the export of the vaccine.

Meanwhile, Pakistan started processing China's single-dose CanSino vaccine.

The vaccine is expected to be available for use by the end of this month.

The South Asian country is currently using China's Sinopharm and CanSino vaccines and has also allowed commercial sale of Covid-19 vaccines.

After some early reluctance, tens of thousands of people are getting themselves registered every day for vaccination following campaigns and warnings to encourage people to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

At least 3.3 million people have been vaccinated so far.

On Saturday, 4,109 new Covid-19 cases and 120 deaths were reported by the Health Ministry.

Pakistan has so far recorded 854,240 cases and 18,797 deaths in total.

The country has been put under the lockdown until May 16 during the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Fitr to contain the spread of the virus.

Incoming flights have already been slashed by 80 per cent, public transport has been banned during the holidays and tourist destinations put under curfew.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Manila, May 8 : Islamist militants on Saturday occupied a part of a public market in a southern Philippine town as they fled an offensive by government troops, the military said.

The militants, numbering around 80 men, fired their guns in the air as they swooped down on the market in Datu Paglas town in Maguindanao province, 960 km south of Manila, dpa news agency quoted Lieutenant Colonel John Paul Baldomar, an army spokesman, as saying.

"They took food and threatened the civilians," Baldovar said.

"They were cornered when our forces were deployed in different areas and occupied (part of the market) because of the presence of our soldiers and policemen." The militants, who were members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), fled six hours later when more soldiers arrived, he added.

As they withdrew, the rebels opened fire on a group of commuters along the highway, triggering a firefight with soldiers, Baldovar said.

No civilians or soldiers were reported killed or hurt in the violence, said Major General Juvymax Uy, an army division commander.

The rebels were fleeing military operations in the nearby towns of Shariff Aguak, Datu Saudi Ampatuan and Mamasapano over the past two weeks, he said.

The rebels left home-made bombs at the market, but no property was damaged, Uy said. He also denied social media reports that hostages were taken.

The BIFF is a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which signed a peace agreement with the government in 2014.

It has allied itself with the Islamic State and has been blamed for bombings, extortion and attacks on government troops in the province of Maguindanao.
Chennai, May 8 : The 16th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has been summoned to meet for its first session on May 11 at the Omandurar Government Estate here.

The newly elected Members will make and subscribe Oath or Affirmation on that day.

In a statement issued here K. Srinivasan, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Assembly said the assembly has been summoned at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

The Members who have been elected are requested to bring the Certificate of Election.

The election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will be held at 10 a.m. on May 12.

Elections for the Tamil Nadu assembly was held on April 6 and counting of votes was held on May 2.

The DMK party won the polls and its President M.K. Stalin was sworn in as Chief Minister on Friday.
Lucknow, May 8 : Taking a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Saturday said that he is doing exactly the same drama that he did last year when he urged the migrants not to flee from Delhi.

Mayawati on Saturday tweeted, "Just by folding hands, the CM of Delhi is telling people not to go from Delhi, the same drama he did last year. This is also being seen in the states of Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab. Now people are migrating from Ludhiana in Punjab, it is very sad." She said that if state governments could take care of their needs in a timely manner by instilling confidence in them, then these people need not have to flee and now the state governments are doing dramatics to hide their shortcomings. They have been exposed.

In a series of tweets, she once again reiterated the demand to provide free vaccines to the poor, dalits and tribal people. Apart from this, these vulnerable groups must be given financial help at a time when restrictions are in place due to Covid-19.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Hyderabad, May 8 : Telugu actor-politician Pawan Kalyan has recovered from coronavirus, his political party Jana Sena announced on Saturday.

Doctors treating Pawan conducted RT PCR test three days ago and the result has come negative. According to doctors, he has fatigue which is common after being infected by coronavirus.

However, Pawan Kalyan has no health issues, Jana Sena statement said quoting doctors who are monitoring the actor's health.

Pawan Kalyan thanked all Jana Sena workers, leaders and followers who wished him speedy recovery and offered prayers for his good health.

He appealed to people to take all Covid precautions in view of the ongoing surge across the country and follow the guidelines given by the experts.

Pawan Kalyan had tested positive for Covid-19 on April 16.

He had felt uneasy after returning from his campaign in Tirupati Lok Sabha by-election early last month. He got the Covid test done but the report was negative.

He later took part in a film event held in Hyderabad on April 4 to promote his latest movie 'Vakeel Saab'. Subsequently, he went into self-quarantine after several staff members at his party office contracted the virus.

During the quarantine at his farmhouse, Pawan continued to experience body aches and fever. He took another test, and only then he tested positive for Covid.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Mumbai, May 8 : Actor Gurmeet Choudhary on Saturday posted an Instagram picture getting his first shot of the Covid vaccine, and encouraged all to go for the preventive jab.

"#GotVaccinated Please don't wait for any kind of "this or that" thoughts or news, vaccination is very important not only for you but for all your surroundings, this is one of the biggest way of how you can help #India is to get yourself vaccinated. It's my humble request to all of you, please register and get yourself schedule at the nearest and available centres/hospitals. The slots may take time to appear but it will appear. #IndiaWillHeal #BetterTogether #IndiaTogether #covid19india," he wrote alongside a picture of him getting his first shot.

His wife, actress Debina Bonnerjee had also posted a picture her getting vaccinated on Friday night. She wrote: "Never ever thought that me getting a vaccination would be "Post"worthy! Excitement and Mixed emotions all at once.. But it is what it is.. Utmost important in this time and situation that we are going through, this is the best that we can do for us and for the people around us. Let's break the chain and go forward without any fear and get vaccinated don't think "ki pehele yea log kar le fir hum karenege" or compare our vaccinations to others.. What is important is VERY IMPORTANT and this is how we can bring change, help India healing by getting ourselves vaccinated so please guys register yourself and get yourself vaccinated." Gurmeet recently announced he plans to open 1000-bed hospitals in Patna and Lucknow.

"Today Covid has hit, tomorrow there will be many more dreadful diseases which will require us to fight against them. We are starting from Lucknow and Patna as the main centres of this project as they are the epicentre of the nation and they connect to all the other states. Once those are formed, we will replicate the same in other states too. All the hospitals will be equipped with AI technology and will be under the guidance of specialists," he says.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
So far, there have been no reports of vampire bats in the U.S., but experts believe the first likely place for them to end up is Southern Texas. Cuba is second on the list and Florida is third. Piaggio said they could be blown in by storms or catch a ride on a shipping container.
Ghaziabad : , May 8 (IANS) A petition has been filed against the Central government with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over the deaths caused by Covid-19 due to non-availability of oxygen. The petition has been filed by Human Rights activist Vishnu Kumar Gupta.

The petition said, "District hospitals and private hospitals in the country have neither installed oxygen plants nor have oxygen storage facilities whereas Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants can be set up at these places in lesser time and cost in a single month." "The PSA oxygen plant costs exactly the amount which many hospitals spend every year to procure oxygen for themselves." "There is a shortage of oxygen due to lack of its buffer stock in our country. If the government had taken into account the common man's Right to Life guaranteed in the constitution amid last year's coronavirus crisis, such a catastrophic situation would not have arisen had the buffer stock of oxygen and its production/supply been taken care of." Advocate Gupta said, "The Central government has failed to assess the implications of this pandemic. The third wave of Covid-19 is expected in October 2021 so it becomes primary responsibility of the government that keeping in mind the current and future oxygen supply, it must make sure that PSA plants are set up expeditiously in all government district hospitals and private hospitals in the country. " "Saving the lives of the elderly and young people suffering from heart, cancer, hypertension and diabetes coupled with Covid-19 should also be the foremost duty of the Central government." "Therefore, a request has been made to the NHRC to order the Central Medical and Health Department to get patients suffering from other comorbidities, including Covid-19, vaccinated immediately on priority basis." Gupta has also sent a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath apprising him of the need to improve the state's worrisome situation and urgently set up PSA oxygen plants.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Washington, May 8 : The White House has posted visitor logs for the first time since the administration of former President Barack Obama, a media report said.

The Hill news website quoted the White House as saying on Friday that there has been 400 visits since the first 12 days of the Joe Biden administration.

Cataloguing of visitor logs was dropped under the former Donlad Trump administration.

"These logs give the public a look into the visitors entering and exiting the White House campus for appointments, tours, and official business, making good on President Biden's commitment to restore integrity, transparency, and trust in government," the White House said in a statement.

The list includes meetings that happened physically in the White House but omits virtual visits which took place in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The White House said that as the pandemic begins to wane, more visitors will be permitted at the White House.

"As vaccinations increase and the pandemic response continues to make progress, we look forward to welcoming many more visitors onto the White House campus and back into the People's House," the White House said.

The administration is expected to release the logs on a monthly basis.
Bars, clubs and liquor shops in Kerala all set to open. Image Source: IANS News

Liquor shops to remain open from 6-11 am in Raj Image Source: IANS News

Chennai, May 8 : Feeding tasty food on time, everytime, increasing the fluid intake, hiding sanitiser and other liquids containing alcohol, conversing in a gentle and understanding manner are what the family members of alcoholics should do to their loved ones when the liquor shops are closed for two weeks starting Monday, said an experienced counsellor.

In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus the Tamil Nadu government has ordered closure of liquor shops for two weeks as part of stringent lockdown measures.

"It is an opportunity for the family members of alcoholics to wean away their loved ones from this habit. But the family members have to handle it gently," Jacqueline David, Senior Counsellor, TTK Hospital told IANS.

She said when an alcoholic is deprived of his drink then he suffers from what is called withdrawal symptoms.

The withdrawal symptoms are anger, shaking hands, heartburn sensation, fits, hallucination, hearing voices in the ears, sleeplessness, violent behaviour and others.

According to her, to manage the withdrawal symptoms, an alcoholic should be fed properly at regular intervals with lots of vegetables and his/her fluid intake should also be increased.

"An alcoholic could be given lime juice with sugar and a dash of salt. One can also give other juice. The other steps that family members could take is to distract the alcoholic and keep his mind engaged," she said.

A hungry stomach will trigger the craving for liquor.

David also said the family members should hide all liquids like sanitisers, after shave lotion and others containing alcohol from the reach of an alcoholic.

The family members should also be gentle in suggesting their alcoholic relative to quit drinking rather than pontificating.

During the 2020 lockdown three persons died after drinking paint varnish with water and two persons lost their lives after consuming after-shave lotion with water.

David said not many realise that alcoholism is a mental and nervous disease needing medical attention.

It is not known about the plans of the government to handle the distressed alcoholics in providing detox medicine.

Last year the government hospitals provided detox medication to distressed alcoholics.

According to David, alcoholics have the habit of consuming in large quantities if there is stock rather than spreading it over several days.

Meanwhile, long queues were seen outside the liquor outlets in the state after the government announced closure of shops for two weeks.
Jeddah, May 8 : Pakistans Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has assured Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman of Islamabads all out support and commitment towards the security of the Kingdom.

The assurance came during a meeting of the Crown Prince with the COAS in Jeddah on Friday.

"Pakistan is resolute in its commitment to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia and defense of the two Holy mosques," he said.

General Bajwa is on a visit to Saudi Arabia to meet the Kingdom's leadership.

As per details shared by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, during the meeting with the Saudi leadership, "matters of mutual interest, regional security situation including recent developments in the Afghan peace process, bilateral defence, security, collaboration for regional peace and connectivity were discussed".

Pakistan has emphasized on the need to further enhance military level cooperation between the two countries.

"Pakistan-KSA cooperation will have a positive impact on peace and security in the region," the ISPR added.

General Bajwa's trip to Saudi Arabia came ahead of the all-important visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who in the Kingdom on Friday.

Experts say the visit of the premier holds major importance, especially after the US announced that it would be stationing itself in neighboring countries after its withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Khan has also met the Crown Prince and assured commitment to take the relations towards an upward trajectory.

"The talks were marked by exceptional cordiality and a commitment to fortify the upward trajectory in the bilateral relationship," the Pakistan Foreign Office said.

Pakistan has also emphasised on the need to increase Saudi investments through mutual collaborations and increase in job opportunities for Pakistanis in the Kingdom.

Khan also took the opportunity to raise the issue of Kashmir, stating "it was important to work towards a peaceful resolution of the dispute".

Khan and the Crown Prime signed an agreement to establish Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council (SPSCC), which has been established with an aim to impart strategic direction to the development of Pakistan-Saudi relations.

Other than that, the two sides also witnessed signing of a various bilateral deals, including the agreement on cooperation in the field of combating crimes; agreement on transfer of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals; and framework MoU for the financing of projects worth $500 million in energy, hydropower generation, infrastructure, transport and communication and water resources development.
New Delhi, May 8 : A week after the assembly poll result, the Assam BJP MLAs are likely to meet on sunday in Guwahati to choose the new Chief Minister of the state.

BJP Chief J.P. Nadda on Saturday discussed the formation of the new BJP government in Assam with current Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at his resident in the national capital. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also present in the meeting.

After the meeting, Sarma said, "Assam BJP Legislature Party will probably meet tomorrow in Guwahati. You will get all the answers after the Legislature Party meeting." Earlier, Sonowal and Sarma along with some other leaders from Assam reached Delhi to discuss the formation of the new government in the state.

The BJP won the Assam Assembly polls for a second consecutive term of which results were announced on May 2.

Both Sonowal and Sarma are seen as probable candidate for the Chief Minister's post.

Nadda first held a discussion with Sarma and Sonowal separately and then with both of them together.

The BJP had not announced a chief ministerial candidate before the assembly polls in Assam. The BJP had won 60 seats and its alliance partners AGP nine and UPPL six seats in 126-member Assam Assembly.

Earlier, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday reached the national capital to discuss the leadership issue with the party chief.

The saffron party this time did not call its parliamentary board meeting after declaration of Assembly poll results, which normally takes a call on who will be the Chief Minister of a state.

Sarma, a former Congress leader who joined BJP in 2015, had played an important and crucial role in BJP's victory in 2016 and 2021.

Sarma has become one of the most prominent face of the party in the state and whole of the North East region. He is also the convener of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and is considered to be the party's main political brain in the area.

On the other hand, Sonowal had successfully run the first BJP government for five years in Assam.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Srinagar, May 8 : Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Lok Sabha member, Dr Farooq Abdullah on Saturday released Rs 1.40 crore from his constituency development fund for improving Covid facilities in Kashmir.

In a letter addressed to Mohammad Aijaz, district development officer Srinagar, Abdullah said keeping in view the alarming rate of Covid rise in Kashmir, it is most appropriate to use the funds released by the government of India for my constituency development, to improve Covid treatment facilities.

He has allotted Rs 50 lakh to director health services Kashmir, Rs 30 lakh to government chest diseases hospital, Srinagar, Rs 30 lakh to government S.M.H.S. Hospital Srinagar and Rs 30 lakh to medical college hospital, Bemina (Srinagar).

Dr Abdullah had himself tested positive for Covid-19 and was treated at the super specialty Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura in Srinagar city.

Dr Abdullah successfully fought the virus despite his age and has since returned home after testing negative.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Mumbai, May 8 : Sonu Sood on Saturday thanked Sara Ali Khan for her contribution to his foundation. Sara had recently contributed to the Sood Charity Foundation for Covid-19 relief amid the second wave of the virus.

"Thank you so much my dear Sara Ali Khan for your contribution to the @soodfoundation! Extremely proud of you & keep on doing the good work. You have inspired the youth of the nation to come forward and help during these difficult times. You are a hero @sara_ali_khan95," he wrote on Twitter.

Earlier in the day, Sonu took to social media to post a note about the death of a young Covid patient named Bharti. A few days ago, Sonu had helped in airlifting the critically ill Bharti from Nagpur to Hyderabad for advanced treatment.

Image Source: IANS News

"Bharti, a young girl from Nagpur whom I airlifted on an air ambulance to Hyderabad passed away last night. Rest In Power My Dear Bhrarti. You fought the last month like a complete tigress on an Ecmo machine. Even though i never met you, you'll Always hold a very speacial place in my Heart. My condolences to her entire family, I'm going to meet them very soon. life is genuinely unfair at times. will miss you bharti," said Sonu in his Instagram note.

He captioned his post, "This world will always miss you."

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Syndicated from IANS
New Delhi, May 8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took stock of the Covid-19 situation in separate telephonic conversations with four Chief Ministers and assured them of all possible help from the Central government, said sources.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, were among those whom the Prime Minister dialled to get details about the Covid-19 situation in their states.

In a tweet, the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office said Thackeray requested more linkages in the procurement of oxygen for the state and gave information about several measures taken and plans to counter the third wave of the pandemic.

He thanked the Prime Minister for continuous guidance and for "accepting various requests made by the state".

"In a telephonic conversation with CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, the Hon'ble PM@narendramodi sought details about Maharashtra's fight against COVID and commended its efforts in countering the second wave." Maharashtra is among the states where the maximum number of Covid cases have been reported so far. The state logged 54,022 new cases in the last 24 hours while 898 Covid patients died in the same period.

Thackeray's conversation with the Prime Minister came a day after he wrote to Modi regarding supply of vaccines, technical glitches on the CoWin App and developing a state-level app for citizen's vaccination registration. The CM's initiative to come up with a Covid app comes amid frequent glitches in the CoWIN registration platform.

Maharashtra is among the 10 states that account for close to 72 per cent of the new Covid-19 cases reported in a day, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.

The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister in a tweet said he informed the Prime Minister about his state's "continuously decreasing positivity rate and rapidly rising recovery rate".

Chouhan also spoke with the Prime Minister about the state government's measures to combat the virus and in turn the Prime Minister assured him of providing every possible help to the state. Madhya Pradesh added another 11,708 Covid cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the total tally to over 6.49 lakh.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed satisfaction with the efforts of the Madhya Pradesh government and assured all possible help from the central government," Chouhan tweeted in Hindi.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, in a tweet in Hindi, also informed about his telephonic conversation with the Prime Minister, saying " said he updated the Prime Minister on what the state government is doing to provide oxygen to Covid patients, the status of hospital beds and the vaccination drive". The hill state reported 4,177 COVID-19 cases on Friday, pushing its total caseload to over 1.22 lakh. 56 Covid patients died in the last 24 hours.

"Prime Minister Modi has assured all possible help to the state in its battle against the virus," Thakur said.

The Prime Minister later held a telephonic conversation with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and noted details about the preparedness of the state government to deal with the pandemic.

In the last three days, the Prime Minister has spoken with 10 Chief Ministers and two Lieutenant Governors to take stock of their states and union territories efforts and plans to deal with the pandemic.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Islamabad, May 8 : US e-commerce giant Amazon has approved to add Pakistan to its approved sellers' list, a development that is being seen as a major boost to the countrys e-commerce industry.

As per details, Amazon's sellers' list will create opportunities for the exporters to sell their products through the platform, giving them access to market their products through the 3P model, which brands the owners with a third party relationship to retail sell directly to buyers through the marketplace.

Amazon also offers the 1P model for mass producers, who want to produce for Amazon brand items.

The opportunity gives way to various Pakistani companies and brands, which have been selling their products through their overseas offices. The inclusion of Pakistan in the Amazon seller's list will help promote more businesses and online buyers to reach the Pakistani brands.

Pakistan Commerce Minister Razak Dawood announced the news through a series of tweets.

"We have finally made it. @amazonwill be adding Pakistan to its Sellers' List within a few days. We have been engaged with Amazon since last year and now it's happening. It is a great opportunity for our youth, SMEs and women entrepreneurs," he said in a tweet.

Details revealed that Amazon will be opening sellers' registration of Pakistani companies in the coming days.

Experts said that Business to Customer (B2C) and Business to Business and Customers (B2B2C) cross-border e-commerce models are the new forms of business that will gain popularity in Pakistan.

Pakistan's major products, currently available on sale on Amazon by companies operating from overseas offices, include textile, sports, leather and surgical goods.

Working towards making full use of the opportunity, Pakistan Post has started its automation process and is preparing itself for the delivery system.

Moreover, the Intellectual Property Organisation has also been taken on board to speed up the brand registration process.

The development has been welcomed by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who said the opportunity will open gateways for the youth, and new breed of young men and women entrepreneurs to join the export market.

"A great development as Amazon has finally approved that our sellers can export their goods through their system. Amazon starting operations in Pak will open opportunities for our youth as it will enable a new breed of young men & women entrepreneurs to join the export market," he tweeted.
Kolkata: Speaking on the first day of the assembly after she came to power for the third time in a row, chief minister Mamata Banerjee stroke a major controversy alleging that the election commission has directly helped the BJP government in this assembly election adding that the saffron brigade was unable to accept the mandate of the common people and so was inciting violence in the state.

A "I can challenge that had the Election Commission not helped them directly, they (BJP) could not have won even 30 seats. In this election, ariggingaA took place in some places under the watch of the poll panel. There should be electoral reforms immediately else the democratic fabric of the country will be jeopardised", Banerjee told during her speech in the assembly where Biman Banerjee was elected Speaker for three consecutive terms. SheAalso questioned the neutrality of the ECI and said that while sheAwas banned.

A Warning stern action against BJP for inciting violence in the state, the chief minister said, "For the last six months they have not done anything pushing the country to the brink of destruction. They had only one target and that was to capture Bengal and now they (BJP) cannot accept the mandate of the common man and thus are trying to incite violence in the state and are posting fake videos".

A She also directed the administration to take stern action against those talking communal in the state. "Do not compromise, take stern action against people talking communal as per Communal Law, be it me or anyone," she said.A A

The CM vehemently attacked the Centre and said that in the last six months did no work eying to capture Bengal and travelled to the state everyday and thus pushed the country on a threshold of COVID1-19. "To set up a double engine, they have pushed IndiaAto the threshold of COVID-19 destruction Mamata at state assembly. Last six months, the central government had no work, but came to Bengal everyday to capture it," she said adding that the central forces roaming around the state without conducting any RT-PCR tests and thus spread the infection.

A Mamata accuses Election Commission of helping BJP

Kolkata, May 8 (IANS) Speaking on the first day of the Assembly after returning to power for the third time in a row, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday stroked a major controversy by accusing the Election Commission of India of directly helping the BJP during the recently-concluded Assembly polls in the state, in which the Trinamool Congress cruised to a landslide victory.

She also alleged that unable to accept the mandate of the people, the saffron brigade was inciting violence in the state.

"I can challenge that had the Election Commission not helped them (BJP) directly, they would not have won even 30 seats. In this election, rigging took place in some places under the watch of the poll panel. There should be electoral reforms made immediately, else the democratic fabric of the country will be jeopardised," Banerjee said during her speech on the floor of the Assembly, where Biman Banerjee was elected the Speaker for the third straight terms.

Warning stern action against the BJP for 'inciting' violence in the state, the Chief Minister said, "For the last six months, they have not done anything but pushing the country to the brink of destruction. They had only one target and that was to capture Bengal and now they (BJP) cannot accept the mandate of the common man. So they are trying to incite violence in the state and are posting fake videos." The Chief Minister also directed the administration to take stern action against anyone trying to fan communal tension in the state.

"Do not compromise, take stern action against people talking on communal lines as per the law, be it me or anyone else," she said.

Banerjee also attacked the Centre and said that in the last six months, it did no work and only tried to capture Bengal and travelled to the state every day, thus pushing the country to the threshold of a health crisis.

"To set up a double-engine, they pushed India to the threshold of Covid-19 destruction. In the last six months, the Central government did no work, but came to Bengal everyday to capture it," she said, adding that the central forces are roaming around in the state without undergoing any RT-PCR tests, thus spreading the infection.

A host of Union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, besides the party's top leadership, were seen canvassing in West Bengal in the run-up to the high-octane Assembly elections.

Banerjee also reiterated the demand for universal vaccination, stating that it should have been the priority of the Centre, but instead the government is spending Rs 50,000 crore on the new Parliament building, PM's residence and statues, among other things.

The opposition BJP legislators boycotted the House proceedings protesting against the killing of their party workers in the post-poll violence in the state.

--IANS saibal/arm

A host of Union ministers and chief ministers of BJP- ruled states, besides the partyaAs top leadership were canvassing West Bengal in run-up to the just-concluded assembly elections.

A Banerjee reiterated the demand for universal vaccination, stating that it should have been the priority of the Centre, instead the government is spending Rs 50,000 crore on the new Parliament building, PM''s residence and statues, among others. The opposition BJP legislators boycotted the House proceedings protesting against the killing of the party workers in the state.A

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
He was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail about 3:22 p.m. and was released on his own recognizance about one hour later, records show.
G0uwahati, May 8 : With the start of commercial operation of flights from the newly developed Rupsi Airport in western Assam on Saturday, the northeastern region of India gets 15th airport leading to better air connectivity with the remaining part of the world.

The Rupsi airport would cater to the need of air travellers from four western Assam districts and the neighbouring states of Meghalaya, West Bengal and parts of Bhutan as well.

Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials said that with 24 passengers on board, the maiden flight of private Flybig airlines arrived from Guwahati at the Rupsi airport on Saturday afternoon and subsequently it departed for Kolkata. "As a gesture of welcome, water cannon salute was accorded to the incoming flight by the Rupsi Airport officials. All safety checks and mandatory security arrangements were done prior to the arrival. Considering the Covid-19 guidelines, the proper marking and distancing measures were also ensured for all passengers. On Wednesday a trial flight was tested and operational requirements were checked successfully," an AAI official said.

Rupsi airport in-charge Jyotirmoy Barua said that the flight operation was started under the Regional Connectivity Scheme-Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (RCS-UDAN) scheme of the central government.

"It would ensure affordable flying for all especially the lower income group population here. UDAN flight provides cheap air fares for short destinations, connecting the unconnected," Barua said.

Through a bidding process, Flybig airline was awarded the routes under the UDAN scheme to operate flight services at Rupsi by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The private airliner would operate flights on the Guwahati-Rupsi-Kolkata route on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday as informed by the airline.

AAI officials said that the operationalisation of the Rupsi airport, seventh airport in Assam, would help boost the local economy of the Bodoland area and provide better connectivity to the air travellers of the adjacent districts -- Dhubri, Bongaigaon, Kokarajhar, Goalpara -- as well as neighbouring states of Meghalaya, West Bengal and parts of Bhutan as well.

The airport in western Assam's Dhubri district has been developed at a cost of Rs 69 crore under the RCS-UDAN scheme, launched by the Union Civil Aviation ministry in October 2016.

Spread across 337 acres, the newly-developed airport has a terminal building with an area of 3,500 square metres, and its runway is suitable for ATR-72 type aircraft. An AAI release said that the airport is also provisioned with sustainability features like rainwater harvesting system, solid waste management system and horticulture works besides being near a fenced forest with rich fauna and flora.

There are 14 airports already in the northeast region -- Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur and Lilalabari (Assam), Tezu and Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh), Agartala (Tripura), Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya), Dimapur (Nagaland), Lengpui (Mizoram) and Pakyong (Sikkim).

The AAI is also developing the Hollongi airport in Arunachal Pradesh, boosting air connectivity in the mountainous areas.
Mumbai, May 8 : Bandhan Bank on Saturday reported an 80 per cent decline in its net profit for the quarter ended March at Rs 103.03 crore.

During the same period of the FY20, the bank had reported a net profit of Rs 517.28 crore.

The sharp decline in profit came on the back of higher provisioning. During the last quarter of FY21, Bandhan Bank's provisions rose to Rs 1,594.30 crore, compared to Rs 827.36 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.

The bank's net interest income (NII) rose 4.6 per cent at 1,757 crore as against a,1,680 crore in Q4FY20.

The Net Interest Income (NII) for the quarter grew by 4.6 per cent to Rs 1,757.0 crore as against Rs 1,680.0 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

Its gross non-performing asset (GNPA) as on March 31, 2021 was at 6.8 per cent against 7.1 per cent as on December 31, 2020.

Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, Managing Director and CEO of Bandhan Bank said: "A very challenging year ended on a positive note with growth and collection coming back to normalcy. With accelerated provisioning and write off, we are now well placed as we enter FY 22. We remain cautious but confident as we deal with the Covid-19 second wave.

"We remain committed to our strategy that we have presented last quarter of granular, diversified and quality growth," Ghosh said.
Lucknow, May 8 : With the bodies of deceased Covid-19 patients piling up in large numbers, the Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday passed an order according to which it would hold the funerals of all those persons who died of the virus without charging any money. This government order would be applicable within the Municipal Corporation limits.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced this decision after reviewing the matter with Team Nine about the exorbitant amount of money charged for a funeral following death due to Covid-19 in several districts.

Additional Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh has sent a letter to all the municipal corporations and civic bodies directing them to arrange free funerals of deceased Covid patients falling within the limits of the urban bodies.

The municipal corporations will bear the expenses of funerals at all crematoriums, cemeteries and cremation grounds falling within the limits of the corporation.

It has been made mandatory to follow Covid-19 protocols while conducting such funerals.

The expenditure incurred on the funerals will be met by the urban bodies from their own resources or from the State Finance Commission. A maximum amount of Rs 5,000 will be spent on each funeral.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Mumbai, May 8 : In a significant development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called up Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to get an overview of Maharashtra's war against the Coronavirus, an official said.

During the conversation, the PM lauded Thackeray's efforts and observed that the state has put up a good fight during the ongoing second wave of Covid-19, even as the Shiv Sena slammed Modi for the manner in which the Coronavirus crisis has been handled at the national level.

Thanking Modi, the CM appreciated his guidance in the state's Covid war right from the beginning and how the Centre had accepted certain suggestions given by Maharashtra.

Thackeray took the opportunity to request for more Central help and support in terms of critical needs like medical oxygen and apprised the PM on the state's plans to tackle the possible Covid-19 'third wave' expected to hit soon.

The PM's appreciation came at a time when a belligerent state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been repeatedly targeting the Maha Vikas Aghadi government's handling of the pandemic situation.

Interestingly, the Modi-Thackeray interlude came on day when the Shiv Sena's party newspapers 'Saamana' and 'Dopahar Ka Saamana' slammed the Centre for going ahead with the Central Vista project estimated to cost around Rs 13,000 crore in the midst of the pandemic.

"Small countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal have rushed aid to 'Atmanirbhar India'. The truth is that the country is surviving today only because of the legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru-Indira Gandhi. But, Modi is not ready to stop work on the Central Vista project to construct a new Parliament building and a house for the Prime Minister spending thousands of crores of rupees," said the Saamana in stinging comments.

"The whole world is terrified of India now. There are all kinds of flights, trade and business restrictions which is hitting the country's economy. Yet, the country is trudging along because of the contributions of Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao, Manmohan Singh and their visionary policies. It is time now for Modi to take steps in the interests of the country," said the Saamana's strong edits.

Modi's call came a day after Thackeray decided to form a special Covid Task Force on Pediatrics as the probable 'third wave' could hit children in a big way, especially since this category is not yet cleared for the vaccination drive.

Thackeray has also urged the PM to permit states to launch their own App to handle the vaccinations and they could be linked with the Centre's CoWin App to streamline the process.

"This will ensure better interface and experience for citizens who are really keen to take the vaccine shot," Thackeray said in a letter to Modi, which discussed the load on the App that leads to glitches or crashes.

The Maharashtra CM has also sought the Centre's green signal to purchase Covid-19 vaccines from manufacturers other than Serum Institute of India Ltd, Pune and Bharat Biotech International Ltd, Hyderabad.

"If the states are allowed to procure from other manufacturers as well, we would be able to cover a larger population in a shorter time to help reduce the impact of the possible third wave," Thackeray pointed out.

Both Modi and Thackeray also discussed the overall pandemic situation, the vaccination progamme and related issues in the country.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Maharashtra has emerged among the worst-hit in the country with a caseload of 49,96,758 which surpassed the infections of Turkey on Friday, with a total of 74,413 fatalities recorded till date, besides 654,788 'active cases' - just below France's 823,825 'active cases'.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Lahore, May 8 : Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif, was stopped from leaving the country despite having court orders to go abroad for medical treatment.

Sharif was stopped and offloaded from a Doba-bound flight during early hours of Saturday. After arguments with the immigration officials, he was informed that there was a problem with the system update.

The drama at the airport unfolded after the airline issued Shehbaz Sharif a boarding card. However, after arriving at the immigration counter, he was informed that he cannot board the plane, reason being the system had not been updated yet for him to leave the country.

Sharif was granted a one time permission by the Lahore High Court (LHC) to fly abroad on health grounds. He is a cancer patient and had informed the court that he was advised by his doctors to get treatment done in the United Kingdom (UK).

The LHC granted him permission to go abroad on medical grounds from May 8 to July 3, scheduling the hearing on his petition, seeking removal from the blacklist on July 5.

At the airport, Sharif showed the court orders to the immigration officials, who insisted that until the system was not updated, Sharif's name remains on the blacklist or the no-fly list.

"Shahbaz Sharif was held back at the behest of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Shahzad Akbar", said PML-N spokesperson Mariyum Aurangzeb.

"Restraining him from travelling abroad is in contempt of court. The claim regarding system not being updated is false," she added.

Mariyum Auranzeb lashed out at the government for coming down to mean maneuvers.

"The government has come down to outright mean maneuvers, but this does not make any difference to Shahbaz Sharif," she said.

On the other hand, the government has decided to seek all legal avenues against the court decision to allow Shahbaz Sharif to travel abroad.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry termed the court decision as mockery of the law.

"Shahbaz Sharif has been involved in money laundering worth billions. For him to run away like this would be great misfortune for the country," he said.
New Delhi, May 8 : With the rout in the recent assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry, the Congress Working Committee (CWC),the highest decision making body of the grand old party, will meet on Monday to discuss the issue.

In a letter to all CWC members, Congress General Secretary (Organisations) K.C. Venugopal said, "A meeting of CWC will be held on May 10 at 11 a.m. via video conferencing." The notice of the CWC meeting comes a day after the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting was chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday with all the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs participating.

During the CPP meeting on Friday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi termed her party's performance in the state assembly elections "unfortunate, disappointing and unexpected".

In the recently concluded assembly elections, results of which were declared on May 2, the Congress could not register win in any state, and its only consolation was in Tamil Nadu where the party contested along with DMK as its partner, and managed to win 18 seats.

Addressing the party MPs on Friday during a virtual meeting, she said, "Most unfortunately, our own performance in all the states was very disappointing and if I may say, unexpectedly so. The CWC is meeting shortly to review the results but it goes without saying that we as a party collective must draw the appropriate lessons from this setback in a spirit of humility and honesty."
medical team in Sikar village where 21 people lost lives allegedly after burying the Covid infected man without following protocol. Image Source: IANS News

medical team in Sikar village where 21 people lost lives allegedly after burying the Covid infected man without following protocol. Image Source: IANS News

medical team in Sikar village where 21 people lost lives allegedly after burying the Covid infected man without following protocol. Image Source: IANS News

medical team in Sikar village where 21 people lost lives allegedly after burying the Covid infected man without following protocol. Image Source: IANS News

medical team in Sikar village where 21 people lost lives allegedly after burying the Covid infected man without following protocol. Image Source: IANS News

medical team in Sikar village where 21 people lost lives allegedly after burying the Covid infected man without following protocol. Image Source: IANS News

medical team in Sikar village where 21 people lost lives allegedly after burying the Covid infected man without following protocol. Image Source: IANS News

medical team in Sikar village where 21 people lost lives allegedly after burying the Covid infected man without following protocol. Image Source: IANS News

medical team in Sikar village where 21 people lost lives allegedly after burying the Covid infected man without following protocol. Image Source: IANS News

medical team in Sikar village where 21 people lost lives allegedly after burying the Covid infected man without following protocol. Image Source: IANS News

Jaipur, May 8 : Around 21 persons lost their lives at a village in Rajasthan's Sikar district allegedly after the burial of a Covid victim, whose body was brought from Gujarat, without following any Covid protocols.

The incident was reported recently from Kheerva village in Sikar, the Assembly constituency of Rajasthan Congress chief and state Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara.

Officials said that the corpse was brought from Gujarat and around 21 people, who came in contact with the body, lost their lives in the days after the final rites were performed in the village.

According to the officials, the Covid victim's infected body was brought to the village on April 21 and over 100 people attended the funeral which was conducted without following the Covid guidelines.

The body was taken out of the plastic bag and many people had touched it during the burial, they said.

However, Lakshmangarh sub-divisional officer Kulraj Meena said that out of the 21 deaths, only 3-4 deaths occurred due to Covid-19.

"The other deaths have been reported from the older age group. We have collected samples of 147 members of families where deaths have been reported to check whether it is a case of community transmission," Meena told the media.

Meena and other officials visited the village after receiving the report along with a medical team which directed for immediate sanitisation of the village. Medicine kits were also distributed to cure the other infected people.

Sikar district collector Aviral Chaturvedi said that officials visited the village and made the people aware of the fact that all social gatherings, including for last rites, should follow the proper Covid protocols. Door-to-door survey was also conducted to know the actual situation, he said,

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Bengaluru, May 8 : Taking a cue from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)'s success in tackling the second wave of Covid, Karnataka issued directives to set up Ward Decentralised Triage and Emergency Response (DETER) Committees for Covid management in all 198 wards in Bengaluru based on the Mumbai model.

The ward level committees will have officials of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), ward committee members, government officers, volunteer RWAs and civil society organisations.

"This will help in the decentralisation and provide better supervision for ward-level Covid governance," read the directives issued by the Revenue Department's principal secretary, N. Manjunath Prasad.

The directive also stated that ward level Community Triage is seen as a successful intervention in many cities including Mumbai. "Currently there is a delay in informing the test results to the patient due to the centralised ICMR process followed by BU number generation process," the directive notes.

"The ward DETER committees (WDC) will now be set up in all 198 wards of the BBMP and they will be entrusted with activities related to Covid management," the directive explained.

According to this directive the WDCs will be headed by a ward nodal officer and the order states that ward level war rooms can also be set up. The main objective of setting up the WDCs is that it becomes the first point of contact with the government for Covid patients or their attendees in Bengaluru.

The focus of these ward level committees will be to help people access hospital beds. In particular, the role of a triage coordinator is outlined in the order. This is someone who offers community triage services with the help of a support staff. A competent and trained doctor can guide the triage centre while doctors, interns, final year students of MBBS, Dental, Nursing or AYUSH doctors will also be at the triage centre. This centre will work with the WDC.

"To reduce delay in results and avoid panic, positive cases are relayed to the triage coordinator directly from the PHC throughout the day. The triage coordinator will delegate numbers to relevant citizen volunteers. The volunteers must be trained to do triage to identify persons who need to be admitted to ICU and those who require hospitalisation or should be sent to Covid-Care Centres or isolated at home," reads the order.

The data of those in ICU, hospital, CCC or at home will be maintained by the triage centre.

The order also discusses an efficient exit strategy to ensure bed turnaround time in hospitals is reduced. This includes limiting hospital admissions to people with severe illness and shifting those with moderate illness to CCCs in five days. The WDCs will be tasked with doing bed audits thrice a day and prioritise admissions to those who need it the most.

Each ward level war room will be equipped with a call centre and training will be given in the use of oxygen and pulse oximeters.

The WDCs will also work with RWAs and social organisations in their respective wards. COVID-19 testing coverage will also be increased and vaccination drives will be conducted in different wards when the stocks of vaccines are replenished.

Until now, the Covid response in Bengaluru was coordinated with a main helpline number 1912 and zonal level helplines for each of the BBMP's eight zones "East, West, South, Bommanahalli, Dasarahalli, Mahadevapura, Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Yelahanka." The decision to decentralise comes after the Supreme Court's observations on May 5 in the case of Delhi's management of Covid cases. It told the Union government to "look to Mumbai and take note" of its successes in managing the supply of oxygen. So far, Mumbai has had no reported deaths from lack of oxygen.

"Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) has done some remarkable work and not disrespecting Delhi but we can maybe see what was done by BMC. I understand that Maharashtra also produces oxygen, which Delhi can't do. If you draw from experience and figure out how the holding corporations can be done in Delhi...Then we will have a module for Delhi in place based on the successful model in Bombay, which is a large metropolis," Justice D. Y. Chandrachud had observed on May 5.

--IANS nbh/bg

A

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New Delhi, May 8 : The production of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) has been maximized to meet the present demand of Covid-19 patients and the domestic production currently exceeded 9,400 Metric Tonne per day, the government said on Saturday.

Giridhar Aramane, Secretary, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways informed while presenting the current scenario of LMO production, allocation and supply during the 25th meeting of the high-level Group of Ministers (GoM) on Covid-19 through video-conference.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan chaired the meeting that was also virtually attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep S. Puri, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, and Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey. Vinod K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog was present virtually.

At the outset, the Health Minister apprised other members of GOM about the steadily growing trajectory of daily recoveries and also observed that "180 districts have showed no fresh cases in the last seven days, 18 districts in 14 days, 54 districts in 21 days and 32 districts were bereft of any fresh cases in the last 28 days." The number of critical cases thus far includes 4,88,861 patients who required ICU beds, 1,70,841 patients who required ventilator support and 9,02,291 patients who were given oxygen support, the Minister added.

As on date, Vardhan said, 1.34 per cent of the active caseload is in ICU, 0.39 per cent of them are on ventilators and 3.70 per cent of them are on oxygen support.

Vardhan informed the GOM that, "the cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 16.73 crore on Saturday which includes nearly 23 lakh doses given on Friday".

"A total of 17,49,57,770 doses have been delivered to the states, out of which 16,65,49,583 doses have been consumed and 84,08,187 doses are still available with the states," said the Minister, adding a total of 53,25,000 doses are on the pipeline and will be supplied to the states soon.

He requested the states to set aside 70 per cent of the vaccines received through GoI channel for administration of the second dose.

On the tests being conducted in India, the Health Minister noted that the country has reached a testing capacity of 25,00,000 tests per day. He informed that a total of 30,60,18,044 tests have been conducted so far in India, which includes 18,08,344 tests in the last 24 hours. From just one lab at NIV Pune, the country is presently served by 2,514 labs.

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New Delhi, May 8: Alarm bells are ringing loud and clear in China after Myanmar protesters have attacked a monitoring station of a strategic pipeline that ferries oil to Chinas Yunnan province.

The Irrawaddy newspaper's website is reporting that security personnel guarding the pipeline's off-take station in Mandalay were killed. The sword and machete attack on the policemen was "undoubtedly part of Myanmar's growing popular armed resistance against the regime," the daily reported.

The Myanmar military has mounted a coup a February mounted a coup that toppled elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering a cascade of high-voltage protests.

Though the pipeline has not been damaged, the bold strike, nevertheless, has jolted Beijing. And there are reasons why China should be deeply concerned.

For starters, the pipeline is important for China's long term energy security. With the US navy essentially controlling the Malacca straits through which a stream of oil and gas tankers pass ferrying energy from the Gulf countries and Africa to feed China's industrial heartland, the Chinese have been seeking alternate land based supply routes. The twin oil and gas pipeline from Myanmar's China-run deep water port of Kyaukphyu-a major town in Myanmar's Rakhine state-to Kunming in China's Yunnan province. It is a major part of this exercise of seeking alternative energy routes that by-pass the Malacca straits.

The 800-kilometer-long crude oil pipeline ferrets 22 million tons every year, while the natural gas pipeline transports a sizable 12 billion cubic meters of gas annually.

Kyaukphyu is among a string of Indian Ocean ports, including Hambantota in Sri Lanka as well as Gwadar in Pakistan that Beijing wants to leverage to by-pass the Malacca trap. Myanmar has so far been resisting China's other plan of building a railway from Kyaukphyu to Kunming to beef up its geopolitical heft in the region.

Besides, the two pipelines have been included within the ambit of the China Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC)-a part of Beijing's mega-ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI is a massive undertaking of building pan-Eurasian transport and energy corridors, which is central to achieving China's global "rise".

Unsurprisingly, the Chinese held a meeting with the Myanmar authorities in February where they urged the military to tighten security measures for the pipelines, the Irrawaddy reported.

The Chinese stressed that the project is a crucial node of the BRI. They insisted that "any damage to the pipelines would cause huge losses for both countries." According to the Irrawaddy report, the request came amid growing anti-China sentiment in Myanmar, where protesters-angered by Beijing's blocking of the UN Security Council (UNSC)'s efforts to take action against the coup leaders-have threatened to blow up the pipelines.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/
At a hurriedly called press conference in Nakyal on May 6 in Pakistani Occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK), Awami Workers Party leader Nissar Shah advocate criticised the local Assistant Commissioner, Omar Farooq, for launching what Shah called a vindictive FIR against Shamsher Ali Sher, advocate of Samaj Badlo Tehreeks (Change Society Movement) and a candidate in upcoming general elections.

This is not the first time that social justice activists in PoJK are faced with victimisation and it will most definitely not be the last. In the past, student activists of Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF) have faced arrests and torture at the hands of the occupation forces. Shamsher Ali Sher hails from a respected family of professionals in Nakyal in Kotli district. He is campaigning for the construction of safety walls at blind corners along the Nakyal-Kotli road which is a main cause for frequent road accidents.

On December 31, 2020, a Nakyal bound van carrying a family who were travelling back from Gujranwala in Punjab lost control and fell hundreds of feet down into a ravine instantly killing three women and a man. In another accident that took place on April 11, 2021, five members of the same family lost their lives. They were travelling from Nakyal to Kotli city. "These loss of lives could have been averted provided there was a safety wall build at the dangerous parts and blind corners of the Nakyal-Kotli Road", says Sher. And now he himself fears for his life and rightly so.

In the past, Arif Shahid, a social activist from PoJK paid with his life for raising voice against social injustice. He was allegedly killed by an ISI hitman outside his house in Rawalpindi on May 14, 2013. Arif Shahid campaigned against the increased bar on political parties to participate in general elections unless they signed a document pledging allegiance to Pakistan.

In 2011, a doctor and a human rights activist from PoJK was gunned down allegedly by the Pakistani secret service the ISI. Most recently Afzal Sulehria, a high profile political and human rights activist and leader of Kashmir National Party, allegedly became yet another victim of the ISI. Sulehria was a towering figure in Muzaffarabad, the capital city of PoJK. He vigorously campaigned against the diversion of Rivers Kishan Ganga (Neelum) and River Jhelum, and in December 2020 had written a letter to the Pakistan army chief demanding all under construction hydropower projects to be brought to an instant halt and deals made between the government of Azad Kashmir and Chinese construction companies be made public. In February 2021, less than two months after he had written to the Army Chief, Sulehria died of a mysterious heart attack.

No autopsy was carried out. It is not uncommon for human rights and political activists such as Shamsher Ali Sher advocate to face persecution after being involved in campaigns that attempt to address issues regarding public interest in PoJK. Those who have raised their voice against the colonial rule of Pakistan, since October 1947, when Pakistan attacked the state of Jammu and Kashmir and forcefully annexed western parts of Jammu province as well as Gilgit Agency, unfortunately share the same fate. Human Rights Watch report sums up the ordeal we face in PoJK most convincingly as follows: "The Pakistani government in Islamabad, (read military establishment), the Pakistani army and the Pakistani intelligence services (Inter-Services Intelligence, ISI) control all aspects of political life in Azad Kashmir (PoJK)... Azad Kashmir is a land of strict curbs on political pluralism, freedom of expression, and freedom of association; a muzzled press; banned books; arbitrary arrest and detention and torture at the hands of the Pakistani military and the police. Singled out are Kashmiri nationalists who do not support the idea of Kashmir's accession to Pakistan." (Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK) (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/
New Delhi, May 8 : The Supreme Court on Saturday made it clear to the Centre that there shall be no reduction in the allocation and availability of medical oxygen to Delhi and its direction with regard to the provisioning of 700 MT oxygen per day to the national capital shall continue pending further orders.

A bench comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said: "We direct the Union of India to remedy the situation forthwith and to ensure that the direction issued by this court for the availability of 700 MT is strictly observed on a daily basis, pending further orders." The Delhi government had informed the top court that it has computed the requirement of oxygen on the basis of the formula which has been adopted by the Union government.

The top court noted that the Centre has not disputed the correctness of the computation on the basis of the formula. The bench said that at this stage, no contrary material has been placed on record by the Union government.

"The attention of the court has not been drawn to any error in the methodology of computation, which has been adopted by GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi). GNCTD has drawn the attention of the court to the serious deficiency in the availability of oxygen.

"This indicates that on 6 May 2021, the total quantity of oxygen delivered to NCTD was 577 MT, resulting in a shortfall of 123 MT. As of 9 am on 7 May 2021, the total quantity which has been received at NCTD border is 87.97 MT, while 9.64 MT is under transit," the bench noted.

The bench observed that except for a bare assertion that an increase of 210 MT to Delhi would result in a corresponding reduction to other states, no material has been produced on the record by the Centre.

The bench said the Centre has also on record stated that, as on 21 April 2021, a quantity of 16,000 MT of LMO was available in the country.

"On 30 April 2021, the order of this court recorded the submission of the Union government that there is 'no dearth of oxygen'. The shortage of oxygen in the states/UTs was attributed to deficiencies in distribution and the inability to lift the entire quantity of oxygen supplied," observed the bench.

The top court said the directions passed by it on April 30 leave no manner of doubt that the Centre is under an obligation to ensure a daily supply of 700 MT to meet the existing requirements of Delhi.

The top court said this direction has been based on the assurance of the Centre to the court.

The Delhi High Court, finding that there was a breach of this direction, invoked the contempt jurisdiction.

"While the invocation of the coercive process has been stayed, this court in its order dated 5 May 2021 has reiterated the direction for maintaining the supplies to NCTD at 700 MT per day. The Union government was required to place on the record a plan to achieve the fulfilment of this direction. The plan which has been placed before this court is subject to caveats and conditions which cannot be accepted," the bench noted.

The top court said that what is sought to be assured in the first part of the plan is diluted with the next segment.

"700 MT was not intended to be a requirement to be fulfilled for one day or sporadically, but on a daily basis. Daily basis means for every day. We accordingly direct that there shall be no reduction in the allocation and availability of medical oxygen to NCTD and the direction in regard to the provision of 700 MT per day shall continue to be observed," the apex court noted.

The counsel for Delhi government submitted that daily requirement of 700 MT has been computed on the basis of the formula adopted by the Centre, without factoring in an additional requirement of 256 MT consequent upon setting up of new facilities.

"The additional requirement of NCTD (from 490 MT to 700 MT) is only 210 MT, which is a small fraction of the pan-India availability of oxygen, estimated at 8,410 MT by the Union government. Further, the actual oxygen lifted by the respective states/UTs (as on 28 April 2021), out of their allocated quantity, was only 7,334.53 MT," the Delhi government counsel submitted.

The Centre's counsel submitted that problem of oxygen shortage in Delhi is due to a systemic failure to ensure proper distribution of oxygen.

"In order to resolve the issue, it would be necessary to conduct an audit with regard to the manner in which the available supplies are distributed through the networks and are ultimately utilised," said the Centre's counsel.
New Delhi, May 8 : The Indian Railways said on Saturday that it has delivered nearly 3,400 MT of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) in more than 220 tankers to various states across the country till now.

A Railway Ministry spokesperson said that on Saturday, the highest ever single-day load of 718 MT LMO is on the run in different Oxygen Expresses trains.

He also said that 41 tankers are on the run at the moment.

The official said that 222 MT LMO is on the way for delivery to Uttar Pradesh, while another train with 180 MT LMO is headed towards Haryana.

The spokesperson said that 54 Oxygen Express trains have completed their journey so far.

It is the endeavour of the Railways to deliver as much LMO as possible in the shortest possible time to the requesting states, the official said.

Till Saturday, 230 MT LMO has been offloaded in Maharashtra, 968 MT in Uttar Pradesh, 249 MT in Madhya Pradesh, 355 MT in Haryana, 123 MT in Telangana, 40 MT in Rajasthan and 1,427 MT in Delhi.
New York, May 8 : Patients with lasting symptoms of Covid-19 who completed a six-week, supervised rehabilitation programme demonstrated significant improvements in exercise capacity, respiratory symptoms, fatigue and cognition, say researchers, including one of Indian origin.

The study found a statistically significant improvement in exercise capacity, as measured by scores of distance travelled and ability to keep going without rest using incremental and endurance shuttle-walking tests.

"This adapted rehabilitation programme for individuals following Covid-19 has demonstrated promising improvements in clinical outcomes," said researcher Sally Singh from the University of Leicester.

"There were no drop-outs due to worsening symptoms and the high completion rate suggests that patients found it to be an acceptable treatment," Singh added.

The team also found that fatigue improved by 5 points on the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) Fatigue Scale over the six weeks.

In addition, participants demonstrated improvement in their overall wellbeing and cognition, as measured by standardised clinical assessment tools.

The small yet significant study, published in the journal Chronic Respiratory Disease, followed thirty patients who took part in face-to-face exercise rehabilitation classes twice a week over six weeks.

The programme included aerobic exercise, such as walking or using a treadmill, strength training of the arms and legs and educational discussions to support symptom management based upon the information on the Your Covid Recovery platform.

Participants were referred through a hospital discharge follow-up telephone assessment, at a face-to-face Covid-19 clinic assessment, or via their GP.

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New Delhi, May 8 : Despite increasing its tally from three seats to 77 in the 294 member Assembly, many West Bengal BJP leaders feel that the central leadership's failure to gauge the mood on the ground and ignoring the local leadership were the main reasons for losing the high stakes battle to the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Listing the reasons for the party's failure to form the government in West Bengal, which was considered the last frontier by the saffron party along with Kerala, West Bengal leaders told IANS that there was little involvement of the state leadership in the decision making, there was too much deployment of central leaders from other other parts of the country, especially from North India, and a failure to present a credible and effective Bengali leadership.

A section in the West Bengal BJP unit feels that if the Central leadership had heard the local cadre the result could have been better. "Local leaders are well connected with the people and aware of issues concerning them and by ignoring them the Central leadership completely disconnected itself from the ground," claimed a BJP leader.

Former West Bengal BJP Chief and former Governor of Tripura and Meghalaya, Tathagatha Roy openly criticized the ticket distribution and the role of central appointees for affairs of the state unit. Blaming state in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya, co-incharge Arvind Menon, Shiv Prakash and state unit Chief Dilip Ghosh, Roy had tweeted, "These people have heaped the worst possible insults on ideologically driven BJP workers and devout Swayamsevaks who had been relentlessly working for the party since 1980s." Other West Bengal BJP leaders including a few who lost in the Assembly polls said, "All the Central leaders assigned to manage the party's poll affairs had failed to do their homework and worked as dictators, ignoring the feedback from the local cadre." A West Bengal BJP leader claimed that the party strategists failed to present a credible local face and made it Bengali (Mamata Banerjee) versus non Bengali (Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah). "TMC used it and continuously attacked us and called the Prime Minister and Home Minister tourists. Most of the star campaigners including Modi, Shah and others had addressed voters in Hindi. This helped Banerjee's narrative that the BJP is an outsider party with no respect for Bengali identity and culture." he said.

The local BJP unit also believes that by not presenting a local credible face the party failed to attract the state's intelligentsia and the Bengali Bhadralok in the urban areas.

The saffron camp in West Bengal feels that sidelining of the local leaders had worked against the party. "Most of the local leaders, instead of working on the ground engaged in overseeing and arranging logistics of leaders sent by Delhi and they behaved like a king giving orders to the local cadre," another leader said.

The West Bengal BJP workers pointed out that the leadership also failed to gauge the mood of women voters. "Welfare schemes of the Modi government did not work in our favour but women welfare work of Mamata in the rural areas worked magic for the ruling party. From the very start the central leadership insisted that like Bihar, women voters in West Bengal would vote for the BJP but it did not happen," he said.

Sexist comments like the 'Didi O Didi' remark of the Prime Minister and Ghosh's comment that Mamata should wear shorts also worked against the BJP, claimed a party leader. Another leader suggested that the party should now start identifying candidates for the next general elections in 2024 instead of parachuting in outsiders.

"We also need a leader of high calibre, respected across the state to lead the party," a local leader added.
Hyderabad, May 8 : Telangana High Court on Saturday questioned the hasty manner in which the state government had ordered probe into encroachment of endowment lands at Devarayamjal in Medchal-Malkajgiri district.

The court wanted to know why the government suddenly decided to probe when the problem was there for a long time. It remarked why there was swift response to this issue at a time when there is hardly any response to deaths occurring due to the Covid.

The high court also questioned the government's move of forming a committee with four IAS officials to probe the land encroachments.

The court was hearing petitions challenging the Government Order (GO) constituting the committee.

The Advocate General submitted to the court that the committee has been constituted only for preliminary probe and after receipt of its report action will be initiated as per law.

The AG also informed the court that at this stage there will be no action like demolition.

The high court observed even for preliminary probe, notices have to be issued. It asked the committee to issue notices to those facing the allegations.

The court also made it clear that those facing the allegations should appear before the committee. It said the committee should submit its report after recording their statements.

The court directed that the lands of the petitioners should not be interfered with. It asked the endowments department to file a counter affidavit with all the details.

The state government on May 3 appointed a Committee of Officers headed by Panchayat Raj and Rural Development commissioner M Raghunandan Rao to probe into the alleged encroachment of endowment lands belonging to Sri Seetha Rama Swamy temple at Devaryamjal village.

Other members of the Committee of Officers are Nalgonda district Collector Prashanth Jeevan Patil, Mancherial district Collector Bharathi Holikeri and Medchal Malkajgiri district collector Swetha Mohanty.

There are allegations that former Minister Eatala Rajender and other individuals have occupied a large portion of over 1,521 acres belonging to the temple worth more than Rs 1,000 crore.

The committee was constituted soon after Rajender was dropped from the state cabinet on allegations of encroaching farmers' lands in Medak district.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had on April 30 ordered the probe into allegations of encroachment of farmers' lands. Preliminary investigation by Medak district collector found that 66 acres of land was encroached for the minister's poultry farm.

Rajender, however, denied the allegations and called the probe a witch-hunt.
New Delhi, May 8 : The Supreme Court on Saturday formed a panel, which includes AIIMS chief Randeep Guleria, for audit of medical oxygen for Delhi to examine its supply and efficacy in its distribution by the Delhi government.

A bench comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said: "For carrying out the above audit exercise for NCTD, the audit sub-group shall consist of Dr Randeep Guleria, Professor and Head, Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep, AIIMS; Sandeep Budhiraja, Clinical Director & Director, Internal Medicine, Max Healthcare; and an IAS officer each from the Union government and GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi), not below the rank of joint secretary." The top court emphasised that the purpose of conducting audits is to ensure accountability in respect of the supplies of oxygen provided to every state/UT.

"The purpose is to ensure that the supplies which have been allocated are reaching their destination; that they are being made available through the distribution network to the hospitals or, as the case may be, the end users efficiently and on a transparent basis; and to identify bottlenecks or issues in regard to the utilization of oxygen," the top court said in its order.

However, the bench made it clear that the purpose of the audit is not to scrutinise the decisions made in good faith by the doctors while treating their patients.

The bench said the Centre would continue with the present practice of making allocations of oxygen until the National Task Force formed on Saturday submits its recommendations with regard to the proposed modalities.

"The Union government shall on receipt of the recommendations of the task force take an appropriate decision in regard to the allocation of oxygen and on all other recommendations. The Task Force shall also submit its recommendations from time to time to this court," said the top court.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, had submitted that many of the demands by the states and UTs, including the government of Delhi, for the provision of medical oxygen were unrealistic.

"The problem of shortage in NCTD is due to a systemic failure to ensure proper distribution of oxygen; In order to resolve the issue, it would be necessary to conduct an audit with regard to the manner in which the available supplies are distributed through the networks and are ultimately utilised," submitted Mehta.

But the Delhi government's counsel contested these submissions stating that there is no need for an audit and, if at all an audit is to be conducted, it should be of the availability of tankers.

"In any event, the exercise of carrying out an audit would be meaningless unless the formula pursuant to which the Union government is allocating oxygen is revisited," said the Delhi government counsel.

The Delhi government insisted that several steps have been taken by it to bring about efficiencies in the transportation of oxygen; for instance, the tankers which have been recently acquired are being tracked on a real-time basis through GPS.

The next hearing on the matter is scheduled on May 17.
New Delhi, May 8 : Uttar Pradesh has announced that the Yogi Adityanath-led government in the state has proven Niti Aayogs apprehension about the Covid situation in UP wrong.

A press release issued by the Uttar Pradesh government said that the Niti Aayog's grim predictions about Uttar Pradesh regarding spike in Covid-19 cases by the end of April have turned out to be wrong, thanks to the proactive approach of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to tackle the second wave of the pandemic.

The UP government said the Aayog had forecast that the state would report on an average 119,000 Covid-19 cases daily by April 30 onwards leaving even Delhi and Maharashtra far behind in terms of number of cases, but thankfully it did not happen.

"The Test, Trace and Treat policy of Yogi Adityanath has done the trick as far as control of Covid is concerned," the press release said.

"The Yogi government with its multi-pronged strategy to contain the virus has been able to restrict the number of cases much below the predicted figures, while cases have started dropping already," the UP government said.

The Niti Aayog report had predicted a very gloomy picture of Uttar Pradesh with daily Covid cases in the state outnumbering Maharashtra, Delhi and Chhatisgarh with 99,665, 67,134 and 61,474 cases, respectively, by April 30.

"The Yogi government has been able to belie the Niti Aayog's prediction, which was probably based on various factors such as population density, influx of migrant workers, lack of sufficient health facilities for Covid patients compared to population, through a focused approach," the statement said.

"The Chief Minister has been working overtime to contain and tackle the virus right since the outbreak of the second wave. He established isolation centres for migrant workers as soon as Maharshtra and Delhi geared up to enforce a fresh spell of lockdown.

"Officials were instructed to test suspected Covid cases among migrants and facilitate treatment for positive cases among them. The state government led by Yogi Adityanath has also started door-to-door campaign to test suspected cases and facilitate timely treatment of positive cases. All these steps have paid off in containing the spread of the virus," the UP government said.

Meanwhile, the government has placed orders for five million doses each of Covaxin and Covishield vaccines and the delivery of the same has also started.

Oxygen plants are being set up across the state while oxygen cylinders and concentrators are also being brought from outside the state to meet the growing demand and to avert such a crisis in future.

The latest data reveals that the prevalence of Covid cases in Uttar Pradesh is much less than many other states despite its huge population and high population density.

In Delhi, Maharshtra and Chhatisgarh, the Covid positive cases reported per million since April 1 are 29,683, 17,115 and 15,845, respectively, against 3,502 cases in UP.

In fact, the maximum number of Covid cases on a single day at 38,000 was reported on April 24 and since then, the graph has been southwards.

In Covid related deaths reported since April 1, Delhi, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh have outpaced Uttar Pradesh. Delhi, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh reported 358, 152 and 196 deaths per million, respectively, against 25 deaths in UP.

Besides, according to a report, 65,000 active cases have been cured in UP in the last eight days alone.

The Yogi government has also made elaborate arrangements for the treatment of Covid patients in home isolation. The CM Helpline is reaching out to thousands of such patients on a daily basis to offer them treatment related advice and other assistance. The helpline has contacted 18,55,788 Covid patients and 95,692 monitoring committees to take stock of the Covid situation in the state and extend help to those in need.

It is worth mentioning here that in Covid testing also, UP ranks second in the country. The state conducted 29,07,807 tests between April 21 and May 4, against 9,55,261 in Delhi, 22,19,500 in Karnataka, and 17,04,517 in Kerala.

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Hyderabad, May 8 : Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL) has come forward to augment supply of oxygen by 35 lakhs litres per day in Covid-hit Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The company will be offering free supply of medical oxygen B type cylinders free of cost to match the increasing number of Covid patients who are in dire need of oxygen. It has submitted its proposal to the Telangana government.

MEIL is planning to supply 500 to 600 oxygen cylinders per day with each cylinder having a capacity of 7,000 litres. The total quantum of supply of oxygen thus will be around 35,00,000 litres.

MEIL has received request to refill oxygen cylinders from Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (50 cylinders), Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital (200), Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences (100) and Hyderabad Care Hi-tech hospital (50). These hospitals have augmented their Covid bed strength based on the spurt in cases.

On the other hand, MEIL, with the technical support of DRDO, is planning to construct 30-40 oxygen generation plants. Each plant can generate 150-1000 litres per minute based on the technology of on-board oxygen generation used in fighter planes.

Director DRDO Col. B.S. Rawat has appointed senior scientist Raghavendra Rao to coordinate the initiative.

MEIL is currently manufacturing a 30 metric tonnes per day Cryogenic Oxygen Liquefaction Plant and the same will be installed and commissioned at ITC Bhadrachalam by May 13. The cryogenic Oxygen will then be converted into usable liquid oxygen for medical purposes at the MEIL facilities.

Sources say that if required by the state governments, MEIL is ready to import 2 - 3 cryogenic oxygen tanks from its own unit in Spain which will help in the sourcing and movement of liquid oxygen.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 8 : In its first ever meeting with India in the EU+27 format, European Council on Saturday agreed to strengthen the "India-EU Strategic Partnership" based on a shared commitment to democracy, fundamental freedoms, rule of law and multilateralism.

India and the EU also agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation on digital and emerging technologies such as "5G, AI, Quantum and High-Performance Computing including through the early operationalization of the Joint Task Force on AI and the Digital Investment Forum".

At the invitation of President of the European Council Charles Michel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the India-EU Leaders' Meeting that was virtually held in a hybrid format with the participation of leaders of all the 27 EU Member States as well as the President of the European Council and the European Commission.

A statement issued from Prime Minister's Office mentioned that it was the first time that the EU hosted a meeting with India in the EU+27 format. The meeting was the initiative of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The leaders noted with satisfaction the growing convergences on regional and global issues, including counterterrorism, cybersecurity and maritime cooperation. The leaders acknowledged the importance of a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific and agreed to closely engage in the region, including in the context of India's Indo-Pacific Ocean's Initiative and the EU's new strategy on the Indo-Pacific.

During the meeting, the leaders exchanged views on three key thematic areas-- foreign policy and security; Covid-19, climate and environment; and trade, connectivity and technology.

They discussed forging closer cooperation on combating the Covid-19 pandemic and economic recovery, tackling climate change, and reforming multilateral institutions.

India appreciated the prompt assistance provided by the EU and its member states to combat its second Covid wave.

The leaders welcomed the decision to resume negotiations for balanced and comprehensive free trade and investment agreements. Negotiations on both the Trade and Investment Agreements will be pursued on parallel tracks with an intention to achieve early conclusion of both agreements together.

This is a major outcome which will enable the two sides to realise the full potential of the economic partnership.

India and the EU also announced dedicated dialogues on WTO issues, regulatory cooperation, market access issues and supply chain resilience, demonstrating the desire to deepen and further diversify economic engagement.

India and the EU launched an ambitious and comprehensive 'Connectivity Partnership' which is focused on enhancing digital, energy, transport and people-to-people connectivity.

The Partnership is based on the shared principles of social, economic, fiscal, climate and environmental sustainability, and respect for international law and commitments. It will catalyse private and public financing for connectivity projects. It will also foster new synergies for supporting connectivity initiatives in third countries, including in the Indo-Pacific.

India and the EU leaders reiterated their commitment to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and agreed to strengthen joint efforts for mitigation, adaptation and resilience to the impacts of climate change, as well as providing means of implementation including finance in the context of COP26. India welcomed the EU's decision to join CDRI.

Coinciding with the Leaders' Meeting, an India-EU Business Roundtable was organised to highlight the avenues for cooperation in climate, digital and healthcare.

A finance contract of Euro 150 million for the Pune Metro Rail Project was signed by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and European Investment Bank.

India-EU Leaders meeting has set a significant milestone by providing a new direction to the Strategic Partnership and giving a fresh impetus for implementing the ambitious India-EU Roadmap 2025 adopted at the 15th India-EU Summit held in July 2020.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
London, May 8 : Long-running German audio company Sennheiser has announced that Swiss holding company Sonova will be acquiring the brand in a deal expected to close by end of the year.

The deal will bring headphones and soundbars to Sonova's existing portfolio, which is largely centered around healthcare products, TechCrunch reported.

Among other things, however, the deal could have interesting implications for the so-called hearables category, which can walk the line between headphones and healthcare products. Sennheiser, meanwhile, will shift the entirety of its focus to its pro products.

The company has been fairly open about its intentions. In February, it publicly announced that it was seeking a buyer for the division.

"To be best able to exploit the potential in each of these markets, we are concentrating our own resources on the three business areas in the Professional division and are looking for a strong partner to invest in our Consumer business," Co-CEO Daniel Sennheiser noted at the time.

Sennheiser describes the deal as a "permanent cooperation" between the two, including licensing the company's name.

The existing consumer wing, including many of its employees, will transfer to Sonova.

A press statement announcing the news says there are currently 600 people employed by the brand, but no word on how many are expected the make that move.
Barcelona, May 8 : Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes beat Red Bull's Max Verstappen to secure his 100th career Formula One pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday.

Hamilton has long held the record after beating Michael Schumacher's 68 career pole positions, while he still aims to beat four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel's record of 15 poles in a season, reports DPA.

The seven-time world champion clocked 1 minute 16.741 seconds around the 4.655km Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Verstappen only 0.036 seconds behind.

"I can't believe we're at 100. I'm ecstatic! It's like my first!," Hamilton said.

Valtteri Bottas in the other Mercedes will start Sunday's race in third and believes it will be "very close" between his team and Red Bull.

"I lost a tenth or two in Turn 10 which was marginal for the pole," he said.

Verstappen said Red Bull is working very hard to beat Mercedes in Spain, and he "can be happy" with second on the grid.

"I need to make sure to have a good start - the pace is there so we should have a good race as well," he added.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Esteban Ocon of Alpine close the top five on the starting grid.

"Happy with today, I don't think there was much more to do in terms of positions for sure," Leclerc said.

Hamilton was pushed all the way by his team-mate Bottas and Verstappen, facing windy and changing weather conditions, but delivered when it mattered.

The Briton led the way after the opening runs in Q3 and neither himself, nor his opponents were faster on the second attempt.

"It's down to the men and women back at the factory, it's been a dream to work with these guys," Hamilton said.

Ferrari also saw Carlos Sainz sixth quickest, and will have both cars ahead of midfield opponents McLaren, who had Daniel Ricciardo in seventh and Lando Norris in ninth.

Vettel will start the race 13th in his Aston Martin car, while rookie Mick Schumacher will be 18th on the grid.
Visakhapatnam, May 8 : The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) will operate and maintain oxygen plants in all government and teaching hospitals across Andhra Pradesh.

The decision was taken at a meeting the state government's representative M.T. Krishna Babu had with the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of Eastern Naval Command and the Chief Managing Director of Vizag Steel Plant on supply, storage and maintenance of oxygen in the state, here on Saturday.

The ENC will take the responsibility of fixing leakages in oxygen plants, monitoring the condition of the plants and chalking out the precautions to be taken there. Four special teams have beenn formed and each team will be in-charge of three to four districts.

Arrangements are being made to airlift these teams to the required locations if necessary. These teams will fix the problems in the supply of oxygen besides solving other issues, an official release said.

The Navy has agreed to extend support to the state government in rectifying the technical errors in the oxygen plants. It agreed to transport 25 cryogenic oxygen cylinders, which are coming to the state from Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

The Navy officials have approved to provide special vehicles for transportation of liquid medical oxygen containers for regular use and also to supply oxygen concentrators, D-type oxygen cylinders and other medical equipment required for Covid treatment.

Officials of Eastern Naval Command have agreed to allot 10 oxygen beds along with 60 normal beds for Covid treatment at the INS Kalinga hospital.

They have also agreed to develop infrastructure for an 150-bed temporary Covid hospital in Kancherapalem in Vishakapatnam district and requested the district administration to make arrangements for the required doctors and medical staff. The Navy has come forward to donate 200 D-type cylinders.

Meanwhile, Vizag Steel Plant (VSP) officials informed the state government that only 100 tonnes of MLO is being produced in two units, which have the capacity of producing 850 tonnes.

VSP also agreed to set up a 50-bed hospital with oxygen facility for Covid treatment at Gurajada Kalakshetram in Vishakapatnam. The Chief Managing Director of Vizag Steel Plant has said that an additional 150 beds will be arranged in that hospital by May 15.

The steel plant officials said that 250 beds will be available by May 30 while 600 beds will be available by June in that hospital, and requested the district administration to ensure that required doctors and medical staff are available accordingly.

The officials of Eastern Naval Command and Vizag Steel Plant also thanked the state government for providing 4,000 doses of Covid vaccine to the staff and their family members.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 8 : The Congress on Saturday accused the Central government of failing to protect the lives of the people amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

It also urged the Centre to follow the suggestions of the experts to declare a nationwide lockdown in the wake of the rising number of Covid-19 cases across the country.

Earlier in the day, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'not utilising the vaccination budget'.

"Vaccine budget - underutilized. Human life - undervalued. Because Prime Minister's ego - overinflated," he tweeted, attaching a news report which claimed that only Rs 4,744 crore has been utilised from the vaccine budget of Rs 35,000 crore.

In another tweet, he tagged a small video titled "Modi hai to mumkin hai" which showed a rising graph of Covid-19 cases and a declining graph of vaccination.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former Union minister Ajay Maken while addressing a virtual press conference quoted a report from The Lancet medical journal which claimed that India will see one million deaths from Covid-19 by August 1.

Maken said the report also said that if that outcome was to happen, the Narendra Modi government would be responsible for presiding over a self-inflicted national catastrophe .

He also said that the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and The Lancet have made several suggestions similar to those made by his party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi.

"The government should not shut its eyes on the suggestions given by the experts and the opposition. If the suggestions are coming from professionals and experts, the government must listen to them," Maken said, adding that if the IMA and journals like The Lancet are suggesting the imposition of a national lockdown, the government should follow the same.

He also said that if the government plans to impose a nationwide lockdown, it should do that with a 'Nyay' like scheme providing Rs 6,000 per month to the poor to tide over the crisis.

Maken pointed out that it is the duty of the government to ensure that people don't die due to the pandemic or because of hunger.

Maken also welcomed the setting up of a National Task Force by the Supreme Court to manage oxygen distribution, saying the top court had to intervene after the Central government "completely failed" in its duties.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, May 8 : Ahead of the election of the leader of its legislative party in Assam and Tamil Nadu, the BJP on Saturday appointed central observers for the states to conduct the exercise.

Accordingly, the BJP appointed Union Agriculture Minister Narednra Singh Tomar and party National General Secretary Arun Singh as central observers for Assam, while Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, G. Kishan Reddy, has been appointed as the central observer for Tamil Nadu.

Assam BJP MLAs are likely to meet on Sunday in Guwahati to choose the new Chief Minister of the state.

BJP chief J.P. Nadda on Saturday discussed the formation of the new BJP government in Assam with current Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at his residence in the national capital. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also present in the meeting.

After the meeting, Sarma said, "The Assam BJP legislative party will probably meet tomorrow in Guwahati. You will get all the answers after the meeting." The BJP had not announced a chief ministerial candidate before the Assembly polls in Assam, in which the saffron party won 60 seats while its alliance partners AGP and UPPL managed nine and six seats, respectively, in the 126-member state Assembly.

In Tamil Nadu, the BJP won four seats out of 20 it contested. It fought the elections in Tamil Nadu in alliance with the AIADMK.
Bengaluru, May 8 : The Bengaluru Central Crime Branch police have arrested a 36-year-old man in connection with black marketing of medical oxygen at 10 times higher the rate fixed by the government.

According to the police, the arrested person has been identified as Ravi Kumar, working as a manager at Siga Gasses Private Limited in Peenya.

The medical oxygen suppliers' list of the Drugs Control Department of Karnataka show that this company has two plants - one in Peenya industrial township and another in Bommasanadra industrial township.

According to this data, Ravi Kumar is in-charge of both the plants, while one Devaraj has been named as the managing director of these plants.

The CCB note stated that Ravi Kumar, who is the plant in-charge of Siga Gases at the Peenya Industrial Area in the city, was selling oxygen cylinders for Rs 3,000 per 47 litres of oxygen.

"He was selling it at 10 times more than the price fixed by the government. The government rate for 47 litres of oxygen is only Rs 300," a police officer said.

He was caught red-handed on Friday while selling two oxygen cylinders of 47 litres each for Rs 6,000, the officer added.
Lisbon, May 9 : President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday at the end of the social summit of the European Union (EU) held in the Portuguese city of Porto that leaders of the EU countries understand that there are "more pressing issues" than patent waiver on vaccines against Covid-19.

Speaking to journalists, von der Leyen said this topic "is important," but will be discussed "in the long term, not in the short or medium term", Xinhua reported.

According to her, Europe should not "lose sight of the main urgencies," which are "production of vaccines as soon as possible and how they will be distributed in a fair and equitable way." The EU executive stressed that "the European Union is the pharmacy of the world." "Up to today, 400 million doses of vaccines have been produced in the European Union. And 50 percent of them -- 200 million doses -- have been exported to 90 different countries in the world. So we invite others to do the same," she said, adding, "this is the best way, in the short term, to address bottlenecks and lack of vaccines worldwide." "We have now delivered over 200 million doses to the European people. So we are on track to achieve our objective of enough doses being delivered in July to vaccinate 70 percent of the European adult population. Close to 160 million Europeans now have already received a first shot of the vaccine, that's over 25 per cent of the EU population," she noted.

She also announced that the EU has concluded the negotiations with BioNTech-Pfizer for a new contract which secures 1.8 billion doses of vaccines through 2023.

Von der Leyen was glad to report that the legal and the technical work on the EU travel certificate -- the vaccination certificate -- is on track for the system to be operational in June.

The US on Wednesday agreed to support waiving intellectual property restrictions on Covid-19 vaccines at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

French President Emmanuel Macron said during the social summit that he is "available to debate the proposal, but that this is not the solution" to increase the speed of vaccination.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Saturday that the US proposal to suspend patents on Covid-19 vaccines "will not guarantee an increase in the supply of vaccines." Twenty-four of the 27 EU heads of state and government attended the two-day meeting to set the bloc's social agenda for the next decade. The summit was hosted by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Clinical lab professionals serve critical roles in our health systems. These can be excellent career opportunities, but we need to ensure that these opportunities are known and accessible for all individuals, says Bianca Frogner, PhD, Director of the UW CHWS.

The clinical laboratory workforce that underpins the U.S. healthcare system is under siege. As the providers of critical information to patient and medical providers to diagnose, treat, and manage disease, the number of laboratory professionals in the workforce is dwindling as baby boomers retire and accredited programs close. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this crisis.

To reverse this trend, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), in partnership with the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies (UW CHWS) conducted a groundbreaking new study, Clinical Laboratory Workforce: Understanding the Challenges to Meeting Current and Future Needs. The results of the study propose innovative strategies, such as introducing careers in the medical laboratory to students as young as elementary school, while also working to build a more diverse and inclusive laboratory workforce. The study was supported by a generous grant by the Siemens Healthineers Fund of the Siemens Foundation.

The shortage of medical laboratory professionals is not new but the COVID-19 pandemic put health systems to the test because there were not enough laboratory staff to fill key positions, said Edna Garcia, MPH, ASCP Director of Scientific Engagement. ASCP is very pleased to collaborate with the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies and the Siemens Foundation to examine the barriers preventing more people from entering this profession and to develop entirely new approaches to solve this issue.

The areas of the laboratory that were examined include histotechnicians, medical laboratory assistants, medical laboratory technicians, phlebotomists, histotechnologists and medical laboratory scientists. Key recommendations include:

Improving visibility of the profession



Introduce careers in the clinical laboratory science at the elementary level and provide tuition support, stipends or scholarships.

Offer incentives to laboratory employees who attend recruitment and awareness-building activities for the profession.

Investigate program models that leverage funding partnerships to create education and training opportunities.

Promote laboratory jobs on campuses and in professional groups, network with educational groups and employers, and support education programs and clinical training.

Encourage employer-provided clinical training sites and employment resources for students in clinical laboratory programs.

Improving workforce recruitment and retention



Provide financial incentives to encourage professional development and job satisfaction, and considering factors such as flexible schedules, benefits, tuition incentives, and sign-on bonuses.

Provide opportunities for career growth through tier levels, increases in pay, and elevated titles.

Encourage professionals to work at the highest skill level within their scope of practice.

Examine opportunities for on-the-job training.

Promoting diversity and inclusion in the laboratory



Encourage diversity in academic recruitment by aligning efforts across the institution and partnering with STEM programs to recruit students from underrepresented groups, developing a clearinghouse of scholarships, improving data collection to better understand trends in diversity among students, and recruiting more men, the non-dominant gender in this field.

Urge employers to develop recruitment strategies and actionable items, expand mentorship and diversity training programs to retain laboratory staff from underrepresented groups, amplify promising efforts and articulate and measure the benefits of having a diverse workforce.

Clinical lab professionals serve critical roles in our health systems as highlighted during this pandemic. These can be excellent career opportunities, but we need to ensure that these opportunities are known and accessible for all individuals, and that we support career progression to ensure diversity across the skill spectrum, says Bianca Frogner, PhD, Director of the UW CHWS.

About ASCP

Founded in 1922 in Chicago, ASCP is a medical professional society with more than 100,000 member board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologists, pathology residents and fellows, laboratory professionals, and students. ASCP provides excellence in education, certification, and advocacy on behalf of patients, pathologists, and laboratory professionals. To learn more, visit http://www.ascp.org. Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ascp_chicago and connect with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ASCP.Chicago.

About the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies

The University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies at the (UW CHWS) conducts research to elevate the importance of workers in the delivery of health care in policy discussion. UW CHWS was established in 1998 with funding from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It is based in the Research Section of the Department of Family Medicine, part of the University of Washington School of Medicine. For more information: https://familymedicine.uw.edu/chws. Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/uwchws and connect with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/uwchws.

About the Siemens Foundation

The Siemens Foundation has invested more than $130 million in the United States to advance equitable workforce development and education initiatives in science, technology, engineering and math. Its mission is inspired by the culture of innovation, research and continuous learning that is the hallmark of Siemens companies. The Foundation is committed to economic, social and racial justice for all in the United States, and together the programs at the Siemens Foundation are narrowing the opportunity gap for young people in the U.S. and igniting and sustaining todays STEM workforce and tomorrows scientists and engineers.
Hotel Tech Report released the 2021 HotelTechIndex: Hotel Software Market Leaders Report, the most comprehensive view of technology solutions aiding hotel businesses in the industry recovery. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic during the 3-month data collection period, 318,466 hoteliers across 127 countries visited Hotel Tech Report and spent more than 3,000 hours contributing 10,227 verified hotel software product reviews about the technology solutions theyre leveraging to achieve profitability and thrive in the post pandemic rebound.

Coming out of the pandemic, winners in every industry have been firms with the strongest technological competencies. This report is designed to educate hoteliers, prepare them for rapidly changing market conditions, and give them tools to succeed in the digital age. The 2021 HotelTechIndex Market Leaders Report is a critical asset for hoteliers looking to grow their businesses and innovate for the future which distills insights from thousands of hoteliers into an accessible primer on the state of tech in the industry that any hotelier can pick up and act on immediately, says Hotel Tech Report CEO Jordan Hollander.

The report is packed with top rated products based on thousands of verified hotelier reviews, in depth customer support capabilities research, integrations data, and industry expert product analysis. The report offers tech recommendations across every facet of the hotel tech stack in addition to free software buying guides, and other educational resources to help hoteliers fast track their understanding of technology solutions and digital transformation strategies.

The report features an executive letter from the reports sponsor and distribution partner Tripadvisor.

Given this ever-changing technology landscape, Hotel Tech Report offers excellent ways to discover the right technology for your [hotel] business. Tripadvisor is proud to partner with HTR to showcase the technologies that best prepare [hoteliers] for the new environment as the travel industry recovers, writes Tripadvisor VP & GM of Hospitality Solutions Martin Verdon-Roe.

He continues, One of the most meaningful changes we have recently observed in the hospitality industry is the rate at which hoteliers have adopted new technologies to better operate their businesses. With the proliferation of cloud computing and software-as-a-service (SaaS), hoteliers can now find, test and purchase new software solutions quickly and simply. Todays unpredictable economic environment has only accelerated this trend towards high-impact, cost-effective software solutions. Travel is an innate human desire, and the world is eager for it to bounce back quickly. But theres no doubt that the travel industry will be different. Thats why now is the time to ensure that the technology solutions you invest in today will make the most of the changes that lie ahead.

The 2021 HotelTechIndex report is the hotel industrys definitive guide to technology solutions influencing more than $72 million of buying decisions each year. The report leverages authentic product insights from thousands of verified hotel industry professionals to identify the top software solutions across the hotel tech stack. The HotelTechIndex Report is now available in English and will soon be available in German, Spanish, and French to help make technology education and tools more accessible to hoteliers across the globe.
The new three-track extended player (E.P.) from Redux Saints and Friends, 'Thicc Beats-Volume 2' (Deep Tech Los Angeles Records), is out now. The release has received global DJ support from Nicole Moudaber, Claptope, Judge Jules, Tim Baresko, Piem and others.

Get Redux Saints and Friends Thicc Beats-Volume 2 E.P. - https://hypeddit.com/link/4vmzsb

Vibrant. Groovy. Energetic. The underground house music of Redux Saints is consistently satisfying and every new release is a crowd-pleaser. The new three-track extended player (E.P.) from Redux Saints and Friends, Thicc Beats-Volume 2 (Deep Tech Los Angeles Records), is out now. The release has received global DJ support from Nicole Moudaber, Claptope, Judge Jules, Tim Baresko, Piem and others.

Good Rhythm by Redux Saints and Mr. Oz (Edit and Extended Mix) is truly first-rate, ageless house music with a funky cutting-edge twist to it. The track is so uber-cool, hip and full-of-suspense that club DJs wont be able to resist looping this track and letting it build. The expert production of Redux Saints, coupled with the studio skills of Mr. Oz, make for an electrifying piece of music thats as thrilling in a livestream as it is on a newly-reopened nightclubs dancefloor. The horns are used sparingly and with maximum effect. This tune is masterful.

Chills by Redux Saints and DJ IDeaL (Edit and Extended Mix) is a bit more far-out and every bit pure tech-house. The artists are gifted at weaving layers of stimulating sounds that stir the spirit and make a body want to get-up and dance. By the time the vocal cover of Deee-Lites Groove Is In The Heart floats in, youre hooked. Chills takes minimal house music and spins it on its head.

We Dancin by Redux Saints and CHESSER (Edit and Extended Mix) features a heavy bassline, and oh yes, its all about the richness of the bassline on this production. Here is tech-house at its best. This work is a bit more narcotic and druggy in feel, a nod to the dreamy, late-night, clubby vibe of dark warehouse raves in the years before the pandemic. The mood of We Dancin makes house music lovers yearn for the re-opening of large-scale events, and this track will surely be heard time and again over booming soundsystems.

About Redux Saints

Redux Saints (real name, Jason Trevor Miller) is an American electronic dance music DJ and producer hailing from Chicago and currently based out of Los Angeles. As the first U.S. graduate of the intensive Toolroom Academy Masterclass, Miller has honed whats today known as his relentless work ethic. Currently at the helm of Deep Tech Los Angeles (DTLA) Records  Millers house music-centric record label with William Tejada  Miller is able to nurture and help grow the genres most promising new talent. Both influencing and influenced by the sounds and local culture of the Los Angeles music scene, Miller has his roots firmly in the underground house music scene while forging ahead steadily into the future. Under his Redux Saints alias, Miller has released music on both his own Deep Tech Los Angeles imprint as well as on other record labels. Releases include: Take Me Up (Deep Tech Los Angeles), Higher (Deep Tech Los Angeles), Aint Got Time (Incorrect Music), Break Yourself (HoTL), You Cant Front (Hood Politics), and Breakdown (HoTL), the latter earning tastemaker support from Claptone, Roger Sanchez and Mark Knight.

Its 2021 and Redux Saints is one of the most talked-about rising stars in the world of tech-house. A workhorse in the recording studio, he is a go-to producer of addictive beats and groovy basslines sought by other labels, including, Toolroom Records, Low Ceiling, Stealth, Incorrect Music, and other imprints. Redux Saints releases have earned support from fellow touring DJs, including, Mark Knight, Anja Schneider, David Guetta, Pete Tong, Gorgon City, Chris Lake, Joseph Capriati and DJ S.K.T. Redux Saints releases have garnered coveted radio airplay on the BBCs Radio 1, SiriusXM, Dash Radio, Radio Eibiza, and on other radio stations. After three #1 chart positions on Beatports New Hype chart, Beatport awarded Redux Saints an On Our Radar accolade for To My Beat, Stay Home! and the Redux Saints remix of Give Me A Reason by Millers melodic techno alias, Placebo eFx. Never one to let a lockdown keep him from bringing the club vibes to music-lovers, the Deep Tech Loft Party livestreams have flourished via Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube and Twitch, where Miller and his label cohorts spin the best in tech-house, house and techno. Expect a steady flow of high-quality new music from Redux Saints and Deep Tech Los Angeles in the balance of 2021 and beyond.

Follow Redux Saints online.

Official, http://www.deeptechla.com/

Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/deeptechla

Instagram, http://www.instagram.com/deeptechla

Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/deeptechla

Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/artist/55RaZUiEA2LgfoBxw1a7f0?si=HLBWiHG7TCecUA7qjrn7Xg

PRESS CONTACT (U.S.)

EMILY TAN MEDIA RELATIONS | EmilyTan@EmilyTanMediaRelations.com | +1(917) 318-3758
In workplaces increasingly reliant on digital communication, teams are left wondering how to interpret tone in an email, whether the person on the other end of the Zoom call is impatient or just fast-talking, and what on Earth those emoji mean. Erica Dhawan offers guidance in Digital Body Language (St. Martins, May), which PW called a sharp, timely treatise on navigating these pixelated cues.

When did you first get interested in nonverbal communication?

I grew up as a shy introverted girl in a family of Indian immigrants; I struggled with proficiency in English at school and Hindi at home. Struggling between the languages made it necessary to learn to decipher body languages, and I realized how important that was. Then I taught public speaking at Harvard, where I did graduate work. Over time I began teaching corporate leaders and teams, and I realized that theres a new phenomenon causing so much misunderstanding in the workplace. Well before Covid, we were seeing these challenges in global offices, offices with distributed workforces, and even within the same officeteam members emailing back and forth even though they sat close together. Just as I was an immigrant learning a new culture, now were all immigrants to digital body language.

Can you talk a bit about the four laws of digital body language you identify in your book?

The first law is value others visibly. Be sensitive to others time and needs, read communications with care and attention, respect others. The second is communicate carefully. We need to think before we type, state what we need, eliminate confusing ambiguity. The third is collaborate competently. Give your team the freedom to take conscious risks, give them the right amount of consistent communication so they can do their best work. Follow up on what you said you would do. The fourth rule, trust totally, is the sum of the first three. Everyone needs to feel psychologically safe and be able to show vulnerability.

How can people develop these skills?

Individuals need to understand the messages theyre sending, even if theyre unconscious. General rules of thumb: Never confuse a brief message with a clear message. Really review responses; dont just reward the first person to respond. Understand how extroverts and introverts communicate, and create a variety of spaces for them to communicate. Earlier this year, I ran a study of 2,000 office workers on digital body language challenges. The average employee is wasting four hours a week on poor or confusing communications. Thats $889 billion a year in wasted salary in the U.S.

What can businesses do to help employees transition back to the officeor not?

Organizations need to design clear norms about places and spaces. Many organizations are now planning to allow employees to work from anywhere they preferfull-time face-to-face, full-time at home, or anywhere in between. You need to create norms about how to be inclusive. Make sure you include remote attendees in the meeting. Ask them questions first. If youre having a brainstorming, keep the virtual chat available, keep it up on the screen. Allow them to have the same level of participation. Research shows that were more likely to promote and give credit to people we see; we cant be biased to whos in the room.

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Honoree Fanonne Jeffers published her first poetry collection, The Gospel of Barbecue, in 2000. She also published her first short story, Sister Lilith, that year. In the two decades plus that followed, the 53-year-old has established herself as a renowned poet, releasing four collections and earning a National Book Award longlist nomination in 2020.

Born in Kokomo, Ind., Jeffers nonetheless considers herself a native Southerner. She was raised throughout the South and stayed there for her undergraduate and graduate education, receiving a BA from Talladega College in Talladega, Ala., and an MFA from the University of Alabama. Since 2002, she has taught at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, where she currently lives. In 2018, she was awarded the Harper Lee Award for Literary Distinction for an Alabama writer.

Though Jefferss poetry career has flourished over the years, she didnt give up her passion for prose. That passion is coming to fruition in her debut novel, The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, which Harper will publish in July. Jeffers writes poetry in a confessional style, with a focus on African American history, and her novel, which clocks in at 816 pages, is a loving and sprawling portrait of Black Americans who survive slavery only to fight to make space for themselves in a country that continues to question their worth.

The shelves of the Western literary canon are filled with so many lengthy epics by men, and Im excited for Love Songs to hold its own alongside them, says Erin Wicks, Jefferss editor at Harper. Were long past due to have female-identifying BIPOC authors take up space on our shelves and in our canon in a much, much larger way.

Love Songs tells the story of Ailey Pearl Garfield, born in Washington, D.C., in 1973, and her immediate family: her father, a doctor; her mother, a schoolteacher from the South; and her two older sisters. Interspersed with the Garfields story are songschapters that trace the history of Aileys mothers family, which goes back generations to the earliest residents of Chicasetta, Ga., and includes Native Americans, Scottish slave holders, and enslaved Africans.

Though Aileys family is the embodiment of what W.E.B. Du Bois referred to as the talented tenth (a term he coined to refer to a leadership class of African Americans in the early 20th century), she is weighed down by trauma. Ailey, like her sisters, is molested by her paternal grandfather when shes a child. After her oldest sister dies of a drug overdose, she moves South to be closer to her mothers extended family, including her beloved Uncle Root. She goes on to attend a graduate program in history at a fictional North Carolina university, following in the footsteps of Uncle Root. While in grad school, Ailey decides to study her own roots, uncovering, in the process, long-held secrets about her ancestors and their homeland.

As early as 2002, Jeffers was publishing what she calls very Faulknerian short stories set in and around her imagined Chickasetta, Ga. In 2005, her story All Them Crawfords was a finalist for the Zoetrope All-Story contest. The magazine sent the finalists work to a number of agents, and Sarah Burnes at the Gernert Company made Jeffers an offer of representation.

I didnt really want to write a novel to begin with, says Jeffers, but Burnes encouraged her to continue writing and sharing short stories with her.

After steadily writing stories and teaching and writing poetry, Jeffers delivered the manuscript that would become The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois to Burnes in early 2016. I knew she was a wonderful writer, but as a poet, Burnes recalls, and not all poets can make that leap to the longer form. After she read the manuscript, she was confident that Jeffers could make the leap. It was clear from the beginning that the scope, the ambition, and the emotion was staggering, the agent notes.

When the manuscript was on submission in 2018, Jeffers says, it was already longish at around 450 pages. Wicks wound up acquiring the novel after pulling into a rest stop on her way to a wedding for an enthusiastic phone call with the author. She even encouraged Jeffers to expand the book.

When Jeffers delivered the next draft, it was double in length, Wicks says. It all was necessary to realize the full brilliance of the books ambition.

The novel touches on a wide range of atrocities throughout American history, from the genocide of Native Americans to the Atlantic slave trade. And it includes epigrams from the eponymous sociologist and civil rights activist that anchor various sections of the book. Du Bois is also referenced in a story told and retold by Uncle Root.

Jeffers says Du Boiss constant presence echoes the experience of Black folks who grew up in all-Black spaces and went to HBCUs, where he is taught across all disciplines. His belief that Black people are capable of far more than white society expects is a running thread in the novel.

W.E.B. Du Bois is the most important Black intellectual of the late 19th and most of the 20th century, Jeffers says. But the thing about him is that he really loved Black Southerners. They had a special place in his heart. As a Black Southerner, Im also part of a community that he imagined and that he tried to save. Thats why theyre the love songsbecause these are the people whom he loved.

For Jeffers, the novel is a collection of bittersweet love songs that celebrate, as Du Bois did in his work, the beauty and pain of Black life in America. She has constructed a world that aches with humor and deep abiding love.

Lauren LeBlanc is the New York Observers book columnist and has written for the Atlantic and the Los Angeles Times, among other outlets.
Do you remember getting your first library card and borrowing your first book? For many of us, it was a rite of passage guided by a human search enginea librarian.

In school, that librarian did more than shush the loudmouths, straighten the stacks, and stamp our books. The school librarian helped with homework, taught us kids how to look it up, and opened pathways to critical thinking. Librarians fulfilled the vision of 25-year-old Benjamin Franklin, who established the Library Company, Americas first lending library, in Philadelphia in 1731. Initially a subscription library in which members paid a fee, the Library Company was crowdsourcedthe first members pooled their own books to share with one another.

Franklin believed in keeping the membership fee low so that working people could afford to join. The idea caught on and spread through the colonies, making this cultural institution widely available. It became the forerunner of the public library, and when Philadelphia was the nations capital, the Library Company served as the Library of Congress.

Convinced that libraries cultivated the spirit of democracy, Franklin later noted, These Libraries have improved the general Conversation of Americans, made the common Tradesmen and Farmers as intelligent as most Gentlemen from other Countries. But he also believed that every school should have a dedicated library, because a democracy can only survive with educated citizens. According to the American Library Association, Franklin recommended in 1740 that the ideal academy should include a school library.

Today, however, public school libraries across the country are in crisis, as a Forbes article by Adam Rowe reported in 2018. According to Rowe, federal data shows that the U.S. cant afford librarians, and that the ranks of librarians at school libraries have fallen sharply since 2000.

The pandemic has only worsened the crisis, even as the demand for information technology and remote learning has exploded. This has become an acute problem in the nations largest school system in New York City. Under state rules, every New York school is supposed to have a library and a librarian; they are not extras.

But guess what? There are schools with no libraries. Others have book rooms, sometimes staffed by untrained teachers or parent volunteers. And in the pandemic crisis, school libraries will typically be first on the chopping block.

This is not about simply lending books. Librarians are highly trained information specialists who teach students about media literacy and primary sources. School libraries are a nucleus of learning, and school librarians build a foundation for all learners, writes Melissa Jacobs, director of Library Services for the New York City Department of Education/New York City School Library System.

Shes right. Franklins beliefthat libraries and education are crucial to democracyhas never been more true than in our current age of disinformation, with the threat it poses to the republic.

We are both children of the library. Books have been our life. I, Joann, began my work life as a page at the Queens Public Library in Woodside. As for me, Kenneth, libraries helped make me the reader and the writer I am. While researching my most recent bookStrongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of DemocracyI became acutely aware of the growing perils posed by autocracy to democracies around the world. One of the first things dictators do is start burning books.

In the current crisis of democracy, we can pin blame on a lack of knowing history and a failure to teach civics. But if we care about democracy, we need to elevate the stature of public school librariesindeed all librariesand recognize the essential role they play in developing inquiring minds.

Under the American Rescue Plan, money will be allocated to states. Will public school libraries be a priority? They must be.

As H.G. Wells famously noted, Civilization is in a race between education and catastrophe. Let us learn the truth and spread it as far and wide as our circumstances allow. For the truth is the greatest weapon we have.

To avert catastrophe, save school libraries.

Joann Davis, a former editor, is the author of The Book of the Shepherd. Kenneth C. Davis, author of Dont Know Much About History and Strongman: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy, can be found online at dontknowmuch.com.
DEAL OF THE WEEK

Deaver Does Double at Putnam International bestseller Jeffery Deaver inked a two-book, North American rights agreement with G.P. Putnams Sons. Mark Tavani acquired the thrillers from Deborah Schneider at Gelfman Schneider/ICM Partners. The first novel is set for 2022 and will feature The Never Games hero, Colter Shaw. The second, set for 2023, will feature Lincoln Rhyme, who starred in The Bone Collector.

FROM THE U.S.

Penguin Buys Kohlis Debut

The founder of the Brown Girl Therapy Instagram account, Sahaj Kaur Kohli, sold world rights to her debut book, But What Will People Say?, to Penguin Lifes Emily Wunderlich at auction. Brown Girl Therapy bills itself as the first/largest mental health community for children of immigrants, and the book, subtitled On Navigating Mental Health as a Child of Immigrants, will expand upon the account. The publisher said it will combine personal narrative, anecdotal analysis, comprehensive research, and advice on what it means to grow up a child of immigrants... while challenging the mental health community to democratize and decolonize how we approach identity and wellness. Kohli is a Sikh American and is studying to be a therapist in a masters program at George Washington University. She was represented by Susana Alvarez and Celeste Fine at Park & Fine.

Wallaces Countdown Continues at Avid

Fox News anchor Chris Wallaces Countdown bin Laden: The Untold Story of the 247-Day Hunt to Bring the Mastermind of 9/11 to Justice was acquired by Avid Reader Press in a North American rights deal. Jofie Ferrari-Adler bought the book from Claudia Cross at Folio Literary Management and Larry Kramer at Kramer Talent Management; it marks the second entry in Wallaces Countdown series (following last summers Countdown 1945). Countdown bin Laden, the publisher said, delivers a deeply reported, revelatory, and thrillingly told account of the final months of the hunt for Osama bin Laden and is slated for September 7.

Sanders Gets Beautiful for Penguin

For Penguin Life, Amy Sun bought North American rights to Ella Frances Sanderss illustrated, inspirational book Everything, Beautiful from Jennifer Weltz at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. The publisher described the title as one that explores what beauty is, why it is meaningful, and how we can find it in the everyday. Sanders is the author of 2019s Eating the Sun: Small Musings on a Vast Universe.

Jabali Sells Two to Algonquin

Madeline Jones at Algonquin Books took world rights to two titles by Malaika Jabali, senior news and politics editor at Essence Communications. The publisher said the first, Capitalism Wont Save Us, will be an entertaining, illustrated guide to socialism for entry-level anti-capitalists that centers women and POC visionaries. The second title, Will It Explode, is a deeply reported story following three Black working-class families in the Midwest after the Great Migration, revealing the false promise of social mobility. Tanya McKinnon at McKinnon Literary represented Jabali.

Ten Speed Says Si to Anta

Julio Anta sold Si, Se Puede to Shaida Boroumand at Ten Speed Press in a world English rights agreement. Jessica Mileo at Inkwell Management brokered the deal. Ten Speed called Si, Se Puede an exploration of the Latinx rebels, artists, and activists who have shaped American history, including the Hispanic Union soldiers of the Civil War, Cesar Chavez, and Dolores Huerta. It will be illustrated by Yasmin Flores Montanez.
WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT: CESARO AND ROLLINS AGAIN, THE USOS ARE BACK AT FULL STRENGTH, TEDDY LONG IS A THROWBACK, AND MORE

We begin with a Rock compilation and vintage shots of fans (including Vladimir).

We are in Tampa, Florida and your announcers are Pat McAfee and Michael Cole.

We take a look back at Triple H versus The Rock from the first Smackdown in August 1999.

Universal Champion Roman Reigns makes his way to the ring with Paul Heyman and Jey Uso.

We take a look back at what happened last week between Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan, followed by Cesaro's involvement.

Paul says that Roman Reigns has asked him to eulogize the career of his victim, Daniel Bryan. We shall do so with a ten bell salute. Paul says they will do it themselves instead of having the schmucky time keeper do it.

Roman is handed the mic and he stands around for about a minute before he speaks.

Roman says he is a man of his word. I did what I said I would do. I put everything on my back and I carried it. Because of this, you should acknowledge me and celebrate me. I give everyone what they want. I give Fox what they want. I give Smackdown what it wants. I gave Daniel Bryan what he wants. Daniel did not want to be here so I smashed him, pinned him, and got rid of him. If he wanted to be here, all he had to do was acknowledge me. He wouldn't so we got rid of him. With his absence, we have replaced him.

We have replaced him with someone who will acknowlege him.

Jimmy Uso makes his way to the ring.

Jimmy is in a good mood, but that mood is dampened by the appearance of Cesaro.

Cesaro asks if he just heard Roman. You replaced Daniel Bryan? Cesaro says you cannot and can never replace Daniel Bryan. Cesaro says he doesn't have time for Roman tonight. He says he has his match with Seth Rollins.

Seth Rollins attacks Cesaro from behind.

Officials separate Seth and Cesaro and . . .

Teddy Long makes his way to the stage.

Teddy says with the power given to him by Adam Pearce, if Cesaro beats Seth Rollins, he gets his title match against Roman Reigns at Backlash.

Roman hits Cesaro from behind and Cesaro falls to the floor. Seth sends Cesaro into the ring steps.

Rollins kicks Cesaro in the corner and chokes him.

We go to commercial.

Match Number One: Seth Rollins versus Cesaro in an If Cesaro wins, he gets a match against Roman at Backlash Holla Holla Match

Rollins punches Cesaro in the corner as the bell rings. Rollins with kicks. Rollins with slingblade for a near fall. Rollins goes up top and hits a knee to the temple for a near fall. Rollins sends Cesaro to the floor. Rollins sends Cesaro into the apron and ringside barrier many times. They return to the ring and Rollins gets a near fall.

We see Roman watching the match on the monitor while Heyman watches Roman watching the match.

Rollins with a forearm but Cesaro with a European uppercut. Cesaro goes for a press slam but Rollins gets to his feet and he kicks Cesaro in the knee and gets a near fall. Rollins with a front face lock and Cesaro blocks a suplex. Cesaro wtih a dead lift suplex of his own. Cesaro wtih European uppercuts and an Irish whip and running European uppercut. Cesaro with another Irish whip and European uppercut followed by a discus clothesline for a near fall. Cesaro wtih a rollup for a near fall.

Rollins blocks the Gotch Style Neutralizer but Cesaro with a back drop and Cesaro with a sunset flip. Cesaro pulls Rollins from the ropes and Rollins lands on his feet. Rollins with a superplex into a Falcon Arrow for a near fall.

We go to commercial.

We are back and Rollins blocks a sharpshooter attempt but Cesaro wtih a double stomp for a near fall. Rollins blocks the Sharpshooter again but Cesaro is able to lock it in. Rollins grabs for the ropes but Cesaro grabs the arms. Rollins with a rolling elbow to the back of the neck. Rollins with a back heel kick for a near fall. Rollins goes for Black Out but Cesaro counters and he drops Rollins on the turnbuckles. Ceasro goes for a deadlift gutwrench superplex but Rollins counters and hits a buckle bomb. Cesaro wtih a clothesline and both men are down.

Rollins and Cesaro exchange punches. Cesaro with many European uppercuts but Rollins propels Cesaro over the top rope to the floor. Jimmy distracts the referee and Rollins stops Jey from doing anything to Cesaro because he is not Roman. Rollins pushes Jey down and then Jimmy with a super kick to Rollins while Cesaro hits a pescado onto Jimmy. Cesaro with a Gotch Style Neutralizer for the three count.

Winner: Cesaro

We go to commercial.

We are back and in case you were not watching three minutes ago Moments Ago Moment.

Seth Rollins tells Roman Reigns that Jimmy cost him the match. Seth wants to know if he should be pissed at Roman or at Jimmy.

Roman says he knows where Seth is coming from but you need to know where I am coming from. Jimmy screwed you over, but you screwed me over by losing. I will take care of my family.

Seth tells Roman that if he doesn't handle it, Seth will.

We take a look back at the Supermarket Brawl between Booker T and Steve Austin from December 2001.

Teddy Long is in the back with Sonya Deville and he thanks Sonya for the stipulation for Cesaro tonight.

Sonya says when she heard that Adam wasn't going to be here, she knew that she could trust Teddy. She says she has his back.

Sami Zayn shows up and he says it is good to have someone from outside involved. Sami mentions the conspiracy and he asks for a match for the IC title.

Teddy says Sami can face the Undertaker.

Teddy puts Sami in a tag match with Apollo Crews. Teddy says that Sami will be facing Kevin Owens, Big E, The Street Profits,and Shinsuke Nakamura. Sami says that is five on two, but Teddy says it is a ten man tag match.

Sonya tells Teddy that Otis and Chad Gable and King Booker . . . King Corbin as his partners.

Teddy tries to get Sami to dance.

Roman Reigns is in his office and JImmy and Jey enter. Roman tells Jimmy he has been here for an hour. I put the spotlight on you and I put you with us and you screw it up. You had a lot of time to get this right. I had time off and I came back and changed the game. You came back and missed. I have to clean up your mess and treat you like a baby. Roman asks Jimmy if he understands.

Jimmy tells Roman he won't be talking to him like he does to his brother. Jimmy says he ain't nobody's bitch.

We go to commercial.

Match Number Two: Ruby Riott (with Liv Morgan) versus Carmella

They lock up and Ruby with a clean break. Carmella with a moonwalk but Ruby with a side head lock and shoulder tackle. Ruby with a back heel kick and she goes for a suplex but Carmella escapes and she sends Ruby to the mat. Carmella with a punch andd forearm to the back. Ruby goes to the turnbuckles and she sends Carmella into the turnbuckles. Carmella misses a thrust kick and Ruby with forearms. Ruby with an arm bar and an STO for a near fall. Ruby goes to the turnbuckles and Carmella with a kick to the arm and a thrust kick. Carmella uses the ropes for leverage and the referee stops the count. Carmella kicks Liv off the apron.

Ruby and Carmella alternate rollups for near falls until Carmella applies Code of Silence and Ruby taps out.

Winner: Carmella

We take a look back at Edge and Hulk Hogan winning the tag title in July 2002.

Bayley makes her way to the ring.

We go to commercial.

Coverage Continues on Next Page

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WHERE'S SASHA?, SHAWN MICHAELS' KNIGHTS, WWF TALENT EXODUS TO WCW, BLU-RAYS AND MORE

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS TO THE PWINSIDER Q&A BY CLICKING HERE.

Any idea where Sasha Banks has disappeared to?

Well, they are filming season three of The Mandalorian currently, so that's probably the best guess.

I was wondering why WWE has backed off on releasing so many Blu-Rays? I know they have leaned on the streaming content but they release DVDs but not Blu-Rays?

It's pretty easy as to why. The Blu-Rays never sold in great quantity, so they pretty much dropped them with the exception of Wrestlemania.

I am watching Survivor Series and I am wondering who the identity of the Knights were (Black, Blue, Red) on Shawn Michaels' team were?

The Knights were Jeff Gaylord, The Brooklyn Brawler and Greg Valentine. One of the Knights was originally going to be Terry Funk, but he decided against doing the role and flew home, leaving the outfit at the hotel's front desk for WWF to retrieve. So, Brawler stepped in.

Where is Stevie Richards?

Richards live in the Atlanta area. He recently filmed appearances for the forthcoming Starz' series Heels.

In the early 90s, before Hulk Hogan went to WCW, WWF was still the more popular of the companies but there was a massive exodus of talent to WCW, including. Bobby Heenan, Gene Okerlund, Big Bossman, Ric Flair, and Rick Rude just to name a few. Why did these people leave? Were they released?

Rick Rude left WWF after he was injured. At the time, WWF was still advertising him in main event bouts for house shows, so his name was drawing the gate, yet he felt he wasn't being paid correctly, believing that he should have been paid for the houses drawn on his name. When his deal expired, he signed with WCW, debuting in October 1991.

Ric Flair asked for his release and got it in January 1993. He and McMahon had an agreement where if he wasn't going to be used as a main event player, he could leave. Shockingly enough, when he was moved out of main events, McMahon kept his word to Flair.

Bobby Heenan and Gene Okerlund left in 1995 during a period where WCW was doling out top dollar contracts and health insurance as well. WWF at that point didn't want to match the offers, so each left.

Ray Traylor had left the company and moved on to working in Japan and later shifted over to WCW.

Why doesn't WWE own the Ready To Rumble movie?

Warner Brothers produced and owned the movie.

Is it true Jimmy Snuka was going to be WWF Champion?

In his autobiography, Bob Backlund says that Vince McMahon Sr. had considered it and asked Backlund's opinion. Bob warned him that Snuka's outside of the ring behavior might not be the best for someone carrying the title. Obviously, Snuka never won the belt. Whether he was ever planned, I can't say but it was at least fleetingly considered.

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NJPW STRONG REPORT: NAGATA AND MOXLEY IN TAG TEAM ACTION, AND MORE

We are in Los Angeles, California and your announcers are Shigeki Kiyono and Togi Makabe (in Japanese) or Kevin Kelly and Alex Koslov (in English).

Match Number One: DKC and Kevin Knight versus Barrett Brown and Adrian Quest

Brown and DKC start and they lock up. Brown with a front face lock and a waist lock. DKC with a rollup and he gets a near fall. They lock up and DKC with a wrist lock and Brown with a snap mare and rear chin lock. Knight tags in and so does Quest. They lock up and Knight with a waist lock take down and after some reversals, Knight with a side head lock take down. Quest with a rollup for a near fall. They lock up and Knight with a wrist lock.

Quest with a reversal into a hammer lock and side head lock. Knight with forearms and he goes for a flying shoulder tackle but Quest with an arm bar. Knight blocks an arm drag and Quest with a springboard twisting cross body for a near fall. Quest with a rear chin lock and elbows. Brown tags in and Quest with a drop toe hold. Brown with a drop kick for a near fall. Knight tags in and Brown sends Knight over the top rope to the floor. Knight with a drop kick for a near fall. Knight with a European uppercut and DKC tags in and kicks Brown and gets a near fall. DKC with a rear chin lock. DKC gets a near fall and then he kicks Brown. Quest tags in and he hits a head scissors take down and he knocks Knight off the apron. Quest with a tilt-a-whirl back breaker on DKC for a near fall. Quest with an elbow to the back of the head. Quest with a forearm and then he takes too much time talking to Brown to allow DKC to kick Quest and gets a near fall. DKC with a snap mare and kick followed by a splash from Knight for a near fall. DKC tags back in and he kicks Quest.

DKC gets a near fall and applies a chin lock. Quest with knees to escape. DKC with kicks and forearms. Quest avoids a round kick and hits a German suplex. Brown and Knight tag in and Brown with a back heel kick and a drop kick followed by a drop kick into the turnbuckles. Brown with a tornado DDT for a near fall. Quest and DKC exchange forearms and chops. DKC with a hip toss and Knight with a running shoulder tackle. DKC with a forearm. Brown with a back fist to DKC and forearms to Knight. Knight with European uppercuts and Quest tags in. Brown with a flying boot and Quest with a shooting star press for the three count.

Winners: Barrett Brown and Adrian Quest

After the match, Brown has some words with Quest, despite winning the match. Brown pushes Quest and then starts to walk away. Quest grabs Brown to talk to him. Quest offers his hand and Brown shakes it. Quest wants a fist bump and Brown gives him one.

Brown attacks Quest on the stage and then sends him back into the ring. Brown punches Quest many times and then hits a spinning back fist.

Match Number Two: Misterioso and Jordan Clearwater versus Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs

Jordan and Royce start things off and Royce with a single leg take down into a waist lock and take down. Royce with a near fall. Royce with a wrist lock into a side head lock. Royce with a shoulder tackle and he catches Jordan on a leap frog attempt but Jordan holds on to the ropes on an OConnor Roll attempt. Jordan with an arm bar. Royce with a forearm and Jordan with an Irish whip and splash into the corner followed by a bulldog for a near fall.

Jordan with a kick to the back and Misterioso tags in. Misterioso with a kick and forearms followed by an elbow. Misterioso lands on his feet on a hip toss and hits a clothesline for a near fall. Misterioso with a forearm and chop. Misterioso sends Royce into the turnbuckles. Nelson tags in and connects with a forearm to the back. Nelson with an Irish whip and splash into the corner. Nelson with punches and Misterioso with a chop and kick. Nelson with a punch and Misterioso with a handspring back elbow. Misterioso with a kick and a rolling drop kick for a near fall.

Misterioso with shoulders in the corner and he tags in Jordan. Jordan with kicks in the corner and the referee warns him. Jordan with a suplex and he Irish whips Nelson. Jordan sends Nelson into the turnbuckles but Nelson with a kick and he sends Jordan to the apron. Jordan with a forearm but Royce with a knee to Jordan on the apron and then Nelson knocks Misterioso off the apron and gets a near fall on Jordan.

Royce tags in and he punches and kicks Jordan. Royce with a snap mare and punches followed by a head butt. Jordan is sent into the turnbuckles and Nelson tags in and he kicks and chokes Jordan. Nelson with a European uppercut. Royce tags in and Nelson with an Irish whip and Royce with a shoulder tackle. Royce gets a near fall. Nelson tags in and he snap mares Jordan and connects with a forearm to the back. Nelson with more forearms. Nelson and Jordan exchange punches and forearms. Nelson with a boot to the head and he misses a jumping knee.

Jordan with a neck breaker and Royce tags in. Jordan kicks Royce away and Misterioso tags in and he hits a head sciissors that sends Royce to the floor. Nelson is sent to the floor by Misterioso and then Misterioso hits a plancha onto both men. Royce is sent back into the ring. Misterioso with a clothesline into the corner followed by a running double knee strike. Misterioso with a springboard hesitation senton for a near fall. Misterioso gets Royce on his shoulders but Royce gets back to his feet. Misterioso with a Finlay Roll into a moonsault for a near fall.

Jordan tags in and they hit a double back elbow. Jordan accidentally hits Misterioso with a forearm. Nelson and Royce hit a Dominator and sliding DDT combination on Jordan. Misterioso with a super kick to Nelson. Royce sends Misterioso over the top rope and Nelson with a suicide dive. Nelson with an elbow drop off Jordans back onto Misterioso and then Royce hits a Death Valley Driver onto Nelsons knees for the three count.

Winners: Royce Isaacs and Jorel Nelson

After the match, Nelson and Isaacs are in the back. Isaacs says you are looking at the West Coast Wrecking Crew. Our resume is in our name. Nelson says you know who we are but you have never seen us here. There are only a few things we care about here. Beating people, winning matches, and winning titles.

We go to the Cleaning and Disinfection Break.

Match Number Three: Chris Dickinson and Jon Moxley versus Yuji Nagata and Ren Narita

Nagata and Moxley start things off and Nagata with a kick and then they exchange forearms. Moxley with the advantage followed by a knee and Irish whip. Nagata with a kick and Moxley with a forearm but he misses a slicing forearm. Nagata works on the arm and applies an arm bar. Narita tags in and they kick Moxley. Narita with a single leg take down but Moxley escapes and tags in Dickinson. They lock up and Narita with a reverse chin lock.

Dickinson with a chop and forearms but Narita fires back. They continue to exchange forearms and chops. Narita with a back elbow and then he knocks Moxley off the apron. Narita with a take down but Dickinson backs Narita into the corner and Moxley pulls Narita to the floor and sends Narita into the guardrails. Narita is sent into the ring and Dickinson gets a near fall.

Moxley tags in and connects with a forearm and a back breaker for a near fall. Moxley works on the legs and has them in a figure four and Moxley with a reverse chin lock. Moxley with a kick to the chest. Dickinson tags in and he kicks Narita. Dickinson with an Irish whip followed by a clothesline and snap mare. Dickinson with a kick to the back for a near fall. Dickinson with an STF but Narita gets to the ropes. Moxley tags in and he chops Narita. Narita with a forearm but Moxley with a head butt. Moxley runs his forearm across the bridge of the nose. Narita with an overhead belly-to-belly throw. Dickinson and Nagata tag in and Nagata with kicks and an Irish whip followed by a boot into the corner. Dickinson blocks an exploder but Nataga with a butterfly suplex for a near fall. Dickinson and Nagata exchange forearms. They continue the exchange and then Dickinson with chops but Nagata with a kick. Dickinson blocks a kick and connects with a dragon screw leg whip. Moxley tags in and they exchange forearms. Moxley with a head butt and Nagata with an enzuigiri. Moxley with a clothesline for a near fall. Moxley with a reverse chin lock.

Moxley with a sleeper but Nagata with an exploder. Narita tags in and he kicks Dickinson off the apron. They Irish whip Moxley and Narita with an elbow and Nagata with a boot. Narita with a spinning heel kick for a near fall. Narita with a Northern Lights suplex followed by an overhead belly-to-belly suplex for a near fall. Nagata and Dickinson fight on the floor. Moxley with a series of head butts followed by a German suplex. Moxley knocks Nagata off the apron and Moxley with the Paradigm Shift for the three count.

Winners: Chris Dickinson and Jon Moxley

After the match, Nagata enters the ring and goes face to face with Moxley. Moxley slaps Nagata and Nagata slaps Moxley. Nagata applies a crossface on Moxley and Dickinson tries to get Nagata to release the hold. Security comes out to pull Nagata off Moxley.

We go to credits.

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On January 12, Keith Ammon, a Republican member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, introduced a bill that would bar schools as well as organizations that have entered into a contract or subcontract with the state from endorsing divisive concepts. Specifically, the measure would forbid race or sex scapegoating, questioning the value of meritocracy, and suggesting that New Hampshireor the United Statesis fundamentally racist.
There will always be munis. Income from municipal bonds typically enjoys tax-free status at the federal level and in the issuing state. Conversely, when investors put wealth to work in a startup, private corporation, or public company, they face a capital gains tax penalty if their investment bears fruit. If a home run, that penalty becomes enormous.

Imagine that. Investors who subsidize the growth of government largely avoid taxation. But if they back an innovative corporation, or rush a distant future into the present through an intrepid investment with a visionary entrepreneur, a major IRS bill awaits.

Worse, the cost of prescient investing may soon increase. Seemingly in a bid to placate his ravenous left flank, President Biden has announced a proposal to nearly double the federal penalties on savings and investment to 43.8%.

The call to hike the capital gains tax makes total sense to the new left. After all, why should money made from money pay less tax than money made from hard work? The reason is simple. We can only invest what weve earned through hard work, and not spent. Investment gains are a reward for abstinence and for courageously putting past savings at risk. A tax on gains amounts to an extra tax on wealth previously taxed.

Invested capital creates businesses and jobs, while government does not, except with money extracted from a private sector that could have created more opportunity with that same money. And not all investments are profitable. Does the government subsidize failure? Not capitalisms failures! If you lose your lifes savings in a failed startup, thats on you.

Lets oversimplify. Assume a $1,000 investment. You will either lose your money or double your money. With zero capital gains taxes, a coin toss gives you a 50/50 chance to win or lose $1,000. Anything better than 50/50 odds will make it marginally more interesting to invest. If a coin comes up heads 51% of the time, your 51% chance of winning is worth $510, and your 49% chance of losing cancels $490 of that, for a small expected profit of $20. That might be enough to entice a risk-tolerant investor to invest, rather than hold on to the $1,000, or spend it for instant gratification. Except that gains are again taxed, both at the federal and state levels.

If you live in Florida, with neither income nor capital gains tax, last year you would have paid 23.8% of your capital gains to the IRS. A coin-toss gives you a 50% chance of winning $762 and a 50% chance of losing $1,000. You expect to lose $119 out of every $1,000 investment, on average. You need a lopsided coin that gives you heads four times for every three tails in order to eke out a skinny expected after-tax gain of $7 on a $1,000 investment, albeit with large risk because you either make $762 or lose $1,000.

Suppose the federal rate goes from 23.8% to Bidens 43.4%, and suppose you live in California or New York City. Your combined capital gains tax rate will be around 57%. What kind of magical coin do you need to make an investment worthwhile? If your coin comes up heads seven times for every three losses, youd expect to make $1 on a $1,000 investment, again with risk that dwarfs the average gain. No sensible investor will take that risk, unless they think the odds of success are even higher than that.

To be fair to skeptics, entrepreneurs and investors are, by nature, optimists. Otherwise, why would they ever invest? And invest they will, even in high-tax states like California and New York. Still, its much more daunting to bet youll win seven times for every three losses, than to bet on a 50/50 coin toss.

We must also consider this in terms of the unseen. While its hard to imagine Silicon Valleys remarkable dynamism evaporating as a consequence of higher capital gains taxes, increased penalties on investment will discourage riskier initiatives. This is crucial when we consider the high rate of failure among startups. Most fail, and none are sure things. Accordingly, its a safe bet that a higher capital gains rate ensures many great ideas will never attract capital and will die. Theres a reason none of the FANG stocks -- Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google (Alphabet) -- were launched in Europe or Japan.

Consider Elon Musk. Hes now worth about $200 billion. If he decided to cash in his Tesla stock and move the money to a Mars venture, the feds would help themselves to $48 billion now, or $87 billion under Bidens proposal, and a whopping $114 billion if he had remained in California. Imagine all the transformative ideas Musk could seed if politicians had shorter fingers.

Economic growth is lubricated by the relentless movement of wealth to its best use. Assuming Bidens tax vision becomes law, the cost of wealth migration will soon soar. The easiest way to avoid capital gains taxes is to leave your money wherever it is, rather than redeploying it to the next great idea. The result is that Bidens tax plan will not raise additional tax revenues, but will subsidize stasis.

All of this and more came to mind for us last week. A little more than 24 years ago, President Clinton signed into law a reduction in the capital gains tax from 28% to 20%. While the tax on capital gains should be zero to encourage innovation and risk-bearing, Clintons signature sent a positive signal that the New Democrats of his era well understood the importance of economic growth. How things have changed in the modern Democratic Party. Innovation will be the loser if Biden gets his way.

Indeed, for those eager to create a better future with courageous investments, the cost of doing so will soar. Progress has always been expensive, but at a levy of 43% to 57%? Oh, well -- there will always be munis.

Rob Arnott is founding chairman of Research Affiliates, LLC.
Athens is known as a city of creativity and artistic expression, with an emphasis on a vibrant and storied music scene. Reinforcing this reputation, numerous institutions, both public and private, have promoted public art projects that are an integral part of Athens downtown creative appeal.
Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan outpaced rival towns in Westchester County, N.Y. by a comfortable margin as a pandemic destination or escape in 2020, according to a CBRE analysis of U.S. Postal Service data.

The top tier sections of the three towns studied by CBRE generated nearly 1,700 changes of address with the U.S. Postal Service in 2020, compared to 1,100 for the wealthiest six Westchester County ZIP codes directly west that add up to roughly the same aggregate population approaching 100,000 people.

Mark Pruner, a broker in the Greenwich office with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties, said many wealthy buyers are choosing Greenwich over Westchester County because of lower taxes in Connecticut versus New York.

Those decisions make a difference in Hartford, Pruner said, as wealthy New York City pandemic transplants settle in and send out their first income tax payments to Connecticut.

Westchester has some of the highest property taxes in the country, said Pruner. And a recurring issue is the effort to tax high-income people in New York. They just passed the millionaires tax  thats a big deal.

Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media

If 2020 was a harbinger of things to come, the pendulum could be swinging east into Connecticut  and with Greenwich taxpayers averaging $28,000 in income taxes according to state data, giving a nudge to the state budget that could add up to well in excess of $20 million annually.

But any further big increase in new arrivals is constrained by a limited number of properties on the market. More than 225 Greenwich homes became available in April, Berkshire Hathway reports, and more than 100 sold in the town that month.

CBRE reserves the term top tier for just 5 percent of ZIP codes in Connecticut and New York. That includes four Greenwich ZIP codes, two more in Darien and New Canaan, and nine just across the border in Westchester County, N.Y.  often looked at by higher-income workers leaving New York City or transferring from other parts of the country as potential places to live.

In 2020, the momentum was on the Connecticut side of the border; Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan saw a year-over-year gain of more than 1,200 relocations, compared with a gain of less than 40 across a pair of Harrison ZIP codes and four more in Scarsdale, Larchmont, Rye and New Rochelle, as analyzed by CBRE.

Add to that net moves to and from the inland Westchester communities of Armonk, Bedford and Katanoh  the latter landing Connecticuts most famous wantaway, after Martha Stewart moved there more than 15 years ago from Westport  and Westchesters eastern top tier towns surpass their counterpart Connecticut towns by a mere 30 changes of address on a net basis, but having a combined population base of 40,000 more residents.

Tack on Cos Cob to the Greenwich totals, however, and the three Connecticut towns push out front of nine ZIP codes in Greenwich.

Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media

With its mix of families, singles and white-collar earners, Cos Cob falls under the urban chic category in the CBRE report  a description borrowed from GIS mapping software Esri.

The urban chic also applies to a small group of communities ranging from Westport, Southport and East Hampton, N.Y.; to the West Rocks area of New Haven and north to Farmington.

Paul Breunich, CEO of William Pitt Sothebys International Realty in Stamford, said the pendulums direction this year in any community is tied directly to where new listings are surfacing.

Westchester ... was down hard for something like three months last year so they were behind Connecticut, but theyve started to catch back up, said Breunich. Theres so much outside demand coming in, I think people are looking everywhere.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
Federal authorities have charged a Stamford man with fraud involving the Paycheck Protection Program, a COVID-19 financial relief initiative for businesses.

Moustapha Diakhate is facing charges of bank and wire fraud, offenses that each carry up to 30 years in prison.

Federal authorities allege Diakhate applied for PPP loans totaling almost $2.9 million, which he then used to pay for cars, paying off what was owed on a 2010 Porsche SUV, and purchasing a Mercedes and BMW. The money also went to Diakhates relatives, and to pay back rent that was owed on his Stamford home, authorities said.

Diakhate appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport Friday in an appearance held both in-person and over Zoom. The 45-year-old, dressed in a black pullover and white face mask, stood silently beside his attorney with his arms crossed, speaking only to acknowledge that he understood what the judge was saying.

The Paycheck Protection Program was introduced as part of the first round of COVID-19 relief funding signed into law by former President Donald Trump last spring. Businesses that applied for the loans had to use the funds to keep employees on their payroll, or to pay for rent, utilities and other vital costs. In practice, the loans worked more like a grant, because business owners could apply to have the balance forgiven under the law.

Investigators with the Small Business Administration, the federal agency overseeing the PPP loans, allege Diakhate obtained loans for five businesses he owned  Ansonia Developers, Winsbay Inc., Buyers Association Group, Washington Management and Diakhate Capital.

In total, the loans amounted to some $2,897,100, according to the U.S. Attorneys office for the District of Connecticut.

Diakhate then used a portion of the funds for various personal expenses, including to pay off a loan he had been provided to purchase of a 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo, and to purchase both a Mercedes and BMW, the U.S. attorneys office said in a press release. He also purchased a $50,000 certificate of deposit with PPP funds, and disbursed funds to various and individuals unrelated to his business entities.

Diakhate and his Washington Management group were at the center of a drawn out development of the former Farrel headquarters in Ansonia, which finally ended in bankruptcy and foreclosure. Diakhates company had planned to develop the vacant building into luxury apartments and business spaces.

Vatti ordered Diakhate to remain in custody.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Schmeisser had argued Diakhate was a flight risk, with ties to family in Africa as well as Brazil through his wife.

He also argued the potential prison sentence of five to six years if Diakhate is convicted presented an incentive for him to flee  along with the fact that authorities say they have not accounted for most of the funds.

Public defense attorney Charles Willson had argued for his client to be released on bond through property put up by Diakhates family. He argued for Diakhate to be detained at home for a short time with his wife serving as his custodian.

Willson also objected to what he said was bias against Diakhate by the government for questioning whether he was a U.S. citizen. Willson said Diakhate, who is Black, came to the U.S. in the 1990s and has since become a citizen.

This guy is just as much a citizen as I am, Willson said. Hes been in Connecticut longer than I have, consecutively.

He also pointed to the fact that Diakhates step-daughter is about to attend college, and lingering health problems from a COVID-19 infection as examples of his clients ties to the community.

Diakhate was arrested Friday morning at his home in Stamford on a federal criminal complaint.
BRIDGEPORT  The new commercial airline Mayor Joe Ganims administration tried to bring to Sikorsky Memorial Airport in 2019 was, as of a month ago, still interested.

In an April 8 letter supporting U.S. Rep. Jim Himes request for $2.2 million in federal dollars for upgrades at Sikorsky, Eric Fletcher, Breeze Airways director of legal and community affairs, made it clear the Utah-based company has had its eye on the Bridgeport-owned, Stratford-based facility.

Fletcher wrote, Our business strategy ... is to focus on new nonstop flights and lower fairs at smaller cities such as Bridgeport (and) routes ignored by other larger airlines.

We expect our business plan could support new service and improved economic development opportunities at a number of cities in Connecticut, including Bridgeport, Fletcher wrote.

The statement came with a caveat: while Breeze wants to further pursue its evaluation of Sikorsky, federally-required improvements there remain a critical element in our ability to provide new service.

The current facility restraints at the airport preclude us from starting that service, Fletcher wrote.

Hearst Connecticut Media obtained a copy of the letter following Thursdays news that New Havens Tweed Airport would undertake a $100 million project to lengthen its runway, erect a new terminal and offer Avelo commercial flights.

Ganims office in a statement Thursday after Tweeds announcement said private investment is also anticipated in Bridgeport (and) the city is pleased about moving forward with our own current plans which would include new 150-passenger planes that can utilize the existing runway at Sikorsky.

Ganim did not at that time mention Breeze, though mayoral aide Danny Roach and Himes in separate interviews Friday openly discussed the airlines consideration of Sikorsky.

Weve always been excited about Breezes interest in Sikorsky, Roach said. We know theyve done an extensive market analysis.

We can't confirm or deny any destination airports as yet, New Canaan resident David Neeleman of Breeze, the man behind JetBlue, said in an email Friday.

In 2019, Hearst reported Bridgeport was courting a new endeavor at Sikorsky, but would not identify the company. Other sources identified Neelemans company, dubbed Moxy at that time, as the interested business.

But a deal between the city and the air company apparently fell through two years ago because of the need for around $20 million worth of Federal Aviation Administration-required infrastructure upgrades at Sikorsky, including the rehabilitation of one of its two runways, officials at the time said.

In order to initiate passenger service we need to be fully complaint, Roach said at the time.

This past March, the Associated Press reported that the federal government had given Breeze one year to begin flights and that the company has agreed to buy 60 Airbus 220-300 planes, which hold 130 to 160 passengers.

Meanwhile Himes confirmed Friday that he recently applied to Congress for $2.2 million which will provide a security fence, which is one of the many things Sikorsky needs to be open for commercial service. He said the letter from Fletcher was one of several submitted to prove substantial community support.

Himes said the FAA would then pay the balance of the Sikorsky improvements with Breezes investment likely being a terminal.

The state of Connecticut has pledged to spend $7 million on Sikorsky if that amount is matched by private investment.

Breeze was clear they wanted a commitment on the part of the state and federal government, Himes said. And now Ive requested this ($2.2 million) ... now is the time for them to come to the table in a real way, I hope.

Because of Bridgeports deal with neighboring Stratford, where Sikorsky is located, not to extend the airports runways, Himes emphasized that Breezes jets can take off and land on the existing lengths and that the technology is quiet. There has been opposition over the years to adding more flights out of Sikorsky by neighbors in the Lordship neighborhood.

Himes said he did not think the deal announced Thursday between Tweed and Avelo would diminish Breezes interest in Sikorsky.

Breeze had no interest in going into Tweed and a strong interest in going into Sikorsky, Himes said. And, he added, since the Tweed project was touted as not requiring any public investment, that frees up Connecticut and the federal government to aid Sikorsky.

But, Himes emphasized, he would really like to see Breeze commit.

As a former business guy, Ive been cautious about that, Himes said. Until Breeze signs on the dotted line, theyre just an interested party.
Holly Batti has always been close to her mother, and her mothers diagnosis with Alzheimers disease didnt change that.

Batti, who lives in Ridgefield, visits her mom, 81-year-old Gwen Fiorito, as often as possible in the memory care facility where she lives at the Greens at Cannondale in Wilton.

They talk. Batti sometimes does activities with her, such as playing with a variation on the old childrens toy Colorforms. During the height of the pandemic, when Batti didnt feel comfortable visiting in person, they would have regular video chats.

Now theyre both vaccinated and Batti sees her mom whenever she can. It can be painful, Batti said.

She doesnt always know Im her daughter, but she knows Im someone who loves her, she said. I just try to meet her where she is.

Batti said one of the hardest parts of being the caregiver daughter of a mother with dementia is that their dynamic has completely changed.

The roles have reversed, she said. I look at her as my child and its my responsibility to protect her and keep her from harm. Im trying to care for my kids and care for my mother. Im pulled in every direction.

Shes not alone.

According to the 2021 Alzheimers Association Facts and Figures report, about two-thirds of dementia caregivers are women, and about one-third of dementia caregivers were daughters.

Alzheimers disease is a form of dementia that can affect memory, thinking and behavior. More than 6 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimers, the Association reports.

Not only do women make up the bulk of Alzheimers caregivers, the Alzheimers Association report also found that female caregivers can experience slightly higher levels of burden, impaired mood, depression and other issues than male caregivers. They are also more likely to need individual counseling or respite care.

One thing thats helped Batti is learning that there are other caregivers out there like her, many of them adult children of people with dementia, she said.

About five years ago, she joined an Alzheimers Association support group for caregivers. Being around other people going through different variations of the same issues was comforting, eye-opening, and ultimately helpful, Batti said.

Everyone in the group had experience with Alzheimers or dementia, she said. Through this group I joined, I got glimpses into everyone elses lives and what they were dealing with.

Her experience was so positive that shes since moved on to lead two support groups herself. Getting support from others going through a similar experience  particularly for a child caring for parents  can be crucial for caregivers, said Maria Tomasetti, South Central Regional Director of the Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimers Association.

Nobody can do this alone, she said. No two journeys are exactly alike. Theres tremendous stress at all phases of the disease.

Tomasetti, who lives in Milford, has been a caregiver, to both her mother and her father.

Its the hardest thing I ever had to do, navigating that journey, she said. Its not one size fits all.

Just talking to and hearing the view of someone going through something similar can be immensely helpful, she said.

You get suggestions from the other people in support groups, Tomasetti said. Not that every suggestion works for every person, but, to me, that was an advantage of caregiver support groups  getting information from people who have lived that experience.

Batti agreed. You learn all these tricks that no one tells you about, she said.

Though Tomasetti said she isnt sure there are caregiver issues that are unique to daughters, she is aware that a huge chunk of the caregiving population is female, and that many caregivers of parents are also caring for children.

Batti also said she wasnt sure that there are issues that are unique to daughters, and added that the support groups shes been involved with have a pretty good mix of men and women. Speaking from her personal experience, she said, being the daughter of a mother with Alzheimers has been difficult, largely because of the way the relationship has shifted.

She and her mother are still close, and Batti still cherishes their time together, but its not the same.

I miss the advice my mother would give me, Batti said.

Those interested in support groups or with questions or concerns about caring for a loved one with Alzheimers can call the 24-hour Alzheimers Association helpline at 800-272-3900.
Mainland spokesperson rebukes DPP official for provocative remarks

Xinhua) 10:56, May 08, 2021

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A mainland spokesperson on Friday lashed out at separatists seeking "Taiwan independence," saying they shall be judged by history.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to a query on the comments made by Joseph Wu, an official with Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, during a recent interview with an Australian media.

By obfuscating cause and effect, Wu and his like attempted to fool Taiwan compatriots and mislead the international community, Zhu noted.

Reiterating that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory, Zhu said Taiwan will never be separated from China.

Warning the DPP authorities and separatists like Wu not to misjudge the situation, Zhu said any attempts to seek "Taiwan independence" will lead to a dead end.

"We have the determination and capability to deter separatist activities seeking 'Taiwan independence,' defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and safeguard common interests of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait," Zhu said.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
WINSTED  Two members of the Gilbert Schools team are retiring June 30, and both say theyll miss their students and co-workers more than anything.

Anthony Serio, who joined Gilbert in 2012 as superintendent, and Susan Sojka, principal since 2011, are departing their home away from home this year. Its been one of the most challenging years for both, but it has kept them focused on their jobs, not their retirement.

The Gilbert School Corp. recently hired Serios replacement  Greg Shugrue, principal at New Milford High School for 16 years  as its new head of school, a title change that also changes the administration at Gilbert.

As head of school, Shugrue will run Gilbert with a team of assistant principals, and will not run the international student program, something Serio oversaw during his tenure. The school is hiring a new administrator for that program.

Greg was here (May 4) and has met with the administrative team, and then he ran around with me while I did things, Serio said. Hes met the custodians, saw the cafeteria. ... All that stuff.

Ive been so busy, I really havent thought about the end, not really, Serio said. We got our ESSER2 (state funding) approved, and now Im finding out if were getting any assistance from the American Recovery Act (a federal post-pandemic funding program). Theres administrative contracts to look at, and the Winchester Board of Education contract. Theres a lot to do.

Both administrators reflected on the students theyve known over the years, and each had a different view of how education has changed since they began. They both said standardized tests, and the focus on the scores, doesnt always help students succeed.

I was trained in humanism education, Serio said, adding that he was a psychologist before his administrative career. These days the focus is on social-emotional learning, which has an economic component. Programs for teachers are based on accountability, test scores, reforms. .... I am not focused on test scores. Im sort of a dinosaur, because I concentrate on the kids. I want them to succeed. I think project-based learning, which weve practiced here, helps them solve problems, to think. I worry about that; are we helping them to be thinkers.

Sojka agreed. Kids can Google any question and get an answer, so you have to ask, are standardized tests helping them? With project-based learning, if you build a boat and it doesnt float, you have to find out why, and how to fix it, she said. We all see problems differently, and if youre doing a project, you can learn from the start to the end.

Teaching is guiding and helping kids learn, she said. Its not about right or wrong.

Sojka is busy preparing her students and teachers for the end of the year, planning a pre-graduation party for the seniors, on campus, and graduation on June 11 at East End Park in Winsted, weather permitting. This years class is small, with 77 students, compared to years past where the graduating class numbered 118. And because of the challenges of running a middle-high school during a pandemic, Sojka said she feels very close to this group of students.

Someone asked me the other day, arent you sorry you didnt retire last year? And I said, Im glad I didnt, she said. I wouldnt have wanted to have them go through the past year with anyone else. COVID-19 probably helped me prepare for leaving, because I spent so many days without kids in the building.

She said the way students learn today is affected by their environment and technology.

I was a teacher, then a school counselor, and then a principal, and a lot has changed in education since I started, Sojka said. Technology makes everyone want instant gratification; everything happens so fast now and people want everything fast, right away. Here, Ive tried to slow down and stay with the basics  be kind, smile, be aware of the community and the environment within the school. Its important to never lose that, to never stop talking to each other, talking about whats bothering you, whats going on.

Ill miss being around the kids the most, Sojka said. We have a great faculty here, and the administrative team is great, too. Watching the kids energy in school is something Ill really miss.

Now that the end is near, Sojka said shes looking forward to just taking it easy for a while.

Its bittersweet, she said. Im excited for the next chapter of my life, to enjoy my kids, my grandchildren, do some writing. I want to take time to reflect, to be quiet. I believe the faculty and staff at Gilbert are ready for the next step.

Serio said hell miss the Gilbert family. Thats what we are, a family, he said. Ill miss being the warrior who puts on his chain mail and goes into the arena, to fight for the school. Ive done that. Ill miss that joyful feeling on opening day, when were so happy to have the students come back. We share things with each other and become like a family. Ill miss that.

As far as what hell do after June 30, Serio said, Im going to let the world unfold in front of me.

Im not going to force it, he said. Were all on a path, and it hasnt failed me yet.

To their students, both said thank you.

Thank you for the privilege to work in this school, Serio said. Sokja added, Thank you for allowing me to be part of your journey. Im excited about the great things youll do.
HARTFORD  State police arrested a 33-year-old city man Thursday charged with illegally carrying a 9mm handgun following a traffic stop.

Zabdiel Hueca faces charges of criminal possession of a pistol or revolver, illegal transfer of a high capacity magazine, as well as other weapon and motor vehicle offenses.

The investigating officer was traveling south on Interstate 91 near Exit 23 in Hartford when he spotted a gray Honda driven by Hueca with fake temporary tags.

The officer pulled the Honda over where he smelled marijuana emanating from within the vehicle.

State police said Hueca was also wanted for violation of probation. The officer searched the vehicle and found a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun, according to state police.

Hueca was released on $50,000 bond and is due to appear in New Britain Superior Court on July 30.
3 1 of 3 Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Patrick Sikes / For Hearst Connecticut Media / Show More Show Less 3 of 3





EAST HARTFORD  University of Connecticut begins its five days of graduations on Saturday, but there may be something else to celebrate  Community Health Center will offer COVID-19 vaccinations next to the stadium.

CHC, in partnership with the state of Connecticut, will offer vaccinations to graduates, families and friends in conjunction with the graduation ceremonies occurring from May 8 to May 12.
Months after becoming eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, hundreds of police officers in southwestern Connecticut still have not been vaccinated against the deadly pathogen, according to a survey by Hearst Connecticut Media.

Roughly 350 police officers at seven departments in the region remained unvaccinated as of last week, suggesting vaccine hesitancy is still rife among local officers  similar to several larger cities nationwide. even as some departments race to near-total immunity.

At the Darien and Stratford police departments, officials said just 43 percent of employees have been vaccinated. The departments employ 106 and 51 sworn officers, respectively.

According to state data, the immunization rate at the two departments trails the overall rate in the municipalities they serve. At least 60 percent of Darien residents and 48 percent of Stratford residents have received their first dose.

Connecticut is on the verge of having 70 percent of its entire adult population with at least a first dose of the vaccine, Josh Geballe, the states chief operating officer, said Friday. Last week, Connecticut became the first state in the nation to have 50 percent of its adults fully vaccinated.

With vaccine supply expanding each day, officials hope it will soon become easier for police officers, who often work lengthy shifts, to get a shot.

Now that the health department has walk-ins, were promoting that, said Ronald Ing, Stratfords director of human resources.

As some departments lag behind in vaccinations more than four months after first becoming eligible, there are signs police are becoming more comfortable with the shots. Officials from at least three departments reported their forces are approaching near-universal vaccine acceptance.

More than three-quarters of the officers at the Fairfield Police Department have been immunized, a vaccination rate that outpaces neighboring departments and the towns own rate of 57 percent.

The high level of vaccinations may be attributable, in part, to a concerted effort by department officials to secure shots for officers. Lt. Antonio Granata said the department assists officers with finding a vaccine clinic and scheduling an appointment.

In addition to Fairfield, law enforcement officials in Westport and Monroe reported that 70 percent or more of their officers are now protected against the virus. Of the more than 200 total officers who work at the departments, only about 50 have not been vaccinated.

In Stamford, which operates one of the largest police departments in the region with 300 employees, a little more than half of the officers have been vaccinated, according to Lt. Michael A. Noto.

This number is most likely higher at this point as the vaccinations are no longer scheduled independently through the police department, Noto said. Once the vaccinations were opened to all above 16, many officers began scheduling their vaccinations on their own.

About half of the 152 officers at the Greenwich Police Department have gotten a shot, according to a spokesperson for the agency.

Meanwhile, authorities at some departments, including in Norwalk and Ridgefield, are not tracking how many officers are vaccinated. Police departments in Bridgeport, Danbury, Hartford and New Haven did not respond to requests for comment about vaccines among their police forces.

Despite not knowing how many officers have protection, Susan Zecca, the deputy chief of the Norwalk Police Department, said vaccines have made once-difficult tasks simpler.

For example, vaccinated officers who are exposed to the virus no longer have to quarantine for two weeks under new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a change that has allowed more officers to stay on the streets.

Quarantining officers has become a burden for everyone and not having to quarantine people due to an exposure definitely makes things easier, she said.

None of the nine police departments surveyed are mandating vaccinations. Amid lingering hesitancy, some health experts have called on departments to require officers get the shots.

But mandating vaccines could pose legal challenges, according to George Contreras, an adjunct associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York who studies emergency management and the threat COVID-19 poses to public safety.

The three vaccines available in the United States have been authorized for emergency use, but have not been fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

There is not an FDA-approved vaccine, Contreras said. Until that happens, no one is really going to have a legal leg to stand on.

Contreras suggested police chiefs look to other tools to boost inoculations, including a robust education campaign targeting skeptical officers.

Though the pandemic is more than a year old, Contreras warned COVID-19 still presents a threat to police officers and the communities they serve and should continue to be treated seriously even as case numbers drop.

Its highly recommended that they do get the vaccine because they may be exposed to someone who might be COVID-positive, he said. Also, theres a percentage of people who are COVID positive and are asymptomatic. So they may not even know that they have the virus and they may infect other people.
3 1 of 3 Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Alarm bells are going off and we need to wake up in Greenwich. Someone(s) are really going to be seriously injured or worse because our leaders refuse to take care of our town. Our infrastructure is outdated, our toxic fields are sitting without remediation after all these years, our schools, which do not even comply with federal law, are literally falling apart and we dont have adequate fire service for one of the largest parts of town  all because those who run the town believe you should not fix anything unless there is absolutely no alternative. Forget actual urban planning. We cant even contemplate preventing emergencies. And while our property values may be experiencing a COVID increase (after over a decade of decline and/or stagnation), that condition is likely temporary as new buyers will choose New Canaan, Darien and Westport over Greenwich. Let us count a few of the reasons why this is an eventuality.

First Selectman Fred Camillo famously stated, schools dont teach; teachers teach in response to criticism of our crumbling school buildings. Then North Mianus School experienced a catastrophic ceiling collapse that could have killed school children had school been in session. During a recent Representative Town Meeting committee meeting, five out of 12 Public Works Committee members, including the chair, Michael Spilo, voted against the proposed appropriation of funds to fix the North Mianus School as requested by the Board of Education, some wanting to wait until the school is slated for upgrades  in 2035!
2 escape injury in 1-vehicle crash

JONESTOWN  State police at Jonestown investigated a one-vehicle crash that happened in the northbound lanes of Interstate 81 in the area of mile marker 90.6 in Union Township, Lebanon County, around 11:40 p.m. April 24.

Police said Rhett Kelly, 18, of Fredericksburg, was driving a 2003 Ford Mustang north in the right lane when he lost control, causing the car to spin 360 degrees, go off the road and hit a guiderail.

Kelly and his passenger  a 16-year-old Pine Grove girl  were not hurt but, police said, Kelly was cited for driving at an unsafe speed as a result of the crash.

Police: Woman says cars tires slashed

SHENANDOAH  State police at Frackville are investigating a criminal mischief incident that happened on West Columbus Street during the early morning hours on April 26.

Police said a Shenandoah woman reported that someone slashed the front and rear passengers side tires of her 2008 Dodge Caliber and her 2007 Sturn Vue and fled undetected.

Damage was estimated at $100, and police ask that anyone with information to contact them at 570-874-5300.

Police: Locks cut; tools, items stolen

DARKWATER  State police at Frackville are investigating a burglary that happened at 88 Darkwater Road in New Castle Township around 8:30 p.m. April 23.

Police said someone used a saw to cut off a lock on a steel gate, entered the property and proceeded to a small storage shed, where several locks were cut off and numerous tools and other items taken.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-874-5300.

Man charged after harassment incident

GIRARDVILLE  A borough man was charged with harassment by state police at Frackville after an incident at 310 E. Oak St. around 8:50 p.m. April 27.

Police said Richard Evans, 33, was charged after he pushed and grabbed Paul Burpo, 51, also of Girardville.

Evans will now have to answer to the charge in district court.

Blocks moved to create skating areaPINE GROVE  State police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating a criminal mischief incident that happened at RMS Packaging in Pine Grove Township between 3 and 7 p.m. April 28.

Police said someone using skate boards moved concrete parking blocks and removed a yellow safety bollard to make a makeshift skating area.

Damage was estimated at $200, and police are asking that anyone with information to contact them at 570-754-4600.

Woman not injured hitting parked SUV

POTTSVILLE  A woman escaped injury when their vehicles collided in the area of 239 Minersville St. in Norwegian Township around 7:25 a.m. Thursday.

State police at Schuylkill Haven said Rose Lilley, 81, of Seltzer, was driving a 2018 Ford Escape south on Township Highway 624, when she attempted to readjust her grip on the steering wheel due to the inside of her vehicle recently being polished but her hand slipped, causing her to strike a 2021 Ford Escape that was parked on the right shoulder of the road.

Personal info used to spend $474

TREMONT  State police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating a theft that was reported around 5:30 p.m. April 26.

Police said a Tremont woman reported that someone gained access to her personal information as well as her Kalama information on her cellphone and purchased $474.19 in items from Foot Locker as well as Minecraft game purchases from Microsoft.

All of the purchases were made out of state, police said.
POTTSVILLE  Michael J. Bleashka is headed to a state prison cell after admitting Thursday to a Schuylkill County judge that he set a fire in February at a Pottsville motel.

I know Im guilty. I know I did it, Bleashka, 47, of Pottsville, told Judge James P. Goodman before the jurist sentenced him to serve one to two years in a state correctional institution, plus an additional 12 months on probation.

Bleashka pleaded guilty to risking a catastrophe and criminal mischief, with prosecutors withdrawing a charge of arson endangering property.

He also pleaded guilty in two other cases, admitting charges of disorderly conduct and criminal mischief in one and possession of a controlled substance in the other. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of obstructing highways in the first of those two cases.

Pottsville police filed all three cases against Bleashka.

In the first, they charged him with using a Bic cigarette lighter to set the fire in Room 101 of the Pottsville Motor Inn, 480 N. Claude A. Lord Blvd., on Feb. 13.

Police said Bleashka caused more than $500 in damage as the result of the fire.

In the second case, police said Bleashka damaged a car on Aug. 7, 2020, in the city.

Police said in the third case that Bleashka possessed methamphetamine on Jan. 9 in the city.

Goodman also sentenced Bleashka to pay costs, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, $100 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $891.89 restitution, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.

Bleashka already is an inmate at the county prison, and Goodman conducted Thursdays hearing by videoconference.
SHENANDOAH  A borough man charged with setting the house he lived in on fire in January weeks after obtaining an insurance policy for the contents waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday.

Felix Bermejo, 28, who lived at 322 W. Penn St., was scheduled to appear Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker on charges of two felony counts of arson and related offenses, one felony count each of causing or risking a catastrophe and insurance fraud and a misdemeanor offense of recklessly endangering another person.

After conferring with his attorney, Jeffrey Markosky of Mahanoy City, Bermejo decided to forego the hearing and have the charges against him in heard in Schuylkill County Court, where he can enter a guilty plea or plead not guilty and request a trial.

Bermejo remains free on bail after posting $50,000 straight cash bail set by Kilker at the time of his arraignment in February.

Shenandoah police Patrolman William Moyer charged Bermejo with setting a fire at the home of his grandparents where he was living around 8:30 p.m. Jan. 18.

Bermejo was arraigned via video conference by Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $50,000 straight cash bail.

Moyer said the charges are the result of a fire around 8:40 p.m. Jan. 18 at the 322 W. Penn St. home where Bermejo was living and found flames in the basement and smoke coming from other areas of the building.

The fire was quickly extinguished with damage contained to one building, the officer said.

The day after the fire, Moyer said that he and state police fire marshals Troopers John Burns and Joseph Hall as well as Shenandoah Fire Marshal Rick Examitas investigated the fire and determined the fire was intentionally set on a sofa located to the back of the basement.

Moyer said he and Examitas met with Bermejo, who explained that he just obtained a $50,000 insurance policy on the home and that he was not home when the fire started.

Bermejo said he only found out about the fire when he received a telephone call from the uncle of his fiance, Moyer said.

He said Bermejo had security cameras inside his home that were sent to the FBI for analysis and showed the man inside the basement of the home just after 8:30 p.m.

The cameras also showed Bermejo opening the back basement door and fire in the back round, Moyer said adding that the man can also be seen adding something to the fire and exiting through the back door shutting the door behind him.

Bermejo was subsequently interviewed at the state police station in Frackville and when asked what he thought caused the fire answered by saying the insurance investigator thought it was caused by a problem with a wire to the back baseboard heater, Moyer said.

When confronted with the video, Moyer said Bermejo said he could have exited the home through the back door but did not see any fire or smoke as he left.
SHENANDOAH  The state Department of Education Acting Secretary Noe Ortega joined Shenandoah Valley School District Superintendent Brian K. Waite for a media-only virtual press conference to discuss bipartisan legislation to hold charter schools accountable to students and taxpayers.

The media conference held Thursday also included state Rep. Marty Flynn, D-113, and North Pocono School District Superintendent Brian McGraw. PDE has held similar virtual programs for other areas of the state, with the event focusing on Northeastern Pennsylvania school districts.

Public school district officials have made it clear over many years that the way charter and cyber charter schools are funded with taxpayer dollars as part of district budgets puts a strain on those budgets. Increases in those costs take away resources that can be used for education and other necessary services, many of which are mandated by the state.

The topic of cyber charter school reform may seem dry, but practically speaking, school funding reform means the ability to provide more of our students some of the resources they need, Waite said in his presentation. As an underfunded district, the impact of funding reform for schools in Pennsylvania, including cyber charter school funding reform, is paramount to the Shenandoah Valley School Districts ability to provide sustained programming for all our students. Funding equals staff, programming, technology and facilities maintenance.

Waite added, As a district, we are not opposed to families having options for learning. With that said, the cost associated with operating a traditional public school is significantly different than the cost for operating an online program.

The virtual broadcast began with opening comments by Ortega.

Students across the commonwealth deserve a quality education that prepares them for their future endeavors, Ortega said. To ensure the continued mission of high-quality learning in Pennsylvania, we must hold our public schools accountable for their educational outcomes and subject to fair, predictable funding structures and standards.

According to the release, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the urgency for legislative action as charter school and cyber school taxpayer costs and enrollment have soared. Legislation has been circulated in the General Assembly to protect taxpayers by reining in skyrocketing charter school costs, holds low-performing charter schools accountable to improve the quality of education, and increase the transparency of for-profit companies that run many charter schools.

In February, Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled a bipartisan charter school accountability reform plan that preserves school choice by fixing Pennsylvanias outdated charter school law that is regarded as the worst in the country.

Last year, taxpayers spent $2.1 billion on charter schools, including more than $600 million on cyber schools. This year, the burden on taxpayers will increase by more than $400 million. The uncontrolled cost of charter schools can cause school districts to cut educational programs and raise local property taxes.

The governors plan restores trust by holding charter school operators to the same financial and ethical standards as our public school district leaders. The proposal aligns charter school funding with actual costs, establishes a statewide cyber school tuition rate, holds low-performing charter schools accountable, and requires for-profit charter school management companies to be transparent, Flynn said. Currently, these charter schools represent approximately 6% of all public schools statewide, but account for roughly 25% of the lowest performing schools in the state. The reality is that charter schools receive funding from taxpayer-based revenue, and as such, are public schools. Therefore, all charter schools must be held accountable to parents and taxpayers in the same way as traditional public schools.

The bipartisan plan would fix the states charter school law to control rising costs and ensure all students and public schools are treated fairly while protecting taxpayers and save school districts $229 million a year.

We are thankful for Gov. Wolf for recognizing the need for charter school reform, McGraw said. As districts struggle to balance budgets, the inequities of charter school costs continue to burden taxpayers.

Waite explained Shenandoah Valley is a small district with around 1,000 students, and the student population is approximately 50% white and 50% Hispanic with approximately 13% of students receiving ELL (English Language Learners) services and another 18.5% receiving special education services. He put into perspective how much the school districts pays for special education students using district resources as compared to charter schools.

The cost of special education students attending charter schools needs to be changed to more accurately reflect the costs of educating students with special needs, Waite said. For example, a student with special needs with a disability category of speech and language only costs an average of $3,000 a year in the Shenandoah Valley School District. If that same student chooses to attend a charter school, the charter school will receive $33,000 to provide a similar service. Currently, we have three students that attend charter schools that are in need of speech and language services only. That means the taxpayers are paying $90,000 more for these services this year.

Waite continued, Lets analyze this more. One student is in seventh grade, one in third grade, and another in fifth grade. It would cost $72,000 total for speech services at Shenandoah Valley until each student graduates, assuming costs remain static. This should be the cost the charter school gets, instead they will get an additional $720,000.

Waite asked the taxpayers need to know what the charter schools do with the extra funds, adding that there should be the same level of transparency with their finances that is required of traditional public school districts in the state.

Most taxpayers have no idea as to how their money is being spent by charter schools, he said. A transparent process must be developed to hold charter schools accountable to the taxing public similar to traditional public schools, and if not, charter schools will continue to purport education is free while maintaining budgets that contain money for advertising how they are free all on the backs of the traditional public school taxpayers, not only in Shenandoah, but across the state.

Waite concluded his comments on the need for funding changes.

I am grateful to the legislators that are moving toward reforming the antiquated funding formula for cyber charter schools, he said. The funding formula has to be addressed or taxpayers of traditional public schools will continue to pay for disproportionate services such as advertising as compared to the funds used to provide education to students in traditional public schools. Without funding reform, the ability for the Shenandoah Valley School District to provide educational programming for students attending traditional schools like ours will continue to be marginalized due to the current formula.

For more information on Wolfs proposed 2021-22 budget specific to education, visit www.budget.pa.gov. To watch the PAcast on charter schools online and read the media release, go to pacast.com/m?p=18733.
POTTSVILLE  Secured in a sealed wooded crate, the 192-year-old secret recipe for Yuengling beer was placed in an armored vehicle Friday afternoon to begin a three-day journey to Texas.

The recipe will be delivered next week to Molson Coors Fort Worth brewing facilities, where it will start being manufactured later this year.

In addition to the recipe book, proprietary yeast of D.G. Yuengling & Son. Inc. made the trip, which officially marked the start of the companys westward expansion.

Jennifer Yuengling, vice president of operations and a sixth-generation brewer, said the recipes and the proprietary yeast will ensure that the beer will be brewed to Yuenglings high standards in Texas the same way it is brewed in its hometown of Pottsville.

This will ensure that by using the old recipe book, it will be brewed the same way in Fort Worth, Texas, she said.

Wendy Yuengling, chief administration officer and also of the sixth generation, said the company welcomes the opportunity to pair with two other important brewing families, Coors and Molson.

She said that as Yuengling expands westward and into the Lone Star state, it is important that the products have the same flavor and footprint as the original products.

Were really proud to expand the brand, she said.

Jennifer Yuengling said she will be in Texas on Tuesday to greet the arrival of the recipe and armored vehicle, and work to begin establishing a team in Texas to produce Yuengling products.

Our target is to be in the open market by late fall. Were really excited about that, she said.

In addition to Jennifer and Wendy Yuengling, their sisters  Debbie Yuengling, employee engagement and culture manager, and Sheryl Yuengling, order services and IT administration  were on hand to bring the recipe from inside the Mahantongo Street headquarters to the armored vehicle.

Once security guard and driver Travis Laukhuf sealed the rear doors and, with an escort by Pottsville police, he drove down Mahantongo Street to begin the approximately 1,475-mile trip to Texas.

In January, Yuengling announced the first step in its westward expansion with distribution of its iconic beers into Texas.

The expansion with the Molson Coors Beverage Co. was designed to increase Yuenglings reach outside of its 22-state East Coast footprint providing access to the brewerys portfolio to millions of beer fans in the Lone Star state.

Yuenglings beers will be brewed locally by Texans at the Molson Coors Fort Worth brewery with the Yuengling family and its team of brewers working hand-in-hand with the Molson Coors team.

At the time of the announcement, Gavin Hattersley, president and CEO of Molson Coors, said brewing Yuengling will be a win-win situation for both companies.

By brewing Yuenglings iconic beer at our world-class Fort Worth facility, we are going to make a lot of Texans happy, he said.

Formed in September 2020, The Yuengling Co. is a joint venture between D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc. and the Molson Coors Beverage Co.

Now sold in 22 states, production is supported by two breweries, one in Pottsville and the other in Tampa, Florida.
Raising the minimum wage has been a leading political and economic issue for several years.

Congress last raised the minimum wage in 2007 and the $7.25 hourly rate took effect in 2009. Pennsylvanias legislature continues to hold the state minimum wage to that paltry federal standard.

Meanwhile, federal and state governments also do not do enough to crack down on employers who cheat low-wage workers out of even those too-low minimums.

Recently the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity, working with the Associated Press and the Spanish language TV network, Univision, found that employers annually deprive workers of as much as $15 billion in earned wages.

The report cited under-compensated overtime, forced hours off the clock and other methods.

And the report deals only with workers formal federal complaints.

It does not address state violations or victims who decline to file complaints for a variety of reasons, which unscrupulous employers exploit.

In 2019, the Department of Labor cited nearly 8,500 employers for keeping $287 million of their workers wages.

But it ordered penalties beyond restitution in only 14% of cases and rarely took special punitive action against repeat offenders.

Some companies are doing a cost-benefit analysis and realize its cheaper to violate the law, even if you get caught, said Jenn Round, a labor standards enforcement fellow at Rutgers University.

This is an opportunity for the Biden administration to directly help low-wage workers.

The department should get far more aggressive in finding and penalizing employers who steal from their workers.
To Shenandoah who called about the lunches, years ago  many years ago  I remember when kids went to the playgrounds and got their free lunches. Today, a designated place like maybe the school or firehouse. Thats where the kids pick up the free lunch. Yes, Pottsville is on the bandwagon, too.

Pottsville



The road is almost completely closed by Giant market. It is a shame that we have to have a pre-release center that will pay no taxes and is going to cost us money for plowing and this and that. I think it would be good to go after a supermarket, such as Redners.

Pottsville



Checks for people like me who dont need them, paying people more to stay home than to work, plans for more future free money, Bidens huge spending plan has one and only one purpose. That plan is to make Americans more dependant on government, paving the way for full-blown socialism.

Minersville



When are the police going to do something about these quads racing up and down the streets from the 100 block of West Maple, 24-7?

Mahanoy City



At a campaign rally in Georgia, the president said he is going to need five more days to get rid of ICE. The crowd kept yelling, Get rid of ICE! Get rid of ICE. The president said he is working on it, give him five days. Is this really the guy we want to lead this country?

Frackville



No coverage again of the illegal immigrants coming into the country and the children in cages. I guess if the media doesnt cover it and the Democrats dont cry about it, it just doesnt exist. That is very sad. If it would be Trump, it would be in the paper every day.

New Ringgold



I see in the newspaper that we are blaming a highway again for an accident. The intersection of Mill Creek and 61. It is not the highway, it is the incompetent drivers. Why blame the highway? I have been driving on that intersection for 70 years and never had no problems.

New Philadelphia



In response to the caller from Mahanoy City, if you believe killing an unborn child for your convenience, committing crimes against humanity and drug addiction are simple mistakes and they are the Christian way, I am definitely not a Christian.

Gordon



To the caller from Frackville about socialism, where has our big government been for the last year? We have no big government to fear because it hasnt been around. I know you dont want to get out and help your citizens. I listen to your whining and complaining about wearing a paper mask and trying to prevent a disease. You have no citizenship, companionship. You dont want to help anyone.

Pottsville



The ruination of America summarized: First, there was political correctness taken way too far, then Barack Obama, little by little, disrespecting our flag, our Constitution and our country; then Pinocchio Joe Biden bringing our country to the brink of disaster. The scariest part is that Biden has more than 3 dark years to bring doom and gloom to the USA. Biden has to be stopped.

Port Carbon



Now that they are done working at the former Schuylkill Mall site, how about a cleanup? That is all watershed land surrounding where the mall used to be. I dont mean just clean up the macadam, I mean go 50 yards off the macadam from the wind blowing the garbage and make a complete circle all the way around to get the garbage. Be good neighbors.

Frackville



Three cheers for the Levy family. Maybe we should give them a ride around town on a fire truck. Now the father is running to be on the school board. Vote your conscience.

Mahanoy City



This is about the 14-year-old cheerleader. This was an immature temper tantrum over her not making the varsity squad. Its poor sportsmanship and she is not a team player. The school did try and teach her this but unfortunately, this lesson was lost because of freedom of speech. I call it being taught how to be a bully.

Pine Grove



Yes, it is true. Donald Trump had some problems in business. However, he is a very successful businessman. He was president of the United States so no matter how much you whine about it, this man accomplished a lot.

Minersville



Hey, Klingerstown, respect for the Constitution? Trump didnt have respect for the Constitution? Take a look in the mirror, Democrats. By the way, why dont you get out to the border and take care of those illegal aliens. It seems like Kamala Harris just doesnt have time.

Frackville



To Klingerstown, please call T&E with examples of President Trump abusing the Constitution and then please give examples of the Democrats following the Constitution. Just the facts, not your emotions.

Mahanoy City
New Delhi, May 8 (PTI) The police have arrested an Afghan couple and recovered over 100 kilograms of heroin worth Rs 860 crore from their possession, officials said on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Mohammad Shafi (48) and Tareena (36), both natives of Kandahar in Afghanistan, they said.

The police recovered 125.840 kilograms of heroin worth Rs 860 crore in the international market, officials said.

"On Friday, police got information that two people would come from Wazirabad with heroin in their car and will go towards Khyala. A trap was laid and the accused were apprehended," Deputy Commissioner of Police (west) Urvija Goel said.

The heroin was kept in seven plastic bags, police said.

Shafi told the police that he supplied heroin from Wazirabad to Khyala and thereafter to Punjab, they said. PTI NIT NIT TDS TDS

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) Indian naval ships were bringing in critical items, including oxygen generators and cylinders, from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Singapore to help fight the second wave of COVID-19, the Defence Ministry said on Friday.

Not just ships, vehicles of the Indian Army and aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) are shuttling every day to ferry oxygen generators, medical supplies, lab equipment and medical personnel to COVID hotspots from domestic sources and abroad, the ministry noted in a statement.

Apart from domestic flights, scores of sorties have been undertaken by the IAF to get medical supplies and oxygen generators from Germany, Singapore, UAE, Oman, the UK, Australia and Thailand, it said.

The Navy has also proved to be the lifeline for island territories such as Lakshadweep, the ministry said.

"Indian Navy Ships are bringing in shipments of critical items including oxygen generators and cylinders from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Singapore," it said.

India has been badly hit by a second wave of COVID-19, and hospitals in several states are reeling under a severe shortage of vaccines, oxygen, drugs, equipment and beds.

The hospitals set up by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in New Delhi, Patna, Ahmedabad and Lucknow, and the ones coming up, such as in Varanasi, are all being manned by more than 500 doctors and nurses of the armed forces, the ministry noted.

"Packed in PPE kits with adult diapers on, these men and women in uniform have been rendering yeoman service round the clock in these makeshift COVID care facilities," it added.

With a record 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a span of 24 hours, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598 on Friday, while the count of active cases crossed the 36-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The death toll has increased to 2,34,083 with 3,915 fatalities being reported in a day, data uploaded by the ministry showed. PTI DSP IJT

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the European Council meeting as a special invitee on Saturday, May 8, hosted virtually by Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa. The Portuguese PM, in the presence of all EU leaders, proudly referred to his status as an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India). During the summit, Belgian PM Alexander De Croo also greeted PM Modi with "Kem Chho".

While interacting at the summit, all leaders individually thanked India for the medical supplies last year when the country was facing the worst of COVID. And they (EU leaders) expressed solidarity with the people of India and committing to provide whatever support they can.

India-EU Leaders' meeting was initiative of Portuguese Presidency that holds presidency of Council of EU. Portugal PM Antonio Costa has personal affinity with India. He proudly displayed his Portuguese passport & Indian OCI card at today's meeting: Vikas Swarup, MEA Secy (West) pic.twitter.com/kdktcUuvKm  ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2021

PM Modi attends EU summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged European leaders to support the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver at World Trade Organization (WTO) for COVID-related treatments and vaccines.

Charles Michel, President of the European Council, praised PM Modi and announced a strategic partnership with India. He tweeted, "We are opening a new chapter in #EUIndia Flag of European UnionFlag of India strategic partnership at the meeting of EU Leaders with PM @narendramodi."

EU Council President announces strategic partnership with India

Charles added, "We are launching:

- negotiations on three agreements on trade, investment & geographical indications

- Connectivity Partnership

- Human Rights Dialogue

- closer security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and beyond."

In solidarity with India, Charles wrote, "EU and India stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight against #COVID19. We are delivering equipment to the people of India and working to boost vaccine production. We are also committed to do our part to tackle climate change and meet the Paris goals."

Lauding PM Modi, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, wrote, "Todays meeting with @narendramodi could not be more timely. The EU stands at Indias side in this most challenging time. We will also discuss how to further strengthen our strategic partnership. The Flag of the European Union and Flag of India can achieve a lot more by working Ek Saath  together." Before the virtual India-EU leaders' meeting on May 8, Leyen spoke on the phone with PM Modi about the present COVID-19 situation in India and the EU.

Picture Credit: AP
Chandigarh, May 8 (PTI) The Punjab Police claimed on Saturday that a suspected drug smuggler arrested from Jharkhand last month has admitted to smuggling over 500 kg of heroin from Pakistan in the last two-and-a-half years.

Gavi Singh alias Vijay had close links with drug smugglers of Pakistan and was nabbed from Jharkhand by a joint team of the Punjab Police and Jharkhand Police on April 26.

Punjab Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta on Saturday said that during interrogation Gavi has revealed that he had smuggled over 500 kg of heroin, along with weapons, from Pakistan and supplied into Punjab, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir over the last two-and-a-half years, according to an official release.

Gavi has shared that there was a thriving smuggling infrastructure on the Indo-Pak border and many Pakistan-based smugglers were actively involved in smuggling and induction of weapons and drugs into India, the police said.

He is also learnt to have made a large number of financial transactions with individuals and entities based in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan through 'hawala' route as well as through import/export companies based in New Delhi, which would require further probe, said the police.

"Gavi also admitted to having acquired a forged Indian passport from a travel agent on fake particulars and was planning to settle in Portugal, said Gupta.

His disclosures also led to the arrest of his five accomplices, the police said.

The arrested accused have been identified as Karanbir Singh, Harmanjit Singh, Gurjaspreet Singh and Rawinder Iqbal Singh, all residents of Tarn Taran district, and Samuel alias Sam of Ferozepur.

All the accused persons have been facing several criminal cases across different districts of Punjab, said the police.

The DGP said the police have recovered 1.25 kg heroin from Gavi's rented flat located at Kharar in Mohali, besides seizing three pistols -- one .30 calibre Chinese pistol and two .32 calibre pistols -- and 23 live cartridges from his hideouts.

Three vehicles which were being used for drug smuggling have also been recovered, he added.

Samuel, a close aide of Gavi, is learnt to have handled the distribution of heroin smuggled from Pakistan, he added.

The DGP said bank accounts and properties of Gavi have been identified and shared with relevant agencies for further action.

Other associates of Gavi have also been identified and the Punjab Police has launched a manhunt to nab them, he added. PTI CHS VSD SMN SMN

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Guwahati, May 8 (PTI) Regular flight services began at Rupsi airport in Assam from Saturday as part of the government's endeavour to link under-served and unserved airports through regional connectivity scheme routes, Airports Authority of India (AAI) said.

Rupsi airport is in Dhubri district os lower Assam.

The first commercial flight of M/s. Flybig airline on Guwahati-Rupsi-Kolkata route with 24 passengers on board landed today at 12:07 pm marking the beginning of new era at Rupsi in Assam and its adjoining areas, an AAI release here said.

Water cannon salute was accorded to the incoming flight by the Rupsi Airport officials as a gesture of welcome to the flight and the passengers were welcomed with the traditional Gamosa (scarf) before the flight departed for Kolkata at around 12.40 pm, it said.

COVID-19 guidelines were strictly followed.

AAI has re-developed this world war-II era air strip in Assam at an estimated cost of Rs 69 crore and the foundation stone for it was laid by chief Minister Srabananda Sonowal in Febriary 2019.

Spread across 337 acres, the newly developed airport has a terminal building measuring 3,500 sq m and is equipped with 10 check-in counters, an AAI release said, adding, the terminal is designed to manage about 200 passengers during peak hours.

The newly built runway is suitable for landing ATR-72 type aircraft.

A trial flight was tested and operational requirements were checked successfully on May 5.

Under the RCS-UDAN scheme affordable flying will be ensured for all, specially the lower income group population over short distances, the airport in-charge Jyotirmoy Barua said.

M/s. Fly big Airline was awarded routes under UDAN scheme to operate flight service at Rupsi by the ministry of civil aviation through a bidding process to operate flights on Guwahati- Rupsi-Kolkata route and back, the AAI said.

Initially it will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, the airlines sources said.

The operationalisation of Rupsi Airport will help boost the local economy of the Bodoland area and provide better connectivity to air travellers of Dhubri and adjacent districts of Bongaigaon, Kokarajhar, Goalpara as well as districts in the neighbouring states of Meghalaya, West Bengal and parts of Bhutan, AAI said. PTI ESB KK KK KK

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Amid India grappling with the fatal and rapid spread of COVID-19 infections, Thailand amongst several other countries has come forward to lend its medical support to the subcontinent. As India continues to counter the mounting crisis posed by a record rise in the second wave of the contagions of the COVID-19 virus, on Saturday, fellow ASEAN partner, Thailand which is also in the extended neighbourhood gifted 200 oxygen cylinders and 10 oxygen concentrators.

Official Spokesperson of Indian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Arindam Bagchi established reception of said medical aid. Indian community in Thailand have also managed to dispatch their share of contribution in the ongoing crisis subsequent to pandemic India. He took to Twitter to demonstrate his gratitude.



A valued maritime partner in our extended neighbourhood. Appreciate gift of 200 oxygen cylinders & 10 oxygen concentrators from our ASEAN partner Thailand. Also value donation by Indian community in  of another 100 oxygen cylinders & 60 oxygen concentrators. pic.twitter.com/CdRMzBwq7D  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 8, 2021

Nations solidarity to India's COVID-19 crisis

Exponential hike in COVID-19 infections across India since the inception of the second wave has evidently overburdened Indian production sectors, the medical infrastructure, and thousands of frontline medical staff in the country. While COVID-19 management and curbs have been harder for India to attain, solidarity has been an outpouring from numerous countries. Amid ascending COVID-19 figures in India, media reports, and gutting images of collapsing medical infrastructure, several countries have been outpouring solidarity with India's ordeals. Previously, Ukraine, Israel, Netherlands, Romania on behalf of the European Union, United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, China, Singapore, Bhutan amongst few that have come forward in providing assistance to India in procuring tonnes of liquid medical oxygen, transporting mobile oxygen plants, drugs, and vaccine to cater as requirements against the destructive COVID-19 second-wave.

This inflow of medical oxygen from overseas would meet oxygen requisites across states which are currently facing grave shortages. In the recent past, COVID-19 patients have succumbed to the virus due to a dearth of medical oxygen supply at hospitals.

COVID-19 tally

India recorded over 4 lakh new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours ending 8 am Saturday, taking the countrys total caseload to over 2.18 crore. Out of these, over 37 lakh cases are currently active while over 1.79 crore people have recovered. With 4,187 new deaths, the toll now stands at over 2.38 lakh. At least 14 states are reporting cases in five figures. Maharashtra reported about 54,000 cases, Karnataka had nearly 49,000, while Kerala had over 38,000.

The Union Health Ministry Friday said states such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Jharkhand have shown plateauing of daily Covid cases gradually. The ministry also said that 12 states have over one lakh active Covid-19 cases while seven states have 50,000 to one lakh active cases.
The Shiv Sena today said that while smaller countries in the neighbourhood are offering help to India to tackle COVID-19, the Modi government is not even ready to stop the work of the multi-crore Central Vista project in Delhi.

The party also said that the system created in the past 70 years by previous Prime Ministers, including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, has helped the country live through the tough times that it is facing today.

"The UNICEF has expressed fear that there is a threat to the world from India due to the pace at which coronavirus is spreading in the country. It has also made an appeal that maximum number of countries should help India in the fight against COVID-19. Bangladesh has sent 10,000 Remdesivir vials, while Bhutan has sent medical oxygen. Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka have also offered help to 'aatmanirbhar' India," the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"In clear terms, India is surviving on the system created by Nehru-Gandhi. Many poor countries are offering help to India. Earlier, countries like Pakistan, Rwanda and Congo used to get help from others. But due to the wrong policies of today's rulers, India is going through that situation now," it said.

But while poor countries are helping India in their own way, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not ready to stop the ambitious project of Central Vista worth  20,000 crore in Delhi, the Sena added.

The party expressed surprise that nobody feels regret that on the one hand, India accepts aid from countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, while on the other, PM Modi is not ready to stop work on the multi-crore Central Vista project for construction of a new Parliament building and the house of the Prime Minister.

The redevelopment project of the Central Vista - the power corridor of the country - envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and new residences for the prime minister and the vice president.

The Sena said that even as the world is battling a second wave of COVID-19, experts have predicted that the third wave will be more severe. But the ruling BJP is doing all it can to corner Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal even today.

"A sensitive and a nationalist government would not have thought about the political pros and cons and set up a national panel of all main political parties to discuss ways to defeat the pandemic," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.

"BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has demanded that Union minister Nitin Gadkari be given the charge of the health ministry and this is a proof that the current union health ministry has been a complete failure," it added.

India has reported the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in the last 10 days. Globally, one out of the five active patients is in India. In the last ten days, 36,110 deaths have occurred. Every hour, there are 150 COVID-19 deaths in the country. We have left USA and Brazil behind in terms of deaths due to virus. The world fears India now, the Shiv Sena said.

According to it, several countries have stopped their citizens from travelling to India and our country is bearing the economic brunt of the pandemic.

"The country is presently surviving thanks to the development works, projects set up by and the confidence given by the previous governments of Pandit Nehru, (Lal Bahadur) Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, Manmohan Singh," it said.

The Prime Minister will have to do a lot of hard work and think of non-political nationalism to help the country come out of the pandemic, it said.

Shiv Sena slammed the Modi government for the Central Vista project amid COVID-19

Mumbai:

The Shiv Sena today said that while smaller countries in the neighbourhood are offering help to India to tackle COVID-19, the Modi government is not even ready to stop the work of the multi-crore Central Vista project in Delhi.

The party also said that the system created in the past 70 years by previous Prime Ministers, including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, has helped the country live through the tough times that it is facing today.

"The UNICEF has expressed fear that there is a threat to the world from India due to the pace at which coronavirus is spreading in the country. It has also made an appeal that maximum number of countries should help India in the fight against COVID-19. Bangladesh has sent 10,000 Remdesivir vials, while Bhutan has sent medical oxygen. Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka have also offered help to 'aatmanirbhar' India," the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"In clear terms, India is surviving on the system created by Nehru-Gandhi. Many poor countries are offering help to India. Earlier, countries like Pakistan, Rwanda and Congo used to get help from others. But due to the wrong policies of today's rulers, India is going through that situation now," it said.

But while poor countries are helping India in their own way, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not ready to stop the ambitious project of Central Vista worth  20,000 crore in Delhi, the Sena added.

The party expressed surprise that nobody feels regret that on the one hand, India accepts aid from countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, while on the other, PM Modi is not ready to stop work on the multi-crore Central Vista project for construction of a new Parliament building and the house of the Prime Minister.

The redevelopment project of the Central Vista - the power corridor of the country - envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and new residences for the prime minister and the vice president.

The Sena said that even as the world is battling a second wave of COVID-19, experts have predicted that the third wave will be more severe. But the ruling BJP is doing all it can to corner Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal even today.

"A sensitive and a nationalist government would not have thought about the political pros and cons and set up a national panel of all main political parties to discuss ways to defeat the pandemic," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.

"BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has demanded that Union minister Nitin Gadkari be given the charge of the health ministry and this is a proof that the current union health ministry has been a complete failure," it added.

India has reported the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in the last 10 days. Globally, one out of the five active patients is in India. In the last ten days, 36,110 deaths have occurred. Every hour, there are 150 COVID-19 deaths in the country. We have left USA and Brazil behind in terms of deaths due to virus. The world fears India now, the Shiv Sena said.

According to it, several countries have stopped their citizens from travelling to India and our country is bearing the economic brunt of the pandemic.

"The country is presently surviving thanks to the development works, projects set up by and the confidence given by the previous governments of Pandit Nehru, (Lal Bahadur) Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, Manmohan Singh," it said.

The Prime Minister will have to do a lot of hard work and think of non-political nationalism to help the country come out of the pandemic, it said.

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On Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had attacked the Union government over the Central Vista project, terming it a "criminal wastage" and asked the dispensation to focus on people's lives.
Foreign ministers of the Benelux countries on Friday met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the wake of Kyivs heightened tensions with Russia, fueled by Moscows recent troop buildup near their border.

The meeting comes on the day Ukrainian military said two soldiers were killed and another wounded under fire from Russia-backed separatist rebels in the country's east, where hostilities have increased sharply in recent months.

According to Ukraine's military, 36 soldiers have been killed in the east this year, where Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists have been fighting since 2014.

On Thursday, foreign ministers from Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg visited the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine in a show of support.

More than 14,000 people have died in the conflict and efforts to negotiate a political settlement have stalled.

Russia, which claims it has no military presence in eastern Ukraine, fuelled new tensions this year by massing troops and conducting large-scale military exercises near its border with Ukraine.

The foreign ministers' meeting with Zelenskyy comes a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the Ukraine president in Kyiv and reaffirmed Washington's support for Ukraine in the wake of the heightened tensions with Russia.

Both Zelenskyy and Blinken noted that while Russia has pulled back some of its forces from the border with Ukraine, a significant number of troops and equipment is still there, posing a threat.

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In mid-April, A drone strike early on Saturday targeted a military base in Iraq that hosts U.S. troops, causing only minor damage and no casualties, Iraq's military and the U.S.-led coalition said. The pore-dawn attack damaged a hangar, tweeted coalition spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto. He said the attack was under investigation. An Iraqi military statement also said no losses were reported.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The U.S. has blamed Iran-backed militia groups for previous attacks, most of them rocket attacks that have targeted the American presence in Baghdad and military bases across Iraq. Drone strikes are less common. In mid-April, an explosive-laden drone targeted the military section of the international airport in Irbil, in Iraq's northern Kurdish-run region, causing no casualties or damages. The base also hosts U.S. troops.

The attacks have been frequent since a U.S.-directed drone strike killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani near the Baghdad airport last year. Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also killed in the attack. The strike drew the ire of mostly Shiite Iraqi lawmakers and prompted parliament to pass a non-binding resolution to pressure the Iraqi government to oust foreign troops from the country. The Biden administration has resumed strategic talks with Baghdad, initiated under President Donald Trump, in which the future of U.S. troop presence in Iraq is a central point of discussion.

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The leader of Lebanons militant Hezbollah group on Friday indicated his support for a dialogue between Iran one one side and the U.S. and Saudi Arabia on the other.

Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech that such talks could benefit Tehran and its allies and calm tensions in the region. Iran is a top backer of Hezbollah.

The U.S. and Iran recently resumed indirect talks about getting Tehran and Washington to return to the nuclear deal. Meanwhile, Iraq is hosting talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as Riyadh seeks to end its years-long war in Yemen where the kingdom is fighting Iran-backed rebels.

We support any Iranian dialogue with international, regional or Arab powers," Nasrallah said in the hour-long speech. We consider it as helpful to calming tension in the region."

Nasrallah's comments were his first since news emerged of Baghdad-mediated talks last month between Tehran and Riyadh.

There has been growing unease among Gulf Arab partners over Americas re-engagement with Iran. Through intermediaries in Vienna, Tehran and Washington have discussed a return to Iran's nuclear deal with world powers. Former President Donald Trump in 2018 pulled America out of the deal, saying it does not do enough to prevent Tehran from pursuing a nuclear weapon. Iran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.

Washington's Gulf Arab allies have been pressing that a return to the nuclear deal should address Iran's support for regional proxies, including Hezbollah.

Iran has never sold out its allies and friends," Nasrallah said. It never gave them up, never comprised their interests or even negotiated on their behalf.

He also said he cannot confirm nor deny reports of secret talks between Saudi Arabia and Syria. Riyadh has boycotted the government in Damascus since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

Such talks, however, would be logical," Nasrallah said, as Syrian President Bashar Assad, a key ally of Tehran, has solidified his hold on power. Riyadh, along with other regional powers such as Turkey, had supported Syria's opposition since the start of the civil war in 2011.

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Thousands of Yemenis rallied on Friday in the rebel-held capital Sanaa to commemorate "Quds day," which marks the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Protesters there condemned Arab countries that have recently established diplomatic ties with Israel.

Hassan Abdul Rahman, head of the Palestinian chapter in the Ansar Allah (Houthi) Movement, said the matter of Palestine is "a legitimate duty that every Muslim have to prepare for according to every individuals ability and location."

Khaled Al-Madani, a Houthi military commander, said despite the spectre of ties between Israel and other Arab nations, for Yemeni people, "the Palestinian issue will be our first priority till it is liberated from the Israeli aggression."

Last year Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco signed agreements to normalise ties with Israel.

Israel already has full diplomatic ties with Egypt and Jordan.

The so-called "Quds day" is held annually in Iran and their proxies in the Middle East to express solidarity with the Palestinians.

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In an embarrassment for the Imran Khan-led government, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi conceded that abrogation of Article 370 is India's internal matter. As per a clip shared by Pakistani journalist Naila Inayat, Qureshi is heard making this admission in an exclusive interview with Samaa TV. In fact, he also pointed out that the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

Moreover, he claimed that a huge section in India was of the belief that this move did not prove to be beneficial for India. The PTI leader also stressed that all outstanding issues can be settled only through dialogue as war will be "suicidal". This comes as a clear departure from the consistent stance adopted by Pakistan that there cannot be normalization of ties until the Centre restores Article 370.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi remarked, "Article 370 is their (India's) internal issue. The people of Kashmir are saying that you had made a promise...It is their frustration. The matter is still pending in the Supreme Court and people have challenged it. There has been a strong reaction in Kashmir to the steps which have been undertaken- whether it is 35A or 370 or the cruelty inflicted there. Today, there is a huge section in India which agrees that they have lost more and gained less because of these steps."

"There is no option other than dialogue. These are two nuclear powers with outstanding issues which need to be resolved either today, tomorrow, or the day after. War is not an option. War will be suicidal," he added.

After two years, foreign minister Qureshi has realised article 370 means nothing to Pakistan. "It is India's internal issue." pic.twitter.com/FFp2i7l7VT  Naila Inayat (@nailainayat) May 7, 2021

Article 370 abrogation & formation of PAGD

A Presidential notification combined with requisite legislation passed by both the House of Parliament in August 2019 led to Article 370 becoming virtually redundant. This implied that the special status of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was scrapped. Furthermore, the region was bifurcated into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. Thereafter, restrictions on the movement of people and communication were imposed in the state, which was gradually lifted over the months.

After leaders such as former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were released post months of detention, 6 political parties joined hands to form the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration in August 2020. The principle aim of this alliance is to strive for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A and statehood. Subsequently, PAGD emerged as the single-largest party in the first-ever District Development Council polls in J&K by bagging 110 seats.

Thaw in bilateral ties

During his maiden visit to Sri Lanka on February 24, Pakistan PM Imran Khan called for resolving differences with India via dialogue. Claiming that he had unsuccessfully attempted to diffuse tensions in the bilateral relationship after assuming power in 2018, he emphasised the need to improve trading ties with India. In a joint statement issued a day later, the Director Generals of Military Operations of both countries agreed to strictly observe all agreements and stop firing from February 25.

Softening the brash tone further, Imran Khan told participants at the recently held Islamabad Security Dialogue that India can benefit from more trade and connectivity to Central Asia if both nations resolve their issues. Speaking at the same event, Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa maintained that it is time to bury the past and move forward. However, there was a setback when the Pakistan Cabinet rejected the proposal of the Economic Coordination Committee to import sugar, cotton and yarn from India.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday for a three-day visit to the nation amid tensions between Islamabad and the kingdom.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greeted Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jiddah.

The two countries are expected to sign new agreements to bolster trade and economic links during the visit.

Saudi Arabia gave $6 billion to Pakistan in 2018 when Khan's government came into power in 2018, but bilateral relations have since witnessed ups and downs.

The two countries have a longer history of cooperation, and the kingdom is Pakistan's main supplier of oil.

During his stay, apart from meeting with Saudi leadership, Khan will also interact with Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia.

Khan's visit comes days after he recalled Pakistan's ambassador following complaints by expat Pakistani laborers working in the kingdom who said their own embassy mistreated them.

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Dhaka, May 8 (PTI) Bangladesh has detected six people, who had recently visited India, infected with the Indian variant of the COVID-19, a top health official said on Saturday.

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) spokesman Professor Dr Nazmul Islam Munna said the cases were detected by health officials overnight. Out of the six people, two were detected in the national capital Dhaka.

All of them were exposed to the variant, also known as B.1.617, as they recently visited India and are currently kept under quarantine.

"Six people have been found to be carrying the Indian variant so far and we expect more people to be detected with identical types of virus in the coming days," Munna told PTI.

"This development means we in Bangladesh need extreme caution, perfect compliance of health guidelines . . . If we maintain the guidelines, no variant -- deadly or not -- can cause major problems," Munna said.

Last month, Bangladesh sealed its borders with India due to the raging number of coronavirus cases in the neighbouring country.

But officials and reports said many people came to Bangladesh from India under special arrangements and some of them fled a mandatory quarantine, heightening risks of spreading the pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) described the Indian variant as a "variant of interest," suggesting it may have mutations that would make the virus more transmissible, cause more severe disease or evade vaccine immunity.

Bangladesh reported 45 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to 11,878. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 772,127 with 1,285 fresh infections reported on Saturday. PTI AR RS AKJ RS

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In an unusual move for a state head, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has wished Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for her 'huge victory' in Bengal state elections on Wednesday. Calling it a 'reflection of deep-rooted trust of the West Bengal people in Mamata', Hasina wished her for Bengal's overall development. Mamata Banerjee was sworn in for a third consecutive term on Wednesday, after TMC trumped the BJP in the recent polls.

Bangladesh PM wishes Mamata

The huge victory of the Trinamool Congress in the assembly elections of 2021 is a reflection of deep-rooted trust of the West Bengal people in you, wrote Hasina. She also wished for the overall development and continued progress of the West Bengal people under the dynamic leadership of Mamata Banerjee. She wrote, "In a critical time of the coronavirus, we are committed to working together to overcome the global pandemic depending on the friendly regional assistances. I wish your [Mamata Banerjees] good health, long life, and continued success.

Responding to her wishes, Banerjee wrote a letter to Prime Minister fondly mentioning Hasinas sister, Rehana and thanking her for the wishes. Banerjee and Hasina share a very cordial relationship with Hasina sending four sarees and 10 kg of sweets during Durga Pujo last year. While the Bangladesh govt is upset with Mamata for pulling out of the Teesta water-sharing deal in 2011, Mamata has often referred to Hasina as her 'elder sister', visiting her on multiple occasions.

Mamata retains Bengal

On Sunday, Mamata Banerjee managed to halt the BJP juggernaut, retaining Bengal with TMC winning 213 seats whereas BJP could win in only 77 constituencies. While BJP won 74 more seats than the previous election, its vote share of 38.13% could not pose a challenge to TMC which garnered a vote share of 47.94%. Meanwhile, the Congress-Left-ISF alliance failed to dent Trinamool's chances, failing to win a single seat.

In an upset for Mamata Banerjee, the CM lost to ex-aide Suvendu Adhikari at Nandigram on Sunday, by a margin of 1737 votes. Banerjee herself accepted her defeat, but said that she will challenge the verdict in court. The nail-biting clincher saw Suvendu Adhikari take the lead by 4000 seats over Mamata Banerjee, but later the margin reduced to mere 6 votes, before Mamata took the lead.
STORY: Bangladesh Virus - Bangladesh virus fears in wake of neighbouring India

LENGTH: 02:20

FIRST RUN: 1152

RESTRICTIONS:

TYPE: English/Bangla/Natsound

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

STORY NUMBER: 4324730

DATELINE: 8 May 2021 - Dhaka

SHOTLIST:

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dhaka - 8 May 2021

1. Various of people getting vaccinated

2. People waiting to get vaccinated at Mugda Medical College and Hospital

3. Volunteer standing at vaccination booth

4. SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Apurba Kumar Sarkar, retired government officer:

"We are very lucky to get the vaccine considering the current status of the vaccination program. A vaccine crisis is going on. We don't know what the future holds. But I feel a bit secured as I got the second dose. I hope it will keep me safe from the devastation of the pandemic."

5. Various of people getting vaccinated

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Senjuti Saha, scientist at Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF):

"This is the time we need to vaccinate as quickly as possible, because the moment infections start rising again, it could be by the same variant that we are seeing now, it could be by new variants. We don't know or we know that, you know, mutation is something that's just natural for viruses, right. SARS-CoV-2 has nothing against us. One virus goes in, thousands come out in the process that are mutations, which means more infections, more the mutations, more the chances of the emergence of new variants. So, I think this is the time to like, vaccinate and keep infections low and ensure that not new variants emerge here either."

7. Various of people getting tested for COVID-19

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Senjuti Saha, Scientist, Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF):

++QUALITY AS INCOMING++

"There is a lot of concern in Bangladesh at the moment, you know, we are neighbours, India and Bangladesh and neighbours, we share a pretty porous border."

9. Various of traffic and crowd on Dhaka street

10. Various of people shopping without any social distancing

STORYLINE:

India's surge in coronavirus cases has begun to worry officials in neighbouring Bangladesh, as health experts warn of imminent vaccine shortages just as the country should be stepping up its vaccination drive.

The threat of shortage comes as more contagious virus variants are beginning to be detected.

On Saturday, health authorities said that for the first time, a coronavirus variant originally identified in India was detected in Bangladesh, without providing further details.

For weeks, a South African variant has dominated the samples sequenced in Bangladesh. There are concerns that some variants spread more easily and that some first-generation vaccines could be less effective against them.

"This is the time to vaccinate, keep infections low and make sure that new variants don't emerge here," said Senjuti Saha, a scientist at the Child Health Research Foundation in Bangladesh, who is also sequencing the virus.

However, India has banned the export of vaccines as it grapples with crisis at home.

The country's Serum Institute was supposed to supply 30 million doses of the vaccine - 5 million doses a month - to Bangladesh by June.

But the institute has only supplied 7 million doses and has suspended further shipments since February.

Fearing shortages, the government late last month suspended any new registration for a first vaccine dose, and administration of second doses is also being hampered.

The densely-populated country of 160 million is desperately seeking new avenues for vaccines other than India, and is attempting to produce Russian and Chinese vaccines at home by bringing technology from both countries.

Since March of last year, when the first COVID-19 case was detected in Bangladesh, the country has reported at least 772,127 confirmed virus cases and 11,878 deaths.

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The death toll registered due to the COVID-related complications among the patients is more than double what has been officially listed by the countries, a new report by the University of Washington, DCs Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) has found. As per the estimates, nearly 6.9 million people have succumbed to respiratory disease, whereas the official world meter data has recorded 3,272,228 total deaths worldwide. The discrepancy is the figures have occurred as the countries have only counted deaths at the hospitals and mostly those that had taken the COVID-19 RT-PCR diagnosis. While the deaths that occurred at homes, senior home care facilities, etc have gone unreported. estimation of total mortality due to COVID-19 heavily relied on testing capacity across the different countries, the report stated, adding that the fatalities in long-term care facilities in rich nations have mostly gone unregistered despite that there were mounting casualties.

In countries, such as Ecuador, Peru, and the Russian Federation, the discrepancy between reported deaths and analyses of death rates compared to expected death rates, sometimes referred to as excess mortality, suggests that the total COVID-19 death rate is many multiples larger than official reports, IHME said in a report.

The analysis was based on six drivers are All deaths directly related to COVID-19 infection; increase in mortality due to no or delayed health care; the increase in mortality due to mental health disorders; reduction in mortality due to decreases in injuries; the reductions in mortality due to reduced transmission; and the reductions in mortality due to chronic conditions. The report took into account all these factors to correctly estimate the total COVID-19 mortality across the globe. Analysts compared the mortality recorded with the expected death rate and factors that may have influenced those figures.

[The top countries with the highest numbers of total COVID-19 deaths, March 2020 to May 2021. Credit: IHME]

Low level of testing, reduced vaccination 'surged mortality'

The independent health research organizations data has also been cited by the US White House and has been referred by the public health officials for the previous diseases. The report outlines the low level of testing access in different countries worldwide. "If you don't test very much, you're most likely to miss COVID deaths," Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation told journalists at a briefing. Deaths that are directly due to COVID-19 are likely underreported in many locations, particularly in settings where COVID-19 testing is in short supply, IHME warned. In fact, the report mentioned that the direct COVID-19 deaths may be much higher than the estimated excess deaths because deaths due to some other causes have declined during the pandemic. The report also attributed the high cause-specific mortality to the reduced vaccination rates and reduced births in hospitals.
A former legislator and presidential candidate apparently fled to Honduras Friday after he was charged with making a deal with street gangs to support his 2014 presidential campaign.

Norman Quijano left El Salvador several hours before he was to lose the immunity from prosecution he enjoyed as a member of congress. A judge issued an arrest warrant for him.

Quijano, of the conservative ARENA party, tweeted that he was in Honduras to attend to a family matter.

One of his lawyers said he had gone their to get vaccinated against COVID-19. That story seemed odd, given that Honduras doesn't have enough shots for its own population.

I will show up to face this, because as I have always said, and as those who know me are aware, I am innocent, Quijano wrote.

Prosecutor Arturo Cruz said a video and other evidence indicate that Quijano gave the country's violent streets gangs $100,000 in exchange for the votes of them, their families and pressuring inhabitants of neighborhoods where they were active.

The scheme did not work and in the end Salvador Sanchez Ceren of the leftist FMLN party won the elections.

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Affirming his faith in India's ability to counter the second deadly COVID-19 wave, France's President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India-EU virtual summit in presence of 26 other EU leaders on Saturday evening. Amid the noise over COVID-19 vaccine shortage and criticism aimed at the Narendra Modi government, Macron asserted that India does not need to be 'lectured from anyone' on vaccine supplies. At the virtual summit attended by Germany's Angela Merkel and the EU president Ursula von der Leyen amongst others, the French President highlighted India's vaccine exports to several countries in the time of the pandemic.

"India does not need to listen to lectures from anyone about vaccine supplies. India has exported a lot for humanity to many countries. We know what situation India is in," the French President said.

Proving to be 'World's Pharmacy,' India under its 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative to help the globe battle COVID-19 pandemic, initially exported COVID-19 vaccines to as many as 95 countries, as per MEA data. Nearly 663.698 lakhs of COVID-19 jabs have been exported to countries across the globe including Iran, Uganda, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Brazil amongst others, since India began manufacturing the vaccines. This was paused as India's domestic requirements overwhelmed any possibility of exports.

As PM Modi attends the European Council meeting with 27 EU heads of state, tune in for #LIVE updates here - https://t.co/RZHKU3wOei pic.twitter.com/oeGj3YbUOw  Republic (@republic) May 8, 2021

A pivotal moment!



PM @narendramodi interacts with all leaders of EU Member States along with Presidents @eucopresident & @vonderleyen #IndiaEU Leaders meet for the 1st time in EU+27 format. Reflects a strong political will to deepen the - relations. pic.twitter.com/tCtkypj636  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 8, 2021

PM Modi calls for TRIPS waiver

At the EU council meeting on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged European leaders to support the TRIPS waiver at WTO for COVID-related treatments and vaccines. The TRIPS agreement provides the basic minimum standards on how 7 different forms of Intellectual Property: copyrights, trademarks, geographical indications, industrial designs, patents, layout designs for integrated circuits, and undisclosed information (trade secrets) are governed. For context, the WTO has the ability to invoke a waiver of certain Intellectual Property rights, thereby ensuring greater accessibility to key drugs and vaccines across the globe. PM Modi's call comes days after the United States declared its support for the waiver of Intellectual Property protections on COVID-19 vaccines.

European leaders, including the Spanish Prime Minister and the Portuguese head of state, individually expressed their gratitude to PM Modi as India extended support when the second wave of Coronavirus wreaked havoc across Europe last year. They also expressed solidarity with the people of India and committed to provide support in aiding India's battle against the second wave.

EU- INDIA JOINT STATEMENT

"We deeply condoled the loss of lives and expressed the deepest sympathy with the families of the victims of this pandemic in India. we welcomed the EUs and its Member States contribution to vaccines production and their substantial support to the COVAX Facility, as well as Indias efforts to produce and distribute COVID-19 vaccines to over 90 countries through its Vaccine Maitri. India appreciated the EUs and its Member States quick support and assistance, coordinated through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, thus keeping the spirit of solidarity and cooperation that has been the hallmark of India-EU relations."

India-EU Virtual Summit

At a virtual summit with 27 national leaders, European Union (EU) and India pushed for a deeper strategic alliance. A strengthened exchange of views and information between India and the EU on matters of mutual interest in the areas of economic cooperation has always improved the business environment and strengthened economic association.

The leaders will exchange views on the COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare cooperation; fostering sustainable and inclusive growth; strengthening the India-EU economic partnership as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The leaders are set to negotiate on 3 important agreements including a) Trade, investment and geographical indications; b) Connectivity Partnership and Human Rights Dialogue c) Closer security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
In view of the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in several countries and emergence of new virus variants, the government is reducing entry approvals for work pass holders and their dependents entering Singapore in the coming weeks. "In this period of heightened alert, we are making changes to the entry of work pass holders who have earlier obtained approvals to arrive from higher risk countries and regions from Tuesday onwards," said the Ministry of Manpower on Friday.

Construction, Marine Shipyard and Process (CMP) work pass holders who have earlier obtained approval will be allowed entry as approved, except for a small group with planned arrivals in June who will be rescheduled to arrive in subsequent weeks, said the ministry.

Migrant domestic workers who have obtained earlier approval will be allowed entry as approved except for some with planned arrivals prior to June 7 who will be rescheduled to arrive in subsequent weeks. Other work pass holders who obtained approval to enter prior to 5 July will not be allowed to enter, the ministry said. "We will inform employers on when to re-apply for entry when the situation has stabilised and will prioritise them for entry approval then," said the ministry in a statement.

"In view of the need to reschedule the entry of work pass holders who had already obtained approval to enter, we regret that we will not be accepting new entry applications from higher risk countries and regions with immediate effect, except for workers needed for key strategic projects and infrastructural works who we will continue to allow entry, it said.

Starting today (Friday), the Ministry of Manpower will be reaching out to affected work pass holders and their employers of the changes to their entry. The above changes will not affect work pass holders already given or are seeking entry approval to enter Singapore from lower-risk countries and regions, under the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA), Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and other approved travel lanes.

"We seek the understanding and cooperation of work pass holders and their employers for these changes. They are necessary to enable workers to enter in a safe and calibrated manner, and mitigate the risk of COVID-19 importation," said the ministry.

On Tuesday, the government had announced tightened border control measures in response to growing community infections in Singapore. These include an extension of the stay-home notice (SHN) period for travellers from higher-risk countries or regions, from 14 days to 21, starting Saturday. Only travellers arriving from Australia, Brunei, mainland China, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau are exempt, according to media reports. It added that the government would closely monitor the local and global situation, and periodically review the measures in place.

Meanwhile, the frightening surge in COVID-19 cases in India has had repercussions around the world and Singapore has not been spared, with delays and disruptions across the economy. Much of the impact stems from a ruling that has barred all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have travelled to India within the last 14 days from entering or transiting through Singapore since April 24, according to a media report on May 2. The same entry ban for all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have been in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka kicked in at 11.59 pm on Saturday.

Sectors such as construction and landscape maintenance - which employ many Indian and Bangladeshi workers - have been hard hit even as they have faced an already diminished workforce since the onset of the pandemic last year, according to the report. Home buyers are being warned of longer waiting times for their property and higher costs as construction companies turn to countries such as China and Myanmar to source alternative manpower, which may be more costly given the increased demand.

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In a recent development, the makers of worlds first registered COVID-19 vaccine- SPUTNIK V, on May 7 informed that said vaccine proved reliable after undergoing trials in Hungary as the Health Ministry of The Slovak Republic has granted approval of the same.

The makers of Russia's SPUTNIK V COVID-19 vaccine clarified this approval by Slovakias drug watchdog- State Institute for Drug Control (SUKL) succeeded their previous dissent for the drug. Apparently, Slovak regulator- SUKL, in March, claimed SPUTNIK V they had received was not the same vaccine reviewed in the Lancet. As a result, Russia took back 600 of the 200,000 vaccine doses that were delivered to Slovakia in March in order to carry out its own checks. Subsequently, the batch was sent to a certified lab in Hungary because according to SPUTNIK V Russian developers- Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, the laboratory that SUKL had used for incorrect testing was not European Union (EU)- certified to perform such a test.

SPUTNIK V makers also apprised of tests run by Hungarys National Public Health Center in the EU- certified laboratory which confirms that SPUTNIK V batch which was sent to Slovakia meets all safety and other requirements, therefore, debunking earlier statements to the contrary by Slovakia stands corrected. They have blamed the national drug agency of Slovakia to have stirred misleading information owing to their false claims over SPUTNIK V incompetency.

According to the Russian vaccine makers, the Slovak Health Ministry ought to issue a public apology for spreading incorrect information about SPUTNIK V. They stated,

"Some media used incorrect and misleading comments from an uncertified Slovak laboratory in their disinformation campaign against Sputnik V. We ask all these media to inform the public that a EU-certified laboratory confirmed all of the Sputnik V specifications."

They also asked big the pharmaceutical lobby to stop disinformation campaign against other vaccines too. SPUTNIK V managers took to their official Twitter handle to establish the same.

Slovak regulator SUKL had earlier falsely claimed Sputnik V they received was not the same vaccine reviewed in the Lancet. As the laboratory that SUKL used for incorrect testing was not EU-certified for such testing, the batch was sent to a certified lab in Hungary.  Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) May 7, 2021

SPUTNIK V feud between the two nations

Slovakias former president Igor Matovic resigned in March to end a political crisis triggered by a secret deal to buy Russias Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. In a new coalition government, President Zuzana Caputova appointed the new Cabinet led by Prime Minister Eduard Heger two days after the previous government resigned. It was the first European government to collapse due to its handling of the pandemic but the move kept the same four-party coalition in power and avoided the possibility of an early election.

The crisis erupted when a secret deal involving Slovakias agreement to acquire 2 million doses of Russias Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine came to light. The populist prime minister orchestrated the deal despite disagreement amongst his coalition partners. Two of them, Freedom and Solidarity and For People, demanded his resignation in order for the coalition which held a comfortable parliamentary majority to survive.

The crisis paralyzed the government in one of the hardest-hit European Union countries. The nation of 5.4 million has registered 11,920 deaths.
Taiwan, on May 7, thanked the United States for the invitation to World Health Assembly (WHA) and took this opportunity to take a dig at arch-enemy China. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken after the US extended its support for Taipei's bid at the decision making body of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Taking a dig at China, the ministry said that excluding a "vibrant democracy" while jeopardizing global health is wrong, especially at the behest of China. Taiwan's leader Tsai Ing-wen also thanked US for supporting Taiwan's international participation. Further, she hoped that the WHO will allow Taiwan to "contribute more to global health." The WHA is set to hold its 74th annual meeting virtually from Geneva, Switzerland, from May 24 to June 1.

My appreciation to @SecBlinken for urging @WHO to immediately invite #Taiwan to #WHA74. Excluding a reliable partner, vibrant democracy & force for good in the world while jeopardizing global health is wrong, especially at the behest of #China. JWhttps://t.co/a3bZKXM53z   Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan)  (@MOFA_Taiwan) May 7, 2021

Thank you @SecBlinken & the US govt for supporting #Taiwan's international participation. We hope the @WHO can #LetTaiwanHelp the world fight COVID-19 & contribute more to global health. https://t.co/RO5k38Suuv   Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) May 8, 2021

US supports Taiwan's inclusion in World Health Assembly

In a statement, the US Department of State predicted Taiwan's exclusion from the annual World Health Assembly, urging the "Organizations leadership takes appropriate action." It further said that "There is no reasonable justification for Taiwans continued exclusion from this forum, and the United States calls upon the WHO Director-General to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer at the WHA  as it has in previous years, prior to objections registered by the government of the Peoples Republic of China."

Calling Taiwan "a reliable partner, a vibrant democracy, and a force for good in the world," the US Department of State said "its exclusion from the WHA would be detrimental to our collective international efforts to get the pandemic under control and prevent future health crises."

"We urge Taiwans immediate invitation to the World Health Assembly," the statement conccluded.

G7 leaders support Taiwan

While China has been blocking Taiwan's representation at WHO meetings, Taiwan received support from foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries. The G7 leaders backed Taiwans observer status in the decision-making body of the WHO. They noted Taiwans successful contribution to the tackling of the COVID-19 pandemic and added that the international community should be able to benefit from the experience of all the partners.

China, on the other hand, has openly supposed Taiwan's inclusion claiming that it is against the One-China Policy. The self-ruled democracy, Taiwan elected Tsai Ing-wen as Taiwan's president in 2016 and again in 2020. Delegates from Taiwan had attended the WHA as nonvoting observers from 2009 to 2016, a period when Beijing and Taipei shared relatively warm ties.
Taiwan, on May 7, expressed gratitude to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken after Washington extended its support for Taipei's bid at the World Health Assembly (WHA), the decision making body of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan said that excluding a "vibrant democracy" while jeopardising global health is wrong, especially at the behest of China. Taiwan Foreign Ministry took to Twitter to explain its appreciation:

Taiwan is a 'vibrant democracy'

My appreciation to @SecBlinken for urging @WHO to immediately invite #Taiwan to #WHA74. Excluding a reliable partner, vibrant democracy & force for good in the world while jeopardizing global health is wrong, especially at the behest of #China. JWhttps://t.co/a3bZKXM53z   Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan)  (@MOFA_Taiwan) May 7, 2021

Earlier today, the United States called upon the WHO to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer at the upcoming annual meet the WHA, saying there is "no reasonable justification" for Taipei's continued exclusion from the forum. Blinken said in a statement,

"There is no reasonable justification for Taiwan's continued exclusion from this forum, and the United States calls upon the WHO Director-General to invite Taiwan to participate as an observer at the WHA- as it is in previous years, prior to objections registered by the government of the People's Republic of China."

Emphasizing on challenges of global health and global health security that do not respect borders nor recognize political disputes, Blinken said that Taiwan offers valuable contributions and lessons learned from its approach to these issues. According to Blinken, Taiwan is a reliable partner, a vibrant democracy, and a force for good in the world, and its exclusion from the WHA would be detrimental to collective international efforts to get the pandemic under control and prevent future health crises. We urge Taiwans immediate invitation to the World Health Assembly.

"Taiwan offers valuable contributions and lessons learned from its approach to these issues, and WHO leadership and all responsible nations should recognize that excluding the interests of 24 million people at the WHA serves only to imperil, not advance, our shared global health objectives."

The WHA is set to hold its 74th annual meeting virtually from Geneva, Switzerland, from May 24 to June 1.

Recently, Foreign Ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries have come out in support of Taiwan's observer status in the decision-making body of the WHO. The Beijing government has been blocking Taiwan's representation at WHO meetings, after a self-ruled democracy elected Tsai Ing-wen as Taiwan's President in 2016 and again in 2020. Taiwan has some of the worlds leading experts in combating the disease and everyone needs to hear from the island at the WHA.

Delegates of Taiwan, attended the WHA as nonvoting observers from 2009 to 2016, during a period of relatively cordial ties between Beijing and Taipei.
A statement has been jointly issued by the United States, NATO, and European Union on Friday condemning continued violence on Afghanistan. The statement mentions that the Taliban is majorly responsible for the disruption and it must be ended to make sure no civilians suffer. The three have demanded action from all parties to stop the violence.

The statement also adds to bring a political settlement between Afghanistan and the Taliban group.

"Strongly condemned the continued violence in Afghanistan for which the Taliban are largely responsible and demanded all parties to take immediate and necessary steps to reduce violence and in particular, to avoid civilian casualties in order to create an environment conducive to reaching a political settlement," read US State Department statement.

A United official statement came after the Special Envoys and Special Representatives of the United States of America, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, NATO, Norway, and the United Kingdom held a meeting in Berlin earlier on May 6.

Taliban threats to Afghanistan

Since the US announced its decision to drawback troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban threats have started pouring in. For this particular reason, the members demanded an end to the Taliban's cruelty on Afghanistan. The statement asserted discontinue the attacks on the vicinity of hospitals, schools, universities, mosques, and other civilian areas. An immediate end has been demanded to the activity of targeted assassinations against civil society leaders, the clergy, journalists and other media workers, human rights defenders, healthcare personnel, judicial employees, and other civilians in the joint statement.

The statement further stressed a negotiation between the Afghan government, the Taliban, and other Afghan political and civil society leaders for a comprehensive and sustainable environment.

Afghanistan violence

The Taliban recently has been blamed for attacking Afghanistan premises with bombs and heavy weaponry after the United States missed May 1 deadline to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and announced a complete pullback by the 9/11 anniversary. The US directly blamed the Taliban however earlier in February the group had denied the allegations. The Taliban, during that time also said that other jihadist groups are launching attacks on Afghanistan and not them.

(Inputs from ANI)
Colombia's government announced Friday that was expelling a Cuban diplomat for activities incompatible with his position, and Cuba identified the official as its second-ranking emissary to the country. It accused Colombia of trying to divert attention from a wave of protests.

Cuban officials issued an official letter demanding more explanation and calling the removal of Omar Rafael Garcia Lazo an unfriendly act.

Friday's public statement by Colombia's Foreign Ministry did not detail reasons for the removal or identify the diplomat, though the Foreign Ministry's Twitter account assured it put a priority on the diplomatic relationship and cooperation with Cuba.

The Colombian Foreign Ministry's letter, which was received on Thursday and was seen by The Associated Press in Cuba, said Colombia was cancelling Garcia Lazo's diplomatic accreditation and visa and giving him 48 hours to leave.

Cuba's letter in response said the ouster was a groundless decision that would affect the functioning of its embassy.

The conservative government of Colombian President Ivan Duque has had a tense but complicated relationship with socialist Cuba, which has long been a refuge for leaders of leftist Colombian guerrilla movements.

Cuba hosted peace talks that led to a 2016 disarmament pact with the largest of those groups, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia  a deal that Duque's party strongly criticized but which his government has not wholly renounced.

Cuba's Foreign Ministry send a tweet accusing Colombia's government of using the expulsion to try to divert attention from its own crackdown on a wave of anti-government protests this month in which at least 26 people have died.

Duque has several times demanded that Cuba give up leaders of the still-rebellious National Liberation Army. Cuba has overseen several unsuccessful attempts at peace between Colombia and that rebel faction, The last round of talks was frozen in 2018.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Dozens gathered outside the Colombian consulate in Caracas to protest against police violence during anti-government protests in Colombia where dozens have been killed and hundreds injured.

The protest brought together Venezuelan government supporters and a few opposition activists, a rare sighting in Caracas.

Chanting slogans against the Colombian government of Ivan Duque and former president Alvaro Uribe, a group of few dozen government supporters showed their support to the demonstrators in Colombia.

A group of Human rights activists also showed up to the demonstration to protest against both the Colombian government and the administration of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

Both groups briefly verbally confronted each other.

Angel Zambrano, a human right activist, said they rejected human rights violations against "non-violent demonstrators."

According to the Colombian government human rights ombudsman office, 24 people died during the confrontations, 17 of them in the southern department of Cauca.

At least 85 people had also been reported missing, and 306 civilians were injured during the protests. Police reported 540 injured officers.

According to the non-governmental organization Temblores, the figures could be higher; and they have reported cases of alleged sexual abuse by the police.

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UKs Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday that the government needs to handle the coronavirus double mutant variant that first originated in India very carefully. His remarks came after the Public Health England (PHE) expressed worry earlier yesterday about the new B.1.617.2 or the "variant of concern spreading at a faster rate in different parts of the UK. Britain scientists have warned that the new variant that originated in India was more virulent and spreading much quicker than the other mutations of the coronavirus.

"We're doing a huge amount, obviously, to make sure that when we do find outbreaks of the Indian variant that we do surge testing, that we do door-to-door testing," Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a conference. He, however, added that there was insufficient evidence whether the new double mutation of the coronavirus had a higher mortality rate, caused a more severe COVID-19 disease, or evaded the vaccines. Johnson said that the scientists were now conducting laboratory testing to determine the impact of the new variants of the coronavirus, whether some mutations made the virus more dangerous than the others.

WATCH LIVE: COVID-19 press conference (7 May 2021)



Speakers:

 @GrantShapps, Secretary of State @TransportGovUK

 Paul Lincoln, @UKBorder

 Dr Jenny Harries, UK Health Security Agency https://t.co/8TDqWb2MnH  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) May 7, 2021

29.3 million funding for variant testing labs

Earlier this week, Johnsons administration had allocated 29.3 million ($40.6 million, 33.8 million euros) in funding to set up more labs for COVID-19 testing and ramping up the manufacturing of the vaccines amid fear of the spread of the new variant. In an emailed statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnsons administration reportedly said that it plans to set up the "state of the art" laboratories at the Porton Down military research facility for research and manufacture of jabs against the variants of concern.

Scientists will test more than 3,000 blood samples a week to estimate the antibodies generated by the vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 variants to determine their efficacy. This comes after Public Health Englands data found nearly 77 cases of the B.1.617 variant already in the UK. Professor Paul Hunter, professor of infectious diseases at the University of East Anglia and a World Health Organization adviser told a local newspaper he was more worried about the spread of the double mutation variant than the South African variant, because of the potential that the Indian variant could be resistant to vaccines.
In its urgent travel advisory, the US reiterated to its citizens to book the tickets for the available flights and return to the homeland from India immediately. Amid the deadly surge of the coronavirus variant wave that has ravaged the southeastern Asian nation that claimed 4,187 lives on Saturday, the US state department issued alerts to the Americans to evacuate via the United Airlines and Air India numerous flights operating weekly. As the cases continue to rise across India, with a peak expected in mid-May, several international airlines including Air France, Lufthansa, and Qatar Airways commuted overseas citizens via transfers in Paris, Frankfurt, and Doha back to their home countries.

The measures are also seen as a step to alleviate the burden on Indias already stressed healthcare systems. On Saturday, India recorded nearly 401,078 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The US State Department issued an alert stating that it was mandatory for all citizens aged over 2 years old to carry a negative PCR diagnosis report no later than 3 days before travelling back to the United States. It further urged that the US citizens must vacate the country owing to the pressure on the COVID-19 testing infrastructure that has constrained in many locations.

Today, @VP Harris provided opening remarks at @State_SCA's event on Bolstering U.S. COVID-19 Relief Efforts in India. pic.twitter.com/cCT5YYQy6R  Department of State (@StateDept) May 7, 2021

US advises citizens healthcare 'overburdened'

Hospitals are reporting shortages of supplies, oxygen, and beds for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related patients, the US State Department said, adding that reports have emerged Americans were denied admittance to hospitals as most hospitals are full. Access to all types of medical care is becoming severely limited in India due to the surge in COVID-19 cases. US citizens who wish to depart India should take advantage of available commercial transportation options now, the US State Department advisory read. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice and the Department of State has issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory advising against all travel to India. Level 4 is the highest advisory level due to greater likelihood of life-threatening risks, the US embassy in India informed.
China, a relative latecomer in space exploration, derives great national pride from its hard-charging program, including plans to build a space station by late 2022. But a 21-ton stage of the Long March 5B rocket that launched the Heavenly Harmony core module into low Earth orbit on April 29 is now tumbling through space and is set to make an uncontrolled re-entry between May 8-12.

Although the stray rocket part is likely to fall on the 70 percent of the Earth's surface that is covered by ocean, the risk remains that it could rain metal on inhabited areas, prompting some space experts to criticize China for being negligent and irresponsible for ignoring a three-decade old global practice limiting uncontrolled entries to projectiles weighing less than 10 tons.
Environmental activist Thun Ratha is shown outside Phnom Penh Municipal Court before his conviction on May 5, 2021 with two other members of the group Mother Nature for 'incitement to create social chaos.' Human rights groups have condemned the verdicts.

Its no secret that Cambodia under Prime Minister Hun Sen has made life increasingly difficult for civil society organizations, and few groups have borne the brunt of this intolerance as much as Mother Nature. It's an environmental watchdog that has campaigned vigorously against the destruction of Cambodia's natural habitat caused in the name of development that oftentimes profits individuals and companies that are tied with Hun Sen. On May 5, five members of Mother Nature were sentenced to between 18 and 20 months in prison by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for supposed incitement to create social chaos. Amnesty International called the convictions outrageous.

The founder of Mother Nature, Alejandro (Alex) Gonzalez-Davidson, was among two of the five who were convicted in absentia. The other three are imprisoned in Cambodia. Gonzalez-Davidson spoke to Matthew Pennington at Radio Free Asia two days after the court rulings. A fluent Khmer speaker, Alex spent 13 years in Cambodia before he was deported for his activism in 2015. He has continued to lead Mother Nature from outside the country. Hes a Spanish national and has been denied a visa return to Cambodia, even to attend his own trial. The interview has been edited in parts for clarity.

RFA: So first of all, what's your reaction to these sentences?

Alex: We weren't expecting such a harsh sentence, to be very honest. We were expecting a year, perhaps even less than that. Its one guy, two women. The women are 19 and 22. The guy's 28. All are really good friends of mine. They've been in jail since September of last year. So we're very much shocked, very sad to receive that kind of news. Not so much for the three people in jail because theyre really strong activists. Im more concerned about the families and the rest of the (Mother Nature) team. Weve got a lot of activists who are not in jail. I'm more concerned about their level of fear and what effect this will have on Cambodia's civil society in general and the general population, especially young Cambodian people.

RFA: It seems like a very significant ruling. Can you tell us a bit about why they were arrested in the first place?

We've been doing videos which have gone viral inside Cambodia for seven years now, and we've been doing campaigning with local communities, sometimes successfully. We've managed to stop a hydroelectric dam which was not about electricity  it was about corruption and logging. We managed to force the Hun Sen regime, the government of Cambodia, to stop large scale extraction of sand which was being exported to Singapore, which was devastating local fisheries. And we've exposed many other issues. This is not the first time we've had people jailed or harassed. I myself was detained and deported in 2015. We've got five people in jail already. So they knew who we were. They were afraid of the effectiveness of our campaign.

RFA: I understand that the three jailed this week were arrested back in September when they were planning to stage a march.

Alex: For a few weeks before that we'd started a new campaign. Actually we started two campaigns. One of them was trying to protect the nation's biggest island (Koh Kong) which is very pristine and beautiful. We started another campaign trying to stop the government filling in Phnom Penhs largest lake and wetland (Boeung Tamok).

We decided to do a one-woman march: (Long Kunthea) walking for three kilometers all dressed in white, alone, and another woman, 19-year-old Phuong Keo Raksmey, she would be recording and live streaming, and then Thun Ratha, he would be basically in the conversation from his own home, live streaming it through social media. So that was our plan. And the idea was to walk towards the residence of the prime minister. A few hours before the march started, they arrested the three activists and confiscated pretty much everything that the organization owned  cameras, laptops etc.

RFA: This is basically showing zero tolerance for a peaceful demonstration.

Alex: I mean it wasn't really even a demonstration. We knew that demonstrations are risky in Cambodia. There have been some activists quite close to us jailed a few weeks before for demonstrating. So we thought let's not demonstrate, let's not protest. Don't hold any signs. Don't ask for people to come and join you. Just walk alone and we will get our audience through social media. But they still arrested them and they were quickly charged and they were sent to pretrial detention where they've been since September. So, a very, very harsh reaction. We were definitely not expecting that because I mean, effectively no law was broken whatsoever.

RFA: Now I understand that you were convicted and sentenced for conspiracy to incitement although you weren't actually in Cambodia at the time. You weren't able to attend your trial. Can you tell us a bit about that?

Alex: This is the second time that this happened to me. The first time was in late 2015 and I demanded my right to be present at the trial. It was a different campaign. That was about illegal extraction of sand to export to Singapore. And back then, as it has happened this time, theyve issued arrest warrants, but the Ministry of Interior which is in charge of issuing visas has never agreed to issue me a visa so I could defend myself at trial. This time, the same thing. My lawyer asked again and again.

The court this time was even more obscure. They didn't even allow the lawyer to make public the documents which prove that I have been accused because they knew that I would use those documents to publicly say I'm more than happy to go to Cambodia, even if that means jail time, so at the very least I can expose to quite a large audience inside Cambodia and outside Cambodia the whole travesty of it. So, yes, I've been charged with conspiracy to incite social disorder, social chaos, even though I've not been in the country for over six years and all we do is videos on Facebook. Were not a political party. We don't even engage in large-scale protests. Its quite telling of the level of paranoia the Hun Sen regime is currently going through.

RFA: Can we step back a little bit and you tell us how you got involved in Cambodia in the first place. You're renowned for your ability to speak the Khmer language, which I think has been a driving force in your success as an activist. How did you end up in Cambodia?

Alex: I ended up in Cambodia not for activism reasons, not for nature protection reasons. I just went as a 21-year-old thinking, it's a good way to escape European winters. So when I got to Cambodia, I thought this is a nice place to be for a few months a year. And I was working as an English teacher and I did that for seven years. And then eventually my language got good enough so I could be a translator. So I was translating from English to Khmer, and then in 2010-2011, I came to the realization that under the facade of development, the destruction of the environment was being done at an alarming rate.

I understood how it was being done, why it was being done, by who, because I was able to understand the context and the language. And I was able to speak with people who were being affected by these hydroelectric dams, gold mining, logging, forced land evictions. And I understood that this was very much a state-sponsored crime, under the facade of development. And then in , when I was still in the private sector working as a translator, a very well-known activist, Chut Wutty, was shot in his car. And the day he was shot I decided that it was my turn to become more public about it or at least less fearful because I was quite fearful.

So in 2012 to 2013 I started doing videos on Facebook. I started doing interviews in Khmer and with international media about some of the most pressing environmental issues and it took the Hun Sen dictatorship a year-and-a-half to deport me from the first video that I did on Facebook.

After 13 years in Cambodia, I saw myself blacklisted. That does not stop me from continuing to work remotely or meeting our activists in places like Thailand etc, and helping as much as I can from a distance, and my fight toward a better environment and better human rights in Cambodia is going to continue despite massive obstacles that seem to be growing by the day.

RFA: Hun Sen has always been ruthless in terms of suppressing political opponents or dissent, but it seems the situation for anyone who speaks out against the government or against their interests has gotten worse in the past few years. Can NGOs like Mother Nature still operate effectively?

We continue to do investigations and videos. We have the obstacle of Covid-19, so it's not easy to move around from place to place. But we've continued to do videos, but the difference with the videos is that our activists have to hide their faces and we have to distort their voices. Because I think it's pretty clear that they will be jailed automatically if they don't disguise their identities. Other than that, you can continue doing it. But I agree that the space for civil society, the opposition party and independent media, to operate, to tell the truth and to do their job is shrinking alarmingly. That has been the case since late 2015. I mean it was never a healthy democracy anyway, but it was improving and then in late 2015, you just see this dismantling, step by step.

Of the few good things that Cambodia had  quite a healthy civil society, a few independent media outlets which were quite strong including Radio Free Asia  the regime has been attacking them relentlessly. And I think there's two reasons behind that. One of them is the influence of China. I think the Chinese Communist Party has agreed to support them politically and economically. So no matter how much criticism they get internationally, China is there with the Hun Sen regime. And the second reason I think is that the Hun Sen regime has realized that this is what they have to do to stay in charge because if they continue with this half-baked democracy, half-baked elections -- even if they are only half-free and-fair -- they will still lose because their popularity levels are basically plummeting. Hun Sen and his cronies realize that if they want to cling onto power and continue making billions and billions out of the exploitation of natural resources, corruption etc, they have to basically eliminate all forms of opposition.

RFA: So are there still many young people out there who are willing to take the risk and engage in this kind of environmental campaigning that you're involved in?

Yes and no. I think that after such a repressive move  jailing people relentlessly since August of last year for doing a video, or for cycling, or basically expressing one's opinion  that scares people. So this really harsh guilty verdict will definitely scare a lot of people, but it will also create new activists. There's a lot of young people who will be so scandalized by it that they will become activists. This is not different from what happened to me in 2012 when there was the assassination of Chut Wutty, the environmental activist. It scared a lot of people. But at the same time it created a new wave of activists: not just me but many other people. So I think it's the same thing here. Now I speak daily with people like that, and one thing I tell them is that the status quo has changed. So we have to be smart. You have to be smart on digital security, physical security. You can't just do the things that you were doing before because that could automatically mean jail. So go ahead, but stay safe, stay smart. Don't just bury your head in the sand because that's not going to save the country's natural resources.
The Monument to the Foundation of the Workers' Party is photographed in Pyongyang, North Korea, in a file photo.

North Korea has begun cracking down on government officials responsible for handling sensitive documents after dozens of incidents where the documents went missing and secrets were leaked, officials in the country told RFA.

Every North Korean government office operates on written directives from the central government, some of which are meant only for the eyes of those in charge. These officials are supposed to follow strict guidelines in handling and storage of the secret documents, but security in some of the offices has become lax.

Several officials who should have been diligently keeping and cataloguing the documents delegated the task to their subordinates, and in some cases, the documents were lost, or sensitive information got out.

The Central Committee of the ruling Korean Workers Party dismissed the responsible officials and warned others that future such leaks will be punished severely, sources said.

An official in the northeastern border province of North Hamgyong told RFAs Korean Service this week that a lower-level party official in charge of a railway factory in the provinces largest city of Chongjin got in trouble when authorities recently inspected the partys internal documents there.

The vice secretary violated the rules by making ordinary workers handle the documents, and internal secrets were leaked to the outside, said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

The Central Committee dismissed the vice secretary for neglecting to handle the documents properly and instructed the other officials on the right way to keep confidential documents, said the source.

According to the source, the vice secretary had been a repeat offender. Authorities had warned him several times to comply with the regulations for handling and storing the documents, but he repeatedly ignored the warnings and violated the rules.

"He was in charge of registering the confidential documents, which included directives from higher party agencies. Just as he had done before, he made ordinary workers register the documents with the excuse that he was too busy with his own work. That is how the internal secrets were leaked, the source said.

In September of last year, the vice secretary had not properly managed employee access to the document storage room and he did not handle the documents in accordance with regulations. He even handed over the key for the storage room to an ordinary worker, so the workers could look at the secret documents at any time. So he was warned about it. After failing to change his ways, he was punished severely to the point of dismissal, said the source.

The Central Committee threatened the officials that further leaks due to their negligence would be met with more severe consequences. The punishments were not spelled out.

The committees directives include a warning that in the event of a leak of even a low-priority secret, the responsible officials will be severely punished regardless of their position, the source said.

Another source, an official from the northwestern border province of North Pyongan, told RFA on the same day that a similar case occurred there.

A low-level party secretary from the convenience management office in Chongju secretly handed over seven confidential documents to an ordinary worker in the office in return for special favors, and the information got out, said the second source, who requested anonymity to speak freely.

The secretary took responsibility and has been dismissed. The public security department investigated the leak, the second source said.

Leaked secrets have been a chronic problem over the past year, according to the second source.

There have been dozens of cases in which important documents are lost or leaked because officials do not properly manage them. In this case, the party project guidelines document got lost, and law enforcement has started an investigation to find where it went, but its whereabouts are still not known, said the second source.

The Central Committee has tried to improve education for the officials because leaks like this keep happening. Now the officials are nervous because the committee is threatening more severe punishments and dismissals for those found responsible for secrets getting out, the second source said.

A third source, an official in the central northern border province of Ryanggang, told RFA April 1 that authorities investigated each government agency there also.

They found that some confidential documents were lost or leaked because agencies were not properly handling them according to regulations. The Central Committee issued strict directives to try to prevent this from happening again, said the second source, who requested anonymity on fear of reprisal.

A few agencies, including the Taebong Mine and Wood Processing and Export Office No. 121, did not keep proper records of the documents, so they are unsure when they were lost. The authorities who were authorized to handle these documents delegated the task to others, which is how the information was leaked, the third source said.

This year dozens of documents like lecture and educational materials were lost because the officials did not collect them on time, according to the third source.

There will be no way for the officials who are responsible for the missing documents to avoid punishment.

In North Korea, being fired from a government job is not merely a professional setback. After falling out of the partys grace, former government officials and their families can be banished to rural areas of the country or even worse, sent to the countrys brutal prison camps for their crimes. RFA was unable to confirm the degree of punishment for any of the dismissed officials.

RFA reported in 2015 that North Korean authorities sent an army officer to a prison camp after he helped leak information about living conditions in the country to the outside world. In 2019 and 2020, authorities began targeting leaks by cracking down on illegal Chinese cellular phones to prevent secret information about Kim Jong Uns security from getting out.

Reported by Myungchul Lee for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Dawei has had 11 people killed and 100 arrested since the Feb. 1 military takeover.

Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup on February 1, presides an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021.

Residents of Dawei, the hometown of Myanmar junta leader Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, are ashamed of their native son for a coup that has led to hundreds of civilian deaths and thrown the country into chaos, sources in the southern port city told RFA.

The city of 150,000 people between the Andaman Sea and Thailand known for beaches and tropical fruit has seen 11 people killed by security forces and at least 100 others arrested, residents of Dawei told RFAs Myanmar Service.

Min Aung Hlaing will kill everyone regardless of where they are from. His regime will not spare the people of Dawei if they resist his rule. He only cares about maintaining his authoritarian rule, said a protest leader, who declined to be named for safety reasons.

We strongly oppose the military regime. We are determined to keep up the resistance to the end, she said.

According to the Thailand-based rights group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) as of Friday, at least 774 people have been killed by the junta since Min Aung Hlaing seized power from leader Aung San Suu Kyis democratically elected government on Feb. 1.

The leader of this murderous regime emerged from our region, Dawei township. This has hurt our reputation badly, said a resident of the city, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

I estimate that people who support Min Aung Hlaing in Dawei would be less than one percent. I think pro-democracy activists and protestors account for the remaining 99 percent, the man said.

Despite violence and danger, activists in Dawei, capital of Tanintharyi region, say they will never stop protesting until democracy is restored.

We have the ultimate goal of resisting this military regime. So we, the people of Dawei, will keep protesting in these streets until this regime falls, said protest leader, who requested anonymity on fear of reprisal.

We are not just resisting only Min Aung Hlaing. We are opposing the entirety of military rule. Min Aung Hlaings regime has done what all previous dictators have done, he told RFA.

A student union leader told RFA that for the people of Dawei believe that the 64-year-old Min Aung Hlaing doesnt stack up to other historic local figures, such as Ba Htoo, who led the Burma National Army to 20 victories over the occupying Japanese forces at the end of World War II.

He and other famous Dawei natives are loyal to the country and stood for justice, the student leader said.

Political analyst Aung Thu Nyen told RFA that unlike other leaders in Southeast Asia, Min Aung Hlaing has delivered little to his hometown.

We dont see him over his career working for progress in the region, he said, comparing Min Aung Hlaing with former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who tried to boost economic development in the northern Thai city of Chiangmai, where he was born.

In contrast, we dont see Min Aung Hlaing trying to improve Dawei or develop the region, said Aung Thu Nyen.

The people of Dawei say that the military and its leader have corrupted the honor of the armed forces.

The Tatmadaw is supposed to protect the lives of the people. They are responsible, said a resident of Dawei who declined to be named.

But [Min Aung Hlaing]s regime is now doing the opposite of the Tatmadaws duty. Thats why the people in Dawei dont have a reason to forgive him, even though he is a native of Dawei, he said.

Reported by Khet Mar and Soe San Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
The fledgling National Unity Government is trying to unify numerous local Peoples Defense Forces that have sprung up across Myanmar.

Protester holding a placard supporting the Kachin Independence Army and Kachin Independence Organization during a demonstration against the military junta in Hpakant in Myanmar's Kachin state, May 3, 2021,

A rebel army and a local militia have killed 40 Myanmar junta soldiers in two days of fighting this week in regions near the countrys northern and western borders, witnesses reported, in what would be the largest number of casualties inflicted on security forces since the Feb. 1 military coup.

The killing of 30 regime troops by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in the northernmost state of Kachin, and of 10 junta soldiers in the neighboring Sagaing region by a newly formed township militia were reported by villagers Friday and have not been confirmed by the rebels or the military regime.

The rise in casualties inflicted on the far better armed junta comes as the fledgling National Unity Government (NUG) tries to unify the numerous local Peoples Defense Forces that have sprung up across Myanmar under a nationwide army to fight the State Administration Council (SAC), as the regime calls itself.

The NUG, a shadow government made up of members of leader Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) government that was deposed by the military in February and ethic region leaders, was launched on April 16, and unveiled the Peoples Defense Force (PDF) on May 5.

The shadow government intends to build the PDF into a Federal Union Army that combines militias formed by majority ethnic Bamars (Burmese) across central Myanmar with the countrys many ethnic armed organizations, such as the KIA, to fight the well-trained but widely loathed junta military forces.

The fighting in Kachin state, which borders China, Thursday and Friday flared up as junta forces staged major attacks to try to retake a military camp at Alawbwan that was captured by the KIA in April.

They were using aircraft and heavy weapons. Their main target is to retake Alawbwan Camp, which the KIA occupied last month. They are now trying hard to get it back but the KIA is still holding onto it, Colonel Naw Bu, the KIA's information officer, told RFAs Myanmar Service.

Theres been fighting every day in the Myothit and Konglaw areas. The situation is very tense, he added, referring to villages in Momauk township at the center of the fighting. There were casualties but we cannot tell you the details yet.

Top, from left: President Win Myint, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, Vice President Duwa Lashi La, Prime Minister Mahn Win Khaing Than, Minister of Foreign Affairs Zin Mar Aung, Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration Lwin Ko Latt and Minister of Defense Yee Mon. Bottom, from left: Minister of Federal Union Affairs Dr. Lian Hmung Sakhong, Minister of Planning, Finance and Investments Tin Tun Naing, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Dr. Win Myat Aye, Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Sa Sa, Minister of Education and Minster of Health Dr. Zaw Wai Soe, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Dr. Too Khaung (aka-Tu Hkawng) and Minister of Women, Youths and Children Affairs Naw Susanna Hla Hla Soe. Compiled by RFA.

10 bombing runs by junta

A resident of Sihat village, where three military troops were killed when the KIA downed a helicopter on Monday, told RFA that KIA troops clashed with junta soldiers at nearby Towerdine Hill, killing about 30 soldiers.

The fighting has intensified. Yesterday three or four aircraft came to bomb the Towerdine area nearly 10 times, the villager said on Friday.

My brother, who is a construction worker, was traveling along Myitkyina-Bhamo road and saw them carrying the dead. There must be about 30 bodies, he told me, said the villager, who declined to be named for security reasons.

The military aircraft came almost every day, but not today, he added.

Fighting in Kachin state, which flared up two weeks after the Feb. 1 coup, has entailed about 100 clashes, including at least 60 airstrikes by the junta military, Kachin sources told RFA, military analysts.

More than 12,000 people have been displaced by the fighting, and two Buddhist monks and 15 other civilians have been killed, they said.

We farmers are facing great difficulties. We cannot go back to the fields to tend the crops and we are worried they will all be destroyed, said a woman in Sihat village.

We have invested so much in them and now we cannot harvest them. They shoot at us whenever we go to the fields, she added.

RFA calls to junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun were not answered Friday. The junta has not released any reports of the Kachin fighting.

Protesters holding signs supporting the newly formed opposition National Unity Government as they take part in a demonstration against the military coup in Shwebo in Myanmar's Sagaing region, April 18, 2021. Credit: AFP/anonymous source via Facebook

Battalion commander reported killed

To the southwest of Kachin in Sagaing region, three clashes in three villages between the junta forces and members of the Kani Township People's Defense Force on Thursday killed at least 10 regime troops, while two local residents died, villagers told RFA.

Sagaing-based Khit Thit News reported that Major Thant Sin Myint, the acting commander of the 404th Artillery Battalion was among junta soldiers killed in the Kani clashes.

More than 100 junta soldiers came to the town after an informant tipped them about the local forces, a member of the Kani Township People's Defense Force said.

There was a shootout between our local forces and the military near the hills behind Thamingyan village. We havent suffered any casualties so far. We had retreated back a little because they were firing heavy weapons at us, he said.

We used home-made landmines seven times. They have informants who told them about our location. All we have are Tumee handmade weapons, he said, referring to crude hunting rifles rural residents have wielded against junta troops in

Sagaing, a territory bordering India and populated mostly by majority Bamars.

In Sagaings Tamu, a city of 44,000 people, local fighters using the black powder rifles killed 14 soldiers in late March and early April, local reports said, but the defense against violent crackdowns from soldiers invited more brutality from the junta.

We would be so happy if the ethnic armies could help us with some weapons. And we want to ask people in all parts of the country to fight back the junta in every way possible, said the Kani fighter.

Mourners attend the funeral of Felix Thang Muan Lian, a night security guard at a gas station who was shot by security forces on his way to work in Chin state, April 29, 2021. Credit: Handout from Chin World via AFP

We can get rid of them

The Sagaing militiamans plea for arms and help on Friday came as Khin Ma Ma Myo, the NUG deputy defense minister, said People's Defense Force township-level units across the France-sized country of 54 million were working on linking up and sharing information.

What is happening in the country right now is that the commander-in-chief has abused his power and abused the country. We urge the people and the ethnic armed groups to join forces and fight back, he said, referring to junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.

Gradually, if we all unite to resist we can get rid of them, said Khin Ma Ma Myo.

I would like to appeal to all ethnic armed groups and the people as well as members of the armed forces and police to work with us and build the future of our country, he said.

A member of the local township militia in Kalay, another Sagaing town where local fighters have inflicted casualties on government troops, said his group is willing to join the NUG national force.

"We have not joined them yet, but it will be more convenient if we can join them and work under their command, said the militiaman.

Right now we joined forces among our villages when (junta soldiers) came, working as a guerrilla unit, he said. Its not a large organization yet, but we want to cooperate as soon as possible.

However, not all opponents of the military junta in ethnic areas appear willing to join the nationwide army in a country where the people of ethnic minority regions have been badly treated by Myanmars central government for decades.

There has been no communication (with NUG). If they do not contact us, we dont care, said a member of the Hakha township unit of the Chinland Defense Force (CDF), which was formed on April 4 in Chin State, a rugged, underdeveloped area on Myanmars border with India and Bangladesh.

The Chinland Defense Force, which has units in nine townships of the a state organized on tribal lines, has reported that the CDF in Mindat township killed at least 20 junta soldiers in a battle from April, while the Hakha killed nine regime troops early this week.

We will give support to the CDF, and if a separate armed group is to be set up here, it will have to be discussed again, said the Hakha CDF fighter.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has said that he has asked the European Council to condemn Russia for its involvement in the deadly explosion of an arms depot on Czech soil in 2014.

Asked whether he had brought up the explosion during an informal two-day summit of EU leaders taking place in Portugal, Babis told journalists on May 8 that he had "called for the [European] Council to condemn and declare such actions as unacceptable" when it presents its concluding statements at an EU summit scheduled to take place in Brussels later this month.

Babis said that he called on the council to make it clear "that it is impossible to accept such actions, and that we must view an attack on one [EU] member state as an attack on all."

Babis on April 17 announced that investigators from the Czech intelligence and security services had provided "unequivocal evidence" that there was "reasonable suspicion regarding a role of members of Russian military intelligence GRU's unit 29155 in the explosion of the munition depot in Vrbetice in 2014."

Two men were killed in the blast.

In response, the Czech government announced the expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats it considered to be spies, setting off a string of tit-for-tat moves between Prague and Moscow.

Russia has denied involvement in the explosion.


Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent congratulations to fellow members of the Commonwealth of Independent States over their roles in the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, and called for "brotherly friendship and mutual assistance" to mold their future relations.

The message, delivered on May 8, came as Western Europe celebrated the 76th anniversary of the war and ahead of Moscow's Victory Day parade scheduled for May 9.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel marked the anniversary with a Twitter message saying that "it remains our everlasting responsibility to keep alive the memory of the millions of people who lost their lives during the years of National Socialist tyranny."

On May 7, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also addressed Nazi crimes, saying: "Confronting National Socialism and the memories of injustice and guilt do not weaken our democracy. On the contrary, it strengthens its resistance and resilience."

Based on reporting by dpa and TASS
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia is working on strengthening its military base in Tajikistan to boost regional security as the situation escalates in Afghanistan.



During a meeting with his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon on May 8, Putin also said that Russia is helping to strengthen Tajikistans armed forces.



Rahmon raised concerns over the rising tensions in neighboring Afghanistan since the U.S. announcement last month that it will pull out all remaining American troops by September 11.



"I know you are concerned about this situation. For our part, we are doing everything we can to support you," Putin told Rahmon.



Tajikistan hosts about 7,000 troops from Russias 201st Motor Rifle Division that are stationed in three facilities.



Tajikistan, one of the poorest former Soviet countries, has close economic ties with Russia as hundreds of thousands of Tajiks work in Russia to support families at home.



Rahmon was in Moscow to attend Victory Day ceremonies on May 9 to mark the 76th anniversary of the end of World War II.



Russia and many other former Soviet countries commemorate the May 9 anniversary with parades and celebrations.



Rahmon, who has ruled Tajikistan with an iron since 1992, maintains close relations with Moscow.

Based on reporting by Reuters and TASS
Having a tattoo or an unmarried sister or an Instagram account -- all of these things can count against women seeking custody of their children in Russias North Caucasus region, where local court decisions often reflect communities' beliefs that children belong to the father's side of the family. In Muslim-majority Chechnya and Ingushetia, and to a lesser extent, Daghestan, deep-seated customs dictate that children go to the father's side of family following a divorce. And while Russian federal law has demonstrated its preference for such children to stay with their mothers, city and district courts in the North Caucasus often go their own way in the name of tradition. The issue is the subject of an extensive report by Current Time that tells the stories of several women struggling to wrest their children from a firmly established patriarchal system. Bad Tattoos Nina Tseretilova's efforts to be reunited with her three children have been thwarted for more than a year, despite the overturning of a local court's decision to deny her custody because of her "lifestyle."

In taking her kids away from her in July, Daghestan's Kirovsky District Court was apparently swayed by testimony from Tseretilova's ex-husband, Magomed Tseretilov, who argued that she had created an "unhealthy" moral and psychological environment for bringing up children. As evidence, he presented photographs and videos from his ex-wife's Instagram page in which she had conversations about "sex" and unconventional relations, and the court record noted that tattoos were visible on her body. Tseretilova's underage children, meanwhile, testified that she had hosted parties at which young people had smoked and consumed alcohol. The court was shown a music video by the Dagestani group Duet 11 in which Tseretilova plays a prominent role.

For her part, Tseretilova testified that she had married her ex-husband when she was 18 and that from the beginning he periodically beat her. She said she left him after he beat her while she was pregnant with their third child. The court, taking into account the established traditions of Russia and of the Republic of Daghestan, determined that Tseretilova led a lifestyle "that does not correspond to the behavioral norms and rules of the majority," and granted custody to her ex-husband. Tseretilova, who tells Current Time that her ex-husband had "decided to punish" her after she pursued payment of alimony following their divorce in 2016, took the case to Daghestan's Supreme Court. But even though the high court ruled in her favor in March, her children have still not been handed over. Silicone Story Zhanetta Tukhayeva has been working to get her eldest son back in an ordeal she says began seven years ago when her ex-husband, Ruslan Ibayev, kidnapped the boy for the first time, leaving their younger son with her only because she was still breastfeeding him.

In March 2020, the Leninsky District Court in the Chechen capital of Grozny ruled in favor of Ibayev, saying that both the couples sons should live with their father and that her parental rights be limited. Ibayev's argument in the case he initiated against Tukhayeva stressed the importance of "adats" -- customary practices observed by Muslims in the North Caucasus -- and cited her "divorced sisters" and "silicone lips" among reasons to deny her custody. In its ruling, the court noted that Ibayev was an attentive father whose "social behavior was "completely based on the norms of Islam and Chechen traditions." It also backed Ibayev's complaint about comments Tukhayeva made on Instagram in which she criticized the court proceedings as laughable. She wrote that her religious beliefs prevented her from getting any cosmetic procedures and accused her husband of slinging mud and trying to intimidate her. The court, saying the post "shows what kind of person she is," ordered her to delete her account. The decisions were completely overturned just four months later by the Chechen Supreme Court, and Ibayev's petition to appeal was denied. But Tukhayeva still has not been reunited with her eldest son and does not know where he lives. Fathers Win Even After They've Died Russian Islamic scholar Akhmet Yarlykapov explained that tradition- and religion-bound beliefs influence North Caucasus communities' views on custody issues, particularly those involving women who married outside their clan. "Following a divorce, the woman leaves for her father's house, leaves for that clan. The children are considered to belong to the family of their father and, accordingly, remain in his family," Yarlykapov told Current Time, the Russian-language network overseen by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA. "With the grandmother, with an uncle, with anyone -- but on the father's side."
Two Russian nationals are among four men who have pleaded guilty to cybercrimes that targeted banks and companies across the United States, resulting in millions of dollars of losses, the Justice Department said on May 7.

The four men -- Aleksandr Grichishkin, 34, and Andrei Skvortsov, 34, of Russia; Aleksandr Skorodumov, 33, of Lithuania; and Pavel Stassi, 30, of Estonia -- provided so-called bulletproof hosting services to a network of cybercriminals, according to court documents.

The bulletproof hosting operation rented Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, servers, and domains to cybercriminal clients who in turn used the technical infrastructure to disseminate malware that could gain access to victims computers and steal banking credentials, the Justice Department said in a news release.

Over the course of many years, the defendants facilitated the transnational criminal activity of a vast network of cybercriminals throughout the world by providing them a safe-haven to anonymize their criminal activity, said Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters of the FBIs Detroit Field Office.

The malware hosted by the organization attacked U.S. companies and financial institutions between 2009 and 2015, the Justice Department said.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid said organizations that aid cybercriminals in deploying malware are no less responsible for the harms these malware campaigns cause, and we are committed to holding them accountable.

According to court filings and statements made by the defendants, Grichishkin and Skvortsov were founding members of the operation and its proprietors.

All four pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to engage in a Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) in U.S. District Court in Michigan. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison at their sentencing hearing later this year.

Law enforcement partners in Germany, Estonia, and the United Kingdom assisted the FBI in its investigation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has paid tribute to the victims of World War II in a visit to the village of Milove along the Russian border, where tensions had escalated during a recent Russian military buildup.

Zelenskiy laid flowers at a memorial in the village, the presidents press service said.

Since 2015, Ukraine marks May 8 as a Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation for those who lost their lives during World War II. It marks Victory Day on May 9.

Milove is located in the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, much of which has been under the control of Russia-backed separatists since 2014. The separatists also hold a large part of the adjacent Donetsk region.

Ukrainians fought together with dozens of peoples against Nazism...and definitely not for war to take the lives of our people 76 years later, Zelenskiy said during the visit.

Tensions heightened between Moscow and Kyiv in recent weeks, when Russia moved troops along its border with Ukraine and in the Black Sea Ukrainian region of Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014.

Kyiv said the buildup included paratroopers, electronic warfare systems, ballistic missiles, and other potentially offensive capabilities.

The Russian military claimed on April 29 that almost all its troops had now returned to their permanent bases after participating in massive drills.

Russia has provided military, economic, and political support to the separatists in Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Moscow maintains it is not involved in Ukraine's domestic affairs.

More than 13,000 people have been killed during seven years of fighting between the separatists and Ukrainian forces.

Based on reporting by AP and unian.info
U.S. prosecutors said they were seeking a 17-year prison sentence for a former U.S. Army Green Beret who pleaded guilty last year to years of providing classified information to a Russian military intelligence agent.

The filing on May 7 in U.S. federal court in Virginia follows Peter Debbinss guilty plea last November to a federal Espionage Act charge.

According to the court filing, Debbins, 46, had a 15-year relationship with Russian intelligence dating back to 1996 when he was an exchange student from the University of Minnesota and on a visit to Russia for an independent study program gave an alleged Russian handler the names of four Roman Catholic nuns he had visited in Russia.

Two years prior, according to U.S. prosecutors, Debbins, whose mother was born in the Soviet Union, traveled to Russia for the first time and met his current wife in the central city of Chelyabinsk. Debbinss father-in-law was a colonel in the Russian air force.

Debbins told Russian intelligence he considered himself a son of Russia, and thought that the United States was too dominant in the world and needed to be cut down to size, according to the indictment filed last year.

Court filings show that Debbins joined the U.S. Army as an active duty officer in 1998 and served through 2005, the last two years as a Special Forces officer.

While on assignment in Azerbaijan, he was discharged and lost his security clearance after violating protocols. That included bringing his wife with him to Azerbaijan and allowing her to use a government-issued cell phone, according to the court filing.

After being discharged from the military, he worked as a civilian for U.S. military contractors, in some cases in counterintelligence, including work as a Russian linguist.

The original charging indictment alleged that he provided information and names of his fellow Special Forces members while he was on assignment in Azerbaijan and Georgia.

According to his guilty plea, Debbins admitted that the Russian agents used the information he provided to evaluate whether other Special Forces officers could be persuaded to cooperate with Russia.

It wasnt immediately clear when Debbins will be sentenced.
Mumbai: Stand-up comedian and actor Sunil Pal has been summoned by police here to record his statement in connection with an FIR for defamation registered against him, an official said on Friday.

Sunil Pal

A case was registered against Pal under IPC section 500 (defamation) on a complaint filed by a medical professionals' association over Pal's alleged derogatory reference to doctors.

Suburban Andheri police have asked him to remain present at 11 am on Saturday, the official said.
Ludhiana: A video of a 10-year-old school dropout selling socks on Ludhiana streets to support his family of seven moved many on social media, including Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who announced state aid to fund his education.

The chief minister went on to say Rs two lakh would be given as immediate assistance to the boy's family.

Vansh Singh

This comes after Vansh Singh was seen in the video, which has been viewed by millions and shared widely, refusing to accept Rs 50 over and above the cost of socks he sold to a customer.

Moved by the gesture, Singh spoke to the boy and his family on a video call on Friday, and said he was impressed by his self-esteem and dignity.

The chief minister then directed the Ludhiana deputy commissioner to ensure that Vansh Singh goes back to school, saying all expenses for his education would be borne by the state government, an official statement said here.

Photo

Vansh Singh's father, Paramjit, is a sock seller too and his mother, Rani, a homemaker.

He has three sisters and an elder brother, and the family lives in a rented accommodation in the Haibowal locality.
Chandigarh: The Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh has sought the support of Radha Soami Satsang Beas in the states fight against Covid, while directing all DCs to closely coordinate with authorized representatives in various branches of the Satsang in this regard.

In a letter to the Satsang chief Gurinder Singh Dhillon, the Chief Minister has urged him to make all branches available with the Satsang for the treatment of Covid patients, with attendants deputed for the purpose. He also requested Dhillon to extend help in the form of medicines and other relief material for Covid affected persons across the state.

Captain Amarinder SinghWhile the state government was making concerted efforts, as part of Mission Fateh, to ensure best possible medical care for the Covid patients, the constantly spiralling cases warranted unstinted support from religious institutions, NGOs and other such organisations, said the Chief Minister.

Referring to Radha Soami Satsang Beas yeomans service in the states battle against Covid last year, which had helped in stabilizing the situation considerably, the Chief Minister said the pandemic this year was even more virulent and life threatening, thus requiring support from the Satsang in tackling it. He pointed out that experts had warned that the next wave would be even more dangerous, which necessitated the collective efforts of all to ensure the success of Mission Fateh.
Chandigarh: Quickly acting on the disclosures of Gangster-cum-Drug Smuggler Gavi during his interrogation, the Punjab Police on Saturday, have managed to bust the entire part of his module active in Punjab with the arrest of his five accomplices.

A close aide of wanted gangster Jaipal, Gavi Singh @ Vijay @ Giani was arrested from Sarai Kila Kharsawa district in Jharkhand on April 26, 2021 during a joint operation by the Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU) of Punjab Police and SAS Nagar Police.

Punjab Police The arrested persons have been identified as Karanbir Singh, a resident of village Akbarpura, Harmanjit Singh of village Johla, Gurjaspreet Singh of village Bathal Bhai Ke and Rawinder Iqbal Singh of Hanslawala, all villages falling in district Tarn Taran while Samuel alias Sam belongs to Ferozepur. All the accused persons have been facing several criminal cases across different districts of Punjab.

Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Dinkar Gupta said that the Police have recovered 1.25 kg heroin from Gavis rented flat located at Urban Homes-2 in Kharar besides seizing three Pistols including one .30 calibre Chinese Pistol and two .32 calibre Pistols and 23 live cartridges from his hideouts. Three vehicles, including Toyota Fortuner, Mahindra Scorpio and Hyundai Verma, which were being used for drug smuggling have also been recovered, he added.

Arrest

He said that Samuel, who was staying with Gavi in Jamshedpur, had managed to fly to Delhi prior to Gavis arrest. Samuel, a close aide of Gavi, is learnt to have handled the distribution of heroin smuggled from Pakistan, he added.

The DGP said that, in the ongoing investigations, Gavi had revealed that he had smuggled over 500 kgs of heroin, alongwith weapons from Pakistan and supplied into Punjab, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir, over the last two and half years.

Gavi has shared that there was a thriving smuggling infrastructure on the Indo-Pak border many Pakistan based smugglers were actively involved in smuggling and induction of weapons and drugs into India. Gavi is also learnt to have made a large number of financial transactions with individuals and entities based in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan through the havala route as well as through import/export companies based in New Delhi, which would require a deeper probe.

Dinkar GuptaGavi also admitted having acquired a forged Indian Passport from a travel agent on fake particulars and was planning to settle in Portugal, said DGP Dinkar Gupta.

The DGP said that bank accounts and properties of Gavi have been identified and shared with concerned agencies for further action. Other associates of Gangster Gavi have also been identified and Punjab Police has launched a manhunt to nab all the accused persons in this case, he added.


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China ready to join Turkmenistan in lifting ties to new level: FM

Xinhua) 11:05, May 08, 2021

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday that the Chinese side is ready to work with Turkmenistan to plan for the future of bilateral ties, implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state in their phone conversation, and jointly push China-Turkmenistan relations to a new level.

Wang made the remarks during his telephone conversation with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov.

He noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov on Thursday, and the two sides have reached important consensus, which will inject strong impetus into the development of bilateral relations.

China has always cherished its friendship with Turkmenistan, and supported its policy of permanent neutrality, a series of major initiatives put forward by the country in the international community, as well as its various reform and development measures, he said.

The Chinese side is going to hold the second meeting of foreign ministers of China and five Central Asian countries, and seeks to make joint efforts with Turkmenistan to further deepen the cooperation between China and five Central Asian countries through this meeting, Wang added.

For his part, Meredov noted that the two heads of state held a rich, frank and friendly conversation on Thursday, and the consensus reached by both sides will lay a solid foundation for deepening the bilateral ties.

Turkmenistan will work with China to earnestly implement the consensus between the two heads of state, make every effort to push forward Turkmenistan-China relations and expand cooperation in various fields, he said.

He added that his country believes that the meeting of foreign ministers of China and five Central Asian countries will provide a good opportunity to promote bilateral ties and regional cooperation.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
The man accused of attacking a 36-year-old Asian father while he pushed a baby stroller last month will be charged with a hate crime, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced in a Twitter post.

Boudin said on the social media platform Saturday that he received new evidence that the April 30 attack outside a Mission Bay grocery store was racially motivated. Police arrested Sidney Hammond, 26, in connection with the crime.

Boudin did not specify what prompted the decision to allege that the attack was a hate crime. The victim was pushed to the ground and pummeled. The victim told KGO-TV that he thought the attack could have been racially motivated given increased hostility against Asian Americans, though police considered the incident random at the time.

Hate crimes are difficult to charge and prove in the courts.

Boudins announcement came one day after his office said that the suspect in Tuesdays stabbing of two Asian women at Fourth and Market streets would be charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse.

The suspect in that case, Patrick Thompson, 54, could be imprisoned for life if convicted. Boudins office, in a media release, said Thompson was a former mental health patient at Napa State Hospital. In an unusual move, the district attorney represented the prosecution at Thompsons Friday arraignment.

Boudin, who was elected on a reformer platform, is fending off two online recall campaigns from conservative interests that seek to paint him as soft on crime. A spokesperson for the D.A. wasnt immediately available.

There have been 12 reported hate crimes in San Francisco against Asian Americans through March of this year, according to a report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. Thats already more than the nine anti-Asian hate crimes reported in the city during all of 2020.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF
A woman was shot in the chest and killed in the front yard of an Antioch home on Friday night, and the suspect or suspects remain at large, police said.

Officers responding to the home in the 3300 block of Sunset Lane shortly after 6 p.m. discovered the victim lying face down in the yard, according to a media release from the Antioch Police Department. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene. She has not been identified.
California is preparing to use its building standards as a tool to promote construction of homes that wouldnt rely on natural gas.

A draft code update released Thursday by the California Energy Commission would require new single-family homes to be equipped with circuits and panels that would allow them to be powered by all-electric appliances for heating, cooking and drying clothes.

The new code would not prohibit natural gas infrastructure, a step many environmentalists would like the state to take. But if the draft is ultimately authorized by the commission this year, it would require new homes to be electric ready, meaning theyre prepared to be transitioned away from gas appliances if any are used initially.

Additionally, the commission would make heat pumps, which are powered by electricity, the standard for new homes and many nonresidential buildings too. The pumps would not be required, but builders would have to increase energy efficiency in other areas if they forgo one.

Were encouraging the technologies of the future, energy commissioner Andrew McAllister told reporters Friday afternoon.

The commission is set to adopt the updated code in August, and it would take effect on Jan. 1, 2023.

While the code doesnt explicitly forbid gas, officials think it will result in many builders choosing to construct all-electric structures. Its part of a growing effort in California to eliminate fossil fuels from buildings, which account for about one-quarter of the states annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Berkeley became the first city in the country to ban natural gas in most new buildings in 2019, and about 40 other California jurisdictions have followed suit. Environmentalists were hoping the state energy commissioners would enshrine such a ban in the new building code update, and they indicated after the draft was released that theyll continue pushing the state to do that later.

Matt Gough, senior campaign representative for the Sierra Clubs My Generation campaign, said in a statement that the draft was a step in the right direction, but it doesnt go far enough to cut the pollution from gas appliances that is fueling the climate crisis.

We have the option to build pollution-free homes that are healthier and more affordable, and we should take it, Gough said. Were disappointed it didnt happen this code cycle. It absolutely must happen in the next.

McAllister didnt rule out the state taking stronger action in the future, and he said officials know we need to move away from fossil gas.

Theres not much debate about that at this point, he said.

Still, he said the energy efficiency standards in the building code werent designed to dictate which specific fuels facilities are permitted to use. Nonetheless, in the draft update, the commission hopes to make it easier for builders to embrace electrification, particularly by promoting use of climate-friendly technology such as heat pumps, McAllister said.

Im very bullish on this, he said. I think its landed in a place thats very clear in terms of its intent and its direction.

J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris
Firefighters in Contra Costa County are investigating two blazes that sparked amid increasingly dry conditions that prompted the first red flag warnings of the season for much of the Bay Area and beyond this weekend.

The fires, both of which ignited on Thursday, severely damaged a Walnut Creek senior home and scorched 15 acres of brush near an Antioch homeless camp.

Almost 90 firefighters working in dry conditions battled a 3:30 a.m. brush fire near the Antioch Marina at 1 Marina Plaza, according to a Contra Costa County Fire Protection District incident report.

Twenty-foot-high flames charred a power pole and forced firefighters to temporarily evacuate. The fires proximity to railroad tracks caused Amtrak and freight train delays, Con Fire reported. It was extinguished more than nine hours later. No one was injured.

Investigators have determined that the cause was ... a homeless encampment and may have started accidentally, the fire district said in a statement.

On Thursday afternoon, more than 60 firefighters battled a blaze at a senior boarding home at 1516 Castle Hill Rd. in Walnut Creek.

In a social media post yesterday, Con Fire said the blaze started as an outdoor vegetation fire, possibly caused by discarded smoking materials. The fire was accompanied by a loud explosion that could be heard by firefighters at nearby hospitals, according to Con Fires incident report, which helped shorten the response time. KTVU reported that the explosion could have come from an oxygen tank.

Firefighters put down the two-alarm blaze and kept smaller fires from reaching neighboring homes. There were no injuries, but the small assisted living facility, Castle Crest Home II, was rendered uninhabitable from severe smoke damage and all five residents were relocated to alternative housing.

Red flag warnings, which indicate high fire danger, are in effect from Friday night through Monday morning in the North Bay mountains and East Bay hills and valleys, the National Weather Service announced. The warnings include the risk of extreme fire danger in swaths of the Bay Area and Central Valley. Typically, the first red flag warnings are issued later in the fire season, but low rainfall totals have led to drier than usual conditions.

April was the driest on record in California since 1985, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @SteveRubeSF
When San Francisco school board member Alison Collins sued her colleagues and her own district for $87 million, she described how they sprinted to judgment before coming after her, voting to strip her of her vice president title and committee memberships.

Using dramatic language interspersed with poems, biblical passages and accusations of racism, her March lawsuit detailed how the vote  a response to comments Collins made on social media attacking Asian Americans  had harmed her career, reputation and enjoyment of life while causing anxiety, fear, embarrassment and spiritual injury to her soul.

About 2,500 miles from San Francisco, in Oaxaca, Mexico, Patricia Theel could only marvel at the irony.

Someone had come after Theel, directly causing her, she said, to lose two jobs she loved, the first as principal of Francisco Middle School in North Beach and then in the districts special education department. She lost income, credit toward retirement and even her relationship after she became so miserable that her partner left her.

That someone was Alison Collins, first as a parent with unusual power at Francisco, then as an elected board member.

Its been four years, and it still hits me, Theel said in a phone interview, her voice cracking as she cried. She ruined my life.

Jana Asenbrennerova / Special to The Chronicle 2020

Theel was one of three San Francisco Unified School District employees who told me Collins took an active role in costing them their jobs, for reasons they didnt fully understand. They described how she complained incessantly and couldnt be satisfied. Several other former district officials, a former board member and another parent said Collins bullied and berated them, often publicly. And in 2017, Collins seemed to boast in a tweet that she was responsible for Theels firing.

This is about a bully. Shes her own worst enemy, said John Calloway, who led the elementary instrumental music program for the districts visual and performing arts department until last year, when he learned his contract wouldnt be extended at the boards behest. Shes really good at playing the histrionics game and really good at playing the victim.

The accusations come after Collins spent a year playing a big role in sideshows that distracted from the districts No. 1 job of getting students back in class, not to mention dealing with its looming budget crisis and enrollment drop. The district now faces lawsuits or legal threats over issues including renaming schools and changing the way kids are admitted to Lowell High.

If the school year has felt like one big soap opera, thats in part because Collins, who was elected in November 2018, made herself one of the stars. But what most San Franciscans dont know is that shes long been a divisive figure behind the scenes, causing strife at her two daughters schools and in the central office for years. Now, her stunning lawsuit has prompted people to speak out.

Former school board member Rachel Norton described Collins as very passionate about her work and her views, but added that she sometimes has less awareness of how that lands with others. ... People expressed feeling scared of her.

Collins declined an interview for this column, saying she couldnt comment on personnel matters. Sent numerous detailed questions via email, she responded with a statement.

Like many parents, I have high expectations for our public schools, she wrote. People know I am an educator and effective community organizer who understands what safe and supportive schools look like, and when district practices and state laws are being broken.

While my advocacy has brought to light these and other issues, she said, it is up to District leadership and ultimately the Superintendent, to investigate parent concerns and ultimately make staffing decisions that best carry out SFUSDs mission.

A school district spokesperson declined to comment on Theel losing her job or almost anything else related to this column.

Before her time on the board, Collins, who has a masters in education, worked several short stints in SFUSD and at nonprofit organizations, focusing on anti-bullying programs, curriculum design, peer tutoring and parent engagement, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Collins supporters say her top priority of ensuring equity among all students in the citys public schools is essential work  and that her intensity and directness, too, are sometimes necessary.

The Rev. Amos Brown, president of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP, is a vocal backer of Collins and said her focus on racial equity is important in a city with a shrinking Black population  now just 5%  and a stubborn academic achievement gap between Black students and their peers.

Shes not bashful about speaking the truth about discrimination, and thats a plus, Brown said. People dont want to hear the truth. They dont want people who will speak truth to power. They want people who will kowtow to them.

But Collins unwillingness to back down has hurt her. She hasnt deleted the string of racist tweets from December 2016 that a proponent of a recall campaign against her unearthed. The tweets made broad generalizations about Asian Americans and said many of them use white supremacist thinking to assimilate and get ahead.

Collins wrote on social media that the tweets were taken out of context and in her lawsuit that her seasoned social metaphors were aimed at uniting all marginalized, colonized and racially oppressed people against racism.

Her colleagues stripped her of her title and committee memberships, and she responded with the $87 million suit against the cash-strapped district. A district spokesperson confirmed officials have been served papers, meaning the suit is moving ahead.

It just makes me so angry, the hypocrisy, Theel said. So it happens to you and now you get to turn around and sue for an exorbitant amount of money, but the rest of us, were screwed.

Collins daughters started sixth grade at Francisco Middle School on Aug. 15, 2016  and almost immediately, Theel felt Collins was out to get her. Collins sent long complaints over email, demanded one-on-one meetings and proposed major changes within weeks.

Theel still has scores of emails from Collins and shared them with The Chronicle.

Less than two weeks after school opened, Collins became concerned that Franciscos new counselor hadnt introduced himself to the community. On Aug. 24, she sent Theel a letter shed drafted in the counselors name, suggesting that Theel send it to all the parents as if it was from him.

By Sept. 12, Collins had filed complaints with the central office about students using profanities. An Oct. 3 email from Collins to Theel was ccd to four of Theels superiors and Collins husband, real estate developer Chris Collins.

The 25-paragraph email said Theel had been dismissive of her and proposed a host of changes, including implementing a new anti-bullying curriculum. Collins suggested one she had experience with, when she led workshops for teachers as a consultant, or a similar program that looked at bullying in the context of social justice.

Theel said she declined to replace the district-vetted curriculum for which teachers were already trained, prompting Collins to carry hers on to campus and try giving it directly to teachers, a move one teacher confirmed to me.

Collins also accused Theel of running the school site council in violation of the committees bylaws. The councils are committees of parents and staff that plan for a schools needs. The central office started an investigation that turned up nothing improper, according to Theel and the president of the Parent Teacher Organization. A district spokesperson did not respond to questions about the investigation.

Chronicle photo illustration

In her blog on racial equity in schools and in social media posts, Collins expressed dissatisfaction with the school administration, saying among other things that Theel and Kristen Vogel, the assistant principal, excluded families and teachers from giving input on school discipline policies.

Vogel, now a principal in Santa Rosa, said she left at the end of the 2016-17 school year because Collins made the schools atmosphere so toxic.

She said she received numerous complaining emails from Collins and held several meetings with her to understand her concerns.

It felt like an ongoing attack, and you never knew why, Vogel said. She slandered both Patricia and I by name on Facebook. Shes a public figure and now shes suing for the same thing shes done? Theres a little spiritual injury to my soul, too, and Im not suing anybody.

Vogel said she saw Collins circling the campus in her sport utility vehicle so many times it became creepy. She said she had never encountered a parent like Collins. And Ive been in education for 18 years.

Vogel said it was well known Collins wanted Theel fired, but she never understood why, describing Theel as a good principal who cares deeply about kids  visiting a boy in the hospital, for example, and taking in a former student whod become homeless.

Teresa Dal Santo, the president of the Parent Teacher Organization at Francisco at the time, said Theel was a very effective principal  and wasnt the only one Collins criticized.

Collins regularly told staff and other parents what they were doing wrong, but rarely offered to help, Dal Santo said. She recalled buying 10 pizzas once for a PTO meeting before pulling up in her 20-year-old Ford Taurus station wagon that smells like pizza eternally. Collins, she said, pulled in next to her without offering to help carry the food.

She floats in and says, Are we having pizza again? Is that ethnically correct? Dal Santo said. I told her, You find a caterer, and Ill pay for it. We can have any food you want. It never happened.

The incident that prompted Collins tweets about Asian Americans occurred that November when her daughter told her about racist statements made by Asian American boys after school.

Theel said  and Collins lawsuit confirms  that Collins asked for a restorative justice circle, a discussion in which participants talk about how to repair the harms caused by an incident. The after-school program held the circle on a later day, but Collins daughter did not attend, according to Theel and other people who worked at the school.

Theel was due to receive a three-year contract in spring 2017 and thought she had earned it. She showed me several letters of recommendation from her central office bosses, praising her inclusivity and cultural sensitivity. Shed cut suspensions by using restorative practices to address disputes and started a program to help students with emotional difficulties, the letters said.

Chronicle photo illustration

But the central office didnt offer Theel the contract extension. Collins later suggested she had been behind the decision.

In August 2017, Collins responded to a tweet asking Black women to share their most memorable experience with #WhiteFemaleAggression. Collins tweeted that WW Principal, referring to a white woman, had said a committee Collins wanted to join was full.

I printed screenshots of our email conversation and handed out copies to our Board of Ed, Collins continued. Lets just say, she is no longer principal. She added a winking emoji.

Chronicle photo illustrations/Todd Trumbull

Emails provided by Theel, though, show a fairly standard exchange in which Theel told Collins the committee was full. Theel added that there were other opportunities for Collins to participate. Theel said she interpreted the tweets as meaning that Collins got her fired.

Chronicle photo illustration

Chronicle photo illustration

Theel said she was devastated to leave Francisco. She took a lower-paying job in the central offices special education department, which will reduce her retirement pay. The stress drove her and her partner apart, and he moved out. She struggled to pay her mortgage.

But she wound up liking her new job and earned a promotion. Again, in spring 2019, she was up for a three-year contract. Again, she had great letters of recommendation.

The contract went to the school board  which would typically rubber-stamp such a request  where it was killed in closed session. Collins was a school board member by then, and Theel said she was told Collins had persuaded three colleagues to reject the contract because Theel didnt work well with parents.

I was just shocked, Theel said. I couldnt believe she was allowed to come back at me a second time.

A school district spokesperson declined to answer questions about why Theels contracts werent extended or to arrange an interview with Superintendent Vince Matthews.

Board President Gabriela Lopez also didnt respond to a request for an interview. Vice President Faauuga Moliga, a former ally of Collins whom she blasted at a recent meeting after he was nominated to replace her as vice president  she said he undermined women and tweeted too much  said he couldnt comment on personnel issues.

Theel used all of her sick days after the vote, then got a partially paid sabbatical. Shes in Mexico studying Spanish and relaxing at the beach.

Other administrators and teachers say Collins pushed them out for no good reason.

Calloway, the arts administrator who worked in the school district for 33 years, said Collins expressed concerns about equity in the music program. He said he tried hard to rectify them, including by purchasing 1,000 instruments so no children had to rent them. The Grammy-nominated musician also started an arts festival in Bayview-Hunters Point. But nothing seemed good enough.

Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle

He said that when the board called him into a meeting in 2019 to answer questions about the music program, Collins leveled a series of attacks, appeared to have her mind made up that the music program wasnt equitable, and didnt engage him in a conversation.

It felt like I was in King Joffreys court in Game of Thrones,  he said. I felt it was an inquisition, and I couldnt fully counter or speak.

Calloway said the board made it clear his contract wouldnt be extended, so his bosses in the central office didnt put it forward for a vote. He retired in July 2020. He and others said the board, fueled by Collins, criticized the visual and performing arts department and its leaders for not being focused enough on equity. He said it was clear Collins wanted to get rid of the departments leaders.

He said that, as a Black and Filipino man, he doesnt see anti-Black racism as the reason so many people have taken issue with Collins tweets and her lawsuit, as some of her backers say.

This isnt about race, he said. This is about an intolerant person who hurt herself because of personality conflicts.

Collins backers disagree. At a rally on the district steps the day she filed suit, supporters said shes been targeted because she is Black and advocates for Black students.

Joseph Thomas, 17, credited Collins support for making him a strong Black man.

Alison Collins is a strong Black woman. She is powerful. She is intelligent, he said during the rally. She is here for all communities.

But those shes tussled with over the years say its not always clear what shes aiming for or why shes attacking them.

Former school board member Emily Murase said that, several years ago, Collins grew concerned about racism at Lowell High. Murase offered to broker a meeting between Collins and parent leaders at Lowell, and was shocked when Collins lambasted her at a board meeting.

Alison Collins comes to the microphone to lodge allegations of racism and points to me  singled me out  and said, You, Emily Murase, are the problem! Murase recalled.

Missy Mastel, then-president of the Lowell Parent Teacher Association, attended that meeting and confirmed Murases account, adding, We were all taken aback.

Rob Daniels, who worked in the district for 24 years as a music teacher and then as the director of visual and performing arts, said he encountered Collins years ago when her daughters attended Jean Parker Elementary in North Beach.

She complained about their music teacher and that it took too long to carry instruments into the classroom. He said he met with Collins several times, reassigned the teacher and purchased instrument storage cabinets for the classroom, but she still wasnt satisfied.

She complained that letters to parents about the instrumental music program werent translated into enough languages, so he translated them into more languages. She needed a deep data dive about the program, so he hired extra clerical staff to compile it. She demanded the departments website have all the arts and music curriculum in different languages, so he hired a web developer.

I looked at my boss a million times and asked, What is going on? he said. I spent the last two years of my career doing things just because she asked for them. As a parent.

One summer, Daniels ran an arts program at Everett Middle School in the Mission District. Collins asked that her daughters be admitted, he said, and he complied. Then she asked that their friends be placed in the same classes, which were already full. When Daniels secretary explained to Collins that enrollment was first come, first served, Collins complained to Daniels boss about the secretary, Daniels said.

The friends were admitted, but Collins daughters never showed up, Daniels said.

She brought my staff to tears because of her rudeness, Daniels said.

Daniels received an award from the school board for his work in 2018. But when Collins was elected, he said, he seemed to fall out of favor. She learned that hed hired a web developer for the website changes she had requested at a cost of $30,000.

She thought that was horrific that we couldnt find somebody in our own department or that I couldnt do it myself, he said. I was like, Lady, I play the piano! I dont know how to do that.

By March 2019, he was a goner. The school board, in closed session, did not renew his contract even though his bosses recommended it.

I was shocked, Daniels said. I was given no reason at all.

He said his early removal will cost him $600 a month in retirement benefits and that his blood pressure spiked for months because of the stress.

Jill Wynns, who served for 24 years on the school board before losing her seat in the 2016 election, said board members over the years have rejected contract extensions supported by the superintendent and his deputies in a few cases, but that the practice was rare.

Superintendent Matthews new contract forbids the board from interfering in the hiring and firing of staff. He agreed to stay in his role for one more year only if the board approved new contract language including treating everyone with civility and respect and voting on senior staff contracts in public rather than behind closed doors.

William Hack, who retired as a supervisor for visual and performing arts last year, said Collins created a hostile environment, but that staff members were too scared to push back.

They dont want their contracts not renewed, he said. They have families and rent to pay and mortgages to pay, and they love their jobs.

Other administrators questioned why Collins had so much power. Susan Stauter, a retired artistic director for visual and performing Arts, said Collins distaste for a beloved, decades-long student festival at the Asian Art Museum seemed to spell its end in 2019.

It just got smashed, Stauter said. She was fired up and charismatic ... But then you look and see shes taking things apart and not putting anything back  Everything got blown up like a big balloon and popped.

Norton, the longtime board member who left in January, said some people had raised concerns that the festival was too expensive in the past. But she wasnt aware that its fate was ever in jeopardy, she said, until 2019 after Collins joined the board.

There was an argument that it was too fancy or superfluous in some way, Norton said. I just disagree. I think it was really, really exciting for kids to see their artwork hung in a museum.

To be sure, administrators and school board members disagree on programs and policies. But the discussion typically remains cordial  except when it comes to Collins, said Kevin Truitt, who left the district in 2019.

He retired after 23 years, saying he beat Collins to the punch because she absolutely would have campaigned against me.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle 2010

The districts chief of student, family and community support, Truitt said Collins was the only school board member in all of his years in the district who didnt treat him and other staff with respect. He said her agenda was to find fault and make it public. She often expressed her views by referencing what her daughters told her, he said.

Staff used to joke that when you go to a board meeting, its too bad you cant make it a game where you take a shot every time Alison said, My daughter, he said with a laugh. Youd be drunk before the board meeting was over, which is probably the only way to watch a board meeting these days.

Down in Mexico, Theel admitted shes sort of enjoyed her phone dinging with old colleagues sharing the latest startling news about Collins. But shes dreading going back to work as a teacher, as required by the sabbatical conditions, with Collins overseeing her.

I am afraid of her, Theel said, of what she can say and what shes capable of.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf Instagram: @heatherknightsf
A California bar owner was arrested this week on charges that he sold fake COVID-19 vaccination cards at his business, prosecutors said.

The owner, Todd Anderson, 59, of Acampo, California, was arrested Tuesday and charged with identity theft, forging government documents, falsifying medical records and having a loaded unregistered handgun, Tori Verber Salazar, the San Joaquin County district attorney, said in a statement this week.

It is disheartening to have members in our community show flagrant disregard for public health in the midst of a pandemic, Salazar said in the statement. Distributing, falsifying or purchasing fake COVID-19 vaccine cards is against the law and endangers yourself and those around you.

A phone message left for Anderson at his bar on Friday was not immediately returned, and it was not clear if he had a lawyer. Andersons arraignment is set for May 18.

Agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control began their investigation into Anderson after they received a complaint stating that fake cards were being sold at his business, the Old Corner Saloon in Clements, California, about 40 miles southeast of Sacramento.

In April, undercover agents were able to buy fraudulent cards four times, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control said.

The cards were sold for $20 each, according to the district attorneys office.

A number of the cards were found for distribution during a search warrant executed at the bar, the department said. The search, it said, also uncovered more supplies, including 30 blank cards and a laminating machine, which were confiscated.

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the San Joaquin County Sheriffs Office took part in Andersons arrest.

Each of the charges that Anderson faces is a felony carrying a maximum penalty of three years in prison except falsifying medical records, which is a misdemeanor carrying a maximum term of six months in jail.

Fake vaccination record cards have become a growing problem during the pandemic, according to authorities. Vaccination cards provide proof that someone has been inoculated against COVID-19 in the United States and list the type of vaccine.

The federal Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the FBI recently published a public service announcement warning the public that selling fake vaccination cards with a government logo on them is a crime.

The advisory warned the public about those who sell fake COVID-19 vaccination cards and encourage others to print fake cards at home. The cards have been advertised on social media sites as well as e-commerce platforms and blogs.

If you did not receive the vaccine, do not buy fake vaccine cards, do not make your own vaccine cards, and do not fill in blank vaccination record cards with false information, the announcement said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also said it is aware of cases of fraud regarding counterfeit COVID-19 vaccine cards. It has asked people not to share images of their personal information or vaccine cards on social media.

In addition to the criminal charges against Anderson, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control said it would file disciplinary action against the bar. That action can include a suspension or revocation of its alcoholic beverage license.

According to the bars website, Anderson is a Minnesota native who has lived in San Joaquin County since 1986 and has owned the business since 2005.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Cruz Reynoso, a son of migrant workers who worked in the fields as a child and went on to become the first Latino state Supreme Court justice in California history, has died.

Reynoso passed away May 7 at an elder care facility in Oroville, according to his son, Len Reid Reynoso. The cause of death was unknown. Reynoso was 90.

In a legal career that spanned more than half a century and took him from his first job in El Centro to Sacramento, the soft-spoken family man helped shape and protect the first statewide, federally funded legal aid program in the country and guided young, minority students toward the law.

As an early director of California Rural Legal Assistance, Reynoso shepherded the organizations efforts to ensure farmworkers access to sanitation facilities in the fields and to ban the use of the carcinogenic pesticide DDT.

Many of the suits CRLA brought during his time fundamentally changed the law of this country, Robert Gnaizda, who worked with Reynoso at CRLA and co-founded the Greenlining Institute, said in an interview he gave to the Los Angeles Times before his death in 2020. If you want to talk about Latino heroes  and there are a number  Id say Cruz is at the top of the list.

But Reynoso, the son of Mexican immigrants, was probably best known for his careers briefest chapter  his controversial entry to and exit from the California highest court.

When then-Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed Reynoso to the state Supreme Court in 1981, he said that he did not choose his nominee for the lofty legal position because of Reynosos Latino heritage.

Brown did acknowledge at the time that he was not  unmindful of the need for government to represent the diversity of our state. But he called Reynoso the most outstanding candidate I could nominate. Brown described Reynoso, who served on the state appeals court, as a man of outstanding intellect, superior judicial performance, high integrity and  rare personal qualities.

Not everyone agreed. Although liberals and Latino groups lauded Reynosos selection, law-and-order organizations, conservatives and George Deukmejian, who was then the state attorney general, attacked Browns nominee.

During Reynosos confirmation process, retired appellate Justice George E. Paras of Sacramento opposed Reynosos nomination, calling him a professional Mexican who favored minorities and the poor and whose slowness in processing cases bottlenecked the court.

But Reynoso was confirmed by the Judicial Appointments Commission, and during his five years on the state Supreme Court, he earned respect for his compassion. He wrote the courts opinion in a case that gave homeowners the precedent-setting right to sue airports for jet noise that constituted a continuing nuisance.

And he penned the courts opinion in a case that ruled non-English-speaking defendants must be provided with interpreters at every phase of the criminal process. Residents of the Golden State require that all persons tried in a California court understand what is happening about them, he wrote. Who would have it otherwise?

Reynoso had heatedly denied during the confirmation process that he would favor the poor, minorities or criminal defendants. And, during close questioning by Deukmejian, he said that he would enforce the death penalty.

The court was led by Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird and was accused by critics of sidestepping the ultimate punishment.

I will follow the law, Reynoso said at the time. And if your question is, Will I try to avoid the death penalty? the answer is absolutely not.

But the Bird court reversed 64 of 68 capital cases it reviewed, and angry opponents of Bird launched a campaign to oust her from the court. In 1986, she, Reynoso and Justice Joseph Grodin were rejected by voters; they had been outspent by their opponents nearly 2 to 1 during the heated campaign.

Kevin Johnson, dean of the University of California, Davis School of Law, said that Reynoso was a fervent supporter of an independent judiciary and did not believe that justices should run political campaigns and raise money.

He could have said, Im different from Rose Bird. Look at my opinions, and try to prevail by distancing himself, Johnson recalled. He refused to get involved with the political process. Some people said he made a mistake.

It was important to him to maintain his integrity and his belief in an independent judiciary, Johnson said. He sacrificed his career on the California Supreme Court to that overarching principle.

Reynoso had a 30-acre spread in the agricultural Sacramento County town of Herald. ReidReynoso remembers the election night party in the Central Valley outpost as a hallmark of his fathers gracious spirit.

The night he lost, he said, Well, I know we lost, but look at the millions of people who voted for me, ReidReynoso recalled. How grateful I am that I have that many people who care for what were trying to do, have an ethical court and a free judiciary.

Reynoso returned to practicing and teaching law, first at the University of California, Los Angeles and then at UC Davis. Civil rights were still his main focus, and he worked hard to diversify his profession.

In a 2010 documentary on his life and work by lawyer and filmmaker Abby Ginzberg, Reynoso talked about why it is important for all perspectives to be represented in the American justice system. And he referred to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was excoriated during her own confirmation hearings for a speech she made at the University of California, Berkeley in 2001.

I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasnt lived that life, Sotomayor said at the time.

The man who introduced her to the audience that day was Reynoso. In the documentary, Cruz Reynoso: Sowing the Seeds of Justice, he said of her comments:

To me, it was perfectly logical that a wise Latina judge who may have had different experiences than other folk would have something to add to the court. Thats the way judges learn from one another. I was the only person on the Supreme Court who ever worked as a farmworker.

Born in Brea on May 2, 1931, Reynoso was one of 11 children and spent summers with his family working the fields of the San Joaquin Valley. He told Ginzberg that his mother dreamed he would quit school at 16 and work in the orange groves.

She would say, Look how lazy my older boys turned out to be, Reynoso recounted. Instead of being out there working, theyre still reading books.

Reynoso earned an associates degree from Fullerton College in 1951 and a bachelors degree from Pomona College in 1953. After two years in the Army, he entered UC Berkeleys Boalt Hall Law School and graduated in 1958.

Reynoso went on to serve as vice chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; among the issues the commission broached during his tenure was the disenfranchisement of minority voters in Florida during the 2000 presidential election. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom that same year.

Although he has been described as a Latino Thurgood Marshall, Reynoso is most often remembered for his kindness and his common touch.

If the word humility in the dictionary had a picture next to it, said Jose R. Padilla, executive director of California Rural Legal Assistance, it would be Cruz Reynoso.

(Staff writers Gustavo Arellano and Leila Miller contributed to this report.)
The fungal infection is caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes. These molds live throughout the environment. Mucormycosis mainly affects people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body's ability to fight germs and sickness.

New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, can turn dangerous if left untreated, doctors said on Friday amid reports of re-emergence of the rare deadly fungal infection among Covid-19 patients across hospitals in Delhi, Pune and Ahmedabad.

The common symptoms associated with the disease include headache, facial pain, nasal congestion, loss of vision or pain in eyes, swelling in cheeks and eyes and black crusts in the nose. The US Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention estimates Mucormycosis with an overall all-cause mortality rate of 54 per cent.

"Mucormycosis can be very dangerous if left untreated can cause mutilating damage to face, nose, eyes with disfigurement and loss of vision and also cause invasive brain infection," Dr. Mahesh Kumar, Consultant -Internal Medicine, Narayana Health City, Bengaluru, told IANS.

While "Aspergillus and Candida are more common fungal infections, but this infection is dangerous because it involves the sinus and brain and happens to those who are in an immunocompromised state and/or to patients on steroids," added Dr Vikas Maurya, Director and HOD, Pulmonology, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh.

According to health experts, Mucormycosis (previously called zygomycosis) has been a cause of disease and death in transplants, ICU and immunodeficient individuals since long. However, it is the rapid increase in numbers seen in unsuspected Covid patients which is a matter of grave concern. Patients who recover from the Covid infection are increasingly being pushed back into the ICUs. Last year, Mucormycisis had caused high mortality with many patients suffering from loss of eyesight, removal of nose and jawbone.

"Mucormycosis is affecting Covid patients more due to prolonged administration of steroids and subsequent immunocompromised state," Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, Senior Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, Indraprastha Apollo hospital, New Delhi, told IANS.

"In Covid, patients get steroids and immunity goes down and they may get this infection," Maurya said.

People with diabetes, those on steroids and humidified oxygen for a long time, and Covid patients with pre-existing comorbidities are the most at risk. Others include patients like those post chemotherapies, those on long-term immunosuppressive drugs.

The Drug Controller General of India, in March this year, gave approval to Mumbai-based bio-pharmaceutical firm Bharat Serums and Vaccines Limited to use anti-fungal medication -- Liposomal Amphotericin B or LAmB -- as a medical intervention in patients of Mucormycosis.

The risk of this fungus can be avoided by avoiding prolonged use of steroids. The treatment also involves anti-fungal and surgery (if required) to remove the affected area, Chatterjee said.

Judicious use of steroids and immunosuppressive drugs especially in elderly, immunocompromised, cancer and diabetic patients with Covid, are needed during the course of treatment, Kumar advised.

--IANS

rvt/sdr/
A total of 17,49,57,770 doses have been delivered to the states, out of which 16,65,49,583 doses have been consumed and 84,08,187 doses are still available with the states," he said.He further added that a total of 53,25,000 doses are on the pipeline and will be supplied to the states soon.He also said that no fresh COVID-19 cases have been detected in 180 districts in the country in the last seven days, said on Saturday.The number of patients in ICU beds is 4,88,861 while 1,70,841 patients and 9,02,291 patients are on ventilator and oxygen support, he added.This translates to 1.34 percent of Covid caseload being in ICU, 0.39 percent of cases on ventilators and 3.70 percent of Covid patients on oxygen as on date, the Minister said while addressing the 25th meeting of the high-level Group of Ministers (GoM) on Covid-19 through video-conference."180 districts have showed no fresh cases in the last seven days, 18 districts in 14 days, 54 districts in 21 days and 32 districts were bereft of any fresh cases in the last 28 days," the minister apprised other members of GOM.He said that there are "more than 3 lakh recoveries in the last 24 hours.""The cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 16.73 crore today which includes nearly 23 lakh doses given yesterday. A total of 17,49,57,770 doses have been delivered to the states, out of which 16,65,49,583 doses have been consumed and 84,08,187 doses are still available with the states," he said.He further added that a total of 53,25,000 doses are on the pipeline and will be supplied to the states soon.Giridhar Aramane, Secretary, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (Chair, EG-2) presented the current scenario of Liquid Medical Oxygen Production, Allocation and Supply. He stated that the production of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) has been maximized to meet the present demand of Covid patients.The domestic production has increased to more than 9400 metric tonnes (MT)/day, he stated. Steps to import LMO, status of establishment of PSA oxygen plants through support of PM-CARES fund with the support of DRDO and CSIR, enhancement of tanker availability, the functioning of the web portal and mobile application for Real Time Tracking of LMO Tankers, were also enumerated by him.He requested the states to set aside 70 percent of the vaccines received through Government of India channel for the administration of the second dose.On the tests being conducted in India, the Union Health Minister noted that the country has reached a testing capacity of 25,00,000 tests per day. He informed that a total of 30,60,18,044 tests have been conducted so far in India, which includes 18,08,344 tests in the last 24 hours.From just one lab at NIV Pune, the country is presently served by 2,514 labs. Dr Sujeet Kumar Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) highlighted the Covid trajectory of India vis-a-vis that of other countries. He underscored the need and importance of significantly ramping up testing and hospital infrastructure in Tier-II/III cities in view of the surge in cases which has seen a shift to these regions/areas too.States of Maharashtra (1.27 percent), Karnataka (3.05 percent), Kerala (2.35 percent), Uttar Pradesh (2.44 percent), Tamil Nadu (1.86 percent), Delhi (1.92 percent), Andhra Pradesh (1.90 percent), West Bengal (2.19 percent), Chhattisgarh (2.06 percent), Rajasthan (2.99 percent), Gujarat (2.40 percent), Madhya Pradesh (2.24 percent) were highlighted because of their high 7 day growth rate in cases.The districts/metropolis of Bengaluru (Urban), Ganjam, Pune, Delhi, Nagpur, Mumbai, Ernakulam, Lucknow, Kozhikode (Calicut), Thane, Nashik, Malappuram, Thrissur, Jaipur, Gurgaon, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Chandrapur, Kolkata, Palakkad are the top 20 contributors of active cases in the country.He was joined by Dr S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Hardeep S Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation, Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways (Independent charge), and Chemical and Fertilizers, and Nityanand Rai, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs. Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Health and Family Welfare joined digitally.Dr Vinod K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog was present virtually.Emphasis on timely provision of clinical care in high transmission areas to reduce morbidity and mortality, advance preparedness in anticipation of rise in cases, increase in testing using RAT and tracing of those who might have contracted the infection, emphasis on the clinic-epidemiological linkage of genomic surveillance with transmission dynamics, clinical severity and age profile of new cases were highlighted as important steps ahead.Dr V K Paul, as Chairman gave a detailed report on the work of the Empowered Group-1. He highlighted the various efforts made towards ramping of hospital infrastructure for effective clinical management of hospitalized patients.Urgent steps to halt transmission by intensified containment through community-led effort and restrictions, improvement of messaging breadth and reach to curb panic and free flow of misinformation, promotion of home care in Covid and demystification of treatment to reduce load on hospitals, rational use of Remdesivir, Oxygen and other drugs, the augmentation of railway coaches as isolation beds, enhanced focus on rural Covid care were presented.The progress on epidemiological evidence, new technical advisories for dynamic guidance and hand-holding of states and UTs through various stakeholders was also enumerated.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As New York City prepares for a major reopening later this month, the city wants to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to receive a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine -- even the people who dont live here.

On Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that mobile vaccination sites will be set up at some of New York Citys most iconic spots to ensure that vaccines are made easily available to all who want them.

The mayor said if the city receives approval by the state, the shots will also be made available to non-New York residents as the tourism industry begins to pick back up amid the citys reopening.

Well set up mobile vaccination sites at iconic #NYC spots to provide the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to anyone who needs it  and if the state gives us approval, well include the tourists who are coming back in droves, de Blasio tweeted.

New York City is open for business, one shot at a time, he added.

Bringing back tourism has been a a major part of the citys ongoing recovery efforts, with the mayor committing $30 million to a tourism marketing campaign titled NYC Reawakens, expected to launch in June.

In 2020, the citys annual tourism numbers plummeted with just an estimated 22.3 million people visiting the city down from a record 66.6 million in 2019.

Typically, the city spends about $3 million annually on tourism promotion. The ten-fold increase is being funded with federal stimulus money, according to City Hall.

NYC & Company, which will lead the campaign, estimates that through efforts to reinvigorate the tourism industry, the city could break the previous record by 2024 seeing as many as 69.4 million visitors.

The entitys president and CEO Fred Dixon applauded the move, and the citys efforts to improve tourism.

As the ship turns toward tourism recovery, were pleased to present NYC Reawakens as a call to action to encourage visitors and meetings delegates to plan and visit the five boroughs this year and experience the citys unmatched energy, excitement and dynamism, Dixon said.

With a packed cultural calendar, world-class hotels, a new outdoor dining scene and so much more, visitors can experience the best of everything right here in New York City.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In recognition of the negative impact the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had on women -- and working mothers in particular -- new legislation will be introduced in the City Council on May 12 to help revitalize and restore mothers in the workforce.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, about 5.4 million women have lost their jobs, which is nearly a million more than men, according to City Hall.

In New York City, the pandemic forced 52% of women who provide care to reduce their paid working hours, compared to one in three men, according to a poll by the New York City Comptrollers Office. The crisis was most severe for women of color: 36% of them needed to take time off to care for a child compared to 29% of white women.

Our economy cant recover without mothers in the workforce, but we cant expect them to work if the infrastructure isnt there for them to manage work and family life. Paid leave and child care should not be based on how much you earn or where you work, they should be universal so we can end the inequities our nation has tolerated for too long, said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

To help address these issues, Councilwoman Alicka Ampry-Samuel (D-Brooklyn) is introducing a bill to form a Marshall Plan for Moms New York City Task Force. Its goal is to develop recommendations about how to support working mothers and caregivers as New York City continues its recovery from the pandemic.

In addition, Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo (D-Brooklyn) is introducing a resolution that calls on Congress to pass the Marshall Plan for Moms 2021, a resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens). This resolution seeks to help create a path for a robust paid leave, along with affordable childcare for mothers who had to leave the workforce due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, the federal resolution calls for strengthening child poverty tools such as a child tax credit and earned income tax credit; expanding unemployment insurance benefits; strong Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits; a federal minimum wage increase to $15 an hour, and mental health support for moms.

The Marshall Plan is a reference to U.S. efforts to help Europe recover from World War II. The Marshall Plan for Moms is a movement to center mothers in the countrys economic recovery and push for policies that support them.

Members of the proposed city taskforce will be comprised of officials appointed by the Mayor and the Speaker. The taskforce will come up with recommendations designed to support working mothers and caregivers. The task force will explore:

The benefits of providing recurring direct cash payments to moms and other caregivers and of a comprehensive paid family leave policy for all employers in the city;

How to best revitalize and restore the role of mothers in the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic and following recovery;

The biggest contributors to and solutions for addressing the lack of family-supportive workplaces;

Access to rent relief, public assistance and financial support for mothers and caregivers in the workforce

Rebuilding and stabilizing the childcare industry

Access to culturally sensitive, affordable and quality healthcare for women and families, regardless of job status; and

Access to mental health support for mothers and other caregivers, which is essential to maintaining the health of the family.

Mothers dont need cards and praise once a year, they need child-care and access to paid leave year-round, said Cumbo. During this pandemic, mothers were expected to do the impossible. They cared for young children, taught those in school, helped sick family members and too many had to leave the workforce because they didnt have the support they needed to continue. When mothers suffer, everyone suffers. And if we want our city and country to recover, we need to find ways to make sure we create systems where working mothers can thrive and dont have to quit or reduce their hours when there is a national crisis.

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The man in the video on Karma Sammys smartphone plays guitar in a crisply pressed suit. He sings along to the clapping of those around him. His eyes light up the room.

Weeks later, 67-year-old Ken Sammy was dressed in a washed-out hospital gown, paralyzed and unable to speak. His mouth, nose, and throat were riddled with sores from intubations, ventilators, oxygen masks, and feeding tubes. His body was exhausted from its struggle with COVID-19.

He could communicate only with his eyes and he used them, fiercely, to tell nurse Nikky Oldham to back off. She got the message. Even behind gloves, gown, mask, and face shield, she could tell he was afraid.

He couldnt move, breathe, talk, said Oldham, He was trapped inside his body and couldnt communicate with his hands, but any time you came toward his face meant pain. It was hard to reassure him; I dont think he trusted anybody.

Later, Ken would say he dreamed that weapon-wielding extraterrestrials in space suits were attacking him. He desperately tried to ward them off. He scratched and pulled in his sleep, often dislodging his IVs or feeding tube. At times, he had to be restrained.

Though Ken was only dimly aware of it, he was at the center of a titanic, months-long struggle between the novel coronavirus and the medical team dedicated to saving him. His case is a grim illustration of the extreme efforts sometimes needed to defeat COVID-19. More than that, it is a story of life and near-death, of epic suffering, of long-lingering harm, and of lasting love.

Fever and muscle aches

Ken and Karma Sammy met as teenagers at a church in Trinidad, the larger of two islands of the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Ken played guitar; Karma sang in the choir. Soon, they were inseparable. They immigrated to the United States, became citizens, and raised four children in Portland. Their youngest daughter, Rachael Schulz, lives just down the street with her husband, Danny, and their four young girls. The Sammys remain active church members.

Ken has a Clark-Griswold-ish devotion to grand Christmas displays. On Jan. 1 he spent several hours dismantling his 2020 installation in the winter rain. He came down with a cough that evening. Karma chalked it up to a cold, brought on by a long day in poor weather.

By the next day, he had fever and muscle aches. Rachael suggested he go to urgent care; he insisted he was fine. The tug-of-war continued for the next few days, as his condition worsened. Eventually, he agreed to a virtual visit with his primary care provider, who sent him for a COVID test.

The nurse checking his vital signs was so surprised by his low blood-oxygen level that she replaced the batteries to ensure the unit was working. Then she sent him to the emergency room.

They arrived at Providence Milwaukie hospital on Jan. 6 . Ken struggled to communicate but was upright and walking. Dr. Reed Epstein, the emergency physician, recognized the pattern: A patient appears mostly fine, but the pulse oximeter reads in the 60s or 70s. Right when we saw that oxygen saturation, said Epstein, We knew he had to be separated and moved to an isolation room.

All three family members were tested for SARS-Cov-2. Only Kens came back positive. Rachael and Karma had no choice but to leave. Ken was becoming incoherent, and the couple said their goodbyes through looks not words. Kens eyes pled with Karma to stay. Karma, fearful, said how sorry she was to go.

Post-holiday surge

Six hours later, Ken lay in an ambulance headed for Portland Providence Medical Centers intensive care unit, ten miles away. Much of the country was grappling with a post-holiday surge that was overwhelming hospitals and filling ICU beds to capacity.

Providence Health and Services, a statewide not-for-profit network of hospitals and care centers, had prepared for COVID-19 by consolidating coronavirus care at its two larger Portland hospitals. That allowed it to create specialized COVID-care teams and to consolidate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Even so, the pandemic battered the hospitals 3,500 caregivers.

For months, PPE guidelines seemed to change almost daily, fueling fears of catching the virus or bringing it home to loved ones. There were more patients, with more complex needs, but less time to spare because of the constant need to don, doff, sanitize, and dispose of gear. Caregivers reported feeling physically and mentally exhausted. But they kept showing up for work.

At the height of the hospitals COVID-19 surge in November, there were 93 inpatients with COVID-19, nearly 20% of available beds.

Ken was one of the tougher patients.

Intensive Care can cost upwards of $10,000 per patient, per day, which only begins to describe the strain COVID-19 imposed on healthcare systems.

In the ICU, Kens body wrestled with inflammation, delirium, and kidney failure. On Jan. 9, he was intubated and placed on a ventilator. Isolation protocols banned family in the room. Karma relied on critical-care nurse Lee Bulwinkle to keep her updated on Kens status. Bulwinkle would hold a phone up to Kens ear. Sometimes his grandchildren said hello and sometimes Karma prayed or sang to him.

With COVID, thats a huge part of my job, said Bulwinkle, We need to take care of the family because we cant take people in to see the patients themselves.

For 13 days, it was touch and go. A rotating corps of twenty nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and respiratory therapists fought around the clock to give Kens body time to fight the virus.

They administered medication to counteract the virus and help him tolerate the ventilator, and they repositioned him in his bed to ease his breathing. Kept mostly prone, Ken needed regular head turns every two hours. It took six people to flip him.

Kens lungs were the big danger. COVID-19 causes the lungs to harden. Caregivers must balance between providing enough oxygen and staying within the lungs capacity to receive it. Blowing too much air into stiff lungs risks damaging healthy tissue.

Bacterial or fungal infections were another risk. They watched for temperature spikes or other signs that he might need medication.

Blood clots were known killers. They constantly monitored his blood pressure and looked for signs of swollen limbs.

Eventually, Ken began to improve. The critical care unit follows the ICU Liberation Bundle, a holistic approach to treatment shown to improve outcomes. They turned off Kens sedation, woke him up, tested his breathing off the ventilator, and got him moving.

Once stabilized, he was transferred to the medical floor, where the hospital allowed patients one visitor per day. Everyone agreed that person should be Karma.

Their reunion was joyous, but brief.

It was a very busy night, and I got a call from the rapid response nurse that they were worried, recalled pulmonologist Dr. David Hotchkin. When I went to go meet Ken, he looked just terrible.

Ken was wheeled back into critical care. Karma asked to stay at his side. Dr. Hotchkin agreed to make an exception.

It was so refreshing to have some normalcy, despite everything that was not normal, said Hotchkin, reflecting on how often loved ones would stay with family pre-pandemic, Its so much easier to see someone as a person. I got to meet his wife. I got to see who he was.

One of COVID-19s cruel habits is to circle back on recovering patients and take them down again. Kens relapse was swift and serious. Intubated a second time and back on the ventilator, he began bleeding internally. Ken lost so much blood he required a transfusion. Then, one day, for no obvious reason, the bleeding stopped.

ICU doctors and nurses told Karma what it all meant and what the treatment options were.

Instead of feeling fear in that moment, I felt a sudden strength, said Karma, I told them, I want to do anything we can possibly do to help him make it. If he doesnt make it, at least Id know we tried, and you had done your best.

By the next day, Jan. 23, Kens organs were shutting down. Doctors told Karma it was time to contact family. Watching Kens shallow breathing, the doctors checking on his brain activity every 15 minutes, Karma turned to her faith. She called her pastors to pray, holding the phone to Kens ear.

The beginning of a miracle

The next day, as she rubbed Kens ice-cold feet, she felt them warm to her touch. She moved to his hands; as she heated them up, his blood pressure went down. These small moments propelled her.

I knew that was the beginning of a miracle, she recalled.

About 30 percent of the patients put on ventilators die. By Jan. 27, it appeared Ken would be a survivor. They eased back on his sedation and, the next morning, took him off the ventilator. He opened his eyes.

Various caregivers attributed his recovery to luck, genetics, Kens resiliency, or Karmas support. Many said thats just how COVID worked sometimes. Some said, miracle.

After 21 total days in critical care, Ken returned to the COVID-dedicated medical floor. He was out of the ICU but still deep in the woods. The virus had wreaked havoc on his body. He was not responding or moving. His eyes did not track motion in the room.

Nobody knew what to expect, physical therapist Justin Philips said. We didnt know if he had a hypoxic brain injury, was in a hospital-induced delirium... He could not speak. He was not even making attempts to speak.

To stimulate Kens senses, Philips introduced passive range-of-motion exercises to Karma, who took the reins without hesitation.

She made note of small daily changes. The first time Ken wiggled his toes, the time he whispered as she shaved his face, the call with his niece in Trinidad, when he appeared to look for her in the room. She watched his eyes beginning to track people.

Karma showed nurse Nikky Oldham the video of Ken singing and playing guitar. Oldham could hardly reconcile her patient with the polished man on the screen, but she recognized the support Karma provided.

She was amazing. It was just an incredible image of love that they shared, said Oldham, It was hard not to fall in love with them.

Cari Piercy, a respiratory therapist, walked into the room to do a routine nebulizer treatment. Karma just started talking to me, she recalled. She started talking about life. She just has this glow, this light, when she talks about him, and this never-ending love.

A certified nursing assistant for 27 years, Karma had the medical know-how to ask the right questions. She helped with turning and hygiene and lifting. She rarely left Kens his side.

Ken has no solid memories from Jan. 1 through early February. Back on the medical ward, though, I think I became really aware, he said. When I became conscious, I realized that I had no energy to speak, but I kept trying and trying and trying. I could feel the pain and pressure on my vocal cords.

After multiple or prolonged intubations, many patients take time to regain their voices. But as days went on and Kens voice did not return, speech-language pathologist Myranda Sena became concerned. She requested a bedside evaluation that could determine if trauma or paralysis explained Kens aphonia.

Kens vocal cords proved to be functional. Perhaps buoyed by the good news, Kens voice began a slow return. As he gained strength, his communication evolved from eyes to gestures to whispers to words. The process took several weeks.

Hospitalist Dr. Laura Kuipers could see Kens personality emerge, I could see he had a sort of dry humor; the eye-rolling or the eye brow up, almost teasing me. He had a way of communicating even when not speaking.

Slowly, he started to say a word or two, Oldham recalled. One time, he whispered to me something to the effect of She talks too much. Karma giggled at that.

Ken and Karma requested Oldham as their nurse whenever she was working. Nikky, Ken recalled later. Even on days when she wasnt working in our section, she came to see me, and that felt so good.

Patients recovering from serious COVID-19 infections would normally go to a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation. Ken and Karma wanted to go straight home, though, and their care team agreed.

They are a bit of an unusual family, just because of their closeness, their devotion to each other, their willingness to be available for one another, said Erika Petersen, the licensed clinical social worker involved in discharge planning. Everybody felt for their mental health that going home was the best choice.

Before he could go home, Ken needed a hospital bed, a wheelchair, and supplies for the feeding tube that sustained him, while he regained the strength to swallow. Some equipment was covered by insurance, some not. Margaret Grant, RN care manager, monitored their equipment and medical needs, discussed their goals, and ensured he was set for home visits from nurses and therapists.

Even after he left the hospital, Ken would need the support of a small medical village.

Discharge day

After a 59-day stay, Ken was ready to go. Oldham stopped by on his discharge day. There are some who just touch my heart beyond words, and they become lifelong friends, she said, You develop a bond.

Piercy, his respiratory therapist, also stopped by, I had to run back to their room and give them air hugs, she said.

Ken was one of those people that everybody banded together around, said Philips, the physical therapist, Just celebrating his recovery together as someone you could think of as a good reminder of why we do this.

At Portland Providence Medical Center, every time a COVID patient is discharged, Here Comes the Sun plays over the hospital sound system. On March 5, 2021, Ken and Karma left the hospital with George Harrisons song and the cheers of the staff as background music.

At home, Rachael and Danny stopped by and the grandchildren made posters. Seeing the grandkids for the first time in months, Ken looked like a child on Christmas morning, Karma said.

As sunny as their return was, there were difficult days ahead.

I have a form of PTSD; I get nervous, said Ken, I have to put on my oxygen. It still turns in my mind. I would see my wife in the other room start talking about something, and Id just start hyperventilating.

Ashley Witty, an occupational therapist with Providence Home Health, visits Ken twice per week. She said it is common to see PTSD, anxiety, and depression in patients recovering from COVID-19. Many have sudden episodes of rapid heart rates or an overwhelming feeling of respiratory difficulty.

Mental health support for Long Covid is spotty. Online grassroots efforts such as Body Politic or Survivor Corps aim to bring together COVID long-haulers to network and share resources. Ken has a home health team that includes a mental health nurse and other therapists, who together are able to address the trauma of a hospital stay and managing expectations.

Right now, instead of thinking about too far in the future, it becomes overwhelming, said Deborah Folk, Providence Home Health RN, who works with the Sammys, We have to focus on day by day. I reinforce: you have made progress, incredible progress. Every week, I see him stronger.

We live in a world of instant gratification, where even your groceries can be delivered in two hours, said Witty, The human body doesnt get better in two hours or two days. The human body takes time, and with COVID, it takes even more time.

COVID took healthy people and made them chronically ill, said Dr. Kuipers, What we are seeing is mostly healthy people get super sick, and take a long time to recover.

Ken has big goals, like finishing a bathroom renovation started before he got sick. For now, though, his therapists are working on smaller steps, such as bathing, fixing himself a snack, and getting in and out of a car.

Its difficult to know where I got this thing, but its here, and people should take it seriously, Ken said.

Also on Kens to-do list is thanking his caregivers by returning to the hospital to play guitar and sing for them. Hes working to get his voice strong enough to sing, his body strong enough to play.

I like to keep my word. When I say I am going to do something, to not do it thats just not in my DNA, said Ken, It will be my privilege to go back and share that with them.

Lee Ann Moyer lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and four children. She is a freelance writer and small business owner. Contact her at hello@gulchmedia.com.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With several universities across the country already requiring all students receive the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to attend in-person classes this fall, there is legislation proposed to make this the standard at all New York colleges.

Proposed by Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan), the legislation aims to limit the spread of the virus on college campuses, which have been struggling to contain COVID-19 outbreaks.

Hoylmans proposal comes at a time when vaccine participation has decreased in New York.

Since 1991, New York law has required all students taking in-person classes to be immunized against measles, mumps and rubella, said Hoylman, a candidate for Manhattan borough president, to NY 1. By extending this immunization requirement to COVID-19, we will be taking action to help ensure none of our universities become COVID-19 hot spots again.

With vaccines in New York now available to people age 16 and older, more colleges across the state will likely require proof of the COVID-19 vaccine. While there are three approved vaccines in New York -- by Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Moderna -- those students under age 18 can only get the Pfizer vaccine, which was approved for people age 16 and older. The other two vaccine brands have been approved for people age 18 and older.

Pfizer has announced its vaccine may soon be approved for 12-to-15-year-olds.

ST. JOHNS REQUIRING VACCINE

Last month, St. Johns University, which has a campus on Grymes Hill, announced it will require its students to get the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine when they return to campus for the fall semester.

The university joins a rapidly growing list of colleges that will require students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is rapidly growing  with Rutgers University in New Jersey leading the way as the first college to announce a vaccine would be mandatory.

REQUIRING VACCINES NOT NEW

Colleges have required vaccinations for all infectious diseases in the past. So mandating students to receive the COVID-19 shot is not surprising. In a survey of about 100 four-year institutions across the U.S., nearly all required at least one vaccine for enrollment, NPR reported. For example, MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, was required at 87.5% of campuses surveyed, the report says.

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STAY SAFE, STATEN ISLAND: This story is part of a series examining crime trends in communities across our borough.



STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  They came in the middle of the night. A loud grinding sound was followed by a hunk of metal being tossed in the back of a trunk.

The two men disappeared down Victory Boulevard as quickly as they did their work.

Hours later, on the morning of March 1, an 86-year-old man turned on his Honda Odyssey outside his home on the 600 block of Victory Boulevard in Silver Lake and was met with a tell-tale hallmark  a loud noise emanating from his car.

The 86-year-olds SUV had its catalytic converter cut out, part of a national trend that has been sparked by a soaring increase in the price of precious metals hidden inside the otherwise-innocuous car part.

From January through April 28, there have been 14 catalytic converter thefts on Staten Island, according to a spokeswoman for the NYPD.

All of last year there were 13 on the borough.

A neighbor who witnessed the early-March theft said he initially was unsure what the two men were doing and had a poor, sharp-angle view of the incident. By the time he got outside, the pair of men  a lookout and another operating some sort of machinery  sped off.

The neighbor, who requested anonymity for this story, said he didnt notice anything unusual about the car when he inspected it and decided to notify the SUVs owner in the morning.

I kind of wish that I had been able to run out there earlier, the neighbor said.

While he wasnt able to get a good look at the perpetrators, the neighbor said the two men worked quickly and did it in less than five minutes.

Police said the incident happened just after midnight on March 1, and confirmed a catalytic converter was taken from the victims Odyssey.

Just over a month later, another Honda was hit in Mariners Harbor, the Advance/SILive.com previously reported.

In that instance, two masked men quickly propped up the vehicle around 3:40 a.m. on April 15, before cutting out the vehicles catalytic converter and casually dropping it in the trunk of a Honda Accord.

In both instances, repairing a catalytic converter can cost well-over $1,000, according to estimates given to victims, and experts say those prices could increase depending on how much damage the thieves did to other portions of the car.

No arrests have been made in either case, and finding perpetrators can be extremely difficult for investigators.

A law enforcement source on Staten Island said the borough has seen catalytic converters stolen in bursts on the borough.

We get one or two of them in a night, then you dont see one for a month or two later, said the source. Its a citywide issue.

However, police said the string of catalytic converter thefts on Staten Island are not currently considered to be a pattern, and it is not immediately clear if the more-than-dozen thefts have been conducted by the same group of people.

A catalytic converter is shown in the file photo. (The Oregonian/ Dave Killen)The Oregonian

THEFTS SPARKED BY SOARING METAL PRICES

Catalytic converters are a part of a cars exhaust system designed to filter-out environmentally hazardous chemicals emitted from vehicles.

Manufacturers use platinum, palladium or rhodium to complete this process  metals that have seen an enormous surge of prices in recent months.

Money Metals Exchange, a precious metals dealer, shows platinum prices have reached over $1,200 an ounce as of early May, palladium is valued at nearly $3,000 an ounce and rhodium is at an astronomical $28,000 an ounce.

The amount of those metals in a given converter vary based on car model, experts say.

Vehicle thefts, carjackings, and break-ins are all crimes weve witnessed trending upward for several months, and now catalytic converter thefts are also on the rise, said David Glawe, president and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

We have seen a significant increase during the pandemic. Its an opportunistic crime. As the value of the precious metals contained within the catalytic converters continues to increase, so do the number of thefts of these devices, added Glawe. There is a clear connection between times of crisis, limited resources, and disruption of the supply chain that drives investors toward these precious metals.

Reports indicate that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic slashed the production of metals produced at overseas mines  hiking up the prices domestically.

In addition to being lucrative, the process of removing a catalytic converter can be done quickly and without expensive tools.

Removing a catalytic converter takes only minutes using some basic, readily-available, battery-operated tools from a local hardware store, said Glawe. And for the vehicle owner, its costly due to the loss of work, finding and paying for alternate transportation and then paying anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 to get your vehicle fixed.

An NYPD shield. (Staten Island Advance/Joseph Ostapiuk)

EXPERT, POLICE OFFER TIPS ON PREVENTING THEFTS

Some vehicles catalytic converters are easier to reach than others  a feature that thieves consider in advance.

To cut one out, a reciprocating saw can be used to slice the pipes on either side of the catalytic converter, said Anthony Racioppo, a forensic auto mechanic and auto expert for East Coast Forensics Corp, a New York-based consulting firm.

While catalytic converters are normally fastened with bolts, those bolts are often rusted and are rarely able to be turned, said Racioppo, leading thieves to resort to saws to extract the part.

If you have the right tools and youre prepared, you can get them pretty fast, said Racioppo.

Because of the quick nature of the crime, Racioppo acknowledged that it can be difficult to catch thieves and said prevention is a stronger tactic to avoid becoming a victim.

Some mechanics are installing what amounts to a metal cage surrounding the catalytic converter, said Racioppo, making it impossible for battery-operated tools to cut through.

Another tip of prevention, said Racioppo, is installing a sensitive car alarm that will go-off when a car jack begins to prop the vehicle up. A good alarm will detect if a vehicle is jacked up, he said.

Installing surveillance can also be helpful in catching perpetrators, noted Racioppo, but posting signs alerting would-be thieves of the cameras can also serve as a deterrent.

Police have also offered tips for prevention, including parking in well-lit areas, parking in locations with more vehicle traffic and parking within a secure fenced-in area, if possible.

To help investigators trace a catalytic converter, police said motorists can also engrave their license plate number into the metal.

Anyone with information in regard to the above incidents 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, or on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

-- Additional reporting contributed by Kyle Lawson.



STAY SAFE, STATEN ISLAND: Related coverage
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Todays archive page is from Sept. 16, 1954.

General Electric Appliances joins Manhattan Furniture in a trade-in sale.

Customers can use their trade-in for a down payment on a new appliance, and there are some great deals, including an automatic dishwasher, priced at $238, and an 11-cubic-foot refrigerator, priced at $388.

And customers will be given three years to pay, according to the ad.

If you have trouble viewing the page below, click here to enlarge it.
Dear Annie: My husband and l have been married for 22 years. When we first married, it was young love. But throughout our marriage, he has been adulterous and abusive toward me, physically and verbally. I have a disability and have a hard time defending myself. He has choked me and held a knife to my throat and told me that one day hell kill me. I am 54 years old. I have nowhere to go. What should l do? -- Trapped

Dear Trapped: Im sorry that your husband has abused you so terribly for decades. Although it may seem like you have nowhere to go, I promise you that isnt true. Please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) to be connected with resources in your area and begin making a safe escape plan. You should not have to live in fear for your life another day.

Dear Annie: I lost a family member to brain cancer last year. He was only in his 30s, and an incredibly bright, kind human being. May is National Brain Cancer Awareness Month, so I wanted to ask your audience to please consider donating to the National Brain Tumor Society, whose mission is unrelentingly invests in, mobilizes, and unites our community to discover a cure, deliver effective treatments, and advocate for patients and care partners. You can learn more and donate at https://braintumor.org. -- For the Families

Dear For the Families: Im glad to print your letter. Roughly 700,000 Americans are living with a primary brain tumor, including more than 13,000 children and 31,299 adolescents and young adults.

While brain cancer might have no early symptoms, the following are some things to watch out for, courtesy of Cancer.net:

--Headaches, which may be severe and worsen with activity or in the early morning.

--Seizures (which can include change in sensation, vision, smell and/or hearing without losing consciousness).

--Personality or memory changes.

--Nausea or vomiting.

--Fatigue.

--Drowsiness.

--Sleep problems.

--Memory problems.

--Changes in ability to walk or perform daily activities.

--Pressure or headache near the tumor.

--Loss of balance and difficulty with fine motor skills.

--Changes in judgment, including loss of initiative, sluggishness, and muscle weakness.

Talk with your doctor if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms.

Dear Annie: This is in response to your reply to Regretful Mom, who has struggled with depression and regrets not being present for her now-adult children. Another choice she can look into for helping her with working with the emotional memories connected to her past is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, also known as EMDR. Although people think of post-traumatic stress disorder as being related to extremely severe accidents or traumas, psychology is now aware that for lifetime events over several years, sexual abuse, multiple or ongoing difficulties that cause extreme emotional and mental anguish can also put someone at risk for suffering from PTSD. By using EMDR with a qualified therapist, a patient can recall these past events without experiencing the anguish. It is constructive in combination with talk therapy, and, when necessary, medication, whether short term or for a longer duration.

Thank you for letting me share this information. -- Lorrie Finley

Dear Lorrie: Thank you for sharing it. Controlled and randomized clinical studies show that EMDR is efficient to treat PTSD. And although this is purely anecdotal, the treatment technique has helped friends of mine.

Ask Me Anything: A Year of Advice From Dear Annie is out now! Annie Lanes debut book -- featuring favorite columns on love, friendship, family and etiquette -- is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Heres a look at the top criminal-justice-related headlines across the borough this week.

Raid nets arrest of man, 63, for alleged possession of crack cocaine, heroin and meth

Police raided an apartment on Park Avenue in Port Richmond.

Police raided an apartment in Port Richmond where they allegedly confiscated illegal drugs including crack cocaine, heroin and meth.

William Dale, 63, was arrested when officers armed with a search warrant raided his apartment on Park Avenue at 6 a.m. on April 22, according to the criminal complaint based on an investigation by Narcotics Borough Staten Island.

On a table, officers allegedly found several loose rocks of crack cocaine and a plastic zipper bag containing that stimulant, four glass pipes with crack-cocaine residue, three glassine envelopes of heroin and a straw with residue of that opioid, plus empty plastic zipper bags of the type typically used to package drugs, according to the criminal complaint and police.

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Man, 65, allegedly stabbed and tried to rob an 85-year-old in a care facility

Harbor Terrace Adult Care and Assisted Living facility is located at 110 Henderson Avenue in New Brighton. (Staten Island Advance)

Authorities allege that a 65-year-old man stabbed and tried to rob an 85-year-old man inside an adult care facility in New Brighton.

Michael Scott stands accused in the incident, which occurred around 5:30 p.m. April 24 inside Harbor Terrace Adult Care and Assisted Living facility at 110 Henderson Ave., according to the criminal complaint and public records.

Give me all your money, the criminal complaint alleges Scott told the victim.

After the man refused to comply, Scott allegedly punched and used a knife to slash the victim below his left eye, according to the criminal complaint.

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Eltingville doctor sentenced to 57 months in prison in opioids for sex scheme

An Eltingville doctor who previously pleaded guilty to prescribing opioids in exchange for sexual favors was sentenced to 57 months in prison Thursday, the United States Department of Justice announced.

Joseph Santiamo, who had offices on Richmond Avenue, was arrested in 2019 as part of a wide-ranging sweep in the northeast stemming from the alleged distribution of over 3.25 million opioid pills in pill-mill clinics and doctors offices.

The various schemes resulted in more than $800 million in fraudulent medical insurance claims, officials previously said.

For some of his patients, there was no medical necessity for Santiamo to treat them with oxycodone, nor to prescribe the large quantities that he did, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a statement. In addition, Santiamo solicited sexual favors from certain of his younger patients in exchange for unlawful oxycodone prescriptions.

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He didnt have iced tea in Arizona container, but drugs, police allege

An unlicensed driver from the Bronx was caught with a stash of drugs inside an Arizona iced tea can during a car stop by police in Port Richmond, authorities allege.

Reginald Paul, 41, of the 1300 block of Washington Avenue, was driving a 2003 Toyota Corolla with a forged, temporary Ohio license plate when the sedan was pulled over by police on April 29 at about 10:20 p.m. in the vicinity of Post and Port Richmond avenues, according to the criminal complaint and police.

Police recovered drugs that Paul intended to sell inside an Arizona iced tea container with a twist-off lid that was stowed between the suspects leg and center console, the complaint alleges.

The container held 75 clear glassine envelopes of heroin, three clear plastic twists of champagne-colored, powdered fentanyl, and five tablets of the opioid addiction-treatment drug buprenorphine and antidote naloxone, police said.

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Man, 29, caught with a loaded gun in the stairwell of an apartment building, cops allege

Police nabbed a man who allegedly was toting a loaded gun inside a stairwell of an apartment complex in Mariners Harbor.. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)

Police nabbed a man who allegedly was toting a loaded gun inside a stairwell of an apartment complex in Mariners Harbor.

Kevin Espinal, 29, stands accused in the incident last Thursday at 8:58 p.m. inside the building where he lives at 85 Holland Ave., according to the criminal complaint.

Officers caught Espinal wearing a bag that contained a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson pistol loaded with eleven rounds in its magazine, the complaint alleges.

Espinal has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm.

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NYPD seeks man for questioning in connection with groping of a woman waiting for bus in Bulls Head

The NYPD provided surveillance images of the man sought for questioning. (Photo courtesy of NYPD)

The NYPD is seeking the publics assistance locating a man for questioning in connection to a forcible touching incident that occurred in Bulls Head.

A 19-year-old female was standing at the intersection of Victory Boulevard and Richmond Avenue while waiting for the S44 bus on April 18, 2021, at around 4:10 p.m. when an unidentified man grabbed her buttocks, according to a written statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

The victim boarded the bus, according to police, and the unidentified man followed her aboard before attempting to engage in dialogue.

Bystanders on the bus intervened for the victim, the NYPD statement said, and the man fled the bus at Post Avenue and Decker Avenue.

NYPD: Man, 28, shot in the leg in West Brighton

A 20-year-old man was shot in the leg in West Brighton Sunday night, police said.

A 28-year-old man was shot in the leg in West Brighton Sunday night, police said.

The shooting happened just before 8:30 p.m. on a commercial strip on the 700 block of Henderson Avenue after a dispute, according to a spokesman for the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

The victim was transported to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton.

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In 2017, he fatally kicked Yorkie down a flight of stairs. Now, hes accused of child-porn possession.

A pornographic video of children was found on the cell phone of a Concord man who avoided jail after he fatally kicked a dog in May 2017, authorities allege.

Michael McNicholas, 28, of the 1900 block of Clove Road, did, knowing the content and character thereof, possess on a cell phone at least one video of children under the age of 16 engaged in sexual conduct, including but not limited to nude sexual intercourse, according to the criminal complaint.

McNicholas has been charged with possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child and possessing a sexual performance by a child.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  New York Citys Department of Transportation (DOT) needs more staff before it can resume full-time service on the Staten Island Ferry, as required by law, the Advance/SILive.com learned Friday.

Its been over a year since the Staten Island Ferry provided full overnight service, and the agency has not responded to multiple inquiries about its status.

However, in a letter to City Council Minority Leader Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island), DOT Commissioner Henry Gutman wrote that the department intends to return to full service as soon as possible, but that it needs to hire more staff.

We plan to have an update in the coming weeks, Gutman wrote. We are in the process of hiring additional ferry staff with proper qualifications to resolve personnel issues coming out of the pandemic.

Matteo, who shared the letter on Twitter, characterized the news as a positive step.

As our City continues its reopening, Staten Island Ferry service must be duly restored, he said. Its encouraging that DOT recognizes this and is taking steps to make it a reality.

In March 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the Staten Island Ferry would be shifting to hourly service around the clock due to declining ridership and lack of staffing during the initial coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Regular service was restored during daytime hours in June, as the city began to slowly reopen and more people returned to work, but overnight service, from midnight to 6 a.m., has remained on an hourly basis.

New York Citys subway system is slated to resume 24-hour service on Monday, May 17, after more than a year of overnight closures implemented in late-April of last year to allow for increased cleaning amid the pandemic.

Two days later, on May 19, the state will lift a majority of its ongoing coronavirus restrictions in New York City, including occupancy limits on things like retail, food services and gyms.

However, despite these other planned reopening efforts, the DOT has repeatedly ignored inquiries as to when full overnight service on the Staten Island Ferry will be restored, frustrating commuters and elected officials alike.

Restoring and maintaining around-the-clock half-hour service on the Staten Island Ferry has been a priority of Borough President James Oddo, who authored the bill mandating 24/7, half-hour service back in 2013.

I think Staten Island has demonstrated a lot of patience, and weve done the right thing. We dont want empty boats traveling back and forth burning money on principle, Oddo said. Ive been waiting for the decision to be made to restore 24-hour subway service because, to me, that was the starting gun for the Staten Island Ferry.

The borough president said he had talked to de Blasio earlier this week about the issue, with the mayor indicating that he will look at current ridership numbers, discuss the matter with the DOT and get back to Oddo in the near future.

Clearly hes gotten the message, and I expect to hear back from him and the city relatively soon, Oddo said.

A representative from the mayors office told the Advance/SILive.com that de Blasio is legally permitted to induce service reductions in the event of an emergency, and that the office is working with Oddo to ensure the safety of Staten Island commuters.

The law very clearly gives us the power to change the schedule during an emergency,' said mayoral spokeswoman Olivia Lapeyrolerie. We will continue to work with the borough president to determine the best ways to protect Staten Islanders health and safety.
The Colorado Rockies have a new general manager, who inherited an old problem: what to do with Trevor Story.

Jeff Bridich stepped down as GM last week and Bill Schmidt took over on an interim basis. According to the Denver Post, Schmidt knows he might be the one forced to trade the two-time All-Star shortstop.

Well address that at the appropriate time, and now is not the appropriate time, said Schmidt, dodging the issue on the mind of every fan who has ever worn Storys replica jersey at Coors Field. Right now  hes a Rockie. When you draft and develop kids, yes, you fall in love with them. You care a lot about them because youve known them when theyre 17, 18 years old. And your intent as the scouting director is: Hey, theyre going to be with the Rockies forever. But the reality is, we know thats not the case.

********

For Yankee tickets visit: VividSeats, Ticketmaster and StubHub

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Last week, USA Todays Bob Nightengale reported The question is not whether the Rockies will keep (Story); its where they will trade him at the July 30 trade deadline.

After watching San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (14 years, $330 million) and New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (10 years, $341 million) land massive, long-term contracts, there seems to be no chance the Rockies will even attempt to re-sign Story.

That means Story, Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa will head into free agency after the 2021 World Series in search of their own nine-figure payouts.

Of course, the New York Yankees already have a pair of $300-million deals on the payroll (Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton). But after watching Gleyber Torres continue to struggle at shortstop, one has to wonder how long general manager Brian Cashman will be able to play the waiting game before deciding to kick the tires on Story, Seager and/or Correa.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.
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Loading A recent outbreak in Perth that sparked a snap lockdown and was the catalyst for the India flight ban is suspected to have been caused by the virus travelling between guests rooms in a hotel with ventilation so poor it was recommended to be taken out of the quarantine program. Investigations into leaks in Victoria have revealed that a returned traveller staying in the Park Royal Hotel in Melbourne this year probably got the virus when their door opened at the same time as the door of a room opposite where five people were COVID-19 positive. The escapes have led to growing calls to establish cabin-style facilities to improve ventilation in quarantine. The federal government is considering plans for a facility in Melbournes north proposed by the Victorian government. The new global advice says current evidence suggests that coronavirus mainly spreads through close contact via aerosols or droplets and it can also spread within poorly ventilated and crowded indoor spaces because aerosols can remain suspended in the air and travel more than a metre.

The CDC advice, updated on Friday, lists breathing in air when close to an infected person who is exhaling small droplets and particles that contain the virus as the first of one of three ways COVID-19 spreads. Its say the most common way to get infected is to breathe in small droplets or particles from an infected person who is standing within two metres, or having small droplets and particles land on the eyes, nose or mouth, especially from cough and sneezes. Ms Cole said previously that advice had focussed on larger droplets that fell to the ground and contaminated surfaces. The biggest shift is theyve recognised aerosol spread, which is essentially airborne transmission, she said.

So its great that the WHO have finally recognised what many scientists have been saying for a significant amount of time, but many would argue a little bit too little too late. Robyn Schofield, director of the environmental science hub at the University of Melbourne, is hopeful the acknowledgement of airborne transmission will result in some clear public health messaging. Associate Professor Schofield said building ventilation could be improved though simple measures such as cracking open a door or window, or turning on the kitchen or bathroom extraction fan. She said even heading into winter, people should consider hosting friends and family outside. We are quite lucky in Australia, its not that cold, and its nice that we can be outside and rug up a bit, she said.

Associate Professor Schofield also recommended using carbon dioxide monitors to check for poor areas of ventilation, particularly in risky settings such as classrooms, gyms and lifts. Above 800 parts per million, its too high. And at that point you have to start looking to ventilate, she said. And if you cant ventilate, you need to consider a portable [air] filter. Current advice on the federal Health Department website about how coronavirus spreads does not mention aerosol spread. It says it spreads via droplets from an infected persons cough or sneeze or touching infected surfaces or objects. A controversial recommendation from the governments Infection Control Expert Group still allows surgical masks and protective eyewear to be used in the routine care of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, despite criticism from infection diseases experts and the Australian Medical Association who say surgical masks cannot protect against airborne spread. Two people on the ICEG  which advises the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee on COVID-19  rejected the need to change their advice, which accepts aerosols spread in limited circumstances, but says COVID-19 is mainly transmitted by respiratory droplets which are spread from an infected person to others, during talking, shouting, singing, coughing or sneezing.

Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases physician and professor at the Australian National University, said the evidence showed aerosols played a role but were not responsible for the majority of transmission. If aerosols were a big part of the transmission, the only masks that would be effective are these N95 ones [and] youd see people infected all over the building, he said. Thats not what were seeing. That is not what the evidence shows. Professor Peter Collignon. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Malcolm Sim, director of the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health at Monash University and another ICEG member, said the groups advice had always recognised that aerosol transmission occurred and states had already adjusted hotel quarantine to ensure greater ventilation. It can never be perfect  its a matter of trying to make it as suitable as it can be, he said. I didnt think that upgraded WHO advice was all that much of a change.

Loading Infectious diseases expert Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah and co-founder of advocacy group Health Care Workers Australia, who has been raising concerns about the inadequacy of protections for frontline workers since early in pandemic , said the changed in language from WHO was very significant and the Australian infection control expert group must now revise its advice. They have been incredibly resistant in acknowledging the importance of airborne transmission, she said. Asked if there were plans to change the guideline allowing surgical masks to be used during the care of patients COVID-19, the Federal Health Department issued the same statement it has previously in response to questioning on the issue. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Infection Control Expert Group (ICEG) has consistently recognised the potential for transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via aerosols in specific circumstances, it said.
NSW Health is warning anyone who books a jab at its mass vaccination hub at Olympic Park but is ineligible in this phase of the rollout will be turned away when they arrive, after a link allowing anyone to register was published online.

On Saturday The Sun-Herald was able to book a Pfizer vaccination on Monday for a 44-year-old using their real details and declaring they were a member of the general public, which was an option available from a drop-down list on the website.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian pictured following a tour of the mass vaccination centre at Sydney Olympic Park. Credit:Louise Kennerley

The link was sent to health workers to allow them to book their vaccinations, with the Olympic Park mass vaccination hub due to open for anyone in phase 1 of the rollout on Monday.

It was shared on Facebook and anyone who had the link could use it to book a jab. It was not clear on Saturday how widely the link had been shared.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 on Friday despite a surge in the number of tests as social distancing and other restrictions remain this weekend.

Woolworths Double Bay has been added to the list of places visited by one of the two recent cases behind the latest community transmission of the virus.

St Vincents Hospital staff conduct COVID-19 tests at their clinic in Darlinghurst on Thursday. Credit:Photo: Kate Geraghty

Six new cases acquired overseas were reported on Friday night from 22,153 tests conducted across the state, up from 13,339 tests on Thursday.

There were 5234 vaccinations administered on Friday, bringing the NSW total to 762,458. Most of these jabs (527,733) were administered by the GP network and other providers.
Fundamentally, this is an experiment, he says. We dont know what the best way to do it is. We dont necessarily know how to make sure Facebook listens to us and that we can actually hold them to account. No ones really tried this before at this sort of scale. I think [Facebooks policies] are a mess all the way through the system: Board member Nicolas Suzor. Credit:Attila Csaszar Suzor talks a lot about holding the social media giant to account. He sees that as his primary role on the board; not only to hold Facebook accountable to its own policies on content and speech but to societys broader expectations and human rights norms. Facebooks policies have a long way to come, he says. Personally  not speaking for the board  I think theres a mess all the way through the system, Suzor says. They often misidentify critical speech: speech by minorities and marginalised people trying to speak to power. These are often the people who get silenced because Facebook doesnt really know how to tell the difference between important critical speech and other forms of speech that might on the face of it look like abuse and harassment. Theyre also failing to protect people from the torrents of hatred, racism, misogyny and religious vilification that exist on Facebook. Its not hard to find  they get promoted through our news feeds and search results. I think, ultimately, Facebook is going to have to rethink how it does all of its moderation to make sure it is able to do both of those things simultaneously.

Suzor says there are varying views on the board about how Facebook should balance freedom of expression with protection from harm, and about the efficacy of censorship, and those big debates are mostly still to come. While others on the board are not First Amendment free speech radicals, some people might view that more centrally than perhaps I do, he says. If anything, I pay a little bit more attention to those sorts of concerns [about racism and vilification] than some of the other board members. The Oversight Board pursues depth or quantity. Facebook receives thousands of complaints and appeals every day, but the board has made only 10 decisions so far, including last weeks ruling on Trump. The board has staff who find the most interesting cases that can set precedents and probe themes, a bit like the medical TV drama House. Im not sure about the analogy, Suzor says. I do like Hugh Laurie though. Typically, when the board takes a case it will assign it to one of three panels (a fourth panel works on case selection). There are five people on a panel. They start by deciding what information they will need from Facebook, what questions theyre going to ask partner organisations and language experts, if necessary, and contract out for contextual advice about the region, culture and politics. In all of our decisions weve been stressing that context is really important to understand the meaning of what people say, Suzor says. Often these cases turn on a turn of phrase. So far the boards cases have involved the removal of a post containing an anti-Azerbaijani slur (upheld), the removal of an Instagram post in Brazil involving nudity that was actually made to advance breast cancer awareness (overturned as soon as the board took the case) and the removal of a post involving blackface caricatures in the Netherlands (upheld).

Then there was Trump. Loading Facebook suspended the then president after removing two of his posts during the Capitol riot in January, including a video in which he said supporters should go home but repeated false claims about widespread voter fraud. I know your pain. I know youre hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us, he wrote. On January 21, Facebook announced it was referring its decision to the Oversight Board. On Wednesday the board finally ruled, upholding Facebooks decision but saying the suspension could not be indefinite. Facebook now has six months to decide a proportionate response.

It was necessary for Facebook to take some action on January 6, but it had no clear policy to decide how long a suspension should be for, Suzor says. Facebook doesnt have rules about how it suspends people. Thats crazy. We didnt come to a conclusion about what Facebook should do, we just said theyve got to figure it out. The decision has been criticised from all sides. Trump allies were outraged, many Democrats felt it wasnt strong enough. The man himself called it a total disgrace and said Facebook would pay a political price. Suzor describes the ruling as strong, nuanced and rigorous. He is surprised that the board reached a consensus on such a controversial matter, even if there were pockets of disagreement. He reminds people it was only in May last year  at the same time Trump said of Black Lives Matter protesters that when the looting starts, the shooting starts  that Zuckerberg was telling reporters social media platforms should not be the arbiter of truth in politics. Zuckerbergs remark enraged Suzor and others. He felt it was a missed opportunity to do what Facebook eventually did  arguably too late: suspending Trump and taking a stand against incitement to violence. Suzor says last weeks ruling should demonstrate that social media companies really can make a determination  in a considered and reasoned way  about what is acceptable on their platforms.
Overseas veterinarians will get special exemptions to enter Australia to address an acute shortage of vets which has been exacerbated by COVID-19, but the industry is warning more reforms are needed to address its bigger problems.

Australian Veterinary Association president Warwick Vale says at least 800 more vets are urgently needed across Australia to fill a shortfall that has been made worse by the pandemic puppy boom and dearth of skilled migrants.

Veterinarian Dr Angela Pantangco, examines Border Collie Harper at the Sydney University Veterinary Hospital. Credit:James Alcock

On Saturday Immigration Minister Alex Hawke confirmed vets will be placed on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List, allowing them to apply for an exemption to enter Australia.

Only 18 occupations are on the list, including psychiatrists, chief executives, software engineers, social workers, GPs and several types of nurses. Applicants must be sponsored by an employer. Other critical skills and sectors eligible for exemptions to the border closure include people providing critical skills in religious or theology fields.
A Wyndham Vale truck driver who has been granted bail said he felt a bump during a collision which left two people seriously injured in Southbank on Thursday evening.

Frank Rogers, 64, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday afternoon charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing serious injury.

Frank Rogers leaving the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Saturday. Credit:Ashleigh McMillan

Police allege Mr Rogers was turning his B-double tanker left from City Road into Power Street on Thursday night when he mounted the kerb and hit a traffic light, which fell to the ground.

A group of four pedestrians and a food delivery driver  four men and a woman aged in their 20s and 30s  were injured in the incident and remain in hospital.
Male: Police in the Maldives say an explosion that wounded former president Mohamed Nasheed and four others including a British national was an act of terrorism.

Officials said they were attempting to identify four possible suspects. Australian police said they were ready to assist the investigation.

Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed is in a critical condition in hospital. Credit:AP

Nasheed, 53, was wounded in the blast outside his home on Thursday night as he was about to get into his car, police said. He was in critical condition in an intensive care unit after life-saving surgeries to his head, chest, abdomen and limbs, ADK Hospital said in a statement on Friday evening (Saturday AEST).

Chief of Defence Force Abdulla Shamal said a homemade explosive device fixed to a motorbike parked near Nasheeds car was detonated possibly with the use of a remote controller. He was about to leave for an event.
London: The push for Scottish independence has suffered a setback after its chief proponents fell just short of securing a parliamentary majority that might have triggered a fresh referendum.

While the Scottish National Party has been returned for a fourth term at Holyrood elections this week, it did not snare a majority in its own right and will struggle to make the case to Prime Minister Boris Johnson that it has a mandate for a fresh ballot on the countrys future.

Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Credit:Getty

Voters rejected independence at the last referendum in 2014 by a margin of 55 to 45 per cent but Brexit has fuelled momentum for another. Just 38 per cent of Scots supported Brexit and many now want to split from the United Kingdom and rejoin the European Union.

Westminster would need to green light any new referendum and Johnson is resisting.
Jerusalem: More than 200 protesters were injured in clashes with police in Jerusalems Old City as tensions flared over the planned evictions of several Palestinian families from a nearby Arab neighbourhood.

More than a dozen police officers received minor injuries, police said.

Israeli police officers deploy during clashes with Palestinian protesters next to Damascus Gate in Jerusalems Old City on Friday. Credit:AP

The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said 88 of the wounded were hospitalised. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 83 people were wounded by rubber-coated bullets, including three who were shot in the eye, two with serious head injuries and two with broken jaws.

The Israeli police said protesters hurled stones, fireworks and other objects at them, wounding 17 officers, half of whom were hospitalised. We will respond with a heavy hand to all violent disturbances, riots and attacks on our forces, it said in a statement late on Friday.
Kabul: The death toll from an explosion outside a school in Afghanistans capital Kabul has risen to 58, Afghan officials said on Sunday, with doctors struggling to provide medical care to at least 150 injured.

The bombing on Saturday evening shook the citys Shiite Muslim neighbourhood of Dasht-e-Barchi. The community, a religious minority in Afghanistan, has been targeted in the past by Islamic State militants, a Sunni militant group.

An eyewitness said all but seven or eight of the victims were schoolgirls going home after finishing studies.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday blamed the attack on Taliban insurgents but a spokesman for the Taliban denied involvement, saying the group condemns any attacks on Afghan civilians.
~ Questions if Knops using PJIA for liquidity support ~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel on Thursday called on Minister Silveria Jacobs to explain to the public why the cooperation agreement with Schiphol Airport is being renewed after two years of performance failure by Schiphol and demands that basically would lead to the complete takeover of the airport. The MP also said the PM has to be clear and inform Parliament and the country if State Secretary Knops and BZK (Dutch Ministry of Interior Affairs) are now using the cooperation agreement with Schiphol as a negotiating tool for liquidity support.

Which wouldnt be a surprise considering the history of how State Secretary Knops and BZK has dealt with this government and the fact that this government keeps giving in to demands or begging for help, the MP. This is what happens when you simply refuse to come up with viable alternative plans, sign one-sided agreements and try to play games with the Dutch. Today St. Maarten is made to beg the Prime Minister of the Netherlands for help with the same State Secretary whose demands this government has constantly given in to, the MP said.

With regards to the airport, the MP stressed that he wanted to be very clear about his position on the cooperation agreement with Schiphol which has not changed: the Holding Company of the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAH) should be given the leeway to get the reconstruction of the airport done and sees no added value with the involvement of Schiphol other than pleasing BZK (Dutch Ministry of Interior Affairs).

The MP pointed out that in most other countries lack of performance such as Schiphol has shown would be grounds for termination of any agreement. He said on St. Maarten however, it seems as if entities, once they have the backing of BZK (Dutch Ministry of Interior Affairs), can blackmail and demand their way to extensions of agreements that are drafted in their favor.

The public shouldnt hold its breath for any kind of explanation from the Prime Minister because she seems more scared and concerned about upsetting the Dutch. But the responsible thing for the PM to do is to explain why to sign another agreement with a company that has not done anything at PJIA. More than likely the PM would look to replace the St. Maartners on the holding board rather than tell Schiphol that their demands are not acceptable, the MP said.

The MP said that it has come to his attention that Schiphol wants the expired agreement to be extended and does not want to renegotiate anything. The MP urged the Holding Company of the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAH) not to cave to the demands of Schiphol and BZK and make the same mistakes it did with the first agreement and allow Schiphol to have its way with St. Maartens airport, their exorbitant consultants and board members on the holding and operational boards of the airport.

Airport Holding has to make sure the Prime Minister is aware of its objections and does not give Schiphol carte blanche at our most strategic national asset, said. The MP also said PJIAH must ensure that timelines and benchmarks are met by Schiphol and penalties included if and when they are not met. He added that a firm date indicating when Schiphol will no longer be involved in PJIA affairs must also be included and suggested no longer than another two years.

If Schiphol protests having an end date to the agreement then it becomes clear what their intentions are, as well as those of BZK: To be in control forever. He said PJIAH as the owner of the airport has to be forceful and ensure that the agreement is well-vetted and advantageous to St. Maarten in all aspects. For example, the counterpart to the CFO must be appointed post haste. We all know who the local candidate is, it is time to appoint her.

When you read the first agreement it read like a take-it-or-leave-it manual. This is our airport, built by our people. PJIAH must make sure that the language of the agreement does not give Schiphol any type of Because I say so leverage over the airport, MP Emmanuel said.

MP Emmanuel said the airport should not be saddled with costs amassed by the Schiphol and BZK appointed CFO, consultants, and board members. Together these costs came up to well over US $10, million which PJIA had to pay. In the meantime, airport employees still waiting on answers about money owed to them, the MP said.

I think it is important that the Prime Minister tell us why they decided to stick with Schiphol especially after two years of no progress under Schiphol. Why not use the opportunity to say thanks, but no thanks, and move in another direction? Why put up with demands and blackmailing from a company you do not need? The only thing we received from Schiphol is an expensive CFO, a whole army of consultants, and demands that are insulting to St. Maarten. It cannot be that Schiphol will get anything they want at the airport. If they, with the support of BZK, threaten to walk away because of not getting what they want, the PM has to let them walk and let PJIAH lead the way, the MP said.
Kenya says Chinese-built port in Lamu to receive first ship soon

Xinhua) 11:06, May 08, 2021

NAIROBI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese-built seaport in Kenya's coastal county of Lamu will receive its first ship on May 20, the Kenyan government has said.

China Communication Construction Company has completed construction of berth one of the country's second commercial port, while berths two and three will be completed by October, the National Treasury said in a statement on Thursday.

The Treasury said the construction of the first phase of the port, comprising three berths, started in 2015, while subsequent phases will be undertaken by the private sector under a public-private partnership framework and eventually result in 23 berths along its 10 km shore length.

The port's capacity to handle cargo traffic will reach 23.9 million tons by 2030.

A flagship infrastructure project under Kenya's national development blueprint, Vision 2030, the port of Lamu creates a transport corridor that links landlocked South Sudan and Ethiopia to the Indian Ocean.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Stamford Police Department / Contributed photo

STAMFORD  A Norwalk man was arrested this week after police say an investigation revealed he has been selling drugs in Stamford and throughout Fairfield County.

Jeffrey Polanco-Genao, 23, of Neptune Avenue in Norwalk, has been accused of selling large amounts of powder cocaine out of his 2013 Honda Accord, Stamford police announced Saturday.


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Equal opportunities for women and men represent normalcy in a free and democratic society, President Klaus Iohannis said in a message posted on Facebook on Saturday.



He talks about the efforts in Romania to reduce inequalities in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.



"Although there is still much to improve, I am convinced that Romania will continue to make sustained efforts to reduce existing inequities. The National Equal Opportunity Day is a good opportunity to raise awareness once again that women are still facing stereotypes and prejudices related to career and role in the family, negative trends that have intensified globally in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic," the head of state said, quoted by Agerpres



The President added that "violence against women, gender inequality and discrimination are harmful phenomena that must be fought with all forces."



"I therefore encourage the most active support of women in the decision-making process, in society, politics and the economy, as well as the involvement of men as active partners in family life," the head of state concludes.



May 8 was declared, in 2015, the Day of Equal Opportunities between women and men in Romania.
The first contingent, consisting of about 70 Romanian soldiers who were on a mission in Afghanistan, arrived on Saturday at 90th Air Transport Base aboard a C 17 Globemaster III aircraft of the US partner, informs the National Defence Ministry (MApN).

Their return is part of the plan to withdraw the more than 600 Romanian servicemen from Afghanistan, a plan coordinated with the commanders from the theatre of operations, "so that the process takes place coherently and in conditions of maximum security", agerpres.ro confirms.

The completion of the procedures will take place until September 11, 2021, but, for security reasons, the schedule for the repatriation of the military is not public, but it is permanently synchronised with the plans of the other members of the North Atlantic Alliance, the National Defence Ministry points out.

The National Defence Ministry has begun withdrawing troops since May 1, according to the joint statement of the North Atlantic Council adopted at a recent joint extraordinary meeting of foreign and defence ministers from NATO member states.
The hardest working ships in the South China Sea are two Chinese two replenishment (sustainment) ships designed expressly tp support Chinese islands created or occupied in the South China Sea. Despite being less than ten years old, the two ships are scheduled for upgrades and eventually some major maintenance. The first of these ships entered service in 2015 and second in 2019. Named Sansha 1 and Sansha 2, they are kept busy supplying Sansha City island and many smaller islands to the south. The two Sansha ships are actually a smaller (7,800 ton) replenishment ship designed specifically for moving up to 2,200 tons of supplies and equipment per voyage to a lot of small island bases in the South China sea. They are RO/RO (Roll On/Roll Off) type ships so it is easier to drive vehicles off onto the docks being built on many of these tiny (some man-made) islands. The Sanshas have a helicopter pad for small (four ton) helicopters like the Z-9. They will replace most of the collection of commercial ships currently used to resupply these island bases.

One of the first upgrades for Chinese support ships is a DLS-16T Long-Distance Optoelectronic Monitoring System for each ship. These systems are designed to supply 24/7 omnidirectional search, observation, surveillance, and video evidence collection against maritime and aerial targets no matter what the weather conditions. Items recorded includes ships of all sizes, overboard people, objects floating in the sea, and aircraft. Similar systems are being installed on Woody Island and a dozen or more of the smaller occupied islands. All these surveillance systems send information back to a central system on the mainland where all the activity detected is merged to display a rather detailed picture of what manmade objects are in the South China Sea.

All Chinese activity and territorial claims got rolling in a big way after 2012, when China declared one of the Paracel islands (Woody Island) to be the center of a new Chinese municipality (city). Sansha is now one of 19 prefectures of Hainan province in southern China. Hainan is itself a large island off the Chinese coast with a population of ten million. Sansha City is the smallest prefecture in Hainan in terms of land area (13 square kilometers) and population (a few thousand). Sansha is actually Woody Island and dozens of smaller bits of land (some of them shoals that are under water all the time) in the Paracels and the Spratly Islands to the south. In fact, the new "city" lays claim to two million square kilometers of open sea (57 percent of the South China Sea). This is part of a strategy based on the ancient principle that, when it comes to real estate, "possession is 9/10ths of the law." It's the law of the jungle, because all the claimants are armed and making it clear that, at some point down the road, force will be used to enforce claims. Since 1975, there have been two naval battles, and dozens of minor clashes by the rival claimants to the Paracels. With the establishment of Sansha City, China is saying the next time it could be war, because a government has to defend its sovereign territory.

Currently Woody Island has a permanent population of nearly two thousand people who have to be supplied, even with water, at great expense from the Chinese mainland. Most island occupants are military and police personnel, who serve on the island for two years, and civilian officials, who serve six-month tours. There is a small fishing community and facilities for fishing boats to tie up and the crews to come ashore for some rest. There are also some tourist attractions. Woody Island is about 340 kilometers from Chinese territory (Hainan Island) and thus within China's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The expense of maintaining Sansha is a minor cost when you consider that this move makes many disputed islands, atolls, and reefs officially part of China, at least as far as China is concerned.

At the time the first 7,800-ton Sansha ship entered service, China had already built eight of its larger (23,000 ton) Type 903A replenishment ships. Since 2013 there has been a massive acceleration in the production of these ships. The first two of these Type 903 tanker/cargo ships appeared in 2004. By 2008 these ships were regularly at sea supporting the task forces (each with at least two warships, plus the Type 903) sent to the anti-piracy patrol off Somalia for six-month tours. The replenishment ship did just that, supplying fuel, water, food, and other supplies as needed. The replenishment ship would go to local ports to restock its depleted stores and return to the task force. China needs more Type 903s to support its growing number of long-distance training operations into the Western Pacific, and the government has apparently ordered a lot more. One reason Chinese warships are now being seen all over the world (on official visits and to show off) is because there are enough replenishment ships to support this sort of thing.

The third and subsequent Type 903s built were called Type 903A because they were 12 percent larger than the first two (which displaced 20,500 tons each) but otherwise identical. The Type 903s are similar to the twelve American T-AKE replenishment ships. These 40,000-ton ships service a much larger fleet than the eight (so far) Type 903s and are part of a larger replenishment fleet required by American warships operating worldwide.

Meanwhile China has, since the 1990s, trained more and more of its sailors to resupply ships at sea. Its now common to see a Chinese supply ship in the Western Pacific refueling two warships at once. This is a tricky maneuver and the Chinese did not learn to do it overnight. They have been doing this more and more over the last decade, first refueling one ship at a time with the receiving ship behind the supply ship and then the trickier side-by-side method. This enables skilled supply ship crews to refuel two ships at once.

China got a sharp reminder of how essential the replenishment ships are in April 2014 when they joined the international military effort to find missing flight MH370. China discovered it did not have enough Type 903s and, without access to foreign ports for resupply, the Chinese Navy could not sustain large numbers of ships far from China. Chinese naval planners have long warned of this and the political leaders are now paying more attention. China sent two dozen warships and support vessels into the southern Indian Ocean in April 2014, and it was obvious that without access to nearby Australian ports the Chinese ships would not have been able to remain in the area for long.

The classic solution to this problem is a large fleet of support ships to constantly deliver food, fuel and other supplies to ships at sea. China is rapidly building such ships, but not enough of them to maintain a large force for an extended period. China is unlikely to obtain the overseas ports it needs to support its current expansion plans because Chinese expansion plans have angered nearly all the nations in area. China does have a few allies, like Pakistan, Cambodia and Burma. This would not be enough if it came to outright hostilities and some of these friendly ports blocked by neighboring countries that are at odds with China.

This logistical weakness is no secret but the Chinese have long played it down. After the April 2014 MH370 operation it became a much more visible issue. Chinese naval threats are now a bit less intimidating, until there are reports that China is building more sustainment ships than it already is. That is apparently happening.

This is all part of a Chinese navy effort to enable its most modern ships to carry out long duration operations. In addition to the ships sent to Somalia, the Chinese have been sending flotillas (containing landing ships, destroyers, and frigates) on 10-20- day cruises into the East China Sea and beyond. The MH370 search off west Australia was the largest Chinese fleet deployment in modern times.

The Chinese have been working hard on how to use their new classes of supply ships. These are built to efficiently supply ships at sea. In addition to learning how to transfer these supplies at sea, the crews have also learned how to keep all the needed supplies in good shape and stocked in the required quantities. This requires the procurement officers learning how to arrange resupply at local ports in a timely basis. This was particularly important off Somalia, where warships often had to speed up (burning a lot of fuel in the process) or use their helicopters to deal with the pirates.

Modern at-sea replenishment methods were developed out of necessity by the United States during World War II because of a lack of sufficient forward bases in the vast Pacific. The resulting service squadrons (Servrons) became a permanent fixture in the U.S. Navy after the war. Ships frequently stay at sea for up to six months at a time, being resupplied at sea by a Servron. New technologies were developed to support the effective use of the seagoing supply service. Few other navies have been able to match this capability, mainly because of the expense of the Servron ships and the training required to do at sea replenishment. China is buying into this capability, which makes their fleet more effective because warships can remain at sea for longer periods.

China is one of the major producers of commercial ships and was able to begin construction of the first Sansha in 2012 and launch it in 2014. The design is unique and, to speed up the construction process, China bought the rights to an existing European design that had not been built yet.
Broadening of the addressable market for Maxigesic IV in Latin America and the Caribbean to 17 countries





Maxigesic IV has potential to combat the opioid epidemic in pain management

Liege, Belgium  6 May 2021  Hyloris Pharmaceuticals SA (Euronext Brussels: HYL), a specialty biopharma company committed to bringing innovative treatments that offer added value to underserved patient populations, today announces that its partner for Maxigesic IV, AFT Pharmaceuticals (AFT), has extended its existing license and distribution agreement with Pharma Bavaria International for the commercialisation of Maxigesic IV, a novel, patented, non-opioid treatment for post-operative pain, in South America.

The extended collaboration further builds on the agreement signed with Pharma Bavaria in February 2020 for the commercialisation of Maxigesic IV in 12 countries in Central America. Following multiple licensing deals with strong local players over the past 12 months, Maxigesic IV is now licensed in >100 countries across the globe, including the major markets in Europe and the U.S. The focus over the next 24 months will now shift towards accelerating regulatory submissions and launches in these territories.

Stijn Van Rompay, Chief Executive Officer of Hyloris, commented: We are pleased that AFT has extended its existing agreement with Pharma Bavaria, a strong international player that promotes and distributes innovative pharmaceuticals in >45 countries, with focus on major growth regions and emerging economies, and an existing portfolio of hospital-based injectable pain medications. Todays news further demonstrates the urgent need for safer and more effective non-opioid pain treatments in the post-operative hospital setting, and the potential of Maxigesic IV to address that need.

Globally, approximately 1.2 billion vials1 are sold per year in the non-opioid analgesic space and the market for pain medicines in Latin America is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 3.5% until 2027.2

About Maxigesic IV

Maxigesic IV has been developed under the development collaboration agreement signed in 2012 between Hyloris and AFT Pharmaceuticals. Maxigesic IV is a unique combination of 1000mg paracetamol with 300mg ibuprofen solution for infusion for use post-operatively. Results from a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial in 276 patients following bunion surgery demonstrated that Maxigesic IV was well-tolerated and had a faster onset of action and offered higher pain relief compared to ibuprofen IV or paracetamol IV alone in the same doses. Moreover, the superior analgesic effect of Maxigesic IV was supported by a range of secondary endpoints, including reduced opioid consumption compared to the paracetamol IV and ibuprofen IV treatment groups (P3. An additional exposure study has demonstrated Maxigesic IVs efficacy and safety in an expanded population group over a longer treatment period4. Maxigesic IV is protected by several granted and pending patent applications. The preparations to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by AFT are progressing well.



About Hyloris Pharmaceuticals

Hyloris is a specialty biopharma company identifying and unlocking hidden potential in existing medications for the benefit of patients and the healthcare system. Hyloris applies its knowhow and technological innovations to existing pharmaceuticals and has built a broad proprietary product pipeline that has the potential to offer significant advantages over currently available alternatives. Hyloris currently has two partnered, commercial-stage products: Sotalol IV for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, and Maxigesic IV, a non-opioid post-operative pain treatment. The Companys development strategy primarily focuses on the FDAs 505(b)2 regulatory pathway, which is specifically designed for pharmaceuticals for which safety and efficacy of the molecule have already been established. This pathway can reduce the clinical burden required to bring a product to market, and significantly shorten the development timelines and reduce costs and risks. Hyloris is based in Liege, Belgium. For more information, visit www.hyloris.com and follow-us on LinkedIn.

For more information, please contact Hyloris Pharmaceuticals:

Marieke Vermeersch

VP Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

M: +32 (0)479 490 603

marieke.vermeersch@hyloris.com



Disclaimer and forward-looking statements

Hyloris means high yield, lower risk, which relates to the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway for product approval on which the Issuer focuses, but in no way relates or applies to an investment in the Shares.

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified using forward-looking terminology, including the words "believes", "estimates," "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", "plans", "continue", "ongoing", "potential", "predict", "project", "target", "seek" or "should", and include statements the Company makes concerning the intended results of its strategy. These statements relate to future events or the Companys future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the Companys control, that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of the Company or its industry to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

1 IQVIA

2 Research and Markets 2020

3 Daniels et al, 2019, Clinical Therapeutics

4 Maxigesic IV Phase 3 study. Study ID No AFT-MXIV-11. NCT04005755. Submitted for publication

Attachment
CALGARY, Alberta, May 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PHX Energy Services Corp. ("PHX Energy") is pleased to announce the voting results for the election of directors at its annual meeting of shareholders held on May 7, 2021 (the "Meeting"). The following seven nominees were elected as directors of PHX Energy to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders or until their successors are elected or appointed, with shares represented at the Meeting voting in favour of individual nominees as follows:

FOR WITHHELD Randolph M. Charron 99.67% 0.33% Karen David Green 99.82% 0.18% Terry D. Freeman 99.94% 0.06% Lawrence M. Hibbard 99.70% 0.30% John M. Hooks 99.92% 0.08% Myron A. Tetreault 99.76% 0.24% Roger D. Thomas 99.76% 0.24%

About PHX Energy Services Corp.

The Corporation, through its directional drilling subsidiary entities, provides horizontal and directional drilling technology and services to oil and natural gas producing companies in Canada, the US, Russia, and Albania.

The common shares of PHX Energy are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "PHX".

For further information please contact:

PHX Energy Services Corp. John Hooks Chief Executive Officer Phone: (403) 543-4466

or

PHX Energy Services Corp. Cameron Ritchie Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer Phone: (403) 543-4466

or

visit our website at www.phxtech.com

Source: PHX Energy Services Corp.
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., May 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE: WGO), a leading outdoor lifestyle product manufacturer, joins 12,000+ global signatories to the United Nations Global Compact, a corporate sustainability initiative designed to advance universal principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. Committing to the UN Global Compact advances Winnebago Industries on its corporate responsibility journey.

Collective action is imperative to addressing the environmental and social challenges our global society faces, said Michael Happe, Winnebago Industries President and CEO. Winnebago Industries is proud to join like-minded companies as a signatory of the U.N. Global Compact.

Since 2018, Winnebago Industries has embarked on a newly focused corporate responsibility strategy with environmental, social and governance priority topics. From environmental sustainability to building an inclusive, diverse and equitable workplace, the company reports its progress through an annual corporate responsibility report.

As a signatory, Winnebago Industries confirms its support of the United Nations Global Compacts Ten Principles and commits to integrating these principles into our companys strategy. Winnebago Industries also will engage in projects that advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Winnebago Industries is committed to taking a long-term view, while approaching corporate responsibility goals with urgency, said Stacy Bogart, Winnebago Industries Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Responsibility. Throughout 2020, the global pandemic and racial justice reckoning taught us just how interdependent our communities, economies and environment are. Working together, we can move forward.

Chris West, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Operations, and Rick Puckett, Director of Enterprise Environment, Health, Safety and Security (EHSS) lead environmental sustainability efforts throughout our Winnebago, Grand Design RV, Chris-Craft and Newmar businesses. Minimizing waste, bolstering product sustainability and managing greenhouse gas emissions are initial environmental sustainability focus areas.

Learn more and read the Winnebago Industries 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report at winnebagoind.com/responsibility.

About Winnebago Industries Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE: WGO) is a leading U.S. manufacturer of outdoor lifestyle products under the Winnebago, Grand Design, Chris-Craft and Newmar brands, which are used primarily in leisure travel and outdoor recreation activities. The Company builds quality motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheel products, boats and commercial community outreach vehicles. Winnebago Industries has multiple facilities in Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota and Florida. For access to Winnebago Industries' investor relations material or to add your name to an automatic email list for Company news releases, visit investor.wgo.net. Media Contact: Sam Jefson  Public Relations Specialist  641-585-6803 - sjefson@wgo.net

Contact: Steve Stuber - Investor Relations - 952-828-8461 - srstuber@wgo.net

Source: Winnebago Industries, Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 7, 2021) - Edison Cobalt Corp (TSXV: EDDY) ("Edison Cobalt" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has closed the previouslyannounced (see news release 04-30-2021) non-brokered private placements of 2,006,000 flow-through units (the "FT Units") at a price of $0.18 per Flow-Through Unit, for gross proceeds of $361,080 and 19,878,000 non-flow-through units (the "non FT Units") at a price of $0.135 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $2,683,530.

Each FT unit consisted of one common share and one warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share of the company at a price of $0.24 per common share for a period of 24 months following the date of issuance.

Each non-FT unit consisted of one common share and one warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share of the company at a price of $0.18 per common share for a period of 24 months following the date of issuance.

In connection with the Offering, the Company paid finders' fees of $208,114.20 in cash and issued 1,494,510 finders warrants. The Finders' Warrants have the same terms as the Warrants forming part of the non FT Units.

Proceeds of the private placement will be used for work on the Company's mineral properties, future acquisitions and general working capital. The Company intends to use the proceeds from the flow-through portion of the private placement to incur eligible Canadian Exploration Expenses and flow-through mining expenditures, as defined under the Income Tax Act (Canada).

An insider of the company, Nathan Rotstein, acquired 500,000 of the flow-through units. The issuance of Units to insiders of the Company pursuant to the Offering will be considered related party transactions within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101). The Company intends to rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 in respect of such insider participation, based on a determination that the fair market value of the participation in the Offering by insiders will not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Corporation did not file a material change report more than 21 days before the expected closing of the Private Placement because the details of the participation therein by related parties of the Corporation were not settled until shortly prior to the closing of the Private Placement and the Corporation wished to close on a expedited basis for business reasons.

All securities to be issued pursuant to the above private placements are subject to a four-month hold period expiring on September 08, 2021, in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

About Edison Cobalt Corp.

Edison Cobalt Corp. is a Canadian-based junior mining exploration company focused on the procurement, exploration and development of cobalt, lithium and other energy metals. Edison Cobalt Corp.'s acquisition strategy focuses on acquiring affordable, cost-effective and highly regarded mineral properties in areas with proven geological potential. The Company is looking to build a portfolio of quality assets capable of supplying critical materials to the battery industry. The Company intends to capitalize on and have its shareholders benefit from the renewed interest in the battery metals space.

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

"Nathan Rotstein"

Nathan Rotstein

Chief Executive Officer, Director

For more information please contact:

Tel: (416) 526-3217

Email: info@edisoncobalt.com

Website: www.edisoncobalt.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/83345
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 7, 2021) - KWESST Micro Systems Inc. (TSXV: KWE) (OTCQB: KWEMF) ("KWESST" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it will hold an investors update call on Tuesday May 11th, 2021 at 2:00 PM ETD. The details of the call are as follows:

Presenter : David Luxton, Executive Chairman of KWESST

Topics : Mr. Luxton will describe the significance of the Company's acquisition of Low Energy Cartridge ("LEC") systems and the go-to-market strategy for the LEC . The Low Energy Cartridge system is the world's first cartridge based non-lethal weapon system. Mr. Luxton will also update investors on recent successes of the Company's other products initiatives.

Timing : corporate presentation between 2:00 pm EDT and 2:20 pm EDT followed by a Q&A session. Please email your questions to investors@kwesst.com prior to or during the meeting.

Zoom link : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81740723853?pwd=bmlzYm9xRC9TWHREWEIzRDRCZ3ptUT09

Meeting info :

Meeting ID: 817 4072 3853

Passcode: 975817

Dial by your location:

647-374-4685 (Canada)

929-205-6099 (US)

Archive : A replay will be available one hour after the end of the update call on the Company's YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD3LXgwvKbygV8TAMYbxVxw/videos

"This investors update follows the recent closing of the Company's oversubscribed $4.4 million private placement and the acquisition of the Low Energy Cartridge ("LEC") system. The proceeds from this financing will be used to accelerate our go-to-market initiatives of KWESST's various products," said David Luxton, KWESST's Executive Chairman. "One priority for KWESST is to begin the commercialization of the LEC system with an accelerated plan in response to market interest and high growth across all segments of the non-lethal market. In this market, there a strong preference being expressed for a safer, cartridge-based system over traditional systems, such as taser, beanbag shotgun shells and rubber bullets, which can and do result in fatalities."

Mr. Luxton described the LEC system potential markets: "We see the LEC system as having universal application across four market segments that currently use a variety of dated "non-lethal" or "less-lethal" products, each having a vast global market. These segments are (i) public order (riots and control of dangerous subjects), (ii) military and law enforcement training (realistic force-on-force training), (iii) personal defence (home, car, boat, RV, camping, hiking), and (iv) high-action gaming. The kind of fatalities that have led to widespread protests in the U.S. are just one example of the need for more advanced solutions that enable law enforcement to engage with more benign devices from a safer stand-off distance and ensure that everyone goes home alive."

About KWESST

KWESST develops and commercializes high-value ultra-miniaturized technology applications that make a critical difference to the safety and operational effectiveness of personnel in the defence and security industries. The company's current portfolio of unique proprietary offerings include: its signature TASCSTM (Tactical Awareness and Situational Control System) for real-time awareness and targeting information from any source (including drones) streamed directly to users' smart devices and weapons; the autonomous GreyGhostTM soldier-portable micro drone missile system that defends against small hostile drones including swarms using high-speed kinetic impact; a Ground Laser Defence system to counter the emerging threat of weaponized lasers against personnel; and, the PhantomTMelectronic battlefield decoy system to mask the electromagnetic signature of friendly forces with decoy signatures at false locations to deceive and confuse adversaries. All systems can operate stand-alone or integrate seamlessly with OEM products and battlefield management systems including Frontline, Edge, Killswitch and ATAK (Android Tactical Assault Kit) among others. KWESST also has developmental "smart ordnance" projects including its "Shot Counter" system, which records the number and type of rounds fired, for optimized firearms maintenance and performance. The Company is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with representative offices in Washington, DC, London, UK and Abu Dhabi, UAE. KWESST trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol KWE and on the U.S. OTCQB under the symbol KWEMF.

Contact: Jason Frame, Investor Relations: frame@kwesst.com

For more information, please visit https://kwesst.com/

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information contained herein include, without limitation, statements relating to the intended use of proceeds of the Offering and the receipt of final acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. KWESST disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/83333
SAN DIEGO, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- San Diego Family Care ("SDFC") has learned of a data security incident that may have impacted personal and protected health information belonging to certain current and former SDFC patients and employees. SDFC has sent notification of this incident to potentially impacted individuals and has provided resources to assist them.

In December 2020, SDFC and its business associate, Health Center Partners of Southern California (HCP), became aware that their information technology hosting provider experienced a data security incident that resulted in the encryption of certain data. The hosting provider took steps to secure and restore its systems and launched an investigation with the assistance of computer forensics experts. At that time, SDFC did not know what, if any, data belonging to SDFC or HCP may have been involved in the incident.

On January 20, 2021, SDFC learned that, based on its hosting provider's investigation into the incident, certain SDFC and HCP data may have been accessed or acquired by an unauthorized individual. SDFC obtained a copy of the impacted data and engaged experts to conduct a thorough review to identify individuals whose information may have been involved in the incident. That review concluded on April 12, 2021. SDFC then took steps to identify current mailing addresses in order to effectuate notification to potentially impacted individuals.

There is no evidence of the misuse of any information potentially involved in this incident. However, on May 7, 2021, SDFC provided notice of this incident to potentially impacted individuals. In so doing, SDFC provided information about the incident and about steps that potentially impacted individuals can take to protect their personal information. SDFC takes the security of patient information very seriously and is taking steps to prevent a similar event from occurring in the future.

The following personal and protected health information may have been involved in the incident: individuals' names, Social Security numbers or other government identification numbers, financial account numbers, dates of birth, medical diagnosis or treatment information, health insurance information, and/or client identification numbers. However, not all of these data elements were affected for all individuals.

SDFC has established a toll-free call center to answer questions about the incident and to address related concerns. Call center representatives are available Monday through Friday from 6:00 am  6:00 pm Pacific Time and can be reached at (833) 664-1997.

The privacy and protection of personal and protected health information is a top priority for SDFC, which deeply regrets any inconvenience or concern this incident may cause.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/san-diego-family-care-notifies-patients-of-data-security-incident-301286908.html

SOURCE San Diego Family Care
Diane Martin loved playing badminton, it kept her fit and active, but now due to cataracts, her eyesight is so blurry she can no longer get out on the court.

Its been more than a year since her last game and the 71-year-old is waiting to be eligible for cataract surgery through the Bay of Plenty District Health Board.

I don't play badminton anymore because it's [her eyesight] all blurry now so I don't play very well.

I'm just very frustrated because they tell the elderly to keep moving, yet you can't get surgery done.

Diane says she cant afford the $4000 fee to have cataract surgery on her left eye done privately.

The lens on her left eye is completely blurry and a cataract is starting on her right, it has gradually gotten worse over the past two years, she says. Despite her impaired vision and the impact it has on her life her eyesight isnt bad enough to qualify her for funded surgery through the BOPDHB.

Diane has been told by her optometrist that if she lived in another region she would already be eligible. She would like to see publicly funded cataract surgery eligibility equal for everyone.

Surgical eligibility is measured through clinical priority assessment criteria (CPAC), which for cataracts assesses a persons vision and the effect it has on their daily life.

Patients are given a score from zero to 100 based on their vision and five questions about how this impacts their lifestyle.

CPAC access thresholds are different at each of the countrys 20 district health boards, and are set according to demand and capacity. Cataract CPAC scores range from 45 to 65, according to information provided by the DHBs.

Seven of the 17 DHBs that responded to The Weekend Suns request for their current cataract CPAC score have an access threshold of 60 or more.

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists New Zealand chairperson Peter Hadden says this is creating a postcode lottery for peoples vision and RANZCO would like to see inequity reduced between the regions.

RANZCO is the medical college responsible for the training and professional development of ophthalmologists in Australia and New Zealand.

Peoples vision is scored with both eyes together so if one eye isnt as bad people will get a lower score making it harder for them to qualify for surgery, says Dr Hadden.

RANZCO New Zealand chairperson Peter Hadden. Supplied image.

Currently, a person must have a CPAC score of 60 before they can have cataract surgery at the BOPDHB.

Waikato DHB also has a score of 60 and Lakes DHB, which covers the Rotorua and Taupo districts has a score of 65.

Dr Hadden says someone with a score of 60 will have bad cataracts in both eyes so theyre very disabled from a vison point of view but it also varies depending on how the lifestyle questions are answered.

In comparison, the CPAC score at the Tairawhiti DHB is 45, West Coast and Hawke's Bay DHBs have a score of 48 for cataracts.

Dr Hadden says with a score of 48 a person might be struggling to drive but they would qualify to get at least one eye done.

The Auckland based ophthalmologist says when the CPAC threshold is 60 or higher, surgery is more complicated which compounds the issue of demand and capacity.

It spirals it because it means that the surgery takes longer, its harder, so you dont get through as many as many cases.

BOPDHB acting business leader  anaesthesia, radiology and surgical services Dorothy McKeown says all patients requiring cataract surgery are prioritised using an online national tool and once a patient is accepted and deemed fit for treatment, the maximum wait time is four months.

Dorothy says a specialist will grade all referrals received using the Access Criteria for First Specialist Assessment tool, based on the information received in the referral.

Due to the demand on the service and capacity to see and treat, access thresholds are in place.

However, those patients with the most urgent clinical need will be seen first, she says.

As referrals are graded based on the information received, if there is any change to a patients condition we would welcome an updated referral from the GP or Optometrist detailing the changes and the impact on life for the patient.

In the year from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019, 877 people received cataract surgery through the BOPDHB, says Dorothy.

To attempt to combat the postcode lottery, the Government announced sweeping reforms to the health system in April, which will see DHBs replaced by one body, Health NZ, which will instead plan services for the whole population. Health NZ will have four regional divisions but also district offices and there will also be a new Maori Health Authority.

When making the announcement Health Minister Andrew Little said: The current system no longer serves our needs well. Our goal is a health system that helps all New Zealanders to live longer in good health."

Dr Hadden says the new system has the potential to reduce disparities between districts and they have been told one of the main reasons for the reforms is to ensure equity of access to services throughout the country.

At the moment there is just a broad outline of what the reforms will look like and it will take time to reduce inequities, he says.

RANZCO want to see the postcode lottery gone but not at the expense of reducing services in communities that are currently well served, says Dr Hadden.

RANZCO looks forward to continue working with government during the transition period to ensure the best outcomes for patients.

The new system is expected to come into effect in July 2022.
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North Syracuse, N.Y.  A warning was issued to elderly citizens of Central New York Friday after several local seniors lost over $24,000 to grandparent scams or family emergency scams, state police said.

The scam involves an elderly person being asked to give money to a stranger or someone pretending to be a relative under the guise of helping the elderly persons family member with legal or financial issues.

An 83-year-old woman received a call from a man on April 4 claiming to be the lawyer of the womans grandson, troopers said. The man said her grandson had been arrested and needed $9,800 in cash for legal fees, troopers said. The woman got the money and gave it to a courier who arrived at her home, troopers said.

An 87-year-old man fell prey to a similar scheme on April 27, when he received a call from a man pretending to be a lawyer for his grandson-in-law, troopers said. He was tricked into paying the man $15,000 for a fake bail after being told his family member had been arrested, state police said.

The state police have offered several tips for avoiding these scams:

Take a pause. Scammers create a sense of urgency to prey on victims emotions and their love for family members.

Verify any supposed emergency by calling friends and family before sending money. This is especially important if a potential victim has been warned not to do so.

A grandparent may think they would know whether they were speaking to their own grandchild or to an imposter, but it is easy to be fooled. The caller may be crying or the background may be noisy, or the caller may claim the connection is bad.

If the caller purports to be a bail bondsperson, ask where the relative is being held and contact the facility directly. Grandparents can also call their local police department, where officers may be able to call the jail and confirm the story.

Be suspicious of anyone who calls unexpectedly asking to be sent money.

Never send cash through the mail.

Never purchase pre-paid debit cards or gift cards for the purpose of transferring money.

Develop a secret code or password with family members that can be used to verify the identity of family members over the phone.

Ask a question that only the real grandchild would know the answer to, such as what was the name of your first pet?

Set Facebook and other social media settings to private to limit information available to scammers, such as the name of grandchildren.

The Federal Trade Commission received 24,545 complaints in 2020 of people impersonating family members or friends, according to state police. That was up from 20,234 complaints in 2019, troopers said. Nearly 1,400 complaints were filed by people in New York in 2020, troopers said.

State police ask anyone who has been targeted by this scam to file a complaint by completing and submitting a Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau online complaint form or by calling (800) 771-7755.

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.
Any ideas of settling down into normal married life were dashed for Nathan Komar when he returned to Syracuse from his honeymoon on Feb. 4, 1916.

Just as he was about to settle in for his first dinner at home with his new wife, the former Rose Gais, Komar was served with papers by an attorney.

He was being sued for $10,000, roughly $243,000 in todays money, by the indomitable Libbie Kodish, who for the previous five years, had thought she was to become the next Mrs. Nathan Komar.

She told newspapers that Komar had proposed marriage to her in the summer of 1911 when he was 19 and she was 17.

But whenever she pressed him for a wedding date, he told her he was waiting for his economic fortunes to improve. He was earning then just $3.50 a week.

While they waited, they met each others friends, looked at possible wedding venues, and places to live.

But their wedding was never scheduled.

Finally, in September 1915, Kodish demanded that a wedding date be chosen.

He promised her that a wedding would take place before the spring of 1916.

Well, one did. It was just was not with her.

"No siree, I didn't love her." A newspaper sketch of defendant Nathan Komar. Courtesy of World ArchivesCourtesy of World Archives

When Kodish first heard of Komars engagement with Gais, she said she fainted from the shock of it.

Then, she got a lawyer.

The jilted Kodish, which was a favorite adjective for newspaper reporters for her, had hoped to have the papers of her lawsuit delivered during the actual ceremony as a wedding present but the couple married quickly and then left immediately for their honeymoon.

(The Syracuse Herald called their nuptials a hurry-up affair which happened on a Tuesday.)

Libbie Kodishs breach of promise lawsuit, called in Syracuse newspapers at the time as a heart balm suit, was the first of its kind for many years in Onondaga County.

The trial began on May 9, 1916 with jury selection. Supreme Court Judge Leonard Callender Crouch presided.

Interest in the case was high and, during both days of the testimony, crowds completely filled the courtroom.

The public loved to read the salacious testimony between the former lovers and opinions on the case was split along gender lines.

A Herald reporter noticed that men and women had very different ideas about who was right and who was in the wrong.

On one side there was the men:

There were any number of men present. Many of them were married and conversed with each other in regard to what this new woman stuff leads to.

The single men looked a little scared when Kodishs attorney, William Harding, described some gentlemen as fiends in human form and professional heartbreakers.

Women, it was noticed, paid even closer attention to the testimony:

They leaned forward eagerly in the effort to not lose a word. Evidently most of them sympathized with the plaintiff for they said so out and out and hoped shed get good big damages.

One woman was heard to say if her husband was on the jury and didnt bring in a good verdict for that poor girl, hed SEE.

What both sides, and the jury, did see was a master performance by prosecutor Harding, who effectively made an emotional plea on behalf of Libbie Kodish.

For four or five years Nathan courted Libbie and she built up a dream of married bliss, he told the jury. He told her he loved her and would give her a nice home, making a show of affection, and now he says it was all a joke. You cant play with the heartstrings of a woman and then kick her over.

He called Komar a rascal and a reprobate, and said that Libbie should count her lucky stars that she ended up not marrying him.

(The fact the new Mrs. Nathan Komar, Rose Gais, was the daughter of a retired prominent clothing manufacturer in Syracuse, while Kodish was just a poor, working girl, certainly made the case against Komar easier.)

I ask you jurors to treat Libbie like you would your own daughters. For her suffering and troubles, $10,000 is not a cent too much.

Defense attorney Myron Melvin had a much more difficult job.

He argued that his client had never made a promise of marriage.

He asked the jury not to punish Komar for hugging and kissing Kodish, or for taking her out to the movies, theater, and for ice cream all those years.

I think, he told the all-male jury that our experiences as practical men proves that boys and girls at the ages of 17 and 19 will kiss each other  put their arms around each other. In this day of enlightenment, there are some that will say that they should not have kissed until after they were married and others will say that they shouldnt kiss at all, on account of germs. But kissing and hugging is no crime.

The real victim of Rose Komar, who was having to suffer through this trial instead of beginning her happy married life.

Headlines from the May 11, 1916 Herald announces the verdict in Syracuse's "Heart Balm" trial. The court room was packed for both days of the trial. Courtesy of World ArchivesCourtesy of World Archives

It is probably little wonder that the jury returned with a verdict in Kodishs favor in less than three hours.

They awarded her $2,500 in damages. Though it was not the full $10,000 she asked for, the award was, the Syracuse Journal reported, one of the largest ever given for a breach of promise in the county.

Nathan Komar did not pay, was briefly jailed, bailed out by his new father-in-law, and then declared bankruptcy.

Libbie Kodish would celebrate her victory with a relaxing trip to Sayre, Pennsylvania in June where she had friends.

There she met another Nathan, a Nathan Staver, who was a prosperous painting contractor and interior decorator in Sayre. They fell in love.

On July 4, 1916, they were married.

I expect to stay right here in Sayre, she told the Syracuse Herald, and I am not a bit interested in anything at all in regard to Mr. Nathan Komar.

The Journal hoped that her victory in court, and in love, would be a warning to other triflers.

Read more

1986: Feeling drowsy? Maybe this history of Upstates Jolt Cola will perk you up!

1921: Socks, macaroni, and lingerie were some of the items to bid on at Syracuses grab bag auction

1931: The hair flew in Waterloo as two rival barbers competed to be crowned New Yorks fastest

1891-1924: Too short to join the fire department, an Auburn man starts his own, joined by his pony, Thelma

Check out our true-crime podcast

An invention from Upstate NY soon became the preferred method of execution across the United States -- the electric chair. In The Condemned, we trace the history of the chair through the stories of five men who were sentenced to death for their crimes. Explore our series here.

This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle at jcroyle@syracuse.com or call 315-427-3958.
The three villages within the town of Manlius have decided they want residents to decide whether to allow retail marijuana sales in their villages.

Fayetteville, Minoa and Manlius have agreed to allow the public to vote on the issue, instead of having the village government decide, Fayetteville Mayor Mark Olson told Syracuse.com. The publics vote would be binding.

These three municipalities appear to be among the first in Onondaga County to make these decisions.

New York towns, villages and cities have until Dec. 31 to decide if they want to opt out of permitting marijuana retail sales in their communities after New York made recreational marijuana legal.

Towns and villages cant do anything to limit a residents right to possess or consume weed, but they can pass a local law opting out of allowing pot dispensaries within their boundaries.

If a local government does nothing, the community is automatically in. The residents of a community can force a binding vote if they disapprove of the governments decision to opt out.

But villages have a unique power: Their boards are the only ones who can choose on their own to put the decision to a binding vote of the public, according to Peter Baynes, executive director for the New York Conference of Mayors.

The village would first have to opt out, then make the public vote part of that law.

The villages of Fayetteville and Manlius plan to start the process next week to make this happen. Olson said the village leaders want the vote as part of the Nov. 2 general election.

In Minoa, Mayor William Brazill said hes not sure exactly of the villages timeline, but agrees it should be a community decision,' he said. The village will schedule a vote, he said.

Olson said the mayors, trustees and town of Manlius police dont want retail sales in their jurisdictions.

We agreed we dont want to say that we know whats best for our residents,' Olson said. We want them to tell us.

Is your town or village voting to regulate marijuana sales? Contact me anytime at 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com

EDITORS NOTE: On May 20, NJ Cannabis Insider in collaboration with Advance Media New York hosts a virtual business networking event, featuring some of New York states most prominent industry leaders. Tickets are limited.
The power of collaborative teamwork across nations is key

Critical-Care doctors from St. Josephs hospital share how they fought the pandemic, with help from around the world

In terms of contagious disease, COVID-19 may have posed the biggest threat to human life in 100 years. Practices that had worked with previous coronaviruses worked less well, or not at all. Across the globe medical caregivers had to learn how best to treat it, even as patients were filling hospital beds. Members of the critical care team at St. Josephs Health Hospital in Syracuse shared their recollections of how they adapted, and their thoughts on lessons learned. Doctors included:

Brianne Aiello, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, St. Josephs Health, Syracuse, NY

Douglas M. Fetterman, MD, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine & Medical Director of Critical Care Services, St. Josephs Health

Joshua Piticaru MD, Critical Care Medicine, St. Josephs Health

Gagangeet Sandhu, MD, Critical Care Medicine, St. Josephs Health

Q: How and why did you get into medicine, and what is your specialty area?

Dr. Aiello: I had a terrific primary care physician as a young adult who showed me what was possible with medicine. After medical school, once I started clinical rotations, I fell in love with Critical Care and havent looked back.

Dr. Fetterman: At the age of 8, I watched my grandfather die while he was playing cards at the kitchen table. My desire to help other families in similar situations pulled me toward medicine. I specialize in anesthesiology, especially for patients undergoing heart operations, and also in Critical Care Medicine and Extracorporeal life support/ECMO. Im also medical director for Critical Care services.

Dr. Piticaru: I wanted a career where I could be a lifelong learner, solve complex problems, and also be able to care for people. Medicine was the perfect career. I got into medical school in Canada at the age of 20 directly out of undergraduate studies. Now, Im a Critical Care physician.

Dr. Sandhu: Post-high school; my love for science and the fascination to be able to assist in the process of healing the sick was the initial driving force. Ive been a Critical Care physician for about 6 years.

Dr. Brienne Aiello said her team was lucky to be able to learn from colleagues elsewhere around the world, who had been treating COVID-19 before the surge hit Syracuse.

Q: In what ways did you feel prepared for COVID-19? In what ways did you feel unprepared?

Dr. Aiello: The H1N1 flu pandemic hit as I began my internal medicine training. Those patients were my first exposure to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Prone Positioning was something that I was comfortable with prior to the onset of COVID-19. It has been critical in the management of these patients. Fortunately, we had the benefit of learning from our peers who faced COVID prior to the surge we met in Syracuse. There is still a lot to be learned which has been a frustration as we care for these incredibly ill patients.

Dr. Fetterman: I doubt that you can ever truly be prepared for something of this magnitude. I had treated patients with H1N1 swine flu. I spent many nights taking care of young people with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Many were placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines for lung support.

With COVID-19, I was prepared to treat many sick patients, in many ways. What I was not prepared for was how different this disease was and how little we knew about how to treat it. It did not respond as a typical ARDS. Patients became sicker than we would have normally expected, and took longer to recover, if they ever did.

As a medical director, it was even more challenging. No one knew how many people in CNY would be affected. Would we have to ration care in the community? I am staffed for 38 ICU beds but the predictions initially coming in were to prepare for well over 150 ICU patients. Where would we put them? How would we monitor them? Like every other hospital in the country, we have a shortage of nurses. We needed to figure out how to scale services without putting more pressure on our limited staff. We ended up giving lectures to hospitalists and my non-ICU trained anesthesiologists on ARDS management in case we needed to pull from the bullpen.

All the ICU physicians and nurse practitioners and physicians assistants ran toward the fire to help. Pulmonologists and surgeons who havent done ICU work in years offered their help. It was reaffirming to see how many in practice today still believe in their duty to serve.

I was constantly worried my staff would get sick and end up in the ICU. If ever there was a time when I could imagine what it was like to be a military officer in wartime, this was it. The stress at times was taxing. Prior to COVID, my engagement with the leaders of Crouse or Upstate ICUs was nonexistent; with COVID we have developed a collegial network to bounce ideas off each other.

Dr. Piticaru: We are trained to deal with severe illness. What is unusual with COVID-19 is how severe the disease can be in younger patients, and how long the disease course carries on in those that are fortunate enough to survive. We have had patients as young as 20 require life support. Many that survive only do so after two to three weeks of being on a ventilator. The pandemic has also tested our ability to interpret rapidly evolving evidence and guidelines, and to be comfortable with thinking outside of the box. Normally, medicine progresses rather slowly. New major studies come out a few times a year. Practice guidelines are updated every few years. Treatment and approaches to COVID can change by the week. This is both a blessing and a curse - one must sift through thousands of data points and pick out truth.

Dr. Sandhu: It helped that we had the time to prepare (unlike our colleagues in New York City, Italy and China) and had some idea what was working and what was not working. At the same time, it was a novel virus with many unknowns.

Dr. Joshua Piticaru says data show higher survival rates among COVID-19 patients in later stages of the pandemic, something made possible only by global collaboration and information sharing among medical scientists and practitioners.

Q: As you and your colleagues got more experience treating the disease, how did you change techniques, approaches, or medications?

Dr. Aiello: Early practice in COVID was very much flying blind. For example, steroids were very controversial. There were no conclusive data at the time of the initial outbreaks. We were not consistently using steroids and the dosing was variable. Later, the BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) published data demonstrating benefit and that is when we all became more unified in our approach. There had been ongoing debate about the utility of the Anti-IL-6 drugs such as tocilizumab and while the more recent data is stronger, and we are using it more, questions remain on patient selection and timing of dosing. Prone positioning has proven to be valuable throughout.

A year into this pandemic, I am most proud of how adaptable and resilient our Critical Care Team has been. We have shifted paradigms as new data emerged and have consistently used Evidence Based Medicine as the cornerstone of our care. We have excelled at consistently providing excellent ICU care and brought in new ideas and therapies as they were proven to be of benefit.

The emotional toll of this pandemic on all involved has been tremendous. Patients have been isolated. Families unable to visit their loved ones. For our staff, extended work hours, fear of illness, and monumental demands on personal lives. We are up against a formidable enemy, and we have fought with determination, integrity, compassion, and grace.

Dr. Fetterman: SARS-COV1 and MERS, both Coronaviruses themselves, showed worse outcomes with steroids. When I first started getting reports out of NYC that steroids were working on COVID, I was very skeptical because, in medicine, Do No Harm is paramount. As we slowly started using it in our practice, we saw some improvements in patients.

Another difference with this disease was the challenge of when to intubate. Our normal process was to intubate for low blood oxygen. It took time to learn which patients would see greater benefit than harm. Today, we are much less likely to intubate for low blood oxygen as long as a patient is comfortable and not taking such big breaths that they are inducing their own lung injury.

The pandemic became a chance for the public to see the messy way that medicine makes the sausage. In some ways it was good for the public to understand the practice of medicine as an art that is based upon science. The downside was that we in medicine know that evidence changes, studies can be flawed, imperfect, or simply are in the early stages of understanding, but members of the public may not appreciate that medicine is always a work in progress. Intense discussions and debates about therapies generally occur in journal correspondence, at medical society meetings, or in academic gatherings, and those debates are good. Rarely do they play out in the public media.

It was unfortunate that some physicians took to debating their treatment hypothesis on news outlets instead of academic forums. The yearning for answers and miracle therapies during COVID-19 had the public clinging to every word, every possibility, every concern. Some matters of opinion became gospel without evidence -- the hydroxychloroquine story and the convalescent plasma story. Even when the evidence changed, it had already become religion and no longer open for debate in some public minds.

Think of these changes over time like the iPhone 1. Would anyone buy it now that we are on version 12? The existence of the iPhone 12 doesnt mean the iPhone 1 was without value, was wrong, or should have never been released to market. We needed to start somewhere with COVID, test hypotheses based on what we know, then follow the evidence, allow yourself to be open and to question when things dont work as they seem, and ultimately the process of understanding more over time will result in the delivery of better care.

Dr. Piticaru: The data has definitely shown that survival of COVID is improving. By holding off on putting patients on ventilators unless we absolutely have to, we are keeping a select group of patients from complications that come along with that, and it is quite clear if one can avoid going on a ventilator one has better odds of survival. The anti-inflammatory drugs such as steroids and tocilizumab have demonstrable improvement in survival as well.

Medicine is a field where we generally are comfortable with adapting and integrating new information. COVID has accelerated and expanded that. In early 2020, all we knew was that there was a mysterious virus in China causing an unusual pneumonia and high death rates. We have used the scientific process to observe, test and re-evaluate hypotheses and our understanding of the virus and the disease it causes. We have come incredibly far in just over a year. That result was possible only in an era where we can collaborate globally and share information instantly.

Dr. Sandhu: When you are dealing with a novel enemy and are on the frontlines - you adapt and change to win. That is the only constant fact.

Dr. Gagangeet Sandhu said the lesson he took from the pandemic was, "Listen, learn, share, and adapt quickly based on facts and logic. "

Q: Whats the big thing you learned during this pandemic, and how do you hope that influences our approach to the next one?

Dr. Aiello: Teamwork is absolutely critical. Sharing of knowledge and resources is our surest and fastest way through these events. More broadly, to recognize that we are all in this together. The need for communication, clarity, and strong leadership at all levels is essential.

Dr. Fetterman: There is no magic wand. We kept hoping there was some quick and easy answer to the treatment of these patients. What we learned was patience, stick to what we know works, test out new therapies in small groups and then add them in slowly.

My takeaways: First, resources. Healthcare strives for highly efficient use of physical plant and staff. That leaves little wiggle room when it comes to a sudden influx of patients. Most normal times we operate below the staffing levels we need. There is a lack of staffing resources in Central New York. We need more nurses and doctors in Syracuse.

Second: Advanced care planning. COVID is a reminder that the human condition is frail. We should embrace life, live with passion and purpose. Dont wait to tell a friend or relative how much they mean to you. Dont regret being absent in someones life. Most importantly, discuss openly with the ones you love what they would want from the doctors should an unexpected situation occur.

Dr. Piticaru: New potential treatments may make headlines and create excitement, but we have learned to keep a healthy level of skepticism and constantly be on the lookout for quality evidence. We saw this with the hype around drugs like hydroxychloroquine and others, which ultimately give patients and families only false hope and may overall be harmful. This has to be balanced with quickly and accurately determining whether treatments or approaches are beneficial. Additionally, we learned that collaboration is essential  locally, nationally and globally. I am not sure we have fully learned this at this point, but it is the only way out of a pandemic of this scale.

Dr. Sandhu: Listen, learn, share, and adapt quickly based on facts and logic. The fact that we are physicians/scientists is more important than to which country or state or an institute we may belong. The power of collaborative teamwork across nations is the key.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Syracuse lacrosse star Chase Scanlan wrapped his arms and legs around a woman on a bed, refusing to let go and squeezing so tightly that the woman feared she might die, she later told police.

Scanlan and the woman were fighting around 3:30 a.m. April 18 when they fell on the bed in his apartment, he grabbed her and she started screaming, she said.

He continued squeezing and I thought he was going to kill me because I was having difficulty taking in air because of how hard he was squeezing me, the woman said in a police statement.

The woman later got X-rays that showed she suffered bruises to her ribs, but no broken bones, according to her statement.

That statement was filed in court Friday evening as Scanlan was arraigned on charges stemming from the domestic dispute that lasted nearly an entire night.

Scanlan, 21, who was arrested near Manley Field House Friday morning, was arraigned on two charges: misdemeanor criminal mischief and harassment, a violation. He was released from jail just after 9 p.m.

Syracuse lacrosse star Chase Scanlan waits for a ride at the Onondaga County Justice Center after being released from jail following his arraignment on two charges: misdemeanor criminal mischief and harassment, a violation, Syracuse, N.Y., Friday May 7, 2021. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com

Chase has a serious anger management and drinking problem, the woman wrote in her police statement. I desire prosecution against Chase Scanlan...

The womans statement paints a picture of two acquaintances in a drunken argument that began over Scanlans jealousy and ended hours later with her broken phone and a hole in a wall.

Scanlan and the woman got together during a night of drinking and the two began arguing soon after meeting up, she told a Syracuse police detective who took her statement Monday.

The dispute escalated when Scanlan broke her phone in a jealous rage and reached its most violent stage around 3:30 a.m. April 18 when the two began physically fighting at Scanlans apartment, the woman told police.

Scanlans charges stem from two separate incidents during the night: misdemeanor criminal mischief, accusing him of breaking her iPhone by dropping it in a toilet and throwing it to the ground two times, and a non-criminal violation of harassment, accusing him of hitting her with a bathroom door and pushing her to the ground on her back after entering.

Scanlan was not charged in connection over the point in which the woman says she feared for her life. That came after she tried to punch Scanlan in the face for breaking her phone and he responded by immobilizing her with his legs before squeezing her tightly with his arms, according to the police report.

He could not be charged with assault under state law: She would have had to suffer an injury that caused physical impairment and/or substantial pain to rise to the level of a misdemeanor assault charge. Being physically attacked -- even resulting in bruising -- is not enough.

The night of the dispute, the two acquaintances first met while drinking, then took an Uber ride back to his apartment, she told police. The two walked to the womans apartment, she said. They began bickering outside her apartment, and Scanlan left.

The woman said she went into her apartment and bolted two doors, because Scanlan had a history of walking into her apartment unannounced, she told police.

But Scanlan returned and saw her through a window talking to someone else on her phone, the woman told police. He demanded to know who she was talking to.

After letting Scanlan into her apartment, the woman locked herself in her bathroom and frantically began deleting some of her text messages. When she was done, she unlocked the bathroom door.

As Scanlan pushed into the bathroom, the door hit her and he pushed her to the floor, she said. He dropped her phone in the toilet, the woman told police.

At that point, someone else arrived at the womans apartment. Scanlan blocked the other person from coming into the bathroom, the woman said. Scanlan then took the womans cell phone and left, she said.

Then the woman went outside to catch up to Scanlan, who still had her cell phone, she told police. Scanlan threw her cell phone on the ground, shattering its glass, the woman told police.

We continued walking to his apartment, and I was yelling that he needed to buy me a new phone, the woman said in her statement.

At Scanlans apartment, the argument continued in his bedroom, the woman said. Scanlan grabbed her phone again and threw it on the floor, this time leaving broken glass on the carpet, the woman said.

I tried to punch Chase in the face for throwing my phone but he grabbed my hand in mid-air, spun me around so that he was now behind me and we fell onto his bed, the woman said. Once on the bed, he wrapped his legs around my legs so I was now immobile and not able to move. As he was doing this, he began squeezing my upper body with his arms and I started screaming because he was hurting me. He continued squeezing and I thought he was going to kill me...

The woman said the squeezing lasted about a minute before he let go. I was crying hysterically because I was feeling significant pain in my left side rib cage, the woman said.

Scanlan asked her if she wanted to call 911, but the woman said no because she didnt want to get him into trouble, she said.

By this time, it was around 3:30 a.m. and Scanlan began apologizing to her, the woman said.

The two ended up spending the night in Scanlans apartment, she said. By morning on April 18, the two spoke briefly about what had happened, the woman told police. Scanlan promised to help her get a new phone, she said.

After returning to her apartment, the woman found a hole in the wall. She said shes not sure how it got there. (A photo of the hole was later included as part of the investigation.)

Later that day, Scanlan came by the womans apartment to take her to buy a new phone, she told police. Scanlan told her that the bathroom door hit him and he was pushed into the wall, she added.

The womans ribs still hurt on April 29 -- 11 days after the incident -- so she went to the doctor. Thats when she found out she had bruised, not broken, ribs, she said.

Scanlan has since given her $500 toward her new phone, she said.

At the arraignment Friday evening, the judge issued an order of protection that requires Scanlan to stay away from the woman.

Related articles:

Syracuse lacrosse star Chase Scanlan arrested at Manley, jailed on domestic violence charge

Syracuses Chase Scanlan update: This photo of a damaged wall is part of investigation

SU lacrosse coach John Desko: My decision to reinstate Chase Scanlan but he wont travel to Notre Dame

Lacrosse star Chase Scanlan doesnt practice with Syracuse on Tuesday

Syracuse lacrosse captains to Chase Scanlan: If you practice with team, well walk out

Syracuse lacrosse reinstates leading scorer Chase Scanlan

Status of suspended Syracuse lacrosse attack Chase Scanlan remains murky

Syracuse lacrosse star Chase Scanlan suspended indefinitely
lemedico BHPian



Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Delhi,Cambridge Posts: 230 Thanked: 443 Times

Re: The Oxygen Concentrator Thread The most important fact is to understand COVID-19 patients may require 90% Oxygen concentration at 1 to 5 litres per minute (lpm) flow and above 10 lpm when they are suffering from acute respiratory discomfort.



90% oxygen concentration is the most important point here.



1. We can classify oxygen concentrators into small (5 to 10 kg) oxygen concentrator suitable for COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) patients, medium (15 to 19kg) and large (20kg and above) oxygen concentrators are suitable for critical care and for COVID-19 patients.



2. Small oxygen concentrators can have options from 1 lpm to 9 lpm flow but this does not mean you get 90% oxygen at a higher flow like at 5 lpm. In small oxygen concentrators, 90% oxygen concentration is achieved only at lower flows of 1 lpm to 2 lpm. At higher flows, the oxygen concentration drops to 30% as you increase the rate. This is adequate for COPD patients but not for COVID-19 patients.



3. Check the specs of the oxygen concentrator and if you see 90% - 30% or ( 1L/min, 2L/min) means 90% oxygen is available only at 1 lpm or 2 lpm respectively and on higher flow rates, the oxygen drops to 30%. The air we breathe is with 21 % oxygen. So small (5kg to 10kg) oxygen concentrators at higher flow rates give an output of 21 to 30% oxygen means it's mostly blowing air.



4. Weight is the best indicator to understand the oxygen production capacity.



A 5kg to 10kg oxygen concentrator means it has a small compressor, which will only manage to give an output of 90% oxygen at 1 lpm to 2 lpm.



A 15kg to 19kg oxygen concentrator will have a compressor that can easily give an output of 90% oxygen at flows from 1 lpm to 5 lpm (Ideal for COVID-19 patients and critical care patients)



A 20 kg and above oxygen concentrator will have a large compressor, which can give an output of 90% oxygen from 1 lpm to 10 pm. (Ideal for COVID-19 patients and critical care patients and for two patients to use the same machine with accessories)



Please do not only see the output flow of an oxygen concentrator like 5 lpm, 10 lpm or so on. The most important thing is to make sure you get 90% oxygen at the highest flow level.



For a small family with no senior citizens, a 5 lpm at 90% oxygen concentration should be adequate.



For 2 senior citizens or for a big family 10 lpm at 90% oxygen concentration should be good enough as it can support 2 patients at once if the need arises.



Please read the specifications properly, and if required please ask your supplier to show you the oxygen output on an oxygen analyzer at the higher flow rate of 5 lpm or 10 lpm.



POINTS TO BE NOTED:

1. You'll need to crack a window open to allow fresh air to enter the room, as the oxygen would soon deplete in a closed room. -VERY IMPORTANT



2. Do not consider these devices are the ultimate treatment for breathlessness. If one remains unwell, please refrain from consulting the University of Whatsapp, and contact a doctor for further advice. Which sadly for most would be hospitalisation and intensive care.- VERY IMPORTANT



3. Regarding the pricing, in today's Times of India(8th May 2021), Phillips India has released a statement clarifying they are not responsible for the various other no-brand devices being sold under their false name. And also the cost of their device is around the MRP of Rs. 68,000.



4. I am a frontline doctor all throughout the pandemic, serving the patients (In Delhi) directly in the wards since March 2020. I am up to date with the guidelines and treatment strategies. I have recently been felicitated for my services by my alma-mater in the UK. Please feel free to consult me if anyone is unwell and requires a targeted management. I'd include my number here if the admins give me a green light.



Please do NOT copy-paste prescriptions for each other, it is dangerous and an incomplete management of one's condition.



take care Last edited by lemedico : 8th May 2021 at 12:26 . Reason: Corrections in grammar
On Thursday, May 6, four SpaceX astronauts aboard the Dragon capsule successfully came back to Earth after their exploration in the International Space Station (ISS) which lasted for more than 160 days.

There are many words to describe how they plunged into the ocean for their official homecoming from space.

How SpaceX Astronauts Describe Their Return to the Planet

The feat that the Dragon capsule crew could be considered as one of the biggest accomplishments of humanity in terms of space exploration. On early Sunday, May 1, the group managed to land during night time in the ocean, an operation that NASA did in the past after more than 50 years.

According to Victor Glover, one of the Crew-1 astronauts, the SpaceX Crew Dragon's return from the ISS came to the point that he was feeling "really heavy" so he just let himself inhale some air.

Glover also looked back to the cartoons that he watched in the past, and he used it as a reference of his face that sagged down when he was aboard the Dragon capsule to the Earth.

Read Also: SpaceX Starship SN15 Landing Success, Elon Musk Says it is 'Nominal'-Full-Stack Soon?

Moreover, the first Black astronaut to reach the ISS continued that he was expecting for the journey to be "dynamic" and challenging," but it turned out to be less exciting for his expectation yet it was enjoyable during the SpaceX flight.

It is true that when in space, people could experience a heavy feeling in the chest due to the aftermath of the acceleration. That's what Glover has felt throughout the journey, The Strait Times reported.

Yet, it seems that he was fully satisfied with the "launch and entry" of the Dragon capsule together with his other three companions.

Since 2011, the space shuttle program stopped, and NASA has been finding ways to continue what it has started so it decided to collaborate with SpaceX to relive the program.

SpaceX Astronaut Says Civilians Could Experience the Same Feeling One Day

In a report by MSN, another SpaceX astronaut who rode the Dragon, Shannon Walker, said that the landing was "interesting" because no one has expected what's ahead of them. However, she pointed out that there was a "soft" feeling during the splashdown.

Walker added that there is a lesser time spent on the Dragon when a person is on a parachute compared to when a person is under the Soyuz.

As the commander of the SpaceX flight, Walker believes that the Dragon project will have an expansion in the future by allowing the non-astronaut civilians to take part in the space voyage.

According to Mike Hopkins, he is confident that the "space tourists" can withstand the harsh reentry rides.

"After the civilians go through some centrifuge training "it's not going to be completely unique to them," he added.

Meanwhile, Soichi Noguchi, the only Asian astronaut in the Crew-1 group, described their landing as "pretty smooth" and a "great feeling." However, he perceived a "minimal" impact after the splashdown upon detecting the waves in the ocean.

Related Article: Elon Musk Mars: SpaceX CEO Campaigns for Public Support, 'Make Humanity A Multiplanet Species'

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tesla's engineering and development division of the different technology it releases has somehow negated Elon Musk's statement of the timeline of the Full-Self Driving feature, which would not come by 2021. The Tesla Autopilot director has released this via a company memo which has been obtained through the Freedom of Information Act request.

Tesla has been receiving its public relations (PR) statements from none other than its CEO and founder, Elon Musk, but it has not been adding up or lining the same as the feature's actual timeline, as revealed. While the company is indeed working at the Autopilot and Full-Self Driving technology, it is nowhere near its release even by the year's end.

Tesla has recently been involved in different controversies that led to car crashes and accidents, which has pointed fingers at the allegedly flawed Autopilot, which has been claimed as ten times safer than an average vehicle. The review came from the NHTSA and Tesla's vehicles, featuring the Autopilot technology, but has been questioned in recent events.

Read Also: NIO's ES8 Electric SUV to Arrive in Europe: China Electric Car Company Takes on Global Deliveries

Tesla is Not Yet Ready for 2021's Release of the FSD

In a company memo from California regulators and employees' meeting that was obtained by Plainsite.org via the Freedom of Information Act request, Autopilot Director CJ Moore said that Musk does not match "engineering reality." This may mean that Elon Musk may be given false information about the FSD's progress, or the tease may be to hype people for the tech.

It is known that people are constantly bringing up the Tesla FSD's release date in the country, and in the different states, it has, with the owners of the electric vehicle awaiting the feature. In the memo, it stated that Moore has mentioned that the development of the tech is hard and that both the FSD and Autopilot has a different conception in public eyes.

Where is Autopilot, FSD at Tesla's Development Now?

Currently, Tesla's Autopilot feature is still in the Level 2 autonomous rating, meaning that it is only at the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping features. This highly suggests that the Autopilot is at its early stages, and it should only be used with a driver behind the wheel, as the technology is a driver assistance feature only.

According to Tech Crunch, the memo stated that while Tesla might be working on the development of its driverless systems, it is nowhere near completing or achieving Level 5 at the end of this year. Level 5 is the fully autonomous technology, which is also known as the Tesla FSD or Full-Self-Driving that was promised by July.

Related Article: Elon Musk SNL: Tesla Cybertruck Goes on Display in New York Until Sunday, May 9

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Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Epic vs. Apple trial is bringing us down memory lane, as it exposed emails revealing the true extent of, what turns out, the biggest iPhone hack ever. In case it slipped people's memory, in 2015, hackers successfully crept in a potentially dangerous 'XCodeGhost' malware to thousands of iPhone and iPad apps.

Apple, during that time, has been privy to the details of the attack. To add, the company, on their part, said that they notified hundreds of millions of victims. Researchers also estimate that about 4,000 apps are infected.

The said attack, in terms of affected users, is the largest hack that iPhones and iPads ever had. And we're only knowing it now. Thanks to the 'Fornite' Trial for publishing Apple executive's emails.

In exact numbers, the emails also revealed that the duped iPhone users are 128 million globally, and 18 million of them were from the United States.

Dale Bagwell, Apple manager of iTunes customer experience back then, wrote in an email that: "In total, 128M customers have downloaded the 2500+ apps that were affected LTD."

It is to note that the particular figures of the apps injected with the malware were not revealed in the emails. We're forced to settle to the 2500+ estimation of Bagwell. These apps were downloaded a whopping 203 million times in Apple's App Store.

Email also revealed that the Apple employees are grappling to inform the victims of the malware.

Matt Fisher, then Apple vice president for the App Store, wrote: "Due to the large number of customers potentially affected, do we want to send an email to all of them?"

"Just want to set expectations correctly here. We have a mass-request tool that will allow us to send the emails, however, we are still testing to make sure that we can accurately include the names of the apps for each customer," Fisher said. "There have been issues with this specific functionality in the past."

Furthermore, the email also revealed that most of the affected users are from China at 55%. To add, 66% of the downloads are from the Asian country too.

Read Also: Apple Mac Malware Warning: 'An Unusual Infection' on Xcode Projects Compromises 380 IP Addresses

What does Xcode Malware do?

In hindsight: the XcodeGhost malware infiltrated iPhone and iPad apps into deceiving mostly Chinese developers of a compromised version of Xcode, Tech Times reported in 2015.

Moreover, the pseudo-Xcode could potentially steal the user's data. Particularly, passwords from Apple's iCloud service and the user's clipboard. But Apple, Vice reported, said: "the code did not have the ability to request customer credentials to gain iCloud and other service passwords."

Additionally, Chinese developers downloaded the compromised Xcode because the authentic one of Apple is significantly slower to download.

Apps Affected by 'Xcode Malware'

If you're wondering which apps you used in 2015 were part of the attack, here are a few of the most popular apps: WeChat, CamScanner Pro, and the Chinese version of, the then sought-after, Angry Birds 2.

The full list is here.

XCode and CIA

The XCodeGhost was used by the CIA to break into Apple devices, some Snowden documents mentioned. The products were the iPhone, iPad, and Macs.

Related Article: iOS App Tracking Transparency: Nearly All Users Are Opting Out of Ad Tracking, Ongoing Study Claims

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter has been undergoing several flights this year. This 2021 alone, it has already conducted four flights, but its latest trip to Mars is a major milestone for the space agency.

Besides the risky landing on Mars' surface, the fifth aerial trip is on a whole new level since it's a one-way flight to the red planet. The most recent achievement will open a new mission for the aircraft in another dimension.

NASA Ingenuity Helicopter Finishes One-Way Flight on Mars

The robotic solar helicopter is a wonderful creation brought by NASA to venture further on the red planet's soil. Since 2019, it has managed to accomplish four flights, but its fifth and last voyage before carrying out a new mission is a one-of-a-kind feat when it comes to planetary exploration.

The usual visit will involve retracing the path back to the beginning point, but this time, the NASA Ingenuity helicopter has reached an unbelievable height then later landed on the Martian land.

Basically, what NASA sees in Ingenuity's experiment is only a showcase of a simple demo on the red planet. Yet, it seems that the aeronautics company will be making more operations with the space helicopter in the future.

Read Also: NASA Ingenuity Helicopter to Test its Fourth Flight Soon--Five Flights Expected to Operate Before Shifting to Main Mission

Most probably, NASA will be focusing on investigating the rust-colored surface, as well as conducting terrain mapping, scouting, and even letting the Ingenuity helicopter fly to distant locations that seem to be unreachable.

"The ability to fly the helicopter out into terrain that the rover cannot possibly traverse and bring back scientific data - this is extremely important for future missions that could combine a rover with a reconnaissance helicopter," NASA's Perseverance rover project scientist, Ken Farley stated in last week's meeting, Business Insider reported.

The Friday flight is something that surprised NASA. It is expected that the Ingenuity spacecraft should have made use of its rotor blades to fly at 16 feet above at 3:26 PM ET.

Moreover, it was foreseen that it would head to the south for 423 feet passing through the Martian craters and soil. The task will be much easier for the aircraft since it has conducted terrain mapping after its flight a week ago.

In a sudden turn of events, the NASA Ingenuity helicopter did not turn back. It would likely elevate for 33 feet in the air at the end of the flight path.

The NASA engineers predicted the altitude to be "impossible" for the robot since it was programmed to gradually decelerate while going on a landing on the red planet's Jezero crater. Indeed, the Ingenuity's first one-way flight is a great jumpstart for future helicopter missions.

What's Next for NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter?

According to a report by AP News, the first phase was now finished for the helicopter. Now, the Mars Perseverance rover could begin its brand-new mission. It will be looking for potential signs of microscopic life on the red planet.

Before coming back to Earth, the core samples will be gathered.

Related Article: NASA Mars Ingenuity: Scientific Exploration Coming Soon, Would Not be 'Abandoned' After Surviving Tests

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Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Screenshot From Commons.Wikipedia.org) No Vaccine No Entry | Over 100 US Colleges & Universities Require Students to Get Vaccinated

A number of college students are reportedly hesitant about receiving the new COVID-19 vaccination, and they might have to rethink their decisions. Since a lot of colleges in the United States move toward the end of the current spring semester, a brand new procedure is now taking shape for their reported return.

US Colleges and Universitiies to Require Students to be Vaccinated

According to the story by Kvia, over 100 US colleges and universities reportedly stated that they will be requiring their students to get vaccinated against the dreaded COVID-19 well before they can return to the campus for the upcoming fall semester, according to the reports of a CNN tally. Some time earlier this month, the tally actually indicated that there will be at least 14 different universities and colleges that were adopting this new policy.

Ever since then, there have reportedly been dozens of higher educational institutions that have decided to jump on the whole bandwagon, demonstrating the actual trajectory of vaccine requirements. A number of schools have noted that they will be making exemptions for religious, medical, or personal reasons.

Only Vaccinated can Enter

Just recently, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Drew University, Washington State University, and even the University of Portland were among the number of institutions to join the list. A number of schools adopting the policy are actually private. However, some public schools have adopted the policy as well.

The university said in a previous statement that consistent with the increasing consensus of colleges and universities all around the country, UMass Lowell will reportedly require all of the commuter and residential students to be fully vaccinated before beginning the fall semester. They will require students to be COVID-19 vaccinated to live, learn, or even visit any of the UMass Lowell campus or property.

Read Also: Australian Man Arrested For Placing Fake COVID-19 QR Codes Over Official Ones to Re-Direct People to Anti-Vaxx Sites

Demographic of Those Not Wanting to Get Vaccines

The University of Portland decided to take the policy even further and announced that students, faculty, and staff will be receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. The statement from University of Portland stated that they recognize that not all of the areas of the country or the world actually have equity in access to the COVID-19 vaccine. They reportedly note that they commit to providing assistance to their employees and students.

Quinnipiac University poll reportedly found 36% of adults well under the age of 35 actually do not plan to get vaccinated. This is actually a problem because COVID-19 cases as well as hospitalizations have reportedly been increasing. According to CNN, younger adults, where most are not vaccinated, account for the whole uptick. This was according to the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

Rutgers University in New Jersey had reportedly become the one of the first universities to mandate the use of coronavirus vaccines for their students ahead of the coming fall semester. It is now expected that the other institutes would potentially follow suit.

Related Article: Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine: 'Extremely Effective' Against UK and South Africa Variants' Harmful Effects, Not a Booster Like Moderna

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Written by Urian B.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Apple, in a recent survey with its users, hinted about blood glucose monitoring. It may suggest that the next Apple Watch would carry the feature in 2022.



Apple sent out the new survey to Apple Watch users in Brazil to learn more about how they monitor their health data, 9to5Mac reported. The website was able to obtain a screenshot of the survey from a Brazilian reader.

Read More: iOS App Tracking Transparency: Nearly All Users Are Opting Out of Ad Tracking, Ongoing Study Claims

Apple is Curious Which Feature Is Most Used

More specifically, the Cupertino company queried about other apps its users utilize to monitor medication, eating habits, and, the recently reported, blood sugar levels.

The survey on its health dedicated features section surveyed about current watchOS features. Some of them were: stand-up reminders, the Workout app, activity rings, and step counting. In addition, Apple wanted to know from their users which of the said features are highly used.

The said features above are why Apple Watch has been popular to today's consumers, 9to5 claimed in its report.

It even stretches to the extent of detecting cardiovascular diseases through the data it emits, a Stanford study suggests.

Apple and Third-Party Apps

Afterward, Apple also asked about which features from third-party apps are users favoring. Among the survey options mentioned tracking workouts and monitoring eating habits, which included hydration and nutrition, medications, and blood glucose levels.

The mentioned features are not available on the smart wearable of Apple. But, one of it concerning blood sugar was hinted at before.

The said feature has been speculated since a United Kingdom startup in an SEC filing suggested the next features of the Apple Watch.

Apple Watch and Needleless Glucose Monitoring

Aside from the needleless blood sugar monitoring, the mentioned features are alcohol levels tracking and blood pressure tracking.

Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that 1 out of 10 Americans have encountered diabetes. These patients will soon enjoy, if the rumors are true, a needle-free tracking of blood sugar.

Thus, it is safe to say that a feature like this would be significant development not just for Apple Watch, but for the general public too.

Apple Hinting New Features

Some may find the incident of hinting at a new feature in a survey familiar. This is because, as iMore reported, Apple, in the past, surveyed its users if they used the wall charger and earphones from the box of their newly purchased iPhone.

Afterward, Apple removed both accessories from the iPhone box. Users will now need to buy them separately. It was, after all, based on a survey from its users.

Related Article: iPhone 6 User Sues Apple After Smartphone Explodes Due to Alleged Defect; Here Are The Things to Avoid to Prevent This

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Violence displaces 250,000 in 2 weeks in greater Mogadishu: UN

Xinhua) 11:08, May 08, 2021

MOGADISHU, May 7 (Xinhua) -- More than 250,000 people have been displaced in the past two weeks in violence and generalized insecurity in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and its environs, the United Nations humanitarian agency has said.

The displacement took place in Banadir, Berdale and Badweyn, including nearly 200,000 in Mogadishu, in Banadir region, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

"The violence has also created uncertainty and disrupted delivery of humanitarian assistance. Access remains a challenge to humanitarian operations in Mogadishu with several districts inaccessible," OCHA said in its latest displacement update released on Thursday evening.

An estimated 14,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) that have settled in 26 sites in Garasbaly and Kahda districts have not yet received assistance, the UN agency said, adding that the IDPs are in acute need of food, shelter, non-food items, protection and health assistance.

It said humanitarian partners have scaled up responses to meet immediate needs in Berdale and Badweyn.

Humanitarian flights to Berdale, which were were suspended a year ago, have resumed, delivering much-needed shelter and non-food items for IDPs.

Many Somalis were seen fleeing their homes in Mogadishu following an outbreak of violence on April 25 between government and pro-opposition forces over the extension of terms of both executive and legislature arms of government by two years.

However, there has been relative calm since President Mohamed Farmajo dropped the plan and agreed to hold elections under an electoral model agreed on Sept. 17, 2020.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Earthen spoils, stretching across the center of this photograph, contribute to blocking the flow of water from slews that empty into the Williams Canal, foreground, pointed out by Dean Wilson, founder and executive director of the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, during a Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019 tour of the canal, used by Bayou Bridge Pipeline builders. The Basinkeeper says this is a failure by Bayou Brigde to do all of the construction remediation work required under their permit. The Basinkeeper, Gulf Restoration Network and the Louisiana Crawfish Producers Association-West filed a complaint with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Monday.
Charitable groups in St. Landry Parish are banding together to support families devastated by Saturdays tornado in Palmetto.

The H.O.P.E. Alliance Community Development Corporation, affiliated with New Life Church of God in Palmetto, has partnered with the St. Landry Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Acadiana, to launch a fund to provide immediate relief to storm victims.

Roger Erickson with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles said in a preliminary report the tornado was an EF3 with maximum winds of approximately 140 miles per hour, which first touched down around 2:06 a.m. and cut a path 8.7 miles long through the Palmetto area of St. Landry Parish. The storm killed 27-year-old Jose Antonio Higareda and injured seven others.

In total, 15 homes were damaged or destroyed along the tornados path, numerous trees and power lines snapped, and barns, outbuildings and other outdoor structures were destroyed. The most severe damage was along Bolden Road.

Dale Fontenot, president of the H.O.P.E. Alliance Community Development Corporation, said residents in Palmetto immediately began reaching out for ways to assist the impacted families as news of the storm spread Saturday. The nonprofit usually works in youth and young adult spaces offering educational support and food security assistance in the area. Fontenot said the H.O.P.E. Alliance recognized they had the infrastructure and community relationships in place to ramp up quickly in response to residents pressing post-storm needs.

This has affected the whole community. Palmetto is a spread out community but very close knitThe very culture of this area is about helping one another, Fontenot said.

The nonprofit president said the H.O.P.E. Alliance and St. Landry Foundation are working with the village of Palmettos leadership, the local water district and parish government as needs assessments are completed to determine how best to distribute any funds raised.

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Supporters can donate online at the H.O.P.E. Alliance Palmetto Tornado Relief Fund page on the Community Foundation of Acadianas website, or by mailing checks payable to the Community Foundation of Acadiana with H.O.P.E. Alliance in the memo line to 1035 Camellia Blvd., Suite 100, Lafayette, LA 70508.

St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard said families have immediate needs such as clothing, food and personal care items they need to get back to a semblance of normal life while beginning to slog through the process of insurance claims and potential disaster relief assistance. The parish president said in some cases families didnt have insurance, or their insurance policies have high deductibles or coverage gaps that wont provide full support.

Bellard said the St. Landry Parish community has an obligation to take care of their people.

Put yourself in their shoes. All of a sudden you wake up tomorrow and you dont have anything  not even the clothes you had on your back the day before. Put yourself in their shoes and do what you can to help them, because if youre ever in need theyre going to do the same for you, he said.

Van Reed, St. Landry Parish director of emergency preparedness, said he and his team are coordinating with charitable groups and disaster relief organizations like the American Red Cross and Catholic Charities to assist families with immediate needs.

Theyre also forwarding disaster assessments and reports to the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness so the state can determine if Saturdays severe weather should be declared a state disaster area. If it is, the state can request a federal emergency declaration from President Joe Biden, which will trigger FEMA assistance, he said.

Bellard has declared a local state of emergency over the tornado and severe weather event.

Reed said the parish is asking anyone who suffered damage due to the tornado and Saturdays severe weather to file a report at damage.la.gov. The reports support the states evaluation to determine if the storm event and tornado should be classified as a disaster. The online portal will close Sunday, he said.
Weather researchers from Norman, Oklahoma on Monday were employing drones to comb the St. Landry Parish area near the site of a Saturday tornado that claimed a life and destroyed or damaged at least 16 homes.

Meanwhile, occupants of most of the residences had found shelter, at least temporarily, by Monday. Housing was being sought for one resident, an elderly man, whose home was destroyed, Van Reed, director of the St. Landry Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said.

In addition to the damage to homes, a portion of a nearby levee and a nearby convenience store also sustained damage from the tornado, Reed said. The U.S. Corps of Engineers was expected to travel to St. Landry to make inspections on the levee.

And an owl, apparently injured in the storm, was recovered in the affected area and treated locally. Reed said he found the bird near a home where he had stopped to check for injured residents. The owl had about a 50 percent chance of surviving after treatment, said Letitia Labbie of the Acadiana Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Inc., who retrieved and treated the bird Saturday.

Roger Erickson, National Weather Service in Lake Charles, said researchers connected to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Oklahoma were studying vegetation to better determine the tornados path.

It was a bad storm. The good news is the research side of the investigation. They are going over fields, wooded areas, trying to determine how wide the storm was and in which directions it moved, Erickson said.

He said research results, if helpful, may eventually filter back to the forecasters in the field to help predict or warn about storms. The tornado was a typical one for this time of year, he said; March, April and May are busy tornado months. Tornados from the same system that spun through St. Landry from the west also headed east toward Florida and northeast toward Arkansas.

The tornado touched down at 2:06 a.m. Saturday on Bolden Road in St. Landry Parish, destroying several homes. The NWS report said in a report on social media:

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One single wide mobile home that was tied down rolled numerous times for over 320 yards. One man died in this home. A double wide mobile home next door rolled for over 100 yards. Two people were seriously injured. A third home on pilings slid over 50 yards, with 5 people inside, who received cuts and bruises.

In addition to the lone fatality, two people were transported to hospitals outside of St. Landry Parish, Reed said. Both victims were stable Monday.

In addition, trees were felled, powerlines snapped, and some barns and outbuildings were destroyed by the tornado, which was rated as an EF-3, with winds of 140 mph. The length of the storm path was 8.7 miles, the tornados width was about 200 yards.

Erickson said warning was issued by the NWS at 1:42 a.m., a heads-up that sounded on peoples phones and expired at 2:15. He said neighbors in the affected area reported hearing the warnings. A second warning was issued at 2:11 a.m. and lasted well beyond the tornados time on the ground, which ended at 2:18 a.m.

Reed, who was still sifting through ruins in the rural area Monday, said four homes were destroyed, three had major damages and three had minor damages. He said three mobile homes were destroyed; three had major damages. But those totals may increase, he said.

27-year-old man killed when tornado, 130-140 mph winds rip through St. Landry Parish The man killed when a tornado ripped through a stretch of homes in Palmetto early Saturday has been identified as 27-year-old Jose Antonio Hig

One donkey was killed in the storm and was buried Saturday. One goat was killed, trapped under a house. Some cattle may have died, he said.

Labbie said she operates the Acadiana Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation from her two-bedroom home on 5 acres in the Youngsville area. She funds the operation herself with occasional donations and keeps as many as two dozens birds of prey at a time for rehabilitation, as well as other animals. She said she has overseen the rescue and rehab operation for more than 40 years.
Amazon.com's new 111,918-square-foot South Baton Rouge Distribution Center in Industriplex near Siegen Lane and Interstate 10. The developer and the general contractor for the Amazon fulfillment center that will be built at Cortana Mall will hold an online question and answer session next week for local companies interested on bid opportunities for the massive project.
With winds up to 140 mph, a tornado that carved a nine-mile path through St. Landry Parish on April 9 into the next morning killed one person, injured seven and damaged 15 homes.

About 180 miles north in Shreveport, the same storm system killed a 48-year-old man when a powerful gust knocked a tree onto his mobile home.

The severe weather came just weeks after a tornado outbreak wreaked potentially millions of dollars in damage from flash floods, harsh winds and hail in Louisiana and surrounding states.

Some experts say the storms are part of an alarming trend: tornadoes are spinning up more often in Louisiana. A recent analysis by E&E News of the past 70 years of tornado activity in the southeastern United States shows tornado activity in the Deep South is more prevalent than once thought.

Increased attention on tornadoes in the South has given rise to a belief and public perception that the traditional tornado alley in the Great Plains is shifting southeast. But several experts say that likely isnt the case.

We need to be very cautious with the idea of tornado alley shifting, said Sean Sublette, a meteorologist for Climate Central, an organization that researches climate change and its impacts. Tornadoes are not leaving the Plains and migrating to the Southeast.

'It was a bad storm': Researchers assess growing toll of powerful St. Landry tornado Weather researchers from Norman, Oklahoma on Monday were employing drones to comb the St. Landry Parish area near the site of a Saturday torna

Instead, theres been an increased focus on tracking tornadoes in whats sometimes referred to as Dixie Alley, an area covering the lower Mississippi River valley and through the Deep South. The area also covers northern and central Louisiana.

Tornadoes commonly seen in the South and the ones that typically spin up in Louisiana are often tough to spot and arent as eye-catching and iconic as those captured by storm chasers in the Great Plains.

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Still, rougher terrain and a plethora of manufactured homes make concentrated twisters more perilous in southeast states.

Deaths caused by tornadoes have been slowly ticking up over the past four years in Louisiana. At least five people were killed by them last year, up from two in 2016, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Storms that produce tornadoes in Dixie Alley have also been undercounted for years, said Brad Bryant, science and operations officer at the National Weather Service in Shreveport. It wasnt until the late 90s and early 2000s that researchers began taking a closer look at how often they happen.

I think the general weather community got more of a sense that there are a whole lot more tornadoes happening in the Southeast than previously thought, Bryant said. Theres more understanding of these tornadoes.

Understanding how frequently they happen in the region has prompted agencies like the National Weather Service to look closer at where tornadoes happen over the years.

Often, the agency will send survey teams to check for signs of a twister, but it can sometimes be days before theyre able to confirm whether one touched down.

Thats because tornadoes here tend to be short-lived, especially near the coast, and coverage from trees and rain can mask them. Theyre also generally weaker than those in the Great Plains, but their sporadic nature and ability to spin up during storms can make them just as dangerous.

One theory behind the increase in tornadoes in southern states is areas in the southwestern U.S. becoming hotter and drier. That in turn could be creating a wetter and more unstable atmosphere thats capable of producing more tornadic activity.

Experts have also observed differences in the numbers of violent storms that coincide with ocean temperatures. Because of the cyclical nature of weather patterns, more data over a longer period is needed to see if tornadoes are happening more frequently in Louisiana, Bryant said.
Letters: Can John Kennedy pipe down until we elect someone capable to U.S. Senate?
Louisiana legislators have always known that when their ideas are a bridge too far for their colleagues, they can save face by turning their bill into a study resolution  gather facts, see what other states do, regroup to fight another day.

Thats how the effort to legalize prostitution ended on Tuesday. Usually, few lawmakers disagree with launching studies.

You cant swing a cat without hitting a study, Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, said Wednesday when it appeared that accepted truth was about to change in a windowless State Capitol room.

River Ridge Republican Sen. Kirk Talbot proposed studying how to provide help for family members who care for their elderly or disabled at home rather than packing them off to a nursing home. Democratic President Joe Biden recently included $400 million in the stimulus package to help states expand home- and community-based offerings.

For once, opposition wasnt partisan.

The Louisiana Nursing Home Association rallied a nothing to see here, citizens argument and the Senate Health & Welfare Committee moved along to kill Talbots study resolution on a 7-1 bipartisan vote.

Like the Louisiana Association of Business & Industry members, those linked to the Louisiana Nursing Home Association are among the states most generous political donors. And like the river pilot groups, the third of the top three sources for campaign contributions, the nursing home industry doesnt discriminate with its largesse  giving something in the neighborhood of $4 million to lawmakers of both parties, a quick scroll through Louisiana Ethic Boards records indicated.

The last study is eight years old, Mizell said, referring to an analysis done on home-based care by the Louisiana Department of Health.

Why wouldnt we be open to finding a better way? We all just went through a debacle with care for the elderly during COVID, Mizell added.

Nationally, more than 174,000 people died in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes during the pandemic, often without family being able to visit their loved ones.

Home- and community-based services would help family members by providing home visits from nurses and physical therapists; access to medical equipment; support for hygiene, clothing, eating; guidance on how to turn the bedridden; and other personal needs, such as transportation. Families annually spend about $7,000 of their own money to help their loved ones at home, according to AARP.

Complex federal rules require states to use, mostly, Medicaid to pay for long-term care at nursing homes. States also can get waivers to those rules for some individuals to care for their elderly or disabled family at home, but theres not much money for that option.

State now serves 10,000 developmentally disabled people: "Let's get rid of the wait list' On Feb. 9, Rebecca Ellis received a letter in the mail that she'd waited more than 10 years to see. Her 13-year-old son Jackson, who has devel

Twenty-five states, as of November 2020, offer home-based care on a par with nursing homes. Talbot wants Louisiana to be No. 26. But facing withering opposition, he turned his bill into a resolution asking the Louisiana Department of Health to look into what it would take to do adopt such a plan.

Health department officials said such a study would require a monstrous amount of time and dollars.

First, theyd have to decide what services to offer and to whom. Theyd have to figure out how those services would be delivered. Only then could they bring in actuaries to calculate the rates. Eighteen, maybe 48 months, at a cost of about $2.5 million for the first year and perhaps $500,000 a year thereafter until complete, said Tara LeBlanc, the states interim Medicaid executive director.

Mark Berger, of the Louisiana Nursing Home Association, held up a thick book to point out dozens of previous studies. There is simply no evidence, where this was implemented, where access to home-based services increased, where care improved or that it saves money, he testified.

+5 Special report: Labeled 'a good-ol' boy system,' politicians in no rush to reform unpopular nursing homes A team of government experts and industry stakeholders spent more than two years painstakingly crafting a plan that would have reduced Louisianas expensive and unpopular reliance on nursing homes to house the states most helpless residents.

We have good nursing homes and bad ones. Statistically, its not great. I want to give people the option to stay at home, Talbot said. He then modified his resolution to remove the expensive bit about calculating rates, though costs are the main thing legislators would look at when determining whether to expand access to home-based care.

The vote is really philosophical, said Chairman Fred Mills, R-Parks, before his Senate Health & Welfare committee shot down Talbots study request.
More 16 and 17 year-olds believe the media has exaggerated the issue of climate change than recent school leavers and scepticism in this age group has grown in the past two years.

However, four out of five 16- and 17-year-olds in a recent survey do not believe the issue is exaggerated, while most polls show young people generally are overwhelmingly concerned about climate change.

The findings are from a wide-ranging report on Generation Z by research organisation Millennial Future, based on a nationally representative survey of 1018 Australians aged 16-20 conducted in April.

Maria Tynan, 17, says the media just make it seem so bad that it seems completely unbelievable. Credit:Nikola Kinder

In one question survey respondents were asked to agree or disagree with the statement: I believe the science of environmental issues such as climate change has been exaggerated and is less of an issue than what we are led to believe in the media.
So it is no surprise that the divorce announcement from Bill and Melinda Gates, after 27 years and three children, has fascinated us. Sydney Morning Herald and Age readers were more interested in reading about the divorce online than just about anything else this week. Why would the Gates split up now? Who will get what? Who did what to whom? Why not just live in separate houses if you dont like each other much anymore? What was the straw that broke the marriages back? I dont know if we are interested because we enjoy cautionary tales, or because we are happy to hear that money, indeed, does not buy happiness of the marital kind. Perhaps both. On the recommendation of a friend, I am re-reading Jane Eyre, my favourite novel and a marriage plot par excellence.

Charlotte Bronte married late for her time (a spinsterly 38) and the marriage was short because she died soon afterwards, probably from the effects of dehydration brought on by severe morning sickness. In that way, Brontes own marriage plot was her demise, and Im not sure if thats a metaphor or just very bad luck. Jane Eyre is preoccupied with questions of marriage versus independence, and the extent to which we should compromise our own true selves in the pursuit of romantic love. Its eponymous heroine was radical for her time because she valued her freedom and personal integrity above the security of marriage, twice knocking back proposals, because to accept them would have meant compromising her sense of self to an extent she knew she couldnt bear. And Jane is desperately poor, so the personal cost to her remaining single is high.

Of course (spoiler alert) she ends up marrying Rochester  but only after he is free to do so. And only after he is lowered to being something of a dependent on her, rendered blind by a fire which is the culmination of the books Gothic woman-in-the-attic subplot (if written today, Rochester would surely be viewed as an abusive monster for imprisoning his mentally ill wife, but that is not the concern of this particular column). Loading Jane Eyre is an unusual and revolutionary novel because even though its heroine ends up achieving the aim of the marriage plot (getting married), her character is defined by her refusals of marriage, and her insistence she will only enter into the contract on her own terms. Even when Jane does finally tie the knot, she subverts the genre by turning herself into the subject, not the object, with one of the most terrific sentences in literature: Reader, I married him.

Contemporary American novelist Jeffrey Eugenides wrote a 2011 book called The Marriage Plot which was a modern play on the old trope. In the book, Eugenides has an English professor complain that in the days when success in life had depended on marriage, and marriage had depended on money, novelists had a subject to write about. Sexual equality, good for women, had been bad for the novel, and divorce has undone it completely, he continues. What would it matter whom Emma [Bovary] married if she could file for separation later? ... now your heroine would just have a custody battle and remarry. The Gates marriage, and its end, seems to be the real-life manifestation of this dilemma.

So many people who have married young(ish), and have managed to attain financial security (in their case, this is more than true  they are some of the richest people in the world), are married for a long time. After being ground down by the pressures of raising a family and carrying on careers, they might start thinking, what next? Perhaps it is the realisation that maybe marriage isnt the end, that freedom and independence might be preferable to its comforts, that interests so many people. In their carefully worded statement, Bill and Melinda Gates said that we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives. Their marriage plot turns out not to have been an ending, but a phase, with the next chapter open.
In her consultations with patients, Genea fertility specialist Dr Kate Mcllwaine says many couples assume the issue is with the female reproductive system, so it often comes as a surprise to patients when I diagnose male factor infertility. Loading But a growing body of research about the males role in fertility is slowly turning the conversation away from just women. Only a few weeks ago, news that we could reach a zero sperm count in the West shocked the world, with New York-based environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Shanna Swan writing in her new book Count Down that following current projections, sperm counts are set to reach zero in 2045. Its an explosive claim, but one established from a 2017 systematic review which looked at 185 studies based on the semen samples of nearly 43,000 men between 1973 and 2011. Swan  a co-author  found that sperm quality and quantity has been steadily declining since the 1970s by about 1 to 2 per cent, which if continued will result in her claim of zero by 2045. And while some researchers say this stark difference could be related to limited data (most of the 43,000 men analysed came from the west) it nonetheless raises an important question: what do we do about the plummeting sperm counts in the Western world?

Historically, there has been way too much emphasis placed on female fertility and infertility  we know that its definitely a 50-50 issue, says Monash IVF deputy director and senior lecturer in reproductive biology at the University of Melbourne, associate professor Mark Green. While womens ability to conceive plummets after age 35, male fertility decline is more subtle  but can be just as impactful. While men over the age of 40 can still sire children, Dr Green says their offspring tend to have a much greater chance of being on the autism spectrum or developing other neurological disorders. So you can have a female in her 20s and a male in his 40s, and while she is very fertile, the likelihood of their child having an issue is much higher than if the father was younger, he says. There is a difference between conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy  even if a sperm can fertilise, it doesnt mean the long-term health of the offspring wont be affected. Aside from factors such as cultural shifts towards having smaller families, contraception and the rising cost of children, everywhere chemicals found in plastics, cosmetics and pesticides that affect endocrines make it harder to conceive.

Many people are unaware that products they use in daily life contain chemicals called endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that may reduce a couples ability to have a baby, says Professor Green. Some common examples of EDCs include bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, which are used in childrens products, personal care products and food containers, and flame retardants used in furniture and floor coverings. Men generally dont talk as openly as women about this, and I think this contributes to how hard it can be when male factor infertility is at play. However, the worst chemicals  called PFAS  are found in Teflon products, as well as in the lining of pizza and popcorn boxes, Professor Green says. Theyre called the forever chemicals because theyre heat resistant and dont break down easily, he says. Studies show that about 95 per cent of people have EDCs in their bodies and that people who struggle to conceive often have higher levels of some EDCs.

Viewing infertility through the lens of being able to conceive places the blame more on the woman and psychologically minimises the role of the male, whose masculinity and sexual prowess is often conflated with the ability to impregnate a woman, says Professor of Psychiatry at The Alfred and Monash University Jayashru Kulkarni. A man can be very good as a lover, but be infertile  and the two things often get confused, she says. Professor Kulkarni points out that stories about men fathering children well into their old age  we hear anecdotes about Picasso fathering children into his 70s  make people believe that that is the primary role of the man in the fertility process. David Allcock and his wife struggled with infertility for three years before starting IVF. Moreover, women and children are bracketed together and child rearing, as well as childbearing, is seen as a female role, so this is perhaps why the male role is not seen as critical, she says.

When chef David Allcock from Orange, NSW found out his sperm were moving slower than usual, he didnt fully comprehend what it meant. I had no idea really, no thoughts about it and did not consider the fact that I had a problem at all, he says. Definitely this is not something males think about; its usually left up to the woman. At the time, Allcock and his wife had been trying unsuccessfully for three years to have a baby, and even after tests showed his sperm motility (how fast the sperm swims) was reduced, the GP did not make a big deal of it. Even after another round of tests, our doctor said it was fine and to keep trying naturally, Allcock, 37, says. Eventually they realised time was running out, and the couple decided to try ICSI IVF.

It all worked out the first time, from the same batch: we now have three children, aged five, three and eight months, as well as my wifes first son. Loading While Allcock says hes always been comfortable with his masculinity, he says he copped a bit of slack in his regional town and had some uncomfortable conversations [about his own fertility]. Dr Kate Mcllwaine sees a similar sentiment among her patients. Men generally dont talk as openly as women about this, and I think this contributes to how hard it can be when male factor infertility is at play. Allcocks advice to other men out there with infertility issues is to seek help and advice as soon as possible: it may surprise you how easily certain issues can be found and dealt with.
Hundreds of Australians who made it on the last flights out of India have left hotel quarantine just in time for Mothers Day.

But for many the celebrations are bittersweet because the joy of being reunited with their children is tempered by guilt or grief over their own parents.

Nusrat Aga with her three children (from left) Daanya, 15, Zainah, 10, and Sabeeka, 23. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Nusrat Aga, who has three daughters, age 23, 15 and 10, arrived home last week, after six weeks in Mumbai and two weeks in quarantine.

The little one just cant stop telling me, Im so glad youre back, I cant believe youre back and she cant stop hugging me, Mrs Aga said.
I overheard a conversation this morning in a cafe, So nice to be able to meet in these post-COVID times. Then she checked herself, if we can say we are post-COVID.

It turns out we cant. A Sydney couple who tested positive for COVID-19 despite no known links to travel, quarantine, or hospitals, highlight Australias vulnerability. It remains to be seen how long the chain between the patient and the source is, and whether other clusters will emerge.

Doctors have been reporting cancellation of vaccination appointments. Credit:Edwina Pickles

Vaccination is necessary to reach the post-COVID-19 era. The federal government reports 2.4 million doses have been given so far. But confidence is falling. One in six Australians say they will never be vaccinated. (Up from 1 in 12 in August last year.) Another 42 per cent say they will  but not just yet. This is what we call vaccine hesitancy. People who dont believe that the vaccine contains 5G or that COVID is a plandemic nonetheless have concerns. Blood clots associated with AstraZeneca have led to a rise in hesitancy. Only 37 per cent are happy to take whichever vaccine they are offered.

This is already having an impact. There are reports of cancellations and unused doses. Many Australians over 50 are saying they want to delay the vaccine and wait possibly six months for Pfizer  this has huge implications for vaccine coverage/community protection.
The Parramatta diocese of the Catholic church has yielded to a backlash from parents and priests over its opposition to a bill that would ban the discussion of gender diversity in schools.

As The Sun-Herald previously revealed, the Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta (CEDP) split from Catholic Schools NSW, the statewide body, by opposing Mark Lathams anti-trans education bill - which has also been strongly condemned by LGBTQI groups and advocates.

Catholic Schools NSW boss Dallas McInerney, One Nation NSW leader Mark Latham and Catholic Education Diocese Parramatta head Greg Whitby

In its submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the bill, the CEDP described Mr Lathams proposal as counter to promoting and respecting the human dignity of all and an unacceptable incursion into the professional judgement of Catholic schools and school systems.

But this provoked a backlash from some priests and parents in the diocese who accused the Bishop of Parramatta, Vincent Long Van Nguyen, of heresy and called on him and CEDP boss Greg Whitby to resign.
We are told that all appointees are appropriately qualified. Maybe they have the minimum qualifications but were they the best available candidates? Probably not in many cases but we will never know. There is no accountability.

The list of well-paid jobs given to former Liberal MPs and staffers ( Labor dubs 2021 year of the mate for Liberal appointees , The Sunday Age, 2/5) is disturbing.

The exposure of this snouts in the trough culture highlights the rank hypocrisy of the Prime Ministers confected outrage at four Australia Post executives each being given a $5000 bonus in the form of a Cartier watch.

Tony Ralston, Balwyn North

Qualified, but how?

Regarding all the recent Liberal appointees to plum, extremely well-paid positions, Michaelia Cashs spokesman stated that all appointees are appropriately qualified.

But does that mean they were the best qualified? Or does the appropriately mean they were connected to the Liberal Party?

Marie Nash, Balwyn

They must be monitored

The influencer industry has another, darker side to it than simply not disclosing advertisements (Influencers forced to look in mirror and face up to rules of advertising, The Sunday Age, 2/5).

Many influencers who call themselves wellness warriors have YouTube channels with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, mainly impressionable teenagers.
Last time we celebrated Mothers Day, Victoria was a very different place, almost on another planet.

Brett Sutton, the Victorian Chief Health Officer who was just becoming a household name, announced that morning: Todays increase in cases illustrates once again that while we have been flattening the curve, our battle against COVID-19 is far from over. The daily coronavirus announcement reported an increase of 10 new cases, bringing the running total to 1487.

Restaurants are breathing a sigh of relief for this Mothers Day.

The initial shock of the epidemic  the fights over toilet paper  was a couple of months behind us, but the Cedar Meats outbreak showed how vulnerable we still were and the second wave proper, sparked by hotel quarantine breaches, was still in the future.

And we were in the first lockdown, with only four reasons to leave home: collecting food and supplies, receiving medical care and care giving, exercise, and work or education.
Mostly, the fights have been down partisan lines. Blue team thinks the red team has overreached. Red team thinks the blue team is careless. Those who have put their families health and wellbeing first have largely supported the nations leaders. But the increased willingness of governments to curtail personal freedoms has now made some question their own judgment of what they previously distinguished as right and wrong. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Borders shut, planes grounded, restaurants closed, curfews, strict exercise limits, rationing of toilet paper in supermarkets. Cars were pulled over by police to ask why theyre out past 8pm. Leaving the country even became illegal without a government-issued permit. Many of these decisions were taken without cabinet, party room or parliamentary debate. The latest decree, threatening five years jail or a $66,000 fine for an Australian citizen attempting to return from India, was announced in a midnight email without a media conference. That tells you a bit about how the government thought the decision would go down.

While the Commonwealth bears its fair share of responsibility, perhaps the most intrusive stances until now were made at a state level. In Victoria, a young, pregnant mother was handcuffed in front of her children for promoting an anti-lockdown rally on Facebook. Last July, Premier Daniel Andrews locked down nine public housing towers on a whim, leaving some residents without food and medicines. Even those who marched for the rights of refugees on Manus Island and Nauru were saying the shutdown was for the greater good. Apart from a handful of voices, it took the states ombudsman to condemn the act with any real gusto, finding it  like the citys nightly curfew  was not based on direct health advice and violated human rights laws. Police later defended the use of drones to enforce social restrictions in public places such as parks. And once again the left side of politics appeared largely subservient. On New Years Eve, thousands of Victorians  many who hadnt been near a declared hotspot  were locked out of their own state for days. In Perth and Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart, the borders were shut for weeks at a time  sometimes on health advice and sometimes, it would seem, in crude acts of populism.

Some premiers lifted them as soon as they could, eager to kick-start their fragile economies but buoyed by record levels of parochialism, others cynically kept them shut and had landslide election victories. Loading The brutal measures have taken state and federal politics to a new place. What were once unimaginable actions are now readily available as political tools  all under the cover of keeping Australians safe, as a string of prime ministers have reminded us is the No.1 priority for governments. And its left some unwilling to pick a fight. When mighty nations such as Britain and the United States have been brought to their knees by the pandemic, Australians dont take too much convincing that these actions have saved lives. But to deny a right of return for a nations citizens to their homeland? Surely, thats a line in the sand.

Many federal Liberal backbenchers were sheepish when answering phone calls this week and were not prepared to speak on the record. Mainly because it would be viewed as a black mark against them by their leader. Look, of course I hate it, but whats the point of picking the fight? Its not going to achieve anything, was what more than a dozen conceded privately this week in response to the India decision. For members of a party founded by Robert Menzies to fight for the freedom of the individual and to produce enlightened liberal policies, these past 12 months have eroded those values. Another MP pondered: Is there any line we wont cross? First weve become a country for exit permits like the old Eastern bloc, now were criminalising returning home?... Id love to see that tried on in court. (On Monday, the Federal Court will hear an urgent challenge to the India travel ban lodged by lawyers for Gary Newman, a 73-year-old Australian man stranded in Bangalore.)

Members and senators who felt strongly enough to express their views directly to the Prime Minister or his office over the weekend were told exactly what the public was told this week. Their objections were acknowledged, politely, and they were assured the threat would be issued responsibly and proportionately. It was more about sending a message to the airlines, they were told, and not about locking up Australian citizens for committing that heinous crime of wanting to come home. This is a way to ensure that we can prevent the virus coming back and it starting a third wave here in Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this week. That would have devastating impacts on our country. Loading While many MPs have decided to remain quiet, having made a strategic decision to not pick a public fight with their boss, others couldnt help themselves. For Nationals senator Matt Canavan, who has found himself in the political wilderness since quitting the frontbench to back Barnaby Joyces challenge for the leadership last year, it was one step too far. Canavan pointed out that 12 months earlier, Australia had celebrated the collaboration between the government and Qantas to help stranded citizens in Wuhan return.

This pandemic has not only removed us of our freedoms, it seems to have robbed us of our humanity towards each other, he said. But other, more nervous, MPs who dared to publicly offer their views had a bob each-way. Victorian Liberal MP Katie Allen said the penalties made her uncomfortable but the decision was necessary while NSW Liberal MP Dave Sharma, whose father is of Indian heritage, says the penalties were extreme and hoped they would only be a last resort. There is little doubt that this is an extreme measure and that it is causing significant hardship to the Australian Indian community, he said. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack went through the motions of defending the decision on breakfast television and conceded it went probably too far.

But Labor premiers, who had for years criticised the federal Coalitions harsh immigration policies, went silent, having borrowed Canberras own border politics and used them to their own advantage for the past year. Even federal Labor MPs have been tied in knots, having been scarred too often by the politics of border security. Only former leader Bill Shorten had the instincts to immediately call it as he saw it, questioning why the government was choosing to turn this into their political Tampa moment when there were Australian citizens at risk of death in another part of the world. I think that whilst at the moment Morrisons rhetoric may gain some favourability, in the test of time, I think this will not be viewed as Australias finest moment, he said. Some others, such as his former deputy Tanya Plibersek, mustered the courage to condemn it. Governments across the country seized the ability to make such decisions at a moments notice through emergency laws, public health orders and federally, under the Biosecurity Act. This power overrides any other law, although legal experts doubt its constitutionality.

Around the world, governments have followed suit, suspending usual democratic protections and ruling by decree. But no country in the world has attempted to prevent, by law, its own citizens from coming home. While the federal budget will likely next week overshadow any internal unrest, the events of the past few weeks are likely to spark a new push to limit authoritarian restrictions that many believe have ultimately done more harm than good. NSW Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, who conceded she was troubled by the decision to make it illegal for Australians to return home, has previously warned against the growing number of decisions that are exempt from parliamentary scrutiny. A Senate committee recommended last December that Biosecurity Act decisions such as the Indian ban should be subject to debate and disallowance in Parliament.

And at the height of the second wave last year, when many Australians remained fearful for the health and safety of themselves and their family and friends, Senate President Scott Ryan warned Parliament of the unvetted unilateral action from executive governments. The approach taken during this public health crisis will doubtless set precedents that will be looked to in the future, he was quoted as saying in The Canberra Times in August. We all know and, indeed, support the public health messages that outline the need for caution, as this pandemic will likely be with us for some time, but the national Parliament is a critical part of government. If Coalition MPs next week dare to show some courage and voice their private objections to the extraordinary decisions taken by their government, they might well find they are far from isolated. But if they do not speak up, perhaps they should reflect on the words of their colleague, Senator Ryan, in that same address last year. Principles not defended in difficult times are in effect mere customs or conveniences.
The family of trucking magnate Lindsay Fox sought legal advice over whether to sue an obscure Queensland website that posted rumours implicating the wealthy family in the Premiers fall.

Lindsay Fox, who runs logistics giant Linfox, was originally thought to be at his sprawling cliff-top mansion on the March long weekend when Premier Daniel Andrews slipped at a nearby holiday home, feeding rumours the pair had spent time together that weekend.

Trucking boss Lindsay Foxs family has sought legal advice on rumours circulating about Dan Andrews fall. Credit:Eddie Jim

A claim that Mr Andrews fell at the Fox house appeared in April on a Queensland blog, which also claimed photos of Mr Andrews in a hospital bed were doctored. The blog post gained traction on social media and was initially pushed by fringe conservative actors online before spreading in political circles.

The claims were pursued by news outlets, including The Age, which sought a response from the office of the Premier, which denied Mr Andrews was at the Fox house when he slipped.
Paris: A young grey whale has been sighted off the southern French coast in recent days, lost in the Mediterranean and trying unsuccessfully to make it back to its natural habitat

Scientists are astounded that a grey whale - a species from the northern Pacific - has turned up in the Mediterranean and are now deeply concerned for its wellbeing so far from home.

The grey whale off the coast of France this week. Credit:Herault Rescue and Fire Service

The whale, nicknamed Wally in reference to the childrens book Wheres Wally, has swapped its normal range - places like Baja California and Alaska - for Morocco, then Italy and now France.

It is only the second time biologists have observed a grey whale in the Mediterranean. The last time was in 2010.
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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey answers a question about the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine in Arizona, while Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ listens, in Phoenix, Ariz., on Dec. 2, 2020. (Ross D. Franklin, Pool/AP Photo, File)

Arizona Formally Bans Post-Election Signature Fix for Mail-In Ballots

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a law that bans voters from adding signatures on unsigned mail-in ballots after Election Day.

The measure, Arizona Senate Bill 1003 (S.B. 1003), was approved earlier in the state legislature in party-line votes.

The new law codifies a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit on Oct. 6, 2020, within one month of the 2020 election. It also ended disputes over unsigned mail-in ballots between the state Republicans and Democrats.

Current Arizona law allows election officials to contact voters to fix the signatures on the ballots if the signatures dont match other signatures from records in the Department of Motor Vehicle, voter registration forms, or previous early ballots. The voters can fix the signatures, if they failed to pass the verification process, within up to five business days after Election Day.

While the new law didnt change anything about the grace period for the signed ballots, it ended state Democrats efforts to add a similar grace period to unsigned ballots.

Before the 2020 election, Arizona Secretary of the State Katie Hobbsa Democratwas trying to set a five-business-day grace period for the voters to fix ballots if they arent signed.

Hobbss move is part of efforts to honor a settlement in 2019 with the Navajo Nation, which allows tribal voters with mismatched or missing signatures on mail-in ballots to correct their ballots with five business days after Election Day.

However, the efforts were stopped by appeals court judges who said, in alignment with the state Republicans, that the Democrats went too far by giving absentee voters five days after Election Day to correct missing signatures on mail-in ballots.

All ballots must have some deadline, and it is reasonable that Arizona has chosen to make that deadline Election Day itself so as to promote its unquestioned interest in administering an orderly election and to facilitate its already burdensome job of collecting, verifying, and counting all of the votes in timely fashion, the appellate court said.

The new law codified the appeal courts ruling by adding an amendment to the current Arizona election law.

The amendment requires all mail-in ballots to be delivered to the county recorder, other officers in charge of the election, or polling sites no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.

The ballot will not be counted without the voters signature on the envelope, reads the amendment.

Meanwhile, another amendment in the new law required election officers to contact the voter if the signature is missing on the ballot. The deadline for adding a signature to a ballot should be no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Officials of the Navajo Nation didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer had urged Ducey to veto the measure, saying it would undermine the 2019 settlement.

The Navajo Nation is extremely disappointed in the actions of the state legislators who voted in support of S.B. 1003, Nez said in a statement (pdf) on April 30. We strongly urge Gov. Ducey to stand with Navajo voters by vetoing S.B. 1003.

The Associated Press contributed to the report.
Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are unsealed to be examined and recounted by contractors working under a contract with the Arizona Senate, at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 6, 2021. (Matt York/Pool/AP Photo)

Arizona Senate Tells US Officials Plan to Canvass Voters Is on Hold

Arizonas Senate president on Friday told the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that a plan by election auditors to verify the validity of certain voters is on hold indefinitely.

If and to the extent the Senate subsequently decides that canvassing is necessary to the successful completion of the audit, its vendor will implement detailed requirements to ensure that the canvassing is conducted in a manner that complies fully with the commands of the United States Constitution and federal and state civil rights laws, Arizona Senate President Karen Fann, a Republican, told Pamela Karlan, a DOJ official, in a letter.

Karlan, principal deputy assistant attorney general with the DOJs Civil Rights Division, raised concerns earlier in the week with the plan by Cyber Ninjas, the company leading the audit for the state Senate, to verify the validity of certain voter registrations with questionable addresses by dispatching people to verify whether the voter lived at the address on the registrations.

Such an effort could constitute voter intimidation, according to Karlan.

This description of the proposed work of the audit raises concerns regarding potential intimidation of voters, she wrote to Fann, citing the Cyber Ninjas scope of work agreement with the Senate.

Former Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett, a Republican who the state Senate appointed as a liaison for the audit, said at the audit site in Phoenix on Friday that he was not in on the decision.

Fann also told Karlan that the 2020 election audit is protected by thorough protocols.

After some early and well publicized challenges, the security protocols at the audit site have been made very strong, she said.

The roughly 2.1 million ballots cast in Maricopa County in the presidential election, along with tabulators and other equipment used last year, are subject to continuous video surveillance, which is live streamed to the general public online, and being watched by armed personnel 24 hours a day. Additionally, every entrance to the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where the audit is taking place, is locked and manned by guards, with an additional guard posted adjacent to the area in which the ballots are stored.

All ballot review and processing occurs within the confines of a carefully documented chain of custody and, from the moment the counting began, all audit team members and observers alike have been strictly prohibited from bringing into the demarcated ballot processing area any electronic device or any instrument (e.g., a blue or black ink pen) that could be used to spoliate ballots, Fann wrote.

More to the point, not a single ballot or other official election document has been destroyed, defaced, lost, or adulterated during the course of the audit, and we are confident that our strong security infrastructure has minimized to the greatest extent feasible the risk of any such breaches in the future. We are unaware of any significant security breach since the day the ballots were delivered; this is undoubtedly due to the thorough protocols implemented since that time.

Arizona Senate President Karen Fann talks to reporters in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 26, 2020. (Ross D. Franklin/AP Photo)

A 2020 election audit takes place at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 6, 2021. (Matt York/Pool/AP Photo)

Karlan had earlier pointed to several news reports that alleged ballots, elections systems, and election materials were not being adequately safeguarded by contractors at an insecure facility, and are at risk of being lost, stolen, altered, compromised, or destroyed.

One article was based on a video from a local news channel, while two others were published in the early months of the year, before the audit began.

The Arizona Senate ordered the expansive forensic audit after the 2020 election. Fann has said the body wanted to to bring integrity to the election process.

The audit started in late April and is due to continue until mid-May, if not later.

Democrats in the state have alleged the auditors may be violating state and federal law and attempted to block the audit, but were turned down by a judge over a lack of evidence.

Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report.
Attacks on Christian Homeschooling Are No Longer Subtle

Early in 2020, Elizabeth Bartholet, a professor at the Harvard Law School, became notorious for advocating a presumptive ban on homeschooling.

The 3 to 4 percent of U.S. parents who chose to educate their children at home would have to prove to educational authorities that their case is justified, and if they couldnt do so, would have their children sent to public schools.

An article about Bartholet in Harvards alumni magazine, reiterating a position she had taken in a lengthy law-review article published shortly before, provoked a furor among parents and young people, some of them Harvard graduates who had enjoyed successful homeschooling experiences.

Then came the coronavirus lockdown. With public schools shuttering their brick-and-mortar classrooms and teachers unions promising to keep them shuttered throughout the 202021 school year and beyond, the percentage of homeschooling households suddenly surgedto 5.4 percent in late April 2020 and to 11.1 percent by the end of September 2020. Many of the new homeschoolers were otherwise politically liberal urbanites, and the anti-homeschooling movement quickly faded as a progressive cause.

But now the homeschooling opponents are back, with a new, more specific focus: Christian homeschooling. The impetus was the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol by disgruntled Trump supporters. It quickly became identified in the media with white nationalism and then with white Christian nationalism, on the premise that white evangelical Christians were an important voting bloc for Donald Trump in the 2020 election, and many had attended a huge Trump rally on the National Mall that day. From there, it was a quick jump to evangelical homeschools.

On Jan. 15, the Huffington Post ran a scathing critique of Abeka Publishing and the Bob Jones University Press, which publish textbooks and other materials used by many homeschooling evangelical parents: Language used in the books overlaps with the rhetoric of Christian nationalism, often with overtones of nativism, militarism, and racism.

Days later, Chrissy Stroop, a writer for the progressive website Religion Dispatches, chimed in: It would be remiss of us to approach the where were they radicalized question without addressing how the Christian schooling and homeschooling movement, along with many white churches and other evangelical, LDS, and trad Catholic institutions, fostered the subcultures presumably responsible for the Capitol break-in.

A March 2 article in Ms. Magazine focused on extremist, white supremacist homeschooling curricula as the product of a decades-long crusade to deregulate home- and private-school education, the fruits of which are visible in such phenomena as QAnon, COVID denialism, the Capitol riots 

On April 22, numerous media outlets, including The Washington Post, ran a (now-deleted) article from the Religion News Service by progressive pastor Doug Pagitt, declaring that homeschooling in conservative evangelical communities is a key channel for ideas to feed into Christian nationalism.

The conservative evangelical education system has become a pipeline of extremism, Pagitt wrote.

On March 30, Philip Gorski, a sociology professor at Yale who studies American religious trends, wrote on Twitter: Christian homeschooling wasand isoftenif not alwaysa major vector of White Christian Nationalism. (Gorski has since made his Twitter account private.)

None of this should come as a surprise. Although opponents of homeschooling have typically raised understandable concernssuch as whether parents with limited educations are equipped to teach math and reading, or whether some parents keep their children out of school as a pretext to abuse themtheir actual animus as expressed in their writings is almost always directed at parents who are too religious for their tastes. That means evangelical and other conservative Christians (who still account for the vast majority of homeschoolers), along with Hasidic Jews who educate their children in their own yeshivas.

In her article for the Arizona Law Review, for example, Bartholet referred to what she called homeschooling parents ideological commitment to isolating their children from the majority culture and indoctrinating them in views and values that are in serious conflict with that culture.

Terms such as indoctrinate, isolate, views far outside the mainstream, and failure to expose children to alternative perspectives or to teach them to think for themselvesthose are commonplaces of the academic writings of homeschooling opponents. Just to make it clear whom they are talking about, these critics typically throw in a sarcastic reference to the Bible as sacred, absolute truth.

Until very recently, however, homeschooling opponents kept their attacks reasonably subtle. That is, they didnt come out and say directly that what they didnt like about Christian homeschooling was the Christian part. Then, the Jan. 6 breach gave them an excuse to do exactly that, usually without being able to back up their attacks with evidence.

Gorski, for example, admitted in a subsequent tweet that he had no idea how big the claimed overlap between Christian Nationalists and Christian homeschoolers actually might be.

It helps the critics cause, of course, that they and the media have redefined nationalism to mean mere patriotism or pride in Americas history and civilization, and Christian nation to mean a theocracy, instead of a country where 65 percent of the inhabitants of every ethnicity define themselves as Christians and hold some formulation of Christian ideals.

Hence the trepidation over homeschooling textbooks from religious publishers that teach civic virtue, assert that God created the world as the Book of Genesis says, and take a dim view of such progressive shibboleths as feminism, transgender activism, the 1619 Project, and climate alarmism.

The notion that parents, Christian or otherwise, should be forbidden by the government to educate their children in the values that they themselves hold dearor be forced to expose them to values that they might find abhorrent but are definitely in the secular liberal mainstream (advocating unrestricted abortion or same-sex marriage, for example)is totalitarianism at its crudest.

And now that the gloves are off the anti-homeschoolers and their real aims, its also part of a very specific war against a large number of Christians as well.

Charlotte Allen is the executive editor of Catholic Arts Today and a frequent contributor to Quillette. She has a doctorate in medieval studies from the Catholic University of America.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
President Joe Biden removes his mask to speak at a news conference at the White House in Washington on April 14, 2021. (Andrew Harnik, Pool, File/AP Photo)

Biden to Meet GOP Senators for Infrastructure Talks on Thursday

President Joe Biden will hold a meeting next week with six GOP senators as he looks to build bipartisan support for his sweeping American Jobs Plan, the $2.25 trillion infrastructure package that Republicans have thus far panned as too pricey and packed with spending unrelated to fixing the nations roads and bridges.

A White House official told reporters Friday that Biden will meet Thursday with Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

The president appreciates their engagement and the ongoing dialogue on this high priority, and is looking forward to speaking with the group, the official said, striking a similar tone as when Biden thanked Republicans for putting forward a counter proposal to his infrastructure plan, while calling for bipartisan talks and deep discussions.

Capito has led a group of Senate Republicans in unveiling a $568 billion infrastructure counterproposal to Bidens plan, saying at an April 22 press conference that the GOP defines the concept more narrowly, as core infrastructure, physical infrastructure. She shared an overview of the GOP proposal in a tweet, in which she said that Bidens plan goes beyond what constitutes infrastructure.

The Biden administration has sought to frame infrastructure far more broadly, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) telling reporters at an April 15 presser that for the American Jobs Plan to meet its aims, you have to have human infrastructure to go with it.

Pelosi will be among the Congressional leaders that Biden is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, one day before he meets with the Republican senators. The White House official said the president will hold a meeting with Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to discuss his $2.25 trillion proposal.

They will have a dialogue about policy areas of mutual agreement and identifying common ground on which they can work together and deliver results on the challenges facing American families, the White House official said.

McConnell has been sharply critical of Bidens sweeping plan, calling the package misleadingly titled legislation.

The White House has lumped together a motley assortment of the lefts priciest priorities, McConnell said on the Senate floor on April 13. Less than six percent of this proposal goes to roads and bridges. Its not remotely targeted toward what Americans think they are getting when politicians campaign on infrastructure.

But instead of coming up with a better bill, Democrats have decided its the English language that has to change. They are embarking on an Orwellian campaign to convince everybody that any government policy whatsoever can be labeled infrastructure.

Biden and Capito spoke last week on infrastructure, with the White House saying in a statement to reporters that the two had a warm, friendly conversation and continued their dialogue about infrastructure and jobs, reiterating their willingness to negotiate, adding that they also discussed having another in-person meeting in the near future.

Republicans are fighting to slim down the multi-trillion-dollar package that they say contains provisions that have little to do with infrastructure. They are also apprehensive about rolling back Trump-era tax cuts, which is a key feature of Bidens plan. To pay for the infrastructure plan, the White House is proposing to raise the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from the current 21 percent.

Biden traveled to the Republican stronghold of Louisiana on Thursday to sell his American Jobs Plan, while signaling a willingness to back off on some of his demands.

Im willing to hear ideas from both sides, Biden said. Im ready to compromise. What Im not ready to do is, Im not ready to do nothing, the president added.
Blinken Calls for Taiwans Participation in WHOs World Health Assembly

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to allow Taiwan to participate in its upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA), saying that the islands exclusion jeopardizes international efforts to contain the CCP virus pandemic.

Taiwan used to participate as an observer in the WHA, the WHOs decision-making body, from 2009 to 2016 until the country was barred in 2017 due to Beijings objections. The Chinese regime opposes Taiwans participation in international bodies because it views the democratic island as part of its territory, even though it has been governed as a distinct entity for more than seven decades.

There is no reasonable justification for Taiwans continued exclusion from this forum, Blinken said in a May 7 statement.

Global health and global health security challenges do not respect borders nor recognize political disputes, he added. Taiwan offers valuable contributions and lessons learned from its approach to these issues.

Taiwan has been lauded for its success in stemming the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. The island, with a population of 24 million, has only recorded 1,173 cases and 12 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Blinken wants the WHO leaders to recognize that excluding Taiwanand thereby its peoplefrom the WHA serves only to imperil, not advance the global health objectives shared by countries around the world. The WHA is scheduled to take place virtually from May 24 to June 1.

Taiwans exclusion would also be detrimental to our collective international efforts to get the pandemic under control and prevent future health, the U.S. secretary of state added.

Blinkens statement comes amid growing scrutiny of Beijings influence over the WHO. The United States, under former President Donald Trump, withdrew from the body because of these concerns, alleging that the WHO repeated Beijings talking points when it downplayed the severity of the initial outbreak in China, which fueled its global spread.

President Joe Biden has reversed this move, arguing that the United States was better placed to reform the WHO from within.

On March 30, the WHO released a report concluding that it was extremely unlikely that the CCP virus leaked from a lab, reinforcing Beijings longstanding denial that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was linked to the origins of the pandemic. The report was based on the findings of a team of Chinese and foreign experts who visited Wuhanwhere the outbreak began in Chinaearlier this year.

The report has since been heavily criticized. After its release, 14 nations including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement questioning the report, while calling for a transparent and independent analysis and evaluation.

Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.), also a physician, applauded Blinkens advocacy, saying Taiwan has been a strong partner in the fight to contain the virus.

Theres no reason they should be blocked from sharing their expertise with the world, Bera wrote on Twitter on Friday.
An injured school student is transported to a hospital after a bomb explosion near a school in west of Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 8, 2021. (Rahmat Gul/AP Photo)

Bomb Kills at Least 30 Near Girls School in Afghan Capital

KABUL, AfghanistanA bomb exploded near a girls school in a majority Shiite district of west Kabul on Saturday, killing at least 30 people, many of them young pupils between 11 and 15 years old, Afghan government spokesmen said. The Taliban condemned the attack apparently aimed at civilians, and denied any responsibility.

The explosion is being investigated, said Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian who added the death toll could rise further.

Ambulances were rushing to evacuate wounded from the scene of the blast near Syed Al-Shahda school, in the Shiite majority neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said.

Residents in the area said the explosion was deafening. One, Naser Rahimi, told The Associated Press he heard three separate explosions, although there was no official confirmation of multiple blasts. Rahimi also said he believed that the sheer power of the explosion meant the death toll would almost certainly climb.

While no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, previous brutal attacks in the same neighborhood have been claimed by the Afghan ISIS terrorist group.

Afghan school students are treated at a hospital after a bomb explosion near a school in the west of Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 8, 2021. (Rahmat Gul/AP Photo)

The radical Sunni Muslim group has declared war on Afghanistans minority Shiite Muslims. Washington blamed ISIS for a vicious attack last year in a maternity hospital in the same area that killed pregnant women and newborn babies.

In Dasht-e-Barchi, angry crowds attacked the ambulances and even beat health workers as they tried to evacuate the wounded, Health Ministry spokesman Ghulam Dastigar Nazari said. He implored residents to cooperate and allow ambulances free access to the site.

Images circulating on social media purportedly showed bloodied school backpacks and books strewn across the street in front of the school, and smoke rising above the neighborhood.

At one nearby hospital, Associated Press journalists saw at least 20 dead bodies lined up in hallways and rooms, with dozens of wounded people and families of victims pressing through the facility.

Outside the Muhammad Ali Jinnah Hospital, dozens of people lined up to donate blood, while family members checked casualty lists posted on the walls.

Both Arian and Nazari said that at least 50 people were also wounded, and that the casualty toll could rise. The attack occurred just as the fasting day came to an end.

Afghan school students are treated at a hospital after a bomb explosion near a school in the west of Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 8, 2021. (Rahmat Gul/AP Photo)

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters in a message that only ISIS could be responsible for such a heinous crime. Mujahid also accused Afghanistans intelligence agency of being complicit with ISIS, although he offered no evidence.

The Taliban and the Afghan government have traded accusations over a series of targeted killings of civil society workers, journalists, and Afghan professionals. While ISIS has taken responsibility for some of those killings, many have gone unclaimed.

The ISIS terrorist group has previously claimed attacks against minority Shiites in the same area, last year claiming two brutal attacks on education facilities that killed 50 people, most of them students.

Even as ISIS has been degraded in Afghanistan, according to government and U.S. officials, it has stepped up its attacks particularly against Shiite Muslims and women workers.

Earlier the group took responsibility for the targeted killing of three women media personnel in eastern Afghanistan.

The attack comes days after the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 American troops officially began leaving the country. They will be out by Sept. 11 at the latest. The pullout comes amid a resurgent Taliban, who control or hold sway over half of Afghanistan.

The top U.S. military officer said Sunday that Afghan government forces face an uncertain future and possibly some bad possible outcomes against Taliban insurgents as the withdrawal accelerates in the coming weeks.

By Rahim Faiez
President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro gives a speech during the opening of Brazil Communications week at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 5, 2021. (Andressa Anholete/Getty Images)

Brazils President Suggests CCP Virus Created to Wage Biological Warfare

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro floated the idea that the CCP virus may have been a lab product created to carry out biological warfare.

Its a new virus. Nobody knows whether it was born in a laboratory or because a human ate some animal they shouldnt have, he said in a speech on May 5.

But the military knows all about chemical, biological and radiological warfare. Could we be fighting a new war? I wonder. Which countrys GDP has grown the most?

Bolsonaro, a frequent China critic, did not name any specific countries in his comments. But China was the only major world economy that saw any economic growth during 2020 as other industrial powers struggled with lockdowns and virus resurgence.

Beijing has vehemently denied any suggestions to link the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus origin with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), the facility at the center of the controversy that was only miles away from the seafood market where the first clusters of COVID-19 patients emerged.

Yet the regimes guarded approach with the lab has failed to avert scrutiny from critics, including past and current U.S. officials.

The State Department, in a fact sheet released during the final days of the Trump administration, said it has reason to believe that several WIV researchers fell sick in autumn 2019, with symptoms that resemble COVID-19, the disease the CCP virus causes.

An aerial view shows the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China, on April 17, 2020. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

Robert Redfield, who formerly served as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said that the virus most likely escaped from a Wuhan lab, although not necessarily intentionally.

I still think the most likely etiology of this pathology in Wuhan was from a laboratoryyou know, escaped, he said in a CNN interview in March, weighing in for the first time on the issue after leaving the CDC.

Other people dont believe that. Thats fine. Science will eventually figure it out, he added.

While World Health Organization scientists sent to Wuhan for a virus probe ruled out the lab leak theory as extremely unlikely, one of the teams investigators complained about the difficulty in getting raw data from Chinese authorities. At least two of the foreign experts on the team also have past work or financial ties with the Chinese regime, which raised conflicts of interest issues.

The WIV has the only P4 labthe highest biosafety level labin China. Despite the Chinese regime stating it had no relationship with the military, the institute worked for years with military leaders on a state-sponsored project conducting laboratory animal experiments.

Major General Chen Wei, Beijings top biowarfare specialist, took over command of the lab weeks after the outbreak in Wuhan, Chinese media reported at the time. The report said the move was meant to give the public peace of mind amid rising controversies and rumors around the lab, and with the goal of developing a vaccine against the virus.
Canadas Senate Approves Bill to Combat International Organ Trafficking

Canadas Senate unanimously approved a bill intended to help combat international organ trafficking on May 6. Bill S-204 will now go on to the House of Commons for deliberation by MPs before it can be passed into law.

[Organ trafficking] is a violation of the principles of equity, justice, and respect for human dignity. Let us be global leaders in the battle against organ trafficking, Sen. Salma Ataullahjan, the sponsor of the bill, told the Senate on May 6.

This piece of legislation has been the culmination of over 12 years of parliamentary work on the pressing issue of organ trafficking, Ataullahjan said, referring to previous legislation on the issue in past parliamentary sessions that didnt get passed into law before those sessions ended due to upcoming elections.

Addressing the Senate to support the legislation, Sen. David Richards said the time has come to pass this bill.

We have often been asked in this world to fight against the darkness that threatens us, to fight the good fight. In this chamber over the last four years, I have seen this happen. I believe that Bill S-204 and Senator Ataullahjan are standard-bearers in such a battle, and I ask for your support, Richards said.

Bill S-204 makes it illegal for Canadians to get organs abroad without the consent of the donor, and makes people involved in forced organ harvesting inadmissible to Canada.

During a Senate committee meeting on April 19, Ataullahjan said such legislation is needed to help curb the organ trafficking happening in many places in the world, including in Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, and North Africa.

Testifying before the committee, former MP and secretary of state for Asia-Pacific David Kilgour noted that there is only one country where its the government that is involved in forcibly taking organs from prisoners of consciences, and that is China.

China is the only country in the world  where its run by the government and not in some back alley by unscrupulous people, he said.

Kilgour and Canadian human rights lawyer David Matas first investigated reports of Chinas organ harvesting of Falun Gong adherents in 2006, and came to the conclusion that the persecuted group is being targeted by the Chinese regime on a large scale for organ removal to sell to domestic and international buyers. The organs are taken while the victims are alive, so theyre kept fresh, and the victims die in the process.

The Chinese regimes state-sanctioned organ harvesting has since expanded to claim other persecuted groups on a large scale, including the Uyghur Muslims, investigators have said.

Its high time that Canada joined about 10 other countries that have enacted legislation on this, Kilgour said.
Smoke billows from stacks as Chinese men pull a tricycle in a neighborhood next to a coal fired power plant in Shanxi, China, on Nov. 26, 2015. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Climate Change Presents Opportunity for Beijing to Expand Global Power: Chinese Professor

The Chinese communist regime views climate change as an opportunity to expand its influence worldwide, according to a prominent Chinese academic.

The global emissions reduction agenda can boost the regime economically and also holds political significance for Beijing, Di Dongsheng, associate dean of the School of International Studies at Renmin University in Beijing, wrote in his blog on April 27.

It can help [us] to regulate and control the social, political, and economic environment, Di said.

The regime should take a key role in addressing global climate change, he said, given the growing rifts between Beijing and Western powers over a range of issues.

The climate issue is basically the only positive topic that China, the United States, and Europe can come together and discuss amicably, Di wrote.

The professor gained notoriety last year when he called out Wall Streets long-standing role in influencing U.S. politics on behalf of Beijing. According to his online biography, Di has worked with various bodies of the Chinese regime, including the foreign ministry and the states planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission.

Climate is one of the few issues that the United States and the regime have said they could work together to resolve, even as their wider relationship has fractured in recent years.

During the Trump administration, the United States progressively toughened its stance against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on a number of fronts, from Beijings severe human rights abuses to its rampant theft of foreign intellectual property. The Biden administration has pledged to continue this hard-line approach, but has consistently said its also willing to cooperate with the regime on shared interests such as climate change.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in his first appearance with President Joe Biden during last months global climate summit, said the country would strictly limit increasing coal consumption in the next five years, and reduce it in the following five years.

China is by far the worlds largest coal user. In 2020, it brought more than 38.4 gigawatts of new coal-fired power capacity into operation, more than three times the amount built elsewhere. An additional 247 gigawatts of coal power is plannednearly six times Germanys entire coal-fired capacity.

The country is also the worlds largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for more than 27 percent of total global emissions. In 2019, Chinas emissions exceeded those of the United States and other developed countries combined, a recent report found. In 2020, about 61 percent of Chinas total energy consumption came from coal, according to official figures (pdf).

At the summit, Xi also repeated a pledge from last year to reach peak emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2060. Lawmakers and experts, however, doubt that Beijing will make good on any promises, citing a long history of reneging on its commitments.

A Chinese worker walks in the solar modules of a newly installed 100 MW photovoltaic on-grid power project in Dunhuang, in Chinas Gansu Province on July 21, 2010. (Feng Li/Getty Images)

Reaping Rewards

While Di has expressed skepticism about the existence of man-made global warming, calling it a false theory, he nonetheless believes that Beijing should seize the opportunity presented by the climate agenda to become a world leader in green technologies.

In doing so, the regime would stand to gain economically by boosting exports of clean technology worldwide, while earning political capital by being the country that sets the green benchmark on global development issues, he said.

The professor noted that the United Kingdom led the worlds first energy revolution through the use of coal, while the United States pioneered the second energy revolution on the backs of oil and gas. Now, according to Di, China could be the leader in the third energy revolution based on clean energy, and guide humanitys development in a new direction.

Within 10 short years, Chinese enterprises have beaten their European counterparts in wind and solar energies. In these two fields, Chinas production capacity accounts for over 60 percent of the worlds total, he said.

China is the worlds largest manufacturer of wind turbines and solar panels. But its rise to the top in clean energy industries has been fueled by an abundance of unfair trade practices that have allowed Chinese firms to dominate foreign competitors on the international market, experts say.

In solar power, for instance, government subsidies were critical in helping Chinese companies dominate the global market in the 2010s, according to a 2020 report by the Washington-based Information Technology & Information Foundation (ITIF). Chinese firms dumped cheap solar panels worldwide, gutting the solar panel industry in the United States and other countries. By the time the United States imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese government-subsidized solar panels in 2012, it was too late to save much of the domestic industry.

China is a leader  in stealing foreign clean technologies, pressuring these companies to transfer it [to China] when they dont want to do it, and massively subsidizing less innovative clean technology companies in China, Robert Atkinson, president of ITIF, said during a virtual discussion on April 19.

Di also suggested that the regime set incentive policies to encourage Chinese companies to convert to clean energy, since most enterprises in the country are serial polluters and energy wasters. This would lead to a significant drop in emissions, enhancing the Chinese regimes prestige on the international stage.

Left Behind

Chinas quest to increase reliance on clean energy will come at a cost to the countrys poor, Di said.

A large segment of the Chinese population lacks heating in winter because the entire southern part of China isnt equipped with central systems. Hundreds of millions of Chinese who cant afford private heating solutions are forced to endure cold winters.

If the regime tries to cut emissions, Di fears that the peoples dream of having heating in winter wont be realized for a long time.

Di recalled in his hometown of Qidong city in eastern Chinas Jiangsu Province, all people could do was shiver through winter seasons when average temperatures dipped to the freezing point. Qidong lies at the mouth of the Yangtze River, which crosses the south-central part of the country.

While most people who live in the Yangtze River region cant afford their own heating systems, the Chinese economy isnt strong enough to support the installation of central heating to all these homes, he said.
A pharmacist fills a syringe with a vial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the Vaccine Village in Antwerp, Belgium on April 30, 2021. (Virginia Mayo/AP Photo)

EU Agrees to Potential Purchase of 1.8 Billion Doses of Pfizer Jab

PORTO, PortugalThe European Union cemented its support for Pfizer-BioNTech and its COVID-19 vaccine technology Saturday by agreeing to a massive contract extension for a potential 1.8 billion doses through 2023.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said her office has approved a contract for a guaranteed 900 million doses with the same amount of doses as a future option.

The new contract, which has the unanimous backing of the 27 EU member nations, will entail not only the production of the vaccines but also making sure that all the essential components are sourced from the EU.

The European Commission currently has a portfolio of 2.6 billion doses from half a dozen companies. Pfizer-BioNTech had an initial contract of 600 million doses with the EU.

Saturdays announcement also underscores the confidence the EU has shown in the technology behind the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is different from how the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine works.

But of course, we will also explore other contracts, for example, based on other technologies like the protein-based technologies. The key point is to keep our options open, von der Leyen said at an EU summit in Portugal.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen makes a statement during an official visit to the Pfizer pharmaceutical company in Puurs, Belgium, on April 23, 2021. (John Thy/Pool via AP)

The active ingredient in the Pfizer-BioNTech shot is messenger RNA, or mRNA, which contains the instructions for human cells to construct a piece of the virus called the spike protein. The human immune system recognizes the spike protein as foreign, allowing it to mount a response against the virus upon infection.

The announcement of the huge contract extension comes as the EU is looking for ways to meet the challenges of providing the necessary booster shots to people who have already received a vaccine dose, expanding vaccination drives to include children and teenagers, and the emergence of possible new virus variants.

The size of the contract1.8 billion doses for a bloc of 450 million residentswill provide for a lot of options, von der Leyen said.

That includes the possibility for the member states to donate or resell doses at a lower price to help nations in the immediate neighborhood or beyond, she said.

Americas Pfizer and Germanys BioNTech have already said that they would provide the EU with an extra 50 million doses in the 2nd quarter of this year, making up for faltering deliveries of AstraZeneca.

In contrast to the oft-criticized Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca, von der Leyen has said that Pfizer-BioNTech is a reliable partner that delivers on its commitments.

Two weeks ago, the EU launched legal proceedings against AstraZeneca for failing to respect the terms of its contract with the 27-nation bloc.

The AstraZeneca vaccine had been central to Europes immunization campaign, and a linchpin in the global strategy to get vaccines to poorer countries. But the slow pace of deliveries has frustrated the Europeans and they have held the company responsible for partly delaying their vaccine rollout.

So far, von der Leyen said, the EU has made some 200 million doses available to its 450 million residents while almost as many have been exported from the bloc.

By Raf Casert And Barry Hatton
Facts Matter (May 7): Bill Gates-Funded Company Releases Genetically Modified Mosquitoes in US

A biotech company, funded by the Bill Gates Foundation, is about to release genetically modified mosquitoes into the Florida Keys.

It was just revealed that Maricopa County officials have refused to provide the countys routers to the election auditors.

As a response to the defund the police movement, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a round of $1,000 bonus checks to be given to all of Floridas first responders.

Facts Matter is an Epoch Times show available on YouTube.

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Rioters try to cut through a steel fence at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, Ore., on July 24, 2020. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo)

US Prosecutors Drop Bulk of Cases Against Riot Suspects in Portland, Oregon

More than half of the people charged by federal prosecutors for allegedly committing crimes during the rioting in Portland, Oregon, during the summer of 2020 have seen their charges dropped, according to court records analyzed by The Epoch Times.

Of the 90 people who prosecutors said were charged between July and October of last year, 48 saw their charges dismissed at the request of the U.S. attorneys office in Oregon. Prosecutors decided against pursuing charges that included assault of a federal officer, destruction of government property, and failure to obey a lawful order.

Another 32 defendants have had their arraignments or jury trials pushed back many multiple times. In a handful of cases, the next hearing has been delayed until 2022, as courts continue dealing with a backlog that accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of the group is free on bail.

Four people who were charged have entered guilty pleas, and six werent charged, according to court records and the U.S. Attorneys office, which told The Epoch Times in an email that each case is handled on its own merits.

Dismissals are very case-specific and based on our assessment of available evidence. If we do not believe we can prove a charge beyond a reasonable doubt, we will dismiss the case. These decisions are being made case-by-case rather than with specific criteria or factors applied broadly across all of our cases. Our approach depends on the circumstances of the charged offense and unique characteristics of each defendant, a spokesman for the office said.

Cases were dismissed under former U.S. Attorney Billy Williams, a Trump nominee, and Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Asphaug, who was elevated to his current position upon Williamss resignation earlier this year. President Joe Biden has yet to nominate a new U.S. attorney for the state.

Williams had spoken out forcefully against the rioters, who caused millions of dollars in damage to federal buildings. In August 2020, he called them violent agitators who had hijacked any semblance of First Amendment-protected activity, engaging in violent criminal acts and destruction of public safety.

Make no mistake: those who commit violence in the name of protest, will be investigated, arrested, prosecuted, and face prison time, he said in a separate statement.

Mike Schmidt, Multnomah County district attorney, speaks to the media at City Hall in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 30, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Federal prosecutors decided to charge wrongdoers after Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that his office wouldnt prosecute some people arrested and charged during demonstrations. Schmidt rejected hundreds of cases brought to his office by October 2020, although county prosecutors are reviewing previously dismissed cases if the alleged criminals are arrested again.

Federal prosecutors acted last year because so many of the accused were released from jail just hours after being booked, Chris Van Wagner, a defense attorney in Wisconsin who was once a federal prosecutor in Madison, told The Epoch Times.

Theyd be arrested, theyd be booked, and theyd be immediately released. And they would be right back out there the next night, and whether youd call them Antifa or hooligans or rioters or protesters doesnt matterthey were able to return to the fray almost immediately, he said.

Anyone charged with a federal crime can be held for up approximately five days, sometimes longer.

The slew of dismissals appears to Van Wagner as winnowing down the cases to those that were direct and serious threats to federal buildings, such as people who were said to have carried out arson on federal buildings. Some of the cases that were dismissed deal with lower-level offenses. Its possible the change in administrations played a role, he said.

Lisa Hay, the federal public defender in Oregon, said that some of the people who saw charges against them dropped didnt actually commit a crime.

In other cases, the prosecutors looked at the facts, thought they could have possibly made a case, but also thought it wasnt worth federal resources to prosecute somebody when there are other mitigating factors that showed this wasnt somebody who was intent on engaging in crime, Hay told The Epoch Times.

Federal officers arrest a woman wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt outside the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse in Portland, Ore., in the early hours of July 30, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

And that happened because people were outside the courthouse protesting and exercising their First Amendment right. It was a chaotic situation, and I understand why federal law enforcement arrested some people at the time, but they made mistakes during their arrest, and in some cases, the federal government was just overreaching and shouldnt have been charging people.

Not all of the people who were arrested were among those captured on video or in photographs smashing the U.S. courthouse in Portland with sledgehammers, she emphasized.

Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security during the Trump administration, disagreed with the dismissals. He told Fox News that what has happened is offensive to all the men and women who risked their lives in Portland for 90 to 120 days or even longer in some cases, being attacked night after night after night.

Wolf ordered more federal officers to Portland in July, saying at the time that local law enforcement wasnt doing its job.

Federal officers and rioters clashed for weeks until an agreement was reached to withdraw. Local officials largely blamed federal officers for the violence, claiming that the riots had been dying down before the feds intervened.

But Portland has continued seeing riots into this year, as recently as this month, when a group of over 100 smashed windows and vandalized City Hall and a number of private businesses. Many of the riots are advertised by Antifa and Antifa-linked social media accounts, with known members being present and arrested.

Antifa is a far-left, anarcho-communist network that is most active in the Pacific Northwest.

Ted Wheeler, Portlands police commissioner and mayor, urged community members late last month to help authorities unmask the rioters, whom he described as anarchists bent on destruction.

A video credited to Antifa soon threatened Wheeler, telling him: Blood is already on your hands, Ted. But next time it may just be your own.

Authorities are investigating the video, the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI told The Epoch Times.
Nigerian Army soldiers are seen driving on a military vehicle in Ngamdu, Nigeria, on Nov. 3, 2020. (Audu Marte/AFP via Getty Images)

Gunmen Kill Seven Nigerian Police Officers in Oil State Attacks

YENAGOA, NigeriaGunmen killed seven Nigerian police officers in a night of attacks in the southern oil hub of Rivers state, police said on Saturday.

The attackers opened fire at a checkpoint on Friday evening, then drove on to hit two police stations, the statement said. Officers fired back, killing two of the raiders and injuring some of the others who escaped in a stolen car, police added.

The killings came amid deteriorating security in Rivers statewhose capital, Port Harcourt, is the gateway to the oil-rich Delta regionand other parts of Africas largest crude exporter.

Last month, Rivers State banned people crossing its borders at night in a bid to stop killings of police, customs, civil defense officers, and army soldiers.

On Friday, the armed men drove up in two Toyota Hilux vans at 1930 GMT and killed two officers at a checkpoint at Choba Bridge, police spokesman Nnamdi Omoni said in a statement.

The gunmen then killed two more officers and set fire to a patrol car at Rumuji police station, Omoni added. Police fired back there and killed two of the attackers, he said.

The remaining assailants then hit Elimgbu police station, killing three officers before fleeing under fire from police, the statement added. The men escaped with various degrees of gunshot wounds in a stolen car, Omoni said.

The attackers stole five assault rifles, and police launched a manhunt, he added.

Nigerias parliament last week called on the presidency, armed forces, and police to address mounting insecurity, with the lower house urging President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency.

Since December, bandits have kidnapped more than 700 people from schools in the northwest, Islamist militants have killed scores of soldiers and civilians in the northeast, and kidnapping and crime have increased nationwide.

By Tife Owolabi
Mount Sinabung releases volcanic materials during an eruption in Karo, North Sumatra, Indonesia, on May 7, 2021. (Sastrawan Ginting/AP Photo)

Indonesias Sinabung Spews Column of Volcanic Ash Into Sky

MEDAN, IndonesiaIndonesias rumbling Mount Sinabung erupted Friday, spewing a thick column of volcanic ash 2.8 kilometers (1.7 miles) into the sky.

Villages near the volcano in North Sumatra province have been relocated after past eruptions, and there were no further evacuations or casualties from the new blast. People have been advised to stay 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the craters mouth and to be aware of ashfall and avalanches of volcanic debris.

Activity at the volcano was increasing, with at least 15 smaller eruptions recorded in the past week, said Armen Putra, an official at the Sinabung monitoring post.

The potential for eruption is still high. There will be more eruption in the near future, Putra said.

Sinabung is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, and some 30,000 people have been forced to leave nearby homes in the past few years.

Sinabung is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is located on the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean.

By Binsar Bakkara
Irvine Calls for Public Hearing on Jail Expansion

Some councilors in Irvine, California, are calling on the Orange County Board of Supervisors (BOS) to hold a public forum before expanding the James A. Musick Jail Facility.

The facility, which has been vacant and nonoperational since July 2019, is currently under construction after the BOS unanimously approved a construction contract to expand the facility on May 5, 2020. The additions will bring two new housing structures and 896 new beds to the jail primarily for those with mental health and substance abuse issues, for a total of approximately 2,200 beds.

The jail sits just a hair off Irvine property in Orange Countys unincorporated land, which gives authority over it to the BOS. Despite not being located within city limits, it still has an Irvine address due to how it was classified by the postal system, according to Irvine councilmembers.

The city council will vote during its May 11 meeting whether to approve a motion that would strongly urge the BOS to give the community a chance to voice concerns about the planned expansion.

Irvine Vice Mayor Tammy Kim, who sponsored the bill, said she decided to act on the matter after hearing sentiments of residents who were against expanding the facility for various reasons.

A lot of the residents came to us, and I share in their concern. And I think if the board of supervisors wants to continue down this path that they should be holding a public session to discuss this.

Its a multi-pronged issue. Its clearly around Is this the way we need to spend our top tax dollars? Number two, Do we want to see an expanded jail facility in our city? Is this aligned with our morals and our values? And number three, Is incarceration the way to proceed forward when were talking about people suffering from mental health and substance abuse?

According to a group against the expansion called Stop the Musick, the four currently open Orange County jails are 70 percent full, and if the Musick facility opened up again in its previous capacity, the capacity would only be 53 percent. That would be lowered to 45 percent capacity if the Musick facility is expanded to its current plan.

The project is said to cost $261 million for construction; its annual operating costs are estimated at $61.5 million.

Irvine Councilman Anthony Kuo said if the public wants it, then he doesnt necessarily see a problem with a public forum being held, even though the decision is not up to Irvine.

This project is pretty far down the line in terms of process, so my suspicion is that [the Board of Supervisors] have done what they need to do in terms of public outreach and hold public hearings. That said, if the communitys asking for it, then whats the opposition to holding a hearing?

From Kuos perspective, decisions on the jail should be left to the county, since the facility is outside of Irvines city limits.

To the extent that were, on behalf of a number of residents, asking the county to look at this and hold some hearings, thats really up to them to do, he said. But I did look at the resolution, Im not entirely comfortable with the language, but well have to see where the conversation goes on Tuesday.

Kuo said he doesnt believe the expansion is a waste of money, given that a lot of state funds are involved, and if they dont use the grants to expand the jail, the money will just go to another jurisdiction.

The fact of the matter is I think many of those who are asking for this public forum, and who have raised this issue, I dont necessarily believe, at least through their comments, that theyre in opposition to Musick jail, he said. Theyre in opposition to the jail component of criminal justice as a whole. They just dont want jails.

The Epoch Times reached out to all five supervisors and none were immediately available to comment.
The City of London financial district is seen with office skyscrapers commonly known as 'Cheesegrater,' 'Gherkin,' and 'Walkie Talkie' in London on Jan. 25, 2018. (Toby Melville/File/Reuters)

Lockdowns Push London Firms Toward Long-Term Shift of Hybrid Working

Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic have given City of London firms a final push toward hybrid working after a long-term shift in favour of the flexible model, experts say.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is poised to move forward with the third stage of his roadmap out of lockdown on May 17, when foreign travel will resume and Britons will be able to meet friends and family indoors.

As restrictions ease, some London-based firms have pledged to adopt a hybrid working pattern in which employees can split their week between the office and home.

HSBC and JP Morgan are among those to announce the shift, with Lloyds Bank confirming it will reduce its office space by 20 percent as working from home becomes a permanent lifestyle (pdf).

Changes like this will have a significant impact on the typically bustling City of London, but real estate experts claim the demand for a five-day workweek has been reducing for some time.

David Perowne, the head of City leasing at CBRE, an international commercial real estate services company, told NTD: Theres been a long-term shift towards a more hybrid model of working. The demand for the five-day working week has been reducing for some time.

I think COVID has probably got us to a point that we would have got to anyway, but obviously a lot quicker than we would have done otherwise.

David Perowne, executive director, head of City leasing at CBRE, speaks to NTD in the City of London on April 23, 2021. (NTD/Screenshot)

Accounting firm KPMG, based in Canary Wharf, said in a statement it will only ask its 7,300 London staff to work from the office two days a week following the pandemic.

Google has taken a similar stance, yesterday revealing plans to allow 20 percent of its 140,000 employees to permanently work from home starting Sept. 1.

Research by the London Chamber of Commerce has revealed almost two-thirds of employers have allowed staff to work from home at least two days a week as a result of the pandemic.

More than half said they will continue remote working in some capacity once lockdown lifts, according to the research report.

However, not all City of London firms agree with this stance, with Goldman Sachs boss David Solomon claiming remote working is an aberration that were going to correct as soon as possible.

He said in a conference earlier this year, I do think for a business like ours, which is an innovative, collaborative apprenticeship culture, this [remote working] is not ideal for us.

On the other side, Michael Dubicki, director of business development at rental agency Flexioffices, told NTD there is now a huge focus on giving people the flexibility to re-engage with the working environment on their own terms following a year of home working.

Michael Dubicki, director of business development at FlexiOffices, speaks to NTD in London on April 23, 2021. (NTD/Screenshot)

He added that interest in flexible office space in the City has been slower than in other parts of central London.

This could be as a result of simple migration of staff into locations easier to commute to or it could be simply to do with the fact companies in the City of London want to be very certain about restrictions easing, Dubicki said.

NTD reporter Jane Werrell contributed to this report.
McSallys Former Deputy Campaign Manager Pleads Guilty to Stealing $115,000 in Campaign Funds

A former deputy campaign manager and consultant to former Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) has pleaded guilty to stealing over $115,000 in funds from the McSally for Senate campaign in 2018 and 2019, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

Anthony Barry leveraged his authority to make fraudulent payments to himself, prosecutors said in a statement.

Barry used his position in the campaign to fraudulently direct the campaign to make payments to him beyond what he was owed for his salary and had the fraudulently obtained funds deposited into his personal bank account, they said.

He pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful conversion of campaign funds, and faces up to five years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for July 6.

Barrys attorney didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment on the case.

Barry, a 33-year-old resident of Yorkville, Illinois, managed McSallys campaign during her failed 2018 run for Senate. After narrowly losing to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) that year, McSally was later appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey to fill a vacated Senate seat. She ran again in 2020 but lost to former astronaut Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.).
A tugboat escorts French Navy ship Vendemiaire (F734), a Floreal-classlight surveillance frigate of the French Marine Nationale, upon its arrival for a five-day goodwill visit at a port in Metro Manila, Philippines, on March 12, 2018. (Romeo Ranoco/Reuters)

No Way for Europe to Be Distant Bystanders in Taiwan-Beijing Conflict: French Expert

In a conflict between Beijing and Taiwan, Europe would be forced to choose between the democratic and the communist sides, but this is not yet fully understood in European countries, said a French expert, who encouraged more transatlantic discussions between high-level officials and thinks tanks.

That [Taiwan crisis] is something new for some Europeans to understand that a crisis  even a conflict could happen between China, Taiwan, and maybe with U.S. involvement, said Dr. Nicolas Regaud, Special Representative to the Indo-Pacific of the Director General for International relations and Strategy at the French Ministry of Armed Forces.

European countries could not watch and do nothing if the communist regime were to attack democratic Taiwan, he said in an online webinar entitled Outweighing the CCP [Chinese Communist Party]: The Role of European Allies in U.S.-China Strategic Competition, held by the Project 2049 Institute on May 5.

There is no way European, or EU, could be distant bystanders. It would be forced to take a side, which is not yet fully understood in Europe, he said the mandatory choice would be on the table, and doing nothing would risk jeopardizing trust articulation and test transatlantic solidarity.

The United States has invited Europe to jointly confront the communist regime for its disrespect of international law and order and coercion toward its own people as well as countries daring to stand up to it, such as Australia.

Europe, however, prefers a comprehensive method rather than a black-and-white world. Moreover, as a united political construction, European states are more fragile in many aspects, whose security and prosperity have been built on international law and multilateralism, Regaud said.

It does not mean Europe is neutral, quite contrary, he indicated.

A new mechanism for screening foreign investment in Europe, initiated by France and Germany, has been put into place on May 5. The initiative targeted economic and technical espionage by the Chinese regime in Europe, which is one area of convergence between Europe and the United States in regards to China. He suggested that there is a lot to share concerning the mechanism and measure protecting their own interests.

The European Commission adopted regulations to restrain companies that have benefited from foreign subsidies involving financial contributions by non-EU governments that provide their recipients with an unfair advantage when acquiring EU companies, participating in public procurements in the EU or engaging in other commercial activities in the EU.

The recent high-level meeting of the Group of Seven western democracies in London also focused on countering challenges from the Chinese regime and Russia by courting new allies.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, which will head to the Indo-Pacific region for her first operational deployment, leaves Portsmouth Naval Base on the south coast of England, on May 1, 2021, (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)

Regaud mentioned that such political actions are crucial, and no one would expect European nations to send forces to the Indo-Pacific region if a conflict occurs. However, some assets could be sent to show solidarity.

Some European forces have already demonstrated opposition to the CCPs intimidation, such as sending large Chinese vessels to disputed waters, Whitsun Reef, in the South China Sea.

France led the way in these actions since it has territories in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and maintains troops in the Indo-Pacific region. The UK followed by announcing that an aircraft carrier would conduct exercises in the South China Sea. Germany also decided to send a frigate through the area.

European countries are no longer naive toward the communist regime, as the EU Vice-president Josep Borrell said. In March, the Council of the European Union asked the European Commission and high representative to draw up an Indo-Pacific strategy by September this year, which alludes to the Chinese regimes challenges in human rights, compliance with international law, and tensions over supply chains.

Regaud also emphasized that economic interests are not enough to drive European countries to be engaged in the indo-pacific areas politically and strategically.

If it would be the case, Germany would have been the more engaged strategic actors in the region, which it is not, he pointed out.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pushed ahead with strengthening economic ties with the Chinese regime, culminating in the EU-China investment deal reached at the end of 2020, which was suspended recently due to human rights concerns.

I think there is [an] avenue for more discussion between officials  but also between think tanks to discuss all these war games, crazy scenarios, contingency planning, just to  help our European partners understand that they would be a forced to take [a] side.
Oklahoma Governor Signs Bill Banning Critical Race Theory in Public Schools

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill on May 7 banning the teaching of critical race theory in the states public and charter schools.

Critical race theory is a quasi-Marxist ideology that holds that racism is ingrained in the United States. Among other concepts, it labels people with white skin, including children, as oppressors who hold an inherent advantage over other races and should feel guilt due to their privilege.

Now more than ever, we need policies that bring us together, not rip us apart, Stitt, a Republican, said in a video posted on Twitter. I firmly believe that not one cent of taxpayer money should be used to define and divide young Oklahomans about their race or sex.

The bill doesnt mention critical race theory by name, and instead bans the teaching of some of the racist and sexist concepts promoted by the ideology, including that one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex or that an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.

The bill also prohibits teaching that an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex or that members of one race or sex cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect to race or sex.

Nothing in this bill prevents or discourages those conversations, he said. We can and should teach this history without labeling a young child as an oppressor, or requiring he or she feel guilt or shame based on their race or sex.

Even though the new law directly prohibits the teaching of racist concepts, opponents of the measure called it racist.

This past week, the Oklahoma State Legislature passed HB 1775, an outright racist and oppressive piece of legislation. As a mom, community member, and the Chair of the OKCPS Board of Education, I am appalled at the flagrant, attempt to erase factual, incomprehensible history that has occurred in the United States, Paula Lewis, chair of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board, wrote on Twitter.

Our history as a country and as a state, if told accurately, is uncomfortable and should be heartbreaking for Americans that look like me, white, Lewis wrote, reciting some of the more prominent critical race theory concepts.
Plastic Bag Charge to Come Into Force in England on May 21

The single-use carrier bag charge will increase from 5 pence ($0.07) to 10 pence ($0.14) and extend to all businesses in England from May 21, the Government has confirmed.

Under the extension, all stores, including corner shops, will have to apply the charge. Previously only businesses with 250 employees or more had to charge per bag and smaller shops could choose to do so voluntarily.

The 5 pence ($0.07) levy on plastic bags was introduced in England in 2015, with the most recent figures showing that the number of single-use bags distributed by large supermarkets has fallen more than 95 percent.

The average person in England now buys just four single-use bags a year, compared to around 140 in 2014.

A survey in December for waste and resources body Wrap found 73 percent of consumers supported the levy.

However, the same poll found that 26 percent of consumers still buy single-use bags at the till when shopping for food.

By extending the charge to all retailers, it is expected that the use of single-use carrier bags will decrease by 70 percent to 80 percent in small and medium-sized businesses, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said.

The Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow, said: The introduction of the 5 [pence] charge has been a phenomenal success, driving down sales of harmful plastic bags in supermarkets by a remarkable 95 percent.

We know we must go further to protect our natural environment and oceans, which is why we are now extending this charge to all businesses.

Over the next couple of weeks I urge all retailers of all sizes to make sure they are ready for the changes, as we work together to build back greener and strengthen our world-leading action to combat the scourge of plastic waste.

Association of Convenience Stores Chief Executive James Lowman, said: We strongly welcome the inclusion of local shops and other small businesses into the successful plastic bag charging scheme, which not only helps the environment, but is also a great way for retailers to raise money for local and national charities.

Paula Chin, sustainable materials specialist at WWF, said: Plastic pollution is one of the most visible symptoms of the environmental crisis, damaging natural habitats and putting precious wildlife at risk.

Measures to reduce plastics consumption need to go much further. The UK Government must consider a complete ban on single-use bags and make sure this is not undermined by the sale of bags for life, which are currently cheaply available and all too often end up as single-use items.

Sam Chetan-Welsh, from Greenpeace, said: The Government is still tinkering at the edges of the plastic pollution crisis. Real action on bags would include phasing out the billion-and-a-half heavy-duty bags for life used in the UK each year.

While the Government avoids legislation to reduce single-use plastic and delays acting on promises, like delivering a bottle return scheme, their claims to be a world-leader on tackling plastic pollution ring hollow.

John Lewis said it was trialling the removal of single-use bags from its Cheltenham, Kingston, and Leeds stores from May 21.

Customers will be asked to bring their own bags or buy a reusable bag made from 100 percent recyclable material costing 50 pence ($0.70) for a medium size and 75 pence ($1.04) for a large size.

Marija Rompani, director of ethics and sustainability for the John Lewis Partnership, said: It has become the norm to take our own bags when we go food shopping but we have a different mindset when shopping for clothes, beauty, and home products.

We expect our customers will be supportive of this change and will be listening to their feedback.

Icaro surveyed 2,010 adults in England for Wrap in December.

By Josie Clarke
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters at AltaMed Urgent Care in Santa Ana, Calif., on March 25, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Recall Newsom Data Shows Support Exceeded Threshold

A total of 1,719,943 signatures have been certified as verified in the campaign to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, Californias Secretary of State said May 5.

To trigger an election, 1,495,709 verified signatures were needed, meaning supporters exceeded the minimum threshold by 15 percent.

Final tallies show that 2,161,349 verified signatures were submitted to the Secretary of States office by county registrars, with 441,406 signatures invalidated by the office.

Los Angeles County had the most valid and submitted signatures of Californias 58 counties, reaching 264,495 valid signatures of 328,224 submitted signatures, California Republican Party data director Cole Patterson told The Epoch Times.

While overall trends of party affiliation by those who signed the petition have not been released, Patterson said a lot of left-leaning counties had many signatures submitted.

The Secretary of State has not released party affiliation of signers, but they have released county-by- county info, Patterson said. Los Angeles County, San Diego County, San Bernardino County, Fresno County, Riverside County and Orange County are all competitive or [Democrat]-leaning counties, and each had significant amounts of signatures submitted to their registrars.

Despite having more than a year to gather signatures, motivation by California residents to sign them only increased with time, Patterson noted.

While frustration has been growing over Newsoms incompetence for some time, after he was caught at the French Laundry[last Nov. 17] there was an increase of over 500,000 signatures submitted to registrars during the next reporting period, Patterson said, referring to when the governor was photographed at a high-end French restaurant sitting next to friends. He was not wearing a mask, nor was he social distancing, despite regularly urging the public to take such precautions.

Newsom apologized to constituents shortly after the incident.

On Dec. 29, about one month after the French Laundry incident, Newsom mandated an additional stay at home order. Following that announcement, county registrars recorded an increase of 596,721 signatures submitted about a month later in February, Patterson added.

Enthusiasm for the recall continued to increase as time went on, with county registrars receiving 327,769 signatures in the final days between March 12th and March 17th deadline. Between Jan 1. and March 17th, there was around 1.1 million more signatures collected, Patterson said.

Now that the recall is before voters, there will be a withdrawal period that lasts until June 8 where those who signed the petition will have the opportunity to withdraw their signature.

After the withdrawal period, the Secretary of State will notify the department of finance, which will have 30 days to estimate the cost of the recall.

The election is likely to happen in the fall.
Recall Petitions Pick Up Steam in California After Newsom Effort Sees Results

Convicted murderers facing parole instead of life in prison, a rise in homeless encampments bringing danger to local residents, and failed public school policies: these are just a few reasons some Californians say they want to recall their elected officials.

Since the campaign to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom successfully gathered enough verified signatures to qualify for a recall election, local campaigns statewide have been picking up steam as more and more residents become fed up with the way theyre being treated by public officials.

Its a lot of work, but if you have the money, you probably are going to succeed at getting the signatures, Joshua Spivak, a senior fellow at the Hugh L. Carey Institute for Government Reform, told The Epoch Times.

A total of 17 California recall campaigns have already launched this year. And while some point to the success of the Recall Newsom campaign as newfound encouragement for their own local efforts, its not the only reason.

Failed criminal reform policies are prompting recall efforts of the district attorneys of both Los Angeles and San Francisco, while a councilman in Los Angeles is facing scrutiny for his handling of the homelessness crisis. Organizers are building upon the successful grassroots efforts of the Newsom recall campaign as inspiration that their efforts too might succeed.

George Gascon, then-San Francisco District Attorney who took office as Los Angeles County District Attorney on Dec. 7, 2020, speaks during a news conference in San Francisco on Dec. 9, 2014. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

No Second Chances

Desiree Andrade became co-organizer of the campaign to recall Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon after her sons killers had their sentences reduced.

Before Gascon took office, these gentlemen were facing life without parole and possibly the death penalty, Andrade told The Epoch Times.

But she says thats no longer true. The case was pending when Gascon was elected last year and he ordered his prosecutors not to seek special enhancements under any circumstancessignificantly reducing potential sentencesas part of his reform efforts.

Andrades 20-year-old son Julian was viciously murdered in Azusa in 2018, when five convicted suspects thought he stole their marijuana. The suspects repeatedly beat and stabbed Julian in his home until he was unconscious, then drove him up a mountain road before throwing his body off a cliff. When they heard him still struggling below, they attacked him again, according to prosecutors.

The suspects were eventually charged with murder, residential robbery, and kidnapping by then-District Attorney Jackie Lacey. The charges also included an alleged special enhancement of lying in wait.

Andrade said Gascon campaigned on second chancesbut his policies dont protect the victims of brutal crimes, like her son. The initial ruling has drastically changed, she said, with the five suspects now facing reduced sentences of 20 years under Gascons new statutes.

I believe that second chances are for  little things, not a murder, she said. A murderer does not deserve a second chance. You took somebodys life. Thats huge, you know. Were not selling a lollipop here.

Andrade attended the court hearing when the enhanced charges were dismissed. She told Fox 11 at the time that she saw the defendants smirking from ear to ear when they learned theyd have reduced sentences.

Prior to the recall effort, many of Gascons reforms faced heavy criticisms. He announced he would seek to get rid of the death penalty, no longer prosecute children as adults, block three-strike charges, and significantly downsize and rename L.A.s hardcore gang unit.

In March, Gascon responded to the recall effort against him, saying on Twitter that the attempt is fueled by conservative media, law enforcement unions & other tough-on-crime types.

But Andrade, who is a registered Democrat, disagrees.

I disagree with the way he thinks, and so its not a partisan issue here, she said. Its not about, you know, being a Republican, Democrat, Independent, whatever you want to be; that has nothing to do with this. This is about whats right and whats wrong.

Its unfortunate that conservative media is the only one that reaches out and cares about us victims. You dont have any Democratic news media reaching out to us.

Andrade said the effort will need 590,000 signatures to meet the required threshold to trigger a recall election but will aim for twice that number to account for unverified signatures. Theyll have 180 days from the start of the petition to collect them.

As you can see with Gascon, theyll need an enormous amount of signatures, and they could be able to get it, said Spivak. The greater challenge, he said, is winning.

Chesa Boudin (L), Leif Dautch (center), and Nancy Tung (R) deliver their platforms for the office of San Francisco district attorney on Sept. 4, 2019. (Nancy Han/NTD)

Recall Chesa Boudin

From 2011 to 2019, Gascon was the district attorney in San Franciscowhere his successor, Chesa Boudin, is also facing a recall campaign.

Richie Greenberg, organizer of Recall Chesa Boudin, told The Epoch Times that Boudin has simply followed Gascons lead. He set the tone for Chesa to then come in and continue this completely upside-down dismantling of the criminal justice system, Greenberg said.

Greenberg estimates that the recall effort has collected more than 12,000 signatures since it began in March. He said theyll need to gather roughly 51,000 signatures by Aug. 11 to qualify for a recall election, but are aiming for a 20 percent cushion to compensate for those that might not be verified.

Greenberg identifies as a moderate Republican, but he said the campaign is mainly a Democrat-led effort, based on spot random audits of the recall petitions.

Well pull out like 25 or 50 out of the thousands that have come in, and then we go and we have access to the voter database. And we see that were getting 50 [to] 70 percent of people who are signing the petition are registered Democrats, Greenberg said. So this is not a Republican or conservative signed petition.

According to Boudin, however, its a Republican-led recall effort. He told a local news station in a statement that the same people who opposed my election, and the reforms that came with it, are now trying to undo the will of the voters.

Im staying focused on what I promised to do: serving my community, building a more fair and equitable justice system, and fighting for the safety of all who live here, he said.

Boudin has implemented progressive reform policies prohibiting cash bail, decreasing prison populations, and accentuating rehabilitation over incarceration.

His approach to criminal justice has come under heat from constituents and victims of violent crimes. They cite the recent case of a man who was arrested twice for felony domestic violence. The suspect was released without charges, before allegedly killing a 7-month-old baby.

That suspect wasnt the only one to get off without charges, they say. From October to December last year, the San Francisco Police Department made 131 arrests for felony domestic violence; Boudin dismissed 113 of them, they say.

Greenberg sarcastically called Boudin an excellent defense attorney.

He doesnt know how to hold a criminalsomeone being accused of crimesaccountable, Greenberg said.

San Francisco is seeing a spike in violent crime and property theft, he said, because the DA is greenlighting criminals to come into the city and do virtually whatever they want, knowing theyre not going to be prosecuted.

However, the San Francisco Police Departments crime data indicates otherwise. From Jan. 1 to April 25, a comparison between 2020 and 2021 shows that rape, robbery, assault, and larceny theft have decreased, while burglary, car theft, and arson have gone up.

Julia Edwards, a spokesperson for San Franciscans Against the Recall of Chesa Boudin, told The Epoch Times that a small group of wealthy individuals are trying to overturn the choices voters made just 18 months ago.

These endless recalls will keep us all in a state of constant campaigns and distract from the important issues facing San Francisco, she said via text. Our committee is working to combat the lies and disinformation of the recall proponents who are trying to prevent our elected officials from doing their jobs.

Greenberg says his campaign has provided the blueprint for other efforts in the area, including several San Francisco School Board members who are facing recall efforts fueled by parental outrage over the handling of their childrens education during the pandemic.

My recall effort became a template for the school board recall because it uses the same format, he said, pointing to the various methods his campaign uses to gather signatures, like robocalling and sending mail-in petitions to registered voters.

Councilman Mike Bonin attends the Palisades Village grand opening private ribbon-cutting ceremony at Palisades Village in Los Angeles on Sept. 22, 2018. (Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

LA City Councilman Mike Bonin (L), California Gov. Gavin Newsom (C), and LA City Mayor Eric Garcetti (R) tour a burned home in Brentwood, Calif., on Oct. 29, 2019. (Wally Skalij/Pool via Getty Images)

Kiki Pagador hands items to a homeless man in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 27, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Broken Promises

In Los Angeles, Councilman Mike Bonin is also facing a recall effort, led by fed-up residents who say his homeless policies have brought crime and filth to their neighborhoods. Bonin, who took office in 2013, is under fire for the way hes handled the homelessness crisis in the citys 11th district, which includes Pacific Palisades, Marina Del Rey, Brentwood, Westchester, Venice Beach, and Hollywood.

Heidi Roberts, co-organizer of the Recall Mike Bonin effort, told The Epoch Times that the recall campaign is the result of a seven-year track record of broken promises.

His broken promises and inaction on this huge humanitarian crisis which is homelessness has impacted the lives of everybody in the district, whether theyre living in a house or living on the streets, Roberts said.

Bonin has faced failed recall attempts beforebut this year, organizers are confident theyll be able to gather enough signatures to hold a recall election, based on circulating Change.org petitions garnering over 40,000 signees.

Responding to a previous recall effort in 2017, Bonin said he was confident the vast majority of my constituents approve of what we have done together.

My job is to represent their interests and values, and not be distracted by right-wing radio hosts, or by my former opponents and their supporters, who have been calling since election night for a recall that would cost the taxpayers of Los Angeles millions of dollars, he said.

But Roberts said the councilmans containment zone policies have brought a homelessness problem to the district thats spreading.

It started with Venice.  Now its seeping out to the rest of the district, and its the second-largest [homeless community], second only to Skid Row, she said. And its deep in residential neighborhoodsI mean, our elementary schools have encampments surrounding them.

Residents have repeatedly reported problems with the homeless, including the threat of crime, fire, and public health issues. They cite a recent arson attack by a homeless personwho allegedly set a doctors house on fire in Venice Beach, which left her dog deadas the latest in a long string of offenses committed by the homeless in their neighborhoods.

Roberts said many residents are just fed up, and called the recall campaign the only tool that we have in our war chest at this point to stop the decimation of our community.

The grassroots volunteer effort has not filed with the Department of Elections yet. But Roberts said she expected the paperwork to be filed within the next three months, after details are worked out with attorneys.

Its so different from the recall Newsom campaign, because its not a partisan effort and it has nothing to do with Mike Bonins politics, she said.

According to Roberts and co-organizer Alan Resnik, the problem lies primarily in the councilmans handling of the homeless. In Venice Beach specifically, Bonin has drawn scrutiny from community groups who say the bridge housing facilities there, which he supported, only attract more homelessness, drugs, and trash.

People are dying on the streets, Resnik told The Epoch Times. He said a different approach is needed to solve the problem and help people on a large scale.

Once they file, Roberts and Resnik will have 120 days to gather nearly 30,000 signatures to trigger a recall election.

We do have a plan, they said.

An Experts View

Spivak has researched nationwide recalls for 25 years, and runs a recall elections blog where hes been documenting recall attempts and elections over the last decade. Gathering enough signatures to trigger a recall election isnt easy, he said, but can be accomplishedgiven the proper time.

Part of the reason they got the Newsom recall on the ballot, its actually because they got an extra 120 days. That was a big, big reason for the recall succeeding in terms of signatures, he said.

The Recall Newsom campaign was granted an extension to collect signatures after the group cited COVID-19 restrictions as a deterrent to its goal.

According to the secretary of states website, there have been 179 recall attempts of elected officials in California since 1913. Of those, 10 attempts qualified for the ballot, and only six elected officials were recalled.

Recall elections have been around for hundreds of years, Spivak said, so its not unusual to see multiple campaigns pop up at the local level. Residents being cooped up in their homes during the pandemic may have contributed to more political involvement and a national spotlight on the campaigns, he added.

It definitely had an impact; the question is, is that really why any of these would succeed? he asked. Its not clear.

Spivak said Newsoms handling of pandemic restrictions may have been the primary issue for this recall effort, but there had been several attempts to recall him previously, so this isnt the first time.

When looking at data across the entire country, Spivak said recall attempts are relatively successfuland if they get on the ballot, there is a good chance of success.

I found about 60 percent of them result in a removal, and about 6 percent also results in a resignation before the recall vote, he said.

The number of petition signatures required to trigger a recall election, and the method of replacing an official if they are voted out of office, vary by position. To recall the governor in California, petitioners needed 12 percent of the number of votes cast in the previous gubernatorial election to sign. Then each of the states registrar offices must verify the signatures in their respective counties.

Californias governor has a much lower recall requirement than these other positions. The governor needs only 12 percent of turnout, whereas other positions need higher, Spivak said.

He said Newsoms recall was mainly a partisan effort.

You need 1.5 million signatures to get the recall on the ballot in 2020. Donald Trump received over 6 million votes [in California], so if you would just get a third of those people who voted for Donald Trump to sign, youre in good shape, he said.

The next phase of the governors recall attempt is currently underway: Voters have until June 8 to contact their registrar if they want to retract their signatures from the petition. There would need to be roughly 200,000 signatures removed for the recall election to be invalidated.

Spivak said hes not sure whether the recall movement will ultimately succeed in replacing Newsom. Theres certainly reason for Newsom to feel optimistic, based on how the state has been trending.

According to a recent survey of just over 1,700 adult residents by the Public Policy Institute of California, just over half say they approve of how Newsom is handling his job, while 40 percent reported they would vote to remove the governor in a recall election. The study also noted Republicans were more likely than Independents and Democrats to vote to remove him.

Mike Netter, co-founder of the Recall Gavin 2020 campaign, told The Epoch Times last month that their campaign has spurred other grassroots recall efforts because the public in California is dissatisfied.

Its not like recalls are popping up all over the place because Recall Gavin [2020] is successful, said Netter. It certainly has something to do with it, obviously, but the reality is the people are starting to say  You know what? Once youre in office, youre not doing what you said you would do. Were tired of living this way. We cant take it anymore.

He added that with a Newsom recall election on the horizon, the political responsibilities will shift to the California legislature, including the 30-day withdrawal period and the allocation of funds to hold the election. According to former state Sen. Don Perata, chair of Stop the Steal, California, the special election could cost $75 million to $100 million.

Netter said the state will have to come up with the money. When all is said and done, he expects the recall election to be held in the fall.

They will try to push it until November, Netter predicted.

Neither Gascon, Boudin, nor Bonin responded to requests for comment by The Epoch Times prior to publication.
Scotland's First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) Nicola Sturgeon reacts after being declared the winner of the Glasgow Southside seat at Glasgow counting centre in the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, on May 7, 2021. (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

Scottish Nationalists Vow New Independence Vote From UK After Election Success

GLASGOW, ScotlandScotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon vowed on Saturday to press ahead with plans for a new referendum on leaving the United Kingdom after saying there was no doubt elections to the Scottish parliament would return a pro-independence majority.

In a rebuke to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who has said he would block a secession vote, Sturgeon said it would be absurd for any politician in London to try to block a vote.

The only people who can decide the future of Scotland are the Scottish people, and no Westminster politician can or should stand in the way of that, Sturgeon told BBC TV.

Results on Saturday showed Sturgeons Scottish National Party (SNP) well on course for a fourth consecutive term in office having triumphed in 62 of the 86 seats so far declared for the 129-seat parliament.

However, the electoral systemwhich allocates 56 seats on a proportional representation basis that helps smaller partiesmeans it was highly unlikely to obtain an overall majority, falling one or two seats short.

The Scottish Greens, who also support independence, were expected to win more than half a dozen seats.

It looks as if it is beyond any doubt that there will be a pro-independence majority in that Scottish parliament, Sturgeon said. By any normal standard of democracy that majority should have the commitment it made to the people of Scotland honoured.

Johnson, who the British government says must approve a referendum for it to be legal, has repeatedly indicated he will not allow one, pointing out Scots backed staying in the United Kingdom in a once in a generation poll in 2014.

This sets the scene for a bitter clash between the Scottish government in Edinburgh and Johnsons United Kingdom-wide administration in London, which could ultimately lead to the end of Scotlands 314-year union with England and Wales.

The nationalists argue that they have democratic authority on their side; the British government say the law is with them. It is likely the final decision on a referendum will be settled by the courts.

Scots voted to remain part of the United Kingdom by 55 to 45 percent in 2014. Polls suggest the outcome of a second referendum would be too tight to call.

Irresponsible and Reckless

Supporters of the union argue that without an SNP majority, there is no mandate for a referendum, while Johnson has said it is wrong to focus on independence rather than the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

I think a referendum in the current context is irresponsible and reckless, he told the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Scottish politics has been diverging from other parts of the United Kingdom for some time, but Scots remain split over holding another vote on independence.

Britains exit from the EUopposed by a majority of Scotsas well as a perception that Sturgeons government has handled the COVID-19 crisis well, and antipathy to Johnsons Conservative government in London, have bolstered support for Scotlands independence movement.

Sturgeon, who has said she will only hold a referendum after the coronavirus pandemic is over, has ruled out holding an illegal or wildcat plebiscite. She said it would be for the UK government to mount a legal challenge to block the vote.

If Boris Johnson or whoever is prime minister at the time, has any respect for Scottish democracy, they will come together with the Scottish government as happened in the run-up to 2014 and agree (to allow a referendum), said Sturgeon, adding it would be for the UK government to make a legal challenge.

The absurdity and outrageous nature of a Westminster government, potentially going to court to overturn Scottish democracy, I cant think of a more colourful argument for Scottish independence than that myself, she said.

By Russell Cheyne
Teen, 16, Goes Into Tree-Tapping Business, Gets Own Brand of Maple Syrup in 100 Stores

An entrepreneurial teen with a soft spot for maple syrup is inspiring others by running a thriving company at the age of 16.

High school junior Will Wanish started out tapping maple trees in his own backyard in Colfax, Wisconsin. In 2019, he used money earned working at a neighbors dairy farm to build his first steel sugar shed.

Securing a microloan from a regional business fund, he furnished the shed with $30,000 worth of specialized equipment, allowing him to collect sap from around 3,000 taps on 1,000 trees on land owned by his grandparents and neighbors.

This is how his company, Wanish Sugar Bush, was born. This is all I think about, Will told Kare 11.

It was Wills uncle who first ignited his nephews passion for maple syrup in 2017, tending 800 trees. Wills father, Todd, was initially skeptical, claiming, You can go to Walmart and buy a gallon of Mrs. Butterworths for seven bucks, but he came around when his son branched off on his own solo venture, which soon turned into a fruitful business model.

Wills taps siphon maple sap into 300-gallon tanks, where the 100 percent pure syrup is heated, collected, and bottled after school hours. Todd and Heather, Wills parents, joke that they are the unpaid interns. The teens grandfather also lends a hand; friends and neighbors pitch in when production gets busy.

No, hes not your normal 16-year-old, local dairy farmer Dane Suvada said.

Describing her son as full speed all day, Heather recalled Will never taking naps, even as a young boy. Todd added, The blankets would fly off the bed and the feet were spinning before they even hit the ground.

Today, Will thinks nothing of working into the small hours, often staying in the sugar shed until 3 or 4 oclock in the morning on a school night. This is what I want to do for the rest of my career, he said. I dont even eat breakfast in the morningget up and go.

From Milwaukee to the Twin Cities of Minnesota, Wills syrup and related products have earned themselves spots on the shelves of 100 grocery stores with the help of Heathers amazing marketing skills.

Wanish Sugar Bush also sells stock through its website.

For the ambitious teen, the only way is up. Will, who is keen to work on his wood management and stay on top of advances in tapping technology, is aiming for 20,000 maple taps within 15 years.

I want to become more known and have it become as big as possible, he told The Chippewa Herald. People will tell you that you work too much, but you need to start young.

We are excited for this adventure, said Todd and Heather, both of whom look forward to many seasons of making, bottling, and selling the fruits of their sons hard labor.

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Federal agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) detain a man in this file photo taken in Dallas, Texas, in March 2014. (ICE/Charles Reed/Handout/File Photo via Reuters)

Texas Man Arrested on Smuggling Charges After 41 Illegal Immigrants Found Inside Semi-Truck

A man was taken into custody on Thursday after being accused of smuggling more than three dozen illegal immigrants who were found in and around a large tractor-trailer that was stopped by local authorities near San Antonio in Texas.

Aron Bernard Griffin, 49, from Dallas was arrested on federal criminal charges that include one count of smuggling undocumented noncitizens. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Police were notified by several concerned citizens after they saw a group of people inside the rig that Griffin was allegedly driving.

The tractor-trailer was located at a gas station on Interstate Highway 10 East in San Antonio, police said. Forty-one undocumented noncitizens were found at the scene and were detained by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents.

Prosecutors said Griffin told federal agents that he had made an agreement with another person to pick up the illegal immigrants in Laredo and transport them to San Antonio for money.

One of the immigrants was taken to a hospital for dehydration, San Antonio Fire Department spokesperson Joe Arrington said Thursday, The Associated Press reported.

The apprehensions of people crossing, or attempting to cross, the border illegally have substantially increased in recent months.

Border Patrol agents detained more than 150,000 illegal border crossers in March, former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Mark Morgan saida 50,000 increase in comparison to the previous month.

A further 30,000 evaded capture, according to Morgan, who has received the provisional CBP numbers from internal sources.

The border is wide open.  Its not secure. Drugs are pouring in, and criminal aliens are pouring in right now, Morgan said during a press conference along the Rio Grande on March 30.

Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this report.

From NTD News
The Nation Speaks (May 8): Havana Syndrome Mystery; Anti-Racism in Your Workplace; Free Speech vs Snitching

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence wants answers about the mysterious Havana Syndromea neurological sickness that hit U.S. embassy workers in Cuba and elsewhere. Was it a weapon? Whos responsible? And how to treat dozens of sufferers?

(1:08) We talk to Dr. Linda Birnbaum, former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, who was appointed to a State Department-commissioned committee to investigate the phenomenon. She discusses what her committee did, and didnt, find out.

(9:15) We also talk to Gary Miliefsky, a founding member of the Department of Homeland Security and publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine. Miliefsky doesnt think its mysterious at all and explains why hes sure U.S. diplomats were targets of an ultrasonic weapon attackand why Cuba must be held accountable.

(17:45) Then, in our first America Q&A we ask: Should there be any limits on the number of immigrants allowed into the country?

(21:25) Next, anti-racism training in the workplace is becoming more and more common. So what exactly are HR departments teaching and what are the impacts on workplace culture? HR expert and author, Jim Stroud tells us.

(40:11) And in our second America Q&A we find out if people think its OK for welfare to be permanent, or if it should just be used to help people out in tough times.

(42:57) Finally, after an angry cheerleader made an unfortunate Snapchat post, a fellow student reported her and she got kicked off the squad. The Supreme Court will decide if the school violated her free speech, meanwhile, Pacific Legal Foundation lawyer, Daniel Ortner, who submitted an amicus brief to the top court, warns about the dangers of snitch culture.
China's leader Xi Jinping (R) is greeted by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing (L) before a photo session during Xi's visit in Hong Kong on June 30, 2017. (Bobby Yip/AFP via Getty Images)

The Political Correctness of Hong Kongs Tycoons

News Analysis

On May 4, Robin Zeng Yuqun, a new immigrant from mainland China, replaced Li Ka-shing as the richest man in Hong Kong when his net worth soared along with the companys stock prices. In the context of Beijings patriots ruling Hong Kong, his new status attracted additional attention.

In Forbes real-time billionaires list, Zengs net worth stood at $34.5 billion that day, surpassing Li by $.2 billion.

However, on May 6, Zengs wealth dropped to $34.1 billion, putting Li Ka-shing back on the throne as Hong Kongs richest man.

According to Forbes, Zeng is the founder and chairman of Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), one of the worlds largest suppliers of batteries for electric vehicles, headquartered in Ningde, Fujian Province.

With reference to Forbes April 6 data, Zengs wealth increased by more than $6 billion in just one month.

According to a Chinese finance report, Zeng owns a 24.53 percent stake in CATL. The market boom of electric vehicles helped his wealth grow.

He gained residency in Hong Kong following the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme of Hong Kong in 2005.

Does Beijing Trust Tycoons in Hong Kong?

In September 2010, Xi Jinping, then vice-chairman of the regime, did an official tour to Ningde and asked local officials to expand on large projects and leap on development.

The next year, Zeng established CATL in his hometown, Ningde.

CATL was listed on the Second-board Market of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange at an initial stock price of $3.91 on June 11, 2018. CATLs initial market value was $8.48 billion.

Before the listing, its share values were being touted by the Chinese brokers. For instance, Caitong Securities stated that CATL was expected to become a leader in power batteries in China and even the world.

At the end of 2020, the Chinese State Council launched the New Energy Automobile Industry Development Plan (2021-2035) to promote development of the new energy automobile industry, which raised CATL stock price once again. Based on the opening price of $17.22 on Jan. 6, 2020, and the closing price of $60.05 on April 30, 2021, the stock price of CATL rose by 249 percent in that time. As of April 30, CATL had a market value of $139.87 billion.

At present, CATLs Chinese market partners include electric vehicle makers such as Tesla, Geely Automobile, and NIO, as well as traditional automobile manufacturers such as FAW-Volkswagen and BMW Brilliance.

Zeng gaining the richest man in Hong Kong title was reported frequently in China and Hong Kong. However, when CATL stock price fell two days later and Li Ka-shing regained his title, the media rarely mentioned it.

Li Ka-shings wealth has grown steadily, with an increase of approximately $600 million based on $33.7 billion a month ago. However, since Beijing implemented the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law and passed the Patriot Ruling Hong Kong, Hong Kongs tycoons have been at the forefront of public opinion.

Beijing Targets Hong Kongs Real Estate Tycoons

On March 7, vice-premier Han Zheng proposed to solve Hong Kongs housing problem at the Two Sessions, Chinas top annual political meeting. After that, a wave of struggles against landlords, similar to what occurred during the Cultural Revolution, began in Hong Kong.

Local real estate developers were heavily criticized. For instance, the Bauhinia Party blamed housing problems for the 2019 street protests, referring to the social disparity that caused social unrest that year.

Hong Kongs Bauhinia Party is a pro-Beijing party formed in 2020 by China-born pro-Beijing financial professionals.

On March 16, Bloomberg reported that the four property tycoons in Hong Kongthe Kwok Tak-seng family, the Lee Shau-kee family, the Li Ka-shing family, and the Cheng Yu-tung familyhave become the scapegoats of Beijing.

In mid-April, Hong Kong began to implement the so-called electoral system reform plan passed by Beijings rubber-stamp legislature. Among the newly added pro-Beijing patriotic groups, the influential Federation of Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community Organizations, with Li Ka-shing as the honorary president, was excluded from the election committee.

In addition, on April 27, Li Ka-shings Cheung Kong Asset Holdings provided the Hong Kong Stock Exchange a detailed valuation report of its property assets, which indicated a total value of approximately $64.4 billion, considerably higher than the Cheung Kong Groups current market value of $23.3 billion.

The 885-page report disclosed the Cheung Kong Holdings properties in many locations around the world. Prepared by Cushman & Wakefield, the valuation of 198 properties in China and Hong Kong exceeded $54 billion. Among them, 71 properties in mainland China were valued at $17.2 billion, and 127 real estate projects in Hong Kong were valued at $37.4 billion.

On April 28, Hong Kongs Apple Daily columnist Gu Rong wrote in a commentary that Cheung Kongs voluntary release of the report was probably done for one main audiencethe communist regime.

Gu wrote that for many years, whenever Li Ka-shings companies sold assets in China and Hong Kong, it was considered an act of withdrawal and cash out, and the little pinks (Chinas online warriors) would exclaim, Dont let the superman run away.

He stated that the valuation report was meant to show the world that the assets were underestimated and more importantly, show loyalty to Beijing. Under the premise that everything has to be politically correct at this time, owning 200 properties and hundreds of billions of assets in China and Hong Kong would ensure others its insistence to invest and develop in China and Hong Kong, Gu wrote.
Toddler Thrown From Truck Into Bay in CrashThen Heroic Bystander Leaps In, Saves Her Life

A toddler was thrown from a truck, off a bridge, and into the water of a bay in Maryland during a vehicle collision on May 2. Heroically, a good Samaritan leapt in and retrieved the baby girl with help from nearby boaters.

The five-car crash occurred just before 3 p.m. on a Route 90 bridge connecting Ocean City to the rest of Worcester County. The impact threw a 23-month-old, still in her car seat, from one of the vehicles into Assawoman Bay, according to a press release.

The truck was left dangling precariously over the guardrail.

After witnessing the crash, the unnamed good Samaritan climbed over the rail and jumped into the bay to retrieve the toddler. A nearby family of boaters sailed toward the pair and helped them aboard.

The water was only 4 to 5 feet deep in that part of the bay.

One of the boaters, Tricia Michele Roberts-Oertel, captured footage of the rescue on her cellphone. One of her family members posted it to Facebook and said the family went into rescue mode  We got them on board within minutes of them landing in the bay.

Ocean City Fire Department (OCFD) reported that one of their own, firefighter and photographer Rob Korb, arrived just moments after the crash occurred.

According to Korb, the good Samaritan performed CPR on the toddler before medics arrived. Ive been on some crazy jobs over the years, but this one will be one to remember, he said.

The child was transported to Johns Hopkins Childrens Hospital in Baltimore by air ambulance.

Seven others besides the toddler sustained injuries and were treated onsite by paramedics. All seven were transported to local hospitals for further medical attention but have since been released.

The toddler remains stable at Johns Hopkins, according to Ocean City Police. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.

Meanwhile, the brave bystander remains the hero of the hour.

This good Samaritans actions without a doubt, we can say, saved this child, OCFDs Ryan Whittington told Fox 5.

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People enjoy the sea on a beach of the small island of Chrysi, south of Crete, on July 26, 2020. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)

Travel Bosses Urge UK To Add Top European Holiday Destinations to Green List

Travel industry leaders have complained the UK governments plan to reopen international travel in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown is overly cautious, and have called for the top European holiday destinations to be added to the quarantine-free green list.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced on Friday that Britain will allow international travel to resume from May 17, but just 12 countries and territories made the so-called green list, which include Portugal, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, and the tiny Faroe Islands.

Garry Wilson, chief executive of EasyJet Holidays, said: The good news is travel is reopening and our customers can look forward to those well-earned breaks in the summer that theyve been waiting many months for.

I think the very disappointing news is just the number of countries that are on the list, and if you look at European countries theres very few, and of those European countries the major holiday destination is Portugal.

So we did think it was very cautious and it is really not aligning with the approach the government has taken to open up domestic travel and we dont think it is backed up by the science or the data, he told BBC Breakfast on Saturday.

Wilson said he believes that places like the Greek Islands, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands actually do meet those criteria and should be on that list.

Virgin Atlantic said the United States should also be added to the green list.

There is no reason for the U.S. to be absent from the green list, a spokesman said. This overly cautious approach fails to reap the benefits of the UKs successful vaccination programme.

Airlines UK, an industry body which represents UK carriers, said the government must make major additions to the green list at the next review point in three weeks.

This is a missed opportunity and, with so few countries making it on to the green list, represents a reopening of air travel in name only, said Chief Executive Tim Alderslade.

But Shapps told a Downing Street press conference on Friday that the government must make absolutely sure the countries the UK reconnects with are safe from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

We in this country have managed to construct a fortress against COVID. But the disease is still prevalent in other parts of the world, most notably at the moment in India, he said.

PA and Reuters contributed to this report.
Votes are counted by staff at the Maricopa County Elections Department office in Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 5, 2020. (Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images)

Arizona Lawmakers Tell Maricopa Officials to Turn Over Routers or Face Subpoenas

Arizona lawmakers and officials in the states largest county clashed anew last week over election audit subpoenas, with county officials refusing to hand over routers and claiming they dont have passwords to access administrative control functions of election machines.

Arizonas Senate told Maricopa County on May 7 that it would issue subpoenas for live testimony from the countys Board of Supervisors unless it receives materials that are being withheld.

Weve been asked to relay that the Senate views the Countys explanations on the router and passwords issues as inadequate and potentially incorrect, a lawyer for the Senate said in an email to county officials.

The Arizona Senate subpoenaed election materials, such as ballots, following the 2020 election; lawmakers also issued subpoenas for election machines, passwords, and other technology.

Maricopa County alleged in a lawsuit that the request for materials was overly broad and threatened voter privacy. A judge, though, ruled that the request was the equivalent of a Court order. But the county says it wont turn over routers or router images, claiming that doing so poses a significant security risk to law enforcement.

The county has also informed the Senates audit liaison, former Republican Secretary of State Ken Bennett, that it doesnt have passwords to access administrative functions on Dominion Voting Systems machines that were used to scan ballots during the election.

Theyve told us that they dont have that second password, or that theyve given us all the passwords they have, Bennett told One America News at the site of the audit in Phoenix.

Theyve also told us that they now cant, as they promised a couple of weeks ago, provide our subcontractors with the virtual access to the routers and hubs and other things at the Maricopa County tabulation and election center, as was part of the subpoenas.

John Brakey, a Democrat who is serving as an assistant to Bennett, told the broadcaster that he was blown away by the password development.

Its like leasing a car and they refuse to give you the keys. Theyre supposed to be running the election. You know whats wrong? Sometimes these vendors have too much power, and were voting on secret software, and thats why this recount down here is very important, he said.

Jack Sellers, the Republican chairman of the Maricopa County board, said on May 7 that hes angered by allegations of corruption, and commented on the password issue.

The specific password and security tokens Ken Bennett referenced  provide access to proprietary firmware and source code. Elections administrators do not need to access this information to hold an election, and we do not have it in our custody, he said in a statement.

Contractors working for Florida-based company Cyber Ninjas, which was hired by the Arizona Senate, audit ballots at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix on May 6, 2021. (Matt York/Pool/AP Photo)

The county board called an emergency meeting later on May 7, to consider legal advice and litigation regarding its noncompliance with the Senate subpoenas.

In a response to the Senates lawyer, Allister Adel, Maricopa Countys attorney, said that the county has already produced every password and security key for the tabulators that is within the Countys possession.

It does not have any others, Adel said. The county is working to figure out if there is a safe manner to get the Senate information from the routers without risking non-election data.

Dominion, whose machines are used in about half of U.S. states, didnt respond to a request for comment. The company has said it supports forensic audits by federally accredited laboratories and that Cyber Ninjas, which is leading the Arizona audit, isnt verified.

Both Dominion and Sellers noted that Maricopa County contracted its own audits, one for machines and another for ballots.

But Brakey, the assistant Senate liaison, has called the description of those audits misleading. The ballot batches were picked beforehand and auditors only analyzed a small percentage of the ballots cast in the election, he said, while the machine testing could only determine whether the technology was working well at the time of the review.

They claim thats an audit. I call it fatally flawed, he told One America News.

Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone, meanwhile, joined other county officials in criticizing the Senates attempt to obtain the routers.

Its most recent demands jeopardize the entire mission of the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office, he said in a statement.

We are talking about confidential, sensitive, and highly classified law enforcement data and equipment that will be permanently compromised. The current course is mind-numbingly reckless and irresponsible. I look forward to briefing them on the horrendous consequences of this demand and the breadth of its negative impact on the public safety in this County.
Debris in Bento Rodrigues district, which was covered with mud after a dam owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd burst, in Mariana, Brazil, on Nov. 10, 2015. (Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)

UK Court to Reconsider $6.9 Billion Brazil Dam Lawsuit Against BHP

LONDONLondons Court of Appeal will hear a request to revive a 5 billion pound ($6.95 billion) lawsuit against Anglo-Australian mining group BHP over a 2015 dam failure in Brazil, a court order showed.

Judge Nicholas Underhill has agreed to an oral hearing that could help to overturn a previous Court of Appeal decision which denied a 200,000-strong Brazilian claimant group permission to appeal against a judgment to strike out the landmark case.

I am satisfied that, exceptionally, an oral hearing is appropriate in this case, the judge said in the order, which was signed on May 4 and seen by Reuters on Thursday.

No further details were immediately available.

The order comes less than two months after the Court of Appeal refused permission for a lawsuit over Brazils worst environmental disaster to proceed in English courts.

The Court of Appeal said in March it agreed with a lower court that the case was an abuse of process, that claimants could makeand were makingreparation claims in Brazil and that the lawsuit would be irredeemably unmanageable.

The collapse of the Fundao dam, owned by the Samarco venture between BHP and Brazilian iron ore mining giant Vale, killed 19 and sent a flood of mining waste into communities, the Doce river and the Atlantic Ocean, 400 miles away.

Samarco has since filed for bankruptcy protection.

PGMBM, the law firm representing the Brazilian claimants, said it had been contacted by many clients to express their gratitude in respect of the consideration being given by the Court of Appeal to their application.

BHP, the worlds largest miner by market value, said it was aware of the application.

Previous (court) rulings  have supported our position that the civil claim proceedings were unnecessary as they duplicated matters already covered by the existing and ongoing work of the Renova Foundation and are, or have been, the subject of ongoing legal proceedings in Brazil, a BHP spokesman said.

The Renova Foundation is a redress scheme established in 2016 by BHPs Brazilian division, Samarco and Vale.

The case is the latest battle to establish whether multinationals can be held liable for the conduct of subsidiaries abroad.

The UK Supreme Court in 2019 allowed Zambian villagers to sue miner Vedanta in England for alleged pollution in Africa and in February permitted Nigerian farmers and fishermen to pursue Royal Dutch Shell over oil spills in the Niger Delta.

By Kirstin Ridley
The first British-built Intercity Express train is unveiled in front of invited guests at the Hitachi Rail Europe site in Newton Aycliffe, UK, on Dec. 9, 2016. (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

UK Rail Services Disrupted as Cracks Found in High-Speed Trains

Britains rail network is experiencing significant disruption on Saturday after a number of high-speed Hitachi trains were taken off service after cracks were found.

Routine checks of Hitachi trains early this morning identified cracks on part of the chassis of some trains. Safety is always our absolute priority, so these trains have been taken off the network to undergo full and rigorous checks, said Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris.

Hitachi are working to complete these strict precautionary checks. Trains will be returned to service as quickly as possible once they are fully approved as safe by the manufacturer, he said.

I share the frustration of passengers who are experiencing significant disruption, and would ask people whose journeys are affected to check before travelling.

He said he has asked the rail industry to conduct a rapid and comprehensive review to resolve the issue.

Rail companies said earlier that they had to suspend some services after cracks were found in some Class 800 series Hitachi trains, which are used by Great Western Railway (GWR), Hull Trains, London North Eastern Railway (LNER), and TransPennine Express (TPE).

In a statement on their website, Great Western Railway (GWR) said: A number of Class 800 series Hitachi trains from several train companies have been taken out of service this morning for checks as a precautionary measure.

As a result we have had to cancel a significant number of long-distance train services to and from Paddington, and while local services are running, we expect them to be very busy.

This problem is being investigated by Hitachi and once trains have been checked and cleared, we hope to be able to release them back into service as soon as possible.

GWR said cracks were detected on more than one Hitachi 800 train, so all 93 Hitachi 800s in their fleet are being inspected as a precaution.

Heaton-Harris said that while some trains were starting to resume service, disruption is likely for a prolonged period, particularly on GWR.

Hull Trains said its services resumed at around 1.30 p.m. on Saturday after half a day of cancellations. But GWR said disruption is likely to continue into Sunday.

Hitachi Rail said the company would like to offer our sincerest apologies to passengers for the impact this may be causing for their travel plans.

We are working with all partners to resolve this issue as quickly and safely as possible, said a spokesperson.

PA contributed to this report.
Max, a two-year-old border collie, waits to be re-homed at the Cheshire Dogs Home in Warrington, England, on Jan. 4, 2010. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

UK Sets Up Taskforce To Tackle Rising Pet Theft During Lockdown

The UK government launched a Pet Theft Taskforce on Saturday to investigate the recent reported rise in pet theft since the start of the COVID-19 lockdowns.

The taskforce, to consist of officials from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the Home Office, and the Ministry of Justice as well as the police, will gather evidence to understand the factors that may be contributing to any perceived rise in thefts and to recommend any necessary measures to tackle the problem, the government said.

Environment Secretary George Eustice called the increase in pet theft worrying trends and said he hoped the taskforce would help catch those involved with this terrible crime.

Although the data is difficult to get a handle on, most of the estimates we have and reports suggest that pet theft may have doubled in the last 12 monthssome people put it even higher than that, he told BBC Breakfast.

Demand for pets has risen. In some ways that is understandablepeople have been spending more time at home, often sometimes suffering from loneliness, and so they have sought to get a pet, said Eustice.

But what has been worrying is that there do appear to be a rise of, sometimes organised, gangs stealing pets in order to sell them.

He said the new taskforce will get to grips with the data so we can understand the scale of the problem and see if we can improve coordination and intelligence sharing between police forces.

There have been some successful raids and operations in places like Hertfordshire and Essex, and we want to learn from those successes to ensure we can catch those involved with this terrible crime that causes huge trauma for people.

Prices of puppies and kittens have risen considerably over the past year, as more people decided to buy or adopt a pet during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus lockdown.

According to Dogs Trust, the price for some of the most sought after breeds rose as much as 89 percent during the first lockdown.

Recent reports have suggested that this may be leading to a rise in pet thefts. In March, DogLost, a UK charity that helps victims of dog theft, recorded a 170 percent increase in the crime, from 172 dogs reported stolen in 2019 to 465 in 2020.

PA contributed to this report.
A patient breathes with the help of oxygen provided by a gurdwara, a place of worship for Sikhs, under a tent installed along the roadside amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghaziabad, India, on April 26, 2021. (Sajjad Hussain/Getty Images)

UK Upgrades Indian COVID-19 Strain to Variant of Concern

The UK health authorities have designated a CCP virus variant first detected in India as a variant of concern, Public Health England (PHE) confirmed on Friday.

PHE said it reclassified the variant from a variant under investigation to a variant of concern following a rise in cases in the UK and evidence of community transmission.

There is evidence which suggests this variant, also known as B.1.617.2, is at least as transmissible as B.1.1.7, which is known as the UK variant or the Kent variant, PHE said, adding that the other characteristics of this variant are still being investigated.

We are monitoring all of these variants extremely closely and have taken the decision to classify this as a Variant of Concern because the indications are that this VOC-21APR-02 is a more transmissible variant, said Dr. Susan Hopkins, COVID-19 Strategic Response Director at PHE.

Cases of the variant, now known as VOC-21APR-02, have increased to 520 from 202 over the last week, and almost half of the cases are related to travel or contact with a traveller.

The cases are spread across the country, but the majority of the cases are in northwest England and London.

Asked about his concerns on the Indian variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, I think weve got to be very careful about that.

What were doing there is making sure that we are absolutely ruthless in the surge testing, in the door-to-door tracking of any contacts, he told reporters.

At the moment were looking carefully at the way the Indian variant seems to function, we dont see any evidence that it is resistant to the vaccines or in any way more dangerous, he said.

B.1.617.2 is one of three related variants first seen in India and has since been detected in the UK. The other two variantsdubbed B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.3remain classified as variant under investigation.

Scientists believe this variant can spread more quickly than two other related variants seen in India.

PHE said there is currently insufficient evidence to indicate that any of the variants recently detected in India cause more severe disease or make the vaccines available any less effective.

PHE health protection teams are working with local authorities, public health officials, and NHS Test and Trace to detect cases and limit onward spread.

Surge testing will be deployed where there is evidence of community transmission, PHE added.

PA contributed to this report.
Violent Crime Surged in These Cities After Mass Black Lives Matter, Anti-Police Protests

Violent crime surged in several U.S. cities that saw massive Black Live Matter and anti-police protests in the wake of George Floyds death last summer.

The upswing of violent crime, including homicides, coincided with the protests, increased anti-police sentiment among Americans and declining morale in police departments, which have since struggled to recruit new officers. The number of murders alone increased by 36.7% in 2020 compared to 2019, according to public information compiled by data analytics reporter Jeff Asher.

We are definitely at a critical manpower shortage here, Louisville police union spokesperson Dave Mutchler told the Daily Caller News Foundation last week. The climate that we all find ourselves in right now is a lot more demanding and stressful on officers.

Morale is basically in the toilet, he continued.

In the wake of the death of George Floyd, who died after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for about 10 minutes in May 2020, thousands of protests and riots took place across the country. Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree and third-degree murder last month.

Protests, in which demonstrators alleged widespread police brutality, occurred in about 1,700 different U.S. municipalities and cities within the span of just a few weeks in June 2020, USA Today reported. Overall, the protests and riots caused about $1 billion in damage.

In addition to property damage, violent crime increased rapidly last summer. These cities were particularly hit hard by the crime surge.

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Violent crime increased 17% in low-income communities and 30% in high-income neighborhoods in Minneapolis, the site of some of the earliest and most violent protests last year, the Star Tribune reported in September. Some neighborhoods experienced as much as 36% more violent crime.

Homicides, assaults, shootings and robberies all ticked up, according to the Star Tribune. Overall, murder in the city increased 72.3% in 2020 compared to 2019, according to Asher.

I can sell drugs here, I can shoot here, they carry guns, they dont care about anything, Belal Hijazi, an owner of a gas station in Minneapolis, told the Star Tribune.

Hijazi said criminals were emboldened by the lack of police officers.

The Minneapolis city council voted to dismantle its police department in June. The council also approved a measure to cut the police budget.

As crime increased and law enforcement response time increased, citizens came together to form watch groups and erect barricades defending their neighborhoods.

New York City, New York

New York City also saw a steep increase in violent crime last summer, according to The New York Times.

Between May and August, the New York Police Department reported 791 shootings, or 140% more than the same period in 2019, and 180 murders, a 51% increase compared to 2019, the NYT reported. By August and with four months remaining in the year, the city had already surpassed the number of shootings that occurred every year since 2015.

Murder increased by 39.2% in 2020 compared to 2019 overall, according to Ashers database.

But, New York City officials approved a $1 billion cut to the citys police department on June 30 after dozens of protests and riots. Protesters were filmed setting fires, destroying police cruisers and looting businesses in New York City during one of the riots.

I took this job after my father did, and I will not let my sons take this job, New York Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA) Vice President Vincent Vallelong told the DCNF last summer.

Theres no respect on the street anymore, which is going to take a lot of time to get back, he continued.

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago reported more than 500 homicides between January 2020 and August 2020, according to WTTW-TV. The number represented a sharp increase compared to 2019, which saw 495 murders through the entire year.

This has been an unprecedented year in policing, as coronavirus, civil unrest and violence have all converged in Chicago and in cities throughout the country, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said, WTTW reported.

In the first eight months of 2020, shootings increased 52%, the number of shooting victims increased 56% and total homicides increased 49% compared to the same period in 2019, WTTW reported. Chicago concluded 2020 with a 55% total murder increase compared to 2019, according to Ashers database.

Meanwhile, after a series of riots and demonstrations, the local Chicago branch of Black Lives Matter warned Mayor Lori Lightfoot in August that violent protests would continue unless substantive changes were made, the Chicago Tribune reported. The group downplayed the destruction of businesses owned by the wealthy.

The mayor clearly has not learned anything since May, and she would be wise to understand that the people will keep rising up until the [Chicago Police Department] is abolished and our Black communities are fully invested in, the group said, according to the Chicago Tribune.

During one protest, hundreds of looters and rioters were seen setting fires and breaking into storefronts.

Lightfoot asked the Chicago city council to cut nearly $60 million from the police budget in October, according to CBS Chicago.

Washington, D.C.

In December, Washington, D.C., reached 187 homicides, the highest number of murders in the city since 2005, according to the Washingtonian. Homicides, assault from a dangerous weapon and motor vehicle theft all increased.

Murders increased 19.4% overall in 2020 compared to 2019, according to Ashers database. Former Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham blamed the increase in crime to repeat violent gun offenders being released back into our community, the Washingtonian reported.

Washington D.C. saw dozens of protests throughout the summer last year.

In one June protest, tens of thousands gathered to demand greater police accountability, according to the Associated Press. The protest, in which police reported multiple fires and mass looting, required thousands of national guardsmen to help enforce a strict curfew that was ordered by city officials.

Atlanta, Georgia

Last year was Atlantas deadliest year in more than two decades, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The city reported 150 murders in 2020, a whopping 58% increase compared to 2019.

Its ridiculous that now, even during this pandemic, we got more gun violence going on than ever before, local activist Columbus Ward told the AJC.

Atlanta experienced multiple protests throughout the summer last year, many of which led to mass violence, according to U.S. News and World Report. In some cases, protests left burned police cars and looted businesses in their wake.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms characterized one May 2020 protest as chaos. During the demonstration, people were seen looting and setting fires as they called for police reform.

In 2021, we cannot have a repeat of whats going on this year, Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore said, according to the AJC. And thats going to mean addressing police accountability, but thats also going to mean we have to support the police.

In June, Lance Bottoms promised that the city would continue to reallocate funds from police to social services and community enhancement initiatives, which she said the city had been doing for years, according to Reporter Newspapers.

By Thomas Catenacci

From The Daily Caller News Foundation

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gestures during a daily press briefing on COVID-19 virus at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 2, 2020. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

WHO Approves Emergency Use Listing for Chinas Sinopharm CCP Virus Vaccine

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday approved Chinas state-owned Sinopharm CCP virus vaccine for emergency use for adults over 18.

This comes despite concerns raised by a separate group of WHO experts who said they had very low confidence regarding the risk of serious side-effects in some patients.

The Sinopharm jabs inclusion on the WHOs emergency use listing allows it to be included in COVAX, a global program that provides vaccines mainly for poor countries.

This expands the list of [COVID-19] vaccines that COVAX can buy, and gives countries confidence to expedite their own regulatory approval, and to import and administer a vaccine, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing.

The WHO had already given emergency approval to COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and more recently, Moderna.

The packaging for the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center set up at the Chaoyang Museum of Urban Planning in Beijing, China, on April 20, 2021. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

The decision to approve Sinopharms vaccine was taken by WHOs technical advisory group, which began meeting on April 26 to review the latest clinical data as well as Sinopharms manufacturing practices.

But according to documents reviewed by Reuters, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) this week voiced concerns over data provided by Sinopharm about the risk of serious side-effects in some patients. However, the group was confident in the vaccines ability to prevent disease.

Tedros said that, following the approval, SAGE had recommended that adults over 18 receive two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine.

A nurse holds a vial of Chinas Sinopharm coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at a health center in Caracas, Venezuela, on March 7, 2021. (Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters)

SAGE found an efficacy rate of 78.1 percent after two doses in multi-country Phase 3 clinical trials, according to the document. The vaccines developer, Beijing Biological Products Institute, a unit of Sinopharm subsidiary China National Biotec Group, had announced an efficacy of 79.34 percent.

We are very confident that 2 doses of BBIBP-CorV are efficacious in preventing PCR confirmed COVID19 in adults (18-59 years), the document said.

But it added, Analysis of safety amongst participants with comorbidities (was) limited by the low number of participants with comorbidities (other than obesity) in the Phase 3 trial.

A health worker inoculates the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine to a Chinese national living in Sri Lanka, at the Colombo Port City project premises, in Colombo, Sri Lanka on April 6, 2021. (Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images)

The WHO has said that, as soon as next week, it may reach a decision on the Sinovac jab, Chinas other main vaccine against COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Technical experts reviewed that vaccine on May 5.

China has deployed tens of millions of Sinopharm and around 200 million Sinovac vaccines to a number of countries, including in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Although this week the Philippines president asked China to take back 1,000 donated doses of Sinopharm after he received widespread criticism for getting the vaccine despite it not being approved by the countrys regulator.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A Moroccan nurse takes care of one of the nine babies protected in an incubator at the maternity ward of the private clinic of Ain Borja in Casablanca, Morocco. (Abdeljalil Bounhar/AP Photo)

Woman From Mali Gives Birth to 9 Babies in Morocco After Expecting 7

A Malian woman gave birth to nine babies at onceafter expecting seven, according to Malis Minister of Health and the Moroccan clinic where the nonuplets were born.

It appeared to be the first time on record that a woman had given birth to nine surviving babies at once.

A Moroccan nurse takes care of one of the nine babies protected in an incubator at the maternity ward of the private clinic of Ain Borja in Casablanca, Morocco. (Abdeljalil Bounhar/AP Photo)

The five girls and four boys, and their mother, are all doing well, Malis health minister said in a statement.

Halima Cisse, 25, gave birth to the babies by cesarean section on May 4 in Morocco after being sent there for special care, Malis top health official announced.

Associated Press reporters saw some of the babies wiggling their hands and feet inside incubators on May 5, in the private Ain Borja clinic in Casablanca. Medical staff checked their status regularly in the neonatal ward wallpapered with cartoon characters.

People wait in front of the Ain Borja private clinic in Casablanca, Morocco. (Abdeljalil Bounhar/AP Photo)

Cisse had been expecting seven babies. Malian doctors, under government orders, sent her to Morocco for the births because hospitals in Mali, one of the worlds poorest countries, are ill-equipped to provide adequate care for this exceptional multiple pregnancy.

The Casablanca clinics director Youssef Alaoui told Moroccan state television that they had been contacted by Malian doctors about the case a month and a half ago. They were not expecting nine babies, he said.

Cisse gave birth prematurely at 30 weeks and is now in stable condition after heavy bleeding for which she was given a blood transfusion, he said

The cesarean was ordered after Cisse had birth pains, Alaoui said. The babies weigh between 500 grams and 1 kilogram (1.1 and 2.2 pounds).

A general view of the premature infant ward where the nine babies are, at the maternity ward of the private clinic of Ain Borja in Casablanca, Morocco. (Abdeljalil Bounhar/AP Photo)

The Guinness World Records said in an email to The Associated Press on May 5 that its current record for most living births at once is eight, and that it is verifying the Morocco birth.

The current holder of the Guinness record is American Nadya Suleman, who gave birth to eight premature but otherwise healthy children in 2009.

Alaoui, the clinic director, told The AP that as far as he was aware, Cisse had not used fertility treatments. The Malian health ministry did not provide any other information about the pregnancy or births.

One of the nine babies rests in an incubator at the maternity ward of the private clinic of Ain Borja in Casablanca, Morocco. (Abdeljalil Bounhar/AP Photo)

Yacoub Khalaf, a professor of reproductive medicine at Kings College London, said that such births would be extraordinarily unlikely without fertility treatment, and noted the dangers involved with such multiple births.

The mother was at severe risk of losing her uterus or losing her life, Khalaf said. The babies could suffer physical and mental handicaps. The risk of cerebral palsy is astronomically higher.

He urged more awareness worldwide about monitoring fertility treatments and about the risks and costs of having so many premature babies at one time.

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
With only a month left in the legislative session, majority Democrats are on the verge of budget negotiations with a governor who has drawn a line in the sand against new taxes.

Democrats in the state Senate on Friday pressed their case for a proposed $1.4 billion hike in taxes on the states wealthiest residents, but Gov. Ned Lamont is still opposed to it.

Democrats this week gave their budget ideas to Lamonts staff and expect to hear back next week.

It could be a long summer if the General Assemblys June 9 adjournment deadline passes without a budget, or the July 1 fiscal year starts without an agreement, and then Lamont determines his own middle-of-the-road spending plan until state lawmakers reach a compromise in a summer special session. The result could be an ugly intra-party test of political wills the year before Lamont is up for reelection.

Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney and Sen. John Fonfara, the veteran co-chairman of the Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committee, say this should be the year for Connecticut to establish a social equity fund, using higher taxes on the wealthy to help pay for programs for Black and brown communities that are falling further and further behind economically.

Lamont is opposed to raising taxes, and wants to keep the state competitive with its neighbors at a time when Connecticut is about to emerge from the more-than-year-long COVID pandemic.

Looney, D-New Haven, during a virtual news conference on Friday morning that was noticeable for its lack of any House Democrats, said hes looking forward to a vigorous debate on the issue with Lamont.

It is very important to recognize that in the wake of the pandemic and in the wake of our commitment last year to a Juneteenth agenda of greater equity, greater progressivity, greater concern for social justice, that we have a tax code that matches that commitment and that principle, Looney said. We cant pretend that things are normal when we have the equivalent of a four or five-alarm fire going on in many of our communities.

A new tax on the richest state residents would be focused on those with adjusted gross incomes (AGI) of half a million dollars or above. It would range from 0.7 percent for taxpayers with federal AGIs between $500,000 and $2 million, to 1.5 percent for taxpayers with AGIs of $13 million or more.

The legislation would include a new 2-percent surcharge on capital gains, bringing the total rate to 8.99 percent, which would raise $262 million in the fiscal year starting July 1, 2022, according to the nonpartisan analysis of the legislation. The surcharge would apply to investment income for single tax filers with AGIs of $500,000 or more and a million dollars for joint filers.

The legislation, including a new $600 per-child tax credit, barely survived in the Democrat-dominated Finance Committees 26-22 vote last month, and Lamont has said he would not support the taxes if they won approval in the House and Senate and reached his desk. Max Reiss, the governors communications director, said Friday his budget proposal includes major initiatives in urban centers, supplemented with American Rescue Plan funding from Washington.

Gov. Lamont, through both his prepared state budget and his Connecticut Recovery Plan, frees up hundreds of millions of dollars and historic levels of investment in programs like free free and affordable child care, access to free summer enrichment programming, Reiss said in an interview. And just yesterday, the governor reiterated his commitment to hundreds of millions of dollars in our most under-served communities. The governor is proposing to achieve all this without tax increases, which he believes is the best direction for the state of Connecticut.

Fonfara, D-Hartford, said the proposed equity fund would help people with prenatal care until the end of life. With these additional resources, the state has the ability to invest in people and projects simultaneously. This is about policy and what kind of state we want.

Looney and Fonfara said their proposal goes well beyond the two years of funding included in the American Rescue Plan, upon which Lamont is depending for his major initiatives. Looney said that negotiations will go forward. We are prepared for a vigorous policy debate, Looney said.

During an interview earlier in the week, Speaker of the House Matt Ritter acknowledged a split between Lamont and Democratic majorities in the legislature on taxes. Democrats this week presented their budget documents to the governors office. I think they expect to get back to us next week, he said.

Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, said Friday that with the governors mileage tax on heavy trucks, along with a climate initiative that will add to the pump price of gasoline and fuel oil, a heavier burden could be placed on lower and middle-income residents who, unlike the rich, cannot afford to move to tax havens.

We are dead-last in job growth and personal income growth, Kelly said. There is no upward mobility. When the large taxpayers leave, they take the revenue that leaves a hole that gets filled by the middle class. We cant afford it. At a time when we have a budget surplus and $1.7 billion from Washington, asking anyone to pony up more taxes is just not right.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
FAST starts in-depth pulsar research

Xinhua) 11:08, May 08, 2021

Aerial photo taken on March 31, 2021 shows China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) under maintenance in southwest China's Guizhou Province.

BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have found the first evidence of three-dimensional (3D) spin-velocity alignment in a pulsar with the help of the world's largest radio telescope.

Based on observations of China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), a research team led by the National Astronomical Observatories (NAOC) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied the supernova remnant (SNR) S147.

The discovery, published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Astronomy, sheds light on unraveling the mystery involving the origin of pulsar spins and marks the beginning of in-depth pulsar research using FAST.

Pulsars, or fast-spinning neutron stars, originate from the imploded cores of massive dying stars through supernova explosion, said Yao Jumei, a team member.

For decades, scientists have found observational evidence for spin-velocity alignment in young pulsars. The relationship between pulsars' spin axis and spatial velocity vectors, however, has largely been restricted to a 2D sky plane perpendicular to the line of sight, due to the hardship in constraining radial velocity.

Schematic of the 3D spin axis and velocity vector of PSR J0538+2817 on the surface of a unit sphere. (Image photo provided by the National Astronomical Observatories)

Focusing on PSR J0538+2817 in the SNR S147 and through the scintillation technique, the researchers obtained its radial location with respect to the SNR boundary and its radial velocity for the first time.

"We got the 3D velocity by combining the transverse velocity measured before," said Yao.

The polarization analysis made it possible to determine the direction of the 3D spin axis. The best-fit angle between these two vectors was found to be about 10 degrees, which is the first such measurement in 3D.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
WESTON  A local man is calling for changes within the police department and commission, as well as throughout the community, after he claims he was racially profiled.

Walter Simpson, who is a Black resident, spoke at Thursdays Police Commission meeting, describing his experience of a white neighbor calling the police on him while he was checking his mail one day in 2019, and then the unnecessary aggressive behavior from the responding officer.

Im not against the police department. Im not against the Weston police officers, Im not against the Weston Police Commission, Simpson said. What I am against is racial bias 911 calls, racial bias policing.

He said he was also troubled at how his complaint was treated by police officials.

Dozens of residents who spoke at the meeting expressed frustration at how it took 17 months for this incident to come to light, with some calling for the commissioners, especially Chairwoman Beth Gralnick, to resign and for the police chief to be fired.

Police Chief Ed Henion was not seen or heard from during Thursdays meeting, which was held as a Zoom webinar attended by hundreds of people. Commissioners said Henion, who did not respond to Hearst Connecticut Medias requests for comment, was present for the webinar.

Simpson is proposing adding a civilian police review panel to oversee complaints, community engagement training and a false alarm ordinance that would penalize people for making false 911 reports. He said all of these are directly connected to address his experience so it doesnt happen again and for the safety of all Black people in town.

Lets take something that was so ugly and turn it into something thats positive, he said.

Some of the commissioners apologized to Simpson for what he experienced and said they would take his recommendations and all of the comments into consideration, though Gralnick said there were no plans to reopen the investigation and said the officer didnt violate any policies or laws.

Some commissioners said they and the department are trying to improve policies and community interactions, as well as getting body cameras. Gralnick said they are improving their outreach to attract more diverse police officer candidates. The department has one Hispanic officer and a Korean officer on the force, but no Black officers.

I recognize the need for major adjustments to policies and procedures so all residents feel safe, Commissioner David Muller said.

More than 50 people spoke during the meeting, which lasted about 3 1/2 hours. It had to be rescheduled because so many people wanted to join the meeting on Tuesday after a letter to the editor appeared in Weston Today, describing Simpsons experience and asking people to come out and support him, exceeding the commissions usual 100-person Zoom cap.

Im really disgusted and upset, said Toyin, a resident and mother of three Black sons. I speak for fear of mothers who have Black boys in Weston.

Many of those who spoke expressed disgust and outrage at what Simpson experienced. Others also shared their own experiences in town, including being hesitant about going out for a run on the street and having the police called on them when they have relatives visiting.

I dont know Walter Simpson, but I also know him at the same time, resident Jaya Kolipaka said.

Its disheartening to see the response from all of you, she told the commission.

The incident

During the meeting, Simpson and his neighbors described how they usually wait by the mailboxes at the end of their road for their children to get off the school bus.

One day in November 2019, Simpson arrived there first and was checking his mail when a white woman called 911 and reported a suspicious man, Simpson and neighbors said during the meeting. A police officer arrived while Simpson was waiting for his daughter and confronted him, questioning if Simpson lived there, he said.

For me, his hand was a little too close to his gun, Simpson said Thursday.

He and others at the meeting said the officer only backed down when his white neighbor intervened and addressed Simpson by name.

Simpson said he went to the police department the next day and spoke with the chief, who helped him get the 911 recording. Simpson said at Thursdays meeting that he assumed his verbal complaint would be investigated and was surprised to learn eight months later when he shared his experience during a community call that no investigation was actually completed because a written complaint hadnt been filed.

He recounted at the meeting how he received a notice six months later that his complaint had been closed, though his neighbors, who were listed as his witnesses, said they were never contacted by the police department.

Simpson said he had also spoken with the commission and police officials about the incident, but said while initial exchanges were pleasant, Gralnick ultimately said the incident only lasted five minutes and the officer isnt the warm and fuzzy type. Simpson said she told him that since the officer broke no laws or policies, the commission was in agreement nothing more needed to be done.

During Thursdays meeting, Simpson said he wasnt injured, but questioned if it had to escalate to violence for the commission to take his complaint seriously.

Did I have to get shot first for the chair of the board of police to realize how dismissive and insensitive her comments were? he asked.

He now thinks about when its safest for him to get his mail and whether he should drive to his mailbox or walk, as well as whether he should go alone or ensure his wife and young daughters are with him.

A Black person shouldnt be shot or killed before a complaint against an officer is taken seriously, Simpson said.

During Thursdays meeting, Commissioner Peter Ottomano said the chief made Simpsons complaint his No. 1 priority after that initial meeting, listening to the 911 call and then provided the recording and discussed it with Simpson.

He said the chief told the commission he believed Simpson was satisfied with the explanation and the matter was resolved.

Ottomano said the officer who responded reached out to tell the 911 caller after the incident how badly mistaken she was and Simpson did nothing wrong. He also said dispatch had sent two cars when the call came in, but the responding officer realized nothing was wrong and called off the second car first thing.

Gralnick said the investigation was delayed because the written complaint was filed over the summer when the chief and responding officer had COVID-19, which impeded the probe.

Several commissioners also said a verbal complaint is recognized as a formal complaint under the policy and would look into what happened.

I apologize on behalf of the police commission for the distress this incident caused you and your family, Gralnick told Simpson during the meeting.

Proposed reform

Simpson is proposing the town establish initiatives, which he believes will address the 911 call, the interaction with the officer and how his complaint was handled.

He said creating a false-alarm ordinance will encourage people to call 911 only with true emergencies and discourage racially bias calls.

The second initiative would establish a community engagement program so the community and police officers can better understand each other through training and workshops. This could cover implicit bias training and deescalation, he said. It would also provide residents with insight into how officers approach situations.

Simpson said he hopes that program would foster healthy and safe relationships between the department and community.

The third would be to appoint a civilian review panel that was not affiliated with the department to oversee complaints made about the police and add impartial oversight.

Commissioners said they are residents elected to their post and already serve that role.

But the Simpsons and residents who spoke Thursday questioned how a board who hires the officers could be impartial when this complaint lingered as long as it did. Residents also questioned that the investigation was done by the supervisor who works with the officer and not an outside party.

Something clearly fell through the cracks, said Aria Simpson, Walter wife. There is still something broken. Until its fixed, an impartial group that looks at something objectively is still a priority.

Another concern was that the commission was comprised of older white men and women. Muller encouraged others to run and agreed the commission and all elected boards need to be more diverse in age and race to better reflect those who live in Weston.

Tom Barcello, a Weston resident who is also a police captain in Stamford, supported Simpsons proposals. He said the false-alarm ordinance could be difficult because of how many calls come in, but said Stamford has already launched a community engagement program and he said the independent review board made sense.

The Diversity Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee plans to discuss Simpsons proposals at its next meeting and formally bring them before the Board of Selectmen.

Other residents and civil liberties organizations also supported his recommendations.

Representatives from the Anti-Defamation League and the NAACP offered to hold training for government leaders to address implicit biases.

The leadership in town needs diversity training, said Brenda Penn-Williams, president of the Norwalk NAACP chapter, adding this wasnt the first instance of racism in town. Ive come down with things happening at the high school and didnt like the results.

Stanley Okoro, a Black resident, said he too has to stay vigilant when he gets his mail, collecting it only when returning home, never when hes leaving.

Weston isnt inherently racist, just like America isnt inherently racist, but there are inherent biases in our structures that need to be confronted, he said.

Rev. Bernard Wilson said hes proud of the Weston Police Department, having served as the police chaplain for 15 years.

I know how hard they work to ensure people are treated with decency and respect, he said.

As an African American man, he said hes also keenly aware of the tension between police officers and the Black community and how encounters with Black men can turn quickly and unfortunately deadly.

He said the community and police department needed to come together, listen to each other and acknowledge mistakes so they could repair the racial tension in the country and town.

It is my prayer we leave this meeting, determined to make our community not just better but a model for other communities, Wilson said.
EDWARDSVILLE  Representatives from Anderson Healthcare, Triple Net Management, The Korte Company and the City of Edwardsville ceremoniously broke ground Friday on what will be the third building on the Anderson Healthcare Goshen Campus.

We are excited to add a 50,000-square-foot medical building to our Goshen Campus in Edwardsville, said Anderson Healthcare President and CEO, Keith Page. This unique two-story building will help us consolidate many of our Anderson Medical Group primary care practices into one convenient location. The facility will have clinical space for approximately 20 providers.

In addition to Anderson Medical Group physicians, the building will house several outpatient services, including an imaging center, urgent care, lab services and outpatient rehab therapies.

The imaging center will be known as the Goshen Imaging Center and will be an affiliate of the Maryville Imaging Center located in Maryville, explained Page. We are also in discussions with a healthcare partner to offer urgent care services specific to pediatrics.

The approximately $20 million project is being developed by Triple Net Management. Triple Net Management is led by Terry Johnson, a veteran commercial real estate broker and developer with 35 years of experience in office, retail, investment, and land sales. We have had the opportunity to work with Terry in the past on a similar project and know that it will be a first-class facility, said Page.

The project was approved by the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board earlier this year. Anderson has also been working closely with the City of Edwardsvilles Planning and Zoning Division. The newest addition is slated to be complete in summer 2022, weather permitting.

This building will be located on the northwest quadrant of the campus, which is situated on Goshen Road across from the Meyer Center YMCA and adjacent to District Drive, across from Liberty Middle School. Access to the medical building will be via the main entrance on Goshen, as well as another entrance from District Drive. The building was designed by The Korte Company, which will also build it.

Anderson opened its first Goshen Campus building anchored by Anderson Surgery Center and SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Childrens Hospital Specialty Clinic last fall. A second building, a free-standing rehabilitation hospital, known as Anderson Rehabilitation Institute, is nearing completion and is set to open this summer. It is a joint venture between Anderson Healthcare and Kindred Healthcare, LLC.
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The murder of Spanish reporters David Beriain and Roberto Fraile by unidentified attackers last week in eastern Burkina Faso was a tragic example of the dangerous working conditions for journalists in the country, where the government has struggled to contain a rise in militant activity in recent years.

Beriain and Fraile were kidnapped along with Rory Young, an Irish conservation worker, from an anti-poaching convoy on April 26; the three were reported dead the next day by officials and media outlets; a Burkinabe soldier also went missing. The Associated Press reported that an audio recording of someone purporting to be a member of the jihadist group Jamaat Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) claimed responsibility for killing three white people.

In 2019, Burkina Faso passed amendments to the penal code that restrict reporting on militant activity. Journalists who disseminate false news that undermines public order or the conduct of security forces, or publish reports that demoralize the security forces, may face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 10 million Central African francs ($17,330), as CPJ has documented.

Following the April 26 attack, CPJ spoke to Arnaud Ouedraogo, coordinator of the Norbert Zongo Cell for Investigative Journalism in West Africa (CENOZO). Based in Burkina Fasos capital, Ouagadougou, CENOZO provides funding and support for journalistic investigations into corruption, organized crime, poor governance, human rights violations, and the environment across West Africa. The interview, conducted via messaging app, has been edited for length and clarity.

What are the main security challenges for journalists working in Burkina Faso and how do these differ in various parts of the country?

Press freedom in Burkina Faso has been put to the test in recent years, in particular because of the rise in terrorism. Coverage of terrorism is becoming increasingly difficult for Burkinabe journalists, as the countrys penal code has been revised and requires journalists to stick to the governments official versions of the attacks, something that inevitably leads to self-censorship. Geographically, some localities in the country have become virtually inaccessible due to insecurity. As a result, journalists face enormous difficulties in dealing with stories linked to internally displaced people and the lives of populations affected by terrorism. Reports from so-called red zones [areas Ouedraogo said are recognized as dangerous by Burkina Faso and other governments] are increasingly rare. It is virtually impossible for a journalist to travel to the east of the country for reports or investigations on simple, everyday issues.

How do journalists work in the eastern area of the country where David Beriain and Roberto Fraile were killed?

Personally, I have not been to this part of the country for several years. But my colleagues stay there, and according to them being from the locality can sometimes help, especially when you speak the language and master the local geo-socio-politics. It is especially recommended to be discreetly accompanied by members of the defense and security forces. But for that you have to make a prior request, and this is not ideal for journalists who prefer the confidentiality of their work.

What are the major challenges for CENOZO as an organization based in Burkina Faso that works on collaborations across the region?

For CENOZO, the main challenge is to be able to rescue journalists in danger or in the process of being prosecuted. In recent years many journalists have been prosecuted in efforts to discredit them. We have also seen several other attacks. In January 2019, for example, the Ghanaian journalist Ahmed Hussein [-Suale Divela] was assassinated following his participation in a very sensitive investigation. All these facts show that West Africa is becoming increasingly dangerous for a certain category of journalists, those who want to hunt down corruption, crime, and impunity. We are working to create an environment conducive to the practice of true journalism and freedom of the press.

How did the 2019 amendments to the penal code affect press freedom in Burkina Faso?

These provisions limit the action of journalists to cover news on terrorism. For example, the section [312-16] that requires the [government] authorization of information [from the scene of a terrorist attack] before being published. For an investigative journalist, if the data at their disposal is different from what the government publishes, they risk jail.

What actions would you like to see from the government to improve the safety of journalists and freedom of the press in Burkina Faso?

The best thing to do is to secure the entire territory. But that seems impossible given the current state of affairs. Our wish is that the penal code be reformed so that journalists can be allowed to cover all security topics. Our wish is that the government make strong commitments to guarantee freedom of movement and of the press, because information is a public good, a right for all.

[Editors note: CPJ sent questions to the publicly listed email for Burkina Fasos government information service, but did not receive an immediate response.]

Jonathan Rozen is CPJs senior Africa researcher. Previously, he worked in South Africa, Mozambique, and Canada with the Institute for Security Studies, assessing Mozambican peace-building processes. Rozen was a U.N. correspondent for IPS News and has written for Al-Jazeera English and the International Peace Institute. He speaks English and French.

Report by: Jonathan Rozen/CPJ Senior Africa Researcher
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New York, May 7, 2021  The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed great concern for the safety of French journalist Olivier Dubois, and called on any party holding him in custody to release him immediately and without harm.

French journalist Olivier Dubois must be released immediately and unharmed, and French and Malian authorities should do everything in their power to hold his captors to account, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator. Dubois abduction is a reminder that journalists covering the Sahel region face an extremely high threat of kidnapping, and work under very dangerous circumstances.

Dubois went missing in the Malian region of Gao on April 8, while seeking to interview a local leader of the Al-Qaeda affiliated group Jamaa Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), Abdallah Ag Albakaye, according to French daily Liberation, where Dubois often contributed as a freelance reporter. That report stated that the daily denied his pitch for that interview, saying it was too dangerous.

Dubois traveled by plane to Gao to interview Ag Albakaye on April 8, his fixer told Agence France-Presse, saying that the journalist stayed at the Askia Motel and was last seen entering a car with several men. Dubois did not have his phone or passport with him, which were later found in the hotel room, that report said.

The fixer, a nurse whom Dubois had known for many years, and whose name was not released, helped to arrange the interview and is currently in Malian police custody in Bamako, the capital, after being questioned by French forces engaged in the anti-jihadist Operation Barkhane, that report said.

Dubois absence on his April 10 return flight to Bamako quickly triggered a report from the French embassy, but his disappearance was not immediately disclosed as authorities worked quietly to secure his release, according to The Washington Post.

The journalists abduction was made public in a video uploaded to the internet in the evening of May 4 to 5, featuring Dubois sitting in a tent and explaining that he was in JNIM custody. In the 21-second video, which CPJ reviewed, Dubois urged his family, friends, and French authorities to do everything in their power to ensure his release.

A statement posted on the French governments website on May 5 confirmed Dubois disappearance and said it was in contact with his family as well as with Malian authorities. It added that it was carrying out the usual technical verifications [of the video]. Frances anti-terrorism prosecutors office opened a preliminary investigation into the kidnapping, news reports said.

The video was uploaded by Wareeth al-Qassam, a pro-Al-Qaeda media outlet, which did not itself claim to have kidnapped the journalist, news reports said. The date the video was recorded, its location, and the circumstances under which it was made have not been verified, according to news reports

The journalist, who was born in Martinique, recently worked as a correspondent for Liberation and the magazines Le Point and Jeune Afrique, and previously worked for Journal du Mali, a local Malian newspaper, according to media reports. An unnamed source familiar with Dubois work described him to the International Federation of Journalists as one of the most connected and well-established journalists in the region. It was his last year before returning to France and he had decided to devote himself to field reports.

In late April, Spanish journalists David Beriain and Roberto Fraile were killed in the neighboring country of Burkina Faso, after they were abducted by a jihadist group while filming a documentary, as CPJ documented at the time.

Previously, in November 2013, journalists Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon with the French government-funded broadcaster Radio France Internationale, were abducted and killed after they interviewed a separatist leader in Mali.

In a 2020 report, the BBC described Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania as a frontline in the war against Islamist militancy for almost a decade.

CPJ called the number listed on the website of Malis prime minister for comment, but the calls did not go through. CPJ messaged the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection through its official website, but did not immediately receive any reply.

CPJ called Mohamed Salia Toure, a government spokesperson, but the call was disconnected due to a poor connection. Reached again via messaging app, Toure referred CPJ to Hamadoun Toure, Malis minister of communication, and provided a phone number. CPJs calls to that number did not connect.
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The United States has said there is no plan to relocate its Africa Command from its current base in Germany to Nigeria or any other part of Africa despite the worsening state of insecurity in the region.

The US gave the response barely two weeks after the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), appealed to the US government to consider relocating AFRICOM to Africa to assist Nigeria and other adjoining countries to combat worsening terrorism, banditry and other security crises.

Germany-based Africa Command (AFRICOM) is the US military headquarters that oversees its operations in Africa.

Buharis request followed a series of recent military casualties in Nigerias decade-long fight against Boko Haram terrorists, fresh expansion of the insurgents bases to Niger and Nasarawa States, and heavy waves of abductions and killings by bandits in the North.

Buhari said, The security challenges in Nigeria remain of great concern to us and impacted more negatively, by existing complex negative pressures in the Sahel, Central and West Africa, as well as the Lake Chad Region.

Compounded as the situation remains, Nigeria and her security forces remain resolutely committed to containing them and addressing their root causes.

The support of important and strategic partners like the United States cannot be overstated as the consequences of insecurity will affect all nations, hence the imperative for concerted cooperation and collaboration of all nations to overcome these challenges.

In this connection, and considering the growing security challenges in West and Central Africa, Gulf of Guinea, Lake Chad region and the Sahel, weighing heavily on Africa, it underscores the need for the United States to consider relocating AFRICOM headquarters from Stuttgart, Germany to Africa and near the Theatre of Operation.

However, the US government on Thursday ruled out any plan to relocate AFRICOM from its current base in Germany to Nigeria or any part of Africa.

According to the United States Department of Defence Pentagon, previous studies have shown that the cost of relocating AFRICOM from Germany to Africa is very huge.

In an emailed response to Saturday PUNCH, the Pentagon said although it would continue to value Nigeria and other countries in Africa as important partners, the American government would not consider relocating AFRICOM to any part of the African continent at the moment.

This newspaper had asked if the US would consider Nigerias request to relocate AFRICOM to the continent.

It would be inappropriate to speculate on any future actions. However, at this time, moving this headquarters (AFRICOM HQ) to Africa is not part of any plans, but USAFRICOMs commitment to their mission, our African and other partners, remains as strong today as when we launched this command more than a decade ago, US Pentagon spokesperson, Ms Cindi King, said.

King also ruled out any plan to consider Buharis request in an ongoing global US defence review.

She said, Although there is an ongoing Global Posture Review, the relocation of Combatant Command headquarters is outside the scope of its assessment. In the case of AFRICOM, previous studies have concluded that the cost associated with the relocation of this headquarters is significant and likely to incur the expense of other engagement opportunities and activities that more directly benefit our valued African partners.

We greatly value the partnership with Nigeria and appreciate President Buharis recognition of the United States positive contribution to African peace and security, as well as other regional partners that have made similar past pronouncements. The United States remains committed to continuing our close partnership with African countries and organisations to promote security and stability.

Meanwhile, a former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, has listed reasons why it is unlikely or near impossible for the US government to relocate AFRICOM from Stuttgart in Germany to Nigeria or any part of the continent.

He said aside from the fact that the cost of doing so is very huge, the Nigerian military had proved to be a difficult partner for the US over the years.

In an emailed interview with Saturday PUNCH, Campbell, who is the Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington, DC-based think-tank, said, From an American perspective, moving AFRICOMs headquarters after 14 years in Stuttgart would be a major undertaking.

However, should the AFRICOM headquarters move, it is unlikely  if not impossible  that it would be to Africa, with its logistical challenges. Some in the US Congress support moving AFRICOMs headquarters to the United States as a cost-effective alternative. For example, South Carolinas senators, both Republican, have advocated moving it to Charleston, the site of large US military installations.

It is mostly a matter of money. Moving AFRICOM to Africa would require the construction of a sophisticated installation in areas where the basic infrastructure may not yet have been developed. Moving it to the United States would mean making use of already existing but underused installation (e.g., perhaps Charleston) that could be quickly and more cheaply expanded, if necessary.

The ex-envoy, however, said Buharis request marked a reversal of Nigerias official opposition to AFRICOM plans to move it to the continent 14 years ago.

The shift likely reflects the conclusion that the security situation in West Africa and Nigeria is out of control, spurring a willingness to consider options hitherto unacceptable. Buhari argued that AFRICOMs headquarters should be closer to the theatre of operations. He also seemed to imply greater US involvement in West African security, including a kinetic dimension in the context of greater Western support for West Africas response to its security threats.

He recalled that when President George W Bush established AFRICOM in 2007, a military-civilian hybrid command in support of Africa, African official reaction was largely hostile, seeing the effort as neo-colonialist.

Campbell said, The Nigerian government took the lead in persuading or strong-arming other African states against accepting the AFRICOM headquarters, which was thereupon established at Stuttgart, Germany, already the headquarters of the European Command.

In addition to opposing AFRICOM in the first place, the Nigerian military authorities have been largely uncooperative with the US military. Hence, the US military involvement in Nigeria, beyond limited training operations, is minimal, and the country does not host any American defence installations.

Successive Nigerian governments have wanted to purchase sophisticated American military equipment but have rejected US oversight. In fact, Nigerian purchases of US military materials have been rare, despite their high-profile, ultimately successful purchase of 12 A-29 Super Tucanos  sophisticated aircraft.

Corroborating Campbells view, an Associate Fellow at the United Kingdom-based Chatham House, Matthew Page, said there was no prospect of the US relocating its AFRICOM HQ from Germany to any part of Africa.

Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is an independent policy institute headquarters whose mission is to provide authoritative commentary on world events and offer solutions to global challenges.

Page said, There is absolutely no prospect of this happening. A combatant command headquarters is an administrative node that requires enormous physical infrastructure and thousands of personnel (and their families) to sustain it. They need to be able to safely live, work, and send their children to school locally. The Nigerian government is unable to safeguard the lives of hard-working Nigerians, never mind a US military installation that would be a juicy target for a terrorist attack.

With the exception of European Command and Africa Command  which for longstanding historical reasons are located and headquartered in Germany  all combatant commands are located in the United States. These commands do have forward elements and subordinate commands based in the theatre of operations, such as Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) based in Djibouti. But these typically are task-specific and have a light local footprint. The United States is not  and doesnt want to be  an imperial power with permanent military outposts on the continent. Nor should African leaders be asking it to become one.

Page, who was previously with the US Department of States Bureau of Intelligence and Research, further said, I am sure the Biden administration was puzzled by President Buharis invitation, given that Nigeria has been a reluctant and difficult security partner for the United States. The Nigerian Army has long viewed US military engagement in West Africa with deep suspicion, shunning deeper ties and ignoring Washingtons calls for security sector reform and human rights improvements. Inviting AFRICOM to relocate to Nigeria is the equivalent of proposing marriage before going on a first date.
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Some residents of Arab road, Kubwa, Abuja on Friday expressed grief over the loss of their property following the demolition of illegal shops by the Development Control of the Federal Capital Development Authority ( FCDA ).

Some shop owners in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), while counting their losses, said that the Thursday demolition exercise caught them unaware.

The shop owners, who said that they lost property worth millions of naira to the exercise, said that hoodlums had a field day on them as they carted away their goods.

One of the shop owners, Mr Charles Okpe , whose beer parlour was demolished, said that the hoodlums brandished dangerous weapons as they looted his shop.

These hoodlums carried my deep freezer, generator, plasma television, iron doors, chairs and my drinks. They came with daggers and machetes and were ready to stab anyone, who tried to stop them.

We called the police and they came to calm the situation but they spent about ten minutes and left, after which the hoodlums continued with their operations, he said.

A laundryman, Mr Abdul Nuhu , who complained that he was not given prior notice before his shop was demolished, said that the hoodlums seized the opportunity to steal his belongings.

These people did not inform us. They just came and demolished our shops.

While we were still complaining about our shops that were demolished, some hoodlums attacked us with daggers and other weapons and made away with our property.

They carried my washing machine, pressing iron and plastic buckets. They also carried my demolished container, he lamented.

Madam Grace Abimbola, a seamstress, whose shop was also demolished, said that the hoodlums detached the roof of her shop and made away with her sewing machine.

Im in pains. These maibola people removed the roof of my shop and carried my sewing machine. We lost a lot of money. I dont even know where to start from, she said.

They did not notify us. They only gave notice to people across the street last year but for us whose shops were located close to a high tension, we were not notify.

There is high tension close to our shops, hence it a no mans land. We were surprised they came and demolished all the structures, both ours and those across the street without notice, she added.

Mr Kenneth Umor , another victim, said that such an incident could make young people go into social vices as it was disheartening to watch ones sweat go down the drain.

I suffered to set up my provision store but now, Ive lost everything without notice.

The government is really frustrating us. There is no job and they are not looking out for our welfare. Yet when we try to make a decent living, they frustrate our efforts.

This incident alone can lead people to armed robbery and kidnapping. They should have given us prior notice to enable us to make alternative arrangements, he cried.

A source from the FCDA told NAN that contrary to the claims of the shop owners, the shops were demolished because they do not have approval.

The source also said that that some of them were built under high tension, therefore contravening the citys building plan.

NAN reports that the FCT Police Command had, however, ordered an investigation into the alleged looting, according to a statement by the command. (NAN)

(NAN)
COVID testing campaign begins across Phuket

PHUKET: Phuket health officials have launched a campaign to test people in communities across the island for COVID-19 to help identify people who are infected and limit the spread of the virus.

COVID-19CoronavirushealthVaccine

By The Phuket News

Saturday 8 May 2021, 02:03PM

Sea gypsies on Koh Siray, east of Phuket Town, started being vaccinated yesterday (May 7). Photo: PPAO

Sea gypsies on Koh Siray, east of Phuket Town, started being vaccinated yesterday (May 7). Photo: PPAO

Sea gypsies on Koh Siray, east of Phuket Town, started being vaccinated yesterday (May 7). Photo: PPAO

Sea gypsies on Koh Siray, east of Phuket Town, started being vaccinated yesterday (May 7). Photo: PPAO

Monks across the island are being vaccinated. Photo: PPAO

Monks across the island are being vaccinated. Photo: PPAO

The campaign comes as the total number of COVID infections since Apr 3 breached 500. Image: PPAO

The campaign will be held in communities across Phuket. Image: PPAO

More than 300 people turned out to have swab test samples taken at Phuket Community Hall in Phuket Town yesterday (May 7). Photo: PPAO

More than 300 people turned out to have swab test samples taken at Phuket Community Hall in Phuket Town yesterday (May 7). Photo: PPAO

A woman has a swab test sample taken at Phuket Community Hall in Phuket Town yesterday (May 7). Photo: PPAO

The proactive screening campaign, organised by the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor), began at Phuket Community Hall in Phuket Town yesterday (May 7), where RRT-PCR test swab samples were taken from more than 300 local residents.

PPAO President Rewat Areerob explained that the campaign is being funded by the National Health Security Office (NHSO).

The project is to keep people disease-free and safe by making sure people at risk receive prompt diagnosis and treatment, and helps to build confidence among local residents and tourists in Phuket, he said.

This third wave of COVID-19 is highly infectious. It is quick to infect and difficult to treat. If we do not screen people within the province or focus on risk groups made known by timelines [of movements of people now confirmed as infected with COVID-19], the infections may spread.

Therefore, we must quickly manage to find the vulnerable group as soon as possible, he added.

The proactive screening in communities will continue until May 15, Mr Rewat said.

If there is a trend [of rising number of infections] in many districts, we will have to extend the screening, but if the number of infections falls we will bring the porject to a close, he explained.

INFECTIONS LOW, BUT IN FLUX

The campaign launch comes after Phuket recorded only five new confirmed infections on thursday, but 10 new infections yesterday (May 7).

According to the Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) the 10 new COVID-19 cases bring the total number of people confirmed as infected in Phuket since Apr 3 to 508.

The number of people from other provinces brought to Phuket to be treated for symptoms of COVID-19 has also risen, to six.

The PPHO reports that 308 patients have so far recovered and been discharged from medical care. The remaining 206 patients are still receiving at various hospitals, including government, private and Field Hospitals.

The information was marked as accurate as of 6pm last night (May 7).

Meanwhile, the rapid antigen testing of people arriving to enter the province continues, with medical officers yesterda testing 340 people at the airport, 2,216 people at the Phuket Gateway and 776 people at the Phuket Check Point at Tha Chatchai. All 3,332 rapid tests gave negative results.

In total, medical officers at the entry points to Phuket have tested 45,897 people since the campaign began on Apr 22. During this period officials recorded 23 positive results, with five of them later determined to be false positives.

As confirmed by Governor Narong Wonciew yesterday, from May 15 there will no longer be any rapid antigen tests for people arriving on the island from red zone provinces.

If the arrival cannot prove they are fully vaccinated or have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of arriving, they will be required to observe a 14-day quarantine at their own residence or hotel at their own expense.

VACCINATION OUTREACH

The community COVID test campaign yesterday was also held at Laem Tukkae on Koh Siray, on the east side of Phuket Town, where health personnel and medical staff from Vachira Phuket Hospital held a vaccination outreach clinic.

The village is home to one of the largest communities of Urak Lawoi sea gypsies in the country, today with some 1,600 residents living in an estimated 343 households in the village.

At least 311 people in the village received their first vaccination injection yesterday, reported the PPAO.

The villagers will receive their second vaccination injection on May 30, the report added.

This is the first community visited by public health workers to provide the COVID-19 vaccination service to the community, Mr Rewat noted.

The Chao Lay [sea gypsies] do not have access to technology and social media, and may not understand the language [Thai]. So the PPHO, Vachira Phuket Hospital and health volunteers have come to provide help to people in the area. The villagers themselves are very cooperative with vaccination efforts, he said.

Everyone is enthusiastic. They know that getting vaccinated helps prevent serious symptoms if they contract COVID-19, which their community leaders have communicated to them all along, he added.

A separate vaccination outreach clinic was also held yesterday at Wat Mongkol Nimit on Thepkrasattri Rd in Phuket Town, where 262 monks, nuns and laymen working in temples in Phuket were vaccinated for COVID-19.

Among those present were monks, nuns and laymen from Baan Manik temple in Cherng Talay, Wat Thepwanaram in Srisoonthorn, Wat Kathu and Wat Ketho, also in Kathu.
Despair, Music and Hope

Long-term Phuket expat Gary Crause takes a look at the past year of helping drive efforts to provide food for people in dire need across the island, and the ongoing efforts still much needed and still being provided by the One Phuket campaign.

Saturday 8 May 2021, 09:00AM

It has been a full year since a bunch of musicians and I got together to record and film a rendition of the Bill Withers hit song Lean On Me to raise awareness and funds for the disparate food relief efforts taking place on the island of Phuket. I had been speaking with some friends that had been providing food relief where they could, and learned of a dire situation which prompted me to call my talented friends and together, do what we could to help. Naively, whilst quietly knowing it was going to be a long, long time before things would return to normal, I had hoped that the food shortage problem would be a short-term problem and with a little help, would work itself out in just a few months.



Fast forward 12 months and the food shortage situation has now increased 10-fold. Fortunately relief efforts have done the same, and the support mechanism that underpins the supply of food to the vulnerable, has become a streamlined process fronted by a group of passionate and dedicated people, all working to their strengths in a routine that seems to be working well. Daily marketing and fundraising efforts are followed by weekly bulk food purchases, Life Bag packing and distribution of the Life Bags to all areas of Phuket province and even into some parts of Phang Nga.



The establishment of One Phuket in January 2021 to bring together as many of the relief programmes as possible has worked as planned, and now sees more people being fed on a weekly basis for less of a cost per Life Bag than ever before.

Behind the scenes, many of the core group that started One Phuket, work tirelessly seven days a week for most of their waking hours to ensure that this succeeds. Not for recognition, nor financial gain, but for no other reason than the fact that we know that if we dont, thousands of vulnerable families across the region will go hungry.



Through relentless canvassing, marketing and often a mass injection of personal funds, One Phuket has until now managed to generate on average the B220,000 per week that was required to feed the hardest hit comminutes. The third wave of COVID infections currently gripping Thailand changed the playing field somewhat, and in the last few weeks the requirement for Life Bags in Phuket has more than doubled.



Fortunately so far, One Phuket has had many private and corporate donors that have made substantial financial contributions, with many others providing core support services on the logistical side.

In an effort to make contributing as easy as possible, we partnered with food suppliers like Makro for all of our bulk food buying, as well as having a process in place with them that allows donors to pay for food supplies directly. Villa Market have also come on board with a system in their Phuket stores that highlights Life Bag items on the store shelves that customers can purchase, and then place in clearly marked trolleys for weekly collection and distribution by One Phuket.



All of the effort over the last few months seems to have taken hold. Our desire to be totally transparent regarding donations and the results of our efforts have people and companies starting to take notice of what is going on and they want to share in their willingness to physically or financially contribute. This is the light at the end of the tunnel for us, and thank God it is not a train.



For many of us that have been doing this for a while, the days become both long and short at the same time, and the relentless hustle to create content, garner donations, procure, pack and deliver food day in and day out can take its toll mentally and physically. But at the end of each tired day when we get a little time to reflect on what we are achieving, we all agree on one thing  through this process we have all met the most beautiful and inspiring people from all walks of life.

And as Andrea Edwards, co-founder of One Phuket said so eloquently, The connections and experiences that we have all felt collectively through these very tough times will stay with each and every one of us and will change us forever.



Please consider contributing to One Phuket. Your contribution makes an immediate and positive impact on Phukets most vulnerable peoples lives. 100% of all donations go straight to purchasing life bags. We have no administration costs, because everyone who is helping is donating their time.



Donations can be made to:

Siam Commercial Bank

Bank Code: 014

Choengthale Branch

Branch Code: 0706

Savings Account Number: 706-265040-3

SWIFT Code: SICOTHBK

By Gary Crause
No rapid tests for Phuket arrivals from May 15, quarantine instead

PHUKET: Rapid antigen tests will no longer be used to determine whether or not people may enter Phuket from May 15, Phuket Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong has confirmed.



By The Phuket News

Saturday 8 May 2021, 10:48AM

Vice Governor Piyapong (left) during the live broadcast yesterday evening (May 7). Screenshot: Official COVID-19 Information Center Phuket

Vice Governor Piyapong delivered the news through a video broadcast online yesterday evening, after Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew broke the news during a high-level meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall earlier in the day.

Since Apr 22 all people arriving in Phuket from red zone areas, now expanded to 25 provinces, have been required to prove that they are fully vaccinated or have tested negative for the virus within 72 hours of arriving.

If the arrival has been unable to prove either, they were required to undergo a rapid antigen test as an initial step to determine whether or not they were infected.

The rapid antigen test has been free for Thais, but has cost foreigners B500 a time.

From May 15, that will no longer apply as the test will no longer be used, Vice Governor Piyapong explained.

The Phuket Governor has set the goal to have zero cases of new infections within two weeks. We will do everything. No matter what it takes. We cannot be at risk like this anymore, Vice Governor Piyapong said.

From now to May 14, we will still conduct the rapid antigen test, but from May 15, all arrivals from any areas without a COVID-free certificate or vaccination certificate must face 14 days quarantine, he said plainly.

For day-trippers or others, I cannot reveal all the details, but the provincial order will come later, he added.

We want to send a sign to the country that we are cleaning up our province. The three vice governors [in Phuket] have been ordered to take care of each district by cooperating with local administration officers as well as community leaders to do proactive screening, V/Gov Piyapong noted.

Within the coming two weeks, the result will be clearer in practice, he said.

Right now, we are vaccinating religious leaders for all religions, as they are in frequent contact with people, V/Gov Piyapong said.

It is very likely that we will have enough vaccines to provide vaccinations for every person on the island. If you are still deciding whether or not to get vaccinated, please come to get vaccinated, he urged.
PM eyes huge vaccine stockpile

THAILAND: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has vowed to procure up to 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to prepare for unforeseeable emergencies as the pandemic continues to rage unabated in several countries.

CoronavirusCOVID-19healthVaccine

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 8 May 2021, 08:48AM

COVID-19 vaccination in Klong Toey district, Bangkok, on Wednesday. Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb.

Speaking during his PM Podcast yesterday (May 7), Gen Prayut said the global pandemic showed no signs of going away anytime soon, so the government had to be prepared to deal with any situation that might arise.

The first priority will be to increase our vaccine doses to 150 million doses or more and to prepare for any risk related to those vaccines, Gen Prayut said.

The government had set a target of buying 100 million doses to inoculate 50 million Thais and thus create herd immunity, he said.

But I think it is not enough. If we listen to information from around the world, it is still not clear whether herd immunity against this virus can actually be achieved, Gen Prayut noted.

He said Thailand had an adult population of about 60 million and thus required at least 120 million vaccine doses, with everyone needing two shots. Labourers, including migrant workers, in the business sector also needed to be taken into account in that respect, he pointed out.

To prepare for potential risks and uncertainty, we may need 150-200 million doses of vaccine for future phases [of the vaccine rollout], he said, but we have to consider the shelf life of vaccines and next years situation.

The PM said government agencies had until now been negotiating with seven manufacturers but he had instructed them to be even more proactive in procuring vaccines. Efforts were also underway to hold talks with other vaccine producers, he added.

However, purchases had to follow regulations from the relevant authorities such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Gen Prayut said, adding that those agencies must also expedite their approval of manufacturers applications for vaccine registrations.

Another priority would be to administer as many first doses of the vaccine as quickly as possible by July, when it is expected that half of the adult Thai population will have had their first shot and thus have sufficient protection against the worst effects of the virus.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said yesterday a committee on the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines had agreed that they should be added to the controlled goods list. The meeting also discussed potential government procurement of the Pfizer, Sputnik V and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

The committee also agreed private hospitals should buy their own vaccines from manufacturers other than those which the government had already bought or planned to buy, Mr Anucha said. He added that these alternative vaccines should be ready for delivery to Thailand by the end of this year.

Mr Anucha added that the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) would also be responsible for managing private hospitals vaccine procurement and liaising with vaccine manufacturers. All procurements must follow product liability law, he said.

Moreover, any private hospitals or private companies that wanted to import alternative vaccines would have to make full payment in advance to the GPO as well as arrange for insurance against any side effects caused by the vaccines.

The private sector can appoint representatives from vaccine manufacturers and submit letters of intent (LOI) to the GPO, he said.
Sinovac gets nod for over 60s

THAILAND: The national communicable disease committee yesterday (May 7) announced the approval of Sinovacs COVID-19 vaccine for adults aged 60 and over with the Health Ministry pledging to work with the private sector to open 382 vaccination sites nationwide in an effort to accelerate the rollout.

CoronavirusCOVID-19ChinesehealthVaccine

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 8 May 2021, 08:21AM

Photo: AFP.

Speaking after chairing the meeting of the national communicable diseases committee, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said now that Chinas Sinovac Biotech vaccine has been authorised for use, the next step is for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to process the relevant legal paperwork.

He said the authorisation is based on Sinovac research showing its vaccine is safe for members of that age group who are in good health and is efficacious in stimulating the body to build resistance against the virus.

The approval came despite the World Health Organization reporting on Wednesday that an independent assessment came away with only a low level of confidence in the quality of evidence that the risk of serious adverse effects was low for adults above 60. The same study did, however, back Sinovac claims that two doses of the vaccine are effective in safely preventing transmission in other age groups.

Mr Anutin, who at 55 was the first person to receive a shot of the Sinovac vaccine in Thailand, said the private sector has pledged to help the government open 382 vaccination clinics across the country as it races to vaccinate 50 million people by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Dr Supakij Sirilak, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, yesterday reiterated the safety and efficacy of the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines.

He insisted that both vaccines met the required efficacy, safety and manufacturing standards, and that the department checked and tested every batch delivered to Thailand.
Woman, 63, stabbed and robbed while meditating in Phuket temple

PHUKET: A 63-year-old woman was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital after she was robbed and stabbed by an unknown man. The woman was attacked while meditating in Wat Charoen Samanakit (Wat Lang San) in Soi Tohse off Damrong Rd in Phuket Town on Thursday (May 6)

crimepoliceviolence

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Saturday 8 May 2021, 02:33PM

Sommit Pungtaetua, 58, a temple staffer, told The Phuket News this morning (May 8) that the incident happened at about 7am and was recorded by CCTV.

From the CCTV footage we learned that the woman was meditating on the ground floor of the temple, when a man walked up to her acting suspiciously, the staffer said.

The woman relocated upstairs and continued her meditation, but the man followed her and tried to steal the womans wallet that she placed next to her. The woman noticed that and grabbed her wallet back. Then the man used scissors that he was carrying to stab her several times and knocked her head on the floor, the staffer continued.

Finally, the suspect grabbed the wallet and fled the scene while the woman stood up and walked to call for help.

She asked a monk to call police and medical workers. An ambulance came from Vahira Phuket Hospital and rushed her for treatment. From initial examination, she had wounds on her chest, right arm and elbow. Her head was bleeding from the knocking, and the bone of her right ring finger was broken, the staffer said.

According to the victim, her wallet contained only a mobile phone valued at about B3,000,

The temple has already informed Phuket City Police about the incident and provided officers with relevant CCTV footages so they can track down and arrest the suspect.

Normally we have many people coming in and out the temple all the time. We have measures to take care of safety ourselves, plus police always comes to check in the morning. This is the first incident of this kind in our temple, but I remember having seen the man around two or three days before, the staffer said.

The Phuket News contacted Phuket City Police for comments, but no information was provided.
Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
Keystone pipeline canceled after Biden had blocked permit

The sponsor of the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline said Wednesday it is pulling the plug on the contentious project
Please note The Sun Chronicle is providing this story and all of our local coronavirus coverage for free so that all readers have access to this important information about the pandemic. Please visit our dedicated coronavirus coverage page for more stories. If you'd like to support our mission, please subscribe.
EDWARDSVILLE  Concerns about the impact of police reforms  both legislation that has passed and potential laws working through the system  were discussed at the Madison County Boards Judiciary Committee.

Local law enforcement administrators were generally opposed to legislation passed earlier this year, and were especially wary of some things that were eventually taken out of the law.

The two issues discussed Friday were requirements for body cameras, along with the associated costs. And, the potential end to qualified immunity, which protects individual officers from lawsuits.

In January the Illinois General Assembly passed HB 3653, which was eventually signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The signed bill included a number of major changes, including an end to cash bail and a complete overhaul of police certification, requires body cameras for officers and in-use-of-force law.

The elimination of qualified immunity was removed before the bill was approved, but there are efforts at both the state and federal levels to eliminate or modify qualified immunity. In general, efforts have stalled in the Illinois General Assembly this year.

Madison County Chief Deputy Maj. Jeff Connor said the sheriffs department has immediate concerns about body camera requirements, specifically the cost that he called an unfunded mandate.

He said the sheriffs department would be the first agency required to implement body cameras in Madison County. With 85 sworn officers, the cost over four years is estimated at more than $800,000, which includes the cameras, software and servers to store the data.

Generally the cost of cameras is small, but servers required to store the data take up most of the cost.

He said under the new law that they have until July 1, 2023, to implement the cameras, and a meeting with the States Attorneys Office and other police departments had been set for later Friday to get some clarification.

He said other mandates also are concerning.

Committee Chairman Mike Walters, R-Godfrey, asked about qualified immunity, and what kind of an impact that might have on the ability to hire new officers.

Connor said that they are already seeing less interest.

The number of people will speak for themselves, he said, noting that during the last test, 15 people applied where they would normally have 40 to 50.

Connor also said the $14 million jail renovation is officially finished.

We did a tour and it looks good, he said.

As of Friday morning the jail had 294 prisoners. Of those, 40 were waiting to be transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), and another half dozen to the Illinois Department of Human Services.

Connor noted that they transferred about 40 inmates two weeks ago, then IDOC shut down the intake process.

In other business, the committee approved purchasing fireproof file cabinets for $42,187.

Circuit Clerk Tom McRae said changing state mandates require the cabinets to store all the wills in the custody of the County Clerks Office.

That purchase must go to the Finance Committee before going to the full board.
Authorities seized more than $100,000 and large quantities of marijuana, Adderall and other drugs Friday after learning a Waverly Twp. man used his South Abington Twp. nail salon to sell drugs, investigators said.

Members of the Lackawanna County district attorneys office and Blakely Police Department began investigating Tung Khac Du, 43, and his girlfriend, Nhan Thanh Tran, 40, both of 106 Old Field Road, Waverly Twp., in April, county Detective Corey Condrad and Blakely senior Patrolman Peter Petrucci wrote in multiple criminal complaints. Throughout their investigation, they arranged multiple controlled purchases of ecstasy, or MDMA, and other drugs from Du out of both his home and his nail salon, Nails 1st, 661 Northern Blvd., South Abington Twp.

Petrucci and Condrad began their investigation April 7 when they met with a confidential informant who knew a man named Tommy, who was later identified as Du. The informant told investigators that Tommy sold ecstasy out of his nail salon, and he used his employees to obtain Adderall prescriptions from various doctors, which he then sold, according to the complaints.

Investigators arranged controlled purchases of ecstasy between the informant and Du on April 7, April 13, April 19, April 21, April 28, May 4 and May 6. On one occasion, Du offered to front the informant a quarter pound of marijuana, meaning the informant would pay him back later, according to the complaint.

Du would either conduct the drug sales from Nails 1st, oftentimes obtaining them from a vehicle in the parking lot, or by meeting the informant in the parking lot of a business on South State Street in Clarks Summit. During the controlled purchases, detectives staked out Dus home and business, including tailing his vehicle, Condrad and Petrucci wrote.

The monthlong investigation culminated at 9:30 a.m. Friday when authorities from the district attorneys office and the Blakely, Olyphant and South Abington Twp. police departments carried out search warrants for Dus home, nail salon and vehicles.

Inside Du and Trans home, authorities reported finding:

$119,245 in cash

2,150 Adderall tablets

76 pink square tablets of MDMA  the same tablets the informant purchased

About 58 grams of cocaine

Approximately 8.9 pounds of marijuana

797 packages of THC edibles

139 psychedelic candy bars containing 4 grams of psilocybin mushrooms in each bar

200 pre-rolled marijuana cigars

Two glass jars of THC wax

A .22 caliber rifle

They also seized $13,966 from various spots inside Nails 1st and found nine bags containing a total of about one ounce of marijuana inside Dus vehicle, according to the complaints. Investigators also took multiple computers and a cellphone.

In a statement lauding the detectives and members of the Lackawanna County Drug Task Force, District Attorney Mark Powell described the drug bust as a major takedown of a large-scale drug operation selling significant quantities of multiple dangerous substances.

This is a prime example of what can happen when police agencies all work together to root out drug dealers and make our communities safer, Powell said.

Du is charged with 36 counts related to the drug deals, including possession with intent to deliver, criminal use of a communication facility and related charges. Tran faces eight charges, including possession with intent to deliver, criminal conspiracy and similar counts.

Both were arrested and arraigned Friday, with Dus bail set at $300,000 and Trans at $200,000. Preliminary hearings for Du and Tran are scheduled for May 20 at 9:15 a.m.
A Scranton man arrested in February on drug charges in the midst of an investigation into a deadly overdose now faces allegations he sold the fatal dose of fentanyl.

Ronald Howard Ewell, 58, 431 Prospect Ave., is charged with drug delivery resulting in death after an autopsy returned Wednesday found Dan Wanamaker had a lethal amount of fentanyl in his system when he died Feb. 23 at his home on the 400 block of Pittston Avenue, city police charged.

Ewell also faces numerous drug charges that police initially filed just after Wanamakers death. Investigators found text messages in Wanamakers phone between him and Ewell using phrases common in drug transactions.

Investigators were able to use Wanamakers phone not long after his death to set up a drug transaction with Ewell.

You still good, a text message to Ewells phone under Wanamakers number inquired.

After arranging a meeting, police pulled Ewell over. He said he was on his way to meet a friend, D, who owed him money. Ewell eventually admitted to police he sold the narcotics to Wanamaker, according to police.

He insisted to investigators he is not a drug dealer, he just helped Wanamaker out because he knows him and (Wanamaker) asked him to get the dope for him, according to police.

Police found a packet of heroin in Ewells vehicle and roughly a quarter-pound of marijuana at his home. Police also found a handgun, which hes not allowed to own because he had an active protection-from-abuse order against him.

Police charged Ewell for the drugs and the gun, but waited to file drug delivery resulting in death, a felony, until the autopsy report was complete.

Authorities withdrew their initial complaint against Ewell on Thursday and filed a new one that added drug delivery resulting in death.

Ewell is in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled May 20.
Nearly a year after a beloved local woman passed away from glioblastoma, residents of Northeast Pennsylvania can raise a toast in her honor with a beer that will raise money to fund research on the aggressive brain cancer.

Last Minute Brewing, 320 Wemberly Hills Road, Scott Twp., on Friday started selling a limited-run IPA called Always Give in honor of Alexis Lexi Caviston-Ashmar. The cans label is covered in printed sunflowers, which was her favorite flower, brother Ryan Caviston said.

The beer is part of a collaboration between more than 200 breweries nationwide and StacheStrong, a nonprofit dedicated to raising funds and awareness for brain cancer research, said brewer E.J. Lastauskas. The brewery will be open today from 1 to 8 p.m., with much of the proceeds from the beer, T-shirt sales and basket raffles going toward the charity. Im like, why would I not do that? said Lastauskas. Its a great thing for everybody.

Caviston-Ashmar, 23, died July 14 after battling glioblastoma for more than two years. Her battle with the cancer reached others on social media through the hashtag #LexiStrong, raising awareness for those who were suffering. While alive, she used her platform to advocate for new cancer treatments and served as a role model for others. Ryan Caviston said his family became friends with officials of the nonprofit and mulled the idea of participating in a fundraiser called S.M.A.S.H for Stache. The acronym stands for single malt and single hop, Lastauskas said.

More than 200 breweries in the country have joined the campaign to brew their own S.M.A.S.H. for Stache beer this month, which is Brain Cancer Awareness Month, according to the nonprofit. A list of participating breweries also includes Groove Brewing in Scranton and Here & Now Brewing Co. in Honesdale.

Paul Caviston, Caviston-Ashmars father, approached the Scott Twp. brewery about two months ago with the idea to join in, Lastauskas said. Ryan Caviston said his family enjoys Last Minute Brewing beer and goes there pretty regularly.

Wed be totally honored to do this beer, Lastauskas said.

There is a limited supply of the brew, which Lastauskas said was a hazy IPA. They made enough to package 45 cases of 16-ounce cans, which sell in four-packs for $19. The beers alcohol content is 7.2% ABV.
SCRANTON  Roaring Brooks 60-year-old concrete flood-control channel coursing through South Side has held up over the decades but will need future upgrades and repairs, officials said Friday.

Its the type of big project that would benefit from President Joe Bidens American Jobs Plan that would deliver billions of dollars throughout the nation for infrastructure work, Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti said during a media event alongside the waterway at Mattes Avenue and River Street.

Cognetti, a Democrat, and others made a pitch for public support for the Democratic presidents plan that they said would help fund critical upgrades of roads, bridges, electrical grids, water infrastructure, schools and more throughout the nation.

Theres so much work that we need, Cognetti said. The American Jobs Plan ... will help.

Tom Preambo, city Department of Public Works director, and Chris Jenkins, DPW manager of emergency control, described how the Roaring Brook channel, completed in 1961, stemmed from flood devastation in South Side from Hurricane Diane in 1955.

At about 60 feet wide and 4,000 feet long, the Roaring Brook channel cost about $1.1 million and feeds into the Lackawanna River, Jenkins said. There is no current cost estimate on potential upgrades. Engineering first would be required, and design, planning and construction phases would take years, he said.

This is a major waterway. This would be a big part of the infrastructure update for the city, Jenkins said. Its in good shape, its doing its job, but as you can tell by looking at it, its aging.

Other speakers included state Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-112, Blakely, Thom Welby, chief of staff for state Rep. Marty Flynn, D-113, Scranton, and Councilman Kyle Donahue, also a Democrat.

Donahue cited other areas needing stormwater upgrades, including Meadow Brook, Stafford Meadow Brook, Leggetts Creek and Keyser Valley.

Mullins likened the Biden plan to when the country invested, built and employed its way out of the Great Depression and later put men on the moon.

But somewhere along the way, our leaders decided to disinvest and stand still as a country, Mullins said. Its important that we as a country learn how to think big again.

Cognetti is running for re-election in the May 18 Democratic primary and faces a challenge from Scranton City Controller John Murray. Donahue is one of five Democrats seeking four council posts.
It always helps to pay attention to the fine print.

With campaign television commercials, the fine print generally shows up at the bottom of the screen and tells you whos paying for the ad.

In the 22nd Senate District special election contest, the fine print on state Rep. Marty Flynns commercials shows the Scranton Democrats political action committee paid for them. He has raised big money for several years now.

For Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak, the big money comes from the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. It has paid for most, if not all, of his commercials, though the more recent ones say hes paying for them too.

The committee/Chermak has spent $281,913 on 4,377 ads on the three largest local TV stations  WNEP, WYOU and WBRE  and Comcast Cable, through next Tuesday.

Flynn has spent $295,110 on 3,334 commercials.

Democrats say Chermak is getting propped up by out-of-town money., pointing to how lobbyist Ray Zaborney and his Red Maverick Media, in conjunction with state Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, are running Chermaks media campaign. In a bit more than four months the SRCC has raised more than $746,000 to help Republican Senate candidates, including Chermak.

The committees donor list makes for a fun read  $100,000 from the PAC of state Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward; $134,000 from the Build PA PAC, one of Cormans political action committees; $41,000 from Lebanon County businessman Chris Gebhard; $15,000 from Volunteers for Argall PAC, longtime state Sen. David Argalls PAC; $25,000 from the Northwest Leaders PAC.

Gebhard is running in another special election, the 48th Senate District, to fill a vacancy created by the January death of Sen. David Arnold, a Republican. Thats certainly why he donated all that money to the SRCC, which is also helping Gebhard. His race and Chermaks are the reasons Wards, Cormans and Argalls PAC gave all that money to the SRCC.

Oh, almost forgot a couple guys you might know better.

Insurance executive Charles J. Volpe donated $20,000 to the SRCC, which also got $5,000 from some guy named Louis DeNaples, described in the SRCCs campaign finance report as a self-employed entrepreneur.

Quite the euphemism for our local landfill and bank owner and former casino owner.

DeNaples is probably just hedging his bets, no pun intended. He gave Flynns PAC $10,000 in 2016, and he and his brother Dominick donated another $2,000 in 2019. Other DeNaples family members have donated $13,000 to Flynn over the years, including $5,000 recently from Charles DeNaples.

Since 2012, Volpe and/or his wife have donated $3,100 to Flynns campaigns, usually in $500 amounts.

Volpe, whose Sunday morning political talk show used to host mostly Democratic elected officials, now hosts mostly Republicans. Hes angry at Gov. Tom Wolf for the way Wolf handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

By the way, Citizens for Yudichak, the PAC of now independent state Sen. John Yudichak, donated $5,000 to the SRCC. He and Volpe are good friends.

Lets just hold off on the puppeteering charges, but the SRCC has done the heavily lifting for Chermaks campaign. His Chermak for PA PAC raised only $62,323 through May 3, according to his latest report, but the SRCC chipped in another $46,260 to Chermaks PAC on May 4. The SRCC has contributed $384,925 in in-kind services to Chermaks Senate PAC, including commercials, consulting, legal fees and research.

Chermaks Senate PAC received $10,000 contributions from the Northeast Leadership Fund, the private PAC funded mostly by local businessmen looking to stay anonymous. The PAC also received $5,000 contributions from Baker for Senate, state Sen. Lisa Bakers PAC; Jerry Morgan, the top-notch Republican political operative who used to work for U.S. Rep. Don Sherwood and is working on Chermaks campaign; and For-ward PAC.

Sherwood, former Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Keith Eckel, former congressional candidate Chris Hackett, and attorney Dominic Mastri contributed $2,500 each.

The highlights of Chermaks $1,000 contributions were from LOU PAC, one of the PACs of former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, who is still mulling a campaign for governor next year; Jeffrey Bartos, the Republican businessman running for the U.S. Senate next year; former congressional candidate John Chrin; and developer John Basalyga.

Flynns PACs latest report wasnt immediately available Friday, but he has piled up campaign cash the last few years. He entered 2021 with $165,910 and raised another $508,796.

The Senate Democratic Campaign Committee contributed $155,000 to Flynns PAC.

The next largest contributions came from the Service Employees International Union State Council, $45,000; United Association of Union Plumbers & Pipefitters PAC, $25,000; Fairness PA PAC, $20,000; Raj Mahehwari, managing director of Charlestown Capital, New York City, $15,000; International Union Of Operating Engineers Local Union 542, $15,000; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98, $10,000; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union, $10,000; and United Association Local Union 524, $7,500.

He got $5,000 contributions from Laborers District Council; Christopher Pisano and Albert Ceccoli, co-owners of Upstate Vending, Binghamton, N.Y.; James Judge, a retired Scott Twp. resident; Chase Lenfest, Steamfitters Local Union 449 and 1776 PAC; a $3,500 contribution from 205 PAC, the Munley family PAC; $2,500 contributions from the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties Union CAP, Friends of Lisa Boscola, a Democratic state senator; the Pennsylvania Apartment Association PAC; the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association Union PAC; Teamsters Local 384 PAC; the Philadelphia Firefighters Paramedics Union PAC; the Political Labor Action Now PAC; Bridge Across PAC; Louis Evans, CEO of Commonwealth Energy Group; Gov. Tom Wolf and his wife, Frances; Kevin Rowe, of K. Rowe Investments, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The highlight of his $1,000 contributions came from Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh, a candidate for U.S. Senate.

BORYS KRAWCZENIUK, The Times-Tribune politics reporter, writes Random Notes.
One of President Joe Bidens first executive orders was to develop a plan to conserve 30% of the nations land and water resources by 2030 as part of the effort to fight destructive climate change.

Many congressional conservatives, who claim that the federal government already controls too much of the nations land, expressed skepticism over the 30 by 30 idea.

But a report released this week by the presidents National Climate Task Force is more a set of principles than a plan for the government to expand its direct control over land management. Compiled by the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce departments, the plan calls for the federal government to seek voluntary land and water conservation commitments from private land and water owners, and to work with Native American tribes, local governments and other interests.

The report notes that even on large tracts of economically productive land, it often is possible to conserve some of it. And, since water often flows among multiple properties, it is in the interest of everyone to ensure its quality by conserving its sources.

Biden can, and should, reverse some of his predecessors worst public-land decisions, which often were little more than thinly disguised giveaways to extractive industries in the West. For example, Biden should restore the boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, which Trump reduced by 85%.

But the new report is a conservative approach to conservation, which congressional conservatives should embrace.
William E. Thompson Jr. of Scranton died Monday evening at Hospice of the Sacred Heart in Dunmore following an illness. His wife of 48 years is the former Jean Elizabeth Fellows.

Born in Scranton, he was the son of William E. and Lorraine (Weston) Thompson Sr. Bill was a graduate of Scranton Central High School and Keystone College. He took advanced courses at East Carolina University in Goldsboro, N.C.

After graduation, Bill enlisted in the Air Force and served air bases in Texas, North Carolina and Bangkok, Thailand. Bill served in the Vietnam theater of operations and was selected to be a member of the Air Force Honor Guard stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina.

Following his honorable discharge from the Air Force, Bill joined the sales staff of Reynolds Brothers Inc. in Scranton.

In 1992, he entered state civil service with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at the Clarks Summit State Hospital in the Psychology, Social Service, and Guardian Office. He retired from the commonwealth in 2007.

Bill was an accomplished pianist who entertained at nursing homes and many social functions. In retirement, Bill enjoyed playing the piano at the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center award-winning choir and church services.

Bill also enjoyed traveling with his wife to Dixieland and Ragtime festivals, from the East Coast to the West Coast. They also took wonderful trips to Alaska, Ireland and Finland.

Bill was a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Retired State Employees (PARSE) and was a volunteer at the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center.

The Thompson family were decades-long members of Elm Park United Methodist Church. Bill served 30 years as head usher. He was also on the worship, staff parish committees and church council. Bill also attended Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Bill will be remembered as a very kind, organized and loving guy who will be dearly missed by family and friends.

In addition to his wife, Bill is survived by his son, William E. Thompson III of the Philadelphia suburbs; his brother, J. Paul Thompson of Hilton Head Island, S.C.; several nieces and nephews. Bill had wonderful neighbors and friends Judy, Zoey, Deborah and Sam who were kind and always willing to help.

Funeral services will be conducted Monday at 4 p.m. in the Howard J. Snowdon Funeral Home, 1810 Sanderson Ave., Scranton.

Friends may call Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. Anyone attending the viewing or service is required to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Interment, committal services and military honors will be conducted privately at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center Patient Welfare Fund, 401 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503, or donors favorite charity.

For online condolences, visit the funeral homes website or Facebook page.
They say no good deed goes unpunished. That has certainly been the case for AstraZeneca, the pharmaceutical business that created a stable, barely-for-profit coronavirus vaccine that's already been injected into tens of millions of arms across the UK.

In a period where we've talked of little else but our health, and Britain's large pharmaceutical companies have become household names, shares in Astra and its competitors have fallen in price.

The pharmaceuticals and biotechnology index is the second-worst performer out of 40 industrial sectors within the FTSE350 Index over the past year.

It has registered a fall of nearly 12 per cent compared to a jump in the FTSE350 Index of nearly 25 per cent.

The pharmaceuticals and biotechnology index is the second-worst performer out of 40 industrial sectors

Russ Mould, investment director at wealth manager AJ Bell, says that as well as bad publicity over blood-clotting following jabs, pharmaceutical companies are simply out of favour among investors.

He adds: 'Investors are looking to invest in recovery plays such as retailers, travel and leisure companies  not defensive stocks such as drug developers.'

Yet the reality is that the focus on our health isn't going to go away any time soon.

As the National Health Service returns to working on a more normal footing, there will be demand for other drugs and procedures  as well as an attempt to build on what has been learned from the fight against coronavirus in terms of vaccines and treatments.

In short, pharmaceutical companies ought to be in a long-term investment sweet spot, so why aren't investors taking the tablets?

The country's best pharma players

In the UK, if you are talking about the pharmaceutical industry, you are essentially referencing two big players: AstraZeneca, rarely out of the news due to its coronavirus vaccine; and GlaxoSmithKline, seldom out of the business pages of national newspapers due to interest from activist investor Elliott.

Below these two FTSE100 giants are smaller healthcare stocks, including wound-care group Smith & Nephew, and small biotechnology stocks, which are a risky investment bet because they take chances on expensively researched breakthrough treatments.

As an investment, the pharmaceutical industry behaves differently to the biotechnology sector, although they work closely together.

Biotechnology is exciting, with the possibility of a miracle treatment balanced against the fear of running out of money at any moment.

In contrast, pharmaceutical companies are 'defensive', meaning they're seen as a good investment in a crisis because they have reliable revenues.

The theory is that governments and healthcare systems, not individuals, are the biggest purchasers of pharmaceuticals, and they buy irrespective of how the economy is performing.

The companies are also good dividend payers, because selling pharmaceuticals is cash generative.

GlaxoSmithKline has an annual dividend yield of six per cent while AstraZeneca yields just under three per cent.

Pharmaceutical investors are keen watchers of the three 'P's: portfolios, patents and pipelines.

Patents dictate the length of time that companies will receive high revenues from their drug portfolios. Once a product is 'off patent', rivals can produce a generic version very cheaply.

Pipelines tell us what is coming up behind today's big treatments to continue to provide an income stream for the companies.

AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline produced contrasting quarterly updates late last month.

AstraZeneca reaffirmed its profits targets and predicted better times ahead.

AstraZeneca's core business has proved resilient with revenue and earnings both beating analysts' expectations.

GlaxoSmithKline also beat analysts' forecasts, but Covid reduced its turnover by 18 per cent, partly because its various vaccine products including shingles vaccine Shingrix, are not being used as much.

GlaxoSmithKline has an annual dividend yield of 6% while AstraZeneca yields just under 3%

The company was more positive about the future, however, with chief executive Emma Walmsley saying she expects a 'significant improvement in performance' for the remainder of the year.

Pharmaceutical experts tend to favour AstraZeneca's pipeline and portfolio over its rival.

Charles Luke, manager of investment trust Murray Income, says that although the vaccine is getting all the attention, it is AstraZeneca's cancer treatments that are driving current business growth, with some exciting new treatments for other medical conditions further down the line.

He says: 'Oncology products such as Tagrisso, Imfinzi and Lynparza are in their early stages of growth and will continue to drive sales for the medium to long term.

'Other products such as Farxiga [for diabetes] and Fasenra [for asthma] continue to offer promise for the future and the company has a strong product pipeline which should result in strong sales and earnings growth.'

The company is also in the process of acquiring US pharmaceutical business Alexion for $39billion  its biggest deal ever. Alexion's portfolio of drugs for rare diseases could bolster AstraZeneca's pipeline.

'We like AstraZeneca a lot,' says Trevor Polischuk, co-portfolio manager of specialist trust Worldwide Healthcare.

He believes the company is a leader in the next generation of 'targeted therapies' for the treatment of cancer. This is a form of 'precision medicine' that targets proteins that control how cancer cells grow, divide, and spread.

Polischuk is also excited by the firm's presence in China, a healthcare market he expects will grow faster than Western markets.

Polischuk does not view the coronavirus vaccine as a winner or loser for AstraZeneca. 'Its vaccine, developed not-for-profit, is not germane to our investment thesis,' he says.

There's less excitement over GlaxoSmithKline which is fighting fires on several fronts.

Jason Hollands, a director of wealth manager Tilney, says hedge fund Elliott Management 'could force change if it can gather sufficient support from other shareholders'.

The company is already planning to split into two next year, with its consumer products business (including brands such as Panadol, Zovirax and Aquafresh), demerging from its pure pharma side.

But Elliott may force the company to go faster and further. There is also a strong likelihood that its dividend will be cut in light of the investment required to bolster its drug development pipeline.

But with GlaxoSmithKline's share price on the floor, some believe now is the time to buy.

George Bear, assistant portfolio manager at IG, says: 'It has lagged behind its peers for the last few years, including AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. So, perhaps, we could see a change in fortunes with Elliott now on board.'

Betting on the biotech minnows While big pharma stocks are defensive stocks, biotech is anything but. The vaccine race has highlighted the difference between these two parts of the healthcare industry, but also their need to work together. Gareth Blades, at investment firm Amati, says: 'The past year has seen big pharma businesses work with smaller nimble biotech companies or research institutions to generate highly innovative products  drugs and treatments that the pharma companies can then plug into their manufacturing and commercial infrastructure.' Some of these biotech minnows fail catastrophically. Others, such as Novavax, have seen their share prices rocket thanks to vaccine breakthroughs. Investors can get exposure to a diversified portfolio of these exciting biotech minnows through several funds. RTW Venture and Syncona focus on cutting-edge science while BB Biotech, Biotech Growth and International Biotechnology specialise in the biotech sector.

Investment funds for big pharma fans

While buying into the UK's two big pharma businesses is one way to get exposure to the industry, buying a healthcare fund can give you access to pharmaceutical companies around the world.

These include other large-cap pharma stocks liked by Trevor Polischuk of trust Worldwide Healthcare.

He likes Merck because of its focus on 'immuno-oncology', a group of drugs that stimulates the body's immune system to fight cancer and destroy tumour cells.

He is also a fan of Bristol Myers Squibb, which he says has 'the most underrated drugs pipeline in the industry'.

If it is UK big pharma you are after as an investor, you can opt for an income fund with exposure to the sector such as Threadneedle UK Equity Income.

More than ten per cent of the fund is invested in AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline. BNY Mellon Newton UK Opportunities is similarly pharma heavy.

For a more global approach, Darius McDermott, managing director of Chelsea Financial Services, likes Polar Capital Global Healthcare Trust. Top ten holdings include Bristol Myers Squibb, United Healthcare, Roche and Sanofi.

How to navigate the headwinds ahead

While the immediate fortunes of healthcare stocks may seem linked to the coronavirus pandemic, there are many other factors to take into consideration.

On the upside, the resumption of elective surgeries and cancer clinics should improve drug sales. Also, Gareth Blades, of boutique investor Amati, believes that lessons learned from the pandemic may also be good news.

He says: 'Regulators have learned new streamlined ways to operate and hopefully these will continue post-pandemic to allow more drugs to come to market to make a positive impact on patients' lives.'

On the minus side, there is the likelihood of stricter pricing controls for drugs in the US.

Tilney's Hollands says: 'The crisis has put a huge strain on public finances, especially in relation to healthcare systems that are, of course, the major purchasers of pharmaceutical products.

'While the crisis has highlighted the importance and achievements of the pharma sector, it is also adding pressure to keep drug costs down.'
Little more than a year ago, copper was trading at around $4,500 (3,200) per ton.

Over the past few days, the price has topped $10,000 and forecasters expect it to keep rising through the summer.

Other metals tell a similar story. Aluminium, zinc and nickel have shot up since last spring, while iron ore prices have more than doubled from around $85 a ton to around $190 a ton.

Hot prospect: Surging demand for copper and other metals is a boost for mining specialist Trident Royalties

Experts are now talking about a commodities 'super-cycle', where prices carry on rising for years.

It is easy to understand why. Economies are recovering fast from the Covid-19 pandemic and governments around the world are splashing out on infrastructure spending, using those metals to build roads and railways, hospitals and schools, broadband cables and electricity pipes.

Trident Royalties offers investors a way to benefit from all this activity and more. The company listed on the stock market last year. The share price is 34.5p and should increase materially over the next 12 months and beyond.

Mining royalty finance is relatively unknown in the UK but it is widely deployed in the US and Canada. In essence, royalty firms lend money to miners and receive a percentage of their revenues in return.

Often used by companies which have yet to move into production, the system offers mining groups an alternative way of raising money, without borrowing from the bank or selling shares.

Once revenues start to flow however, the agreements provide royalty firms with a steady source of income over many years.

Most American royalty firms focus on precious metals. Trident intends to be different, taking up royalty deals with a range of mining groups from across the world.

The company has already signed seven royalty agreements, covering copper, iron ore, gold and most recently lithium, a critical component of electric vehicles. An eighth transaction is expected imminently.

Deals are spread across North and South America, Africa and Australia.

A couple of minesites are already generating revenues, four are coming close and only one  a gold mine Down Under  is still at the exploratory stage.

Experts are now talking about a commodities 'super-cycle' where prices carry on rising

Covering a variety of metals means that Trident is less exposed to price fluctuations than more narrowly focused peers.

And the company has so far proved that it can buy well, securing decent prices and selecting assets that have increased in value since they were acquired.

This success at least in part reflects the experience of co-founders Adam Davidson and Tyron Rees, both of whom worked at mining focused private equity firm Resource Capital Funds for several years before launching Trident.

The duo realised that, even though royalty finance is well established in the mining world, there was not a single listed company interested in securing small to medium-sized royalties across the entire metals industry.

Trident's deals range from $500,000 to $28million, often beneath the radar of more established royalty players, whose deals can run into hundreds of millions of dollars.

While large deals are subject to increasing competition, as metals prices rise, there are still rich pickings to be found at the smaller end of the market.

Davidson and Rees are also careful about the metals they choose, seeking out those where demand is likely to be strong and sustained.

Copper, for example, is not just used in construction but is a key component of electric cabling too and a big beneficiary of the renewable energy revolution.

Iron is the most widely used metal in the world and with President Biden pledging to spend $2trillion on infrastructure in America, China's Xi Jinping earmarking as much if not more for construction at home and abroad, and Boris Johnson eagerly pursuing a national infrastructure plan, the outlook for iron ore seems to be set fair.

Davidson and Rees have big ambitions for Trident. The company is expected to generate revenues of around $4million this year but that should increase rapidly in the next couple of years and gain ground thereafter, as more royalties are acquired and existing assets move into production.

Established royalty stocks, such as London-listed Anglo Pacific, are known as generous dividend payers. Trident is at an earlier stage but hopes to start a dividend programme within the next few years.

Midas verdict: Metal prices are soaring and prospects are bright. Trident offers broad exposure to the commodities sector at an attractive 34p price. Buy.

Traded on: AIM Ticker: TRR Contact: tridentroyalties.com or 020 3931 9639
AstraZeneca boss Pascal Soriot was last night at the centre of an extraordinary row among City investors over his multi-million-pound bonus.

The French chief executive has been lauded for rolling out Astra's life-saving Covid vaccine at no profit, as well as fighting off predatory buyers and boosting the company's share price since he took charge in 2012.

But Astra's major shareholders are understood to have been locked in heated talks for days after the drugs giant proposed to boost his bonus and performance-related share award by 2.3million to 12million.

The award could be worth even more if the share price rises.

Argument: AstraZeneca boss Pascal Soriot earned 15.4million in 2020 causing a row over pay

The plan could take his overall pay, which includes his 1.3million salary and other perks, well above the 15.4million he received last year.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that two top shareholders  Aviva Investors and Standard Life Aberdeen  have already voted to block the proposals ahead of the company's annual meeting on Tuesday.

One said the pay hike threatened to 'tarnish' the 101billion pharmaceutical firm's reputation after its triumph in delivering an affordable Covid vaccine for the world.

However, several rival City fund bosses  who said they had agonised over their decision, and asked to remain anonymous  told The Mail on Sunday they were giving the plans the green light.

This could prove highly controversial in the City because it sets the fund giants squarely at odds with the three watchdogs that advise major investors on executive pay.

Shareholder advisory groups ISS, Glass Lewis and Pirc have recommended vetoing the plans for Soriot's pay, despite a proposed cut to his pension benefits from 20 per cent to 11 per cent of salary, in line with his workforce.

The increase in Soriot's share award from 550 per cent to 650 per cent of his salary would be a second consecutive boost. The 8.6million pot rises if the shares climb as it is paid in the future.

Astra will hike his annual bonus from 200 per cent of salary to 250 per cent, or about 3.3million.

More than half of shareholders would have to vote against the remuneration policy for AstraZeneca to reconsider its plans.

Veteran fund manager Richard Buxton, of Jupiter Asset Management, revealed that his firm had 'reluctantly' voted to approve the deal.

He said Soriot was 'integral' to Astra and warned that it would be 'nuts' to risk losing him in a fallout over remuneration.

Buxton said: 'If the board feels there is a real risk of losing Pascal...and so they've got to up the ante, then I'm prepared to trust the board.

'Pascal is so central to the future success of this company that to risk losing him...would be shooting my clients in the foot, because I think the shares would fall 15 to 20 per cent.'

Soriot, 61, earned 15.4million last year and 15.3million the year before  and could rake in even more this year depending on his performance and the share price. He has earned nearly 90million since joining nine years ago.

Two other top AstraZeneca shareholders, who are usually vocal opponents of high pay, told The Mail on Sunday they had also voted in support of AstraZeneca's policy.

One said: 'It was a really difficult decision to take. The increase is very much against what our policy is. We are very concerned about the ratcheting up of remuneration. Had it been any other year, any other company, it would be a straightforward "against" vote.

'It was a long, quite intense discussion internally about what to do and it came very much down to showing leadership and launching the vaccine during these extraordinary times, and the decision for a non-profit pricing structure on a global level to fight the pandemic.'

By contrast, another Astra investor, EdenTree, said while Astra's pandemic 'leadership' was to be 'applauded', this was not enough to justify the hike.

'This pride is now tarnished, however, by proposals to once again escalate executive pay to heights rarely seen in the UK,' it said, adding that it intended to 'vigorously oppose' the pay proposals.

Another large asset manager told of an internal clash last week between its fund managers, who backed Soriot, and its corporate governance experts, who warned that his pay increase was simply too large.

The source added: 'We support Pascal, but we are very cognisant of the disparity between the chief executive's pay and the rest of the corporation.

'We think Pascal has done a fantastic job taking AstraZeneca from an uncertain future to one that has massive growth, so we think he's great, but the magnitude of the numbers they're looking at in terms of percentages is quite high.'

Soriot has come under sustained attack since rolling out Astra's Covid vaccine in collaboration with Oxford University.

He has been criticised for managing AstraZeneca from his family home in Australia and faced flak from EU politicians over the fairness and speed of the rollout across different countries.

Astra has also had to contend with reports of rare post-vaccination blood clots, which have led some countries to ban its jab altogether.

AstraZeneca said it has delivered shareholders a return of nearly 300 per cent over the past eight years  putting it ahead of global rivals and FTSE100 peers.

Shares in AstraZeneca closed at 77.35 on Friday, up around 12 per cent since Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first lockdown on March 23 last year.

The Astra spokesman added: 'The board wants to ensure that our remuneration policy keeps driving a performance in line with the ambitious expectations of our shareholders and other stakeholders.'

Soriot faced a series of revolts against his pay packages at Astra's annual general meetings in 2014, 2017 and 2018.

AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said bosses 'should be aware of the danger' of being seen to do 'unduly well' during the pandemic while many have lost their jobs.

Astra is currently in the middle of a $39billion deal to buy rare diseases specialist Alexion

But he added: 'Soriot's pay does not reflect just the vaccine, but the strategy he has outlined and continues to follow, which is to boost AstraZeneca's pipeline of new drugs and treatments across its core areas of oncology, renal and metabolism and cardiovascular and respiratory.'

The trajectory of Astra's share price is key to Soriot netting his maximum payout. Since fending off a 55-a-share hostile takeover from Pfizer in 2014 the stock has climbed by 40 per cent, vindicating Soriot's robust defence.

Astra is currently in the middle of a $39billion (28billion) deal to buy rare diseases specialist Alexion. Mould said it would be 'years before we know whether that was the right thing to do'.

Soriot has previously claimed his pay should be seen in the context of his industry. In 2018, when he earned 9.4million, he said: 'The truth is I'm the lowest-paid CEO in the whole industry. It is annoying to some extent.'

Analysis shows Soriot now sits fourth in the global pharma pay league behind the bosses of American behemoths Johnson & Johnson, Merck and AbbVie.

Namal Nawana, boss of FTSE100 counterpart Smith & Nephew left in 2019 amid reports he was dissatisfied with his pay compared to US executives.

In the Footsie, only Ocado boss Tim Steiner earned more than Soriot  at 58million  in the year before Covid struck.

Yet many of the biggest payouts in the pharma industry have been to scientists or entrepreneurs who have floated their biopharma firms. United Therapeutics founder and chief Martine Rothblatt landed $46million in 2019.

Buxton, of Jupiter, added: '[Soriot's pay] is clearly a lot of money. I don't think it's always right for a CEO to say 'if I left for the US I could earn a lot more money'.

'But Pascal has been absolutely instrumental to the success of this business. He's been there since 2012. He fought off the Pfizer bid in 2014. And he's issued AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine on a not-for-profit basis, helping the world until the pandemic's over.'

GlaxoSmithKline boss Emma Walmsley's description of herself recently as a 'business leader' and 'not a scientist' has ignited debate over who should run pharma firms.

Soriot, who grew up on a gritty housing estate in the northern suburbs of Paris, studied at the National Veterinary School of Alfort before pursuing a career in business with spells in New Zealand, Australia and Japan working for France's Roussel Uclaf, then climbing the ranks at Aventis and later Roche.

Sir Philip Hampton, the former GlaxoSmithKline chairman, said: 'It is an industry where people can earn huge sums if they are a brilliant scientist who comes up with an idea and sells it. CEOs are rarely that. They are managers so there's more of a question over whether it's justified.

'Pharma effectively replaced banking as the best paid industry in the wake of the financial crisis. Pascal's had an extraordinary run  some of it due to things he inherited and some he's done himself.'
TV presenter Diane Johnson, better known by her stage name Diane Louise Jordan, says the best year of her life was 1990  the year she got her job on Blue Peter.

Jordan, the show's first black presenter, talked to Donna Ferguson about growing up 'extremely poor' and how Blue Peter helped transform her finances.

The 61-year-old, married to musician Giles Broadbent, is now an ambassador for CBM, a charity that works in the world's poorest places.

'Pension': TV presenter Diane Louise Jordan has bought some buy-to-let properties

What did your parents teach you about money?

To have stressful thoughts about it. My parents were extremely poor and they struggled with money. I was always concerned we would run out of it because I saw them worrying. My parents were migrants from Jamaica. When they first came over, my dad worked on the railways and my mum was a nurse.

But after she had four kids, she took on any extra job she could get  cleaning, working in a slaughterhouse, anything to make ends meet. Money was tight. I didn't know it at the time, but my mother would go without food to make sure my siblings and I had enough to eat.

We couldn't really afford much meat. I remember her eating whatever we left, and drinking the water used to boil the vegetables.

We had to put coins in a meter for gas and electricity. Often, we ran out of money and would occasionally have to spend a night in darkness with no heating or lighting, unable to cook. It was tough.

How did your childhood influence your attitude to money?

It made me determined that I would never be in a situation where I'd be desperate for money. That was such a fear of mine.

When I started life as an actress, I treated it almost as a hobby. I thought: I'll do this for a while, until the work runs out and I need to get a proper job. I was very lucky because I don't think I was ever out of work. But I was frugal. I always put something aside because I didn't want to be in a position where there was no safety net.

For example, I took up knitting so I could knit sweaters to sell and sometimes I used to clean on the side, on top of my acting jobs.

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?

Not really, although there was a period of about nine months when I was living on benefits. In 1989, when I was in the middle of a tour with the National Theatre, I got the sudden news that my sister had died.

She was a single parent to a two-year-old. So I became a parent at the age of 29 to my niece, who is now my daughter.

After my tour ended, I stayed at home with her and that was when I lived on benefits. But my upbringing made me resourceful and it wasn't a struggle to make ends meet. Becoming a parent, on the other hand, was a baptism of fire.

What was the best year of your financial life?

It was 1990, the year I got my job on Blue Peter. It was transformational, a game changer. For about 20 years afterwards, I earned huge amounts of money, always more than the year before.

But I kept thinking: this may not last forever. I just knew I had to save, which is what I did, mainly by investing in property.

Have you ever been paid silly money?

Yes. I've been paid really outrageous money for giving a motivational speech and, shortly after I left Blue Peter, I did a commercial where I was paid bonkers money  more than most people earn in a year.

Diane says she has a small pension which she started saving into when she was 32 years old

What is the most expensive thing you have bought for fun?

It was a black and white coffee table that cost 4,500. I saw it in a magazine and designed the interior of a whole room in my house around it in my head. It's modern and Italian.

What is your biggest money mistake?

Buying that stupid coffee table. It's insanely heavy and very imposing. It goes with nothing. It doesn't suit the style of my house and it was such a waste of money.

The best money decision you have made?

Paying for my daughter to have a private education. She is seriously dyslexic and really struggled at a state school.

We could not work out why she was having such a miserable time and then a teacher suggested she might need more support than the state system could offer her.

It was difficult for me because I believe in state education and providing an equal playing field for all children. But it was the right decision for her. That school really saved her.

Do you save into a pension?

Yes I do, every month. I have a small pension which I started saving into when I was 32. I wish I'd started earlier. I also have a couple of buy-to-let investments in London that I see as part of my pension.

Do you invest directly in the stock market?

No, not outside my pension. I've never thought about doing that. I don't really understand it.

Do you own any property?

Yes. Five years ago we bought a 16th Century farmhouse with just under an acre of land in a Cambridgeshire village. It's got five bedrooms and a granny annexe. Plus, I have my investment properties.

If you were Chancellor what would you do?

I would reduce income tax to ten per cent across the board. At the moment, if you can afford to hire a good accountant, you end up paying less tax. I have a hunch that if everybody only had to pay ten per cent, they would be more inclined to pay that and we would end up with more money in the Treasury overall.

Do you donate money to charity?

Yes, I donate to CBM, a small charity that gives support to people with disabilities around the world.

I got involved with them because of the work they do to help people with sight loss in developing countries.

In these remote places, if you lose your sight, it's devastating. But often it's sight loss that is preventable and cheap to put right.

There's a fundraising campaign, Light Up Lives, (lightuplives.net) which is running until May 20. Every pound that is donated to CBM will be matched by the Government.

What is your number one financial priority?

To be able to support financially my grandchildren if they need it, so the next generation don't have to worry about money the way I worried as a child.
A revolutionary new 'click-and-collect' cash pilot scheme has just launched in the Staffordshire town of Burslem.

It's an initiative that if successful could be rolled out nationally and prove a financial lifeline for the eight million people still dependent on cash to manage their household finances.

Using a phone app, the service  provided by Swiss company Sonect  allows someone to order up to 200 of cash that they can then pick up at a local shop.

It is free to use, does not require the user to buy anything, and is designed to fill the void left when bank branches and free-to-use cash machines close, leaving residents with no local access to cash.

Lifeline: Toby Walne collects his cash from one of the shops in Burslem after ordering on the smartphone app

Nicknamed 'the mother town of the Potteries', Burslem is five miles north of its more famous sibling Stoke-on-Trent.

It was once home to scores of potteries, including Royal Doulton and Wedgwood, but with production shifting overseas, most of the factories have long since closed.

Left behind is a deprived area ravaged by poverty and long-term unemployment.

Predictably, in its hour of need, all the high street banks have abandoned Burslem. The last branch, run by Lloyds, shut four years ago  a cruel blow for this 21,000-strong and proud community.

But in light of its acute lack of access to cash, and underlying social deprivation, it was chosen to trial the click-and-collect app run by Sonect.

Keen to see this new empowering technology in action, I visited a wet and windy Burslem last week.

Initially, hooking up to the high-tech wizardry was a challenge as I shivered in the rain outside the closed Moorcroft Pottery museum.

The app was a doddle to download, but I then had to put 10 into the account from my bank debit card before it would work.

Any amount more than 10 required me to input my passport details  a measure designed to stop money laundering that could well put off some users.

After I swore at the software gremlins that smugly typed back 'an error has occurred', Sonect consumer adviser Rachel McCarthy stepped in and suggested we visit a shop where I could test the app.

Once inside the One Stop minimarket, the app clicked into life. I could look at a map on my phone and choose which shop to pick up my ordered cash from.

I was standing inside one of the seven participating retailers in Burslem, so I selected 10 of cash and a barcode appeared on my phone screen.

I showed this at the counter to shop manager Ash Ashiaf who scanned it and handed over a crisp 10 note in return.

All fine, but what do the locals think? Reaction was mixed.

David Hughes, popping into the store clutching a handful of fivepence pieces so he could buy some tea bags, says he would struggle with the app. 'I welcome anything that can help me get cash, but sadly my phone cannot use it.'

Using an app to get money from a local shop has had mixed reactions from locals in Burslem

The 58-year-old then showed me his antique Nokia phone to prove his point.

He added: 'For me cash is vital for budgeting. Every penny counts  I am a full-time carer for my wife Linda who suffers from a chronic obstructive pulmonary condition. I only ever use banknotes and coins and I am not interested in online banking.'

David admits he often pays 1.25 to access cash at a local cash machine.

Alex Scarratt has her hands full as co-owner of the local Get It Gone Skip Hire & Waste Removal Service. She is also mother to three young children.

The 24-year-old, visiting the mini-market to get some refreshments, says: 'There is a post office about a mile away that offers basic banking where you can also get cash, but there are always long queues and it is hard for many of the elderly people who live around here to get there.

'I welcome this cash app and I hope it is a success, but I do think the banks should be doing more to provide access to cash in this economically challenged town. A branch would be a nice start.'

School canteen assistant Beverley Rogers believes the cash app is a 'great idea'. But she warns: 'It will be tough convincing people to adopt it as those who like cash rather than paying by cards or their phone tend not to be big fans of new technology.'

Sonect is convinced the app will gain traction. It has already persuaded 2,300 retailers to offer the click-and-collect service in Switzerland.

Ron Delnevo, UK director for Sonect, says: 'Unfortunately, the future of banking is now not about opening more bank branches and ATMs.

'But if the banks are willing to support this new app they will not be seen to be abandoning the high street. In time, it could offer a solution to providing nationwide access to cash.'

Access to cash is currently under great threat. Some 55 bank branches a month have been closed over the past six years while as many as 8,700 free ATMs have been removed in the past three years.

Experts believe that up to 40 per cent of bank branches could close this year  a trend accelerated by the pandemic and the wider availability (and higher payment limit) of contactless payment.

Santander has already said it will axe 111 branches by the end of August while TSB is half way through axeing 164 branches. HSBC is culling 82 branches this year while Lloyds put an axe to 56 branches last year.

The Sonect service in Burslem is being paid for by a bank-funded 'community access to cash' pilot scheme for the next six months  with the hope banks will pay for its expansion nationwide if a success.

The pilot scheme, centred on eight locations, is also testing other ways of delivering banking services on the high street.

The Burslem pilot includes turning a fee-charging ATM on the high street into a free cash machine as well as a 'financial hub' in the local Methodist church.

But when I knocked on the church's side door, I discovered the hub was closed. A note pinned to the door said: 'Appointment only'.

After making numerous phone calls, I was told the hub was focused on debt counselling and educating people on how to bank online  it does not provide access to cash.

Leaving Burslem in the pouring rain, I was left with a nagging feeling. Namely, wonderful as this new click-and-collect app from Sonect might be, all that locals really want is a traditional bank on their doorstep.

One where they can do their banking without having to own the latest all-singing, all-dancing mobile phone.

Is that really too much to ask of the banks?

Access to cash is under threat: 55 bank branches a month have closed over the past 6 years

How project is helping communities than need pounds

The 'community access to cash' pilot scheme, which Burslem is part of, is being led by Natalie Ceeney, the former boss of the Financial Ombudsman Service and author of the 2019 report on access to cash.

The scheme is testing a range of ideas designed to improve access to cash across eight locations, many of which are based around cashback.

Ceeney says: 'We estimate that as many as eight million people in Britain rely on cash for their day-to-day needs  so cashback is essential for communities struggling without banks and where free cash machines have disappeared.

'But at the moment shops pay a fee of between three and four per cent for providing cashback at the till.

'If banks were prepared to bear more of this fee then cashback would become a cost-effective way of making cash available on the high street.'

As a result of sterling work by Lord Holmes of Richmond, legislation will soon pave the way for cashback to be made widely available without the need for a customer to first make a purchase.

As well as testing the Sonect click-and-collect app, the cash pilot scheme includes:
Patrick Chiou embraces the joke about him in Albany. It goes, Does the building have a roof on it? Yes? Then Im not interested.

Chiou, now eight years into his career as a developer in the city, has some major reconstruction jobs behind him. In 2018, he led the renovation of 800-804 Broadway, a previously dilapidated set of brick buildings marked with red X signs to let firefighters know they were structurally unsound. There are 15 apartments there now, financed in part with a $1.53 million construction loan from the Community Preservation Corporation and federal and state historic tax credits.

Chiou is a 2006 graduate of the University at Albany. After graduation, he went home to Long Island and became a nightclub promoter. His parents, Taiwanese immigrants, could only take so much of that before they started nudging him to do more with his life and paired him with a friend from their church. Chious first investment in Albany was a two-family at 498 Washington Ave. He remembers feeling naive about managing property and navigating the citys regulations. Eventually he sold the property and bought others, evolving into a niche  he buys distressed properties, guts them and rebuilds. The result is a product that doesnt need continuous, expensive maintenance. Chious strategy, which often relies on leveraging debt, is a tough one to explain to his parents.

Their attitude is, never go into debt. If you want something, you have to have the money upfront, but thats not how we build wealth now, Chiou said.

Still, when the unexpected happens, its a rough ride.

Chious current project is a collection of row houses and two additional buildings along Clinton Avenue in Arbor Hill. The deal, which included assistance from the state, was done before the COVID-19 pandemic started. In addition to the logistical difficulties it brought, Chiou also watched his budget increase from 20 to 30 percent because the cost of building materials went up dramatically.

If we hadnt started, I mightve put it on hold. Right now, Im just eating it. I tell the people I work with, its not like were gambling, were not walking into the casino. Its real estate and its an investment.

The Clinton Street project is Chious first foray into affordable housing. While the other units in his portfolio rent for market rate, when complete the apartments under construction will go to renters whose income is 80 percent or less of the area median income  $79,000 for a family of four. Chiou said he first considered buying the property before, but what made it possible was the Small Building Participation Loan Program, which provides gap funding for the preservation and improvement of rental properties, along with a loan from the Community Preservation Corporation. Property managment is handled by Chiou's company, Albany Management Group.

Chiou said other investors might have been scared away from the project because of a stigma around renting to tenants in Arbor Hill, but he doesnt see it that way.

Everyone deserves to live in something nice, he said. If youre living in a rundown, crappy apartment youre going to wake up every day hating the world.

Chiou bought two-family homes along North Lake Avenue before he got involved in a big project "People said Id find bad families there and have a hard time collecting rent, but its not true," he said. In his experience, there are good families in Arbor Hill, people who choose it over other parts of the city because their families and friends are there.

Chiou expects Clinton Street to be move-in ready in two months. Next up is the former St. Johns Catholic Church on Green Street. Chiou hopes to build 27 apartments there, but his plan still needs approval from the city. He understands neighbors get impatient waiting for work to begin, and ask what hes waiting for on the Church of the Holy Innocents on North Pearl Street, for example.

The buildings I take on are not easy projects, they take a long time to put together and I need to be in the right financial situation, but for me (Holy Innocents) is a passion project. I have a plan for three apartments there, he said.

Chiou believes Albany has moved forward light-years since he first started buying property in the city. After all the investment in apartments in downtown Albany, the area needs services.

I know its a tough thing to talk about now because of the pandemic, but Id like to see more restaurants, grocery stores and places for the people now living here to shop.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden plans to create a universal pre-kindergarten program thats free for all 3- and 4-year-olds. He also has proposed offering free community college for anyone who wants it.

The group that wont participate for free is states. Bidens plan to pay for these programs requires some state governments to shoulder roughly half the costs for their residents.

Biden has asked Congress for $309 billion to fund his proposals, but the federal-state partnerships that hes outlined will shift much of the bill to state coffers. Some wonder whether this model will create a patchwork system with free preschool and community college in some states but not in others, depending on who is willing and able to pay up.

The big question is how many states are going to participate, said Kevin Carey, vice president for education policy at New America. Im skeptical.

The White House does not have estimates for how much each state will pay under these proposals, an administration official said. Things could change as Congress finalizes the bill and negotiates its passage.

Based on an analysis of the legislation behind Bidens proposal by New America  and New Yorks current community college enrollment  the state could pay about $393 million a year. The White House has said it will fund 75 percent of the average cost of community college tuition in the U.S., while states will pick up the remaining quarter.

But in states like New York, where community college tuition is higher than the national average, states will pay whatever is needed to bring student tuition costs down to zero. That means New York will pay $1,518 per community college student, per New America  or about 46 percent of the cost, while the federal government chips in 54 percent.

In 13 states, the federal-state match rate would be one-to-one or the state would pay more, Carey found.

About 260,000 students attend City University of New York and State University of New York community colleges. Annual tuition for a two-year associate's degree at a SUNY community college is roughly between $5,000 and $6,000.

For universal pre-K, the federal government will initially shoulder 90 percent of the cost, but over time the federal-state cost sharing will be equally divided, the White House said. Exactly how much that would mean for New York's wallet is unclear.

The state Department of Education does not have an estimate for the cost of universal preschool in New York as it has not studied the issue yet, a spokesman said.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's office did not respond to a request for comment on the state spending that Biden's proposals would require.

New York already makes investments to bring down the costs of child care and community college in the state.

For preschool, New York spent $472 million on state-subsidized public preschool for 139,966 enrolled students in 2019-20, according to the state Department of Education. The program served 54 percent of 4-year-olds and 2 percent of 3-year-olds in 2019, the National Institute for Early Education Research reported.

New York also offers the Excelsior Scholarship, which qualifies state residents whose families earn $125,000 or less a year to attend college tuition-free at CUNY and SUNY colleges. Students must take 30 credits per calendar year to qualify and plan to live and work in New York following graduation for the length of time they participate in the scholarship program.

According to the Empire Center for Public Policy, New York allocated $146 million in its budget for the Excelsior Scholarship in 2020. As of 2019-20, Excelsior Scholarships had been awarded to 30,000 students, or less than 5 percent of total SUNY and CUNY undergraduate enrollment.

While New York is already investing to some extent in lowering the cost of preschool and community college, Biden's proposals would up the ante. They'd fall hardest on states with high community college costs and that spend the least on subsidizing the programs already.

There are 12 states that have still not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act in a 100-to-zero match for the first, however-many years, and then long-term 90-to-10, Carey said. The best here is 75-25 or for low-income tuition states it would be better than 75-25. But if youre one of those 13 states where the match rate is essentially one-to-one or worse, are you going to do this? I dont know.

White House officials are hopeful that their vision for free universal preschool and community college will be fully realized through state and federal partnerships. One official noted there is often bipartisan support for these education initiatives at the state level. If a state opts out, the federal government could also work directly with a town or a community college to try to implement free programs.

Negotiating and implementing these proposals could take significant time, especially where unions are involved, said Bob Palaich of APA Consulting, who helps states design and evaluate education policy.

But in his joint address to Congress, Biden argued that public K-12 education is no longer enough in todays economy. Supporting quality early childhood education will set kids up for academic success and help more women participate in the workforce, he said.

The upside is the kids and their families absolutely need it, Palaich said. The thing that is most clear as a result of the pandemic, once you lock young families home with their kids  you also start losing a large percentage of your workforce mostly female.

On the other end, free community college is more likely to help low-income and minority students or those interested in vocational studies attain higher education.

The state Department of Education, SUNY and CUNY all applauded Biden's proposals when they were announced.

CUNY Chancellor Matos Rodriguez urged Congress to pass legislation establishing the programs so they "can begin helping students as early as the coming academic year.

"Too many people are without some college at a time when a degree is increasingly necessary to compete for the job opportunities ahead," said Holly Liapis, a SUNY spokeswoman. "As details of the presidents proposal develop further, Chancellor [Jim] Malatras and the SUNY team are happy to provide feedback and our experience based on New York states longstanding direct student aid that helps support access and make SUNY an affordable and high-quality education."

Biden has also issued other proposals to make child care and community college more affordable in his $1.8 trillion American Families Plan. He would increase the maximum Pell Grant size for low-income students by about $1,400. He would also provide two-years of subsidized tuition at historically black colleges and universities and minority serving institutions.

The White House said for the most hard-pressed working families, the president's plan would ensure child care costs for their young children would be fully covered and families earning 1.5 times their state median income will pay no more than 7 percent of their income for all children under age five.
It hasn't been open since 2019 because of the pandemic, but Huck Finn's Playland welcomed visitors for rides, foods and other fun Saturday, just in time for Mother's Day on Sunday. Moms (and dads) were, of course, part of the day at the Erie Street, Albany, destination.
[May 07, 2021] Worldwide Probe Card Industry to 2025 - Emergence of TSV Technology is Driving Growth

DUBLIN, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Probe Card Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2021-2025 Edition)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the global probe card market with detailed analysis of the market by value, volume and by segments.



The report provides detailed regional analysis of Asia-Pacific, including the forecast of the market for the period 2021-2025. Taiwan, Japan, China are leading manufacturers of the product in the region. Growth of the global probe card market has also been forecasted for the period 2021-2025, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.



The global probe card market is highly consolidated as a few leading vendors hold the majority of market shares. The market has high entry barriers owing to the highly consolidated nature of the market and the requirement of technical expertise. It is anticipated that the vendors with cheaper and technologically advanced testing solutions will be able to capture a greater market share during the forecast period.



Further, key players of the global probe card market are FormFactor, Japan Electronic Materials Corporation and Micronics Japan Co., Ltd. whose company profiling has been done in the report. In this section of the report, business overview, financial overview and business strategies of the companies have been provided.



The global probe card market decreased in 2020 due to economic recession led by Covid-19. Projections are made that the market would recover in 2021 and rise in the next five years i.e. 2021-2025. The market can be segmented, on the basis of technoogy into: blade/tungsten, epoxy/cantilever, vertical probe and MEMS. The probe card market segmentation is also done on the basis of device into Foundry & Logic, DRAM, Flash and Engineering Systems. The market is bifurcated into advanced and traditional/ standard probe card on the basis of product type.







The growth drivers for the global probe card market are: emergence of TSV technology, the prevalence of miniaturization, rise in the semiconductor market and LED market. Despite the market is governed by various growth drivers, there are certain challenges faced by the market such as: continuous price pressure on vendors, cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry, and limited number of suppliers.



Some of the recent trends in the market include developments in the semiconductor market & LED market relating to probe cards, transition from cantilever probe cards to advanced probe cards and the emerging strong players.





Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Introduction

2.1 Introduction to Probe Card Market

2.2 Elements of Probe Cards

2.3 Types of Probe Cards

2.4 Applications of Probe Cards



3. Global Market Analysis

3.1 Global Probe Card Market: An Analysis

3.1.1 Global Probe Card Market by Production Volume

3.1.2 Global Probe Card Market by Value

3.2 Global Probe Card Market: Device Analysis

3.2.1 Global Probe Card Market Value by Device (Foundry & Logic, DRAM, Flash and Engineering Systems)

3.2.2 Global Foundry & Logic Probe Card Market by Value

3.2.3 Global DRAM Probe Card Market by Value

3.2.4 Global Flash Probe Card Market by Value

3.2.5 Global Engineering Systems Probe Card Market by Value

3.3 Global Probe Card Market: Technology Analysis

3.3.1 Global Probe Card Market Value by Technology (MEMS, Vertical, Epoxy, Blade and Other Technologies)

3.3.2 Global MEMS Probe Card Market by Value

3.3.3 Global Vertical Probe Card Market by Value

3.3.4 Global Epoxy/Cantilever Probe Card Market by Value

3.3.5 Global Blade/Tungsten Probe Card Market by Value

3.4 Global Probe Card Market: Product Type Analysis

3.4.1 Global Probe Card Market Value by Product Type (Advanced and Standard)

3.4.2 Global Advanced Probe Card Market by Value

3.4.3 Global Standard Probe Card Market by Value

3.5 Global Probe Card Market: Regional Analysis

3.5.1 Global Probe Card Market Value by Region ( Asia Pacific and Rest of the World)



4. Regional Analysis

4.1 Asia Pacific Probe Card Market: An Analysis

4.1.1 Asia-Pacific Probe Card Market by Value



5. Competitive Landscape

5.1 Global Probe Card Market Players: A Comparison

5.2 Global Probe Card Market Players by Share: An Analysis

5.2.1 Global Probe Card Market Players by Market Share



6. Company Profile

6.1 FormFactor, Inc.

6.1.1 Business Overview

6.1.2 Financial Overview

6.1.3 Business Strategy

6.2 Micronics Japan Co., Ltd.

6.2.1 Business Overview

6.2.2 Financial Overview

6.2.3 Business Strategy

6.3 Japan Electronic Materials Corporation

6.3.1 Business Overview

6.3.2 Financial Overview

6.3.3 Business Strategy



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sv4jbh Media Contact: Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/worldwide-probe-card-industry-to-2025---emergence-of-tsv-technology-is-driving-growth-301286623.html SOURCE Research and Markets

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[May 07, 2021] Keep an open mind and see for yourself

BEIJING, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on the difference between "what people say" and "what you see": Was there ever a time when "what you'd been told" and "what you saw" were totally at odds with each other? We often hear people say that Russians are tough people who keep bears as pets, or that Germans are rigid and have no sense of humor. When it comes to China, for many people, words like "conservative" and "lack of freedom" probably spring to mind. But is that really the case? On the question-and-answer site Quora, the question "which country have you visited that turned out to be nothing like how it is depicted" created quite a lot of buzz recently. The top post is about China. The user said that having grown up in the 1980s and '90s, when China-U.S. relations remained very tense, China was described to him at school in "villainous terms." But after moving to the country, he discovered that it was nothing like he'd been led to believe: Though China differs from the U.S., Chinese people are friendly, live normal lives and care about others. In the meantime, the nation is staunch in upholding their national sovereignty. At the end of his answer, the user ncourages people not to believe the hype and to come and see things for themselves. Many in the comments section shared his opinions about China.



Under the same topic, a user from the U.K. shared how his opinions of people in the U.S. changed after spending a few months there. Similar stories about countries like Russia and Iran were also commented on. Such answers are not unexpected. Take China for example: Vloggers from other countries have recorded the real China with their cameras, discussing how safe they feel walking alone at night, or the dramatic transformations of Chinese villages. What they saw themselves turned out to be completely different from what they'd heard.

Be it the huge gulf between "what others say" and "what you see," or the transformation of opinions after experiencing, these all speak to one point: The indirect information we get, either filtered through other people's views or influenced by politics, are always limited. For Chinese, every day they see how diverse and inclusive the country is. They have also seen firsthand the efforts that China is making on various fronts. But it's easy to understand why people from different cultures, used to different political systems, misunderstand China. When you don't know a country, especially one hugely different from your own, it's a lot easier to go along with a stereotype than it is to try and understand. Even a coin has two sides, and in the same way, stereotypes can never capture every aspect of a vast country. The world is such a big place that it's worth putting aside your preconceptions and experiencing it with an open mind. You're welcome to visit China and see for yourself. China Mosaic

http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

Keep an open mind and see for yourself

http://www.china.org.cn/video/2021-05/07/content_77472459.htm View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/keep-an-open-mind-and-see-for-yourself-301286932.html SOURCE China.org.cn

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[May 07, 2021] ProfNet Expert Alerts for May 07, 2021

NEW YORK, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. EXPERT ALERTS Indoor air quality and COVID

Windows and UV rays MEDIA JOBS Global Competition Review, News Reporter (DC)

Reporter, Mansion (NY) OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES 7 Virtual Events for Journalists and Bloggers in May 2021

Blog Profiles: Mommy Blogs Indoor air quality and COVID

Monzer Hourani

Founder & Chairman

Integrated Viral Protection

"There is so much death, suffering and isolation. I want to kill the virus indoors and make it safer for people to be together again," says Hourani, Vaccines are important but "they won't help against the next pandemic," he adds.

Indoor Air Quality and protection against COVID and airborne pathogens; safely reopening schools, hospitals, hotels, etc. Monzer Hourani, inventor and chairman of Houston-based Integrated Viral Protection, created the only existing air filter system which can instantaneously catch and kill airborne COVID-19 (99.999%), other RNA viruses, and anthrax spores (99.98%) in a single pass. IVP's core technology is a specialized heated filtration system which meets ASHRAE standards and has been granted emergency use authorization by the FDA during the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.ivpair.com/company/

Website: https://www.ivpair.com/





Denise Bentele , denise@commongroundpr.com Windows and UV rays

Darrell Smith

Executive Director

International Window Film Association

"As we spend more time indoors and in cars exposed to natural sunshine, we open ourselves up to skin damage. With skin cancer being more prevalant and May being skin cancer awareness month, learn about how the sun can damage your skin indoors," said Darrell Smith, executive director of the IWFA.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month..Darrell Smith can discuss how the sun's UV rays passes through glass and harms your skin, leading to skin cancer. Also, why people with darker skin may be more likely to have late stage skin cancer.

Website: www.iwfa.com

Media contact: Steve Capoccia, spc@spcoms.com **************** MEDIA JOBS: Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://www.cisionjobs.com/jobs/united-states/ Global Competition Review, News Reporter

Reporter, Mansion **************** OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES: Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at profnetalerts@cision.com 7 VIRTUAL EVENTS FOR JOURNALISTS AND BLOGGERS IN MAY 2021 . The coming weeks offer several unique events for journalists and bloggers, covering solutions journalism, food writing, and more. BLOG PROFILES: MOMMY BLOGS . Mother's Day is almost here, so check out these mommy blogs full of tips and tricks for moms who need some advice, a laugh, or inspiration. **************** PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire.



To contact ProfNet: profnet@profnet.com or 800-776-3638, ext. 1



View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/profnet-expert-alerts-for-may-07-2021-301286948.html SOURCE ProfNet

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Chinese peacekeepers donate medical supplies to Lebanese Red Cross

Ecns.cn) 11:13, May 08, 2021

Members of a Chinese medical unit of the 19th batch of Chinese peacekeeping forces to Lebanon and Dr. Antoine Farhoud (Right, 2nd), principle of a branch in Lebanon Red Cross Society, pose for a group photo at a handover ceremony on May 6, 2021.

The medical unit donated medical supplies to the Lebanese Red Cross for the third time on Thursday. The supplies included 1,000 disposable medical masks and 100 disposable protective suits. (Photo/China News Service)

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
[May 08, 2021] Green drive scales new peaks

BEIJING, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a news report from China Daily: While city folk flock to zoos or animal parks for a glimpse of wildlife, the threats posed by predators such as snow leopards, wolves and brown bears are a daily fact of life for 41-year-old forest ranger Zhao Hongshang in the Qilian Mountains in northwestern China's Qinghai province. His base, Qiqing forest station, sits at an altitude of 2,900 meters and is the highest forest station in Qilian Mountain National Park-one of China's first 10 pilot national parks. Work on the parks started in 2015, with the aim of further protecting local ecosystems and wildlife. In August 2018, a pack of wolves chased Zhao and his colleague Ma Xu for about 5 kilometers while they were patrolling the forest on a motorbike. The wolves sprang from a hill beside their route and followed the two rangers for more than 10 minutes, with the chase ending when a truck approached. "We jumped off the motorbike and rushed into the truck," Zhao said. "We were surrounded by 11 wolves. That was very scary. The driver hit the horn for a long time. We kept yelling at the wolves and finally scared them away. "The experience was life-threatening, but sweet to me. I've been working as a forest ranger for nearly two decades. For me, nothing could be better than seeing the land I've protected become greener and home to more wildlife." The construction of the national park, part of China's comprehensive strategy of improving the environment and achieving the goal of ecological civilization, has boosted animal populations and biodiversity in the Qilian Mountains, which lie on the border of Qinghai and Gansu provinces. In August 2019, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the importance of the ecological protection of the Qilian Mountains. "The Qilian Mountains are a vital shield for ecological security in the western part of China," he said. "This is a positioning in the national strategy." Xi made the remarks at a horse ranch during an inspection tour of Gansu, when he also expressed satisfaction with the effectiveness of nature conservation work in the area. Severe threats Qilian Mountain National Park covers 50,200 square kilometers-68 percent of which lie in Gansu-and features forest, grassland, desert and wetland landscapes. Most of the 10 pilot parks have a core protected area and a general protected area. Regulation is stricter in the core protected areas, with commercial activities, such as tourism, banned and other forms of human activity kept to a minimum. That even applies to local residents, who are being relocated from the parks' core protected areas. The core protected area of Qilian Mountain National Park-27,500 sq km-accounts for 55 percent of its total area. The mountains' ecosystem faced severe threats from overgrazing, tourism, mining and commercial logging dating back to the 1980s. By the 1990s, their natural resources were overexploited by more than 500 mining enterprises and 150 hydropower stations, according to Gansu's provincial government. Thanks to the launch of the pilot national parks, the ecosystem of the Qilian Mountains has been recovering steadily, although threats to the mountains' envronment have not been completely eradicated.



Economic Information Daily, a newspaper affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, reported that large-scale illegal coal mining had continued to devastate the environment of the Qilian Mountains and reported that a company was suspected of making billions of yuan through illegal coal mining in the past 14 years. The government of Haixi prefecture, where the mine is located, sent a special team to investigate the case and the Qinghai provincial government sent a special inspection team a day after it was reported.

Two senior officials in Haixi prefecture were removed from their posts for dereliction of supervision duty on illicit mining in Muli coal field in the Qilian Mountains, the provincial government announced at a news conference in 2020. Liang Yanguo, a member of the Party committee of the prefecture, and Li Yongping, head of the Muli coal field management bureau, were removed from their posts and are under further investigation, according to the provincial discipline inspection commission. Another three officials from local supervision departments in Haixi were also removed from office and put under investigation. Since 2017, the central government has conducted two rounds of environmental inspections, including one in the Qilian Mountains. Illegal mining and commercial logging in the mountains have been banned, and tours that could damage the environment have been suspended. Herdsmen have also been relocated from the core protected area of Qilian Mountain National Park. Wang Hongbo, director of the park's management office, said 114 mines were closed in 2018, with all facilities and buildings dismantled or removed, and 25 tours that posed threats to the ecosystem had been modified due to environmental concerns. The improved environment has seen the revival of the population of some endangered species. Images of Tibetan donkeys, blue sheep and yellow Mongolian gazelle, animals not seen since the 1990s due to excessive hunting, have been captured by infrared cameras several times in recent years. Zhao said rangers were four times as likely to encounter a blue eared pheasant now than 20 years ago, with the chances of seeing a blue sheep seven times greater. With three other rangers, he safeguards wildlife in 427 sq km of forest. They patrol the region for 21 days a month and each covers more than 30,000 km a year-nearly three-quarters of the Earth's circumference. Preserving ecosystems Other areas have also seen their ecosystems recover and have gained better protection thanks to China's efforts to establish nature reserves. When delivering a report at the opening of the 19th National Congress of the CPC in 2017, Xi said the country, as part of an effort to build a beautiful China, would develop a nature reserve system composed mainly of national parks. That idea had its genesis in 2005, when Xi was the Party secretary of Zhejiang province. In August of that year, on a visit to Yucun, a village in Zhejiang's Anji county, Xi praised the local government for stopping mining activities and closing cement factories to deal with a serious pollution problem. During the visit, Xi put forward his famous development theory that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", which later became known as the "Two Mountains Theory". The green development philosophy is changing the country, with action plans to fight air, water and soil pollution introduced in recent years and its harshest-ever Environmental Protection Law rolled out. Ecological civilization was also included in the CPC Constitution as a principle for development at the 18th CPC National Congress. It was the first time in the world that a ruling party had highlighted green development in its charter. In June 2020, the State Council unveiled a guideline on nature reserves, with national parks as a major component, aimed at providing systemic protection for natural ecosystems, relics, scenery and biodiversity, and also safeguarding the country's ecological security. Xi has personally reviewed plans for four of the 10 pilot national parks, including those for Qilian Mountain National Park, according to Yang Weimin, deputy head of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economic Affairs, and demanded that the integrity and original condition of the ecosystems be preserved. "The aim is to give about 215,000 sq km of land back to nature, to give roughly 2 percent of China's territory to giant pandas, Siberian tigers and Tibetan antelopes, and to give our future generations a larger area of pristine land," Yang said at a news conference on the sidelines of the 19th CPC National Congress. Thriving wild animals The National Forestry and Grassland Administration said in 2019 that the construction of all 10 national parks will be completed on schedule, adding that some had already made significant achievements in ecological and wildlife protection. In Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, which spans the border of Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, Siberian tigers and Amur leopards-two species listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List-have seen their populations increase in the past two years. Zhang Shanning, deputy head of the park's management bureau, said 10 Siberian tigers and six Amur leopards had been born in that time. In Giant Panda National Park, which unites more than 80 fragmented habitats scattered in southwestern China's Sichuan province and Shaanxi and Gansu provinces in the northwest, 319 cases of illegal use of forest land, 621 cases of commercial logging and 462 criminal cases of wildlife hunting and trading were subjected to prosecution or administrative punishment in 2019. Improving livelihoods Relocation of residents from the core protected areas of most national parks is speeding up. Nearly 2,900 residents have been moved from the core protected area in Qilian Mountain National Park in Gansu province, Wang said. They include herdsman Kang Yongsheng and his family, who were relocated in November 2017 along with other residents of Nangou village. Wang said the government gave one herdsman from each family a job as a forest or grassland ranger in the national park. The job, together with government subsidies, pays 100,000 yuan ($14,240) a year, equal to the amount they could earn from raising livestock. Kang's son and daughter-in-law now work as taxi drivers in Zhangye, Gansu, and the family's living conditions have improved significantly thanks to its relocation. Building on his decades in the company of wildlife, the mountains, grasslands and rivers, Kang said he loved working as a forest ranger. "Now every time I see the soft clouds floating in the air, and deer and blue sheep drinking water quietly on the river bank, a strong feeling of peace and pride overwhelms me," he said. "I guess it's because of the love of the mountains, which I've taken as my home." View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/green-drive-scales-new-peaks-301286964.html SOURCE China Daily

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[May 08, 2021] Regions Bank's Ashley Garrison Recognized by American Banker Among Emerging Women in Leadership in Financial Services

Ashley Garrison, executive vice president and head of Human Resources Operations for Regions Bank, has been named a Most Powerful Women in Banking: Next award recipient by American Banker. The award recognizes high-achieving women 40 years of age and younger, each with accomplishments and influence that set them apart. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210508005001/en/ Ashley Garrison - executive vice president and head of Human Resources Operations, Regions Bank (Photo: Business Wire) "Ashley leads with character, compassion and excellence, truly seeking to bring out the best in people and make decisions that will improve the lives of all associates," said Dave Keenan, Chif Administrative and Human Resources Officer for Regions. "This has been invaluable as Ashley and her team continue to play a critical role supporting our associates through the COVID-19 pandemic, managing associate questions about the bank's pandemic response and connecting them to benefits and other assistance. In addition, Ashley continues to innovate to drive a greatly improved digital associate experience during a time when our associates need it most. I appreciate her many contributions and congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition."



Garrison joined Regions in 2008 and currently leads Human Resources Operations, which is responsible for executing the strategic priorities of the Human Resources function. Human Resources Operations includes the HR Contact and Fulfillment Centers, HR Technology & Analytics, HR Projects, HR Merger & Acquisition Support, Payroll and HR Risk & Compliance. Prior to her current role, which she assumed in October 2019, Garrison held roles of increasing responsibility in the Human Resources Group supporting various lines of business and geographies. Before joining Regions, Garrison was an account manager for Aerotek (News - Alert) Commercial Staffing from 2005 to 2008. She earned bachelor's degrees in both religious studies and biology from Millsaps College. A profile of Garrison is featured in the American Banker magazine.

About Regions Financial Corporation Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $153 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation's largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates more than 1,300 banking offices and approximately 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210508005001/en/

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The Pitch shares this story which bemoans rhetoric that's not even the most controversial thing taught at local private institutions.

Read more . . .
Pasta isn't really for TKC but we still appreciate all things authentic and local.

Sadly, many of the newer local Italian places feature nothing more than a soy boi serving vegan cabbage noodles and other insults to KC culinary tradition.

To be fair, there are some good choices on this list that's mostly inundated with trendy fare . . .
The spate of local gunfire persists as police investigate the latest fatal shooting overnight.



Unofficially, this is the 56th homicide so far this year compared to only 55 at this time last year.



Check the report . . .

Tonight just after midnight officers were dispatched to a sound of shots call in the 8800 block of Crystal Lane.



While en route there were multiple other calls advising someone had been shot in the apartment complex there.



When they arrived officers found a shooting victim unresponsive outside of one of the apartment buildings.



Officers summoned EMS who declared the victim deceased at the scene. The victim appears to be an adult male. Crime scene investigators are processing the scene for evidence.



This is a large apartment complex so detectives will be canvassing the whole area for witnesses or anyone that may have seen or heard anything. They are hopeful that someone can provide information about what led up to the shooting.



If anyone has any information they are asked to call the Homicide unit directly at 234-5043 at or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 474-TIPS.

Developing . . .


The COVID angle isn't really unique . . . What's important about this story is the mayor hoping to garner support among a new faction of local Latino leaders after the outgoing honcho endorsed the city hall leader's opponent.

Read more . . .
A review of Kansas City politics and current events from top ranking journalists who offer a mainstream perspective that's more informed than all of the reactionary garbage on social media feeds.



Description . . .

Nick Haines, Pilar Pedraza, Pete Mundo, Dave Helling and Eric Wesson discuss inconsistent mask rules and enforcement, Rex Archer's retirement announcement, Kris Kobach's bid for Kansas Attorney General, Mayor Lucas pleading with state lawmakers for gun restrictions, the Kansas legislature response to vetoes of transgender athlete, gun and election law bills and long-term plans for KC's homeless.

Take a look . . .

You decide . . .
Kansas City public radio might be hoping for a better class of donors OR welcoming the newest wave of Americans learning how to flex and navigate American media.

Read more . . .

Growing up, Bety Le Shackelford felt embarrassed about knowing how to speak Vietnamese. She didn't want to seem different from the other kids, and begged her mom to only speak English with her in public. "I just wanted to be seen as an American girl, versus an Asian quote-unquote 'FOB,' which means 'fresh off the boat,'" Shackelford says.
At the United National Congress' usual Monday Night meeting, Leader of the Opposition Kamla Persad called for a Commission of Enquiry into the Government's handling of the Covid-19 Pandemic and any related matters.
There are no new Covid-19 cases to report in the community today, according to the Ministry of Health.

Source: Getty

There are also three new cases and three historical cases to report in managed isolation at the border.



The first Covid-19 case, a contact of another case, arrived in the country from Guatemala via the US on May 3, where they tested positive at routine day three testing.

Two other cases arrived in the country from the Maldives and France via the United Arab Emirates on May 6, where they tested positive on routine day zero testing.



All three positive Covid-19 cases were transferred to the quarantine facility in Auckland.



All three historical cases arrived in a travel bubble together on May 5, 2021, and travelled from the Philippines, via Singapore. They all tested positive at routine day zero testing on arrival and have been transferred to quarantine at a managed isolation facility in Christchurch.



Seven previously reported cases have now recovered, bringing the total number of active cases in New Zealand to 25.

New Zealand's total number of confirmed cases is 2284.

Since January 1, 2021, there have been 58 historical cases, out of a total of 468 cases.



NSW update



The public health assessment is that the risk to New Zealand from New South Wales remains low, the Ministry of Health said.

"New Zealand officials remain in contact with their Australian counterparts following the confirmation of two positive cases of Covid-19 in the community in Sydney," the ministry said.

"A further risk assessment is underway and an update is expected later today."

Information about locations of interest visited by the cases is available on the New South Wales health website.



So far, 5477 people who have arrived in New Zealand from NSW since last Friday have been contacted by health authorities and provided with advice.

One person who was transferred to a managed isolation facility in Christchurch yesterday after being identified by NSW health authorities as a contact of a case has since returned a negative Covid-19 test.



The person attended a location of interest at the same time as one of the two positive cases recently identified in Sydney.

Anyone in New Zealand who has been at any of the locations of interest at the specified times should contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453, immediately self-isolate and be tested.

Individuals in Australia who were at a location of interest at the specified times should follow New South Wales health advice regarding isolation and testing.



There are no new locally acquired Coivid-19 cases to report in New South Wales today, NSW Health said today on Twitter.

The travel bubble between New Zealand and NSW was paused for 48 hours from midnight on Thursday.



An update on quarantine-free travel may be provided later today.



Today's update was provided in a press release by the Ministry of Health.

Covid-19 vaccination centres



The Ministry of Health was informed by Vodafone today of a nationwide outage is affecting the digital services at some Covid-19 vaccination centres around the country.



People queueing for a test must fill out forms manually, adding some time to the process, the ministry said.

"We wish to thank those currently at the vaccination centre for their patience as Vodafone works through this issue."

Testing information



The total number of tests processed by laboratories to date is 2,051,603

On Friday, 4669 tests were processed. The seven-day rolling average up to yesterday is 3987 tests processed.



NZ COVID Tracer



The NZ COVID Tracer app now has 2,813,364 registered users, poster scans have reached 264,253,154 and users have created 9,892,904 manual diary entries.
Over the past day, May 7, the armed formations of the Russian Federation violated the ceasefire in the Joint Forces Operation area in eastern Ukraine 11 times.

"In particular, the Russian occupation forces fired 120mm and 82mm mortars, hand-held antitank grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns at Ukrainian positions near Pisky (11km north-west of Donetsk); 122mm artillery, 120mm mortars, automatic easel grenade launcher, and small arms  outside Shumy (41km north of Donetsk); 120mm mortars  near Novhorodske (35km north of Donetsk); heavy machine guns  not far from Verkhniotoretske (22km north-east of Donetsk) and Nevelske (18km north-west of Donetsk); hand-held antitank grenade launchers  in the area of Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk); automatic easel and hand-held antitank grenade launchers  outside Novotoshkivske (53km west of Luhansk); under-barrel grenade launchers  near Vodiane (94km south of Donetsk)," the press center of the JFO Headquarters reports.

In addition, in the area of Pivdenne (40km north-east of Donetsk), the invaders used hand-held antitank grenade launchers to deliver POM-2 mines.

No combat losses among Ukrainian troops were reported over the past day.

The Ukrainian side of the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC) informed the OSCE SMM about the violations committed by the armed formations of the Russian Federation.

As of 07:00 on May 8, two ceasefire violations were recorded. In particular, the enemy opened fire from 122mm artillery and 120mm mortars near Pivdenne, and from small arms  not far from Avdiivka. No combat losses were reported.

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History professor Oleksiy Chyrniy, a Ukrainian political prisoner who was convicted in Russia on charges of plotting terrorist attacks in the occupied Crimea, has already been released.

"Ukrainian political prisoner Oleksiy Chyrniy is free! Today, he was released from the high-security penal colony No.15 in the town of Bataysk of the Rostov region. Oleksiy, welcome to the Motherland," Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova posted on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

Denisova reminded that Chyrniy had been serving a seven-year sentence due to an illegal court sentence over alleged plotting of terrorist attacks in the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea.

"Oleksiy was illegally held in several high-security penal colonies in the territory of the Russian Federation  in Magadan, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don. Today, he was released from the high-security penal colony No.15 in the town of Bataysk of the Rostov region. Under supervision of the armed guards, he was transferred to the Russian-Ukrainian border and forcedly deported from Russia, not being allowed to communicate with his mother and father, who had come to meet him from the temporarily occupied Crimea," the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights noted.

Denisova informed that Oleksiy Chyrniy had already crossed the Ukrainian-Russian border and arrived at the Milove Ukrainian border crossing point in Luhansk region.

As reported, according to the falsified investigation case files, Oleksiy Chyrniy was a member of a "Crimean terrorist group" allegedly created by Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov. After Chyrniy had been detained, he entered into a plea bargain and gave testimony as a prosecution witness. In 2015, Chyrniy was sentenced to seven years in prison.

ol
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili discussed the development of cooperation, countering the spread of COVID-19, and strengthening defense capabilities.

This was reported by the Government portal.

"Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal held a videoconference with Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili. The heads of government discussed the development of cooperation, new areas of interaction, countering the spread of COVID-19, and strengthening the defense capabilities," the statement reads.

Denys Shmyhal congratulated Irakli Garibashvili on his appointment as Prime Minister of Georgia in February this year. He noted that Georgia is one of Ukraine's important partners.

"We have received completely new opportunities to strengthen relations between our countries. Ukraine and Georgia possess very good prospects for the development of cooperation in the field of logistics, transit and trade," the PM of Ukraine stressed.

Shmyhal offered his Georgian counterpart to resume the work of the Joint Intergovernmental Ukrainian-Georgian Commission on Economic Cooperation.

During the conversation, the parties also stressed the importance of strengthening the country's defense capability by implementing NATO standards and raised the issue of countering COVID-19.

Shmyhal also thanked the Georgian side for the return of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Ukraine. According to him, this is one of the main steps to strengthen bilateral relations. The head of the Ukrainian government added that a personal meeting with the PM of Georgia will take interstate relations to a new level. In particular, Shmyhal confirmed his readiness to visit Georgia this year.

In turn, Irakli Garibashvili noted that Ukraine is a special friend of Georgia, and they are committed to further develop bilateral partnerships.

ish
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree on the provision of humanitarian aid to the Republic of India in connection with the difficult epidemic situation with COVID-19 in the country.

The decree, No. 186/2021, of May 7 was published on the website of the head of state.

"In order to help overcome the consequences of an emergency with the spread of the acute respiratory disease COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in the Republic of India, in accordance with Article 10 of the Law of Ukraine "On Humanitarian Aid", I hereby order to provide humanitarian assistance to the Republic of India. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine must ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to the Republic of India," the document reads.

On Friday, May 7, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with Cyrus Poonawalla, founder and owner of Serum Institute of India. Zelensky thanked the interlocutor for the vaccines that Ukraine received, and stressed that he would support the provision of humanitarian aid to India in connection with the difficult epidemic situation with COVID-19 in the country.

In recent weeks, India has faced a critical situation with the incidence of coronavirus - the country lacks hospital beds and medical oxygen.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, India has recorded 21,892,676 coronavirus cases. More than 238,000 people have died.

ish
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EU chief Charles Michel said the bloc is ready to discuss a US proposal to lift patents on Covid-19 vaccines once the details are clear

Porto (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th May, 2021 ) :EU chief Charles Michel said the bloc is ready to discuss a US proposal to lift patents on Covid-19 vaccines once the details are clear.

"We are ready to engage on this topic, as soon as a concrete proposal would be put on the table," Michel said, as EU leaders discussed the issue in Porto.

Michel, who represents the EU's 27 national leaders, cautioned however that the bloc has doubts that the idea "in the short term, that it's the magic bullet." The quickest solution to ramp up the distribution of vaccines globally was exports and the EU encouraged "all the partners to facilitate the export of doses," he said.

Michel spoke on the second day of an EU summit that was to also feature a bilateral meeting between the EU and India, where authorities on Saturday said the pandemic killed 4,000 people in a single day.

"It misses the point to say that (a patent waiver) is the emergency," French President Emmanuel Macron said.

"The emergency is to produce more and increase solidarity now," he said.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, Dr Faisal Sultan on Saturday said that Pakistan received its first shipment of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines (SII-AZ AZD1222) from the COVAX facility

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th May, 2021 ) :Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, Dr Faisal Sultan on Saturday said that Pakistan received its first shipment of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines (SII-AZ AZD1222) from the COVAX facility.

In a media briefing at the vaccine handing over ceremony along with diplomatic missions and COVAX donors, Dr Faisal said that the consignment of 1,238,400 doses of vaccines, which will be followed by another of 1,236,000 in a few days, will support the Government of Pakistan's ongoing historic drive to bring the pandemic to an end.

He said that further allocations from June onwards will be confirmed in due course while the goal of the COVAX facility is to supply Pakistan with enough doses to vaccinate 20% of the population depending on availability.

Dr. Faisal welcomed this first consignment together with representatives of COVAX technical and funding partners at the headquarters of the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC). "In this unprecedented crisis, we appreciate COVAX and GAVI's contribution to the collective effort to fight COVID-19 in Pakistan." He said "Sometimes, such crises propel innovation and to this end, we were able to quickly expand the capacity of EPI's facilities to vaccinate our eligible population against COVID. Recently, we've been administering almost 200,000 doses a day and we will be able to increase to 0.5 million doses a day very soon." He said "I urge everyone above the age of 40 to register to get vaccinated so we can continue our mission to immunize our fellow citizens, especially the ones who fall in the high-risk and vulnerable groups. Very soon, we will be able to expand the campaign to other age groups and demographics." Addressing the ceremony, WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr. Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala said "Over the past year, WHO has been standing side by side with the Government of Pakistan providing technical guidance and new tools needed to prepare for, prevent, detect and respond to the spread of this new virus." He said "Today, we are delighted to receive the COVID-19 vaccine that will safely and effectively prevent needless suffering. This vaccine has gone through clinical trials and has been approved for use in Pakistan and around the world." "Right now, WHO's focus is on supporting Pakistan to end the pandemic, including with these new vaccines and the public health measures that have been the bedrock of the response for 15 months. We thank the Government of Pakistan for their commitment to ensure these vaccines are swiftly administered all across Pakistan and our health care workers for their hard work and dedication during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic." UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, Aida Girma said "UNICEF is proud to be leading efforts to procure and supply safe, effective, and affordable COVID-19 vaccines on behalf of the COVAX facility which aims to quickly reach people in low and middle-income countries and ensures that no one at risk is left behind.

" "UNICEF commends the Government of Pakistan for its leadership in the national response to the pandemic, including the successful roll-out of the national vaccination programme, and thanks to the COVAX partners for their generous contribution." UNICEF Representative said that solidarity is key to ending the pandemic as no one is safe until everyone is safe. "I urge all those who are eligible to get vaccinated and appeal to everyone to strictly comply with COVID-19 safety measures to curb the spread of the virus." "This delivery  the first of many  is the product of an unprecedented global partnership to ensure no country is left behind in the global race for COVID-19 vaccines," said Alexa Reynolds, Gavi Senior Country Manager for Pakistan. "These vaccines are safe, they are effective, and they will play an important role in helping the country to end this pandemic." "We welcome the opportunity to concretely show our solidarity with the Government of Pakistan and support its efforts to fight the coronavirus through this important delivery of vaccines. We are proud to play our part in the global COVAX initiative, alongside our partners, as it helps to complement efforts where vaccines are needed. For the time being SOPs still need to be followed," said Ms. Androulla Kaminara, Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan.

"The United States welcomes the successful arrival in Pakistan of 1.2 million doses of the?AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. We remain committed to working bilaterally and multilaterally to support access to vaccines for the world's most at-risk populations," said U.S. Embassy Charg d'affaires Angela P. Aggeler.

"This pandemic has shown the importance of partnerships, such as the longstanding partnership between the United States and Pakistan, which has enabled us to more effectively respond to this health crisis together.""I'm proud of the UK's role in developing the Oxford University AstraZeneca vaccine that Pakistan is receiving today. The UK is one of the world's biggest contributors to the COVAX facility - donating 548m to make sure countries get the vaccines they need, including Pakistan."," said Dr. Christian Turner, British High Commissioner to Pakistan.

"Today's arrival of the first COVAX batch in Pakistan is an important milestone for fighting this pandemic together. It is also a strong token of multilateralism and international solidarity at its best and Germany, as a second-largest donor, is proud of contributing to the COVAX facility more than 1.5 billion EUR. We are convinced as inclusive global access to vaccines is the need of the hour and nobody is safe until everyone is safe" said Dr. Philipp Deichmann, Charge d'Affaires and DHM, Embassy of Germany in Pakistan.
UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th May, 2021 ) :A new wave of COVID-19 infections is spreading like "wildfire" across India, leaving many youngsters destitute, the UN Children's Fund UNICEF said on Friday.

In the last 24 hours, India registered 3,915 coronavirus deaths and 414,188 cases "which is the highest daily case count recorded by any country in the history of COVID-19 pandemic", Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in India, said in a statement released at UN Headquarters in New York.

"UNICEF is of course very concerned about this deadly daily surge in new cases", she added. "This wave is almost four times the size of the first wave and the virus is spreading much faster. On average, there were more than four new cases every second and more than two deaths every minute in the last 24 hours." The UN official noted that health facilities have been overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients, amid reports that pregnant women have struggled to find the support they need to give birth.

"With 27 million births and 30 million pregnancies every year, life-saving services to help women give birth are critical in India" Haque said. "What is happening in India should raise alarm bells for all of us. The pandemic is far from over. COVID-19 cases are rising at an alarming rate across South Asia, especially in Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives." Very low levels of vaccination in most South Asian countries - less than 10 per cent in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal  were also adding to concerns of the virus spiraling even further, the UNICEF representative noted.

UNICEF said it is also concerned that the COVID-19 surge has also led to "dire consequences" for a greater number of children than during the first wave of infections, with access to essential health, social, protection and education services constrained.

"Children are facing mental health issues and are at greater risk of violence, as lockdowns shut them off from their vital support networks", Ms. Haque said.

Although there is no indication that the proportion of children getting infected is any different to the first wave, "the numbers are far greater", she insisted. "We're seeing the virus entering a household; it just takes one member of the household to be affected and it seems to spread like wildfire throughout the family." This has been accompanied by a likely spike in illegal adoption pleas on internet platforms by families desperate to find homes for orphaned relatives, prompting fears of child exploitation, the UN official said.

Authorities were "beginning to pick up on numbers" of vulnerable children, the UNICEF official continued, in a call to promote family tracing and speedier help for destitute families.

"When we see that children are being orphaned and we do see that there is a lot of trafficking of children which is reported, children go missing, those systems are beginning to pick up on numbers", she said.

There is a greater alertness around any family seeing that children (that) have been affected get reported. While there isn't enough data yet, we can see that illegal adoption pleas have surfaced on social media, making these orphans vulnerable to trafficking and abuse." Meanwhile, most international experts and media reports said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mishandled the response to the deadly virus that led to this catastrophe.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has met his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan and reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, discussing ways to enhance cooperation in diverse areas

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th May, 2021 ) :Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has met his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan and reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, discussing ways to enhance cooperation in diverse areas.

Foreign Minister Qureshi is currently accompanying Prime Minister Imran Khan during his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

During the meeting held late Friday, Pakistan and Saudi FMs reaffirmed their mutual desire to further strengthen cordial relations between the two countries.

Both the foreign ministers reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, discussing ways to enhance cooperation in diverse areas. They also discussed ways to provide fresh impetus to the existing ties.

The two foreign ministers welcomed signing of Agreement on Establishing Pakistan Saudi Arabia Supreme Coordination Council co-chaired by the Prime Minister and Saudi Crown Prince.

They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Qureshi briefed Prince Faisal bin Farhan on grave human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan's consistent efforts to support ongoing peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

Later, in a tweet, the Foreign Minister said, "Great to meet FM Faisal bin Farhan discussing enhanced cooperation across trade, investment, infrastructure, energy, tourism and manpower and finding new ways to strengthen our historic relationship."Welcoming the agreement for establishing the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council, he said it would focus on three key pillars of political/security, economic and cultural/social cooperation.
Pakistan on Saturday called for "thorough investigation" as the Indian police seized 7kg natural uranium from unauthorized persons in the country

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th May, 2021 ) :Pakistan on Saturday called for "thorough investigation" as the Indian police seized 7kg natural uranium from unauthorized persons in the country.

"We have noted with serious concern reports about seizure of more than 7 Kg natural uranium from unauthorised persons in India," the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.

He said the security of nuclear materials should be the top priority for all countries, and there is a need for thorough investigation of the matter.

According to media reports, the Indian police have arrested two men in the western Maharashtra state for illegally possessing the highly radioactive natural uranium which could potentially be used by the terrorists to make nuclear explosives.

As per the anti-terrorism squad in Maharashtra, the confiscated material is worth around $2.9 million.
Europe on Saturday passed the ball back to Washington in a debate over Covid vaccine patents, pushing the US for a concrete proposal and a commitment to export much-needed jabs

Porto, Portugal, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th May, 2021 ) :Europe on Saturday passed the ball back to Washington in a debate over Covid vaccine patents, pushing the US for a concrete proposal and a commitment to export much-needed jabs.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking after a summit of EU and Indian leaders, said the EU had exported much of its own production and that America should follow suit.

"Now that a further part of the American population has been vaccinated, I hope that we can come to a free exchange of components and an opening of the market for vaccines," she said.

European Council chief Charles Michel said the bloc was ready to discuss a US offer to suspend patent protection on vaccines -- once the details are clear.

"We are ready to engage on this topic, as soon as a concrete proposal would be put on the table," Michel said at an EU summit in Portugal that discussed that subject, among others.

He added that the EU had doubts about the idea being a "magic bullet" in the short term and encouraged "all the partners to facilitate the export of doses." France's scepticism was plain, with President Emmanuel Macron declaring "patents are not the priority".

A debate on the issue could be "a very good idea," Macron suggested, but he added: "I call very clearly on the United States to put an end to export bans not only on vaccines but on vaccine ingredients, which prevent production.

"The key to producing vaccines more quickly for poor countries and developing countries is to produce more, to lift export bans." Italy's prime minister, Mario Draghi, echoed that.

"Before getting to the liberalisation of vaccines, other simpler things should be done, such as removing the export block that today the US firstly and the UK continue to maintain," he said.

"This, I would say, is the first thing to do," he said. "The fact of liberalising the patents, even temporarily, does not guarantee the production of the vaccine." While at the summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a contract with drugs giant Pfizer/BioNTech for up to 1.8 billion doses of their patented vaccine had been concluded. Part of that supply is for EU exports to countries in need.

Influential voices support the push to waive patents, not least that of Pope Francis, who criticised putting "the laws of the market or intellectual property above the laws of love and the health of humanity".

The World Health Organization, India and South Africa have all called for patents to be temporarily suspended.

- 'Global cooperation' needed - The EU leaders' comments came on the second day of an summit that featured a bilateral meeting between the EU and India, where authorities on Saturday said the pandemic killed 4,000 people in a single day.

In a joint statement, both sides said "global cooperation" was needed to fight the pandemic and they "supported universal, safe, equitable and affordable access to Covid-19 vaccines, diagnostics and treatments".

"The vaccination process is not a race amongst countries but a race against time," they said, underlining the EU's contributions to the WHO-backed Covax facility and India's role producing many of the vaccine doses distributed around the world.

EU officials briefing journalists in Brussels on the issue of waiving patents said the hoarding of crucial ingredients needed for vaccines was a larger obstacle than patent protection.

The United States is not in a position to export Covid vaccine doses to countries in need because contracts it signed with vaccine-makers prevent their use outside of America, and the Defense Production Act restricts exports until Americans are vaccinated first.

That contrasts with the EU, which has sent more than 200 million doses abroad -- as many as it kept for itself -- prompting von der Leyen to describe the bloc as "the pharmacy of the world".

EU officials are worried that Washington's gambit to get around its own blockage by invoking a suspension of patents will end up painting Brussels as a villain if it does not follow suit.

An EU official briefing journalists on the complexities on the issue said on Friday that lifting patents, by itself, "will not fix things".

Technology transfer and training a vaccine-making workforce were also necessary, the official said.

Even if all those elements were in place, it would still take up to a year for a factory to start producing copycat vaccines.
Some 60 people, including opposition figures detained for months, will stand trial in Guinea over deadly protests surrounding last year's presidential election, according to the government

Conakry, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th May, 2021 ) :Some 60 people, including opposition figures detained for months, will stand trial in Guinea over deadly protests surrounding last year's presidential election, according to the government.

Alpha Conde's bid for a third term in office was met with months of demonstrations by political opposition and civil society groups, which security forces countered with sometimes brutal force, and dozens of people died after the protests began in October 2019.

In March 2020, at the same time as legislative elections, Guinea held a referendum to change the constitution and allow the president to serve more than two terms.

Despite mass opposition and claims of an "electoral coup d'etat", Conde, 83, was re-elected in the first round in October 2020.

The United States, the European Union and France questioned the credibility of the vote.

Hundreds of people were arrested both before and after the ballot, human rights groups said.

Government spokesman Tibou Kamara said Friday night in a statement that 57 of those arrested would face court.

The list includes eight people charged with killing three gendarmes and a soldier in an attack on a mineral ore goods train near Conakry just days after the presidential vote.

The spokesman also named for trial Ibrahima Cherif Bah and Ousmane Gaoual Diallo of the main opposition democratic union party UFDG whose leader claimed victory in the presidential election.

Both men were arrested after the ballot and charged, according to their lawyers, with making, possessing and using weapons and undermining the nation.

UFDG leader Cellou Dallein Diallo tweeted that the trial statement was a "public relations exercise".

Diallo said Conde would "dictate" the verdicts.

"In this affair, the judiciary has never been independent and never will be," his party said on Facebook.

"They will follow the instructions of the dictator Alpha Conde."The government spokesman added that 40 people had been set free after proceedings against them were dismissed.
Thousands of people crowded up the banks of New Zealand's Whanganui River to see colorful lanterns and various Chinese arts and crafts for the Whanganui Lantern Festival on Saturday

WELLINGTON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th May, 2021 ) --:Thousands of people crowded up the banks of New Zealand's Whanganui River to see colorful lanterns and various Chinese arts and crafts for the Whanganui Lantern Festival on Saturday.

At night, the Whanganui River Traders Market was lightened up by over 100 handmade lanterns.

The event is organized by the Whanganui branch of the New Zealand China Friendship Society and supported by the Whanganui District Council.

Whanganui New Zealand China Friendship Society secretary Jan McLeod told Xinhua that the event is hugely popular and draws big crowds every year.

International students from Whanganui Collegiate and Confucius Classroom students from Whanganui High school presented 24 solar terms drum, festive dance in Lijiang, piano, violin, Hulusi, and Guzheng performance and dance. Students from Shirley McDouall School of Dance also joined the show.

Local wushu martial artists in Taiji (Tai Chi) and other disciplines demonstrated their skills on the festival.

"As New Zealand China Friendship Society, our aim is to bring the Chinese, Maori/Polynesian & Pakeha Kiwi communities closer together for better understanding," McLeod told Xinhua.

She said ox-themed decorations have been sent from China especially for the event.

He Jianxin, principal of Bazhong Cambridge Young Learners English Training School, Sichuan, China, donated a big shipment of lanterns to Whanganui each year to thank Whanganui for the support to his English Training School. He used some Kiwi methods of teaching using picture books to make learning English more enjoyable for kids.

"Through the lantern festival, New Zealanders can learn more about traditional Chinese culture.

In terms of cultural exchanges between New Zealand and China, civil and social forces should give full play to their advantages of flexibility and diversity, and there is much to be done," He Jianxin told Xinhua.

Some of the lanterns were provided by the China Cultural Center in Wellington. Guo Zongguang, director of the China Cultural Center in Wellington, saw the lantern festival as an opportunity to strengthen ties between both countries, promote the people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and to forge the "Happy Chinese New Year" cultural brand.

"As the city embraces multiculturalism, the Chinese culture plays a big part in events like the lantern festival and helps promote positive relationships among New Zealand's diverse population," Whanganui citizen Helena told Xinhua.

The lantern festival is usually held in February, 15 days after the Chinese New Year festivities, but this year it has been moved to May because of COVID-19 alert levels, McLeod said.

Whanganui District Council's customer services group manager, Marianne Cavanagh, said the council is supporting the lantern festival to honor its relationship with its Chinese sister city, Lijiang.

Whanganui has a formal sister city relationship with Lijiang in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan since 2019.

"The sister city relationships help Whanganui develop international friendships, leading to a mutually beneficial exchange of ideas and the development of social, cultural, economic and educational opportunities," Cavanagh said.

Whanganui held the first lantern festival in 2018.
BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th May, 2021) Slovenia would be willing to host a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden, the country's foreign ministry told Sputnik.

"Slovenia would be willing to host such a meeting if both leaders agreed to it.

Slovenia has hosted similar meetings in the past," the press service of the Slovenian Foreign Ministry said.

The White House has recently announced that Biden invited Putin to meet in a European country. Biden said earlier this week that he was hoping to met with Putin in June. The Kremlin said that the date was being discussed.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday held an online meeting with the country's youth from all provinces

ANKARA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th May, 2021 ) :Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday held an online meeting with the country's youth from all provinces.

Erdogan responded to questions of young participants on various topics, from pandemic measures to Turkey's thriving defense industry.

On a question about the full lockdown the country has started to impose on April 29 and scheduled to continue until the evening of May 17, Erdogan said: "We will announce our new timetable for the normalization (of pandemic measures) in the coming days. It is one of the top priorities of the next Cabinet meeting.

" He underlined that the normalization measures that will be announced would also cover reopening the schools across the country.

To stem the spread of the virus, Turkey last week began a nationwide lockdown set to last until May 17.

Responding to another question about the country's improving defense capabilities and the arms industry, Erdogan said: "Turkey is currently a major defense industry exporter, not importer. We are now producing all munitions of our unmanned combat aerial vehicles in Turkey."
A Caritas Europa delegation concludes a visit to eastern Ukraine on Saturday, and expresses concern that the 7-year standoff between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists in the region could blow into a full-scale conflict.

By Robin Gomes

Caritas Europe has appealed for a safe and unimpeded access to all people in need in Eastern Ukraine, urging parties in the conflict to respect the rights and dignity of innocent civilians in the region.

The call came on Saturday as a delegation of Caritas Europa concluded a visit to the region that has been witnessing armed conflict for more than seven years now.

Risk of full conflict

The group that brings together 49 social and development organizations of the Catholic Church in Europe, expressed concern that since the beginning of the year, hostilities have been growing with the danger of the revival of what it called the neglected conflict.

There is a risk that the conflict which now affects more than 500,000 people in the immediate area of combat will expand across a much wider area and impact exponentially many more individuals, Caritas Europa warned. Many of these people, who are elderly or belong to other vulnerable groups, are already subject to regular shelling and shooting and run the risk of landmines.

Ukrainian-Russian crisis

The current crisis in Ukraine first flared in early 2014, following the overthrew of the pro-Russian president. In retaliation, Russia annexed Crimea, following which Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine declared the establishment of the Donetsk Peoples Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic.

Fighting between the Ukrainian military and Russian-backed separatists in Donbas has continued sporadically since 2014, in spite of numerous cease-fire agreements. With a recent buildup of Russian troops on Ukraines border, there is fear that the separatist conflict may flare into a full-blown war between Ukraine and Russia.

Conflict zone hardships

The recent ceasefire violations and the spread of Covid-19 have deepened the vulnerability of people in need even further, putting their lives, health and welfare at great risk, said Monsignor Michael Landau, President of Caritas Europa, after three days in the country, which included a visit to the government-controlled areas where the impact on civilians has been the most severe. There is a dire need for humanitarian assistance, including food and medicines, in the area straddling the 400-km long Contact Line.

The delegation which included Msgr. Landau and Andrij Waskowycz, President of Caritas Ukraine, spent 2 days visiting Kramatorsk and areas in the conflict zone along the Contact Line.

A young man learns woodworking at Caritas Kramatorsk Social Hub in Ukraine

Local Caritas teams have been providing the local population and internally displaced people (IDP) with food assistance, health services and psychosocial support programmes. Prices of essential goods and unemployment are soaring Caritas organizations have been supporting the local Caritas throughout the conflict.

Msgr. Landau noted many young people have left the area, leaving behind the elderly, who are now being helped by Caritas. He said their visit was meant to show their solidarity to the people that they are not alone and forgotten.

Appeal for vulnerable people

Waskowycz expressed fear that a possible escalation in armed confrontation could spill beyond the 5-km wide area of conflict. It would impact many people in the heavily-populated area, where there are many elderly people who are cut off from their families.

Msgr. Landau echoed calls made by Pope Francis to protect innocent civilians and the most vulnerable caught in the conflict.

Providing safe and unimpeded access to all people in need is a basic tenet of international humanitarian law. We call on all parties to have respect for those rights, and to respect the human dignity of people who have done nothing wrong except that their homes are now in what has become a combat zone.

The Caritas Europa chief commended the local Caritas for its tireless service to the people under extremely stressful conditions. He also appealed to European nations to increase their funding for humanitarian aid, saying it will help to save lives and secure livelihoods in Ukraine.
Pope Francis underlines the importance of interdisciplinary research for a better understanding of our human nature, in a video message for the Fifth International Conference dedicated to Exploring the Mind, Body and Soul.

By Vatican News staff writer

Pope Francis on Saturday sent a message to the participants at the 5th International Conference taking place from 6 - 8 May under the theme: Exploring the Mind, Body & Soul. How Innovation and Novel Delivery Systems Improve Human Health.

Organized by the Pontifical Council for Culture, and co-hosted by the Cura Foundation, the virtual conference brings together scientists, physicians, ethicists, religious leaders, patient right advocates and policy makers to discuss breakthroughs in medicine, healthcare delivery and prevention, as well as the cultural impact and human implications of technological advances.

The organizers are also promoting a roundtable on Bridging Science and Faith aimed at exploring the relationship of religion and spirituality to health and wellbeing, including the relationship between mind, body and soul.

In the video message, Pope Francis acknowledged all who are personally and professionally committed to the care of the sick and the support of those in need, particularly in these recent times of the Covid-19 pandemic which continues to claim lives and challenge our sense of solidarity and authentic fraternity.

He also highlighted that the conference unites philosophical and theological reflection to scientific research, especially in the field of medicine.

Divisions

Considering the theme of the conference, Pope Francis noted that it is centered on mind, body and soul  three fundamental areas that differ somewhat from the classical Christian vision which understands the person as an inseparable unity of body and soul, the latter being endowed with intellect and will.

Moreover, St. Paul speaks of spirit, soul and body (1 Thess 5:23), a tripartite model that was taken up by Church Fathers and various modern thinkers.

These divisions, said the Pope, rightly indicate that certain dimensions of our being, nowadays all too often disjoined, are in fact profoundly and inseparably interrelated.

We are a body

He went on to explain that the biological stratum of our existence, expressed in our corporeity, represents the most immediate of these dimensions, even if it is not the easiest to understand.

We are not pure spirits; for each of us, everything starts with our body, but not only: from conception to death, we do not simply have a body; we are a body, Pope Francis affirmed, adding that Christian faith tells us that this will also be true in the Resurrection.

In this regard, the history of medical research presents us with one dimension of the fascinating journey of human self-discovery which is the case not only in Western academic medicine but also with the rich diversity of medicines in various civilizations all over the world.

Interdisciplinary studies

Bringing to the fore the importance of interdisciplinary studies, the Pope noted that thanks to them, we can come to appreciate the dynamics involved in the relationship between our physical condition and the state of our habitat, between health and nourishment, our psycho-physical wellbeing and the care of the spiritual life  also through the practice of prayer and meditation  and finally between health and sensitivity to art, and especially music.

It is, therefore, no accident that medicine serves as a bridge between the natural and the human sciences, so much so that in the past it could be defined as philosophia corporis  medicine as philosophia corporis, he said.

Furthermore, a broader vision and a commitment to interdisciplinary research makes greater knowledge possible, which translates to more sophisticated research and increasingly suitable and exact strategies of care when applied to the medical sciences.

On this issue, the Pope gave the example of progress in the vast field of genetics, aimed at curing a variety of diseases. He however noted that this progress has come with a number of anthropological and ethical issues including the manipulation of the human genome aimed at controlling or overcoming the aging process or achieving human enhancement.

The mind and the brain

Also important is the second dimension of the mind  body-mind which makes possible our self-understanding, Pope Francis said.

Here, he said the essence of our humanity is often identified with the brain and its neurological processes. However, pointed out the Pope, despite the vital importance of the biological and functional aspects of the brain, these do not provide an overarching explanation of all those phenomena that define us as human, many of which are not measurable and thus transcend the materiality of the body.

We cannot possess a mind without cerebral matter, yet the mind cannot be reduced to mere materiality of the brain. This is an equation to follow, he said.

The mind-body question

Continuing, Pope Francis touched on the subject of the mind, underlining that the interplay between the natural and human sciences has led to increased efforts to grasp the relationship between the material and non-material aspects of our being. He noted that the mind-body question, originally the domain of philosophers and theologians, is now of interest to people studying the mind-brain relationship.

The Pope went on to point out that in the scientific context, the term mind can present difficulties that need to be approached in an interdisciplinary way.

For example, he said, "mind can indicate a reality ontologically distinct from, yet capable of interacting with, our biological substratum. At the same time, mind usually indicates the entirety of the human faculties, particularly in relation to the formation of thought which raises the question of the origin of human faculties including moral sensitivity, meekness, compassion, empathy and solidarity, which find expression in philanthropic gestures, disinterested concern for others, and the aesthetic sense, to say nothing of the search for the infinite and the transcendent.

The soul

In the Judeo-Christian tradition and the Greek philosophical tradition, these human traits are associated with the transcendent dimension of the human person, identified with the immaterial principle of our being, that of the soul  body, mind and soul, the Pope stated.

He explained that the third dimension of the conference  the soul  is considered from the viewpoint of classical philosophy, as the constituent principle organizing the body as a whole and the origin of our intellectual, affective and volitional qualities, including the moral conscience.

More so, Scriptures, theological and philosophical reflection employ the concept of soul to define our uniqueness as human beings and the specificity of the person, which is irreducible to any other living being and includes our openness to a supernatural dimension and thus to God.

We can say in simple terms that it is like a window, which opens up onto a view of the horizon, the Pope said.

Concluding his message, Pope Francis encouraged the participants to pursue interdisciplinary research for the sake of a better understanding of our human nature. He also expressed hope that they will always retain their enthusiasm and wonder before the ever deeper mystery of the human person.
The signing between the Ministry of Transport, Hanoi, and other provinces

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) signed an agreement with Hanoi and the provinces of Bac Ninh, Hung Yen and Bac Giang on May 6 on the development of Beltway 4. They agreed to submit the investment plan to the government soon.

The sides agreed to propose the prime minister to permit Hanoi to represent the localities in selection of capable investors in line with the prevailing rules.

They will also propose the government to provide funding for localities for the development of the project, especially to support land compensation and site clearance.

Hanoi Party Committee Secretary Dinh Tien Dung said that the Beltway 4 project will soon be built to improve regional transport infrastructure and facilitate development and develop regional linkagess in all fields, thus spurring social-economic development in the region.
A health worker in An Giang developed a rare allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccination

According to Tu Quoc Tuan, director of An Giang Health Department, the victim was a 35-year-old female health worker in the southern province of An Giang. She died a day after the first coronavirus vaccine shot despite treatment.

The professional council of the southern provinces health department said she died from allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis due to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug allergy. "This is a very rare case after taking COVID-19 vaccination."

Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long called the womans family and the medical staff of the hospital expressing his condolences.

Vietnam began administering the COVID-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca on March 8. As of 16pm of May 7, over 800,000 people across Vietnam had been vaccinated.

Since April 27, Vietnam reported 176 cases of infection, bringing the national total to over 3,152 through the course of the pandemic.

Thus far, Vietnam has received two batches of COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca: the first in February with 117,600 doses under a contract purchased by Vietnam Vaccine Company; and the second of more than 800,000 doses in late March under the Covax facility.

As planned, Covax will provide an additional 1.6 million doses to Vietnam on May 10. The vaccines will continue to be used for vaccinating identified priority groups.
Inside Vinfast's automobile processing plant in Cat Hai, Hai Phong City. - The carmaker is considering an IPO in the US. - Photo vingroup.net

Successful IPOs in foreign markets will provide additional capital for these enterprises to improve and expand their businesses, services and products. By doing that, they can attract even more investments from other international organisations or institutions, said the State Securities Commission of Viet Nam.

Overseas IPOs also help to promote these companies images in international markets.

When a company files for an IPO in a foreign stock market, it can raise strong cash flows, build confidence in foreign investors, enhance its position and image, and expand markets, Nguyen Thanh Ha, President of SBLAW Limited Liability Company, told Vietnam News Agency.

With strong economic development, some of Viet Nams leading enterprises are planning IPOs as they aim at bigger ambitions which also translate into greater capital.

Ha said that the capitalisation level in Viet Nams stock market maybe not strong enough or saturated, resulting in top enterprises seeking new resources from international markets with a target of brand internationalisation, business expansion and fundraising.

The wish to file for IPOs abroad also demonstrates that Vietnamese enterprises legal capacity is improving, and they are able to meet requirements of international stock exchanges and legal systems.

Caution on legal issues and other risks

Pursuant to Article 71 of the Government's Decree No.155/2020/ND-CP on detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Securities, a prerequisite for an international listing is to meet the foreign ownership ratio in accordance with the law. Viet Nam still restricts the participation of foreign investors by industry or even does not allow them to invest.

Companies with higher proportion of foreign ownership will have smaller chances in raising capital through international listings.

In addition, companies must comply with the law on foreign exchange management. Therefore, listings on foreign stock markets are also subject to the Ordinance on Foreign Exchange 2005, which was amended and supplemented in 2013, and the Governments Decree No.70/2014/ND-CP on detailing the implementation of some articles of the Ordinance on Foreign Exchange and the Ordinance on amending and supplementing some articles of the Ordinance on Foreign Exchange.

The Vietnamese issuer has to open a foreign currency account at an authorised credit institution in Viet Nam to receive any foreign currency earned from the listing, without requiring the issuer to open an account in the country where the stocks are listed.

This means foreign investors who purchase shares cannot transfer money to the Vietnamese issuer's account, if the bank serving this organisation does not have a branch or a transaction office in the listed country.

On the financial and accounting standards front, Vietnamese companies also face challenge as they must apply the accounting book system according to Vietnamese Accounting Standards (VAS), while the international exchanges adapt global standards or standards accepted by many countries like Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or International Accounting Standards (IAS).

Enterprises must also obey the regulations of international exchanges, including strict conditions for joining, profit before tax, shares distribution, financial status and liquidity.

As companies are listed in foreign markets, risks of being acquired or merged are rising, and costs for complying with regulations on listing, reporting, disclosing information and corporate management in the international markets are higher.
Henri Wasnick - Senior advisor of Renewable Energy Center, Institute of Energy

To that end, wind energy is considered the most clean and feasible candidate, with an emission rate of about less than 10g CO2 per kWh.

A combination of onshore and offshore wind energy can technically produce a necessary amount, potentially feeding the countrys growing electricity demand of about 10 per cent a year. The positive socioeconomic, security, ecology, and environmental impact that might follow can actively contribute to the realisation of the goals in the Politburos Resolution No.55-NQ/TW dated February 2020 on the orientation of the National Energy Development Strategy of Vietnam towards 2030, with a vision to 2045.

At present, most offshore projects are concentrated in the south-central provinces of Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, and Khanh Hoa, where wind speeds stay at approximately over 7-9m per second and the technical potential is estimated at about 80GW. With highly consistent and higher wind speeds (thus bigger yield generation per a specific surface), a decreasing generation cost (by about 32 per cent) worldwide, and an ability to create new jobs, this energy is linked to lower electricity production cost and promising changes in socioeconomic conditions.

During the last two years, much effort has been put into leveraging the resource. Serious international investors and developers of projects over 15GW carried out a lot of preliminary work such as preparation of research proposals, geographic mapping, potential site identification, and preparation of grid-connection concepts. An offshore roadmap was also drawn up with supplementary input from consultations with the sector representatives to assist Vietnam with their technical expertise.

In terms of transmission network development, the government as well as Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) are showing their strong commitment and support. However, there remain some key challenges to be tackled, including but not only limited to institutional uncertainties such as missing regulations, requests for support policies, regulated decision-making processes, and tariff development.

Clear regulations

In order to pursue the goal of economic growth as low in CO2 emissions as possible and to implement it in line with the goals of Resolution 55, a clear position from the government and objective for offshore wind capacity is important. Long-term and upmost regulations and policies shall include but not only limited to electricity procurement policy, planning in the areas of marine spatial planning, technical requirements, approval processes, design of a bankable power purchase agreement (PPA), supply chains regulations, port development plan, and possibly a vision for a local content strategy.

The planning for infrastructure development is equivalently important, with regard to transmission network capacities. For the regulatory framework, it is recommended to consult international standards, especially concerning environmental impact, social impact, and health and safety as well as other norms.

As of today, 24 wind projects onshore and nearshore are registered to be in operation with 755MW. Up to 7GW have been approved for inclusion in the National Power Development Plan (PDP7 rev). A specific situation as wind energy onshore and nearshore currently has a specific momentum, as many projects are between an application process for the PDP7 revised version and on the other hand it is clear that the PDP8 is to be expected soon. Another 6GW have been registered for approval. It is envisaged that these projects will have reached a commercial operation date (COD) by 2025 but not all of these projects are likely to be implemented. In fact, a certain number of approved projects have difficulties to find an investor and to reach COD due to low project quality, which can be contributed by various reasons  for example, low wind speed, far away connection points or high risk of curtailment, uncertainties with land use rights, and high merger prices. Anyhow, these poor quality projects are included in the PDP while they are blocking the targeted installed capacity. The fact was foreseen for bankable and feasible projects.

The current wind energy feed-in tariff (FiT), which will end with the latest COD in October 2021, has attracted various interests and market participants. Since the end of 2020, the first draft for the third FiT for wind onshore and nearshore was in discussion. However, for most of the market participants it is not surprising that a lower FiT price shall be considered. It is important to understand that the FiT mechanism has various factors that drive project realisation. Against this reality, in fact the lower FiT, after a certain number of installed capacities, could help to steer initial project planning to high quality areas with a minimum of necessary wind speed, good possibilities for grid connection, and for land use rights. This, together with a scoring mechanism in the form of a project development rating, which makes good projects with process to an early mover, can support more feasible projects in the energy mix to probably find an investor and reach COD.

The FiT level is, however, not the only decisive factor for project due diligence or for project in operation. It is only one single piece in a big picture of many factors bringing to project realisation. Bankable PPAs, project due diligence, clear administrative procedures, and political landscape are also taken into account while investments are made.

However, it is unclear whether there should continue to be a FiT. Several scenarios are conceivable. To keep the FiT mechanism for high quality projects that are well advanced and to reduce it in a meaningful way. A second conceivable scenario is that at the end of October a high scale effect of installed capacity may lead to the FiT being exchanged through a competitive bidding auctioning with investor selection, probably similar to the current solar draft. Most developers work with both scenarios in their preview.

Wind energy is linked to lower electricity production and stronger future socioeconomic conditions, Photo: GIZ

Expiring too soon

It must also be considered that the current implementation cycles, which are being discussed, are still far too short for many large-scale projects within the same time frame. Problems in the supply chain shall be born, for example, shortage of cranes and experienced transport services and there will be drastic bottlenecks.

After successfully submitting an investment license, along with securing the property, network connection contract, financial closing, and down payment of the wind turbine, investors can only see the equipment arrive at a port in Vietnam in around 9-15 months.

In addition, transportation from port to the project site and construction takes time, and commissioning phases in Vietnam experience the same problem. Realistically, onshore wind projects will need at least two years to move from the investment license stage to the commercial date (depending on the number of wind turbines). Meanwhile, the financing banks need a valid FiT and a bankable PPA. The FiT mechanism, therefore, needs to be announced on time for project investors to prepare.

While the PPA is not bankable for some financing institutions, direct power purchase agreement (DPPA) is a very good mechanism for promoting renewable energy. The idea is developing a wholesale market based on trade of certificates to support the production and the share of renewables in the electricity market. This ensures large companies access to the use of green energy and will also attract investments in that sector.

The DPPA can exist alongside a FiT in the market. Both systems run equivalent beside each other, while the operator can choose what suits them. DPPA can support the growth goals to develop a low carbon footprint and is also an incentive for many international companies for a modern production site.

The Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam is about to make a DPPA pilot programme for a virtual and financial one. Elaboration of the development of a legal framework and a pilot programme is ongoing. A total of 30 companies will collaborate to become the energy buyer. The concept draft is a 10-year direct contract applying to both the price and the energy production.

The energy generation companies are currently only from the technology of wind and solar photovoltaic energy and need to fulfil certain criteria for example minimum capacity 30MW per project. Based on the results of the testing of the mechanism, various data will be collected and reviewed, probably as the baseline for the legal framework.
Michele Wee, CEO of UK-backed Standard Chartered Vietnam

Given the impact of COVID-19 and the vaccination plan, what is the outlook of foreign direct investment into Vietnam in the short and medium terms?

We believe that inward investment in Vietnam will remain strong in the medium-term. Vietnam continues to be an attractive investment destination given its strong fundamentals of a fast-growing economy with a young and well-educated labour force, a growing domestic market, and its strong commitment to integration with global markets and supply chains.

It has also been one of the worlds most successful countries in containing COVID-19. Vietnam saw a GDP growth rate of 2.91 per cent in 2020. Although this is the lowest rate in the last 30 years of development, it is the highest growth rate among Asian countries and one of the highest growth rates in the world due to the pandemic.

Ongoing investment relocation to Vietnam due to the US-China trade and technology dispute, which is prompting the sustained relocation of low-tech manufacturing to Vietnam from China will also support continued FDI flows to Vietnam.

Depressed investment sentiment and lingering global COVID-19 uncertainty may continue to dampen foreign investment flows to Vietnam in the short term. Pledged foreign investment volume  an indicator of future investment  rose 18.5 per cent on-year in the first quarter, while disbursed foreign investment value rose 6.5 per cent. That said, global vaccine rollout should support a gradual recovery in global demand and investment appetite. This is evidenced by the recent improvement in export data from Asian countries. Vietnams exports rose 22 per cent on-year in the first quarter; imports jumped 26.3 per cent, and the trade surplus was $2 billion. These are positive data.

Through the reported GDP and foreign investment picture of Vietnam in 2020, foreign investment flows to Vietnam should continue to improve in 2021 and 2022, supported by a better global backdrop. Vaccination has begun in Vietnam on March 8, 2021; wider vaccination rollout expected in the third quarter and is a precondition for a tourism rebound and a sustainable economic recovery. Ongoing investment relocation to Vietnam due to the US-China trade and technology dispute, which is prompting the sustained relocation of low-tech manufacturing to Vietnam from China will also support continued foreign investment flows to Vietnam.

After a turbulent 2020, how can Vietnam seize opportunities to boost foreign investment inflows over the longer term?

Vietnam must continue with their effective and strict government measures in controlling the outbreak to maintain its attractiveness to foreign investors.

The country will have to show the global investment community that they will enforce more decisive reforms to achieve its objectives of becoming a regional supply-chain hub, a modern industrial economy and a high-income country. Vietnams increasing role in the manufacturing supply chains in Asia  which is outperforming western economies  increases its appeal to investors.

Vietnam enjoys several clear advantages that should help it attract investment flows: strong growth, a sizeable domestic market, low labour costs, an abundant working-age population (with high purchasing power), free trade agreements, and a strategic location. Fiscal policies should focus on improving government budget execution, reviewing and enhancing further fiscal support to encourage stronger economic recovery.

From your view, what can Vietnam do to further boost its appeal to investors?

Vietnam will need to address the structural issues which could hinder its efforts to take the economy to the next level. Issues such as limited transportation infrastructure and a lack of economic diversification should be resolved to help Vietnam remove the barriers in the process of becoming a global player.

We think increased competition may help Vietnam improve its product and supply chains as the country seeks to become a high-tech manufacturer. That would require increased productivity, education, technology transfers, reduced entry and exit costs to encourage new firms to enter and do business in the country, among other factors.

Much progress has been made and should be continued by the government to proactively prevent, resolutely and persistently step up the fight against corruption, waste and bureaucracy to ensure a fair and transparent business market, particularly for SMEs. Further digital investments are needed to improve efficiency and adopting an adaptive and digital infrastructure for businesses to connect to and leverage.

What do you think about the benefits that Vietnam has been getting from rising foreign investment inflows recently?

Vietnam implemented market-oriented reforms in the past 30 years, transforming from one of the poorest countries in the world to a lower-middle-income country. Standard Chartered Bank is 117 years old in Vietnam and has been part of this transformational journey. We have seen and continue to see Vietnam first attracting then retaining many big and reputable foreign companies.

The manufacturing sector has benefited tremendously and we have been fortunate enough to be part of the value chain, this also presents a lot of opportunities for local SME businesses to be part of this ecosystem. The benefit from this will be tremendous in the medium- and long-term, given Vietnams increasing integration in the global economy and supply chains and through this the wealth creation and purchasing power to local communities which in turn leads to an overall boost to Vietnams economy.

Another great benefit of foreign direct investment is the development of Vietnams human capital. The opportunity to pick up knowledge skills from foreign-invested companies through training increases the overall education and human capital in the country.

As an international bank with a global network, how has Standard Chartered helped to facilitate the investment flows in Vietnam?

Leveraging on our unrivalled local knowledge and international network and expertise, we facilitate clients cross-border activities and help them navigate the local business environment. We like to think of ourselves as the catalyst to bring the world to Vietnam and Vietnam to the world.

We have been in Vietnam for 117 years, which gives us deep operational and unadulterated insights on the local market. As a foreign bank, we understand the needs of our foreign clients and work with them to ensure we offer the right solutions and meet their financing and operational needs.

This is the first step in the journey as SCB is the only bank with operations in 10 ASEAN markets which allows our clients to regionalise efficiently. We strongly advocate the use of technology and will work with our clients to succeed sustainably and responsibly so we can all have a more positive impact on the world around us.

We continue to work with local government institutions to organise business and investment events. For example, in 2020 we hosted the Standard Chartered ASEAN Business Forum 2020, which drew senior leaders of businesses and organisations across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US. We were honoured to have the prime minister join the event and deliver a welcome address.

Another example was SCB Vietnam Limiteds Vietnam deep-dive webinar themed Capitalising on Vietnams investment opportunities post COVID-19 in September 2020 with participants being senior leaders of businesses and organisations across Asia, Europe, and the US.

The Minister of Planning and Investment and the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam graced this event with opening remarks and joined the panel discussion on the strategies to capitalise on Vietnams investment opportunities post COVID-19. Our staple Global Research Briefing event held twice a year is always well attended by local as well as global communities wanting to learn more about Vietnams outlook.

We remain fully committed to Vietnam and to the Vietnamese government, our clients and communities in which we operate and will continue to do all we can to help them achieve sustainable success.
All Xiaomi businesses and brands continued to prioritise ensuring safe operations in the first quarter due to COVID-19 to ensure the health of employees and consumers.

According to market research firm GfK, in the first quarter, Xiaomi announced the sales number in Vietnam accounted for 10.77 per cent total in the Vietnamese market which came as the merged result of two brands Xiaomi and POCO.

Xiaomi shows its relentless efforts in bringing not only high-end products to consumers, but also seeing positive market changes in the context of the pandemic.

In addition, in the first quarter, Xiaomi Vietnam also saw remarkable results on e-commerce platforms such as Lazada where it has been consistently ranking first in sales results. Recently, according to data released by Lazada, Xiaomi was the No.1 smart mobile brand on its e-commerce platform in Vietnam and the entire Southeast Asia region.

In the previous quarters, Xiaomi recorded positive business results not only in Vietnam but also in other markets and internationally due to its relentless efforts in bringing not only high-end products to consumers and positive market changes in the context of the pandemic.

According to the latest report by Canalys, a leading global technology market analyst, for the second consecutive quarter, Xiaomi once again held the third position in the number of smartphones shipped around the world. The company shipped 49 million smartphones globally and took 14 per cent of the market share in the first quarter of 2021. In Vietnam, Xiaomi also placed third and accounted for 11 per cent of the total market.

Also in the latest first-quarter report of Speedtest Global Index, Xiaomi's Mi 10T Pro 5G overcame many other competitors and became the mobile phone posting the fastest average download speeds at 80.17 Mb/s.

With a customer-centric philosophy, Xiaomi always brings diverse, high-end product ecosystem with reasonable prices to consumers, in the first quarter of 2021, the company rolled out a series of products from mobile phones to different products in the ecosystem to all users, from Redmi Note 9T/Redmi 9T and the Redmi Note 10 Series to high-end products like Mi 11.

Recently, at the beginning of the second quarter, Xiaomi officially launched the Mi 11 Lite series, Mi 11 Lite, and Mi 11 Lite 5G to Vietnamese consumers. The high-end, full-featured smartphone series feature trendy design at competitive prices. At the same time, Xiaomi launched Mi Smart Band 6, aiming to take care of customers daily fitness activities during these uncertain times around the world.
Honeywell, a major American aerospace and engineering firm, has been fined 13 million dollars by the U.S. Department of State for transferring critical military secrets to the Chinese communist regime and other countries. The department arrived at the 13 million dollar settlement following an extensive compliance review of the company by the Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

The Charlotte-based company was found to be involved in alleged unauthorized exports and retransfers of ITAR-controlled technical data that contained engineering prints showing dimensions, geometries, and layouts for manufacturing castings and finished parts for multiple aircraft, gas turbine engines, and military electronics to and/or within Canada, Ireland, Mexico, the Peoples Republic of China, and Taiwan, according to a statement from the State Department.

Honeywell is a Fortune 100 company and employs around 110,000 workers globally, with around 44,000 workers in the United States. In 2019, Honeywell was ranked 92 on the prestigious Fortune 100 list. The company operates in the four key areas of aerospace, performance materials and technologies (PMT), building technologies, and safety and productivity solutions (SPS).

Back in 2016, the company voluntarily disclosed some of its violations to the Department of State. Two years later, Honeywell informed the department of another set of unapproved exports that were similar in violations to the first voluntary disclosure. Since the company proactively disclosed its violations, officials did not administratively debar Honeywell at the time.

In the settlement this year, the company was found guilty of 34 charges. The materials transferred to China include drawings of certain components and parts for the engine platforms of F-22 Fighter aircraft, B-1B Lancer Long-Range Strategic Bomber, and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The department said the companys actions harmed U.S. national security.

Honeywell contested that some of the transferred technology is already commercially available worldwide, and claimed that detailed engineering plans and manufacturing expertise had not been leaked. The company made a commitment to resolving all issues and taking the necessary steps to prevent repeat incidents.

Out of the 13 million dollars of civic and other penalties imposed on the company, five million dollars may be suspended if the funds are used for remedial compliance measures. The company has signed a 36-month Consent Agreement, and an external Special Compliance Officer will be deployed to the company for the first 18 months to oversee the implementation of the agreement. Honeywells compliance program will also undergo an external audit during the agreement period.

International tensions build

Earlier this year, Honeywell was one of the principal contractors of a military sales deal signed between the United States and Australia. The 1.68 billion dollar deal supplied Australia with M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles, 160 M1A1 tank structures for building M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams Main Battle Tanks, and other vehicles.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States. Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific. The strategic location of this political and economic power contributes significantly to ensuring peace and economic stability in the region. It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist our ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability, DSCA said in a press release.

Honeywells fines for transferring military information to China coincides with conflicts between Washington and Beijing on several fronts. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently accused China of acting repressively at home and aggressively internationally. In an interview with CBS News, he stated that although the United States does not want to hold China down, it will not allow the communist nation to undermine the rules-based global order. He also highlighted President Joe Bidens concerns about Chinas theft of American intellectual property.

We dont have the luxury of not dealing with China. There are real complexities to the relationship, whether its the adversarial piece, whether its the competitive piece, whether its the co-operative piece, Blinken said in the interview. [Although China was acting like] someone whos trying to compete unfairly and increasingly in adversarial ways were much more effective and stronger when were bringing like-minded and similarly aggrieved countries together to say to Beijing: This cant stand, and it wont stand, he said.

Prakash Gogoi contributed to this report.
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Shanghai through the eyes of a Malaysian medical worker

Xinhua) 14:29, May 08, 2021

"Shanghai is very international and suitable for young adults like me to develop," said Malaysian Gordon Boo Kuo Tuan, chief of SinoUnited Health's chiropractic department. "People in Shanghai welcome us foreigners and help us adjust to our new lives."

Boo said Shanghai is an elegant and shiny city very refreshing to be in, and gives you the feeling of seeing new horizons. "The Belt and Road Initiative deepens the relationship between ASEAN and China, and that includes Malaysia," Boo added.

(Video source: Xinmin Evening News)

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

We all remember earlier this year when we stopped dead in our tracks, mid-sexual walkabout, and read the extremely alleged rumor in the Daily Mail that 30 Rock star and beloved everything Jane Krakowski was dating CEO Mike Lindell, famous in equal parts for founding My Pillow, Inc. and for promoting unhinged conspiracy theories about Donald Trump winning the 2020 presidential election. Well, in the aftermath of the story, Lindell sued the outlet, which is now asking a New York federal judge not to let him amend his defamation suit as it will be futile, since rumors that Lindell dated the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star and bought her alcohol do not constitute defamation.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, one of Daily Mails lawyers Kelli Sager argued in a May 6 filing that even a devout Christian would not be subjected to hatred or contempt by ordinary readers, applying todays societal mores, because of a report that he dated a popular actress and gave her gifts that included alcohol. Additionally, she points out, Lindell is a public figure, which would explain how he got on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last week.

As for why Lindell, who is sober, is now trying to amend his suit, Sager claims, its because, so far, he has allegedly failed to cite a single case where a court has found innocuous statements about a consensual romantic relationship between two adults, or those involving gifts of alcohol, are defamatory, whether or not the person is a recovered addict, pious, or conservative. She says of the Daily Mail report itself, Nothing in the Article states or can reasonably be read to imply that he drank alcohol, engaged in sexual misconduct, or otherwise acted inconsistently with his professed Evangelical Christian faith. Lindell claims that the rumor he purchased alcohol has lead some churches to distance themselves from the nonprofit the Lindell Recovery Network, for which he is a spokesperson.

And finally, even if the Daily Mails statements could be considered defamatory, Sager asserts, Lindell himself has already torpedoed his own public reputation with widespread, negative publicity that includes his advocacy of fake COVID-19 cures, false theories about election fraud, and support of martial law. Meanwhile, both Krakowski and Lindell have vigorously denied having a relationship with one another.
Following Huntsville Police Officer William Darby's guilty verdict, the president of the Alabama State Fraternal Order of Police said he was disappointed in the verdict.

FOP President Everette Johnson says law enforcement wants to protect their community, but they need to protect themselves as well.

"We have a society now that thinks it's okay to kill police and it's not okay for police to protect themselves, and we feel like Officer Darby was protecting himself. And for the jury to decide this is disappointing, and we will trust the justice system to do the right thing," says Johnson.

Johnson believes Darby's guilty verdict is in part due to society's current perception of law enforcement.

"The vilification of law enforcement, which I think a lot of this probably stems from, is what brings these prosecutions about," says Johnson.

He says police retirement is at an all-time high because officers feel like they don't have the support of their community. He's worried what the future of policing will look like if the negative image of law enforcement is not changed.
Huntsville Police Officer William Darby got out on bond just hours after he was convicted of murder on Friday. That's something his defense attorney, Robert Tuten, said he expected to happen before the end of the day on Friday.

That's because the $100,000 bond was not a problem. He also mentioned that people are shocked by the guilty verdict, but says they're not done just yet.

Official mugshot of William Darby after guilty verdict in his murder trial Official mugshot of William Darby after guilty verdict in his murder trial

Tuten said "Ben" Darby will absolutely be appealing the decision made by the jury.

"We can't do that yet, though. There's some other things we have to deal with first, but he is looking forward to an appeal and I'm certain that when this is reviewed at the appellate level that this decision today will not stand," said Tuten.

He said the legal process for appealing is fairly clear, but right now, the defense has to wait. That's because the judge still has to issue her final ruling in the case.

Tuten said the defense appreciates all the hard work the jury did this week, though, even though they do not agree with the verdict.

"We know it was difficult for them. We will certainly give their verdict the respect that it deserves, but it still remains that we disagree with their verdict," said Tuten.

Tuten said he's certain when this case is reviewed at the appellate level that the jury's decision will not stand. He said that this case was very important to Alabama law enforcement and says it's going to affect every law enforcement agency in the state.

In particular, how they protect their citizens and how they respond to calls involving a person with a gun and how they respond to suicide threats. Both things that were a part of the Darby murder trial.

Tuten says they hope to clarify Alabama law and bring about some changes.

"Hopefully bring some changes about how these officers are forced to operate and make sure they have the protection they need to protect the citizens," said Tuten.

Tuten mentioned that Darby is in a dark place right now after being convicted of murder for the 2018 shooting of Jeffery Parker.
State officials honored officers killed in the line of duty at the Alabama State Fraternal Order of Police Memorial Service.

Gov. Kay Ivey, members of the Fraternal Order of Police and family members of those honored all gathered in front of the State Capitol to remember the 11 officers who lost their lives while in the line of duty.

"I know that today is a difficult reminder of your loss, but it is a privilege to join you as we honor these 11 heroes, said Ivey.

One of the officers honored was former Huntsville police officer, agent Billy Clardy III. Agent Clardy was shot and killed in 2019 during a narcotics operation with the North Alabama Drug Task Force. He served the city of Huntsville for 14 years.

Speakers at the event emphasized how the sacrifices our officers make often go unnoticed in todays climate.

"At a time when law enforcement across the country is being physically and verbally abused and attacked, let us affirm today that here in Alabama, we hold our men and women in blue in high regard and will always support them, said Ivey.

The service focused on honoring Alabama's officers for all that they give.

"We cannot, and we shall not, ever forget their sacrifice and service, said Attorney General Steve Marshall.

The ceremony honored officers from both 2019 and 2020, since they were not able to hold an event last year due to coronavirus.
Huntsville Police Officer William Darby is now a convicted murderer.

A Madison County jury found Darby guilty for shooting and killing Jeffrey Parker during a suicide call in April 2018.

On Friday, May 7, 2021, a Madison County jury found Huntsville Police Officer William Darby guilty of murder. On Friday, May 7, 2021, a Madison County jury found Huntsville Police Officer William Darby guilty of murder.

Darby was booked into the Madison County Jail on a $100,000 bond Friday afternoon. He posted bond a couple of hours later.

The jury started over on their deliberations Friday morning because one of the jurors had a medical emergency. After getting a new alternate juror, the jury came up with their final guilty verdict in just over 2 hours.

That means the jury not only believed Officer William Darby intentionally killed Jeffrey Parker, but also believed that he did not do it out of self-defense.

The defense had argued Parker was an imminent threat because he refused to drop his weapon while there were officers in front of him without cover. However, prosecutors said Parker was never aggressive and never showed any kind of intent that he was going to take action.

It's important to note that self-defense is only justified if there is an imminent threat.

Prosecutors say justice prevailed and what Darby did was wrong, regardless of being a police officer.

Every life has value. It would be easy for us to look the other way. It would be politically expedient for me to avoid this issue, but we're not going to do it. We'll do whatever is right," said Madison County District Attorney Robert Broussard.

Darby's attorney is working on the appeal process. He released a statement saying "Officer Darby's case is extremely important to all Alabama law enforcement. This case will clarify Alabama law regarding on-duty police shootings and will impact the way law enforcement protect Alabamians and perform their duties.

The defense did try to use the policies and procedures of the Huntsville Police Department to justify Darby's actions. The head of training at the department even testified saying Darby acted according to their policies and did nothing wrong.

Prosecutors say they don't believe there's a lack of training, but the interpretations of these policies and procedures may need to be looked at. They add that this case does not represent the entire department.

We have as good as a law enforcement that any community would hope to have. Because this particular case involved law enforcement, it is absolutely no reflection on the quality of law enforcement we have here. We have a lot of men and women who have done wonderful work in this community for many years, said Broussard.

Prosecutors praised Officer Genesha Peguese for her actions that day. She was one of the first officers at the scene who was actually talking to Parker before the shooting happened.

Prosecutors say it didn't matter that Darby was an officer, justice is blind and the facts proved that.

A sentencing hearing is expected to take place in 6 weeks, but that may change since Darby said he plans to appeal the verdict.

Darby could face anywhere from 20 years to life in prison. That sentencing decision will be up to the judge.

Jeffrey Parker's loved ones are still devastated by what happened in April 2018. They say Friday's verdict brings them more closure than anything.

Parker's brother and best friend says they wanted the justice they received, but at the same time, nothing will ever be able to bring Jeffrey Parker back. They say he had his demons and when he asked for help, it ended in a terrible situation.

We asked them if they had any words for Officer Darby, and this is what they said:

I feel badly that he may be facing years in jail, but he made a decision in a split second and it was the wrong decision. He has to live up to that. This is life or death.

The family did file a civil lawsuit against Darby more than a year ago, but its been on hold because of the criminal trial. The family's attorney says they're hoping to resume that lawsuit now that a verdict was made.
"There was zero hostility or aggression by Mr. Parker when the officers arrived and the first officer there, Officer Pegues, she is what you would hope to show up to your house because she was trying to help this man," said Madison County District Attorney Robert Broussard.

William Darby faces up to 20 years to life in prison after he was convicted for the murder of 43-year-old Jeffery Parker in April of 2018.

Now, local leaders are speaking out about this historic case.

A historic case is exactly what folks are calling this Darby verdict.

Broussard and Huntsville lawyer, Mark McDaniel, say this should have never happened in the first place and justice was served Friday.

"The effects of this case will reverberate not only in this city, in this state, but in this entire nation. Every shooting now will be looked at," said McDaniel.

Mark McDaniel is a Huntsville attorney and he told WAAY 31 Friday's end to a fairly quick trial should show us one thing: nobody is above the law.

The issue in Officer Darby's case was did he shoot Parker with reasonable evidence that he would bring harm to those involved? From the body camera footage shown in court and the jurors deliberating for 2 hours, that answer was no.

"There's a blind-folded lady holding a set of scales and that's what we pursue. If the defendant or the offender happens to be wearing a police uniform, so be it," said Broussard.

Broussard, along with McDaniel, told WAAY 31 no one should have died on that day 3 years ago.

They say there are good people in the world who just make bad or questionable decisions, and it's always unfortunate when someone dies at the hand of someone else when a better option could have sufficed.

"Jeffery Parker...He was just a regular guy who was maybe not on top of the world at the time," said Broussard.

Broussard also says he hopes the family can start their healing process after the yearslong process of getting this trial together.

McDaniel says this is yet another push for mental health advocates needing to be embedded in law enforcement agencies right now.

"Mr. Parker would be alive, Mr. Darby would've never gone to trial, we would not be here today if we'd have had that," he said.

Officer Darby's bond was set at $100,000, but within just a few hours, he bonded out before 5 p.m. Friday. Now, he waits for his final sentencing, which could happen over the next several weeks.
An investigation is underway into the circumstances surrounding the death of the young mother in a textile factory accident in Tuscany.

A mural dedicated to Luana D'Orazio, the young factory worker who died in a workplace accident in Tuscany last week, has been created in Rome.

The mural, located at the ex-Snia site in the Pigneto Prenestino district, is the work of Neapolitan street artist Jorit, known for his giant urban portraits of George Floyd, Antonio Gramsci and Diego Maradona.

The face of 22-year-old Luana was portrayed in the trademark style of Jorit, who has just completed a mural of Bobby Sands in the capital, to raise awareness of the risks of "companies that put profit before the lives of workers."

The death of D'Orazio, who left behind a five-year-old son, shocked Italy and prompted calls for measures to increase safety in the workplace.

D'Orazio was dragged into a rolling machine and crushed to death in a textile factory near Prato on 3 May, two months after a similar accident in another textile factory in Tuscany cost the life of 23-year-old Sabri Jaballah.

Another mural highlighting safety in the workplace, by Rome steet artist Laika, has appeared in Largo degli Osci in the S. Lorenzo quarter. The mural features a veiled woman in hard hat and overalls with a sign that reads (in Italian) "The next one could be you."

On Friday afternoon trade unions organised a four-hour strike and a rally in Prato to protest over "inconceivable and intolerable" deaths in the workplace.

Italy's labour minister Andrea Orlando travelled to the home of D'Orazio to meet her family and pass on his condolences on behalf of the state.

An investigation continues into the circumstances surrounding D'Orazio's death. Photo by La Repubblica.
A surge in new jobs will add at least $20 billion to the federal budget in a new sign of the strength of the economic recovery, adding more to the nations finances than record prices for iron ore.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the substantial gain would be confirmed in next weeks budget alongside major investments in aged care, mental health and more intensive training programs to help the unemployed.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But the surprise revenue gains, far stronger than Treasury predicted only months ago, will not change the governments timing on tax reform despite calls from Liberal backbenchers to bring forward sweeping income tax cuts due in 2024.

Mr Frydenberg hosed down talk of a new stimulus in the budget on Tuesday by saying the spending would be aimed at workers and sectors that needed the most help.
The Morrison governments recent indisciplined commentary on the possibility of Australian military engagement in a future US-China war over Taiwan is both politically juvenile and potentially damaging to our core national security interests.

For 50 years, successive Australian governments have not speculated publicly on what Australia would do in the event of a military crisis or conflict over Taiwan. Scott Morrison, Defence Minister Peter Dutton and aspiring defence secretary Michael Pezzullo have spectacularly breached that bipartisan convention over the past fortnight. Classified military briefings have also been leaked. These three have sought to deflect criticism over the precise parsing of their language, but the net effect has been to elevate the idea of a looming war  and Australias probable involvement in it  as the focus of the already dysfunctional Australia-China relationship.

Tension in the skies. A Taiwanese F-16 flies near a Chinese bomber as it passes near Taiwan in 2020. Credit:AP

Previous Australian governments have been tight-lipped about potential Taiwan military scenarios for good reason. Such a conflict would involve the worlds two biggest militaries and likely become the most violent and destructive war in Asia since 1945. Given the horrendous choices that would present the government of the day, Australia should not at this stage compromise the independence and flexibility of our national decision-making. And nobody can predict with any certainty which scenarios might arise between cyberattack, maritime blockade, territorial invasion or something else entirely.

In Canberra, Washington, Beijing and Taipei, our officials have done everything possible to

prevent any such war from occurring while also forestalling any change to the status quo through the application of Chinese coercion. With Washington, our aim has been to ensure the US has sufficient military deterrence in the region to cause China to defer its longheld ambition to take Taiwan  if necessary by force. In Beijing, we have encouraged China to conclude Washington is determined to defend Taiwan  not least because, if the US failed to act, it would destroy American credibility among its other allies. As for Taipei, we have sought to discourage successive Taiwanese governments from any unilateral declarations of independence (or steps in that direction) that would cross Beijings most fundamental red lines.
London: The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) that was scheduled for Rwanda in June has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, despite urgings from Australia and Britain not delay the meeting a second time.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age has obtained a letter sent by Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland to member states on Friday. The secretariat is the overarching body that supports 54 Commonwealth member nations.

The Queen, Britains then Prime Minister Theresa May, second left, Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat, left, and Baroness Patricia Scotland, attend the formal opening of the CHOGM in 2018. Credit:PA

The postponement follows a risk assessment conducted by the World Health Organisation in recent weeks that scored the risk of holding the conference a four out of five rating  with five being the highest possible risk.

Baroness Scotland said the decision had not been taken lightly but that travel bans and vaccine inequity made it necessary.
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Canada's chief public health officer reminded Canadians on Saturday that even those who are fully vaccinated remain susceptible to COVID-19.

Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam speaks during a technical briefing on the COVID pandemic in Canada, in Ottawa on Friday, Jan. 15, 2021. Canada's chief public health officer is reminding Canadians even those who are fully vaccinated are not immune from transmitting the COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Canada's chief public health officer reminded Canadians on Saturday that even those who are fully vaccinated remain susceptible to COVID-19.

Speaking at a virtual townhall for Yukoners, Dr. Theresa Tam said the risk of asymptomatic infection and transmission is far lower for anyone who receives two shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines.

"But it's not absolute. There's reduction in your risk of transmission, but it doesn't necessarily eliminate your risk of transmission," Tam said, adding that the danger dials down especially after the second dose.

"Some studies have shown that it reduces the amount of virus in the back of your nose. If you sample people, there's less virus, which means less risk of transmission."

Young people, who often work in frontline or essential services and sit at the bottom of vaccination priority queues, now have some of the highest case rates and can transmit the virus despite showing no symptoms, Tam added.

"The groups that transmit the virus the most are actually younger adults, many of whom have to work. They can't stay at home," she said.

"It's important that we protect them, as well as the fact that if they're protected, we reduce transmission of the virus in the community."

Alberta and other parts of Canada remain mired in the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, even as hospitalization rates have started to tick downward in provinces such as Ontario and Quebec.

Many parts of the country face tight restrictions, with schools closed across Ontario and Alberta and patios shut down in Montreal, Toronto and  as of this Monday  Calgary.

Some Albertans continue to chafe at the tougher measures, which Premier Jason Kenney announced Tuesday.

Protesters went ahead with an anti-lockdown demonstration outside a highway diner in central Alberta on Saturday, despite pouring rain and a pre-emptive court injunction.

Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the Whistle Stop Cafe in the hamlet of Mirror, Alta., for the "Save Alberta Campout Protest."

The largely mask-free gathering follows a rodeo billed as an anti-lockdown event held last weekend in Bowden, about 100 kilometres southwest of Mirror.

Alberta Health Services has said the provincial government will take legal action to stop any planned protests of COVID-19 public health orders, including the one outside the cafe.

Mass vaccination efforts continue to broaden across swaths of the country.

In Ontario, nearly 150 pharmacies started offering COVID-19 vaccines to all adults in some virus hot spots this weekend, a shift made to align with provincial efforts to protect the most vulnerable amid a third wave of infections.

The province quietly announced the expanded eligibility  for anyone aged 18 and older  on a provincial pharmacy vaccine booking webpage on Friday afternoon, with slightly more than half of the locations in Toronto and Peel Region.

On Thursday, Quebec said it vaccinated 102,762 people, the highest single-day number since the start of its vaccine rollout. The province set another record that day, when vaccinations opened to everyone 35 and over, with 272,000 people booking vaccinations, Health Minister Christian Dube said Friday.

Quebec's health situation remains relatively stable, with the number of new COVID-19 cases falling short of 1,000 for the sixth day in a row on Saturday and hospitalizations also on the decline.

Dispiriting numbers kicked off the weekend in Nova Scotia, however.

The province continues to log high case counts of COVID-19, reporting 163 new infections Saturday, mostly in the Halifax region.

On the other side of the country, communities along the Alberta-British Columbia boundary said they're worried continuing COVID-19 restrictions could hit their economies hard this summer.

The B.C. government is discouraging Alberta tourists from visiting. In Fernie, in southeastern B.C., the executive director of the local Chamber of Commerce said visitors from Alberta have traditionally accounted for the majority of the town's total business.

"Fernie might as well be in Alberta for all intents and purposes. We're that reliant on Albertans, obviously in the tourism industry, but in our economy at large," Brad Parsell said.

"It's been incredibly challenging for the tourism industry to not have the welcome mat out to those folks at the moment."

A spokeswoman for the RCMP in B.C. said Albertans are not prohibited from visiting British Columbia, but, once there, they aren't allowed to travel to other areas within the province unless it's deemed essential.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2021.

 With files from Hina Alam in Vancouver, Fakiha Baig in Edmonton and Holly McKenzie-Sutter in Toronto

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the Executive Director of the Fernie, B.C., Chamber of Commerce was encouraging residents from Alberta and Saskatchewan to visit the town. In fact, he said Fernie has traditionally been reliant on tourists from Alberta in the past but did not encourage present-day visitors
WASHINGTON - It wont speed the manufacture of vaccines. It enraged the developers who delivered lifesaving doses in record time. But President Joe Bidens decision to support waiving intellectual property rights for coronavirus shots had a broader purpose: to broadcast his administrations commitment to global leadership.

FILE - In this April 28, 2021, file photo, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai testifies during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Biden administration is throwing its support behind efforts to waive intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines in an effort to speed the end of the pandemic. Tai announced the government's position in May 5 statement, amid World Trade Organization talks over easing global trade rules to enable more countries to produce more of the life-saving vaccines. (Sarah Silbiger/Pool via AP, File)

WASHINGTON - It wont speed the manufacture of vaccines. It enraged the developers who delivered lifesaving doses in record time. But President Joe Bidens decision to support waiving intellectual property rights for coronavirus shots had a broader purpose: to broadcast his administrations commitment to global leadership.

More than a month of internal debate led up to Bidens decision this week to endorse international calls to strip patent protections for vaccines.

The policy shift, embraced by many charitable service organizations around the world and liberals at home, wasnt new. Biden endorsed it during his campaign for the White House. But the idea was the subject of pitched discussions inside the administration over how best to bring the pandemic to an end while restoring U.S. influence abroad.

In the best case, officials acknowledge it will take at least a year for any additional vaccines to be produced due to the change. Key European leaders are adamantly opposed to the waivers, and securing the required consensus at the World Trade Organization many never happen.

The specialized production, particularly of the cutting-edge mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, would take even longer. Moreover, the matter could become less pressing if vaccine manufacturers can produce enough to satisfy international demand themselves.

To Biden, White House officials said, thats largely beside the point, as officials cast the decision as indicative of the presidents efforts to return the U.S. to the position of leadership after four years of unilateralism and protectionism under former President Donald Trump.

President Joe Biden speaks about the April jobs report in the East Room of the White House, Friday, May 7, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said Wednesday in announcing the move.

The announcement was met with surprise and disappointment by some of Bidens closest European allies. German Chancellor Angela Merkel quickly weighed in against it, with a government spokesman saying it would cause severe complications for the production of vaccines.

The timing of the decision also blindsided the vaccine companies, which had aggressively discouraged the administration from making a choice they feel will hurt American producers.

Officials noted, however, that Tai held more than two dozen meetings with stakeholders, including the drug makers.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo also opposed the plan, but was excluded from the final meeting, two people familiar with the decision-making process but not authorized to speak publicly about private deliberations said on condition of anonymity. Other White House officials highlighted the practical limitations of Bidens decision, but the symbolism won the day.

Trade groups warned it could curtail future investment in lifesaving drugs, and vaccine manufacturers and some Republican lawmakers warned that it would amount to a giveaway of American technological knowhow to China. Vaccine manufacturing historically has not been a huge profit driver for drug makers.

The Chinese Communist Party is already celebrating this gift from President Biden, tweeted Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, as he highlighted a comment from a Chinese official praising Bidens action.

A vaccine manufactured by a Chinese company was given emergency use authorization Friday by the World Health Organization, potentially creating a pathway for millions of the doses to reach needy countries through a U.N.-backed program rolling out coronavirus vaccines.

The decision by a WHO technical advisory group  a first for a Chinese vaccine  opens the possibility that Sinopharms offering could be included in the U.N.-backed COVAX program in coming weeks or months and distributed through UNICEF and the WHOs Americas regional office.

But U.S. vaccine manufacturers also warned that the Biden administrations move could hurt the global supply of shots in the near to moderate term.

The primary obstacle to vaccine production, theyve argued, remains production bottlenecks and shortages of the specialized supplies needed to make the shots  a challenge that could become more acute if other countries hoard them in anticipation of trying to make their own doses at home. The Pfizer vaccine, for instance, has more than 200 components, many of which are in demand around the world.

Some in the Biden White House, in addition to noting that the president pledged to do this during the campaign, also believe that it creates a low stakes political victory. They said the decision, which has been applauded by some on the left, is good Democratic politics and that few will be outraged on the behalf of the drug companies, even though those firms have been praised as heroes of the pandemic.

White House aides maintain that Bidens action is limited to COVID-19 vaccines because of the scale of the pandemic, but some progressives who have pushed to have the government regulate the price of prescription drugs saw an opening.

Heres why Pharmas really really whining about the COVID vaccine patents: the government might finally have the spine to lower drug prices here at home, tweeted Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Friday. And it should.

President Biden can lower drug prices by producing drugs like insulin, naloxone, and EpiPens at low costs, she said. And he doesnt need Congress to do it  he can use existing compulsory licensing and march-in authorities to bypass patents for public health needs.

The debate over the inoculations comes as the administration set a new goal to deliver at least one shot to 70% of adult Americans by July Fourth as Biden tackles the vexing problem of winning over the skeptics and those unmotivated to get vaccinated.

Demand for vaccines has dropped off markedly nationwide, with some states leaving more than half their allotment of doses unordered. Already more than 56% of American adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and nearly 105 million are fully vaccinated. The U.S. is currently administering first doses at a rate of about 965,000 per day  half the rate of three weeks ago, but almost twice as fast as needed to meet Bidens target.
PORTO, Portugal - The European Union cemented its support for Pfizer-BioNTech and its novel COVID-19 vaccine technology Saturday by agreeing to a massive contract extension for a potential 1.8 billion doses through 2023.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks with the media as he arrives for an EU summit at the Crystal Palace in Porto, Portugal, Saturday, May 8, 2021. On Saturday, EU leaders hold an online summit with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, covering trade, climate change and help with India's COVID-19 surge. (Violeta Santos Moura, Pool via AP)

PORTO, Portugal - The European Union cemented its support for Pfizer-BioNTech and its novel COVID-19 vaccine technology Saturday by agreeing to a massive contract extension for a potential 1.8 billion doses through 2023.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said her office has approved a contract for a guaranteed 900 million doses with the same amount of doses as a future option.

The new contract, which has the unanimous backing of the 27 EU member nations, will entail not only the production of the vaccines but also making sure that all the essential components are sourced from the EU.

FILE - In this Friday, April 23, 2021 file photo, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen makes a statement during an official visit to the Pfizer pharmaceutical company in Puurs, Belgium. The European Union has cemented its support for Pfizer-BioNTech and its novel COVID-19 vaccine technology by agreeing to a massive contract extension for a potential 1.8 billion doses through 2023. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that her office has just approved a contract for a guaranteed 900 million doses (+900 million options). (John Thys, Pool via AP, File)

The European Commission currently has a portfolio of 2.6 billion doses from half a dozen companies. Pfizer-BioNTech had an initial contract of 600 million doses with the EU.

Saturdays announcement also underscores the confidence the EU has shown in the technology behind the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is different from how the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine works.

But of course, we will also explore other contracts, for example, based on other technologies like the protein-based technologies. The key point is to keep our options open, von der Leyen said at an EU summit in Portugal.

The active ingredient in the Pfizer-BioNTech shot is messenger RNA, or mRNA, which contains the instructions for human cells to construct a harmless piece of the coronavirus called the spike protein. The human immune system recognizes the spike protein as foreign, allowing it to mount a response against the virus upon infection.

FILE - In this Friday, April 30, 2021 file photo, a pharmacist fills a syringe with a vial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the Vaccine Village in Antwerp, Belgium. The European Union cemented its support for Pfizer-BioNTech and its novel COVID-19 vaccine technology Saturday, May 8, 2021 by agreeing to a massive contract extension for a potential 1.8 billion doses through 2023. The new contract, which has the backing of the EU member states, will entail not only the production of the vaccines, but also making sure that all the essential components should be sourced from the EU. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)

The announcement of the huge contract extension comes as the EU is looking for ways to meet the challenges of providing the necessary booster shots to people who have already receive a vaccine dose, expanding vaccination drives to include children and teenagers, and the emergence of possible new virus variants.

The size of the contract - 1.8 billion doses for a bloc of 450 million residents - will provide for a lot of options, von der Leyen said.

That includes the possibility for the member states to donate or resell doses at a lower price to help nations in the immediate neighbourhood or beyond, she said..

Americas Pfizer and Germanys BioNTech have already said that they would provide the EU with an extra 50 million doses in the 2nd quarter of this year, making up for faltering deliveries of AstraZeneca.

In contrast to the oft-criticized Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca, von der Leyen has said that Pfizer-BioNTech is a reliable partner that delivers on its commitments.

Two weeks ago, the EU launched legal proceedings against AstraZeneca for failing to respect the terms of its contract with the 27-nation bloc.

The AstraZeneca vaccine had been central to Europes immunization campaign, and a linchpin in the global strategy to get vaccines to poorer countries. But the slow pace of deliveries has frustrated the Europeans and they have held the company responsible for partly delaying their vaccine rollout.

So far, von der Leyen said, the EU has made some 200 million doses available to its 450 million residents while almost as many have been exported from the bloc.

Casert reported from Brussels
PORTO, Portugal - European Union leaders cranked up their criticism of the U.S. call to waive COVID-19 vaccine patents Saturday, arguing the move would yield no short-term or intermediate improvement in vaccine supplies and could even have a negative impact.

PORTO, Portugal - European Union leaders cranked up their criticism of the U.S. call to waive COVID-19 vaccine patents Saturday, arguing the move would yield no short-term or intermediate improvement in vaccine supplies and could even have a negative impact.

On the second day of an EU summit in Portugal, the European leaders instead urged Washington to lift export restrictions if it wants to have a global impact on the pandemic.

European Council President Charles Michel arrives for an EU summit at the Crystal Palace in Porto, Portugal, Saturday, May 8, 2021. On Saturday, EU leaders hold an online summit with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, covering trade, climate change and help with India's COVID-19 surge. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, Pool)

We don't think, in the short term, that it's the magic bullet, European Council President Charles Michel said. French President Emmanuel Macron insisted that giving any priority now to a discussion of intellectual property rights is a false debate.

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, home to many Big Pharma companies, went the farthest of all, cautioning that relaxing patent rules could harm efforts to adapt vaccines as the coronavirus mutates.

I see more risks than opportunities, Merkel said. I dont believe that releasing patents is the solution to provide vaccines for more people.

Instead, the leaders joined previous EU calls for U.S. President Joe Biden to start boosting U.S. vaccine exports as a way to contain the global COVID-19 crisis, insisting that move was the most urgent need.

"Im very clearly urging the U.S. to put an end to the ban on exports of vaccines and on components of vaccines that are preventing them being produced," Macron said.

He mentioned the German company CureVac, saying it could not produce a vaccine in Europe because the necessary components were blocked in the United States. Hundreds of components can go into a vaccine.

Merkel said she hoped that now that large parts of the American population have been vaccinated, there will be a free exchange of (vaccine) ingredients.

Europe has always exported a large part of its European (vaccine) production to the world, and that should become the rule, the longtime German leader said.

While the U.S. has kept a tight lid on exports of American-made vaccines so it can inoculate its own population first, the EU has become the worlds leading provider, allowing about as many doses to go outside the 27-nation bloc as are kept for its 446 million inhabitants.

The EU has distributed about 200 million doses within the bloc while about the same amount has been exported abroad to almost 90 countries. Former EU member Britain has acted similarly to the U.S.,

First of all, you must open up, Macron said in addressing the United States. First of all, the Anglo-Saxons must stop their bans on exports."

The EU is trying to regain the diplomatic initiative on vaccines after Biden put it on the back foot with his surprising endorsement of lifting patent protections on COVID-19 vaccines, seeking to solve the problem of getting shots into the arms of people in poorer countries.

Macron and other EU leaders have insisted that production capacity first must be ramped up by reconverting factories so they can quickly start producing vaccines through a transfer of technology.

Today, there is not a factory in the world that cannot produce doses for poor countries because of a patent issue, Macron said.

Developed nations should also increase vaccine donations to poorer countries, the EU leaders say in arguing that talking about patent waivers alone wont cut it.

We are willing to go into that discussion, but then we need a real 360-degree view on it, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Casert reported from Brussels. Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed.
The mutual fund industry is coming off its best quarter ever ever.

As one of the largest players in the field, Winnipeg-based IGM Financial Inc. has taken full advantage of that industry trend, generating a record-high net inflow of investments of $2.2 billion, record-high assets under management and advisement of $248.5 billion and a 25 per cent increase in earnings per share in the first quarter compared to the year before, in results released Friday.

Considering that across the country many of the things people might normally spend money on have become inaccessible, it might make sense that more are choosing to beef up their retirement savings, and in fact household savings has been one element of the economic affairs of the country that has benefited from the pandemic.

But the company has not just been a passive beneficiary. IGM has taken the kind of action that many experts advise during times of disruption  it has invested in technology to increase efficiencies.

During its annual general meeting on Friday, the CEO of IGM Financial, James OSullivan, said, "Our improvement in performance can be directly attributable to the continuing transformation of our business. In 2020, we made significant progress on initiatives that enhanced our efficiency and elevated client and adviser experiences."

The company has recently become the first major enterprise client of a new AI-driven software tool created by the Winnipeg fintech company Conquest Planning Inc., while the thousands of IG Wealth Management consultants have moved to video conferencing, new mobile apps and have adopted online documents to make processes easier and faster.

Its performance has pushed the companys stock price up to its highest point in more than three years to close at $44.79.

Jaeme Gloyn, an analyst with National Bank of Canada Financial Markets raised his 12-month target price to $55 from $51.

In an interview with the Free Press on Friday, OSullivan said that while he doesnt know what the market will look like post-pandemic, he said it would be naive to think the current run will continue to grow and accelerate endlessly.

"Trees dont grow to the sky and we are not going to pretend that they do," OSullivan said. "At some point the remarkable growth in net sales and net flows and assets under management will start to taper."

But OSullivan and others believe IGMs combination of a quarter trillion dollars worth of assets under management, a well-run business that has been at it for a long time  the company is 96 years old  and substantial investments and connections to some of the most successful new financial technology companies, means that the company has a good runway to look forward to.

"Even if sales abate we will continue to do what we do, which is help Canadians with financial planning and help them prepare for secure financial retirement," he said. "All of that is ahead of us whether sales and flows abate a little or abate a lot."

Another boost to the company during the first quarter was the revaluation of its stake in WealthSimple, the Canadian robo-advisor targeted at millennials that IGM first invested $30 million in, in 2015. By October 2020 it had put in an additional $157 million which was then valued at $252 million.

Last month, after WealthSimple raised an additional $750 million, IGM remains its largest shareholder and that stake is now worth $1.15 billion.

OSullivan said there will always be different models and "no doubt some still to be created" but he said IGMs connection to a company like WealthSimple allows IGM to better understand the marketplace.

"We are learning from it," he said. "I want my management team to be thinking about the business, not just as it exists today but what is it going to look like in three years, five years, 10 years. Being part of this ecosystem where we are an investor in a company like WealthSimple makes our management team all that much sharper and more capable and ready to deal with the future as it unfolds."

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
OTTAWA - An industry group is calling on Ottawa to follow the United Kingdom's lead and help bring in a restart plan for Canada's airline sector.

A plane is silhouetted as it takes off from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., Monday, May 13, 2019. An industry group is calling on Ottawa to follow the United Kingdom's lead and help bring in a restart plan for Canada's airline sector. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

OTTAWA - An industry group is calling on Ottawa to follow the United Kingdom's lead and help bring in a restart plan for Canada's airline sector.

Mike McNaney, president and chief executive officer of the National Airlines Council of Canada, says the U.K. has announced that starting May 17 it will allow travel to and from a select list of countries.

He says travellers from those destinations will not need to quarantine upon entering the U.K.

McNaney says the initial list of countries announced Friday will expand over time as the public health situation improves.

He says it is time for the federal government to work with the industry in Canada to develop a similar plan.

Travel restrictions introduced through the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic have been catastrophic for the airline sector, as passenger numbers and profits plummeted and tens of thousands of workers lost their jobs.

"In the midst of the pandemic in February, the British government recognized the critical need to plan for the eventual safe reopening of international travel, and began working with its aviation sector to develop a restart process," McNaney said Friday in a release.

"On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have lost their jobs in the aviation and travel sector, and the scores of communities that have lost service, it is critical that the federal government now follow the U.K. example and work immediately with industry to develop a restart plan."

McNaney said the Canadian aviation sector has called on the federal government for months to develop a safe restart strategy that outlines the rules that must be met to begin addressing border and travel restrictions.

He said the strategy should use a science-based approach that sets out how Canada will deal with vaccinated and non-vaccinated passengers, how quarantine and testing measures will be adjusted, and how it will ensure appropriate electronic capture of health data to facilitate international travel.

Last month before the new federal budget was tabled, McNaney said the council hoped the budget would include a safe aviation restart strategy that included testing and contract tracing but would avoid mandatory vaccine passports.

The council represents large national and international passenger air carriers including Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation LP and WestJet.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2021
Ex-Minneapolis police officers indicted on federal civil rights charges in Floyd's death

Xinhua) 14:49, May 08, 2021

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. federal grand jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has indicted Derek Chauvin and three other former Minneapolis police officers on charges of violating George Floyd's civil rights during the arrest that led to the black man's death last year, according to an indictment unsealed and released Friday by the Department of Justice.

Three of the former officers -- Chauvin, 45; Tou Thao, 35; and J. Alexander Kueng, 27 -- were each charged with two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, according to the indictment. The fourth officer, Thomas Lane, 38, was charged one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.

Chauvin's actions violated Mr. Floyd's constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer and "resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of, George Floyd," according to the indictment.

In video shot by a bystander and local traffic cameras, Thao was seen standing between onlookers and fellow officers as they pinned Floyd to the pavement on May 25, 2020. Lane and Kueng were also spotted on top of Floyd as Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for an extended period of time.

A 12-member Minneapolis jury last month convicted Chauvin of second- and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter, after hearing evidence that he put his knee on Floyd's neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds.

Chauvin's sentencing is set for June 25. He has filed for a retrial.

Experts say Chauvin will likely face no more than 30 years in prison. Any federal sentence would be served at the same time as a state sentence.

In a separate two-count indictment, Chauvin was also charged with violating the civil rights of a boy, then 14, on Sept. 4, 2017.

"Chauvin, without legal justification, held the teenager by the throat and struck the teenager multiple times in the head with a flashlight," according to the separate indictment.

Thao, Kueng and Lane will stand trial on Aug. 23.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
The first episode of Kipp Kocays radio show starts with the gentle strumming of a ukulele  a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the host of CBCs Vinyl Tap.

The first episode of Kipp Kocays radio show starts with the gentle strumming of a ukulele  a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the host of CBCs Vinyl Tap.

"I dont really play the ukulele, but there was one sitting next to me, so I just picked it up," he says, in a nonchalant monotone.

Its rare for the bereaved to hear their loved ones again, but Kocay left a lot of himself behind. In 54 hour-long episodes of a UMFM radio show called Kipp Interviews His Friends, in five self-produced albums, in hundreds of social media posts and in everyone who crossed his meandering path.

SUPPLIED Kocay's family lived outside St. Norbert and made regular trips to Finland.

Kocay died April 7 at the age of 34.

"I dont know if he saw it as this giant feat, he just loved talking to his friends," Matthew Rajfur says of his lifelong pals pandemic radio project. Rajfur was an early guest on the weekly program and is grateful for the archive of casual, everyday conversations.

"Its almost like he knew there was something that was coming on the horizon and so he was just trying to have one last good chat with a lot of people."

The pair had a friendship that never skipped a beat. They met at four months old and bonded during annual canoe trips with their dads. Growing up on opposite ends of the city, they reconnected as young adults and started playing in a band together; Kocay on vocals and guitar, Rajfur on drums.

SUPPLIED Kipp Kocay died April 7 at the age of 34.

Music was a constant force in Kocays life.

"We first noticed when he was about two years old that he had a musical talent," his father William says. "He would sing and sing and sing, even as a little kid, and it was always perfect."

William marvelled at how quickly his son picked up new instruments; everything from guitar to piano to saxophone. A week after one of his first guitar lessons, Kocay had already mastered a semesters worth of curriculum.

The family lived outside St. Norbert and made regular trips to Finland  his mothers birth country  during which Kocay was never without his Finnish-English dictionary. He was the middle of three children and often straddled the line between class clown and romantic intellectual. When Kocay wasnt reading classic tomes, such as War and Peace, he was playing music, painting, writing or teaching himself Russian so he could read said tomes in their original language.

SUPPLIED Kocay at the cottage.

"I dont really know that many people with that kind of devotion to absorbing knowledge," says longtime friend Stefan Braun. "Hes an absolute genius."

Kocay was also the epitome of a starving artist. He worked as a cook, most recently at The Ruby West, to support his creative pursuits but was always more interested in making things than making a name for himself  a point of frustration for friends who saw great potential in his particular brand of jazzy, Van Morrison-esque love songs.

"When he first started putting out records we were like, how can we market this to like, every 40-year-old mom in the city? Because as soon as we can do this, youre a millionaire," Braun says. "But there wasnt really any desire for monetary or social success."

He was 19 years old when he recorded his first album, yet seemed perfectly content playing small rooms and living a bohemian life as an undiscovered talent.

SUPPLIED He was 19 years old when he recorded his first album, yet seemed perfectly content playing small rooms and living a bohemian life as an undiscovered talent.

Braun was one of many people who lived with Kocay in a large brown duplex on Arlington Street in Wolseley. He became the houses unofficial caretaker and welcomed a steady stream of friends for jam sessions in the attic, deep conversations and "Kippsmas" parties. People were drawn to Kocay and he to them.

Lise Bourbonniere lived in the lower suite of the duplex for several years and became close with the upstairs tenants. She describes Kocay as someone with a childlike sense of wonder who, at the same time, could be quite jaded and grumpy. Scarves and unbuttoned shirts were his uniform, he could do a wicked Michael Caine impression and was equally adept at playing covers of Elvis and Taylor Swift. Above all, Kocay put his friends first.

"Every time we needed him he was there," Bourbonniere says. "He changed my feelings about myself he would always tell me, Lise, everybody loves you, I love you, you have nothing to worry about. He would build me up a lot."

Waking up to the sound of Kocay noodling on his guitar first thing in the morning and the impromptu Easter egg hunt he threw for his housemates are cherished memories.

The confident and lovable life of the party was also a complex figure who overindulged and was stubborn to a fault. Childhood friend Aaron Johnston says that while Kocays bullheadedness could be a strain on relationships, it translated into a strict code of ethics and a clear vision for his art and his life.

"He didnt pretend to be comfortable around everyone, he was brutally honest about being uncomfortable," he says. "He was unabashedly himself all the time."

Growing up together in St. Norbert they spent many hours playing shinny on backyard rinks with Kocay providing play-by-play and colour commentary. As adults, they moved through life as co-conspirators in a grand experiment.

"He grounded me he was a force like gravity is a force," Johnston says. "I feel lucky that I had someone like that because I dont know that everyone does.

"I dont have any regrets, because I know that Kipp and I loved each other."

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @evawasney
Nahanni Fontaine remembers the day she was accused of a dress-code violation in 2016, soon after she was elected to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly.

Nahanni Fontaine remembers the day she was accused of a dress-code violation in 2016, soon after she was elected to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly.

She was wearing a stylish, indigo, one-piece pantsuit/jumper that she bought at a shop in London, England.

"It's a gorgeous piece," says the self-proclaimed fashion lover and NDP MLA for St. Johns.

NDP MLA Nahanni Fontaine at rally with midwives on June 30, 2016, two months after being elected, wearing the outfit that was the subject of a complaint to the speaker later that day after question period. (Supplied)

After speaking at a midwives' rally on the legislature steps, then attending question period, the NDP house leader called her over.

"He took me outside and said, 'A complaint has been made to the Speaker's office about what you're wearing.'"

Fontaine was taken aback.

"A man complained to Speaker's office about what I was wearing?" she says. "As a woman, I took offence to that. That was a man in the chamber policing what I wore."

Her alleged dress-code crime?

"The back opens a little," she says.

That complaint follows a litany of chamber dress-code violations over the years involving men in somewhat less-than-appropriate attire, including a military helmet, jeans, a snowmobile suit and a turtleneck.

Orange hoodies and the right to bare arms In 2019, Quebec National Assembly member Catherine Dorion left the chamber after her colleagues chided her for showing up in jeans and an orange hoodie. The Quebec Solidaire member was later admonished for disrespecting the chamber when she posted a photo of herself sitting on the central desk in the assembly wearing a mini skirt. click to read more In 2019, Quebec National Assembly member Catherine Dorion left the chamber after her colleagues chided her for showing up in jeans and an orange hoodie. The Quebec Solidaire member was later admonished for disrespecting the chamber when she posted a photo of herself sitting on the central desk in the assembly wearing a mini skirt. That same year, B.C. spelled out the rules after the legislature's sergeant-at-arms told at least three women that the dress code required them to cover their arms and not wear sleeveless outfits, causing an uproar. Another legislature employee was told to wear a slip under her dress because her dress was clinging to her legs. The new dress code says MLAs, including those who do not gender identify are required to wear professional, contemporary business attire. Neckties for men and sleeves for women are optional. Clothing and badges with brand names, slogans, advertising or political messages, it says, should not be permitted in the chamber. In Ottawa, the "rules of order and decorum" for MPs state that all members desiring to be recognized to speak at any point during the proceedings of the House must be wearing contemporary business attire. It says male MPs are required to wear jackets, shirts and ties unless they're in military or clerical garb. In March 2020, the Speaker affirmed that a Mikmaq MP could wear a beaded medallion instead of a tie. In recent years, Speakers have asked MPs who tucked dress shirts into jeans to change their pants. Yet there are no specific suggestions for female MPs. In 2020, when Michelle Rempel Garner, the Conservative MP for Calgary-Nose Hill, wore a white sleeveless dress during question period, it garnered more attention than the question she was trying to ask to hold the federal government to account. During the pandemic, the Speaker has repeatedly asked MPs to "uphold the dignity of the House" by "being judicious" in how they dress. A handful have forgone neckties without being called out, though the Speaker chided an Ontario MP for wearing a red hoodie under his suit jacket in January. In February, New Zealand MP and Maori party co-leader Rawiri Waititi was ejected from Parliament by the house Speaker for violating the dress code. Rather than wearing the prescribed necktie  which he called "a colonial noose"  Waititi wore a traditional Maori pendant. Following an outcry and support from other MPs, including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Parliament made an exception to the rules and Waititi returned to the chamber.  with files from Dylan Robertson Close

In the 21st century, men in the Manitoba legislature are expected to wear a necktie and a jacket but there's no specific dress code for women or members who don't identify as male or female, says house Speaker Myrna Driedger. To change the standard practices, there needs to be a consensus from the house leaders, she said.

"Not all of the standard practices of the assembly are set out in the rules of the house," Driedger wrote in an email. Some of the customs "have become accepted practice."

"The dress code for the Assembly requires that the male MLAs wear a tie and jacket and that female MLAs wear a corresponding type of attire."

The practice has also been to discourage blue jeans, T-shirts and runners from being worn in either the house or the committee room, she wrote. There's no mention of women showing a bit of their bare back.

"The Speaker doesnt make these rules or practices  only upholds them," Driedger wrote.

Proper wear, no matter where Although the bylaw is vague, and there have been a few gentle prods for wardrobe changes before meetings, Winnipeg's city councillors are pretty good about following the rules. They're required to dress appropriate to the office of a member of council while participating in meetings. In other words, jackets and ties for men and business attire for women. click to read more Although the bylaw is vague, and there have been a few gentle prods for wardrobe changes before meetings, Winnipeg's city councillors are pretty good about following the rules. They're required to dress appropriate to the office of a member of council while participating in meetings. In other words, jackets and ties for men and business attire for women. I think that society has gotten less formal in terms of business attire during the pandemic. And I have to say that the attire in the chamber has remained professional, says council Speaker Devi Sharma. Its part of respect for the role and the important matters of debate. Councillors can choose to attend meetings remotely because of the pandemic. And while no one has logged on in their PJs, Sharma (Old Kildonan) says she and city clerks have had to step in on a few occasions. We certainly have reminded a member of council or two that whether you are participating by Zoom or in the chamber, a jacket and tie is expected, she says, adding the issues have been dealt with proactively before the live recording of the council meeting begins. There was also a recent reminder to one councillor to not wear jeans in the chamber, she says. Council makes some exceptions to the dress code, allowing politicians to wear T-shirts acknowledging special events, such as the Pink Shirt Day anti-bullying campaign. And members occasionally approve motions to allow them to take off jackets when summer weather heats up the heritage building. Sharma says she's open to reassessing the dress code to consider changes but hasn't received any requests. -- joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga Close

Uphold them the Speaker does.

On April 29, MLA Adrien Sala was in his office, about to speak in the house virtually, when the deputy Speaker filling in for Driedger cut him off. The NDP member for St. James was wearing a suit jacket and dress shirt but no necktie, a no-no according to the rules of the chamber, even for members working outside of it.

On March 8, when Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont rose to speak in the house, the Speaker immediately cut him off.

"Im going to have to point out to the honourable member for St. Boniface that he is not dressed according to the code of the legislature," she said. "Im going to have to tell the member that he needs to have a tie to be in the chamber and to be acknowledged."

Lamont apologized and left the chamber to put on a tie.

"I was bringing forward a motion of contempt of the legislature for the fact that the government had brought in 19 blank bills that I thought was a violation of democracy," he says.

"When I came back wearing a tie, I was not allowed to compete my speech. It was more frustrating to me to have my motion ruled out of order.

Dougald Lamont, leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party, is more concerned about what's said in the chamber than what the people saying it are wearing. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files)

In 2018, he wore jeans in the legislature and was required to change after Fontaine complained that his informal attire violated the chamber's dress code.

Hold on... the same Fontaine who, two years earlier, took offence when someone complained about her outfit?

She says when she saw the newly elected Lamont wearing jeans, she rose in her role as the NDP house leader and asked the Speaker if the rules had changed.

"We all know were not allowed to wear jeans," she says.

And it's an apples-and-oranges argument, she says; the expensive designer outfit that another MLA complained about her back  behind her back  didn't violate any stated rules.

"In the context of the chamber, so often men can do what they want," she says. "Im always going to make sure men are challenged on the stuff theyre doing."

Lamont, for his part, is more concerned about what's said in the chamber than what the people saying it are wearing.

"The clothes aren't the problem," he says, adding he loathes heckling in the chamber and the "colossal lack of respect, in general."

"We work in an environment where people are talking about really important issues and it can get very hot, very fast and people get personal," he says. "All these rules are really in place to keep fist fights from breaking out."

He's not kidding.

In one memorable 1996 violation, Kevin Lamoureux donned an army helmet when the chamber felt like "a war zone."

"There were threats of violence," says Lamoureux, then the Liberal MLA for Inkster, recalling debate on privatizing Manitoba Telephone System under Gary Filmon's Progressive Conservative government.

"Gord Mackintosh walked across the floor and some of us thought he was going to hit the premier."

Not so, says the former NDP cabinet minister and MLA for St. Johns.

"I would never do such a thing," Mackintosh says. "That's so far-fetched."

Filmon "held his composure and didn't react; he stared into space," says Lamoureux, now the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North.

He also opposed privatization and was prepared for battle  and publicity  donning the helmet he'd brought into the house for such a moment, and put his hands up in surrender.

"I was trying to emphasize that it was turning into a war zone... and somehow, in a humorous way, get people to calm down."

During April 1997's paralyzing blizzard, Liberal MLA (The Maples) Gary Kowalski donned a snowmobile suit and cross-country skis and made his way from his home in The Maples to McPhillips Street, where he hitched a ride to the legislature with a stranger plowing through the snow-blocked streets in a four-wheel-drive truck. (Winnipeg Free Press files)

Mackintosh says it was a serious matter; then-Speaker Louise Dacquay wasn't recognizing Opposition members or letting them speak, so he got up and crossed the floor to get her attention, not to shake his fist in the premier's face.

He cites a Nov. 28, 1996 Free Press report of the previous day's events describing how he "waved his finger just inches from Filmons face"

"I waved at the speaker," recalls Mackintosh, who says Lamoureux "looked like a buffoon" wearing the helmet, and "it was silly and inappropriate."

Lamoureux doesn't argue the point.

"It wasn't a shining moment in the Manitoba chamber," he says.

Another member's attire was in the spotlight a few months later when the city was buried by April 1997's paralyzing blizzard. Work at the legislature continued, sort of.

Having been subjected to some previous heat in the press for spotty attendance, Liberal MLA Gary Kowalski said he wasn't going to let the weather keep him away from the house.

He donned a snowmobile suit and cross-country skis and made his way from his home in The Maples to McPhillips Street, where he hitched a ride to the legislature with a stranger plowing through the snow-blocked streets in a four-wheel-drive truck.

"He made it to the assembly when so many other members couldn't get in," recalls Mackintosh, a history buff who's written about Manitoba's legislature and its customs and traditions.

Kowalski, a police officer before being elected in the Maples, says he detested taking part in question period, preferring to work with constituents.

"I was ticked off we were having a sitting, that they hadn't cancelled," he says.

Inside the chamber, still in his snowmobile suit and without the requisite necktie, Kowalski rose and asked for leave (unanimous consent) to waive the dress code. It was granted, and he was allowed to remain, wearing his snowsuit unzipped and pulled down to the waist.

"It's the only time the dress code was waived, that I know of," says Mackintosh, who was deputy clerk of the legislature before being elected.

The dress code, he says, was reviewed in 1969 when an MLA was called out for wearing a turtleneck in the house. The member made a motion to get rid of the dress code but it was ruled out of order.

The rules committee then decided men were required to wear a suit jacket and a necktie in the house. It didn't bother with a rule for women.

Fontaine, who serves as NDP justice critic in addition to Opposition house leader, has never again worn her fashionable, though objectionable  at least to one member  outfit to work.

"There has to be a measure of professional attire, but there has to be flexibility," she says. "When people are supposed to look a certain way when they're doing their job, you'll inevitably leave someone out," she says.

In the middle of the largest health and economic crisis in a century, in a country struggling for reconciliation with its Indigenous people, discussing rules of dress for legislative assemblies may not be a priority but it is important, she reckons.

"I think legislatures have to be more reflective of all the people they're representing in the house," she says, adding the rules were set by generations of white men for white men.

"They were never meant for women or Indigenous people." she says.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Jessica Lis advice for the class of 2021, as summed up in one line from her three-minute valedictorian speech: If life gives you lemons, just squeeze them.

Jessica Lis advice for the class of 2021, as summed up in one line from her three-minute valedictorian speech: "If life gives you lemons, just squeeze them."

As she prepares to pre-record her address for Brandon Universitys upcoming virtual convocation, the 21-year-old is trying to take her own advice, by finding the sweet amid the sour of an unusual end to her bachelors degree.

"No one wants to graduate virtually, but at least I dont have to speak in front of anyone," said Li, who admits she has stage fright.

For yet another convocation season, thousands of college and university graduates will not get the chance to walk across a stage to celebrate their achievement this spring, amid the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Schools across the province will instead stream virtual events, with video messages from senior administrators, honourable guests, and valedictorians, and display every graduates name during respective presentations to mimic the roll-call tradition.

Most students will receive their official piece of paper in the mail.

"When youre watching from home, you see your name on the screen pass," said Colin Russell, registrar at the University of Winnipeg. "Theres something about the whole community being together to celebrate all the grads thats exciting, and that we look forward to getting back to."

University of Manitoba science grad Vibhuti Arya is customizing a slide during her virtual ceremony. (Supplied)

University of Manitoba students will get an immersive experience through an online platform designed to include a reception area, graduation cap photo booth and alumni hall, in which users can access real-time advice from older alumni.

Each graduate, including Vibhuti Arya, will be able to customize a slide that will appear with their name on it during the grad presentation.

For Arya, 22, it will be a bittersweet celebration; although her mother and extended family in India will not be able to watch her graduate in-person, they may tune in from afar  depending on the timing, given the 12-hour difference.

"One thing Ive really learned throughout this (pandemic) experience is spending time with family is so important. We should not take that for granted," said the biology student.

Ceremony aside, students are missing out on end-of-year family parties and annual graduation powwows.

Nicole Luke, who is finishing her masters degree in architecture, is taking part in a virtual celebration for Indigenous graduates at the U of M this weekend.

"It feels very relieving (to be done), even though it didnt quite end the way I wanted it to," said Luke, who is Inuk from Chesterfield Inlet, in Kivalliq Region of Nunavut.

Luke plans to celebrate convocation with an outdoor bonfire with her roommates, and a nice family dinner.

Nicole Luke, who is finishing her masters degree in architecture, is taking part in a virtual celebration for Indigenous graduates at the U of M this weekend. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press)

Since March 2020, 5,400 students have graduated virtually from the U of M.

Meantime, Lisa Murray said there will be "hoots and hollers" in her house when her sons name is displayed on a screen during his BU convocation ceremony.

"The whole year has absolutely affected the students  but missing convocation, I think it really affects the whole family," said Murray, who has a lawn sign that celebrates her son on her front yard in Brandon.

The lawn signs have been so popular, its likely the school will continue offering them in a post-pandemic world, said a spokesperson for BU, adding the university plans to invite class of 2020 and 2021 graduates to walk across the stage when its deemed safe to do so.

Li, a chemistry major, said shes proud she overcame challenges with motivation to do schoolwork this year.

She said she has spent much of the last year at home, unable to see friends, attend in-person classes or participate in campus activities, while fuming as she watched rule-breaking peers post on social media about illegal weekend parties.

"At the end of the day, Im satisfied knowing that Ive done everything in my power to keep everyone around me safe," Li said. "That helps me to heal."

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
For Indigenous people, a lodge is a meeting place.

Its for teaching, sharing and gifting.

Its a place where we raise our children, perform ceremonies and forge relationships.

Its a place where respect is paramount and everyone is expected to contribute in some way.

A lodge is place where we welcome newcomers and create treaty, share food and create bonds that can last forever.

Nearly every Indigenous nation has a lodge of some kind. Some are more permanent than others, while some are built year-to-year and even season-to-season.

MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS This week, for the first time in over two centuries, a lodge is being built at Nestowaya (formerly named South Point of The Forks).

A lodge is for everyone, human and non-human. It is a place where the best is possible and reconciliation is an everyday practice.

This week, for the first time in over two centuries, a lodge was built at Nestowaya, where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet  also called The Forks.

It was built from intellectual and creative principles found in the Midewiwin, a society amongst Anishinaabe people tasked with healing, leadership and growth.

Its a beautiful and welcoming place.

Its also not completed yet, with an official opening set for June.

Visitors to The Forks can see it though, just dont go too close. Construction is still taking place on the nearby feast tables, stairs and signage in the area.

Enjoy how beautiful and remarkable this lodge is: it's one of the most important places Indigenous peoples gift to themselves and all of creation.

MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Jason Parenteau, a member of the build team, is looking forward to the role that the structure will play in educating Manitobans about Anishinaabe history and reconnecting Anishinaabe peoples with their roots.

For Indigenous peoples like myself, this lodge represents something else: home.

It represents a place we have lived, thrived and built our nations since time began.

Its a revitalization of a space where teachings, voices and songs  once considered illegal and almost forgotten  can grow again.

Its a place where Indigenous peoples lead and others are welcomed; how life operates best in this place.

This lodge is the newest addition to Niizhoziibean, formerly named South Point of The Forks.

For the past three years, the area has seen a radical overhaul, with the creation of new and accessible walkways, security lighting, the planting of medicines and a handful of projects recognizing the rich presence and contributions of Indigenous communities.

Theyve all been created as part of the work I do as Indigenous curator of The Forks National Historical Site  one of the many hats I wear.

MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Andrew Atkinson (left) and Kirby Nelson tie the structure together.

Working with the leadership at The Forks and about $2 million in funding from sources including Manitoba 150 and the Winnipeg Foundation, the space can (finally) tell the story of Indigenous life in this place.

Visitors to The Forks can see Niimaamaa ("my mother), the huge sculpture at the Main Street entrance designed by Indigenous artists KC Adams, Jaimie Isaac and Val Vint.

They can read Cree, Ojibway and Michif signage explaining the history of Winnipeg and treaties. They can listen to a walking app (I did the voice on that, too).

There are art installations, such as Vints 12-foot bison statue named Education is the New Bison, made out of hundreds of steel books written by Indigenous authors.

Theres also Adams recently unveiled sculpture near the Canadian Museum for Human Rights entitled Tanisi keke totamak  Ka cis teneme toyak, which means "what can we do, to respect each other."

Theres also a future installation near the Oodena Celebration Circle by Isaac that will recognize the Anishinaabe prophecy of the seven fires.

All of these works add to others, like the murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls memorial and the residential school monument, in what has become one of the largest collections of Indigenous-led public expressions in any historical site in Canada.

MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Atkinson works on the lodge, which will have an official opening in June.

Ive consulted with hundreds of Indigenous historians and leaders who have told me stories of The Forks. One was about the Cree and Lakota community that inhabited the area until a devastating 1783 smallpox epidemic opened the way for settlers to enter  the last time a lodge stood there.

This week, the lodge returned, as Indigenous men, women and children rebuilt the space our ancestors fought so hard to protect  and even took underground for a while.

But now theres no need to go underground.

The Forks invited us to lead, re-enter our home and show Winnipeg what has always been here.

Thanks to the work of an entire community, Indigenous life lives again in a place we call home.

The lodge.

Biindigen. Welcome.

niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca
OTTAWA  Manitobas four Liberal MPs have refused to endorse a letter that calls on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to support a waiver on patents for COVID-19 vaccines.

OTTAWA  Manitobas four Liberal MPs have refused to endorse a letter that calls on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to support a waiver on patents for COVID-19 vaccines.

"I dont sign petitions, as a general rule," said Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North).

"My focus is on getting vaccines here in Canada, specifically here in Manitoba. (For) the Third World countries and so forth, Im sympathetic to it. The government of Canada will no doubt work towards it, the best way they can."

The U.S. announced Wednesday it backs a proposal to waive intellectual property protection to help boost the global COVID-19 vaccine supply. Canada has not jumped on board.

MPs Jim Carr, Terry Duguid and Dan Vandal issued statements that echo vague comments made by Trudeau on Friday, in which he said he cares about peoples access to shots across the globe and protecting intellectual property.

At least 34 Liberals were among 76 MPs who had endorsed the letter by mid-afternoon Friday. They want Trudeau to follow U.S. President Joe Biden and push for developing countries to have the right to manufacture vaccines beyond the terms set by Big Pharma.

Manitoba Conservative MPs James Bezan, Candice Bergen and Ted Falk did not respond to the Free Press when asked about the issue.

The partys other Manitoba MPs endorsed the letter: Raquel Dancho, Larry Maguire, Dan Mazier and Marty Morantz.

"It seems like a real no-brainer for me," Dancho said.

"This has turned the world upside down. And were debating whether we should be sharing this coveted vaccine technology with other companies that can provide this to developing nations that cant afford it right now," she said.

"It shouldnt even be a question at this point."

All three of Manitobas NDP MPs  Niki Ashton, Daniel Blaikie and Leah Gazan  signed the letter.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
A plan to vaccinate Manitoba school staff in North Dakota has been shelved, but the premier held out the possibility the state could ship doses here instead.

A plan to vaccinate Manitoba school staff in North Dakota has been shelved, but the premier held out the possibility the state could ship doses here instead.

Last week, Premier Brian Pallister announced he was working with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on a plan to extend to school staff the "essential worker cross-border vaccination initiative." To date, close to 1,000 Manitoba truckers who regularly drive in the U.S. have been vaccinated in the state.

"It was my hope we could have teachers vaccinated in North Dakota," Pallister said Friday. "My friends at the Manitoba teachers union thought that was disrespectful... It wasn't meant that way. It was to help facilitate those who could travel 45 minutes to get a vaccine," the premier said.

Manitoba Teachers' Society president James Bedford, who'd been lobbying for months for teachers to be prioritized for vaccination here, last week called sending them across the border to get the shot a "crazy, Band-Aid solution."

Pallister said Friday that North Dakota is waiting for the White House to allow the vaccines to be shipped from that state to Manitoba.

Burgum "has been nothing but a saint through this process," the premier said.

North Dakota is donating surplus doses from its stockpile of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to its northern neighbour. "I appreciate very much the efforts he's made," Pallister said.

"It's unprecedented to have an American state shipping vaccines across the line into another country," said Pallister. "We need approval from the White House."

Meanwhile, Manitoba has vaccinated close to 500,000 people, Pallister said. The number of vaccines North Dakota might ship to Manitoba is "potentially several thousand," he said.

"It's a small, side issue but it is an important one. If we can get additional vaccines into arms, that's great for us in Manitoba."

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Eye-popping increases in medical interventions for drug overdoses, mental health crises, and intentional acts of self-harm cant be blamed entirely on public health orders issued to help curb the spread of COVID-19, Manitobas chief public health officer testified Friday.

"Eye-popping" increases in medical interventions for drug overdoses, mental health crises, and intentional acts of self-harm cant be blamed entirely on public health orders issued to help curb the spread of COVID-19, Manitobas chief public health officer testified Friday.

"Certainly these harms were increasing pre-pandemic and many of these vulnerable communities are also disproportionately affected by this pandemic itself," Dr. Brent Roussin said. "We have to balance their vulnerability to public health measures, but for sure they are vulnerable to the pandemic itself."

Roussin was testifying at a court challenge launched by seven Manitoba churches that argue pandemic restrictions violate their charter rights.

The churches, along with three individuals, are represented by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a Calgary-based advocacy group which has launched similar court challenges in Alberta and B.C.

Justice centre lawyer Jared Brown pointed to a Nov. 1 health department report that said dramatic post-pandemic increases in several medical and health complaints, including a 240 per cent increase in opioid-related hospitalizations and a 109 per cent increase in intentional injuries. He alleged Roussin and his team made no attempt to assess the risk of the "downstream harms" before instituting public health orders.

"We dont see any indication of a risk assessment," Brown said. "There is no indication of a harm/benefit analysis."

Roussin said he "engaged widely" with local health-care providers, and national and international health experts before issuing public health orders.

"This is a crisis, a 100-year pandemic, and we are required to make decisions during levels of crisis when our hospital capacity was strained, and so were certainly aware of the potential harm," he said. "Were aware of the importance of these activities to Manitobans. Weve never taken these (restrictions) lightly."

Much of Fridays testimony focused on the effectiveness of testing and contact-tracing protocols.

Roussin said seven per cent positive test cases result in hospitalizations within 10 to 14 days and 1.4 per cent will be admitted to intensive care.

When the province reports positive case counts, it doesnt include how many of the cases were infectious at the time of diagnosis, Brown said.

"So the public is not told in any of these positive cases that they may not be able to infect anybody?" Brown said.

"We dont know that. There really isnt any way of discerning that," Roussin said. "In the amount of time that we need to be reporting these it isnt a factor. We know that we have a stable amount of severe outcomes based on that test positive number."

Brown argued the province could reduce its contact-tracing load and better assess infection risk by examining each positive cases cycle threshold value.

Cycle threshold value refers to the estimate of how much virus is present in a sample. Brown said several recent studies suggest the higher the cycle threshold value, the less infectious a person will be.

"It is very difficult to know if they have a low probability of infectiousness because if we are just relying on a high CT value, we dont know if they are early on in their infection and are just about to be more infectious, or if they are late in their infection," Roussin said.

"Even if they have a low probability of infectiousness, its very difficult to know when that low period of probability began. Their contacts could be cases right now. So there is a lot of benefit to doing that contact tracing."

Then there is the question of just how low a risk of infection is acceptable, Roussin said.

"If we had a case where somehow we knew they had a low probability of being infectious, how low would that probability have to be before we had that person go work at a personal care home?" he said. "How low would it have to be before we didnt do a contact-tracing investigation looking for vulnerable contacts?"

There would be severe economic and societal effects if COVID-19 were allowed to spread unchecked, Roussin said. Hospitals fill up and more health-care workers are out sick when theres significant community infection. It can mean serious consequences, even for people who dont have the virus and need health services.

"When we risk overwhelming our health-care system, which in November and December it was, we now start affecting morbidity and mortality for people whove never had COVID-19," he said.

Age, as well as other health issues, is one of the main factors leading to severe outcomes from COVID-19, Roussin said, but even if younger people dont get as sick with the virus, infections in that population can have a significant effect on society, including on health-care workers, first responders and people who work with critical infrastructure.

 with files from The Canadian Press

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
For seven years I have been the chair of a board of a national association in an industry that is supposed to be dying.

Opinion

For seven years I have been the chair of a board of a national association in an industry that is supposed to be dying.

You might imagine that would be a gloomy task. But, quite the contrary, Im happy to report that Canadian newspapers are still very much alive and very much involved in developing sustainable models to deliver news and information in the future.

News Media Canada represents and provides services to daily and community newspapers, and other news outlets, across the country. Its board represents the range of news organizations from big ones such as the Toronto Star to tiny ones like the Gabriola Sounder, a community paper published on Gabriola Island in British Columbia. I stepped down as chair of the board this week, after taking the post in 2014.

A few years earlier, some bright thinkers on the future of media had come up with something called the newspaper extinction timeline. According to it, the Winnipeg Free Press should not be here today.

The timeline predicted newspapers would be extinct in the United States by 2017 and non-existent in Canada by 2020.

Someone should tell that to the New York Times, which this week reported it has 7.8 million subscribers across its print and digital platforms. Or the Globe and Mail, which has more than 170,000 digital-only subscribers and is aiming for 350,000 by 2023.

Newspapers still struggle  10 closed in Manitoba alone last year. More and more communities are without reliable news reporting. I recently helped judge applications for grants to hire journalists in undercovered areas and was shocked at the number of places where there is no one to report on city council, courts or schools.

However, demand for the news we produce is high. We remain a trusted source of fact-based reporting, a bulwark against the misinformation, disinformation and outright lies that flow freely around the digital world.

And there is recognition and support for the essential role newspapers play that inspire confidence when I look to the future.

John Hinds, News Media Canadas former executive director, and I went to Ottawa shortly after the election of Justin Trudeaus government in 2015 to talk to people in the Heritage Department. Our message was simple: newspapers are important, and theyre in trouble. We were met with blank stares.

There was little understanding of the precarious position newspapers were in, or the potential impact on communities if they disappeared. Such phrases as "news deserts" and "news poverty" werent yet in common use.

Contrast that to today: the Heritage Department is led by fiery former activist Steven Guilbeault, who once climbed Torontos CN Tower to protest climate policies. He is planning legislation to implement what news publishers have long sought  a requirement for Facebook and Google to compensate them when their content is used on digital platforms.

The change in attitude came slowly. Unsurprisingly, the first thing the government did was study the problem. This included funding the Public Policy Forum to produce The Shattered Mirror, a report that concluded real news is in crisis and without it democracy is at risk.

Eventually, the federal government put money into hiring reporters in areas of news poverty  places that dont get news about themselves. Then came a large program to support journalism  refundable tax credits to help pay editorial salaries, tax credits for people who buy digital subscriptions and another a provision to allow non-profit news outlets to issue charitable receipts for donations.

It took time. The first cheques from the journalism support program arrived earlier in 2021, five years after John and I first made the case for help.

Now there is a clear understanding that a strong and independent news industry is crucial to Canadas democracy  and that government has a role to play in supporting this.

But government help is only part of the puzzle as newspapers develop new business models. Newspapers are creatures of the communities they serve, and they exist only with the support of those communities.

At the Free Press, we benefit from strong support from our readers. I had misty eyes more than a few times over the past year when I opened the mail to discover unsolicited donations from readers.

Many more signed up for our news. In March we had 8.6 per cent more subscribers than a year earlier. This is driven largely by growth in digital subscriptions. We now have 17,500 paid digital subscribers. Were aiming for 100,000.

In 2022, the Free Press will mark 150 years of operating in Winnipeg. Were not thinking about a funeral; were thinking about a celebration.

Bob Cox is the publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press.
Former Free Press reporter Bill Redekop used to deploy his formidable storytelling skills in the district around Steinbach, Winkler, Morden and Altona.

Opinion

Former Free Press reporter Bill Redekop used to deploy his formidable storytelling skills in the district around Steinbach, Winkler, Morden and Altona.

Headlines are written by editors, not the authors of the news stories, and Redekop objected when an editor adorned one of his stories with a headline that included the term "Bible Belt," a descriptor Redekop avoided.

"When you put Bible Belt on my story, you make it hard for me when I go back out there," he said. "They hate that term."

The distaste of southern Manitobans for the expression was echoed recently by Kyle Penner, an assistant pastor at Grace Mennonite Church in Steinbach, when he posted a Twitter thread about a high level of vaccine hesitancy in his region.

"I sensed there was some frustration toward southern Manitoba in doing their part, and shaming and blaming is not going to work," he wrote. "Dont call us the Bible Belt. Calling us a Bible Belt is shorthand for calling us ignorant country bumpkins."

Many more of us can now relate to Penners frustration about stereotyping. Its been a week in which Christians everywhere were disparaged.

The public bashing of Christians was a reaction to a court hearing for seven Manitoba churches fighting provincial pandemic restrictions limiting their right to assembly.

Outside of court this week, the public had its say in forums that included social media, a radio talk show and the Free Press letters section. People expressed outrage that "Christians" are defying pandemic restrictions. Without regard for context, some critics linked all Christians with the adherents of fringe churches who are staging public spectacles of rip-off-your-mask defiance.

Its clearly wrong to link the vast majority of Christians with the 100 or so unmasked protesters who gathered outside the legislature this week as the first witness, who is a pastor of Church of God (Restoration), argued in court that only God, not the Manitoba government, has the authority to restrict church gatherings.

What kind of church offers such an improbable legal argument? That was a mystery even to Manitobans who are within religious circles and are familiar with variations of Christianity. Almost no one knew about this church.

Turns out the Church of God (Restoration) was founded in the 1980s by a former heroin addict, Daniel Layne, who left the more mainstream Church of God to form his own more "pure" group. It now has about 20 small congregations worldwide. Members believe they are the only true church, ordained by both divine command and partly by prophecy they interpret in the Book of Revelation, a Bible book which often bewilders readers with surreal images.

It should go without saying, but well say it anyway: almost all Manitobans, of all faiths, would strongly disagree that the only true church is The Church of God (Restoration). This church, located in rural-municipality anonymity about 15 kilometres south of Steinbach, only came to light in Manitoba when members began posting social-media reports of defying pandemic restrictions.

Most Christians regard these far-out fundamentalists with eye-rolling dismay. Some of us feel trepidation that a charismatic pastor is leading his adherents in dangerous directions.

Contrast this with the pandemic safety measures that have been observed (religiously observed, so to speak) at almost all Manitoba churches, mosques, temples and synagogues. Members are masking up, distancing two metres apart, and meeting in small groups. They do it even though theyre frustrated because the restrictions halt much of the good work traditionally done by faith communities.

The pandemic has stopped the faithful from visiting sick and lonely people, including the many victims of mental illness and addictions whose problems have worsened during 14 months of isolation. The faith communities cant reopen their facilities to self-help groups and cant properly host social gatherings such as funerals and weddings. People of faith are usually a main source of volunteers at charities, including secular charities, but no one can volunteer these days.

When public-health officials give the go-ahead, faith communities can survey the community casualties inflicted by COVID-19, and find ways to to help.

Tellingly, the desire to be of service to the community was not an argument put forth this week by the rogue churches in court. Its all about them as they argue their rights to freedom of religion and peaceful assembly are being violated.

While having their days in court, perhaps the plaintiffs could do us all a favour and adhere to pandemic restrictions so they dont spread virulent droplets. It wouldnt kill them to keep their masks on. In fact, it might save lives.

carl.degurse@freepress.mb.ca

Carl DeGurse is a member of the Free Press editorial board.
JERUSALEM - Israeli police on Saturday clashed with Palestinian protesters outside Jerusalem's Old City during the holiest night of Ramadan, in a show of force that threatened to deepen the holy city's worst religious unrest in several years. Earlier, police blocked busloads of pilgrims headed to Jerusalem to worship.

JERUSALEM - Israeli police on Saturday clashed with Palestinian protesters outside Jerusalem's Old City during the holiest night of Ramadan, in a show of force that threatened to deepen the holy city's worst religious unrest in several years. Earlier, police blocked busloads of pilgrims headed to Jerusalem to worship.

Police defended their actions as security moves, but these were seen as provocations by Muslims who accuse Israel of threatening their freedom of worship. Competing claims in east Jerusalem, home to the city's most sensitive Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites, lie at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and have triggered major rounds of violence in the past.

The unrest came a day after violence in which Palestinian medics said more than 200 Palestinians were wounded in clashes at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound and elsewhere in Jerusalem. Friday's violence drew condemnations from Israels Arab allies and calls for calm from the United States and Europe and the United Nations, and prompted the Arab League to schedule an emergency meeting on Monday.

Police chief Koby Shabtai said he was deploying more police in Jerusalem following Friday night's clashes, which left 18 police officers wounded. After weeks of nightly violence, Israelis and Palestinians were bracing for more conflict in the coming days.

Saturday night was "Laylat al-Qadr" or the "Night of Destiny," the most sacred in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Islamic authorities estimated 90,000 people were gathered for intense nighttime prayers at Al-Aqsa, the third-holiest site in Islam.

"The right to demonstrate will be respected but public disturbances will be met with force and zero tolerance. I call on everyone to act responsibly and with restraint," Shabtai said.

Paramilitary border police marched along the streets of east Jerusalem in full riot gear, with some mounted on horses. In one instance, police clashed with protesters outside the Old City's Damascus Gate after being pelted with water bottles. Police patrols fired stun grenades as they moved through the area, and a police truck periodically fired a water cannon.

One man with a small boy yelled at the police as they marched by. "You should be ashamed!" he said.

Earlier, police reported clashes in the Old City, near Al-Aqsa, and in the nearby east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where dozens of Palestinians are fighting attempts by Israeli settlers to evict them from their homes. Police reported several arrests, and Palestinian medics said two protesters were hospitalized after being beaten by police. Police said one officer was struck in the face with a rock.

Earlier Saturday, police stopped a convoy of buses that were filled with Arab citizens on the main highway heading to Jerusalem for Ramadan prayers. Israels public broadcaster Kan said police stopped the buses for a security check.

Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during Ramadan, and travellers, upset that they were stopped without explanation on a hot day, exited the buses and blocked the highway in protest. Kan showed footage of the protesters praying, chanting slogans and marching along the highway toward Jerusalem. The road was reopened several hours later.

Ibtasam Maraana, an Arab member of parliament, accused police of a "terrible attack" on freedom of religion. "Police: Remember that they are citizens, not enemies," she wrote on Twitter.

Protests broke out at the beginning of Ramadan three weeks ago when Israel restricted gatherings at a popular meeting spot outside Jerusalems Old City. Israel removed the restrictions, briefly calming the situation, but protests have reignited in recent days over the threatened evictions in east Jerusalem, which is claimed by both sides in their decades-old conflict.

Other recent developments, including the cancellation of Palestinian elections, deadly violence in which a Palestinian teenager, two Palestinian gunmen and a young Israeli man were killed in separate incidents in the West Bank, and the election to Israels parliament of a far-right Jewish nationalist party, also have contributed to the tense atmosphere. One right-wing lawmaker, Itamar Ben-Gvir, briefly set up an outdoor "office" in the heart of a Palestinian neighbourhood last week, infuriating local residents.

On Sunday evening, Jewish Israelis begin marking "Jerusalem Day," a national holiday in which Israel celebrates its annexation of east Jerusalem and religious nationalists hold parades and other celebrations in the city. On Monday, an Israeli court is expected to issue a verdict on the planned evictions in Sheikh Jarrah.

Israel captured east Jerusalem, along with the West Bank and Gaza  territories the Palestinians want for their future state  in the 1967 Mideast war.

Israel annexed east Jerusalem in a move not recognized internationally, and views the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians view east Jerusalem  which includes major holy sites for Jews, Christians and Muslims  as their capital, and its fate is one of the most sensitive issues in the conflict.

The Al-Aqsa mosque compound is the third holiest site in Islam. It is also the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount because it was the location of the biblical temples. It has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In recent days, protests have grown over Israel's threatened eviction in Sheikh Jarrah of dozens of Palestinians embroiled in a long legal battle with Israeli settlers trying to acquire property in the neighbourhood.

The United States said it was "deeply concerned" about both the violence and the threatened evictions. The so-called Quartet of Mideast peace makers, which includes the U.S., European Union, Russia and United Nations, also expressed concern.

Canada, too, said it was troubled by the situation, and called for the "immediate de-escalation of tensions."

"Canada calls for renewed commitment to peace and security and, as always, stands ready to support efforts for a two-state solution," Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said in a statement.

Egypt and Jordan, which made peace with Israel decades ago, condemned Israel's actions, as did the Gulf countries of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, two of the four Arab countries that signed U.S.-brokered normalization agreements with Israel last year. The UAE expressed "strong condemnation" of Israel's storming of Al-Aqsa.

In a call to Palestine TV late Friday, President Mahmoud Abbas praised the "courageous stand" of the protesters and said Israel bore full responsibility for the violence. Abbas last week postponed planned parliamentary elections, citing Israeli restrictions in east Jerusalem for the delay.

Israel's Foreign Ministry had earlier accused the Palestinians of seizing on the threatened evictions, which it described as a "real-estate dispute between private parties," in order to incite violence.

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and opposes Israel's existence, has called for a new intifada, or uprising.

In an interview with a Hamas-run TV station, the group's top leader Ismail Haniyeh warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to "play with fire" in Jerusalem.

"Neither you, nor your army and police, can win this battle," he said.

Akram reported from Gaza City, Gaza Strip.
SpaceX just launched another test flight of an early Mars rocket prototype at its South Texas facility, sending the towering silver vehicle soaring up to about six miles above Earth, then putting it through a series of aerial acrobatics before re-lighting two of its engines and landing it upright back on a landing pad.

The vehicle, called SN15, was the fifth of SpaceX's rocket prototypes to attempt such a landing and the first to do so successfully. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed the successful landing on Twitter:

It comes after four previous prototypes attempted to safely land after soaring a few miles into the air, with all of the prior missions ending in explosions.

SN15 is an early iteration of Starship, the vehicle that Musk envisions will one day carry the first humans to Mars.

The vehicle has several improvements over its predecessors, according to SpaceX. They include upgrades to its hardware, communication and navigation systems, software and it's massive engines, which are called Raptor engines.

Musk first explained Starship's intended landing method during a September 2019 media event. He billed it as a unique maneuver that would see the rocket dive back through the air with its belly pointed toward the Earth as its four fins shift slightly to keep it steady. It's a maneuver that Musk said is intended to mimic how a skydiver would fall through the air, rather than the straight vertical descent to Earth that SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets employ when they come in for landings.

Perfecting the belly-flop landing maneuver is essential to "enable a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration, interplanetary flights and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond," according to the company's website.

The last prototype to fly, SN11, exploded during landing, rained shrapnel on a nearby beach and threatened nearby video equipment that was set up by YouTubers trying to capture footage of the launch. The prototype before that, SN10, landed upright in March but independent footage of the event showed the vehicle exploded about three minutes later.

All of SpaceX's Starship prototypes thus far have been far less powerful than the final product envisioned by Musk. While most of the test vehicles have had three engines, the final spaceship is expected to have more than 30, including a separate, massive rocket booster, dubbed Super Heavy, used for getting to orbit.

SpaceX has yet to publicly test the Super Heavy rocket booster, though Musk has said he hopes a Starship vehicle will reach orbit within a year.

SpaceX is also planning to lend out a slightly modified version of the vehicle to NASA for its moon program, Artemis. Under a recently awarded contract, Starship will be used to ferry astronauts from a space station orbiting the moon down to the lunar surface within the next few years, marking the first time humans have returned to the moon since NASA's mid-20th Century Apollo program.

Update: An earlier version of this story stated that the final spaceship will have more than 40 engines. It is not yet clear what that number will end up being, but the latest information from SpaceX suggets that it will be more than 30.
Health care workers of Asian and Pacific Islander descent say they have been subjected to racial slurs and sometimes physical attacks amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Posted: May 8, 2021 10:33 AM

Posted By: The Associated Press
Utica, N.Y. - On Thursday we told you about an elaborate scam that Rome Police say duped an elderly Rome woman out of $9,000, now State Police say the same thing has happened to two other elderly people here in Central New York, and for even more money.

That Rome woman we told you about on Thursday wasn't alone in doing what she could to help whom she thought was her own grandchild and State Police say two other grandparents have also gotten taken trying to help their grandchildren, one was taken for $9,800 and the other for $15,000, all in cash.

State Police say an 83-year-old woman received a call from a man posing as an attorney, who said police had just arrested her grandson and needed $9,800 in cash for legal fees. Police say the victim retrieved the cash and waited for a courier to pick the cash up at her home and she then gave it to him.

The same thing happened to an 87-year-old man, but this time that grandfather gave the courier $15,000 in cash for his grandson's bail.

State Police have not released the locations of where these other two scams took place here in the Troop D Region.

State Police are warning area seniors this weekend to be alert to anyone who calls asking for money.

They are also urging family members to have a talk with their elderly loved ones to make sure they are aware that this sort of thing is happening and what to do if they receive a call. They should call a loved one or the police.

State Police say a grandparent may think they would know whether they were speaking to their own grandchild or to an imposter, but they say it is easy to be fooled. The caller may be crying or the background may be noisy, or the caller may claim the connection is bad.

State Police say the numbers of these types of scams where people impersonate family members are up nationally.

In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission received 24,545 such complaints, up from 20,234 in 2019.

New Yorkers alone filed 1,359 complaints in 2020.

Additional information about the so-called Grandparent Scam can be found on the New York State Attorney Generals website : https://ag.ny.gov/

New Yorkers who have been targeted by this scam are urged to file a complaint by completing an online complaint form on the Attorney General's website or by calling (800) 771-7755.
Nearly 300 workers at the coffee maker Jacobs Douwe Egbert (JDE) in Banbury, Oxfordshire have been put under a 45-day consultation on new contracts to be imposed by a Section 188 fire and rehire threat.

The Jacobs Douwe Egbert factory in Banbury [Credit: BanburyFM]

If they refuse to sign new contracts, they will be dismissed, as early as August.

Fire and rehire is the preferred means of big business to inflict major cuts in workers conditions in pursuit of profits.

JDE is part of a transnational conglomerate, JDE Peets headquartered in the Netherlands, part of the JAB Holding investment arm and holding company of the billionaire Reimann family. JAB Holding Company and the JDB Consumer Fund manages $50 billion capital invested in many industries.

JAB bought JDE Peets coffee and tea business for nearly $1 billion in 2012. The world largest coffee and tea producer, it employs of a global workforce of more than 19,000 across 30 countries. It has a supply chain over more than 100 countries producing over 50 brands like LOR, Jacobs, Senseo, Tassimo, Douwe Egberts, Old Town, Super, Pickwick and Moccona.

During the pandemic JDE Peets saw a 9.1 percent growth, total sales of 6.7 billion, an operating profit of 933 million and a free cash flow of 877 million.

But JDE is intent on wringing even more profits from its Banbury workforce. Management plans, amongst other savings, to cut traditional Christmas and bank holiday pay rates, introduce unpaid breaks and limit them to 30 minutes. It is estimated that workers could lose 3,500 a year in pay, with the Unite union stating that some members could lose between 7,00012,000-a-year.

A source told the Banbury Guardian, They propose a four-shift pattern forcing staff to work 12-hour shifts, nights, weekends etc. Those potentially hardest hit may lose thousands of pounds a year and most of their benefits. Even those offered days (8am4pm) or double days (6am10pm) would lose out because of unpaid breaks, flat-rate overtime and no payments for bank holidays. There are proposals to ditch the company's final salary pension scheme and replace it with a cheaper, inferior system.

The newspaper reports that the factory makes as much coffee in a 12-hour shift as other JDE factories take a week to make, in spite of the plant having out-dated and obsolete equipment. But JDE maintains the Banbury factory is 'significantly more expensive to run compared to other factories within the JDE network' and that there is an 'overwhelming need' to reset manufacturing at the plant.

JDEs fire and rehire plans were first announced in March 2020 but then rescinded due to the first coronavirus national lockdown. During the pandemic, with millions of people confined to their homes, sales from Kenco Tassimo, Kenco and LOR grew by 40 percent in 12 months. The workforce were sent into the factory to deal with the extra workload.

In January, the company began consultation with Unite and on February 25 gave formal notification of the implementation of fire and rehire proceedings. Unite delayed a strike ballot for months. On March 15, Unite members voted by a majority of 96 percent in a consultative ballot with the option to strike, followed by another ballot mid-April recording an 87 percent majority vote to strike.

On May 1, a demonstration was held at the plant and a ban on overtime introduced. So far, just two token 24-hour strikes have been called for May 8 and May 15, with a 72-hour strike to begin on May 26.

Unite has no intention of waging a struggle against JDE. It maintains that a resolution can be found through the governments mediation service, ACAS. Meanwhile JDE is pressurising workers to sign the new contracts and offering anyone working overtime double pay rates.

On Friday, Unite entered talks under the auspices of ACAS. It issued a statement Thursday quoting Unite national officer for the food industry Joe Clarke saying, We going into tomorrows talks with JDE management in a constructive frame of mind as we believe that no coherent business case has been made for these despicable fire and rehire proposals.

Profits were being threatened and strikes were the last thing the union wanted or the company needs, insisted Clarke. We believe that this industrial action will eventually cause severe disruption to production schedules and therefore hit the company where it hurtson the bottom line which wont amuse the global management.

The situation at JDE replicates what has happened at British Gas, where the company was able to dismiss its workforce and rehire on inferior contracts despite 7,000 engineers striking for 43 days. The GMB advised its members to individually sign the contracts. Hundreds who did not were isolated and sacked. Three other unions, Unison, Unite and Prospect, agreed to the inferior contracts months earlier.

Unites main complaint is that JDEs actions are immoral and that the company and Conservative government should come to their senses. Clarke demanded fire and rehire was taken off the table to allow constructive talks with the management on the plants future.

No effort is being made by Unite to join the fight of workers in Banbury with those employed by the company in Europe and internationally. In its Thursday statement, Unite said it is liaising with its European trade union counterparts on offers of solidarity.

Far from promoting workers unity, Unite argues that the Banbury plant is more profitable than others in Europe, citing the increase in sales and profits over the last year.

Unite is being staunchly backed by the pseudo-left Socialist Workers Party, which claims there is fantastic solidarity from JDE workers across Europe. In France theyre discussing one-hour stoppages, and overtime bans begin next week in the Netherlands and Germany. But even if such token action by the unions materialises, and there is no reason to believe a word said by Unite and its European counterparts, they would be organised on a nationalist, pro-company basis. No international action against JDE seeking to unify workers in struggle is being planned anywhere.

JDE has regularly shut and restructured plants in Europe, with barely a murmur from the unions. In 2016, it announced plans to close its factory in Grimbergen, Belgium. The closure was implemented seamlessly in January 2017 with the loss of 274 jobs after consultative talks with the unions. Production capacity was transferred to JDE operations in the Netherlands, Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

JDE workers at Banbury cannot wage a successful struggle to defend their jobs, terms and conditions if their struggle is led by Unite. There is no possibility of waging a fight against a global corporation such as JDE on a local or national basis. Workers must form a rank-and-file committee, acting independently of Unite and contact JDE workers throughout Europe and internationally to discuss a united offensive. The Socialist Equality Party urges Banbury workers to contact us to discuss the struggle ahead, read the call for an International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) and take part in the fight to form committees.
Written and directed by Matt Chambers.

British filmmaker Matt Chambers feature debut The Bike Thief is a harrowing drama about an impoverished immigrant family living in London. In its title and subject matter, the movie pays deliberate and admiring tribute to the famed 1948 Italian neorealist film, Bicycle Thieves ( Ladri di biciclette US title, The Bicycle Thief ), directed by Vittorio De Sica (1902-1974).

The Bike Thief

There proves to be some genuine substance to the artistic and social connection the new film has to the original classicto the youthful directors credit.

As in the earlier Italian movie, the narrative in The Bike Thief centers on a means of transportation vital to the survival of a worker and his family. Through the unfolding of its story, the movie offers a scathing commentary on the whole social structure.

About the 1948 work, a critic once noted that the film-maker obliges the viewer to think, as well as feel, to ponder the question: What needs to be done to make this a truly human society? (Edward Murray, Ten Film ClassicsA Re-Viewing)

Chambers movie takes place in London, a city characterized by grotesque social inequality and home to hundreds of billionaires and multi-millionaires. From that point of view, the social divide is far greater in contemporary Britain than it was in postwar Italy. Concentrating within itself the malignant inequality ripping through UK society, London has inevitably become an epicenter of the pandemic.

Filmed before the outbreak of COVID-19, The Bike Thief concerns a nameless (simply the Rider) Romanian immigrant (Alec Secareanu) who works as a pizza delivery man motorbiking through the metropolis. He needs the income to help support his wife Elena (Anamaria Marinca), teenage daughter Miri (Alexia Maria Proca) and baby son, sheltered in a cramped housing estate apartment. His bulbous helmet with dark visor lends a sense of anonymity and self-quarantine as he careens through the impersonal neighborhoods.

The Riders reality is a day-to-day grind of dropping his wife at her cleaning job, biking his daughter to school, then working into the night for subsistence wages. His scooter is what keeps the family from falling into homelessness and destitution.

However, one momentous night, after a shift, his bike is stolen from in front of the pizza shop. The desperation then etched on his face reminds one of the look of a man condemned to death. He cannot at this point tell his wife, who simultaneously loses her job due to a petty bourgeois wretch of an employer. The stress and menace of his situation grow by the second.

With the help of a teenage resident of the housing estate, he organizes a posse of young boys to help steal a scooter. But since there are no real criminals in the bunch, the excursion fails.

Going to the police is a dead end. Moreover, the owner of the pizza shop is the owner of the motor bike, as well as the Riders landlord. So, no scooter, no job, no money, no housing, and because the heartless shyster carries no insurance on the vehicle, the triply exploited worker would have to somehow carve money out of his own hide for the moped. This is a London with no mercy.

The Bike Thief (2020)

The camera in The Bike Thief stays focused on the grim geography of working class life, its narrow confines and regimented rhythms. Human relations are dominated by the daily struggle to survive, which punishes the vulnerable and taxes the nervous system to its limits. The film creates an unusually intimate relationship between the viewer and the helmeted Everyman. Neither he nor his family remain abstractions. They live and breathe and evoke a deep personalized sympathy.

In an interview, lead actor Secareanu mentions that many of my friends in Romania know a lot about this situation. Two million people now live outside the country. Many of the Romania immigrants are college-educated, teachers, but take jobs such as delivery boys, cleaners, construction jobs and truck drivers. They do this only for the sake of their kids.

Director Chambers notes that London has a multicultural population, and adds, speaking of the social situation in the city generally, I am obsessed with the transition that you can go from an estate [housing project] right into a gentrified area. With COVID, we are more reliant on delivery guys. People need to be more aware and sensitive to them.

The film is exceptional in that it is one instance where the updated version is neither an insult nor a travesty in regard to the original. It conveys some of the same social sentiment and anger as the De Sica film.

Based on a story by Cesare Zavattini, De Sicas Bicycle Thieves opens with a government agent calling out the name of unemployed worker Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani) as a desperate throng of Romans wait for a chance to work. Antonio is offered a job pasting posters on walls. It is a good job with family benefits, but absolutely requires someone owning a bicycle.

Bicycle Thieves (The Bicycle Thief) 1948

In fact, Antonio has had to pawn his bike. Now his wife Maria (Lianella Carell) will pawn their sheets to retrieve the vehicle. Relief is not long-lasting, as the bike is stolen on Antonios first day on the job! Much of the movie is taken up by Antonios tension-filled, needle-in-the-haystack quest, in the company of his devoted young son Bruno (Enzo Staiola), to find his stolen property, seen as his salvation, in Romes mean streets.

They begin at the Porta Portese market, where stolen bicycle parts end up on the black market. In these scenes, the strain on Antonio begins to become unbearable. De Sica also condemns the Catholic Church in passing, with its luxurious trappings, as it throws a few crumbs to the poor.

Father and son finally track down the thief and pursue him to a brothel, where hostile neighbors shield the culprit, another penniless soul (and an epileptic). As with the Chambers film, the police are useless. Physically and mentally depleted, Antonio makes a futile attempt to steal a bike. Now, a bewildered vision of sweat and rags, Antonio, with a traumatized Bruno at his side, elicits the sympathy of the bicycles owner. The movies last sequence is one of the most heart-wrenching in cinema.

The black-and-white cinematography is both lyrical and agonizing, capturing the bleeding wounds of ruined, postwar Italy. The non-professionals perform with unity of purpose, their characters experiences directly associated with their own.

One critic aptly summed up the films concerns: What seems to be a series of fortuitous episodes is in fact a carefully orchestrated tour through the various social hells of urban Italy at that time. And hidden beneath the semblance of life being lived is, in fact, one of the dominant themes of post-war Italian films: the kind of acts ordinary people are driven to by the circumstances of war and its aftermath. (Ted Perry, Cinema: A Critical Dictionary )

The kind of acts ordinary people are driven to. So it was then, so it is now.
The four former Minneapolis police officers who participated in the murder of George Floyd last year were indicted on Friday by a grand jury with charges of federal civil rights crimes. Separately, Derek Chauvinwho was found guilty on April 20 of all three counts of murder for kneeling on George Floyds neck and causing his asphyxiationwas also indicted on two counts of civil rights violations for a 2017 assault on a Minneapolis teenager.

The two grand jury indictmentsfiled in the US District Court of Minnesotawere published by the US Department of Justice along with a press release that states, The first indictment charges former Minneapolis Police Department officers Derek Chauvin, 45; Tou Thao, 35; J. Alexander Kueng, 27; and Thomas Lane, 38, with federal civil rights crimes for their roles in the death of George Perry Floyd Jr.

The officers involved in the killing of George Floyd [Credit: Hennepin County Sheriffs Office]

Both indictments charge the former cops of violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, Deprivation of Rights Under the Color of Law, which states that it is a crime for an official acting with the authority of law enforcement to willfully violate a persons constitutional rights.

In the first indictment, count one is against Chauvin for kneeling on Floyds neck which, resulted in bodily injury to and the death of, George Floyd. Count two is against Thao and Kueng, who, willfully failed to intervene to stop Defendant Chauvins use of unreasonable force. Count three charges all four officers with having, willfully failed to aid Floyd, thereby acting with deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of harm, when they saw him in clear need of medical care.

The Justice Department announcement says that the new charges are separate from both the charges brought against the officers for criminal offenses against Minnesota state laws and the federal investigation into the civil pattern and practice of the City of Minneapolis and its police department.

The second indictment contains two counts of civil rights violations by Chauvin against a 14-year-old student from Minneapolis on September 4, 2017. The first count states that Chauvin without legal justification, held Juvenile 1 by the throat and struck Juvenile 1 multiple times in the head with a flashlight. The assault was conducted with a dangerous weapona flashlightand resulted in bodily injury to Juvenile 1.

The second count states that Chauvin also violated the youths civil rights by pressing his knee on the neck and the upper back of Juvenile 1 even after Juvenile I was lying prone, handcuffed, and unresisting.

According to CNN, court documents filed by Minnesota prosecutors show that the 2017 incident began with a domestic assault call to the Minneapolis police. The incident involved a mother who was intoxicated attacking her teenage daughter with a curling iron.

Minneapolis police officers arrived on the scene and, after the 14-year-old brother of the girl refused commands to exit his bedroom, Chauvin choked him, assaulted him with the flashlight and then kneeled on his neck and back.

The CNN report said the youth had blood coming from his ear and, at some point, he lost consciousness from Chauvins application of a neck restraint. The court documents stated, The child began repeatedly telling the officers that he could not breathe, and his mother told Chauvin to take his knee off her son.

In his police report, Chauvin falsified the facts of what occurred and charged both teenagers with domestic assault and the boy with obstruction of justice but their mother declined to press charges. Police body camera footage established that Chauvin assaulted the teenage boy within 41 seconds of instructing him to exit the bedroom.

Behind the federal grand jury indictments is Biden administration Attorney General Merrick Garland and the efforts of the Democratic Party to press its agenda of police reform as a means of assuaging popular outrage over the epidemic of Americans being killed at a rate of three per day across the country. As pointed out by Jonathan M. Smith, Executive director of the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, civil rights prosecution of police officers requires proof of willfulness, the highest intent standard under criminal law.

The Washington Post reports that over a ten-year period from 2005 to 2014 while more than 10,000 people were killed by police, 153 officers were charged, or about 1.5 percent, according to a database maintained by Philip Matthew Stinson at Bowling Green University. Of those charged, approximately 76 resulted in convictions or less than three-quarters of one percent of the total number of killings.

Further evidence that the political establishment is seeking to use the Minneapolis officers involved in Floyds public execution to contain public outrage over ongoing police violence is the statement of Reverend Al Sharpton of the National Action Network. Sharpton hailed the latest indictments as a significant development for police reform, contrasting them with the 2014 police killings of Eric Garner on Staten Island and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in which no federal charges were brought. Sharpton, of course, failed to mention that those instances of police murder took place during the administration of Democrat Barack Obama.

The federal indictments against the four former Minneapolis officers for civil rights violations furthermore shoots a hole in the narrative promoted by the Democrats and their pseudo-left appendages who claim that police violence is a manifestation of anti-black racism by whites. The team of Minneapolis cops includesin addition to Derek Chauvin and Thomas Lane, who are whiteTou Thao, who is Asian-American, and J. Alexander Kueng, who is African American.
A coalition of human rights organizations has filed a brief before the International Criminal Court charging Chiles sitting president, Sebastian Pinera, along with former and current civilian, military and police authorities with crimes against humanity. The case, stemming from the ruthless repression meted out by the Pinera government against mass protests in 2019, has been filed in the midst of savage police-state repression against popular upheavals in Colombia by the far-right government of President Ivan Duque.

Surrounded by military personnel, Sebastian Pinera signed 2019 state of emergency decree (credit: Presidencia de Chile)

Former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon, the Chilean Human Rights Commission (CHDH), the American Association of Jurists (AAJ) and the Centro di Ricerca ed Elaborazione per la Democrazia (CRED), sent the brief to ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda last week. The next stage is for the prosecutor Bensouda to determine whether the case falls within the ICCs jurisdiction, whether there are grounds to maintain that there were crimes against humanity and the admissibility of the appeal, a process that takes years according to the lawyers involved.

In their 141-page brief the plaintiffs request that the ICC initiate an investigation, file an indictment, and launch a trial (against) the President of the Republic of Chile and other civilian, political and police authorities for widespread and systematic attacks against a civilian population occurring simultaneously throughout the national territory of the Republic of Chile, from October 6, 2019 and up to the present day, which we consider to constitute Crimes against Humanity.

Those who stand accused are the ultra-right president Sebastian Pinera, along with former and current interior ministers Andres Chadwick, Gonzalo Blumel, Victor Perez and Rodrigo Delgado, the former undersecretary of the Interior, Rodrigo Ubilla, the current undersecretary of the Interior, Juan Francisco Galli, the former ministers of Defense, Alberto Espina, and Mario Desbordes, the former general director of the Carabineros, Chiles militarized national police force, Mario Rozas and the current general director, Ricardo Yanez, as well as the mayor of the Metropolitan Region, Felipe Guevara.

The document explains that the Pinera government pursued from the beginning a policy of state repression to confront the demands of the rights of the population as if it were a declaration of internal war, suspending constitutional guarantees and deploying the army in the streets, thus preparing the ground for the commission of the worst State crimes.

The brutal police actions were not isolated or independent of each other, but were part of a plan aimed at carrying out an organized, massive, extensive and systematic attack against the civilian population, with the objective of repressing manifestations of dissent, containing social demands, and exercising political intimidation.

The government continued with this policy in spite of being updated by the National Institute of Human Rights, an autonomous state agency; the Public Prosecutors Office, the autonomous prosecutorial body intervening in the Chilean judicial system; and the Directorate of Studies of the Supreme Court (all of which are obliged to inform the government of human rights abuses committed by state agents).

In complete disregard of reports and recommendations submitted by state, national and international human rights organizations, which tabulated violations against thousands of demonstrators, journalists, reporters and photographers, human rights personnel and health brigades, the government at first denied that its repressive arm committed any crimes, admitting to only possible individual excesses, and has to date encouraged the actions of the Carabineros and the high command.

Recourse to the international court is also driven by the absence of equality before the law. Thousands of cases involving egregious human rights abuses committed in a widespread and systematic manner by agents of the state since 2019 have languished for months or have been summarily closed.

Of 8,581 total cases initially opened for human rights violations that occurred during the social unrest, 2,013 were regrouped with other proceedings, leaving 6,568 active cases. Over the last year and a half 3,050 (46 percent of the total) of these have since been closed without formalizations, and most of them with practically no progress. Of the 1,496 cases involving children and adolescents, 420 were regrouped, leaving 1,076 active cases. In the last year and a half, the Prosecutors Office has closed 541 cases.

The document notes:

that the aforementioned unlawful acts, dealt with and punished by Article 7 of the Rome Statute, ratified by the Chilean State on June 29, 2009, are fraudulently classified and investigated in Chile as common crimes, with the deliberate purpose, first, of removing them from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and, second, to prepare the conditions that would favor their subsequent impunity with the possible application of the statute of limitations, or through the application of possible pardons, amnesties or end-point laws. In addition, the State agencies in charge of investigating and judging, such as the Public Prosecutors Office and the Judiciary, have had an unjustified delay in the substantiation of these processes and their actions do not have the necessary independence and impartiality and the due respect for the principle of Equality before the Law. All this makes it appropriate and necessary to exercise the complementary jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

The report directs attention to the Public Prosecutors Office and the Courts of Justice and calls into question their will and capacity (to) investigate and punish the massive and systematic human rights violations committed by the security forces. It notes their asymmetrical treatment of many demonstrators who were imprisoned for supposedly committing serious crimes but have subsequently been acquitted due to insufficient (or) false evidence.

The brief also refers to specific cases of intimidation suffered by prosecutors (e.g., Ximena Chong) at the hands of the Carabinero police for pursuing cases against them and the sanctioning of justices (e.g., Daniel Urrutia) by the Judiciary for modifying preventive detention measures.

The Chilean courts have failed in their duty to administer justice, Carlos Margotta, president of the Chilean Human Rights Commission, concluded in an interview with investigative news site CIPER. Garzon added that the complaint to the ICC seeks to highlight the impunity that is being experienced in Chile and demands an independent international investigation and that when it comes will force the Chilean justice system to (grant justice).

While there is doubtless broad support for the criminal prosecution of Pinera and his underlings, it is necessary to bring attention to the political organizations involved and their political motives. At the forefront of the operation is the anti-Marxist and counterrevolutionary Stalinist Communist Party of Chile (PC) and the parliamentary pseudo left, whose central political function is to subordinate the working class to the capitalist state by sowing the illusion that the executive, the congress, the judiciary and its repressive arm can be reformed or refounded on democratic principles. This myth has been their central argument for decades, preceding the 1973 coup detat and since.

This is also the political outlook of Garzon, who is a founding member of the Spanish pseudo left-Stalinist front Actua. Formed in 2017 as a break-off from United Left (Izquierda Unida), it promotes itself as the left that does not feel represented either by the minimal gestures of the PSOE and its pact with the PP, or by the rhetorical maximalism of Podemos.

Garzon, a former investigating judge from Spains central criminal court, the Audiencia Nacional, came to international prominence in 1998 when he sought to have former Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet, who was visiting Britain, extradited to Spain to face charges of torture and assassination of Spanish citizens at the hands of his regime. The attempt was thwarted in March 2000 when the British Foreign Office found Pinochet too ill to stand trial. Pinochet died in Chile six years later while tied up in court proceedings.

Garzon attempt to prosecute Pinochet raised deep concerns within the British, US, Spanish and Chilean ruling elites for competing reasons.

A trial in Spain could well have raised many awkward and long-suppressed historical questions. The transition to civilian rule in Chile in 1990 provided an amnesty for Pinochet and his fellow military criminals, similar to the one granted in post-Franco Spain, where a political shift was engineered that left the old repressive apparatus intact.

More significantly, the bloody overthrow of the Popular Unity government of Chiles President Salvador Allende was heavily backed by Washington, which continued its support as thousands were summarily executed and many thousands more were tortured and forcibly disappeared. Universal jurisdiction, the undermining of the principle of sovereign immunity, which the imperialist powers used to try war criminals of the former Yugoslavia, could just as well be threatened against a slew of American, British and Spanish authorities for crimes in Chile, the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq and beyond.

Indeed, moves to suspend Garzon from the Audiencia Nacional were initiated following his attempt to open an investigation into the systematic torture program at Guantanamo Bay in 2009 as well as his investigation into crimes against humanity committed during the fascist dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco. He was convicted in 2012 of misconduct for illegal wiretapping during the investigation of the Gurtel corruption case and disqualified from the position of judge for 11 years.

The decision to bring the Chilean state under Pinera to the ICC took shape at the Latin American Human Rights Forum held at the beginning of 2020 at which Garzon was guest speaker. Garzon made contact with the forum organizers, pseudo-left parliamentarians Alejandro Navarro (Progresivo), Adriana Munoz (Partido Por la Democracia) and Juan Ignacio Latorre (Revolucion Democratica)all members of the Senate Human Rights Commission. Lawyer Carlos Margotta, president of the Chilean Human Rights Commission and aligned to the Chilean Stalinist PC, agreed with the idea of going to the International Criminal Court in March 2020.

On the 22nd anniversary of Pinochets arrest last year, Garzon expanded on his motivations for pursuing Pinera: I fear for what may happen on the first anniversary of the social outbreak and the subsequent plebiscite, I fear for the actions of the police, who are still in charge of those who have openly supported their subordinates and make a defense of the rotten apples without realizing that in doing so they are rotting an entire institution ... But even President Pinera himself recognizes that Carabineros de Chile must undergo profound changes. Then I ask, what are you waiting for, Mr. Pinera? How many more deaths, how many more rapes, how many more tortures must happen to undertake this profound transformation?

As events in Colombia, Brazil and throughout Latin America demonstrate, the regions capitalist ruling classes and their political allies in Washington are not about to pursue a policy of reforming the repressive apparatus. Rather, they rest ever more heavily upon it as they prepare police-state measures against the rising tide of struggle within the working class.
The government of the Pacific island nation of Fiji this week imposed a three-day lockdown in response to a sudden outbreak of COVID-19 cases, linked to the B16-17 variant from India. The move was announced only 30 minutes before it was enforced.

While limited and inadequate, the measure was the strictest since COVID-19 hit the country in March last year. The main island of Viti Levu and other parts of the country went into lockdown, with people ordered indoors from May 1 to May 3. No businesses were allowed to operate for a 56-hour period and contact tracing was carried out around the capital Suva and neighbouring towns. Authorities banned inter-island travel and Fiji Airways suspended all international and domestic passenger flights.

[Credit: FBC News Fiji @FBC_News, Twitter]

The three-day lockdown came after the Health Ministry declared the total number of active cases had risen sharply with 29 transmitted locally. The numbers are continuing to escalate. As of May 6, Fiji has had 125 cases of COVID-19, 50 active cases, and three deaths since its first case in March last year. Testing, however, is low. Just 55,000 tests have been conducted nationwide since testing began in 2020.

Two doctors at Lautoka Hospital are among the newest cases. On Wednesday the hospital was cordoned off and closed after a 53-year-old surgical patent was found to be a late stage carrier of the virus and died. More than 400 patients, doctors, nurses, and other staff have been sequestered and effectively quarantined until it is determined who else may have had contact with the patient.

Health Secretary James Fong warned that events in India showed the threat posed by the strain could not be underestimated. We cannot let that nightmare happen in Fiji, he said in a televised address. We still have time to stop it happening but a single misstep will bring about the same COVID tsunami that our friends in India, Brazil, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States are enduring.

The extremely infectious Indian strain has quickly spread. The cluster emerged after a soldier contracted the virus at a quarantine facility and transmitted it to his wife, who then exposed up to 500 people at a funeral. Fong said soldiers who had returned from overseas deployments had broken quarantine rules by mixing with each other when they should have been in isolation.

In another case, a returning Fiji citizen had tested negative but was recalled to quarantine following fears he may have contracted it from the soldiers. In the meantime, he had travelled extensively through Suva.

In an unrelated case, a 52-year-old woman from Nausori who tested positive may have exposed 887 garment factory workers to the virus. Contact tracing focussed on two factories, Lyndhurst where the woman worked, and the Mark One Apparel factory. Workers at the two facilities share the same company transportation.

In yet another case, specimens have been sent to Melbourne to determine the origin of a cluster in the Ra province, which has not been linked to the B16-17 cluster.

Authorities have warned that the countrys vaccination program will depend entirely on the availability of vaccines. Just 20,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in the country last week, for a population of 903,000. The initial rollout is targeting people with disabilities and co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, heart conditions, asthma, HIV, cancer, as well as essential workers.

The emergence of the Indian variant in the southwest Pacific further demonstrates how vulnerable the world remains to the pandemic, as new infectious strains ravage entire countries, and spread across even the most isolated and impoverished parts of the globe.

The Fiji outbreak follows that in nearby Papua New Guinea (PNG), where caseloads started surging exponentially two months ago. COVID-19 is now rife in the PNG capital, Port Moresby, and has spread to every province in the country. The health system has been close to complete breakdown since March. With over 11,000 cases and 115 deaths, the situation remains dire.

For most of the past year, the scattered Pacific island states had, to a greater or lesser extent, walled themselves off from the outside world. With strict border controls many, such as Samoa, the Cook Islands and others, remained either COVID-19 free or sustained relatively low numbers. Fiji was one of the more successful in initially containing community transmission.

A notable exception was the US territory of Guam, the site of a major American military base, which is one of the worst hit parts of the US and the Pacific. Guams total confirmed cases is around 7,000, with 113 deaths, for a population of around 165,000. Also hard hit was French Polynesia. Since the resumption of quarantine-free travel to Tahiti last July in a bid to open the beleaguered tourism industry, 18,000 people have caught the virus and 141 died.

The latest outbreaks highlight the dangers of resuming international travel. Australia and New Zealand have established a travel bubble to allow quarantine free travel between the two countries, even as recent cases in Brisbane and Perth prompted temporary shutdowns of both cities. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a similar quarantine free travel arrangement with the Cook Islands beginning on May 17.

The Fiji government of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has been agitating since last year for Pacific tourism to be reopened. In 2020 more than 70 yachts used a special provision allowing VIP tourists to enter Fiji as part of plans to kick start tourism.

Tourism contributes nearly 40 percent of Fijis gross domestic productabout $FJ2 billion ($US980 million)and directly or indirectly employs over 150,000 people. In 2019, Fiji had more tourists coming into the country (894,000) than residents (roughly 880,000). The bulk were from Australia and New Zealand which like many countries have now banned international travel. Tens of thousands of workers in the industry lost their jobs last year.

In March, the Bainimarama government said it had proven Fiji was a safe destination for travellers, with no community cases for more than 320 days. Fiji urged Australia and New Zealand to join its so-called Bula Bubble scheme. The New Zealand Fiji Business Council also declared a quarantine-free travel bubble between the countries was long overdue. All arrivals into Fiji have now been banned since April 22.
The Labour Party suffered a rout in Thursdays Hartlepool by-election, giving the Conservative Party the seat for the first time in the constituencys 62-year history. Jill Mortimer, the Tory candidate, won 51.9 percent of the vote, versus Paul Williamss 28.7 percent for Laboura massive 16 percent swing to the Tory Party compared to the last election in 2019.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses for photographers with Jill Mortimer, the winning Conservative Party candidate of the Hartlepool by-election, at Hartlepool Marina, in Hartlepool, north east England, Friday, May 7, 2021.

It is only the second time in 40 years that the governing party has taken a seat from the opposition during a by-election.

Hartlepool is a deindustrialised port town in the northeast of England and produced one of the largest pro-Brexit votes (69.6 percent) in the 2016 referendum. In the 2019 general election, Nigel Farages Brexit Party won 25.8 percent of the vote. The bulk of its share transferred to the Tory party on Thursday, leaving the new incarnation of the Brexit Party (Reform UK) with just over 1 percent.

While the Tories made gains, Labour lost 9 percent on their 2019 vote, with many former supporters staying at home or voting for other smaller parties. Independent candidate Sam Lee, who ran a localist campaign pitched to those dissatisfied with Labour and the Conservatives, won 9.7 percent.

The majority of the largely working-class electorate stayed home in disgust, with a turnout of just 42.7 percent.

The results confirm the Socialist Equality Partys analysis of the protracted death of the Labour Party, of Brexit, and the significance of the collapse of Corbynism.

Labours election loss in 2019 was not the result of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns being too left-wing, as the media, and the Labour Party itself, have insisted. The disaster produced in Hartlepool by current leader Sir Keir Starmers right-wing pitch, and ruthless purge of any left-wing sentiment in the Labour membership, proves there is no popular demand whatsoever for the partys Blairite politics.

In fact, Labours share of the vote in Hartlepool has declined in almost every general election since 1997, in response to its transformation into a Tory Party mark two. After the 2015 election, the World Socialist Web Site explained: Decades of political betrayals by the Labour and trade union bureaucracy in the UK, and social democracy and Stalinism internationally, have taken their toll. At every turn, they have blocked the class struggle while waging a relentless ideological offensive against any socialist political consciousness in the working class.

The one exception to Labours declining vote in Hartlepool was Corbyns first election in 2017, riding a wave of support from workers and youth who believed he would lead a fight against austerity and war.

But this political fraud had a short shelf life. Corbyn, continuing a lifetime of loyalty to the Labour and trade union bureaucracy, dedicated himself to suppressing and sabotaging the popular movement to kick out the Blairite right-wing, preaching party unity even as they plotted continuously against him. He worked with the trade union leaders to suppress the class struggle, driving strike levels to record lows, and instructed Labour councillors to enforce austerity budgets.

The stymying of a left-wing development in the working class opened the door to the right, who advanced a nationalist solution to the social crisis confronting millionsepitomised by Brexit. The Leave campaign utilised legitimate hostility to the bosses club of the European Union but channelled this in a reactionary directioninvoking nationalism, patriotism, anti-migrant prejudice, and a glorification of British sovereignty to draw together a coalition of those suffering severe financial hardship, the economically fragile middle class and the cloistered ranks of rural middle England.

The only progressive opposition to this noxious campaign, particularly as far as combating the support it won among the generally older and more oppressed layers of workers, would have been a fight for the solidarity of the European and international working class based on a socialist programme. Instead Corbyn abandoned his lifelong opposition to the EUone based on the claim that an independent Britain was a route to implementing a reformist programmeto urge support for a Remain vote in line with the demands of the dominant voices within the bourgeoisie and the labour bureaucracy.

After the vote, Corbyn balanced between supporting former Tory Prime Minister Theresa Mays efforts to secure a Brexit deal and facilitating his own partys efforts to find a mechanism for overturning the result. The working class was kept excluded from the political scene in favour of his constant gyrations to defend the national interest.

Corbyn continued to capitulate before every assault launched against him by the Labour right. He not only retreated before the slanderous campaign accusing Labour of antisemitism but allowed his own supporters to be witch-hunted and expelled.

Thanks to Corbyns treachery, Labour haemorrhaged support across the country and across the Brexit divide, particularly among the young people attracted to Labour by his socialist pretensions. This handed Boris Johnson a staggering victory in the 2019 general election. The WSWS wrote in the aftermath, The deep divisions over Brexit could only be fostered and then exploited by the Tories because Corbyns actions since taking office in 2015 have confirmed that Labours left is just as hostile to the working class as the Blairite right.

Corbyn and his allies completed their betrayal by meekly handing the party over to Starmer, under whose leadership Labour has provided vital political support to the Johnson governments murderous herd immunity agenda in the name of constructive opposition.

Following a year in which more than 150,000 lives have been lost to the pandemic, Labour handed victory to the Tory mass murdererswho celebrated by dispatching both Johnson and a giant inflatable model of the man now described as the partys greatest asset.

The Blairites explanation of their defeat is that poor Sir Keir has not had enough time to distance the party from the aberrant period of Corbyns leadership and must now escalate its turn rightwards. Tony Blairs closest collaborator Peter Mandelson told BBC Radio 4s Today programme, The last 11 general elections read: lose, lose, lose, lose, Blair, Blair, Blair, lose, lose, lose, lose.

The only commentary more nauseating than this self-serving nonsense is the pathetic mewling of the Corbynitesbegging Starmer to change direction and let them sit at the top table, in the words of Labour MPs Richard Burgon and Lloyd Russell-Moyle.

Jeremy Corbyn (left) and Keir Starmer at an event during the 2019 General Election [Credit: AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File]

John McDonnell, Corbyns former shadow chancellor, summed up the Labour lefts grovelling subservience to its Blairite masters. He told BBC News Starmer should build a broad church cabinet of the left, right and centre. Speaking on Today he insisted, Keir's got to be given his chance and I've said that all the way along. I'm not going to be one of those people treating [him] the way they treated Jeremy [Corbyn]always challenging him, coups and all the rest.

Hartlepool underscores the political challenge facing workers in the UK and their class brothers and sisters across Europe. The social democratic parties everywhere have been transformed into nakedly pro-capitalist, right-wing parties of exploitation and war, indistinguishable from their nominal conservative opponents. The unions have degenerated into corporatist syndicates, dedicated to the suppression of the class struggle and clearing the way for the formation of ever more right-wing governments.

This process has been massively accelerated by the pandemic, which has seen the unions and official left and centre parties line up with a policy of social murder and corporate looting all over the world.

For the working class, the only way forward is through a struggle to build a genuinely socialist world partyrepresenting the independent interests of the working class, ruthlessly hostile to the soporific politics of Corbyn and his international counterparts, and dedicated to the seizure of state power and expropriation of the corporate and financial oligarchy.

This programme is advanced solely by the International Committee of the Fourth International, whose British section, the Socialist Equality Party, must now be built by the most advanced sections of workers and youth.
India is the global epicentre of the pandemic, with a tsunami of cases and deaths sweeping across the country. On Friday, Indias Health Ministry reported a record daily increase of 414,188 cases, with deaths rising by 3,915. There have now been 21.49 million officially registered cases since the beginning of the pandemic, and 234,083 deaths. Both of these figures are widely recognised to be vast undercounts.

Indias emergence as the worlds COVID-19 epicentreaccounting for more than 45 percent of all new cases worldwide in the past weekis the direct product of the profits before lives policy enforced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. This policy has been supported by state governments throughout the country, including those led by the Congress Party and other opposition parties. Despite warnings from epidemiologists and other medical experts against lifting restrictions, the Modi government abandoned any effort to contain the virus following last years ill-prepared lockdown.

Indias ramshackle health care system is now collapsing, as chronically understaffed hospitals run out of beds, oxygen, and anti-COVID 19 drugs like Remdesivir. Hospitals and morgues throughout the country, including in mega-cities like Delhi and Mumbai, are overwhelmed.

In India and around the world, health care workers are bearing the brunt of the pandemic.

World Socialist Web Site reporters recently spoke to medical staff in India, including doctors, who have been involved in COVID-19 medical duty for the past one year.

* * *

Dr. Prabhu Manoharan

Dr. Prabhu Manoharan, 33, is an orthopaedic Master of surgery and government doctor.

WSWS: As per official reports, as of February 2021, 174 doctors, 116 nurses and 199 medical workers had died from COVID-19 in India. Can we attribute this deadly impact of the pandemic on frontline workers to the criminal herd immunity policy of the ruling class?

Dr. Prabhu Manoharan: First of all, both the cases and deaths of COVID victims are highly underreported by the Indian government and the capitalist media, which is a conscious decision taken by them. When the Indian Medical Association claimed that 106 doctors have died across India, the Modi government denied it, claiming none had died. But when the issue was exposed with adequate proof, it was finally admitted that doctors have died.

WSWS: On October 21, the Central Medical Services Society, an autonomous institution under the Union Health Ministry, warned about oxygen shortages and floated a tender online calling for bidders to establish 162 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants, which costs just 2.01 billion rupees. The central Health Ministry confirmed in a report that most new oxygen plants are not functional. Out of 162 PSA Oxygen plants, 33 have been installed, it said. By the end of April, 2021, 59 were scheduled to be installed.

What is your view about these delays in tender process, which have led to severe oxygen shortages in India and the consequent deaths of many patients?

Dr Prabhu Manoharan: India is the top most producer in oxygen cylinders. The oxygen shortage has occurred only because the infection rate has increased hugely and the number of deaths multiplied rapidly. But the Modi government, based on its criminal herd immunity policy and back to normal campaign, has not only reopened the economy, conducted state elections and allowed for Kumbha Mela (a Hindu religious festival for which millions gathered), but consciously underreported the deaths and infections. So even the medical experts could not predict such a shortage and crisis. I clearly say that death due to oxygen shortage is not a coronavirus death, but criminal social murder by the Modi government and the ruling class.

WSWS: The situation is so bad that we had to treat some patients in a cardiac ambulance for 12 hours until they could get an ICU bed, said Dr. Siddheshwar Shinde, who runs a COVID hospital in Pune, in western India. What is your view on this health care catastrophe?

Dr Prabhu Manoharan: First of all, this medical crisis is not natural but man made. The corporate media initially made a false propaganda that only people older than 50 will get infected. But I practically saw in my own duty 18 deaths in just one week whose age is below 40.

Now, the media is saying that the disaster happened due to the double mutation (COVID-19 variant). But we need to understand scientifically that the antigen (virus) when attacked by antibodies, changes its genetic nature to infiltrate the human body. Thats why we call it strain mutant gene. It is well known that SARS-coronavirus is highly unstable and changes its genetic nature. So the second wave and its deadly impact were not unpredicted, but were consciously allowed to run rampant by the Modi government, which prioritized profit over lives.

* * *

Dr. Anu Rathna

Dr. Anu Rathna is the chief doctor at the Ponneri Taluk Government hospital in the Thiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu.

WSWS: Dr. Jalil Parkar, a top pulmonologist in Mumbais Lilavati Hospital said in an interview: We have collapsed, Maharashtra is sinking and other states will follow and this is worse than World War Two. As shortages of hospital beds, including oxygen-equipped and intensive care unit beds, have been reported from around the country, Modi had proclaimed that the country must be saved from lockdown, not the virus. In this situation, can you explain how the pandemic is affecting frontline workers?

Dr. Anu Rathna: Yes, the frontline workers are pushed to work on a war footing. We are mentally stressed and emotionally exhausted due to the heavy workload. Medical workers are demanding eight hours of work per day, which has still not been achieved in many places. But in a pandemic situation, the duration should be reduced not only to avoid work stress but also to avoid infections. Many frontline workers have lost their lives in this battle. The ruling class, although well aware the pandemic is international and that the second wave was possible, has consciously neglected preventive measures in favour of big business.

WSWS: Its a complete massacre of data, said Bhramar Mukherjee, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan who has been following India closely. He added: From all the modelling weve done, we believe the true number of deaths is two to five times what is being reported.

Could you comment on this criticism that deaths are underreported?

Dr. Anu Rathna: I completely agree with that. We can see mass cremations and bodies of COVID victims are burnt together in videos in social media. This usually happens when there is a natural disaster. But mass cremations and mounting piles of dead bodies at this point make clear that the second wave has reached a point where it is both disastrous and highly dangerous.

WSWS: It would only cost $6.4 billion, or 0.32 percent of Indias GDP, to vaccinate every Indian citizen over 18 years old, i.e., 900 million people, or up to 65 percent of the countrys population. But the Indian health ministry has given the green light to domestic and international vaccine and drug companies to determine the cost of coronavirus vaccines. Whats your comment on this privatization of vaccines?

Dr. Anu Rathna: This clearly exposes the pro-corporate policies of the Modi government. We are in a highly disastrous situation. To allow private players to produce and distribute vaccines in this situation is really a dangerous move. Already we have lost millions of people (worldwide). So not only vaccines, but all the medicines needed to fight COVID must be immediately brought under control of the public sector and free vaccination should be done. All private hospitals and drug companies involved in COVID treatment should be brought under public control. Lockdown should be implemented immediately with proper social care to people.

* * *

Rakshitha

Rakshitha is a COVID-19 nurse at Chengalpattu Medical College Hospital in Tamil Nadu.

WSWS: According to an OXFAM study, Indias more than 100 billionaires increased their wealth by 13 trillion rupees ($US174 billion), from March 2020 to January 2021. Meanwhile, Indias current health care spending is around just 1.5 percent of its gross domestic product, among the lowest in the world. As the pandemic has surged, the government has not announced supplementary budgets to improve health care infrastructure or to expedite the manufacturing of vaccinations. By contrast, it is lavishly spending on defence, including allocating an additional $18.5 billion for weapons procurement in the 2021-22 budget announced on February 1. How do you see the relationship between the deadly impact of the pandemic and the privatization of health care and the neo-liberal policy of the Indian government?

Rakshitha: By giving differential prices and allowing private drug companies, the Modi government is acting as a marketing manager to help corporations to utilize this pandemic as a business to enrich their profits. On the contrary, proper safety measures were not taken for frontline workers. Many frontline nurses are infected and have lost their lives, but the real count is hidden from the public.

The Modi government made false propaganda that it would give 200,000 rupees to families of frontline workers who lost their lives. But such an amount was never given. In the name of back to normalcy, it reopened the economy and got rid of the contract workers who were involved in frontline COVID duty. Now the real situation of the Indian medical system is exposed in the second wave.

WSWS: The WSWS and ICFI have called for the formation of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees, and also raised a series of demands, including shutting down all non-essential business with complete compensation to those workers who will lose their income, the maintaining of essential services, including health care, with comprehensive safety measures to protect workers from the virus, and the allocation of massive financial resources to upgrade the public health care system. These demands are part of the struggle for the independent political mobilization of the working class against capitalist rule.

Rakshitha: I completely agree with your demands. The Indian army soldiers who kill people are honoured by governments as brave and given huge amounts of compensation. But frontline workers give their lives to save the people. They must be given proper safety measures and equipment.

I will attend your International May Day rally with the demand that all frontline workers involved in fighting COVID should be made permanent staff and that the health sector should be immediately brought under public ownership.
Asia

Korea: Renault Samsung autoworkers locked out

Renault Samsung Motors management locked out 1,900 workers at its Busan plant, 450 kilometres south of Seoul, on Tuesday morning. Management initiated the lockout in response to strike action the previous Friday, again on Monday and a planned eight-hour walk out on Tuesday.

The unionised workers voted to take strike action in February, in protest against management demands for a voluntary retirement program, a wage freeze and reduced bonus of 3 million won ($2,700), citing reduced sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Workers are demanding a 70,000-won increase in basic pay, a 7 million won bonus and are opposed to the companys restructuring plans.

Renault Samsung claims that its Korean sales dropped by 22 percent in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year.

India: Tamil Nadu rural workers demand jobs and COVID-19 relief

Poverty-stricken agricultural workers in Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, demonstrated on May 1 to demands jobs promised under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and relief payments during the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the MNREGA scheme, one person from each rural household is guaranteed 100 days of waged employment each year. Protesters demands included job assistance for people over the age of 55 years or coronavirus relief of 7,500 rupees ($US101) per month. The protest was organised by the All India Agricultural Workers Union.

Tamil Nadu hospital doctors strike over lack of oxygen

Doctors at the Chengalpattu government hospital, 50 kilometres from the Tamil Nadu capital Chennai, stopped work and demonstrated outside the hospital on May 5 to demand immediate supplies of oxygen. The doctors action followed the death of eleven COVID-19 patients the previous day due to the lack of oxygen.

Pakistan: Government hospital doctors strike in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Doctors from government hospitals in the Hazara and Khyber districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa boycotted work on Monday to demand improved workplace security measures. Their action followed a violent attack on staff at the Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar by two provincial government legislators.

The doctors demanded legal action and the implementation of security measures to prevent the rising attacks on healthcare workers.

The Provincial Doctors Association, a union of doctors from government hospitals, has threatened to boycott treatment of coronavirus patients in their respective hospitals if the government fails to address their demands.

Doctors alleged that parliamentarians and top government officials from major political parties are notorious for violent attacks on health workers. They accused the government and opposition parties of attempting to blame doctors and health workers for the catastrophic failure of the healthcare system.

Bangladeshi transport workers demand food assistance and unpaid wages

Thousands of impoverished workers across various Bangladeshi transport sectors have been demonstrating in Dhaka to demand government food, financial assistance and outstanding pay.

The transport workers have been hard hit by the April 5 to May 10 nationwide COVID-19 lockdown. An estimated five million workers have been made jobless by the lockdown.

Auto-rickshaw drivers and light vehicle workers established a human chain in Dhaka on April 29 demanding food support and that they be allowed to resume their services.

Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation and Dhaka Metropolitan Road Transport Workers Union members protested in Dhaka last weekend. They were demanding a resumption of public transport services and that subsidised rice be made available at bus depots.

Bangladesh Waterways Workers Federation members demonstrated in Dhaka on Wednesday to demand all outstanding wages be paid by May 10.

Australia

Australian broadband network technicians walk off

Hundreds of contracted technicians employed on the government-owned National Broadband Network (NBN Co) walked off the job on Monday in a nation-wide protest against cuts in pay rates and the current sham contracting arrangements.

Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) members rallied at Parramatta, 24 kilometres west of Sydneys CBD, then drove to NBN Co headquarters at North Sydney to hold another demonstration.

According to the CEPU, NBN last year changed its employment model by contracting work to delivery partners, who themselves sub-contract that work to principal contractors, who would either subcontract the work again or hire low paid, under skilled workers. The existing highly-skilled technicians were forced to sign new contracts with sub-contractors at lower pay rates.

As well as demanding a reversal of the pay cut and removal of the alleged sham contracting scheme, workers want NBN to change its dodgy work dispatch app. Sub-contracted technicians alleged that it is taking them up to three hours to book off work, further reducing their income and causing them to miss scheduled appointments.

Angry technicians struck again on Wednesday and protested outside the Comms Day Summit in Sydney where NBN executives were featured speakers. NBN executives last year paid themselves and staff around $77 million in bonuses, while announcing that they planned to cut 800 jobs.

Train manufacturing workers walk out in Melbourne

About 130 members of three unions at Downer EDI Rails rolling stock construction plant in Williamstown stopped work on April 29 to demand job security for long-term casuals in a new enterprise agreement. They picketed the plants main gate demanding to be taken off fixed-term contracts and made permanent employees.

Members of the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) and the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) overwhelmingly voted in mid-April for future industrial action, ranging from overtime bans to unlimited strikes.

Downer EDI has been contracted to build 65 high-capacity metro trains for Melbournes suburban rail network upgrade at a cost of $2.3 billion.

PGH brick-manufacturing workers in Melbourne on strike

About 40 workers at the PGH Bricks manufacturing plant in Thomastown walked out indefinitely on Tuesday in protest against the companys proposed enterprise agreement. AMWU and the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU) members said they would not return to work until PGH returns with a fairer pay offer and a better agreement.

South Australian hospital support workers maintain work bans

Thousands of non-medical workers at state-run hospitals in South Australia are maintaining work bans imposed on April 21 in their dispute over the state Liberal governments proposed enterprise agreement. Negotiations between the Marshall government and the United Workers Union (UWU) have been ongoing for 14 months.

The workers include orderlies, cleaners, food service employees and sterilisation technicians, as well as aged-care and disability support staff. They are demanding a backdated 2 percent wage rise and a guarantee to maintain all current conditions and job security.

Workers are concerned that the government wants to remove clauses in their existing enterprise agreement that blocked privatisation and gave some protection against job cuts.

A UWU spokesperson said the low-level bans affecting eight hospitals could spread to more than 80 sites throughout the state unless a deal is reached. Bans include paperwork completion, rubbish and linen collection, receipt and restocking of stores. Currently only six hospitals are affected by the bans.

Tasmanian private hospital nurses walk out over unsafe staffing levels

About 20 nurses employed by Healthscope at the Hobart Private Hospital walked off the job on Wednesday and demonstrated outside the hospital against unsafe staffing levels. Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) members and supporters held placards saying Patient safety before profit and Safe staffing levels.

The walkout was part of a campaign by Healthscope nurses begun in February against excessive workload and for safe nurse-to-patient ratios. Nurses complained of having to care for ten patients on night shifts, excessive overtime, and feeling obligated to work double shifts. One traumatised nurse who resigned because of the workload said nurse/patient ratio failed to provide safe patient care.

New Zealand nurses vote in strike ballot

About 30,000 New Zealand public sector nurses and health care assistants are currently voting in a ballot for a Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA). The ballot, which is being run by the NZ Nurses Organisation (NZNO), includes a resolution for a total withdrawal of labour starting at 11 a.m. on 9 June and ending at 7 p.m.

The limited eight-hour strike proposed by the union portends a repeat of the sell-out agreement imposed by the NZNO in 2018. The union had to overcome widespread opposition among striking nurses. The union agreed to wage increases limited to 3 percent and ignored demands for safe staffing levels. The NZNOs initial claim was for a 17 percent pay rise.

In negotiations which began last June, nurses overwhelmingly rejected a derisory offer by the 20 District Health (DHBs) for an annualised increase of 1.38 percent, in reality a pay cut given the large increases in housing and living costs.

While NZNO members also authorised 63 claims for improved sick leave, workload and safe staffing, these demands were ignored. Far from organising an industrial and political campaign to fight for better pay and conditions, the union went into mediation with the DHBs.

Nurses fighting to improve pay and conditions will have to fight both the union and the Labour-led government. On Wednesday, the government announced a three-year pay freeze for all public sector workers earning more than $60,000 annually. The government claims this is needed to pay for the accumulated costs and payouts to big business during the coronavirus pandemic.
The outcome of Tuesdays Madrid regional elections is a warning to the working class in Spain and internationally. Eighty-five years since a fascist coup launched the Spanish Civil War in 1936, defenders of that coup are taking office in Madrid.

Spanish far-right Vox party candidate for Madrid regional presidency Rocio Monasterio gives a speech party at the Vox headquarters in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, May 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

The election campaign was a degraded spectacle, marked by fascistic violence. Incumbent right-wing Popular Party (PP) governor Isabel Diaz Ayuso campaigned on the slogan Communism or Liberty, opposing COVID-19 lockdowns as communist and calling for the defense of liberty by ending social distancing and allowing mass infections. She allied with the far-right Vox party, which publicly praises Francos coup.

Fascistic death threats with bullets taken from the Spanish state armories were mailed to officials of the big-business Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) and the lead Madrid regional candidate of Podemos, Pablo Iglesias.

Nonetheless, even after European Union (EU) COVID-19 policies led to over 100,000 deaths in Spain, the PP-Vox alliance won 54 percent of the vote. Significantly, the PP extended its support beyond its traditional base in Madrids wealthier northern districts. It came in first in 175 of the regions 179 localities, including the citys southern working-class suburbstraditionally known as the red belt for voting for the PSOE or its allies and for opposing Francoism.

It was a debacle for the PSOE-Podemos national government, and personally for Iglesias, who claims he is retiring from politics. It is above all a warning. By ruthlessly prosecuting the interests of Spanish and European capital, including by implementing EU reopening policies amid the pandemic, pseudo-left parties of the affluent middle class like Podemos are strengthening fascistic forces.

One million people have died of COVID-19 in Europe, and the virus still is circulating massively. Yesterday, Spain recorded 7,960 new infections and 160 deaths, with 2,074 infections and 19 deaths in Madrid. Yet the PSOE and Podemos are ending Spains state of alarm, which let them implement measures like lockdowns, curfews and mask-wearing. Ayuso plans to end curfews, reopen restaurants, bullfights, houses of worship, casinos and other venues this weekend in Madrid.

As the EU seeks to end social distancing despite a surge of the virus, in order to boost the profits of banks and businesses, the ruling elite is discussing giving greater power to the far right. In France, where neo-fascist Marine Le Pen threatens to potentially unseat Emmanuel Macron in next years presidential elections, army officers are also threatening a coup. Italian neo-fascist Matteo Salvini, an admirer of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, enthusiastically told Spains social-democratic daily El Pais: I have many affinities with Ayusos Popular Party.

On Thursday, former PP Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar called on the PP to form a union of forces with the Vox party. This gives the lie to Ayusos attempts to pass herself off as a democratic woman of the people, like her Tweet: Red belt, purple belt? No! Free people of the 21st century! Self-employed, businesspeople, youth, adults, men and women who are moving their families and their businesses forward. That is the south of Madrid.

In reality, Ayuso pursues a health policy of social murder and is closely tied to pro-Francoite forces in the officer corps planning a coup. Ayuso provoked protests last autumn by demanding a back-to-school policy despite heavy circulation of the virus, saying: It is likely that practically all children, one way or another, will be infected with coronavirus. She also faces lawsuits against her governments decision to deny hospital admissions to COVID-positive rest home patients, 5,000 of whom died.

Ayuso also defends her ties to Vox, claiming that criticisms of her fascist alliances prove she is on the right side of history. This comes after revelations last December that Vox officials are in talks with retired generals who have proclaimed their loyalty to fascism and who called for the killing of 26 million Spaniards after strikes and walkouts by workers demanded a shelter-at-home policy against COVID-19 in March 2020.

Responsibility for Ayusos victory lies squarely with Podemos, whose reactionary policies enrage and confuse the working class. Like other pseudo-left parties across Europe, Podemos worked with the unions to isolate strikes demanding a shelter-at-home policy last spring, even sending police to attack striking steelworkers. Forced to agree to a strict lockdown last spring, Podemos thereafter only implemented partial lockdowns, keeping workers in nonessential jobs and youth at school over the last year, even as the virus infected millions.

Moreover, Iglesias personally led the operation to downplay coup threats made by Vox and retired Spanish generals. As anger erupted across social media when these reports surfaced in December, the PSOE-Podemos government sent him on public television to lull the public to sleep, claiming: What these gentlemen say, at their age and already retired, in a chat with a few too many drinks, does not pose any threat.

His decision to enter the Madrid elections, supposedly to wage an all-out struggle for democracy against fascism, was a cynical electoral maneuver. When Vox supporters marched through the working-class Madrid suburb of Vallecas, his government sent riot police to protect them and called on Vallecas residents not to hold counterdemonstrations. Iglesias was not leading a struggle to defend democracy, but defending the Spanish capitalist state and its far-right henchmen by demobilizing the working class.

This rotten record sent Podemos down to defeat, even against Ayuso. Facing only the prospect of endless partial lockdowns that did not halt mass deaths, workers were unmoved by its empty rhetoric. With broad layers of workers and small businesses receiving little or no income, Ayusos lying, anticommunist rhetoric about liberty and a return to normal carried the day.

One might add that similar conditions, which could produce similar election outcomes, exist in virtually every European country.

After over 100,000 deaths in Spain and the arrival of the PP and Vox in power in Madrid, one thing is clear, however: the threat of mass COVID-19 deaths and of far-right authoritarian rule is very real. This election is a devastating exposure of the anti-Marxist perspectives and postmodernist theoretical foundations of Podemos and similar so-called left populist parties internationally.

In her 2018 pamphlet For a Left Populism, the main academic writer of Podemos, Chantal Mouffe, denounced those who attribute an ontological privilege to the working class, presented as the vehicle for socialist revolution. Like Iglesias this year, she rejected a struggle for socialism and instead called to fight for democracy. She laid out the basis for what was in Spain the alliance between the big-business PSOE, Podemos and various middle-class feminist or nationalist groups, based on identity politics:

What is urgently needed is a left populist strategy aimed at the construction of a people, combining the variety of democratic resistances against post-democracy in order to establish a more democratic hegemonic formation.  I contend that it does not require a revolutionary break with the liberal democratic regime.

The Madrid elections are a searing exposure of the reactionary role of Podemos. The lessons of the 1930s must urgently be learned. Podemos is largely duplicating the role played in the 1930s by the Stalinists and social democrats, who allied with a layer of the Spanish bourgeoisie in a Popular Front and ruled out revolutionary policies in the war against Franco. The result was the crushing of the socialist revolution and Francos victory.

Today, the fight against herd immunity policies and the drive to authoritarian rule requires the independent organization and revolutionary political mobilization of the working class. As the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) advances the call to build the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees, to mobilize the international working class independently of bankrupt national trade unions, a critical task is building sections of the ICFI in Spain and around the world, as the revolutionary socialist opposition to the pseudo-left.
M. Thevarajah is a longstanding member of the National Committee of the Socialist Equality Party of Sri Lanka. He has played a key role in the partys struggle among tea plantation workers and the fight to build rank-and-file committees in this key section of the islands working class. He made these remarks at the 2021 International May Day Online Rally held by the World Socialist Web Site and the ICFI on May 1.

Speech delivered by M Thevarajah to the 2021 International May Day Online Rally

Comrades,

As part of the developing class struggle globally, working class struggles are emerging in Sri Lanka, India and the rest of South Asia.

Hundreds of thousands of plantation workers in Sri Lanka took strike action on February 5 demanding a daily wage increase to 1,000 rupees [about $US5]. The Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), the main plantation union, a partner of the government of President Gotabhaya Rajapakse, did not call this action to mobilise workers against the government and plantation companies, but to let off steam under conditions of mounting anger among the workers over the companies refusal to accept even a meagre rise in daily wages.

About 500 workers at the Alton Estate in the Maskeliya area in Sri Lankas central plantation district were on strike from February 2 until March 26. In addition to demanding a 1,000-rupee daily wage, they opposed management repression and defied the CWCs refusal to support their action. Seizing on an angry protest held by striking workers in front of the estate managers bungalow, Alton management and the police launched a massive witch-hunt against the Alton workers in an attempt to break their strike.

As a part of this witch-hunt, 20 workers and two youth were arrested by the police and put in remand prison by a local magistrate. They were only released on harsh bail conditions. Alton management has terminated the service of 38 workers, including 20 who were arrested. All 38 workers and two youths face frame-up charges.

The CWC is actively collaborating with management and the police in this witch-hunt, even providing a list of workers to be arrested. All other unions active in the estate, including the National Union of Workers, Democratic Workers Congress, Up Country Peoples Front, and Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union, are abetting this witch-hunt by not doing anything to defend the workers.

This repression not only failed to discourage the plantation workers from conducting a struggle for a wage increase and a reduction of work targets set by the management, it also prompted workers at one estate after another to join the struggle. Under these conditions, the Socialist Equality Party in Sri Lanka has energetically intervened at Alton Estate, as well as at other workplaces, for the building of Action Committees to unify these struggles and provide them with a socialist perspective.

The SEP has launched a campaign to defend the Alton workers against the management-company witch-hunt, explaining that it is a part of the assault of the Rajapakse government, ruling elite and big business against the working class as a whole. We have demanded the withdrawal of all bogus charges against the Alton workers and the reinstatement of all sacked workers immediately. The campaign has won widespread support from plantation workers and other sections of the Sri Lankan working class.

The call made by the ICFI for an International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees to begin and develop a global counter-offensive of the working class against assaults by the ruling class on their social and democratic rights is an important step forward. The SEP is fighting to rally the working class in South Asia, including plantation workers in Sri Lanka, in support of the ICFIs call.

In response to the growth of opposition in the working class and oppressed masses, the ruling classes in South Asia, like their counterparts worldwide, have resorted to whipping up communalism to divide and weaken the working class. They have also intensified their plans for dictatorial forms of rule. In Sri Lanka, the Rajapakse government is whipping up anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim chauvinism, claiming the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is attempting to raise its head again and seizing on the 2019 Easter Sunday bombing.

The Tamil and Muslim bourgeois parties in Sri Lanka have responded in kind by promoting their own reactionary forms of nationalism, thus assisting to divide the working class along racial lines.

The nearly three decades of anti-Tamil racialist war waged by successive governments in Colombo against the LTTE was ended in May 2009. This defeat of the LTTE was not merely a military defeat, but the outcome of the bankruptcy of its reactionary bourgeois separatist program. In line with that policy, the LTTE was utterly hostile to the working class in Sri Lanka, India and internationally. They focused on appeals to the imperialist powers, above all the US and European ruling class, and their regional allies, such as India, claiming that they would support the oppressed Tamil masses against successive Colombo governments.

Even after the military defeat of the LTTE in 2009, the north and east of Sri Lanka has remained under military occupation. Underscoring the real class character of the racialist war conducted for 30 years under the pretext of fighting terrorism, the racial oppression of the Tamil people continues.

The Tamil bourgeois nationalist parties, including the TNA (Tamil National Alliance), are continuing their reactionary pro-imperialist policies. They support the military-strategic offensive of US imperialism and its ally India against China in the hope of getting their assistance to pressure Colombo into accepting a power-sharing arrangement between the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim elites to secure the privileges of the Tamil elite.

Along these lines, the TNA actively supported the regime-change operation sponsored by the US with the assistance of India after Sri Lankas presidential election in January 2015, which replaced the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse with the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government.

The TNA went on to closely collaborate with the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government, even under conditions of the continuation of the military occupation in the northern Jaffna peninsula, and intensified attacks on the social and democratic rights of the working class and oppressed masses, including the imposition of IMF-dictated austerity measures.

The SEP vehemently rejects national separatism and insists that democratic rights can be secured only as part of the struggle to overthrow capitalist rule through a unified struggle of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim workers based on a socialist program. For this the leading social force for the political transformation, the working class, must be organised and mobilised independent of the bourgeois parties and their left hangers on across all communities. The aim of this united movement of the working class is to overthrow bourgeois rule and establish a Sri Lanka-Eelam Socialist Republic, as a part of a Union of Socialist Republics in South Asia and internationally.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced May 3 that his state and the neighboring states of New Jersey and Connecticut would lift most of their remaining COVID-19 restrictions on May 19, just over two weeks later.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (Credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Capacity restrictions in office buildings, theaters, museums, retail stores, bars, restaurants and gyms will end May 19. Businesses, including restaurants, will still have to guarantee six feet between groups of patrons, although even that requirement can be removed by either checking for vaccination or negative test status or through physical barriers.

Cuomo is also lifting capacity restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings in New York, with commercial venues increasing to 30 percent capacity indoor and 33 percent outdoor, and with the outdoor social gathering cap increasing to 500 people, up from 200. Similar actions are being taken in other states, with New Jersey lifting indoor catering event capacity to 50 percent and allowing for restaurant buffets starting May 7.

The three states collectively making up the tristate area around New York City have a population of 33.1 million, and were hard-hit by the pandemic in the spring of 2020, with New York City the global epicenter for weeks. The three states have seen a total of 86,792 COVID-19 deaths, according to Worldometer: 52,886 in New York, 25,769 in New Jersey and 8,137 in Connecticut. On a per capita basis, New Jersey and New York have been the worst-affected states in the US, with Connecticut in seventh place.

While the three states have seen a decline in new COVID-19 cases and deaths thanks in part to vaccinations, lifting restrictions at this stage is reckless. New cases are at levels comparable to the early stages of the fall-winter surge, and new variants of COVID-19 that are more communicable and lethalincluding the so-called UK variant and a variant that originated in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattanmake up an increased percentage of cases in the region, including the majority in New York City.

Moreover, while there has been significant progress on vaccination, most of the population is still vulnerable to COVID-19, and the vaccination rate is slowing. In New York, for example, less than 48 percent of the population has had their first dose, with less than 38 percent having completed their vaccine series. Three of New York Citys boroughsthe Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Islandare below the inadequate statewide numbers.

Should there be another resurgence in COVID-19, Cuomo is preparing to blame it on the population, rather than the lifting of restrictions. Maintaining this progress is critical and in order to keep moving in a positive direction, New Yorkers must continue to take all the proper precautions, he declared at the news conference announcing the reopening measures. If we let up now, we could slide backwards and that is something nobody wants.

Office buildings are currently limited to 50 percent capacity, and were only scheduled to go to 75 percent May 17. Just two days later, the capacity limit will increase to 100 percent, well before any data can be gathered on the effect of increasing it to 75 percent.

The removal of capacity restrictions is coupled with a push for a general revival of economic activity, much of it with the aim of bolstering the Manhattan real estate market and related business interests, which have suffered from the switch to remote work by many businesses, such as banks, based in the global financial center.

A chief example is New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ordering 80,000 municipal workers who had been working remotely back into offices May 3. This was followed by de Blasio declaring, This is going to be the summer of New York City, saying that the city would be reopened by July 1. This actually preceded Cuomos announcement.

The New York City subway system will resume 24-hour service May 17, just in time to shuttle service-sector workers staffing crowded bars and restaurants between work and home in the early morning. The subway has been shut down from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. daily, recently shortened to 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., to sanitize subway cars.

Lifting the capacity restrictions will allow for increased ticket revenue for museums, which have been devastated by the pandemic. The Broadway League announced that musicals and plays will return in September, meaning that many workers in New Yorks cultural sector will have been out of work for a year and a half before the curtain rises again. Many museums and other cultural institutionsand, more to the point, their workers have been on life support at best since March 2020.

In lifting COVID-19 restrictions and prioritizing private profit over public health, Cuomo and his fellow governors are not alone. Cuomo, New Jerseys Phil Murphy and Connecticuts Ned Lamont are all Democrats, but there is little to distinguish their actions from their Republican counterparts across the country, other than rhetorical support for masking and social distancing. Perhaps the most egregious action has been that of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, issuing an executive order removing counties own restrictions.

President Joe Biden has also been at the forefront of the deadly drive to reopen schools and other businesses nationally. Schools have been a particular center of infection in Michigans outbreak and children make up a growing share of infections in the United States.
The number of global COVID-19 deaths is twice as high as officially reported6.93 million globally, 905,000 in the United States aloneaccording to a new study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).

These new figures were reported Thursday in an analysis of excess mortality by the IHME. Importantly, the study includes only under-reported deaths from COVID-19, and excludes deaths from other causes related to the pandemicincluding delayed medical care and deaths of despair such as suicides or overdoses, related to the social crisis triggered by the pandemic.

A family member mourns next to the bodies of COVID-19 victims at a crematorium near Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, May 7, 2021 [Credit: AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha]

The research presents a disastrous picture of the toll of the pandemic and is an indictment of the capitalist order that has allowed death on this scale to occur. If, in the words of the British medical journal BMJ, nearly 3.3 million deaths are social murder, what does the doubling of this death toll signify?

By any measure, this is the largest public health disaster ever in the United States. 905,000 deaths are greater than all the combat and non-combat deaths in the American Civil War, the nations bloodiest conflict. 905,000 deaths represent one in every 367 men, women, and children in the US. 905,000 deaths are more than double the combined combat fatalities of all US wars fought since the Spanish-American War in 1898, including World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Almost equally astounding is that the new estimates have gone essentially unreported in the media. The IHME has been used as the semi-official coronavirus case and death count prediction team for more than a year, referred to multiple times by the New York Times, Washington Post, and numerous others.

But no matter the efforts by the media to bury this report, such a colossal loss of life has the most far-reaching implications. It is a brutal indictment of the American ruling elite and the capitalist governments of the entire world.

Such mass death was not an accident, but the product of deliberate policy. The worlds ruling elite was well aware of the threat posed by the virus, but refused to raise the alarm. While then-US President Donald Trump sought to play down the virus, despite being aware that [t]his is deadly stuff, Congress and the media received numerous briefings and interviews about the scale of the looming disaster.

Yet no alarms were raised either by the White House or the media until March. Instead, plans were developed to protect the worlds markets, not human lives. In the United States and Europe, trillions of dollars and euros were pumped into financial markets, while virtually nothing was being devoted towards minimizing the impact of the pandemic, which at that point had already claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Instead of suppressing the pandemic, the ruling classes promoted the policy of herd immunitythe claim it would be better for society to just let the disease spread uncontrolled.

This policy was voiced publicly in Britain on March 14, when the governments chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance stood next to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and declared that it isnt desirable to stop everyone getting the coronavirus. This policy was made even more explicit over the summer, when Trump administration advisor Paul Elias Alexander said on July 4 that, Infants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc. have zero to little risk so we use them to develop herd we want them infected.

The policy of herd immunity was further developed specifically in relationship to children in Sweden by state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, who in an email also on March 14 stated that, One point might speak for keeping schools open in order to reach herd immunity more quickly.

Once the various bailouts were secured, there was a definite shift in the tone of world governments to immediately end lockdowns, particularly those of March and April 2020 that were triggered by numerous wildcat strikes against unsafe working conditions. Chief among the reopening calls were from the Trump administration, asserting that the cure cant be worse than the disease.

Outcries from workers and medical experts against this homicidal policy were met with contempt. Brazils president, Jair Bolsonaro, declared on April 8, Its raining. Were going to get wet. And some are going to drown in the rain. German parliament president Wolfgang Schauble said similarly on April 26, But when I hear that everything must take second place to the protection of life, then I must say: that is not right in such an absolute sense.

This outlook was epitomized by the recently reported outburst by Boris Johnson, which occurred on October 30 when he demanded, No more f***ing lockdowns, let the bodies pile high in their thousands!

More than a year later, the human tragedy caused by the malign neglect of the worlds governments toward the working class is clear in a figure that is worth repeating: an estimated 6.93 million men, women and children dead in little more than year to a deadly but preventable disease.

Now, under Joe Biden, schools are reopening across the country, threatening a major resurgence of the disease nationally. Biden himself declared on January 22, 2021, that, Theres nothing we can do to change the trajectory of the pandemic in the next several months, categorically ruling out lockdowns while sending students, teachers and staff back into disease-infested buildings. The result was a predictable rise in cases in Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois and elsewhere.

Now, mask mandates and social distancing measures are being wholly abandoned throughout the United States. Workers in the US are being told what the French working class was told by French President Emanuel Macron on February 2: We are going to live with the virus.

The dangers of such an outlook cannot be overstated. Already, the pandemic has entered a new stage, of rampaging through the equatorial regions and global south. The disaster in India is the worst of numerous emerging surges of the pandemic, where the IHME estimates more than 654,000 dead, compared to the official count of 238,000, and predicts a further 1 million dead by September.

In a nationally televised address delivered on April 21, 2021, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made clear that future lockdowns to prevent such a colossal scale of death are out of the question. He declared, In todays situation, we have to save the country from lockdown. In other words, the economic interests of the financial oligarchy must be saved no matter how many lives are lost.

Such callous disregard for human life does not merely threaten every worker in India, it threatens the working class the world over. As has been shown by the emergence of new variants in the past six months, the coronavirus is extremely capable of mutating into new and more infectious forms, as demonstrated by the variants first detected in Brazil, Britain and India, which are suspected to be the drivers of the recent surges in cases and deaths in the respective countries.

Moreover, even if the virus is stopped in the United States, for example, the variants spreading in India or Brazil or elsewhere could absolutely wrap around and reinfect the US, including with mutations that allow the virus to evade immunity. By its very nature, a pandemic is a global phenomenon and can only be resolved with a genuinely international response.

Such a response, however, will not come from the existing ruling classes. Trump, Johnson, Bolsonaro, Macron, Modi, Biden and their ilk are all responsible for social murder on a scale not seen since the world wars and they will not change course. It will only be the working class itself, mobilized in a political struggle against the capitalist profit motive which all these figures defend, that will hold these criminals to account for the mass death and suffering they have inflicted on the worlds population.
An online meeting convened on Wednesday evening by the Australian Education Union (AEU) in Victoria revealed some aspects of the bureaucracys behind closed doors discussions with the state Labor government for a new industrial agreement covering the states public school teachers, along with education support and other school staff.

The meeting was held during a so-called week of action called by the union, after the expiration of the previous industrial agreement that was rammed through in 2017 (see Australian Education Union announces phony week of action over Victorian teachers workplace agreement). Few teachers knew about this union initiative, and less than 400 of the more than 50,000 AEU members in Victoria attended Wednesdays online meeting.

Both the form and content of the event pointed to the AEUs collaboration with the state government of Premier Daniel Andrews and its readiness to help draft and enforce a new agreement that further worsens teachers and school workers conditions within the crisis-stricken public education system.

The union bureaucracy convened the event through Zoom and utilised every option to run it as anti-democratically as they coulddisabling the standard chat box, keeping participants on permanent mute, and preventing people from even clicking raise hand.

An official opened the event by explaining that it was not a formal meeting and so there wont be anything like motions. The hour-long meeting was carefully stage managed, designed to pre-empt any discussion among teachers of the situation they confront. The overarching concern was to block Committee for Public Education (CFPE) members from raising their perspective of taking the struggle for decent wages and conditions for school workers and for a genuinely accessible and high quality public education system out of the hands of the union bureaucracy.

The first part of the meeting comprised a report on the findings of a union survey of more than 10,000 teachers and school staff related to workload. This, unsurprisingly, relayed intolerable working conditions, involving enormous levels of unpaid overtime. Nearly 90 percent reported that excessive workloads adversely affected their health, with almost one in four respondents stating that this occurred always or nearly always.

Union officials made no attempt to explain these findings in relation to their boasts in 2017, when they unveiled the last industrial agreement. Four years ago, Victorian AEU president Meredith Peace declared that the fair and reasonable agreement addressed workload by introducing once a term professional practice days, during which a relief teacher takes teachers classes while they do planning, assessment, or professional development work. A glossy poster sent to every public school urged a yes vote on the basis that: Your AEU in-principle Schools Agreement features: REDUCED WORKLOAD.

Peace delivering an update to AEU members in 2016 [Screenshot, Youtube/AEU Victoria]

With this recent lying history passed over, the online meeting then saw a brief report from Peace on the latest discussions between the AEU bureaucracy and the state government.

This report, it was emphasised by the union, could only be provided verbally because of good faith bargaining provisions that it agreed to with the Department of Education and the government. The refusal to provide written updates on the discussions means that only a small minority of public school teachers and staff have any idea of the behind-closed -oors discussions on issues that may determine their working conditions for the next several years.

Describing these discussions as negotiations is misleading if this were to be interpreted as some form of adversarial standoff involving opposing parties. In reality, the AEU is an accomplice of the state government, working against teachers and school workers. Peace began her report on the agreement discussions not by speaking about the governments response to the unions log of claimswhich include various wage and workload requests that the union has no intention of actually fighting forbut instead by elaborating on new demands being issued by the Department of Education.

This began with the demand for a 10 week leave modela change in leave arrangements that could see teachers having to work in schools between terms, if they have not worked enough hours to accumulate sufficient sick and other leave. Peace declared that there were negatives and positives to the Departments proposal, but emphasised that the AEU was willing to have this discussion.

Other issues relate to workload. Peace admitted that discussions have been more general than anything involving specific proposals to reduce face to face teaching time. An index model has been floated, potentially involving a trade-off between class size numbers and face to face teaching hours. This is a formula for betrayalthe bureaucracy is already flagging its willingness to abandon the log of claims request for a maximum 18 hours a week face to face teaching time, and the 20-student class size cap.

Likewise on the issues of wages, Peace left little doubt that the 7 percent annual raise claim will be jettisoned. The AEU begins not with what public school teachers and staff actually require, but rather with what the government says it can fund. The government, Peace insisted, has a very clear public sector wages policy involving a 2 percent annual cap, and it was being very stringent and very strict on this point in the negotiations. Wages would be discussed at the end of the negotiations, Peace explained, because of the cost implications.

Related issues for principals and super-exploited education support (ES) staff were also raised, again with little discussion on concrete issues discussed.

Following Peaces report on the so-called negotiations, the AEU official chairing the meeting declared that there was only eight to nine minutes for questions and answers. Questions could only be submitted in writing, with AEU officials selectively choosing the ones to be read aloud to the Zoom meeting. Among many questions ignored were those with multiple thumbs up gestures of support, several of which were posed by members of the CFPE.

On the question of potential strike action, Peace emphasised that there were strict laws under the Fair Work Act, referring to anti-democratic industrial legislation that was previously drafted by the unions in collaboration with the former federal Labor government. The unions use these laws to stymie any movement of workers outside their control. Peace explained that industrial action was only legal once approved by Fair Work Australia, after negotiations could be said to have broken down. This had not happened, she added, with union and government officials continuing to meet twice a week for 23 hour long discussions.

The meeting underscored the urgency of the CFPEs call for teachers to take the struggle for decent working conditions and for a properly funded and freely accessible public education system out of the hands of the AEU bureaucracy. This means forming independent rank-and-file committees in every school, and developing a struggle against the state Labor government on the basis of a democratic discussion among educators involving the need to turn out to other sections of the working class, as well as students, parents, and others concerned about the fate of the public education system.

The starting point for a new agreement must be not what the government and union deems affordable within a pandemic-driven austerity drive, but rather what is necessary to deliver decent working conditions for teachers and school staff and proper educational facilities for all public school students.

The Committee for Public Education will provide every assistance to those seeking to take forward this struggle. Contact us today and get involved!

Email: cfpe.aus@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/commforpubliceducation

Twitter: @CFPE_Australia
As India is ravaged by a tsunami of the COVID-19 cases accounting for almost half of the global daily total, Sri Lanka is facing a new surge along with other countries in the region. Dr. Olivia Nieveras, officer-in-charge of the World Health Organizations Colombo office, last week urged Sri Lanka to take the latest coronavirus surge seriously.

The new surge among the countrys 22 million people has shattered repeated claims by President Gotabhaya Rajapakse that, unlike other countries, Sri Lanka has brought the pandemic under control.

For the first time, the official daily tally of infections has been near 2,000 for the past five days. Active cases have exceeded 16,000, overwhelming Sri Lankas dilapidated health infrastructure. Total infections surpassed 117,000, as of yesterday, and the death toll has risen to 730.

From the beginning, Rajapakse put the military in charge, appointing Army Commander Shavendra Silva to head the pandemic task force. It ordered limited testing, ignoring the appeals of health experts for mass testing. Thus, the official figures have always been low, understating the actual situation.

Soldiers checking a worker before he boards a train in Colombo [Credit: WSWS]

Sri Lanka Medical Association head, Dr. Padma Gunaratne, told the media on Tuesday: [W]hen 1,800 plus COVID patients are detected daily, there are three to four times that number undetected in the community. She and other medical experts earlier warned that the pandemic in Sri Lanka would rapidly become like that in India or Brazil.

The government ignored expert advice that the UK variant, which is 50 percent more contagious and 55 percent deadlier, has been spreading in the country since March. But Sri Lanka does not have the equipment available in the country to properly research about them.

In a statement on Thursday, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi revealed the very limited capacity of the countrys hospitals, which have only 14,500 beds. Just 104 intensive care unit beds are allocated for the coronavirus patients with 64 high dependency units.

The army chief has announced that his task force has begun transforming abandoned apparel factories in suburban Colombo and remote areas into COVID-19 treatment centres. But these facilities will lack the necessary medical equipment and will further burden overstretched frontline health workers.

At the same time, there is a chronic lack of ambulances to transport patients. Thousands are staying at homes without proper care. Warnings have been made of a possible shortage of oxygen, which has taken many lives in India.

This rapid worsening is a result of the criminal policies of the Rajapakse government and the capitalist class as a whole.Even in the 16 months since the pandemic began, the government has taken no significant measures to overhaul the countrys ramshackle health system.

The public health sector has been rundown during last 30 years as successive governments pursued open-market policies and opened up for private hospitals while spending massive sums on the three decades-long communal war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Under Rajapakse, the 2021 health budget was cut by 28 billion rupees ($US140 million) and only 10 billion rupees or 0.1 percent of gross domestic product was added for 2021 to contain the pandemic.

President Rajapakse issuing a statement on April 24 reassuring big business that he would not impose a national lockdown, saying developing countries such as Sri Lanka cannot take lockdown measures or impose curfews that obstruct the economic activities of the country.

On March 19 last year, Rajapakse, facing mass concern and criticism over his response to the pandemic, reluctantly locked down the country for several weeks. A meagre social subsidy was paid to the starving needy. By contrast, Rajapakse ordered the Central Bank to provide at least 230 billion rupees in assistance to big business along with numerous other concessions.

Taking a leaf from the US and European governments, Rajapakse reopened the economy and declared that people must learn to live with the pandemic. This is nothing but the murderous herd immunity policy that puts profit before human life.

Addressing the Chamber of Commerce, the president urged investors to take the opportunities created by the pandemic. Jobs and wages have been slashed. At least 500,000 jobs have been destroyed, mainly in the informal sector. Another 500,000 people have been thrown into poverty. The countrys nine top business conglomerates, however, amassed more than 80 billion rupees in profit last year.

Amid resistance by workers as infection emerged in factories, the government has backed employers keeping them open. It reopened schools despite growing opposition by teachers, students and parents. To reinforce the illusion that the danger was over, the new-year celebrations in April were allowed to go ahead despite warnings from medical experts.

Rajapakse has cynically declared that the only solution to the pandemic is vaccination. However, only less than 2.4 percent have been vaccinated in the country. As in other poorer countries, the vaccination program in Sri Lanka is impeded not only by government policy, but also by the monopolization of vaccines by wealthy countries and the profiteering of the pharmaceutical giants producing the vaccines.

Amid widespread public anxiety, the government has been forced to lock down certain areas of the country. No factories or offices have been closed, however, despite the concerns of public health inspectors and calls by bank and postal workers. Protests emerged at the Benji garment factory in the rural Bingiriya area demanding its closure, after workers expressed reluctance to work amid virus infections.

Workers cannot rely on the Rajapakse government to take steps to protect their health and lives. Nor can they depend on the oppositionthe Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJP), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, Tamil National Alliance, pseudo-left groups and trade unions have all supported the reopening of the economy.

Workers must take matters into their own hands. Independent action committees should be established in every factory and neighbourhood to provide rallying points for youth and the rural masses.

The working class must insist on a total lockdown of all non-essential service and industries. Those working in essential services must be provided with proper protection from the virus.

Those who will lose jobs must be fully compensated. Poor farmers, fishermen and small businesses must be provided with social support.

All school must be kept closed and educators and students must be provided with the necessary facilities and equipment for online learning.

Billions of rupees must be allocated for the immediate overhauling of the health sector and providing the necessary protection for frontline workers.

Big business profits should be expropriated and used to fight the pandemic. Foreign loans must be repudiated and the money for repayments used to boost health services and provide social necessities for workers and the poor.

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) stresses that the working class can only fight for these measures by mobilizing its independent strength as part of the broader struggle for socialist policies and for a workers and peasants government to implement them.

The eradication of the pandemic is necessarily an international task that must be organized globally. On May Day 2021, the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) issued a call for an International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees, saying:

The ICFI and its affiliated Socialist Equality Parties are advancing this initiative to begin and develop a global counteroffensive of the working class against the homicidal policies of the governments controlled by the capitalist ruling class, which are responsible for the worldwide catastrophe.

The SEP in Sri Lanka calls upon workers to organize their own Action Committees and to join this international campaign.
On Wednesday, Facebook decided to uphold its suspension of former US President Donald Trump from using its services. In a separate move Thursday, Twitter suspended a sock puppet account for the former President that reposted short messages from his personal website. Trump remains banned on Twitter.

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference [Credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster]

On January 6, then-President Trump instigated a mob to storm the US Capitol building, aiming to stop the certification of the election and stage a coup. As a part of this operation, Trump loyalists amongst the military and police orchestrated a stand-down of federal forces in Washington D.C. in order to facilitate the attack.

At 1:10 p.m., Trump concluded a speech near the White House by calling on his supporters to march to the Capitol in order to take back our country. Within 40 minutes, rioters breached the doors and windows of the Capitol.

For the next three hours, the rioters would proceed to loot the Capitol, attempted to find, kidnap, or kill lawmakers, and assaulted police officers. But they failed in their stated efforts to hang Mike Pence, and the vice president managed to escape to a secure location, where he made a statement at 4:05 p.m. calling on Trump to demand an end to this siege.

Once it became clear that the insurrectionists had failed to capture any lawmakers, Trump issued a statement reiterating his support for the rioters, but calling on them to retreat from the Capitol. He later tweeted at 6:07 p.m., calling the rioters great patriots who have been badly unfairly treated for so long. This statement was reposted on his Facebook account.

At 6:15 p.m., Facebook removed Trumps post and blocked him from its service. At 7:02 p.m., Twitter followed suit, suspending Trumps account.

Trumps initial suspension from Facebook and Twitter was met with opposition not only from Trumps fascist supporters, but from libertarian journalists, including John Pilger, Glenn Greenwald, Chris Hedges and Joe Lauria of Consortium News.

These journalists paired their opposition to the suppression of Trumps Twitter account with efforts to minimizesome to the point of justifyingTrumps actions. They have deliberately downplayed and dismissed, in the face of overwhelming evidence, the significance of what occurred on January 6.

Replying to Facebooks reaffirmation of Trumps earlier suspension, journalist Glenn Greenwald commented Wednesday, The fact that Facebook has courts that decide who can and can't be heard on monopolistic speech platforms is tyrannical. Here's a reminder that leaders around the worldmany of whom dislike Trumpcondemned Facebook's removal of Trump.

Responding to Twitters actions, the World Socialist Web Site wrote on January 16:

A class-conscious analysis, informed by Marxism and the historical experience of the international socialist movement, would explain that Twitters action took place within the context of an acute crisis within the bourgeois state, in which its highly compromised semi-constitutional faction, threatened with violent overthrow, sought to block Trump from mobilizing his fascist followers. Why should left-wing opponents of the attempted coup oppose the disruption of Trumps communications? In fact, had Twitter not taken this action, socialists would quite correctly interpret its neutrality as open complicity with the conspirators. Moreover, as part of their own independent efforts to mobilize working class opposition to Trumps conspiracy, socialists would urge Twitter workers and others employed in the technology industry to cut off his access to social media and to disrupt the communication networks of his armed followers. There were, in fact, many demands from Twitter workers for precisely such action, which was a significant factor in Twitters decision to shut down Trumps account. An article in Vanity Fair earlier this week notes that Twitter may have had its own insurrection if it did not dump Trump. [Do Trumps defenders] consider such demands from workers an impermissible violation of free speech? The World Socialist Web Site is not indifferent to the consequences of a successful fascistic overthrow of the US government. The danger posed by Big Tech and the Democratic Party will not be solved by passively accepting, under the cover of the unconditional defense of free speech, the establishment of an authoritarian regime led by Trump, backed by fascist organizations. Our slogan in the midst of a fascist assault on Congress is not: Hands off Hitler! Free Speech for Trump!

Nothing that has transpired in the subsequent months makes it necessary to change this analysis. Trump continues to falsely claim he won the 2020 election and continues to mobilize violent right-wing extremists. He would, if he had the means, carry out another violent coup detat tomorrow.

Subsequent reporting has only demonstrated the degree of planning and organization of the insurrectionistswho had offsite weapons caches ready to deploy if their plot succeeded. Internal documents from the military and capitol police testify to the scope of the military/police stand-down that allowed the insurrectionists to breach the capitol.

Trumps suspension from Facebook is not a free speech issue. His social media accounts were suspended in the midst of an effort to overthrow a presidential election and install himself as dictator.

At the time, Trump was not a private citizen, but the commander-in-chief of the US military, using the vast powers of the presidency in an effort to destroy democratic rights in the United States. Despite the failure of Trumps coup, he remains the effective head of the Republican Party, capable of mobilizing the vast apparatus of one of the oldest political machines in the world.

The decision by Facebook and Twitter to shut down Trumps social media accounts took place in the context of a bitter struggle within the ruling class between its pseudo-democratic and openly fascist factions. There was no small element of self-preservation involved: the social media executives, like Trumps opponents within the Democratic Party, could have expected to see a jail cell if Trump had succeeded in making himself dictator.

The working class and its socialist leadership are not a party to the factional struggle within the capitalist state. We have never raised the demand for private corporations to shut down Trumps communications, and we have never promoted the illusion that Trumps suspension from these services will stop the threat of fascism.

But it is not the task of the Marxist movement to demand that Trump have unfettered access to Twitter and Facebook. Marxists do not positively demand that free speech be accorded to fascists, or that no measures be taken, for fear of infringing on the free speech of fascist conspirators, to counteract uninhibited communication between the leader of a right-wing coup and his followers.

Among the journalists demanding the reinstatement of Trumps social media accounts, there is more at work than libertarian muddle-headedness: There is no small element of a cowardly adaptation to the extreme right.

Unlike these unmoored journalists, the WSWSs opposition to the fascist right is unwavering. Drawing on the lessons of history, we know that the fascist forces being mobilized behind Trump pose an existential threat to the working class and its socialist leadership.

Appeals to the repressive apparatus of the state or to corporations will not protect democracy in the United States or anywhere else. The struggle against fascism can only be successful to the extent that it mobilizes the working class in the struggle for socialism. The demand that violent fascists openly plotting to set up a dictatorship be given unfettered access to communications plays no role in the building of such a movement.

The fact is that social media censorship overwhelmingly targets the left, not the right. Last year, Google CEO Sundar Pichai admitted that the company censors the World Socialist Web Site, and the WSWS remains buried in search results for socialism, socialist, Trotskyism, and class struggle, despite being universally recognized as the most comprehensive authority on these issues.

For months, Facebook blocked the sharing of a WSWS article opposing the conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was a Chinese-made bioweapon, and anyone who attempted to share the article was either warned or suspended. Leading members of the World Socialist Web Site editorial boardincluding US managing editor Niles Niemuthhave been suspended from Facebook entirely without cause.

Greenwald and his co-thinkers, while condemning Facebooks supposed violation of Trumps free speech, have made no mention of the ongoing censorship of the World Socialist Web Site. In fact, in November, Chris Hedges bluntly refused, in response to an appeal by WSWS international editorial board Chairman David North, to make a statement opposing the suspension of the Twitter account of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), claiming he was too busy.

The World Socialist Web Site has far worthier figures to defend than the would-be fascist dictator Donald Trump. We will continue to expose the censorship of left-wing, antiwar and socialist web sites and organizations. And we will continue to do everything in our power to publicize the plight of jailed journalists, such as Julian Assange, victimized workers, and scientists like Rebekah Jones who come under attack for opposing the homicidal policies of capitalist governments.
After 2,000 workers at Bogazici Elektrik Dagtm AS (Bedas), a company distributing electricity to the European side of Istanbul, went on a wildcat strike in defiance of an official ban on strike activity in the electricity sector last Friday, several procapitalist forces are trying to drown their struggle in the dead end of trade unionism.

The World Socialist Web Site explained that the only way forward is building an independent, rank-and-file committee as part of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees and called on workers to reject union calls to end the strike and wait until Thursday. As the WSWS had previously warned, the Tes-Is union, affiliated to Turk-Is, completely ended the wildcat strike struggle and work-to-rule action, ordering a return to work in a statement released on Wednesday.

Bedas workers on strike, April 30, 2021, Istanbul [Credit: @bedaiscileri on Twitter]

In its statement, Tes-Is announced that the state Supreme Arbitration Councils (YHK) binding arbitration mandating low wages for Bedas workers disrupts work peace, tranquility and productivity in our workplaces that have been created with mutual respect and dialogue over the years. The union added that it had requested to meet with the company in order to re-establish work peace stronger without further damage and that the meeting will take place in one month, on June 4.

This sellout statement expresses the great fear by the trade unions, the ruling class and its state. Working in the critical energy sector in Turkeys economic capital to provide electricity to nearly 5 million subscribers including businesses, the Bedas workers militant struggle will inspire other workers, in Turkey and internationally, to oppose the deadly herd immunity policies and mounting poverty and social inequality amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. This can trigger an uncontrolled explosion of class struggle threatening the institutions of class rule, including the trade unions, and the capitalist system as a whole.

Tes-Is, a union linked to the Turk-Is who signed the YHKs decision on the 6 percent miserly agreement for the workers, is completely discredited. Workers are looking for a way forward. Under these conditions, capitalist political forces of all different colors, including the pseudo-left, have been mobilized to lead workers into the dead end of procapitalist trade unionism.

Mahmud Altunsoy, president of Enerji-Is, a union linked to the progovernment Islamist Hak-Is confederation, posted a video calling on Bedas workers to join his union. In it, he unintentionally exposed the corruption and bankruptcy of all Turkeys unions.

Criticizing Tes-Is, he said it used the financial power it obtained from workers dues to [build] hotels, holiday villages and [private] hospitals. Then he continued to threaten workers against militant class struggle, as if he was a corporate or government official, Confusion and collision will cause no solution, only destruction and disappointment. The work you have done is under the legal ban on strikes. Work stoppage or work-to-rule action puts you in an unfair situation.

In fact, if the prohibition of strikes imposed by the state in the energy sector is accepted as unchallengeable, it is accepted from the outset that there is no way for workers to struggle for their social and economic rights. However, the right to strike in Turkey, as in many countries of the world, has been gained in illegal or wildcat strikes by workers against the companies and the state.

Unions who accept this ban at Bedas aim to extract 300,000 to 400,000 Turkish lira (US$35,000 to $50,000) per month from around 2,500 workers, who only earn US$385. This enormous amount, which cannot legally be used to support workers struggles, is seen as the price the company is willing to pay to prevent any actual strike action.

Altunsoys words that workers dues are invested in various profitable capitalist businesses by unions is one of the common features of unions based on the exploitation of workers and the capitalist nation-state system. The unions ceased decades ago to be workers organizations, having turned into extensions of management and the state.

Dennis Williams, former president of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union in the United States, was sentenced to two years in prison this week for embezzling union funds. Dues go not only to the incomes of union executives, whose annual legal earnings are hundreds of thousands of dollars. They are also invested in the stock market, to buy company shares and sit on company management or supervisory boards all over the world.

The global process of the unions integration with management and the state is also valid for Turkey. Union executives are part of the affiliated upper middle class, and they owe this to the growing exploitation of the working class.

Although the financial situation of unions in Turkey is largely in the dark, data shows that their situation is not different from their American or European counterparts. According to the data compiled by the daily Evrensel, it was revealed that in 2019, the monthly salary of the chairman of Ozcelik-Is union affiliated to Hak-Is was between 30,000 or 50,000 Turkish liras.

The chairman of the Seker-Is union affiliated to Turk-Is also bought a car worth 1 million Turkish lira in 2018. In Turkey, where the minimum wage is 2,825 Turkish lira, it is not only the executives of Hak-Is or Turk-Is confederations who receive tens of thousands of liras to suppress the class struggle.

It is also true for the pro-opposition DISK (Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions), which is a partner of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation run by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of the ruling grand coalition in Germany.

The Lastik-Is union, affiliated to DISK, is one of the hotel-owning unions in Turkey. While the unions total dues income in 2019 was approximately 21.4 million lira, the total salary and bonus expenses of the union executives were around 4.5 million lira. As for Birlesik Metal-Is, its dues income in the first 10 months of 2019 was 24 million lira, and the salaries and expenses of the five top executives were recorded at 975,000 liras.

This role of unions, which serve as the labor police of companies worldwide, has been most strikingly demonstrated during the pandemic, as the herd immunity policies of the ruling elites led to massive contagion and over 3 million deaths. The German and French unions signed the European Union bailouts and oversaw the back-to-work campaign under unsafe conditions.

The same reactionary collaboration was followed by the unions in Turkey. Turk-Is and Hak-Is issued a joint statement with the Confederation of Employers Unions of Turkey (TISK) and thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his response to the pandemic. However, this herd immunity response has led to the infection of millions and the deaths of tens of thousands, including more than 400 health care workers, from COVID-19.

The DISK was complicit in this social murder policy. As millions of workers lost their jobs and incomes, the DISK hailed the unpaid leave bill, calling it a confirmation of our proposals. It has abandoned its pledge to strike against attempts to keep workers on the job in unsafe factories doing nonessential production during the pandemic, and has increasingly focused on improving its relations with the state against the working class.

Now, Enerji-Sen, affiliated with DISK, is being advanced as a possible alternative to the Bedas workers. It is a pseudo-left tendency trying to plunge the struggle of the Bedas workers into the swamp of unionism and claims that joining a new union other than these confederations is the only solution. It claims it is impossible for workers to do anything independently of the unions. Instead of organizing outside of the unions to continue Fridays wildcat strike struggle and to spread it on specific social and economic demands, they propose to move to a new union and focus on the additional protocol and the legal struggle.

This bankrupt approach serves to undermine the militant struggle of the Bedas workers and will ultimately bring nothing but defeat. It also reveals the procapitalist and nationalist character of the pseudo-left. They impose on workers the very same policies as the right-wing union officials.

David North, the chairman of the International Editorial Board of the WSWS, explained in his essay Why are trade unions hostile to socialism?:

As Gramsci noted, The union represents legality and must aim to make its members respect that legality. The defense of legality means the suppression of the class struggle. That is why the trade unions ultimately undermine their ability to achieve even the limited aims to which they are officially dedicated. Herein lies the contradiction upon which trade unionism flounders. The conflict between the trade unions and the revolutionary movement arises not, in any fundamental sense, from the faults and failings of the trade union leadersthough both are to be found in abundant supplybut from the nature of the trade unions themselves. At the heart of this conflict lies the organic opposition of the trade unions to the development and extension of the class struggle. That opposition becomes all the more determined, bitter and deadly at the point where the class struggle appears to threaten the production relations of capitalism, that is, the socioeconomic foundations of trade unionism itself.

The only revolutionary movement that tells the truth to the working class is the International Committee of the Fourth International.

Bedas workers are an integral part of, not only the broader layer of 250,000 energy workers but also, the Turkish and international working class. Their interests can be advanced only based on a revolutionary, international program, not a trade union and national one.

This means, above all, the establishment of a rank-and-file committee independent of procapitalist unions in preparation for a political struggle against management and the state behind it. This committee should be a part of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) initiated by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) and must appeal to the whole working class in Turkey and internationally to challenge the strike ban and to gain its demands.

Lasting social and economic gains for energy workers and other sections of the working class require the expropriation of the energy companies and other major industries under the democratic control of the working class. This means a fight for workers power and the socialist reorganization of the global economy on the basis of the needs of society, not private profit.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday in Kiev, pledging Washingtons support as the former Soviet republic continues its military escalation with Moscow.

The visit, the first by a senior Biden administration official, comes on the heels of Russias announcement on April 22 that it was withdrawing the bulk of its forces near the Ukrainian border as it had completed its military drills there.

Former US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a news conference in Kiev, Ukraine, Friday, March 6, 2015 [Credit: AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov]

During his visit, Blinken reaffirmed the US commitment to Ukraines sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, and also encouraged the country to continue to fight corruption and pass reforms. In reality, both are demands to prosecute the pro-Russian section of the Ukrainian oligarchy and to accelerate unpopular privatization measures of the Ukrainian economy.

Ukraine is facing two challenges: aggression from outside, coming from Russia, and in effect aggression from within, coming from corruption, oligarchs and others who are putting their interests ahead of those of the Ukrainian people, Blinken told reporters after his meeting with Zelensky.

For the Ukrainian government, the visit proved to be somewhat of a disappointment as it received no guarantees of NATO membership despite openly pleading for an invitation for months.

After a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Monday, Zelensky again reiterated his desire for an invitation, stating on Twitter, Ukraine needs a clear signal about the European and Euro-Atlantic prospect. Postponing these issues for later, some day, 10 years has to end.

However, Blinken simply stated that Ukraines Euro-Atlantic aspirations were being discussed and said that the US was actively looking into strengthening its military presence there without providing any details.

In a move clearly meant to antagonize and provoke the Kremlin, the State Departments undersecretary for political affairs, Victoria J. Nuland, accompanied Blinken on his trip to Kiev.

Nuland was one of the most vociferous supporters of the US-backed coup that overthrew the elected pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014 and installed an anti-Moscow right-wing government.

In 2014, a taped conversation between Nuland, then assistant secretary of state, and the US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt was released in which Nuland and Pyatt bluntly discussed their desired make-up of an incoming post-coup government in Kiev. The phone call marked a particularly revealing moment in US foreign policy as it laid bare US gangsterism. At one point, Nuland cried F*** the EU while criticizing some European countries for their hesitancy to immediately embrace the anti-Moscow right-wing coup.

In addition to serving in the Obama administration, Nuland also served as a foreign policy advisor to the war criminal Dick Cheney from 20032005 and later as US Ambassador to NATO during President George W. Bushs second term. Nuland was a proponent of placing permanent NATO bases on its borders with Russia.

The appearance of both Blinken and Nuland in Kiev demonstrates that the US plans to continue using Ukraine to antagonize and weaken Russia militarily. At the same time, the US is using the carrot of NATO membership with the Ukrainian ruling class.

While Ukraines far-right paramilitary groups regularly boast of fighting for glory and defending the motherland until the last man, in reality Ukraine would stand little chance in the case of an all-out war with a militarily and economically superior Russia, facts of which both Blinken and Nuland are undoubtedly well aware.

Ukraines armed forces consist of just 209,000 compared to Russias 900,000. Despite receiving over $2 billion in military assistance since 2014, Ukraines defense spending in 2021 stands at $4.3 billion compared to Russias military budget of approximately $70 billion. In addition, Ukraine has continued to rapidly lose huge numbers of people and now numbers just 35 million. It is also Europes poorest country, according to the World Bank.

While in Ukraine, Blinken conspicuously failed to condemn the far-right elements that the US deployed in 2014 and which continue to play an oversized role in Ukraine due to their alliance with the Ukrainian oligarchy and Western imperialism.

Last week, the far right held a march in Kiev to celebrate the 78th anniversary of the establishment of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, also known as the 1st Galician. The Nazi unit was composed of Ukrainians and German volunteers and conscripts and was deployed against Soviet and Polish partisans during World War II.

Since 2014, such elements have been given free rein to hold marches, attack ethnic minorities and kill journalists and political opponents. The imperialist powers consider them highly useful in carrying out their war plans in the region and suppressing the working class.

It is thus no coincidence that Blinken failed to publicly condemn the march both in his remarks in Kiev and prior to his visit. Instead, he called on Russia to end its irresponsible and destabilising behaviour following G7 talks in London earlier in the week.

Zelensky, who himself has a Jewish background, condemned the march in a statement only nominally and sought to conflate the crimes of fascism with the Soviet Union. He released his statement only after NATO member Germany and NATO ally Israel publicly condemned the march.

The Ukrainian far right has been instrumental in preventing a negotiated settlement to the now over seven-year-long civil war in eastern Ukraine that has claimed the lives of over 14,000 Ukrainians.

A major point of contention has been a special federated status for the separatist-controlled areas of the Donbass region. Such a move has been called a red line by Ukraines neo-fascist organizations. These organizations, including the Azov Battalion and the Right Sector, have close ties to Interior Minister Arsen Avakov and have threatened another coup in Kiev if a negotiated settlement is reached with Moscow and the separatists.

When Zelensky sought to negotiate with Germany, France and Russiabut without the USabout a ceasefire in the fall of 2019, thousands of neo-fascists marched in Ukraine against his government with the support of former President Petro Poroshenko. In early 2020, Zelensky then reshuffled his government, bringing in many figures with close ties to the US.

Zelensky has since also deepened his administrations alliance with the far right. Most recently, he has been seeking to appoint the notorious neo-Nazi Serhiy Sternenko from the Right Sector as head of Ukraines Security Service (SBU) in Odessa.
In the latest assault on the democratic rights of millions of people, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Trump acolyte, signed Senate Bill 90 into law Thursday after it passed the Republican-dominated Florida legislature earlier this week. The anti-democratic measure is one of hundreds that have been advanced by Republican-led state legislatures across the country following former President Donald Trumps attempted coup on January 6.

Ron Desantis speaking at the 2018 Student Action Summit hosted by Turning Point USA at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida [Credit: Gage Skidmore]

While the specifics in each bill vary, the overall purpose of the bills is to eviscerate the democratic and voting rights of the working class while bolstering Trumps baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen. This has not prevented a majority of the Republican Party in both Washington D.C. and state governmentswith the exception of arch-conservative Liz Cheneyfrom embracing and propagating Trumps Big Lie of a stolen election.

Testifying to the fascistic character of the bill and the Republican Party as a whole, DeSantis staged a live-signing of the bill exclusively on Fox News, in an attempt to enhance his standing with its far-right audience, which includes among its incessant viewers, Trump himself. According to a CNN report, local media outlets were told they were not allowed to go inside to witness the signing of the bill because it was a Fox News exclusive.

The Florida bill adds several unnecessary burdens onto the voting process, such as limiting the use of drop boxes and barring volunteers from returning completed ballots on behalf of voters, while also requiring voters who wish to vote by mail to re-register for every election cycle.

According to data from Target Smart, over 9 million Floridians returned an early in-person or mail-in ballot in the 2020 election, up 41 percent from 2016. In Florida, 45 percent of requested mail-in ballots went to Democrats, while 31 percent went to Republicans. However, the number of returned ballots by percentage was nearly identical, with 39 percent of Democrats and 38 percent of Republicans returning their ballots.

DeSantis himself acknowledged in a Fox News interview last week that Floridas election was fair and transparent (because Trump won the state). Despite this, in a statement announcing the signing of the SB 90, the governor claimed the bill would allow Florida to remain a leader in ballot integrity. Wilton Simpson, president of the Florida Senate, in the same statement said the new restrictive measures would prevent a backslide and that Florida was a model for the nation in November.

Unable to make a broader appeal to the working class in defense of democratic rights, the Democratic Party has attacked the measure and similar ones in Texas and Georgia in purely racialist terms, while appealing to major corporations and the increasingly right-wing courts for redress. After DeSantis signed the bill, a coalition of Democratic Party-aligned organizations filed lawsuits challenging the anti-democratic provisions within the bill.

Democratic State Senator Shervin Jones called the bill Jim Crow 2.0, while at the same time admitting it will make it harder for voters from low-income rural white communities, to the elderly, to communities of color to have their voices heard.

Patricia Brigham, president of the League of Women Voters of Florida, said the legislation has a deliberate and disproportionate impact on elderly voters, voters with disabilities, students and communities of color. Its a despicable attempt by a one party-ruled legislature to choose who can vote in our state and who cannot. Its undemocratic, unconstitutional, and un-American.

The League joined the Black Voters Matter Fund, the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans and others in a joint lawsuit on Thursday against the bill. A separate federal lawsuit was filed in Tallahassee by the NAACP and Common Cause, which claimed that the law targets people who are black, Latino or disabled.

Mirroring Florida, in an early Friday morning vote after only nine hours of debate, the Republican-controlled Texas state House passed a less restrictive version of Senate Bill 7, which included several amendments from Democratic legislators. Because the House version differs significantly from the more restrictive version that had previously been passed in the Texas Senate, it will go to a conference committee of the two houses, whose members, behind closed doors, could strip out the amendments and reintroduce the more restrictive elements of the bill.

These restrictive measures are in direct response to the mass participation of voters in populous urban Democratic counties like Harris County, home of Houston. Restrictions included in the previously passed Senate bill include limiting the hours of early voting, banning drive-thru voting, reducing the number of polling places and restricting election officials from mailing out ballots to voters who did not previously request them.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott hailed the passage of the bill on Friday, writing on Twitter that limiting the access and ability to vote for millions of people would ensure trust & confidence in the outcome of our elections. Abbotts alleged zeal for ensuring trust & confidence in elections is rife with hypocrisy, seeing as how Texas was the first state to back Trumps spurious claims of fraud and led the attempt to overturn the election by supporting Trumps lawsuit which would have suppressed the votes of nearly 20 million people.

Last December prior to the official meeting of the members of the Electoral College, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the electoral results of four battleground states that Biden had won over Trump: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Paxtons lawsuit was supported by Trump and 18 other Republican-led state governments. The suit alleged that the shift to mail-in balloting across the country in light of the unchecked spread of the coronavirus, which has killed over 900,000 in the US, was unconstitutional.

While the Supreme Court rejected the suit, more than half of the Republican members of Congress and nearly every Republican state government embraced the lie that Biden was elected through fraud and that Trump was the legitimate president.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, as of March 24, 361 bills with restrictive provisions have been introduced by Republican legislators in 47 states. This confirms that even though Trump lost the 2020 election, the growth of the far right within the Republican Party, and the turn to dictatorial forms of rule by significant sections of the ruling class has not lessened, and in fact, is only accelerating.

In the eyes of the Republican Party, it is not simply that the election was stolen, but that too many people participated, including immigrants, college students and minorities. This was acknowledged by deputy White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday who commented on the Florida bill saying, The only reason to change the rules right now is if you dont like who voted.

Despite representatives from the White House openly acknowledging the blatantly undemocratic character of the proposed legislation, Biden and the rest of the Democratic Party continue to appeal to Republicans to work with them to pass a bipartisan class agenda of herd immunity at home and imperialist war abroad.

In Florida, Democratic Representative and former Republican Governor Charlie Crist, who announced this week he would be running against DeSantis for governor, stated that the bill highlighted the differences between the two. He noted that DeSantis locks out the public and caters to Fox News, in contrast to Crist, who claimed that as governor he invited everyone inDemocrats, Republicans and Independents.

Bidens continued calls to protect and sustain the Republican Party only demonstrates that the fight for democratic rights cannot be left in the hands of the feckless Democrats, who have done everything in their power to suppress and cover for their Republican colleagues even as they seek to eliminate the most basic democratic rightsincluding the right to vote of Democratic voters.

The Democratic Partys real attitude toward democratic rights was most clearly shown in its actions against left-wing opponents throughout the 2020 election campaign, as Democratic-controlled state governments did everything in their power to block the efforts of the Socialist Equality Party to place its candidates on the ballot, depriving the voters of a socialist candidate. The same treatment was handed out to Green candidates in several states.

The turn towards fascism and dictatorship by the US ruling class demonstrates that none of the gains won in previous struggles can be defended within the current political framework. Workers and youth who seek to guarantee the democratic rights of all should make a class-conscious decision to break with the two parties of big business and build an independent political movement of the working class to fight for socialism.
CALEDONIA, Miss. (WTVA) - A man in Caledonia received an award sent form the highest ranks in the U.S. military.

Bradford Freeman was just 19-years-old when he entered World War II as a mortar man.

Bradford Freeman, a World War II veteran, received honors from the Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff.

Bradford Freeman, a World War II veteran, received honors from the Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff. Bradford Freeman, a World War II veteran, received honors from the Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff. Bradford Freeman, a World War II veteran, received honors from the Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff.

Little did he know, he'd take part in some of the most well-known battles in U.S. history.

They told us when you drop out of this plane, you are going to be surrounded," said Freeman. "Its live or die.

Freeman is one of the last surviving soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division -- a group that dropped down in the invasions of Normandy (D-Day), captured Hitler's hideout, and much more.

During those large events, Freeman watched many friends not make it out alive.

I went to the graveyards over there a lot, overseas," said the veteran. "That was a hard thing to do when you lay flowers by a friend.

Freeman's bravery and service to his country brought members of the Columbus Air Force Base and army men from across the country to honor the hero with a very special coin.

General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff at the Pentagon, heard about Freeman and wanted to recognize his service.

When you get a challenge coin, its just a sign of mutual respect of usually a senior officer giving it to someone for doing something," explained Captain Zach Shutte. "Its not an official award, but its just more of a sign of respect. For that to come from the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, Ive never seen that awarded.

The veteran was at a loss for words seeing the unheard of award.

Shutte said even at the age of 96, Freeman continues to serve the nation by inspiring soldiers.

Freeman said he does not feel worthy of the challenge coin, but his family and friends see him as a real life superhero.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  The Alabama attorney general's office is moving to impeach a sheriff accused of malfeasance.

A statement from Attorney General Steve Marshall says Clarke County Sheriff Ray Norris first came under investigation last year and papers were served on Friday.

Norris allegedly used his office to obtain thousands of dollars from a company that got about $140,000 in payments from the sheriff's office.

He's accused of filing false financial disclosure forms and perjury.

He's also accused of failing to file a tax return for 2019. Norris can remain in office until an impeachment trial is held.

He didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP)  Jurors have convicted an Alabama police officer charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a suicidal man who was holding a gun to his own head.

The panel returned the verdict Friday against Huntsville police officer William Ben Darby.

He was indicted in the killing of Jeffrey Parker in 2018.

Prosecutors said Darby killed Parker without cause, but the defense argued the shooting was justified because Parker posed a threat to officers.

The verdict was criticized by both the mayor and police chief.

But it was lauded by the victims family, who said they hope it will spur law enforcement to change how they approach mental health crises.
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - The Mississippi Department of Transportation's (MDOT) acting executive director reminds Mississippians to slow down and pay attention to crews who are working alongside roadways.

On Thursday, Jeffrey Altman shared an image of District 2 maintenance technician Will Yates.

A car struck Yates on March 28 while he was clearing storm damage. The injury cost him his left leg.

Altman says Yates is doing well and looks forward to getting back out with "his guys.
Charleston, WV (25301)

Today

Chance of an isolated thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Chance of an isolated thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Republican lawmakers Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene kicked off their America First Rally" at The Villages, a well-known retirement community in central Florida on Friday. (May 7)

Video Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

["THUNDERSTRUCK" BY AC/DC]

MATT GAETZ: And so today, we send a strong message to the weak establishment in both parties-- America first isn't going away. We're going on tour.

[CHEERING]

Here in Florida and across this great country, we love America so much. And we will not wave the flag of surrender.

The way forward is not a repackaged, regurgitated version of Paul Ryan's better way.

[BOOS]

And it's certainly not the Green New Deal and the socialist way. Our way, America First, will rule the day.

[CHEERING]

["THUNDERSTRUCK" BY AC/DC]
Agentes de policia con mascaras protectoras pasan por la Torre Spasskaya del Kremlin en Moscu el 13 de marzo de 2021 (AFP via Getty Images)

Claims of Russian bounties against US troops in Afghanistan were linked to a Kremlin-backed spy team known as Unit 29155, according to reports.

The intelligence community released newly-declassified documents of its assessment to The New York Times after the Biden administrations review said they had "low to moderate" confidence in the intelligence.

Claims that Donald Trump did nothing about Russian bounties on American soldiers were leveraged by Joe Biden as a major election issue during the presidential campaign and tied to accusations that the Republican had consistently shown a deferential attitude to Vladimir Putin. Conservative commentators said the only low to moderate assessment meant the Biden administration had effectively walked back the bounties claim.

Reporting by theTimes suggests the Central Intelligence Agencys judgement was bolstered by traces of evidence left by a unit of the GRU Russian military intelligence service known for assassination operations.

The involvement of this GRU unit is consistent with Russia encouraging attacks against US and coalition personnel in Afghanistan given its leading role in such lethal and destabilising operations abroad, the National Security Council said in a statement provided to the newspaper.

Quoting officials and statements on two prior operations, theTimes identified the group as Unit 29155, which has been accused of involvement in explosions at ammunition depots in the Czech Republic and the assassination attempt of a Bulgarian arms manufacturer.

It has also been linked to the assassination attempt against former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury in 2018.

The connection to the GRU in managing relationships with a Taliban-linked Afghanistan criminal network that first revealed allegations of a Kremlin plot to encourage attacks on US and allied troops, was highlighted by White House press secretary Jen Psaki when announcing the administrations findings.

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"The involvement of this GR unit is consistent with Russias encouraging attacks against US and coalition personnel in Afghanistan," she told reporters.

"So while theres low to moderate assessment of these reports, we felt it was important for our intelligence community to look into it."

The release of newly declassified documents suggests disagreement among different agencies within the intelligence community on whether to assign a "medium" or "low" level of confidence in corroborating the intelligence, which reportedly came from members of the criminal network detained in early 2020.

While they ultimately had "low to moderate" level of confidence in the bounties, they had "high confidence" in the associated but circumstantial evidence of ties between the criminal network and the GRUs Unit 29155.

We have independently verified the ties of several individuals in this network to Russia, the National Security Council statement to theTimes said.

Multiple sources have confirmed that elements of this criminal network worked for Russian intelligence for over a decade and travelled to Moscow in April 2019.

The Biden administration gave a warning, but issued no sanctions, against Russia for the bounties. Asked if the president had any regrets for attacking Mr Trump for not taking action based on the same intelligence, Ms Psaki said shes "not going to speak to the previous administration".

During the 2020 campaign, Mr Biden said the previous administration didnt "lift one finger" to respond to the bounties placed on US troops.

Not only has he failed to sanction or impose any kind of consequences on Russia for this egregious violation of international law, Donald Trump has continued his embarrassing campaign of deference and debasing himself before Vladimir Putin, Mr Biden said.

Read More

US economy adds just 266,000 jobs in April, significantly less than predicted

Texas follows Florida in passing voting restrictions based on Trumps Big Lie after late-night debate

Ahead of Harris meeting, Mexico president accuses US
Image via Getty/Alex Wong

On Saturday, Barack and Michelle Obama announced the death of their family dog, Bo.

Today our family lost a true friend and loyal companion, wrote Barack Obama alongside a series of photos of Bo, who they welcomed into their family in 2009.

For more than a decade, Bo was a constant, gentle presence in our liveshappy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and everyday in between, he continued. He tolerated all the fuss that came with being in the White House, had a big bark but no bite, loved to jump in the pool in the summer, was unflappable with children, lived for scraps around the dinner table, and had great hair. He was exactly what we needed and more than we ever expected. We will miss him dearly."

Former Democratic Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy gifted Bo to the Obama daughters, Sasha and Malia. They later welcomed their second dog, Sunny, to the family in 2013.

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This afternoon was a difficult one for our family. We said goodbye to our best friendour dog, Boafter a battle with cancer, wrote Michelle Obama on her post about the loss of Bo. On the campaign trail in 2008, we promised our daughters that we would get a puppy after the election. At the time, Bo was supposed to be a companion for the girls. We had no idea how much he would mean to all of us.

She also reflected on how the family was able to spend more time with Bo this past year than before due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With everyone back home during the pandemic, no one was happier than Bo, she remarked. All his people were under one roof againjust like the day we got him. I will always be grateful that Bo and the girls got to spend so much time together at the end.

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RIP, Bo.

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NEW YORK  Inside a bright purple RV tucked under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, Giovanni sat in the orange glow of a heater screwed onto a propane tank. A sticker on the front door read, "Drama Free Zone." Emails chimed on his work laptop in the background.

I would not have been doing it this way unless I had to, said Giovanni, 32, who lives in a recreational vehicle. If I kept going the way things were going, I was probably going to be in a real jam, where I wasnt going to be able to pay rent, probably evicted and couch surfing.

Giovanni is one of dozens of New Yorkers who have traded a brick-and-mortar pad for a home on wheels because they cant afford city rents.

As a first responder  an emergency medical technician with a private hospital  Giovanni said he couldnt make ends meet.

I was an EMT you want to talk struggling that was really rough, he explained. I had to have somebody rent out my living room just to be able to cover the rent. Thats how hard it was. After doing that for three, four years, I was like, Im done with this. I quit. Im over it.

In December 2019, Giovanni bought a Fleetwood Southwind RV for $4,000 and decided to call it home.

By the light of a small, solar powered lamp, Giovanni, who asked that his last name be withheld, now sells insurance using his cell phone as a hotspot. He said his $40,000 a year salary is still not enough cash to rent an apartment in most neighborhoods, so he delivers food on the side.

I went to college, I did pretty much everything that I was told I was supposed to do in order to have a good life. And it didnt turn out that way, he explained. For a majority of us, we got slammed with student loans that are almost impossible to pay back. Im probably one of two or three Millennials under that highway.

The average monthly price for a rental property in Brooklyn rose from $1,840 in 2010 to $2,734 in March last year, according to a Street Easy report.

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Brooklyn rentals were going for $2,463 a month in March, according to the real estate website.

One of the characteristics of the pandemic vs. prepandemic has been a sharp drop in rent however it doesnt appear its been enough of a decline to create affordability, said said Jonathan Miller, President and CEO of Miller Samuel Inc., a real estate appraisal and consulting firm. It is a real predicament.

For New Yorkers like John Sanabria an RV offers the promise of the open road and the potential of settling down wherever he winds up.

If I go to another state everything is cheap, theres more freedom, said Sanabria, 35. New York, I feel like I dont have freedom over here.

Last summer, Sanabria dumped his savings into a 1998 Airstream Land Yacht. Once the floors are renovated with new tile, he plans to drive away and make a new start.

When I went down to Florida, I slept better, everyone was nicer, I loved it, he explained.

Until his RV is road ready, Sanabria works as a locksmith and lives in Sunset Park. He said he cant afford to stay in the borough where he was born and raised because outsiders are moving in.

Theres a lot of people come from other states. Its changing New York. They call them yuppies, its better, the neighborhoods are cleaner, its improved, said Sanabria. But even people with college degrees have to work two jobs [to afford rent]... I feel abandoned.

The NYPD said there are no regulations for RVs, only that they must obey street parking rules. The City Department of Environmental Protection had no information or guidelines for RVs, according to a spokesman. The State Department of Motor Vehicles did not respond to a request for the number of RVs registered within the five boroughs.

While living an in RV may sound attractive to people trying to save money and add a little adventure to their lives, it is not for everyone.

New York, unlike places like Jersey City, Chicago, San Diego and New Orleans, does not offer parking for the behemoths, places to hook up for access to electricity and water or spots to dump waste.

Because of that, living here in an RV can be challenging.

Its a little difficult just because New York is not really RV friendly, said Kathy, who asked that her last name be withheld.

Kathy and her husband moved into their four-wheeled abode at the start of the pandemic because they didnt want to get their elderly parents sick but couldnt cough up any more money for rent.

Were regular folks, we work like everyone else, we pay taxes like everyone else, said Kathy. We just really cant afford to live in New York.

Even though the living is not always easy, Giovanni tries to get as much mileage as he can out of it.

Ill go on dating websites, I even have it on my profile that I live in an RV, and some people are like, Wow, thats really cool. Other people just dont say anything or just dont talk to you, he said. Its hit or miss really, but my friends dont care.
Jinger (Duggar) Vuolo and her husband Jeremy Vuolo are leaning on one another amid the current controversy surrounding her oldest brother, Josh Duggar.

On April 29, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's firstborn child was arrested on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography  news that comes six years after Josh's past molestation scandal became public knowledge.

In the wake of his arrest, a source tells PEOPLE that "overall, Jinger and Jeremy are horrified and disgusted by the situation."

"Being a family themselves, the idea of these kinds of charges against Josh are a horrific thing. Jinger is having a hard time coping with it," says the source.

Though the scandal has "taken an emotional toll" on the couple, according to the source, the Counting On stars are focusing on their own family and the home they've built together in Los Angeles.

"They are happy that they have their own family," the source shares of the Hope We Hold: Finding Peace in the Promises of God authors, who are parents to daughters Felicity, 2, and 5-month-old Evangeline Jo.

RELATED: Josh Duggar Allowed to See His Kids with Supervision from Wife Anna as He Awaits Child Porn Trial

Instagram; Patsy Lynch/Shutterstock Jeremy Vuolo and Jinger (Duggar) Vuolo; Josh Duggar

"They have built their own life in a new city that they love and are surrounded by people who support them. It's taken an emotional toll on them, but they are raising their daughters and are focused on their life in L.A.," the source adds.

On Thursday, Josh was released from jail and was seen leaving the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in video captured by local news stations. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

During a virtual hearing on Wednesday, a judge ruled that Josh would be released from custody provided that he must remain with third party custodians, Lacount and Maria Reber, and be confined to their home with GPS tracking.

Story continues

Josh was also granted "unlimited contact" with his six children  Maryella Hope, 17 months, Mason Garrett, 3, Meredith Grace, 5, Marcus Anthony, 7, Michael James, 9, and Mackynzie Renee, 11  so long as his pregnant wife Anna Duggar is present, though he may not see any other minor child, including his nieces and nephews.

Anna Duggar/instagram Josh and Anna Duggar with their children

RELATED: Josh Duggar Hearing: Homeland Security Agent Details Timeline of Child Porn Case

The ruling came a day after Josh requested that the court "release him on bail subject to a combination of conditions of release that will reasonably assure his appearance at trial and the safety of the community or any other person," according to a bond motion obtained by PEOPLE.

If convicted of the current charges against him, Josh could face up to 40 years in prison. His pretrial hearing is set for July 1, while the trial is scheduled to begin on July 6.

courtesy Washington county arkansas Josh Duggar

RELATED: Jinger Duggar Recalls the Moment Brother Josh's Past Molestation Scandal Was Made Public in 2015

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In a prior joint statement released on their respective Instagram pages, Jinger, 27, and Jeremy, 33, said they were "disturbed" after the charges were brought against Josh.

"We are disturbed to hear of the charges against Josh. While this case must go through the legal system, we want to make it clear that we absolutely condemn any form of child abuse and fully support the authorities and judicial process in their pursuit of justice," the TLC stars' posts read.
May 8Mike Cooper and Craig Patrick took a chance three years ago.

The owners of the Austin Bruins  a Tier II junior hockey team that plays in the North American Hockey League  decided to add another team to their portfolio when the Rochester Ice Hawks franchise was put up for sale.

Cooper and Patrick bought the Tier III junior hockey team in the spring of 2018, rebranded it as the Rochester Grizzlies, then realized two things: One, they had a lot of work to do in a short time to put a winning team on the ice. Two, they had a lot of work to do to let hockey fans, potential advertisers and business partners in Rochester know that they're in this for the long haul.

Rochester Grizzlies players reflect on franchise's instant success

Grizzled vets: DeRosa, Hart, Fodstad have been with Grizzlies since Day 1

"From operating the Bruins and trying to learn from other teams, other organizations," Cooper said, "I'm a big believer in, you never have things completely figured out. It's always a learning process."

That learning curve accelerated quickly for the Grizzlies.

In just three seasons, they have gone from being a brand new franchise to playing in the North American 3 Hockey League national championship game, the Fraser Cup Final. Though they lost to rival North Iowa 5-1 in the title game on April 19, the Grizzlies have accomplished more in three seasons than many franchises have in a decade or more.

"It's pretty amazing when you think about it," said Mike Aikens, a 1989 John Marshall graduate, who was a Grizzlies assistant for the past three seasons and is now moving on to become a head coach of the NAHL expansion franchise in Anchorage, Alaska. "A lot of things have to fall into place. You have to have a little luck and do things right as far as creating an environment for guys to want to come play here."

The Ice Hawks, who played in nine consecutive national tournaments in the 2000s and early 2010s, went 6-39-2 in their final season. So how did the Grizzlies roar in and turn things around instantly? How did they help junior hockey in Rochester do a 180?

Story continues

Starting out strong

The first hire that Patrick and Cooper made upon taking ownership of their second junior hockey franchise might go down as the best hire they'll make.

It set the tone for what the Grizzlies franchise has become in a very short time.

Before they named a head coach and before the Grizzlies signed their first player, Patrick and Cooper hired an assistant coach for their Tier III junior hockey team that plays in the North American 3 Hockey League.

They hired an assistant coach with experience that isn't often found in coaches at the NA3HL level, a guy who played Division I college hockey and played and coached at the highest level of junior hockey, in the United States Hockey League. To boot, Aikens is a Rochester native, who has a ton of local and national connections in the hockey world.

"Aikes has been unbelievable," Cooper said. "He has a lot of people who respect his hockey knowledge and background. He's been a huge part of our success and (hiring him) gave us validity within the community that we were trying to bring in the right people and do things the right way."

The Ice Hawks  who were ultra successful for close to 15 years in the now-defunct Minnesota Junior Hockey League  had struggled on the ice and in terms of attendance after moving from the MnJHL to the NA3HL for their final three seasons. They had a winning percentage of just 18.4 percent over those seasons.

So when the Bruins' ownership group took over three years ago, with close to a decade of experience in running a junior hockey team, the timing was right for Aikens to jump back into the coaching business. The former Rochester Mustangs and University of Denver standout defenseman had been out of coaching for five years after his time as head coach and GM of the USHL's Omaha Lancers had come to an end in 2013, but he hadn't  and still hasn't  given up on the idea of becoming a coach at the Division I college level.

"Getting back into coaching junior hockey and the opportunity to get involved with a good ownership group I felt comfortable with," Aikens said when asked about why he took the job with the Grizzlies. "I was looking forward to working with the coaching staff in Austin, and that relationship has been great over the years. It's been fun to learn from them, get some new ideas."

Laying the groundwork for future success

Two weeks after Aikens was officially announced as the Grizzlies' assistant coach, then-30-year-old Casey Mignone was hired as the team's head coach.

Mignone grew up in New Jersey, played Division III college hockey at Westfield State University in Massachusetts, then played four seasons of professional hockey on the east coast, teams ranging from Cape Cod to Pensacola, Fla. He had been an assistant coach at Division III Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., before coming to the Grizzlies.

Coming to Minnesota to start a brand new franchise was a challenge for Mignone, to say the least.

"Obviously I knew Minnesota has a rich hockey history," Mignone said, "but I didn't know many people here  I didn't know anyone out here. I took a bit of a leap of faith and it turns out to have been a pretty good decision."

To say Mignone was thrown into the fire is an understatement. The Grizzlies were months behind established NA3HL franchises in terms of constructing a roster for the 2018-19 season, as well as securing billet families for players and bringing sponsors on board for the season.

"It was challenging, but the new name helped, created a little bit of separation," he said. "The Ice Hawks had a great run here. I wasn't there at the end, but it obviously wasn't the ending they wanted. People familiar with it (around Rochester) were a little standoffish toward us at first, but I kept telling people that 'we're new, here's how we'll do things.'

"You have to get some people, some players to buy in. Those are always the hardest recruiting battles, finding people to take that leap with you. A few guys really benefitted from that leap. Peyton Hart, Matt DeRosa, Joey Fodstad, Porter Haney, some of those guys who had other options at early stages and decided they'd come to Rochester."

Mignone guided that inaugural Grizzlies team to a 32-17-1 record and a NA3HL West Division playoff berth. Three months after that season ended, he was hired as an assistant coach with St. Cloud's NAHL team.

Haney recently completed his first season of college hockey at Gustavus Adolphus. Hart, DeRosa and Fodstad wrapped up their three-year Grizzlies careers last month. Hart (Wisconsin-Stout) and Fodstad (Concordia College, Moorhead) have committed to play college hockey next season, and DeRosa is mulling a handful of offers.

"The whole dynamic of what Rochester is, the coaching staff, the facilities, the locker room, knowing they were a first-year team and seeing they were going to be pretty good, it felt like a good spot for me," said Fodstad, who is in the top three in franchise history in goals, assists, points and games played. "It was gut instinct. I thought 'well, why not give it a shot here.' Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I'd play three years here, but I couldn't be happier had I taken any other road. It's been a great three years."

Taking the next steps

Mignone, Aikens and the players on the 2018-19 Grizzlies team set a bar: 32 victories in 50 games and a playoff appearance in the franchise's first season.

Toward the end of that season, Mignone had convinced Chris Ratzloff  a former high school and junior hockey teammate of Aikens'  to join the Grizzlies staff as a scout and part-time on-ice coach. Ratzloff had been an assistant coach in the John Marshall boys program, then in the Lourdes' girls program for nearly a decade. He'd also helped Doug Zmolek run the Southeastern Minnesota Elite program in the offseason, where he worked with many of the top high school and youth players in the area.

When Mignone was hired in St. Cloud, he pushed hard for Patrick and Cooper to hire Ratzloff to take his place with the Grizzlies.

"He's a good coach and might be the nicest person on the planet," Patrick said of Ratzloff, who is 78-15-3 in two seasons as the Grizzlies head coach. "He's a good Xs and Os coach, he cares about the players and they know it.

"He can recognize talent and has developed a bunch of young players, even through all of the COVID issues this year, who will likely play in a lot of games for us next year."

Ratzloff's first season as head coach was as successful as this past season.

The Grizzlies went 37-8-2 in 2019-20, with Ratzloff and Aikens guiding them to their first-ever NA3HL Central Division championship. But the season ended abruptly, on the eve of the playoffs, due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"When you're building a team, it's like building a house," Aikens said. "You can't have 20 plumbers and expect to build a great house. You have to have plumbers and carpet layers and roofers.

"Building a hockey team is the same. You have to have goal-scorers, playmakers, grinders, guys who are good team players. We've had that great mix, especially the last two years. We really felt we could've won it all last year before we got shut down."

The success the Grizzlies have had in such a short time has been noticeable on the recruiting trail, too. While Ratzloff and Aikens still leave no stone unturned while scouting, players are now reaching out to them, wanting to play in Rochester. And the coaches now have a proven on-ice product to pitch to recruits, as part of a quality all-around experience.

"Rochester is a beautiful community," said Patrick, who founded the Austin Bruins franchise 11 years ago. "It's a great city, the Rec Center is a great place to play, they have a great locker room, things that are appealing for the kids. We have wonderful billet families and coaches. You have all that and the link to the Bruins, it's a really strong link, moving players back and forth between the two teams. It's a real positive in players wanting to come here."

Not satisfied yet

The signs were there, even at the start of the Grizzlies' inaugural season, when they lost the first game in franchise history 10-0 at league power Granite City. Rochester rebounded a week later, winning its first-ever home game 10-1 against the Evansville Jr. Thunderbolts. That victory started a 10-game winning streak for the Grizzlies, who went on to finish that season 32-17-1 overall, quite an accomplishment for a brand new team playing in arguably the most competitive division in the NA3HL at the time.

"I think it was pretty clear," Mignone said of the path the Grizzlies were headed down. "We had a really good season playing in that tough division with Granite City and North Iowa, and really pushing North Iowa to the brink in the playoffs  they just won it all again; they're as good as it gets.

"We knew the foundation we'd built, the guys we had coming back for the next season and some guys we'd identified for the future. Those guys knew what the expectations were and the way we were going to do things. That was one of the hardest parts, setting the standard. Once the players know it and take ownership of it ... when you have good players, good kids, they have the ability to carry it on."

Two regular-season division titles in three years, a postseason division championship, a .775 all-time winning percentage and 36.7 wins per season. Those are all nice bullet points for the Grizzlies franchise, but they're not enough to satisfy the team's owners, coaches or players.

Getting to the playoffs was the bar set by the inaugural Grizzlies team. The 2020-21 Grizzlies raised that bar significantly. They not only expect to be the best team in their division, but to annually be one of the best in the league.

"I think people recognize we do things the right way as players, a team and a coaching staff," Ratzloff said. "From the first day of practice, the one thing we always say is 'we're a Tier II team, they just don't let us play in that league.'

"The players know we have their best interests in mind. We have fun, but we're here to develop hockey players and young men, and move them on."
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Mainland warns Taiwan authority against political manipulation of HK affairs

Xinhua) 16:06, May 08, 2021

BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Saturday warned that Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority should stop its political manipulation of Hong Kong affairs and not go further down the blind alley of disturbing Hong Kong to seek "Taiwan independence."

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to DPP authority's slandering against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's recent legislative plan to combat disinformation.

The DPP authority's irresponsible remarks on the legitimate practice of the HKSAR government were a typical trick of a thief shouting to catch the thief, said Zhu.

Facts have shown that the DPP authority itself has long manipulated the media and certain netizens, attacked those who have different views from DPP, suppressed public opinions and fabricated lies to deceive the public, Zhu said.

They meddled in Hong Kong affairs under the guise of democracy and freedom, which was in essence aimed at disrupting Hong Kong to seek "Taiwan independence," she said.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Mumbai: A major fire broke out at ND film Studio, owned by leading art director Nitin Desai, near Khalapur in Raigad district of Maharashtra on Friday, police said.

The blaze erupted around 12.15 pm and no casualty has been reported so far, they said.

The fire broke out at the set of 'Jodhaa Akbar', a 2008 movie starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, an official said.

Plywood, PoP and other things were gutted in the fire, he said.

"Several fire-fighting vehicles from MIDC, Karjat, Khopoli and neighbouring areas were rushed to the spot and efforts to douse the flames were on," he said.

The exact reason behind the fire is being ascertained, he said.

The fire brigade and police personnel are at the spot.
It's a new day, a new beginning. It's all about starting life afresh. So as you begin a new journey, find out what the stars have in store for you today. There are twelve zodiac signs and each has its distinct feature. Be it, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces  each of the signs has something unique to tell.

Aries

You may have to say goodbye to dinners out every night and hello to cost-effective home-cooked meals for a while. On the plus side, lucrative work opportunities will flow your way for the next four weeks. Polish up your professional profiles and materials so you can greet them enthusiastically!

Taurus

Desire, want, outrage, envy: What ISN'T beating inside you? In case you're seeing someone, some preventive harm control by talking this through with somebody who can help. Single? It's not the greatest night to meet new individuals since you'll be wearing your rawest feelings on your sleeve.

Gemini

Divert yourself with a vivid work venture or home-cleaning mission. In the event that you need an awkward discussion with somebody, don't rationally practice it endlessly; simply give your opinion and be finished with it. Odds are, the expectation is the most exceedingly awful part!

Cancer

In spite of the fact that many invested individuals will be attracted to you during this appealing travel, you'll additionally need time to appreciate your very own conversation. Style-cognizant Cancerians may be up for a sensational makeoveror make-under! Regardless of whether you're hacking your long bolts into a layered bounce or playing with brief changes like attractive lashes (or going #iwokeuplikethis for three weeks), experience passionate feelings for your appearance!

Leo

Pause for a moment to restore your brain, body and soul before giving everything hang a chance to out. Reestablish with a profound contemplation session or scribble down your fantasies in a journal when you stir. This self-care respite will possibly make your splendid arrangements that greatly improved when you return to them tomorrow.

Virgo

Put resources into preparing that will enable you to jump into another class. As of now have a few achievements to boast about? An epic birthday gathering could be the ideal event to commend the "enhanced you." If you're feeling somewhat depleted by all the late spring's serious travels, dedicate the following a month to individual rebuilding. In the wake of pruning some dangerous individuals from your newsfeed, spoil yourself proudly.

Libra

Regardless of your affection for agreement and reasonable play, you may bolt horns with a portion of your preferred individuals under the present restless square. It's likewise conceivable that you could get captured in others' crossfire. Watch where you walk since somebody could be attempting to control you into favoring one side. At any rate, for now, retreat to a nonpartisan corner and let them duke it out without including you.

Scorpio

Is it love...or only a dream? You may experience issues recognizing dreams from the real world. In case you're recently dating, jump under the surface (and past the thirst trap depictions) to REALLY become more acquainted with who that right-swiper is.

Sagittarius

Quit turning in circles. The moon in your extraordinary eighth house may leave you fixating to the point of uneasiness. Keep in mind: You can't control what befalls you, simply your response. Quit ruminating and begin doing. On the off chance that you feel troubled, connect. You have such a large number of brilliant, imaginative personalities around you who can add to your undertaking and genuinely make it sparkle.

Capricorn

Open your brain to a match who falls outside your typical "type." And with regards to your very own profile, feature your tenseness. Coupled? Wandering out of your usual range of familiarity could carry some restless investigation to your relationship. Simply make certain to pick a sheltered word!

Aquarius

Just you have the stuff to control a strained gathering discussion with style and effortlessness. In any case, don't expect miracles.Quell any vicious inclinations, snap decisions or an affinity to barrel ahead without anyone else. You'll have a chaotic cleanup in front of you in the event that you do exclude others in SOME piece of the procedure. It may be important to postpone the talk for several days, or seven days, and teach everybody to return with well-examined measurements to back up their POV.

Pisces

With your exact gauges, not every person can (or should) make the cut! Innovation gets a supercharged lift under this travel. In case you're looking for work, catching up on your advanced aptitudes could place you in line for progressively worthwhile chances. Perhaps it's a great opportunity to revive your site and online life profiles to draw in new customers and offers.

The astrological predictions are by Dr Sundeep Kochar.
New Delhi: The much-revered Mother's Day is celebrated every year on May 9. The day is dedicated to all the moms who are your first teachers and help a child move towards his goals. You take your first baby steps into this world by holding your mother's hand. Every year, on the second Sunday of May, Mother's Day is celebrated to honour the mothers who unconditionally love and nurture their kids.

Although, we don't really need to follow any single day for expressing our love and gratitude towards our moms, yet if ever we have to make her feel special then perhaps this one dedicated day for all the mothers is the perfect way to do so.

On this Mother's Day, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, if you are away from your mom or loved ones, take some time out and wish a happy 'mother's day' through these adorable Whatsapp, Facebook and text messages:

Here's wishing a very Happy Mother's Day to everyone. Stay safe stay home!
Chandigarh: The Western Command of the Army is setting up COVID-19 hospitals in Haryana and Punjab which will accommodate 100 mild to moderate symptomatic patients, a defence statement said on Saturday (May 8).

The hospitals, being set up in Chandigarh, Patiala and Faridabad, are likely to be inaugurated and thrown open for the civil population on May 10, the statement said according to news agency PTI.

Lieutenant General R P Singh, Army Commander, Western Command, said the command is setting up military COVID field hospitals and providing technical and other assistance to paramedics to revive disused oxygen plants in Punjab.

The officer assured all possible assistance within the institutional capacity of the Western Command to help manage the COVID-19 crisis, the statement said.

The Western Command has its footprints in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh and Delhi.

The Command has contributed 108 doctors, 14 nursing officers and 205 paramedics in various hospitals set up by the DRDO in the region, the statement said

Presently, 33 paramedics are deployed at Government Rajendra Hospital in Patiala, SVBP Hospital in Delhi and another 100 paramedics are to be deployed shortly at various locations, it said.

To tide over the shortage of oxygen in the region, a dedicated team of Army Electronics and Mechanical Engineers is working round the clock to resuscitate the oxygen plant under the Bhakra Beas Management at Nangal in Himachal Pradesh, the statement said.

Lieutenant General R P Singh has assured the administrations of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir of full support of the Army in these testing times, it said.

Live TV
New Delhi: Amid the unprecedented surge in COVID-19 infections in the state, BS Yediurappa-led Karnataka government on Friday (May 7, 2021) announced that it will be imposing a complete 14-day long statewide lockdown.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, while making the announcement, disclosed that this complete statewide lockdown will remain in place from May 10 to May 24. However, the essential services will be permitted to operate, during the lockdown, from 6 am to 10 am.

The decision came on the same day, when the state recorded the highest single day count of 592 COVID-19 deaths on Friday. Karnataka has also been recording over 45,000 new COVID-19 infections daily from the past few days.

Whats not allowed during the lockdown:

Schools, colleges and other educational institutions will remain closed.

All public places like cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, playgrounds, swimming pools, parks, clubs, theatres and bars will remain shut.

All social, political and cultural functions are suspended.

All religious places, places of worship will remain closed for the public.

Metro rail services in the state will remain shut.

Taxis, auto rickshaws and services of cab aggregators will not be allowed (except while hired for emergency).

Hotels and restaurants will remain closed for the general public. However, kitchens can operate for take away or home delivery of food items.

Citizens who have to travel via flights and trains will be allowed to move during the lockdown and their tickets will serve as a pass for movement.

ALSO READ: Karnataka caps X-Ray, CT scan rates at private labs

Whats allowed during the lockdown:

All health Services to remain functional.

All agriculture and allied activities are allowed.

Unrestricted movement of all types of goods and cargo. Supply of essential goods shall be allowed to operate adhering to national directives for COVID-19 management.

Grocery shops and Public Distribution System shops will be allowed to function from 6 am to 10 am.

Take away from standalone liquor shops and outlets will be allowed from 6 am to 10 am.

Sale of vegetables and fruits through push carts is allowed from 6 am to 6 pm.

Milk booths and Hopcom outlets are allowed from 6 am to 6 pm.

Banks, insurance offices and ATMs will remain functional as per normal working hours.

Print, electronic and broadcast media to remain functional.

Internet and cable service operators will be allowed during the lockdown.

Live TV
New Delhi: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday (May 7, 2021) asked the Centre to consider reorientation of the supply of oxygen from various plants in a manner that the allocated quantity reaches the states before the already allotted quota is exhausted.

The court directions to the Centre came during the hearing on a petition pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic management in Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh.

"We, thus, feel it necessary to direct Government of India to consider reorientation of the supply of oxygen from various plants in such a manner that the allocated quantity reaches the respective states before the already allotted quota is exhausted to avoid loss of life," ordered the Bench of Justices Rajan Gupta and Karamjit Singh.

Among other things, Punjab and Haryana raised the issue of a shortage of oxygen and its transportation while their common capital Chandigarh said it is now facing difficulty in procuring the required quantity of oxygen.

"We may add here that at present the situation in the three states falling within the jurisdiction of this court appears to be critical and deserves the immediate attention of the Union government," the Bench said.

It observed that in view of the fact that time is taken for transportation, there is an oxygen deficit in all three states. It appears that all three states, at this stage, are not seeking enhancement in the quantity of oxygen allotted to them but are aggrieved by delay in supply thereof.

"As a result of late delivery, allocated quantity of oxygen is not able to reach the states well in time," said the Bench, which took up the case hearing through video conferencing in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bench said Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh may also consider the setting up of unified command centre for Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali (Tricity), pointing out that it may be easier to tackle the present crisis caused by the pandemic.

"The governments need to be over-sensitive and in an overdrive to reach out to patients in need of medical care and assistance. It is for this reason, we feel that a common strategy needs to be drawn up particularly as regards availability of oxygen," said the court.

As regards supply of oxygen in Punjab, Advocate General Atul Nanda submitted that the state requires 300 MT of oxygen daily, whereas the Centre has allocated to it 227 MT, which is also not reaching the state. A sufficient number of containers is not allotted to transport it.

Nanda also emphasised on the shortage of vaccination in Punjab before the Bench. There is a shortfall of 32 lakhs of doses for those above 45 years, he said.

In total, 2.64 crores doses are required in Punjab for the age group of 18 to 44 years, he added.

Baldev Raj Mahajan, Advocate General, Haryana, submitted that the state is facing an extreme shortage of oxygen despite the fact that it has a plant located at Panipat, which is manufacturing 260 MT.

"Instead of allowing Haryana to get the supply from the plant at Panipat for the facility of transport as well as timely replenishment, it has been allocated far off places like Rourkela and Jamnagar," he said.

Pankaj Jain, senior standing counsel for Chandigarh, submitted that even the UT is now facing difficulty in procuring the required quantity of oxygen.

Satya Pal Jain, Additional Solicitor General of India, while responding to the contentions submitted that the allocation of oxygen is being done equitably to all the states in the country.

"No discrimination is being done and nobody has been given out of turn favoured status," Jain told the court.

According to him, certain difficulties are being faced in view of the fact that certain states do not have oxygen plants. They have also to be supplied oxygen.

The Bench observed that in view of the fact that time is taken for transportation, there is oxygen deficit in the two states and UT. The case was adjourned for May 12.
New Delhi: Hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to increase the allocation of medical oxygen for West Bengal, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that there is a need to augment health infrastructure in the state.

Harsh Vardhan in a four-page letter addressed to Mamata Banerjee on Friday (May 7, 2021) also flagged more than 40 per cent positivity rate in some districts of West Bengal and asserted that testing needed to be significantly ramped up.

Referring to her letter to PM Modi on further requirements for COVID-19 management in West Bengal, Vardhan said that the Centre has been supporting each and every state 'not just financially, but also through requisite diagnostics, therapeutics, medical devices and other essential materials and services'.

"Similarly, we will need to augment the health infrastructure in the state significantly," he wrote.

Aamaar Sonar Bangla! Diagnostics,therapeutics, medicines, oxygen,or augmenting health infra.. Rest assured @MamataOfficial Didi, whatever #WestBengal needs, Sh @narendramodi Ji's Govt stands resolute to provide, in order to help it effectively fight #COVID19 pandemic@PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/jmJL9tfpkU  Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) May 7, 2021

Harsh Vardhan assured Mamata that the Modi government is firm in its resolve to help the state fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

He told Mamata Banerjee that the objective of the COVID vaccination program launched by the central government is to ensure that all citizens of the country are covered eventually, dividing them into priority age groups based on their vulnerability and mortality risk.

"In accordance with the demand raised by the states, the New Liberalized Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, which has just kicked off, decentralises the process and incentivises the manufacturers to produce more. Equally, it encourages off-shore vaccine manufacturers to bring their vaccines into our country, thereby increasing the overall availability of the vaccines in India," the letter stated.

He said the Centre will continue to provide COVID-19 vaccine free to all the states/UTs, including West Bengal, for coverage of healthcare workers, frontline workers and persons above 45 years of age calculated on the basis of the average consumption of the state.

"As on date, West Bengal has been provided a total of 1,18,83,340 vaccine doses. Further 2,00,000 vaccine doses are in the pipeline for immediate supply," he said.

Vardhan highlighted that the Union health ministry has so far provided West Bengal with 18.38 lakh N95 masks, 4.84 lakh PPE kits, 1,245 ventilators and 43.5 lakh Hydroxychloroquine tablets for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As many as five Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants have been sanctioned for the state, out of which, two have already been installed and made functional. Similarly, 849 D-Type and 1504 B-Type oxygen cylinders have been allocated to West Bengal. Out of this, 700 will be delivered on or before May 21. This entire support has been provided free of cost," he said.

Vardhan stated that as many as 94,400 vials of Remdesivir have, accordingly, been allocated to West Bengal for the period April 21 to May 9.

"The Centre has, in addition, delivered another 3,686 and 4,402 vials of Remdesivir in two tranches between May 4 and May 5," he said.

Harsh Vardhan stated that apart from the delivery of essential medical devices and drugs, West Bengal has been supported with a financial grant of Rs 295.28 crore under the COVID-19 package.

He said that the state has also been allocated 308 MT of oxygen to meet the demand for oxygen from April 25 onwards.

"In this regard, we had allocated the maximum possible amount to West Bengal at the time of the issue of the aforesaid order. Once the allocations are made, states are required to lift the allocated quantities from the assigned manufacturers," he said.

"Orders for oxygen cylinders have been placed for an additional 1,27,000 cylinders on April 21. The said procurement includes 54,000 jumbo cylinders (D type) as well as 73,000 regular cylinders (B type). Under this initiative, a tentative allocation for West Bengal is 849 D-Type and 1504 B-Type cylinders. Out of this, 700 cylinders will be delivered to the state on or before May 21," Harsh Vardhan added.

The letter, notably, came on a day when the West Bengal government moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to disband the Phase-III vaccine policy of the Centre and adoption of a uniform policy of procuring 100 per cent doses of COVID-19 from vaccine manufacturers for equitable distribution to all the states and Union territories for free decentralised distribution.

The state government also sought to set aside the differential pricing mechanism for COVID-19 vaccines and capping the price for the vaccines at a uniform price of Rs 150 per dose.

The plea in the apex court followed letters written by Banerjee to Modi on various requirements listed by her for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies)



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New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) continues its efforts towards bringing COVID-19 medical assistance and relief materials to the country. The IAFs IL-76 aircraft on Friday (May 7, 2021) airlifted three cryogenic oxygen containers from Singapore and landed at Panagarh Air base, West Bengal.

As per the official statement, these relief materials from Singapore, landed in West Bengal, are a part of humanitarian assistance to India in its fight against the second wave of COVID-19.

Additionally, an IAF C-17 is also bringing three cryogenic oxygen containers and three pallets of respirators from Israel to Hindon Air base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

This COVID-19 relief assistance is coming in addition to six cryogenic oxygen containers from Hyderabad which C-17s airlifted to Bhubaneswar and three from Chandigarh to Ranchi.

Other Indian Air Forces C17s are bringing three cryogenic oxygen containers from Hindon to Ranchi, four from Lucknow and Agra to Ranchi, four from Bhopal to Ranchi and Jamnagar and one from Hindon to Bhubaneswar.

Meanwhile, India recorded over 4.14 lakh new COVID-19 cases and 3,915 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry on Friday (May 7, 2021).

India is facing a deadly second wave of COVID-19 and has reported a total of 2,14,91,598 cases out of which 1,76,12,351 people have recovered, while 2,34,083 have succumbed to the infection. Currently the active cases in the country stands at 36,45,164.

With this, the cumulative count of cases in the country reached 2,14,91,598, informed the Union Health Ministry.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: In view of the alarming surge in COVID-19 cases, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday (May 8) announced a 14-day lockdown from May 10.

Essential services like health, medical have been exempted from these curbs. Meanwhile, those travelling to Tamil Nadu during the lockdown will require an e-pass.

Check how to apply for e-pass below:

1. Visit the official website- https://eregister.tnega.org/#/user/pass- to apply for an e-pass.

2. Register yourself on the portal.

3. After submitting the OTP received, select the type of e-pass required.

4. Fill in the necessary details including your name, address (home and destination), range of travel (inter-district/inter-state), duration of travel, number of passengers, vehicle details, ID proof, reason for travel etc.

5. Submit the required documents for travelling. After filling all details, submit the documents and ID proof chiefly Aadhar Card or Voter ID, PAN Card, address proof, vehicle license and employment ID to avail the e-pass.

People exempted from restrictions:

1. Up to 20 persons are permitted at funerals and related processions.

2. Maximum of 50 persons at weddings and related functions.

3. State and Central Govt offices other than the essential category wont function.

4. Press and media personnel will be allowed to move across the state.

Live TV
Mumbai: Maharashtra's COVID-19 caseload on Saturday (May 8) crossed the 50-lakh mark as it reported 53,605 new cases, a health department official said.

The case tally of the state rose to 50,53,336, while with 864 fatalities the death toll reached 75,277, he said.

Maharashtra reports 53,605 new #COVID19 cases, 82,266 recoveries and 864 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total cases 50,53,336

Total recoveries 43,47,592

Death toll 75,277 Active cases 6,28,213 pic.twitter.com/VnXjXJjwP0  ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2021

A record 82,266 people were discharged from hospitals during the day, pushing total recoveries to 43,47,592. There are 6,28,213 active patients in the state now.

As many as 2,60,751 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the state in the last 24 hours, taking the tally of samples examined to 2,91,91,331.

Out of 864 deaths, 399 occurred in the last 48 hours and 226 in the last week. The rest had taken place even earlier but were added to the tally on Saturday (May 8), the official said.

Mumbai reported 2,664 new COVID-19 cases, taking its tally to 6,73,235, while the death toll in the city increased to 13,713 with 62 fresh fatalities.

In the larger Mumbai division, 15 patients each died in Panvel city and Thane district while 13 died in Raigad district, 11 in Navi Mumbai and 10 in Thane city.

The Mumbai division overall reported 7,541 new cases and 129 deaths.

Nashik division reported 8,834 fresh cases, of which 2,915 came from Ahmednagar district, 2,224 from Nashik city and 1,700 from Nashik district.

The division also reported 183 deaths including 55 in Nashik city followed by 36 in Ahmednagar, 33 in Nandurbar and 26 in Nashik district.

The Pune division reported 14,056 cases and 98 deaths. Pune rural area accounted for 4,352 infections. Pune city reported 2,977 cases and 13 deaths, while the Solapur district recorded 1,986 infections and 30 fatalities. As many as 34 people died in Satara.

The Kolhapur division reported 5,206 cases and 65 deaths. Kolhapur district reported 1,578 infections and 24 deaths. Sangli and Ratnagiri districts reported 20 and 12 deaths, respectively.

The Aurangabad division added 2,355 cases and 127 deaths, of which 90 deaths were reported from the Aurangabad rural area followed by 12 in the Parbhani district.

The Latur division reported 3,491 fresh COVID-19 cases and 77 fatalities. Beed district alone added 1,367 cases and reported 20 deaths.

The Akola division's caseload increased by 4,427 while 71 more patients succumbed to the coronavirus infection, of which 28 were from Yavatmal district followed by 15 in Amravati district and 13 in Washim district.

The Nagpur division reported 7,695 new cases and 114 deaths. Of the deaths in the division, 49 occurred in Nagpur city followed by 17 each in Nagpur district and Wardha.

District authorities in Amravati, Akola and Yavatmal in the Vidarbha region announced that stricter COVID-19 restrictions will come into force from Sunday (May 9).

These 'break the chain' curbs will start at noon on Sunday and will be in place till May 15, officials said. The authorities in Solapur in Western Maharashtra too announced stricter restrictions for a week in the city as well as other parts of the district from 8 pm on Saturday.

Coronavirus figures for Maharashtra are as follows: Total cases 50,53,336; new cases 53,605; total deaths 75,277; recoveries 43,47,592; active cases 6,28,213; tests conducted so far 2,91,91,331.

(inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Friday (May 7, 2021) recovered 105 oxygen concentrators during raids at two upscale restaurants and arrested four people. Ninety-six oxygen concentrators were recovered from popular restaurant Khan Chacha and nine from Town Hall restaurant, both situated in the Khan Market area, the police said.

This comes a day after Delhi Police recovered 419 oxygen concentrators from a restaurant-cum-bar in south Delhi's Lodhi Colony area and arrested four men -- Gaurav, Satish Sethi, Vikrant and Hitesh for hoarding and black-marketing the equipment.

The accused were produced in a court which granted one-day police custody, a senior police officer said.

"During interrogation, Hitesh had disclosed that they had stored some more oxygen concentrators at restaurants located in the Khan Market area, following which a police team conducted a raid at Town Hall restaurant on Thursday night and recovered nine oxygen concentrators.

"The accused also told the police that more oxygen concentrators had been kept at Khan Chacha restaurant. The team conducted another raid and recovered 96 concentrators from Khan Chacha restaurant. With this, a total of 524 oxygen concentrators have been recovered so far," Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Atul Kumar Thakur said.

Navneet Kalra is the owner of all three restaurants. His mobile phone is switched off and he is absconding, the police said.

"With further seizure of 105 #OxygenConcentrator from Khan Chacha & Town Hall, 2 upscale restaurants in Khan Mkt, total 524 seized frm #blackmarketers Owner Navneet Kalra, also owns Dayal Opticals, is on run. Manager, 3 staffers arrested by #DelhiPolice SouthDist. Further raids on," the Delhi Police said in a tweet.

With further seizure of 105 #OxygenConcentrator from Khan Chacha & Town Hall, 2 upscale restaurants in Khan Mkt, total 524 seized frm #blackmarketers Owner Navneet Kalra, also owns Dayal Opticals, is on run. Manager, 3 staffers arrested by #DelhiPolice SouthDist. Further raids on https://t.co/axlGhatoa8 pic.twitter.com/fE9E9oF3rM  #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) May 7, 2021

The oxygen concentrators had been imported from China by a company. The cost of one oxygen concentrator was between Rs 16,000 to Rs 22,000. Some of them had a capacity of five litres and some of nine litres, they said.

The accused were selling the machines anywhere between Rs 50,000, to 70,000, Thakur said.

They had been importing the oxygen concentrators since October last year and when the demand increased in February this year, more such machines were imported and stored at different restaurants, he said.

The accused were selling these machines through online portals and messages were also being circulated on WhatsApp, he added.

Matrix Cellular is one of the companies which was involved in importing the machines. CEO of Matrix Cellular Services Ltd Gourav Khanna (47), a resident of Gurgaon Sector-54, has been arrested in connection with the case, Thakur said.

The company recently received a consignment of 650 concentrators, of which 524 have been recovered, the Delhi Police said.

Earlier, the police had said that Nege Ju Restaurant and Bar in Lodhi Colony's central market was found open on Wednesday.

A man was found working on a laptop at the restaurant. Later, it was found that he was taking online orders for oxygen concentrators, the police had said.

During the search of the restaurant, 32 boxes of oxygen concentrators, one box of a thermal scanner and another box containing N 95 masks were recovered.

A case was registered and four persons were arrested, the police had said.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that they had a warehouse in Chhatarpur. A search was conducted and 387 more units of oxygen concentrators, which were being sold at exorbitant prices in the black market, were recovered from the warehouse. The warehouse, which was located in a farmhouse, was being operated by Matrix Cellular company, the police had said.

Invoices of these oxygen concentrators were recovered. MRP stickers displaying a price of Rs 69,999 per concentrator were also recovered, they had said.

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New Delhi: The first-ever summit between India and 27 EU member nations began Saturday (May 8, 2021) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling EU leadership to support Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver at WTO for COVID-related treatments and vaccines.

Last week, the US had extended support for the wavier, which came in the backdrop of PM Modi and US President Joe Biden's talks. The wavier will help in the increasing the production of COVID-19 vaccines which in turn would help in easing the global situation.

This is the second time such format of the meet has been conducted. In March, US President Biden meet with EU member states.

During the summit, several EU leaders individually thanked India for the medical supplies provided in 2020 as Europe was battling the novel coronavirus pandemic. All the EU leaders extended solidarity and support to the people of India and the government amid the COVID-19 crisis.

French President Emmanuel Macron pointed out that India does not need to "listen to lectures from anyone" about vaccine supplies. He highlighted that India has exported a lot of vaccines for humanity. Spain PM Pedro Sanchez warmly recalled India's assistance when the former was reeling under the COVID-19 crisis.

Portuguese PM Antonio Costa in the presence of all EU leaders proudly referred to his status as an OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India). Costa is the son of writer Orlando da Costa, who was born in Maputo to a family of Goan extraction.

Portugal is the President of the Council of the European Union and the virtual India-EU Leaders meet is being hosted by Portugal PM Costa.

Belgian PM Alexander De Croo greeted PM with "Kem Chho". Of the 7,000 people of Indian origin people living in Belgium a large number of Gujaratis are in Antwerp, the diamond capital of the world.

Meanwhile, over 4.01 lakh (4,01,078) fresh COVID-19 cases and 4,187 deaths were reproted from India in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry data on Saturday (May 8). The total caseload surpassed the 2.18-lakh mark (2,18,92,676), while the death count climbed to 2,38,270.
New Delhi: India and the European Union (EU) on Saturday (May 8) announced their decision to resume negotiations for a balanced and comprehensive trade agreement after a gap of eight years.

During the first-ever India+27 EU member states summit, an ambitious connectivity partnership was unveiled during the virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders of the member nations.

India and the EU also agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation on digital and emerging technologies such as 5G, AI, Quantum and High-Performance Computing including through the early operationalization of the Joint Task Force on AI and the Digital Investment Forum.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the EU to support a proposal by India and South Africa to waive patents on COVID-19 vaccines so that there can be equitable vaccine access for the entire world, officials said.

However, there was no concrete decision on the matter from the EU side, according to EU officials, reported news agency PTI.

Secretary(West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup said the two sides agreed to resume negotiations for a balanced and comprehensive free trade and investment agreements and that talks on both the pacts will be pursued on parallel tracks with an intention to achieve early conclusion of both of them.

At the summit, India and the EU launched an ambitious and comprehensive `Connectivity Partnership` which is focused on enhancing digital, energy, transport and people-to-people connectivity.

The Partnership is based on the shared principles of social, economic, fiscal, climate and environmental sustainability, and respect for international law and commitments. It will catalyse private and public financing for connectivity projects. It will also foster new synergies for supporting connectivity initiatives in third countries, including in the Indo-Pacific.

On the connectivity partnership, MEA secretary Swarup said it reflected the ambition of both sides to build on their synergies and pursue sustainable joint projects in third countries, most notably in the Africa, Central Asia and Indo-Pacific region.

Emphasising the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism and terror financing in a comprehensive and sustained manner, the two sides welcomed the imminent conclusion of the Working Arrangement between Europol and India's Central Bureau of Investigation, which will support coordination and synergies in preventing and fighting terrorism and organised crime.

In a series of tweets, Modi said, "I thank the leaders of EU and its Member States for their continued commitment to strengthening relationship with India. I also thank my friend Prime Minister @antoniocostapm for this initiative and according high priority to India during Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council."

The EU also appreciated India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, which intends to promote international coordination and cooperation in the region.

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BRUSSELS: The European Union and India will agree to revive stalled free-trade negotiations at a virtual summit on Saturday (May 8, 2021) while also seeking closer cooperation to combat climate change, as concerns about China bring Brussels and New Delhi closer.

Partly overshadowed by the COVID-19 crisis in India, the summit will gather Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all of the bloc`s 27 leaders for the first time, a sign of the EU`s renewed interest in the Indo-Pacific region.

Past EU-India summits have involved only the Indian prime minister and the EU`s chief executive and its chairman, both of whom will be listening in for the two-hour summit.

"What we will see is a breakthrough on EU-India ties," said a senior EU official involved in preparing the meeting. "There is momentum in our relations," the official said.

China`s rise from a benign trading partner to a rival power with a growing military presence has alarmed the West and its allies in the Indo-Pacific, where Brussels is seeking more influence.

EU-India trade talks were frozen in 2013 over differences including tariff reductions, patent protection, data security and the right of Indian professionals to work in Europe.

The bloc`s leaders, gathered for an EU summit in Porto in Portugal, will also face pressure over the Modi government crackdown on dissent from civil society groups like Amnesty International, which held a candle vigil outside the summit venue.

"An intolerance of dissent has been a hallmark of Prime Minister Modi`s time in office  we expect EU leaders to demand that India live up to their shared values, and deliver on its human rights commitments," said Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty Internationals EU Office.

COMPETITION WITH CHINA

According to a draft summit statement, EU leaders will agree an investment protection agreement and a deal on so-called geographical indications to protect agricultural produce from France`s champagne to India`s Darjeeling tea.

A 2020 study by the European Parliament put the benefits of a trade deal for the EU with India at up to 8.5 billion euros ($10.2 billion), although the estimate was made before Britain`s departure from the bloc.

EU and India are also expected to agree to build joint infrastructure projects around the world, to be described as a connectivity partnership.

The deal would follow on from an accord between the EU and Japan in 2019, seeking an alternative to Chinese largesse known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that raised suspicion in the West and Tokyo.

"It is no coincidence that items on the Europe-India agenda  maritime security in the Indian Ocean, alternatives to the BRI, emerging technologies, 5G  all have elements of competition with China," said Garima Mohan, an Asia expert at the German Marshall Fund think-tank.

Both sides are expected to pledge increased cooperation to limit climate change. The draft statement said the EU and India would hold meetings to collaborate in renewable energy, energy storage technology and modernising power grids.
New Delhi: India has been in touch with the Maldives authorities in the aftermath of the attack on the former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed.

Nasheed who is the current speaker of the Maldives Parliament was injured in a bomb blast on Thursday (May 6) evening and since then has been hospitalized.

As part of the engagement between Male and Delhi, help in the form of security resources continues from the Indian government.

India, a close ally of Maldives was the first country to react after the attack, with External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar expressing his concern.

In a tweet, he said, "Deeply concerned at the attack on Speaker @MohamedNasheed. Wish him a speedy recovery. Know that he will never be intimidated."

Deeply concerned at the attack on Speaker @MohamedNasheed. Wish him a speedy recovery. Know that he will never be intimidated.  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 6, 2021

According to the ADK Hospital in Male, where Nasheed is admitted, he had a number of surgeries for the injuries to his head, chest, abdomen, and limbs. He is recovering and also spoke to his family.

Meanwhile, the Maldives police have announced that they have arrested individuals in connection with Thursday's blast and have also released pictures.

Officers from London's metropolitan police and Australian police will also be part of the investigation.

The attack on Nasheed is being treated as a terror attack by local authorities and has shocked the country and the region.

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Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Satej Patil on Saturday (May 8) accused the neighbouring Karnataka government of 'interrupting' oxygen supply to Western Maharashtra from a steel plant in Bellary, and asked the Centre to intervene.

In a statement, Satej Patil, the Minister of State for Home, said "interruption of oxygen meant for Kolhapur and other districts by Karnataka is unfortunate".

The Union government should ensure that the supply is not disrupted to avoid loss of life, he said.

"The supply of 50 MT of oxygen to Maharashtra especially to Western Maharashtra by the central government was interrupted by the Karnataka government. This will lead to a shortage of oxygen in Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts," the Congress leader claimed.

Shortage of medical oxygen is plaguing many states in the country where coronavirus cases have surged massively in the last few weeks.

Satej Patil, who is also guardian minister for Kolhapur, informed that to face a possible third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, 14 oxygen plants will be set up in the district.

The new plants would generate 23 MT oxygen and can refill 1,800 cylinders daily, he added.

(Inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi: As the second wave of COVID-19 lashes against an already overstretched healthcare system and widens preexisting, social and economic gaps between urban and rural India, Ravina Bairwa, a young, menstrual hygiene champion from Tonk, Rajasthan, is trying to make a difference with her well-informed voice.

Ravina is just 17 years old but already a change-maker who on one hand disseminates information on safe and healthy menstruation and on the other draws attention of relevant stakeholders on paucity of hygiene products for young girls. The task of reaching out becomes difficult as the resources at the rural health care centres have been diverted to pandemic related care.



The second wave of the pandemic will make it even more challenging for girls to access sanitary pads," says Ravina. She is aware of these challenges first hand in a region where inadequate medical infrastructure and social norms inhibit the progress of young girls and prevent them from accessing basic healthcare, information and even education. Statistics place Tonk at third place as far as child marriages in Rajasthan are concerned. Over 47 per cent of adolescents are also reportedly married off before the age of 18 (NFHS 4).



In the midst of all this, Ravinas journey is nothing if not inspiring. She was studying in Class 7 at the local government school when her first period began. Her first response was that of fear and shame and she was even mocked at school by boys during this emotionally vulnerable time. Her sister-in-law finally guided her to use a cloth napkin but it was her meeting with Maya, who volunteers with Shiv Shiksha Samiti, (an NGO), under FAYA (Feminist Adolescent Youth led Action) project, that changed her perspective about menstruation. FAYA project is led by the Population Foundation of India with support of The Young People Foundation in Tonk, Bundi, Karauli and Dungarpur District. The project is aimed at enhancing the knowledge of adolescents about Sexual & Reproductive Health (SRH). Maya invited Ravina to a meeting of the adolescent group formed under FAYA Project and, while initially, she was hesitant and bashful, slowly she began to open up. She learned more about her periods and this helped her accept and cope with the changes her body was through during puberty.

Senior State Program Manager (Rajasthan) at Population Foundation of India, Divya Santhanam says, Ravina is a true champion of change as she decided to work in the area of health care, she insisted on pursuing her studies despite facing reluctance from family, community and is the first girl in her village to go out of the village to continue schooling and opt for science subject. Ravina is a trendsetter and inspired by her 4 adolescent girls from her village travel to Tonk along with her for their education. During the lockdown last year, when hygiene products grew scarce, she wrote to the former Deputy Chief-Minister Sachin Pilot to ask for an incinerator in the school building along with a regular supply of sanitary napkins and iron supplements.



These FAYA meetings made me understand how empowering knowledge can be and I decided that I would do my bit to inform other young girls who too are looking for clarity and support, said Ravina, adding, I remember helping a class-mate with a sanitary pad when her period started. I also reassured her that a monthly cycle was completely natural. That there was no need to attach shame or fear to menstruation.



So far, I have reached out to over 100 girls to empower them with information about their reproductive health. My only concern right now is that the second wave of the pandemic shouldn't once again create a scarcity of hygiene products and health care, Ravina said. My dream is to become an Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and serve my community and set an example for other young girls so that they too can access their educational and health rights despite the discrimination they face at every step, she added.

(This is a featured content)
New Delhi: Mucormycosis, a fungal infection, is being found in COVID-19 patients and largely in cases of those who are diabetic but there is "no big outbreak", Niti Aayog Member (Health) V K Paul said on Friday.

The situation is being monitored and the treatment for mucormycosis is available, he said.

This comes a day after a leading private hospital in Delhi flagged the rising number of COVID-triggered mucormycosis or black fungus cases.

Addressing a press conference here, Paul said, "The fungal infection called mucormycosis is being found in patients of COVID-19 disease. It is caused by a fungus named mucor, which is found on wet surfaces. It, to a large extent, is happening to people who have diabetes. It is very uncommon in those who are not diabetic. There is no big outbreak and we are monitoring it."

"Mucor attacks people with uncontrolled sugar. Other than that, if the diabetes patient is taking immune suppressive medicines, steroids, or has cancer, then the impact of mucormycosis is more on that person. If these patients are exposed to wet surfaces, then the chances of getting this disease increases," he said.

Paul said drugs that suppress the immune system but are life-saving like dexamethasone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone, dexona etc., are already being used to treat COVID-19 patients.

"All these are related compounds. When these are used, the immune system gets suppressed, even in persons who are diabetic, and this fungus attacks," he said.

Paul said when the same COVID-19 patient is put on oxygen support, which has a humidifier containing water, the chances of him or her getting the fungal infection increase.

"When a patient is on oxygen support, it should be ensured that water does not leak from the humidifier. Patient's hygiene is also important," he cautioned.

Paul said another class of medicines -- Tocilizumab and Itolizumab -- is being used to treat COVID-19 patients that suppresses the immune system and leads to mucormycosis in diabetic patients.

"Whoever has diabetes needs to control the sugar level always. We are promoting the administration of steroids but they should not be given at the onset of COVID-19. Steroids should not be given unnecessarily. They can be given after the sixth day and should be given for a stipulated period of time and not for long.

"There should be a rational usage of these life-saving steroids as they have ill-effects if given for a longer duration," he said.

Similarly, Tocilizumab and Itolizumab should also be given only when required and not irrationally as it can be dangerous, he added.

"I request healthcare professionals to take care of these things and our National Task Force and the government have adjusted the dose of Tocilizumab in the new protocol to reduce the chances of these infections," Paul said, adding that treatment for mucormycosis is available.

Responding to a question on post-COVID deaths, Paul said secondary infection was one of the factors behind them and advised alertness even after acute COVID care.

He said secondary infection, thrombosis (blood clotting) and severe pneumonia are some of the main reasons for post-COVID deaths.

"It means that even after acute COVID care, we have to be alert. Many people already have comorbidities and the patient was in a hospital environment, so secondary infection happens, bacteria gets activated.

"Another reason is thrombosis. Sometimes the residual effect stays for a long time and can be harmful. Another is pneumonia and damage to lungs. The effect stays and respiratory problem aggravates. So we need to stay alert in post-COVID days as well and take proper medication. It should be a very careful phase," he said.

Asked about the scarcity of medicines like Fabiflu and Tocilizumab, Paul said, "There is no such scarcity of Fabiflu but there is a possibility of hoarding at a few places. But Tocilizumab is imported and is available in limited quantities so the usage should also be in limits.

"Its excessive use should not be done. It is given to not more than one per cent of the infected patients and only when it is absolutely necessary as it has side effects."

Paul said the government is trying to make the medicine available in larger quantities.

"We have also requested states to have a COVID medical board. As this medicine is (available in) limited (quantity), it should be available with the board. Whichever hospital/nursing home needs it, can share their requirement with them and the medicine can be released accordingly," he said.
Pune: Disguised as a common man, Pimpri Chinchwad police commissioner Krishna Prakash paid surprise visits to three police stations under his jurisdiction to check the promptness and efficiency of the personnel on duty there.

Prakash himself gave information about the sequence of events that unfolded during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.

As part of the exercise, he visited Hinjawadi, Wakad and Pimpri police stations.

In order to change his appearance, the commissioner sported a fake beard and wore a Pathani dress as well as a skull cap. Assistant Commissioner of Police Prerna Katte also accompanied him by posing as a common citizen.

Prakash said that instructions were issued to all the police stations to treat common citizens nicely and get their complaints lodged.

"To test the ground reality, I along with ACP Katte disguised as common citizens and visited three police stations and a couple of nakabandi points in the jurisdiction at night," he said.

"During the visits to Hinjawadi and Wakad police stations, we found that the staff on duty there were prompt in listening to our's woes and were seen taking efforts in registering their complaints," he said.

But during the visit to Pimpri Chinchwad police station, he found that the staff was seen evading their duties by asking them to go to a police chowky attached to the police station.

"It was found that thestaff there initially did not give the kind of treatment that was expected from them, although they treated well later. It might be because one of the duty officers recognised me," he said.

At Hinjawadi Prakash complained about some anti-social elements harassing them, while at Wakad, he told the police personnel that the gold chain of his wife was snatched away by a motorcyclist.

At Pimpri police station, he complained against the ambulance driver for demanding exorbitant charges for ferrying a patient.

Prakash is a 1998-batch IPS officer.


Ludhiana: The district authorities in Ludhiana were left scrambling when some samples from a poultry farm tested positive for bird flu. The authorities formed a committee for a culling and containment operations.

On Friday, the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal confirmed that the samples from a poultry farm at Qila Raipur, about 25 km from Ludhiana were infected with bird flu, PTI reported.

The Punjab government has notified the poultry farm as an infected area, Deputy Commissioner Varinder Sharma told PTI.

While a committee has been formed oversee the culling exercise led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Sarkartar Singh.

Sharma said the committee will ensure that no live or dead bird, unprocessed poultry meat, eggs, feeds or any other material taken out and brought into the poultry farm.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Saturday (May 8, 2021) set up a National Task Force which will assess the availability and distribution of medical oxygen across the country.

On Friday, the top court had ordered the setting up of the task force after calling for a revamp of the Centre's allocation of oxygen to different states. The 12-member panel has been named by the top court.

Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice DY Chandrachud, in its order, constituted a National Task Force (NTF) to assess, recommend the need and distribution of oxygen for the entire country. pic.twitter.com/Bw0VSSHRgE  ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2021

The task force led by Dr Bhabatosh Biswas, the former Vice Chancellor of the West Bengal University of Health Sciences, will also suggest measures to ensure similarly rational and equitable availability of medicines needed to treat COVID-19.

The panel will provide inputs, based on members' scientific and specialised knowledge, to meet others challenges to have been raised by the pandemic.

The Secretary of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is among the 12 members while the Convenor of the National Task Force will be the Cabinet Secretary to the Centre.

Other members include leading doctors from Delhi hospitals, Vellore's Christian Medical College, Bengaluru's Narayana Healthcare and Mumbai's Fortis Hospital.

Here's the list of 12-panel members:

1. Dr Bhabatosh Biswas, former Vice-Chancellor, West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata

2. Dr Devender Singh Rana, Chairperson, Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi

3. Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairperson and Executive Director, Narayana Healthcare, Bengaluru

4. Dr Gagandeep Kang, Professor, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu

5. Dr JV Peter, Director, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu

6. Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairperson and Managing Director, Medanta Hospital and Heart Institute, Gurugram

7. Dr Rahul Pandit, Director, Critical Care Medicine and ICU, Fortis Hospital, Mulund (Mumbai, Maharashtra) and Kalyan (Maharashtra)

8. Dr Saumitra Rawat, Chairman and Head, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplant, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi

9. Dr Shiv Kumar Sarin, Senior Professor and Head of Department of Hepatology, Director, Institute of Liver and Biliary Science (ILBS), Delhi

10. Dr Zarir F Udwadia, Consultant Chest Physician, Hinduja Hospital, Breach Candy Hospital and Parsee General Hospital, Mumbai

11. Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (ex officio member); and

12. The Convenor of the National Task Force, who shall also be a member, will be the Cabinet Secretary to the Union Government. The Cabinet Secretary may nominate an officer not below the rank of Additional Secretary to depute for him, when necessary.

Meanwhile, India reported over 4.01 lakh (4,01,078) fresh COVID-19 cases and 4,187 people succumbed to the deadly infection in the last 24 hours, the highest number of fatalities in a single day, as per the Union Health Ministry data on Saturday (May 8). The total caseload surpassed the 2.18-lakh mark (2,18,92,676), while the death count climbed to 2,38,270.
Agartala: A month after their alliance won the state tribal council polls, the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra (INPT), the oldest tribal party in the state, has merged with the Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) to achieve their "common goal of Greater Tipraland".

The merger was announced by TIPRA chairman Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman here on Thursday.

it is with great joy that i am announcing that INPT and TIPRA have decided to merge as one single party ! Unity #Thansa pic.twitter.com/DZiUuhvLPZ  Pradyot_Tripura (@PradyotManikya) May 6, 2021

The TIPRA and the INPT had contested the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) polls as alliance partners on April 6 and won 18 out of the total 28 seats.

The BJP secured nine seats and the other seat was won by an independent candidate.

In the 30-member tribal council, elections are held for 28 seats, and representatives in the remaining two seats are nominated by the governor on the advice of the state government.

TIPRA chairman Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman told reporters, the merger was a "post-poll unification to achieve the common goal of forming Greater Tipraland.

"This merger is for the unity of the entire tribal community of the state. We want other tribal parties also to unite to achieve their common goal."

Deb Barman, who was the state unit president of Congress, quit the party in September 2019, citing differences with the high command. A month later, he announced the name of his new outfit - TIPRA, which was initially a social organisation but in 2020, was turned into a political party.

"Even six months ago there were seven to eight tribal parties in Tripura, but now barely one or two parties are left outside the fold of TIPRA. This is historic as the oldest political party in Tripura has decided to merge for the interest of our combined goal of Greater Tipraland and to work as a single entity," Deb Barman, a scion of the former royal family of Tripura, added.

Tripura was ruled by the Manikya kings for over 500 years before it merged with the Indian Union on October 15, 1949.

INPT president and former rebel B K Hrangkhawl said that the issue of merger with the TIPRA was extensively discussed in the party, which finally concluded that if the INPT merged with the TIPRA under the leadership of Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman, the community would be united for a common goal.

"There was a deliberate attempt to ostracise us in the Communist regime. Steps were not taken for the protection of Kokborok, our mother language, and our culture," the INPT chief alleged.

"Greater Tipraland" is an extension of the IPFTs demand of Tipraland, a separate state for the tribals of Tripura.

The new demand seeks to include every tribal person living in indigenous areas or villages outside TTADC in the proposed model, including in areas even outside Tripura.

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Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee targeted the BJP-led Central government on Saturday (May 8, 2021) over its vaccination policy.

The Chief Minister, while questioning the Centre on its vaccination strategy, demanded a universal vaccine programme for all. CM Banerjee also added that Rs 30,000 crore for vaccination is nothing for the Central government.

"Rs 30,000 crore is nothing for the Central government... There should be a universal vaccine program for all throughout the country," Banerjee said while addressing the state Assembly on Saturday.

The West Bengal CM had also expressed her concerns over the issue to PM Narendra Modi in a letter earlier.

CM Banerjee on Saturday also possessed questions on the Central government regarding the PM care fund.

"Why are they (BJP) not allotting Rs 30,000 crores for vaccines when they are making new Parliament and statues, spending Rs 20,000. Where is the PM CARES Fund?" said Mamata Banerjee at the state Assembly today.

CM Banerjee also took a dig at BJP for spending huge amounts of funds during the state polls in West Bengal.

"BJP has booked so many hotels for its leaders, Ministers from Centre and other states. There was a conspiracy, all ministers landed here. I don`t know how many crores they spent on planes and hotels. Money was flowing like water here. If they gave vaccines instead of it, it would have been better for the state," the Chief Minister added.

The Chief Minister also added that the youth of Bengal have once again elected Trinamool Congress for themselves and "It is a new morning for a party."

"Despite the fact that there is no vaccine and no Oxygen in the state, we received a mandate now we have to work for the people of West Bengal battling with coronavirus disease," the Chief Minister added.

Earlier, on Friday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to increase the allocation of medical oxygen for the state of West Bengal.

Considering the critical COVID-19 situation, I would request you to kindly have the allocation of MO reviewed and instruction issued for an immediate allocation of at least 550 MT per day of MO preferably out of the total produced MO in West Bengal, CM Banerjee wrote in her letter.

CM Banerjee in her letter revealed that the allocation for West Bengal has been fixed at 308 MT whereas the state now required 550 MT of medical oxygen everyday.

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New Delhi: A new 50-bed COVID care facility is set to open on Saturday (May 8) in order to meet the high demand for hospital beds during the current grim coronavirus pandemic.

The COVID care facility is equipped with oxygen support including 100 oxygen cylinders kept in reserve for any emergency. The makeshift hospital with a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generation plant on premises has come up in the shooting range of the Noida Stadium in Sector 21A, PTI quoted Noida Authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari as saying.

"The facility will open for the public from Saturday and begin admitting COVID patients, an official statement said.

To check bed status, you can contact the following numbers:

9625676944 and 9354835239

The facility, established in a short span of time, will be managed by the Adani Group and other private partners and run by Delhi-based NGO 'Doctors For You'.

'Doctors For You' is providing 80 specialised doctors along with trained support staff and paramedics for the facility for a 24-hour service, the statement further read.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh is among the top ten states along with Maharashtra, Delhi and Kerala which is reporting 71.81 per cent of new COVID-19 cases, the Union Health Ministry data revealed.

UP reported 28,076 fresh COVID-19 cases, while 372 people succumbed to the deadly infection in the last 24 hours, as per the official data on Friday.

(With inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi: Team India skipper Virat Kohli, who has started a fundraiser to aid India's battle against the raging pandemic along with wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma has received immense support from everyone.

In just a day, the power-couple has raised more than Rs 3.5 crores, nearing the Rs 7 crore total of the goal. Over-whelmed by the response, Anushka took to Instagram and shared the update with her fans and also thanked them for their generous contribution.

Grateful to everyone who has donated so far. Thank you for your contribution. We have crossed the half way mark, lets keep going, Anushka wrote.

The celebrity couple has also made a donation of Rs 2 crore to the fund-raising project, which will raise a total of Rs 7 crore to support the country's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The campaign will run for seven days on Ketto, the proceeds of which will go to ACT Grants, the implementation partner which will work towards providing oxygen, vaccination awareness, medical manpower, and telemedicine facilities throughout the novel pandemic and the amount.

Kohli's IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will also be making a financial contribution to help the healthcare infrastructure related to Oxygen support in Bengaluru and other cities of the country.
New Delhi: The adorable celeb couple Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja have reached a new milestone today as they complete three happy years of marriage together! The lovebirds are still head over heels in love with each other as they always try to make 'everyday phenomenal'.

Sonam and Anand often post mushy pictures together and from the looks of it, have kept their romance alive and thriving all these years!

The duo first met in 2015 when Sonam was busy promoting 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo'. Initially, the actress's friends were trying to set her up with Ahujas best friend. However, Sonam found herself gravitating towards Anand rather than his friend, and well, the rest is history.

Anand Ahuja and Sonam Kapoor tied the knot on May 8, 2018, in a traditional Sikh ceremony in Bandra.

On their third wedding anniversary, let's scroll through their most adorable loved-up pics:

This adorable post was from their second wedding anniversary in which Sonam recalls her first impression of her hubby. She expresses how she was in awe of his yoga abilities and business acumen - she found that 'unbelievably cool and sexy'. In this heartfelt post, she also talks about how he grounds her but also makes her heart race at the same time, calling herself lucky to have him.

In this, the couple is seen posing at the Runyon Canyon Park, LA after a long, refreshing hike.

The lovebirds absolutely nailed their Halloween costumes as they dressed up as Salim and Anarkali. The characters are based on the fictional story of Salim, a young Mughal prince falling in love with Anarkali, a courtesan.

Sonam and Ahuja look uber elegant in their traditional attires as they pose for the paps.

In this post, Anand reveals that Sonam finds bookstores and library the most romantic and decided to give him a kiss amidst all the huge collection of books.

On the work front, Ahuja, a businessman, is the owner of 'Bhane' Fashion Company based in Delhi.

On the other hand, Sonam Kapoor was last seen in a cameo in Anurag Kashyaps Netflix thriller 'AK vs AK' in 2020. She will next be seen in 'Blind', a crime-thriller, directed by Shome Makhij and produced by Sujoy Ghosh. The film also features Purab Kohli, Vinay Pathak, and Lillete Dubey in supporting roles.

'Blind' a remake of the 2011 Korean film of the same name, centers around a blind police officer in search of a serial killer.

We wish the duo a very happy anniversary!
New Delhi: Television's famous face, Shweta Tiwari was recently papped at Mumbai airport as she headed to Cape Town, South Africa for the adventure reality show 'Khatron Ke Khiladi 11'. Along with several others, the actress flew together and their pictures were splashed all over.

However, there seems to be trouble mounting for Shweta Tiwari back home. Her estranged husband Abhinav Kohli has released a few Instagram videos, alleging that the actress has left behind their young son Reyansh in a hotel room and despite him not agreeing to her participation on the show has gone ahead.

Abhinav Kohli, in his videos also claimed, "Shweta has left for South Africa to participate in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11. She had asked for my consent to go to South Africa, but I refused since it is not safe to travel amid the spread of coronavirus. She will be working there for 12 hours a day and will leave the child at the hotel, which is not required. I can take care of my son. Despite me telling her not to, she has left and I got to know of her leaving from all the videos circulating in the media. But where is my kid? I am going from hotel to hotel to find him. I went to the police station but they didnt help me. Instead, they asked me to send an email to Children Welfare Committee."

In the videos, he alleged that their song Reyansh is unwell and has chest congestion, swollen eyes. He added, My child has anxiety issues. If he doesnt have any of his parents around him, he feels insecure."

Abhinav is seeking help from people, urging all to share any information they have of his son.

Shweta and Abhinav tied the knot in 2013. The couple has a son named Reyansh Kohli.

Before Abhinav, Shweta was married to actor Raja Chaudhary. They got divorced in 2007 after nine years of marriage. Shweta has a daughter Palak Tiwari with him.
New Delhi: Bollywood actor and humanitarian Sonu Sood recently took to Instagram to mourn the death of a young girl Bharti from Nagpur as she succumbed to COVID-19. According to his post, Sood had airlifted the girl in an air ambulance from Nagpur to Hyderabad and she had been fighting COVID-19 for a month before her death.

On Saturday (May 8), the actor expressed his sadness over her demise and mentioned that he will always hold a special place for her in his heart even though he's never met her.

He wrote, "Bharti, a young girl from Nagpur whom I airlifted on an air ambulance to Hyderabad passed away last night. Rest in Power My Dear Bharti. You fought the last month like a complete tigress on an Ecmo machine. Even though I never met you, you'll Always hold a very special place in my heart. My Condolences to her entire family, I'm going to meet them very soon. Life is genuinely unfair at times."

In the caption, Sonu wrote, "This world will always miss you".

Have a look at the heartfelt post:

The Bollywood actor had helped 25-year-old Bharti by getting her airlifted Nagpur to Hyderabads Apollo Hospital. After that as well, Sonu got a critically ill COVID-19 patient airlifted from Jhansi to Hyderabad, to the same hospital.

Earlier this month, Sonu had made headlines when he appealed to the government to provide free education to kids who had lost their parents to the deadly COVID-19. Many celebrities including Priyanka Chopra supported his initiative and amplified it on their social media accounts.

Sonu Sood has been in the limelight since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in India as he has extended a helping hand to migrant workers and patients numerous times.

The 'Dabangg' actor got his first dose of vaccination at Apollo Hospital, in Punjab on April 7. Sood had contracted the Coronavirus on April 17, however, he recovered fairly fast and restarted his philanthropic work for COVID-affected people.
New Delhi: On Friday, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court gave a major respite to over five lakh jewellers across the country by clamping down on BISs decision of mandatory hallmarking from June 1.

In case of any breach after June 1, the bench ordered the authorities not to take any coercive action against the jewellers under Section 29(2) of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act.

According to the new regulations, jewellers had to hallmark gold jewellery before storing it in their stores or selling it to their customers from Jun 1, 2021. In case a jeweller is found selling jewellery without the certification, he/she could face punitive actions under Section 29(2) of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act.

In response to the new rule, All India Gems and Jewellery Domestic Council filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, requesting to extend the last date for making hallmarking mandatory.

The rule, if implemented, is likely to put the sale of over six crore items of gold on hold, since these pieces are yet to be hallmarked. The petitioners claimed that the rule will also make gold shop owners and jewellers liable for criminal prosecution if they try to sell gold items without a hallmark.

The next hearing of the case is on June 14, meaning that jewellers can sell gold items without a hallmark until at least this date. The next hearing might provide a final deadline to all the jewellers across the country.

It is important to note that hallmarking centres are available in only 34% of cities and towns in India. In proportion to such multitude of jewellers in India, the percentage of hallmarking centres available in India is about 34% only and there are at least 488 districts, which do not have any hallmarking centres, the petition stated.

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#mute
Bitcoin scams are increasing at an alarming rate across the world. In one such case, scamsters hacked Realme Indias official support Twitter handle to coordinate a cryptocurrency scam. However, the company got back access to its handle in no time, thereby diminishing the impact of the scam.

Twitter account with the handle @realmecareIN was temporarily hacked. Scammers changed the Twitter handles name to a stylish version of Tesla, the electronic car manufacturing company owned by Elon Musk.

Since Musk and Tesla are propagators of cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, hackers misused the official verified mark on the Realmes support to conduct the scam. They lured people from Musks tweets into the scam by tweeting, Win a lot of Bcoins in our broadcast. We start in 3 minutes.

Tesla goes beyond the usual understanding of decentralization. And think we have something to surprise you today, another malicious tweet read. In its official response, Realme said that company has been monitoring the development of realme India Twitter support account. Realme has also assured that the company is investigating the matter internally.

On Twitter, tipster Ishan Agarwal shared the news with several screenshots of the malicious posts posted by Realme India online supports hacked account that was changed to T e s l a by hackers.

Realme India Support has now deleted all the malicious tweets after the account was restored by Twitter. Currently, the last tweet on its feed is from April 15.
What if you order an Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max and get a tile instead? A shocking incident happened with a woman in the UK who is said to have received a broken tile instead of an iPhone 12 Pro Max in the box.

This brought utter distress to Olivia Parkinson, the UK woman who had the misfortune to not get the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Things unfolded in a way that when she opened the door to collect the iPhone, she found out the box didnt have a shiny new Apple device. Instead, there was a broken tile and it looked like someone wanted to add insult to injury.

Initially, Parkinson received a cold shoulder from Virgin Media and was told she was liable for the lost iPhone. However, when netizens on Twitter raised voices that she should get back the money, then Virgin Media agreed that something was amiss and refunded Parkinson for her loss.

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#mute
Lucknow: India has an unmatched obsession with arranged marriages, every parent wants to see their children get married. In a recent development, a groom who was about to get married, got rejection as he could not recite a table of 2.

The incident happened in the Dhawar village of Mahoba district in Uttar Pradesh. The groom reached the wedding hall with Baarat, but could not get married. The bride was extremely suspicious of his educational qualification and she asked him to do a simple task, recite a table 2 in order to get married. The groom was unable to recite the table and as a result, the marriage was called off.

The wedding venue was filled with family members and relatives. The bride asked the groom to perform the task right before the garlands could be exchanged. The bride simply walked out of mandap, refusing to marry a person, who does not know as basic thing as a table of 2!

The bride's family was shocked to know about the uneducated groom. Bride's cousin said that the grooms family had kept us in the dark about his education. He may not have even gone to school. The grooms family had cheated on us. But my brave sister walked out without fearing social taboo."

Both the families struck a compromise and mutually called off the wedding. The police did not lodge a case after both parties struck a compromise on the intervention of prominent citizens of the village. The mutual understanding was reached that the bride and grooms families return gifts and jewellery.

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Kabul: A bomb exploded near a school in a majority Shiite district of west Kabul on Saturday (May 8), killing at least 25 people, many of them young students, Afghan government spokesmen said. The Taliban condemned the attack apparently aimed at civilians and denied any responsibility.

Ambulances were rushing to evacuate wounded from the scene of the blast near Syed Al-Shahda school, in the Shiite majority neighbourhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said.

While no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, previous, often brutal attacks in this neighbourhood have been claimed by the Afghan Islamic State affiliate.

The radical Sunni Muslim group has declared war on Afghanistan's minority Shiite Muslims. Washington blamed IS for a vicious attack last year in a maternity hospital in the same area that killed pregnant women and newborn babies.

In Dasht-e-Barchi, angry crowds attacked the ambulances and even beat health workers, said Health Ministry spokesman Ghulam Dastigar Nazari. He implored residents to cooperate and allow ambulances free access to the site.

Images circulating on social media purportedly showed smoke rising above the neighbourhood. At one nearby hospital, Associated Press journalists saw at least 20 dead bodies lined up in hallways and rooms, with dozens of wounded people and families of victims pressing through the facility.

Outside the Muhammad Ali Jinnah Hospital, dozens of people lined up to donate blood, while family members checked casualty posted lists on the walls. Both Arian and Nazari said that at least 50 people were also wounded and that the casualty toll could rise. The attack occurred just as the fasting day came to an end.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters in a message that only the Islamic State group could be responsible for such a heinous crime. Mujahid also accused Afghanistan's intelligence agency of being complicit with IS, although he offered no evidence.

The Taliban and the Afghan government have traded accusations over a series of targeted killings of civil society workers, journalists and Afghan professionals. While IS has taken responsibility for some of those killings, many have gone unclaimed.

IS has previously claimed attacks against minority Shiites in the same area, last year claiming two brutal attacks on education facilities that killed 50 people, most of the students. Even as the IS has been degraded in Afghanistan, according to government and US officials, it has stepped up its attacks particularly against Shiite Muslims and women workers.

Earlier the group took responsibility for the targeted killing of three women media personnel in eastern Afghanistan. The attack comes days after the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 American troops officially began leaving the country. They will be out by Sept. 11 at the latest. The pullout comes amid a resurgent Taliban, who control or hold sway over half of Afghanistan.

The top U.S. Military officer said Sunday that Afghan government forces face an uncertain future and possibly some 'bad possible outcomes' against Taliban insurgents as the withdrawal accelerates in the coming weeks.

(Inputs from PTI)

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Islamabad: Visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Saturday (May 8) have affirmed their commitment to fortify the 'upward trajectory' in bilateral relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in Islamabad said.

The Prime Minister and the Crown Prince met in Jeddah and held wide-ranging talks on bilateral, regional and international issues, The Express Tribune quoted the Ministry as saying.

"The talks were marked by exceptional cordiality and a commitment to fortify the upward trajectory in the bilateral relationship.

"The two leaders reaffirmed the strong and historic bonds between the two countries rooted firmly in shared beliefs, common values, mutual trust and a longstanding tradition of mutual support," it added.

During the meeting, special emphasis was laid on increasing Saudi investments in Pakistan, collaboration in the field of energy, and increased job opportunities for Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia, according to the MoFA.

The two leaders also signed an agreement on the establishment of the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council (SPSCC).

Khan also extended an invitation to Crown Prince Salman to visit Pakistan, stated the MoFA.

Besides Foreign Minister Qureshi, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, Senator Faisal Javed and other senior officials are also part of the official delegation, reports The Express Tribune.

On May 4, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa reached Riyadh to meet Saudi civil and military leadership in what seemed to be part of the preparation of the prime minister`s visit.

(inputs from IANS)

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Washington: Once again NASA's Perseverance rover has made history by recording the low-pitched whirring of the Ingenuity helicopter's blades. This milestone was achieved during the Ingenuity helicopters fourth flight and the space agency released the new footage on its Twitter handle on Friday (May 7, 2021).

The footage was accompanied with a three-minute-long audio track in which the Ingenuity helicopter's blades can be heard humming through the thin Martian air.

If the individuals listen closely, the humming of the Ingenuity helicopter's blades can be heard faintly over the sound of the gusting wind.

The tweet shared by NASA read, New sounds from Mars: Our @NASAPersevere rover caught the beats coming from our Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter! This marks the first time a spacecraft on another planet has recorded the sounds of a separate spacecraft.

Take a look at the video here:

New sounds from Mars: Our @NASAPersevere rover caught the beats coming from our Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter! This marks the first time a spacecraft on another planet has recorded the sounds of a separate spacecraft. Turn the volume up: https://t.co/o7zG6mQJzx pic.twitter.com/s8Hm3dhcgg  NASA (@NASA) May 7, 2021

For this 108-second test flight, the Ingenuity helicopter flew southward and over a new airfield. The helicopter soared to twice its previous altitude 33 feet (10 meters) , took pictures, then landed.

The space agency released this unique video just days before the Ingenuity helicopter made its fifth test flight over a new airfield.

ALSO READ: NASA shares amazing images of Earth ahead of the Earth day

The video shows Ingenuity taking off, and its blades can be heard humming softly as they spin at nearly 2,400 rpm on the 872-foot (262-meter) roundtrip.

A leading news agency reported the mission's engineers saying that, "this is a very good surprise" for them as well. They were initially not sure if the rover will be able to pick up the flight sound, but now that it did, this audio tape will help these mission's engineers a great deal in understanding the Martian atmosphere.

The new recording of Ingenuity's flight "will be a gold mine for our understanding of the Martian atmosphere," said David Mimoun, a professor of planetary science at Institut Superieur de l'Aeronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO) in Toulouse, France.

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Islamabad: Hours after a Pakistan court granted conditional permission to PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif to travel abroad for medical treatment, the Leader of Opposition was reportedly stopped from flying to the United Kingdom at Lahore airport on Saturday (May 8) morning.

According to the Dawn newspaper, Pakistan's Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) has allegedly placed his name on "another list", preventing him from leaving the country. PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that two FIA officials were present in court when the LHC issued an order allowing Shahbaz to travel abroad.

"When Shahbaz Sharif came to the airport today, FIA officials stopped him and said he could not travel because there was another list, a 'person-not-in-list'," she said. The PML-N spokesperson further said that the Imran Khan government`s priorities were focused on "Shahbaz Sharif" and political opponents instead of providing electricity, water, sugar and wheat to citizens.

On Friday (May 7), the Lahore High Court had granted conditional permission to Pakistan Leader of PML-N President to travel abroad once for medical treatment."Keeping in view the past conduct and travel history, the fact that the name of the petitioner is not in Exit Control List (ECL) at the moment, the name of the petitioner in blacklist, if already placed, will not stop the petitioner from a one-time visit to the UK from May 8,2021, to July 3, 2021 for his medical checkup as per his personal commitment made before this court," said the interim order, a copy of which is available with Dawn.

Shahbaz had approached the LHC a day earlier to challenge the placement of his name on a travel blacklist/no-fly list and seek one-time permission to go abroad for medical treatment. In the petition, the opposition leader, who is on bail in multiple references of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), contended that the government had previously placed him on the ECL.

During the hearing, Shahbaz`s counsel said that the government had put his name on the ECL in 2019 which was subsequently removed by the high court in March 2019. "After that, the government devised a new method and put his name in the blacklist.

"He informed the court that Shahbaz had already booked an appointment with a doctor in the UK for a check-up and his flight was booked for tomorrow. Last month, the Lahore High Court granted Shahbaz Sharif post-arrest bail in a money laundering case.

Shahbaz, the brother of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who is in London since 2019, was arrested on September 28, 2020, in the money laundering reference after the LHC refused to further extend his pre-arrest bail.

(Inputs from ANI)

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New Delhi: The UNICEF on Friday (May 7, 2021) expressed that it is very concerned about the deadly daily surge in new COVID-19 cases in India and said that this wave is almost four times the size of the first wave.

The UNICEF's statement came on a day when India witnessed over 4 lakh new coronavirus infections for the second consecutive day.

"UNICEF is very concerned about this deadly daily surge in new cases. This wave is almost four times the size of the first wave and the virus is spreading much faster. With the surge in cases, the virus is also affecting more people across age groups including children and infants," said UNICEF representative Dr Yasmin Ali Haque.

He added, "What is happening in India should raise alarm bells for all of us. The pandemic is far from over. COVID-19 cases are rising at an alarming rate across South Asia."

Haque stated that the entire health systems could collapse, leading to more tragic loss of life and said that very low levels of vaccination in most South Asian countries (less than 10% in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal) is adding to concern of the virus spiraling even further.

"Besides South Asia, we are also seeing alarming situations in other parts of the world," he said.

The UNICEF representative also said that along with the increase in COVID-19 cases, the impact on children being affected by the virus has also increased.

"This surge is having dire consequences for children whose access to essential health, social, protection and education services is being constrained... Children are facing mental health issues and are at greater risk of violence, as lockdowns shut them off from their vital support networks," Haque said.

"With half of the children under five in India being malnourished, the present COVID-19 crisis could further impact child nutrition and service delivery across the country," Haque added.

He highlighted that the UNICEF has sent critical lifesaving supplies to support India at this difficult time.

"We have 3,000 oxygen concentrators, testing kits and other critical equipment in place. We've sent additional critical lifesaving supplies to India, including 2 million face shields and 200,000 surgical masks. Additionally, 2000 more oxygen concentrators will arrive by the second half of May with another 2650 being procured. We support the regular monitoring of more than 50,000 COVID vaccination centres across 27 states of India," Dr Yasmin Ali Haque said.
Commentary: China's Sinopharm vaccine to play greater role in helping defeat COVID-19

Xinhua) 16:08, May 08, 2021

GENEVA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced Friday that China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine has been validated for emergency use.

This makes it the first Chinese vaccine that has been officially recognized by the WHO. This also means that the China vaccine can play a greater role in helping defeat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sinopharm's vaccine is the first COVID-19 vaccine developed by a developing country that has been validated by the WHO, and the sixth vaccine that has been approved for emergency use globally. Ghebreyesus said the WHO has included this vaccine on the emergency use list because of its "safety, efficacy and quality."

Indeed, this vaccine has been proved to be effective with solid data to support this. Just as Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director general for access to health products, pointed out the vaccine's efficacy for symptomatic and hospitalized disease was estimated to be 79 percent, for all age groups combined.

"The addition of this vaccine has the potential to rapidly accelerate COVID-19 vaccine access for countries seeking to protect health workers and populations at risk," she said.

A small detail can show the vaccine's convenience for storage and use. The vaccines carry a vial monitor, a small sticker on the vaccine vials that can change its color when the vaccine has been exposed to heat, which can directly tell whether the vaccine can be safely used. A WHO press release also noted that the Sinopharm vaccine is easy to store, making it highly suitable for low-resource settings.

As the world is racing against time to beat COVID-19, the Sinopharm vaccine offers countries more choices with its accessibility and affordability, helping the world overcome the vaccine divide.

The WHO has repeatedly urged some developed countries to stop over-purchasing vaccines or imposing vaccine export restrictions. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly criticized some developed countries for hoarding vaccines and striking private deals with vaccine suppliers, as some developing countries are struggling to get access to vaccines.

China has, so far, provided vaccine assistance to more than 80 developing countries, helping them solve their urgent needs and saving many lives. Once on the WHO list of emergency use, the Chinese vaccine can help accelerate the promotion of global vaccine coverage, which is crucial to international cooperation on controlling the pandemic as soon as possible.

Last but not least, the validation of the Sinopharm vaccine by the WHO has also greatly boosted the confidence of developing countries to strengthen their research and development capabilities to seek solutions for major domestic and global health problems. As the WHO chief noted, "this expands the list of vaccines that COVAX can buy, and gives countries confidence to expedite their own regulatory approval, and to import and administer a vaccine."

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
New report by foreign experts refutes claims of genocide in Xinjiang

People's Daily Online) 16:49, May 08, 2021

Editor's note: A recently-released feature report, "The Xinjiang Genocide Determination As Agenda", by Thore Vestby, former mayor of Frogn municipality in Norway, laid bare the lack of objectivity, verity and integrity of a report alleging genocide in Xinjiang by US think tanks.

On March 8, 2021, the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington published a report, The Uyghur Genocide: An Examination of Chinas Breaches of the 1948 Genocide Convention in cooperation with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights in Montreal.

It states that This report is the first independent expert application of the 1948 Genocide Convention to the ongoing treatment of the Uyghurs in China. It was undertaken by the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy, in cooperation with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, in response to emerging accounts of serious and systematic atrocities in Xinjiang province, particularly directed against the Uyghurs, an ethnic minority, to ascertain whether the Peoples Republic of China is in breach of the Genocide Convention under international law.

The Report  hereafter The Report  has been produced with the contributions of, and upon consultation with, numerous independent experts, including 33 who have agreed to be identified publicly, as it is stated.

The purpose of this TFF analysis is to examine the status of the Newlines Institute and the circle of scholars and others who have produced and contributed to it and their connections. It also takes a closer look at The Reports methods and content as well as the sources on which The Report bases its extremely serious conclusion, namely that the Chinese state is responsible for committing genocide and violates the central provisions of the said Convention in its policies in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) intentionally.

TFF wants to make it very clear from the outset that we do not take a stand on whether or not what happens in Xinjiang is a genocide. As of principle, we would not state such an opinion unless we had also been on the ground in Xinjiang. The sole purpose is to examine what this first independent scholarly documentation  which was covered immediately by a wide range of Western mainstream media  is based on.

We first present the Executive Summary of our findings and then expand on a series of more specific themes and perspectives.

Executive summary

1. The Report and the two institutes behind it are not independent, and the report does not present new materials. Co-produced with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, its the product of cooperation among individuals from at least six, more or less inter-connected, interest groups, or milieus, which are more Near than Non-governmental  namely:

Christian fundamentalism + hawkish conservative US foreign policy circles + Muslim Brotherhood circles + extreme anti-Communism + pro-Israel lobby circles + the politicising human rights machinery (in which human rights concerns tend to serve various types of interventions by the United States of America).

For a report published by independent scholars from an independent institute, this is problematic.

2. The somewhat haphazardly edited Report may have been published to back up former Secretary of State Mike Pompeos determination on January 19, 2021, that what goes in Xinjiang is an ongoing genocide. No evidence accompanied it. Pompeo is known, in his capacity of CIA director and in his own words (2019), to be proud that we lied, cheated and stole  we had entire training courses  and it reminds you of the glory of the American experiment. (Watch him say that 29:15 into this conversation). Mike Pompeo is also known as a Conservative Christian who, while at the West Point Military Academy, was brought to Jesus Christ, and he is known to be extremely critical of China.

3. The Report comes through as containing both fake or dubious but also, significantly and systematically, biased choices of sources and as deliberately leaving out fundamentally important perspectives, theories, concepts and facts.

For an institute that professes to be based on solid scholarship and values, this is problematic.

4. The Report appears  whether knowingly or intentionally or not  as supportive of hardline US foreign policy and as exploiting human rights concerns to promote a confrontational policy vis-a-vis China.

It certainly does not conform to the values of mutual understanding and peace that the Newlines Institute states that it is based on.

5. The Report conveys propaganda in the specific sense of treating China as the subject of all evil but omitting that an understanding of Chinas policies must also include its relations, including the conflictual relations it has with the US. China is seen as an independent variable and, therefore, The Report can not produce any comparative perspective. To put it crudely: If what China does in Xinjiang is a genocide, are there other actors/governments who should also be determined as pursuing genocidal policies? Or, how does the Chinese war on terror inside Xinjiang and its human costs compare with the US-led Global War On Terror, GWOT, and its human costs?

6. Given the problems we point out in this analysis, one must be deeply concerned about the Western mainstream medias systematically uncritical reception and coverage of the Newlines-Wallenberg Report. They gave it immediate and prominent attention, but we have found none of the media checking the sources of The Report or questioning that it is an independent institute and the first independent expert application of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

What we have found in The Report makes us believe that if this is the highest-quality documentation of a genocide in Xinjiang available, one may seriously doubt whether what goes on in Xinjiang is a genocide. And, most likely, determining it as such will only have negative consequences for US-China relations and even for the United States itself.

What we have also found is that The Report is a rather illustrative example of the discourse and interest circles that characterise what we call the MIMAC, the Military-Industrial-Media-Academic Complex  building and expanding on the concept used for the first time by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who called it a Military-Industrial Complex, MIC, in his farewell speech in 1961.

The independence of the two organisations, their background and connections

The Newlines Institute

Newlines was founded as late as 2019 by Dr Ahmed Alwani and is an affiliate of FXUA, Fairfax University of America, which is a private, business-oriented higher education institution with personality links to business and various US government institutions. Its founder and president is also Dr Alwani but he is not mentioned on the universitys second homepage above. The university has another homepage, however, where he is presented as its President.

Its corporate advisory council consist of, among others, Ken Logerwell who is also senior vice president of the National Security and Innovative Solutions (NSIS) that is an unrivaled problem-solving network that adapts to the emerging needs of those who serve in the defense of our national security. We are dedicated to the work of bringing together defense, academic and entrepreneurial innovators to solve national security problems in new ways.

It is not clear why the Fairfax University of America has two homepages with different content and why one of the homepages presents a policy-making body, the Board of Trustees, that included Dr Alwani as President, which doesnt exist on the other. Noteworthy is that three of its six members are also founders or in the leadership of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT)  an organisation affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Newlines Institute set up an Uyghur Scholars Working Group in 2020. It tasked it with research and analysis on how best the U.S. government and its allies and partners can deal with Beijings efforts to erase Uyghur identity and culture. So already before the present new report, the Institute had decided that that is what China does. A leading member of this group is Dr Adrian Zenz, whose central role in all this we shall return to.

The FXUA is a small college with about 150 students. According to its Wikipedia page, it has had problems with the quality standards of education; interestingly, the majority of the footnotes there deal with the Newlines/Wallenberg report findings, not the institute as such.

And who is Dr. Alwani who is  or perhaps has been  central in both organisations?

The Newlines Institute presents him this way Dr. Ahmed Alwani is the founder and president of Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy and its parent institution, Fairfax University of America (FXUA). He is a businessman based in northern Virginia with investments in the poultry, real estate, and education/training sectors.

So he is the founder of both, although he does not exist on the latest homepage of FXUA. The Newlines presentation of him lacks details. He is said to be driven by a desire to help improve the human condition, and has also been on the advisory board the the U.S. militarys Africa Command and is connected with a series of other education institutes and investment firms.

His father, Taha Jabir al-Alwani, was a founding figure of the US Muslim Brotherhood and his death was announced by the above-mentioned IIIT  of which Dr Alwani is presently the Vice President.

The funding for the Newlines Institute  which was formerly (and still is) the Center for Global Policy, CGP  is provided by the FXUA but on its About page it is emphasised that it is independent and also accepts research grants and donation but explicitly not from any foreign government or entity and is one of the few think tanks in Washington with no foreign or local agendas. What this mention no foreign funding and of agendas implies remains unexplained.

There is no explanation why Center for Global Policy changed to Newlines Institute; many of its videos and its Facebook page still use the CGP identity and only March 23 this year welcomed its visitors to the Newlines Institute.

The Newlines Institute is not an independent institute. And with the many changes of identity and relations indicated above, one must naturally wonder: What is it really?

Now to the co-publisher of The Report:

The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights

Here its own homepage, and here the Wikipedia entry. The Centres mission statement is a 7-page PDF. Still, you quickly gather what kind of human rights the Centre is engaged in: Holocaust remembrance, the struggle against anti-Semitism, human rights issues in Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela and no awareness-raising or campaigns concerning the human rights violations committed by Western countries and their allies. In short, the right human rights issues of the US.

The Centre was founded in 2015 by an international human rights lawyer and former Canadian Minister of Justice, Irwin Cotler  Wikipedia and the homepage  who is also its Chair. Among his many connections, he is also a member of the heavily biased United Against Nuclear Iran organisation. He is a defender of everything Israel and had no qualms about attacking distinguished professional colleagues like Richard Goldstone and Richard Falk who have been engaged in the plight of the Palestinian people.

Cotler is a staunch advocate of the Responsibility To Protect, R2P, and argued for it in Libya, criticised Canada for not intervening in Syria and nominated the terrorist-affiliated White Helmets for the Nobel Peace Prize. Already two weeks before The Report was published, he tried to press Canadian PM Trudeau to use the word genocide, arguing that forced sterilizations and abortions and holding more than one million Uyghurs in what he called concentration camps violate the Convention.

You may read more about who Mr Cotler is in this well-documented critical analysis by Yves Engler in The Palestine Chronicle which also illustrates his close connections with Israels most powerful elites. Furthermore, Cotlers daughter is a Knesset MP and his wife worked for and was a friend of then PM Menachim Begin. The Jewish Insider carried this interesting interview with Cotler himself on March 15, 2021.

While anyone is entitled to have political views, sym- and antipathies, they should be openly stated and not covered up by words like independent scholar. Dr Cotler is clearly a very political human rights personality.

The sources and worldviews of The Report

The Report is presented in this video as based on consultation with fifty top and highest calibre experts in all relevant fields worldwide plus on looking at more than 10 000 testimonials of Uyghur witnesses and accounts from detainees.

Yonah Diamond is The Reports principal author. He is a prolific HR writer. On July 15, 2020, he co-authored an article in Foreign Policy and Genocide Watch, which, without indicating sources or evidence, revealed what the Newlines report has now stated 8 months later. Genocide Watch is founded and chaired by Dr Gregory Stanton, a former State Department official. It carries a Xinjiang Genocide Emergency Alert  Level 9: Extermination dated November 2020; this alert implies that the Uyghurs are already being exterminated.

Revealing of Diamonds political intentions is another article co-authored with Rayhan Asat in Foreign Policy of January 21, 2021, which argues that the US must rethink its failed engagement policy and now confront the genocide in Xinjiang first. (They start out with the story of Ekpar Asat, Rayhan Asats brother, who was a media entrepreneur, philanthropist and peacebuilder but is said to have been disappeared upon return from a visit to the US in 2016 and not seen since  one victim among millions of government atrocities that the United States have just designated a genocide).

That was only two days after Pompeos statement. The political aims of the stated human rights concerns are obvious.

In the Newlines introductory video from March 31, Diamond (and other participants) emphasise how huge the material collected and analysed is. Still, none of the assertions made by the panellists is documented there. The references are just cited as facts. Furthermore, there is no discussion of methods, data sources or how The Reports fact base was compiled and organised.

A central argument is brought forward by professor John Packer who states that the problem is that China argues that the issue of repression/genocide is an internal matter and that if that is accepted, how many other parts of international law shall we have to say goodbye to?

Another participant in the video discussion about The Report, Bethany Allen-Ebrahim, who worked with the China Cables project and is now a China reporter at Axios which published only negative reports about China to which she makes a substantial contribution. Although she lived four years in China and is fluent in the language, she comes through as a person who believes that China kind of doesnt understand its own best.

All four participants in the discussion talk about China as if it was not a party to a conflict with the US. No one mentions US-China policy and its increasingly confrontational character the last few years. Allen-Ebrahim uses phrases such as Chinese authoritarianism versus Western liberal democracies, human rights conventions that try to make the world a better place for everybody.

The black, guilty China and the white innocent US/West seems to be a repeated underlying thought figure  a simplifying dichotomy hardly effective to convince you of independent or solid scholarship.

The choice, according to her, is human rights or money, and she believes that far too few stand up for the former. The CCP, the Chinese Communist Party, doesnt understand the West, doesnt understand that internment camps, in the eyes of democracies worldwide, is bad, the thing you just dont do and that it believes its own propaganda, she also claims. And, further, Xi Jinping has become so powerful that people are afraid, the leadership is in an echo chamber and believes that things have gone so well for so long that nothing can stop it and its endless insults to a series of countries such as India and the United States.

Azeem Ibrahim, Newlines director of Special Initiatives and author of The Reports foreword and also an adjunct professor at the US Army War College, seems to believe that the Chinese believe  as he says  that perhaps if China wants Hong Kong, it will simply take it; if it wants Taiwan, it will simply take it and if it wants to it will also dominate the South China Sea.

In short, The Report omits every conflict analytical approach and treats China as a solitary actor driven by evil motives. While everybody  also scholars  have a right to personal opinions, the systematic value bias and China-negative attitudes held by all contributors makes one wonder how most of the authors and contributors were selected. Such uniform and systematic ideological bias could very likely influence The Reports choice of data and sources.

Finally, the CVs of the authors and contributors at the end of The Report largely omit mention of these extra-academic affiliations and political connections that are clear when you search a little deeper.

The content of The Report

Now to The Report itself, 55 pages where one notices that the above-mentioned Diamond is the principal author while Cotler, Stanton, Packer and 29 other independent experts have been consulted and/or contributed directly and have agreed to be identified publicly. Logically, that must mean that there have been scholars who did not want to have their names mentioned; that militates against normal, open academic norms (whereas one can understand that, say, Uyghur witnesses or victims, would not like to appear with their names).

All the contributors are Westerners or based in Western institutions, well over 20 from the US and Canada, a couple in the UK and elsewhere. According to The Report, quite a few have government positions and are advocates of the Responsibility to Protect and/or interventionism. And many are related to Holocaust and genocide research and prevention.

The report lacks a systematic method of structuring main chapters and sub-chapters/sections and seems to have been put together hastily (see the strange Table of Content below)  perhaps in the short time between January 19, 2021, when Secretary-of-State, Mike Pompeo, announced that he had determined that China had committed crimes against humanity and genocide and the publishing of The Report on March 8?

The various chapters back up the conclusions stated in the summary: that the independent scholars conclude that Chinese leadership is responsible for committing genocide; that the intent is to destroy the Uyghur group as such, in whole or in substantial part; that this intent is documented by deeds and words by the high-level leadership including President Xi Jinping himself. Then follows documentation of the methods whereby this intent is said to be realised such as mass internment, mass birth-prevention, killings, forcible transfer of children, etc.

The report carries 317 notes, so the authors have obviously wanted to back up their conclusions with open, available and checkable facts. Naturally, some sources are legal texts on genocide, the Vienna Convention, academic journals, UN documents and analyses of other genocides and, of course, the history of the Uyghurs. And there are references to other human rights reports, Amnestys and Human Rights Watchs in particular.

More interesting is the analysis of: What are the main sources in The Report that are used to prove the genocide?

From page 17 you get the sense: The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC News, The Brookings Institution, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the (CIA-initiated) Jamestown Foundation, Financial Times, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), The China Files, the Hudson Institute, the Bitter Winter magazine (for religious liberty and human rights in China), The New Yorker, Foreign Policy, the Journal of Political Risk, the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) and Radio Free Asia.

A couple of important sources indeed stand out.

The Xinjiang Victims Base that appears on an internet address called shahit.biz is important because many of the victim statements in The Report are taken from it  for instance, Victim # 124 (So many people died from the beatings and torture). However, there is no About accessible on shahit.biz, no information on the methods, the sources, how it was built or what it means that it contains lots of short videos  as also does the Uyghur Pulse YouTube Channel it links to  in which people present and state video testimonies for the victims of the slow but de facto genocide in Chinas northwestern Xinjiang region.

Homepages which are completely anonymous would normally be considered of no credibility or other value as a source of documentation  whether academic or political  and should have been left out.

The Journal of Political Risk, referred to a couple of times, covers political risk and opportunities. Local issues and their impact on the world are analyzed and presented from a neutral and unbiased perspective. The journal is published by Corr Analytics, an international political risk analysis and consulting firm. Its publisher is Dr Anders Corr, who lists that he has worked for e.g. United States Army, United States Pacific Command (USPACOM), United States Special Operations Command Pacific (USSOCPAC), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). And its editor is Neil Siviter, who currently studies for his MA in War Studies at Kings College London and has interned at the NATO Association and the government in Canada.

You get a sense of Dr Corr, in a lecture on YouTube for the Committee On The Present Danger: China, when he advocates 5 strategies to defeat the Chinese Communist Party, one of them being to double the US defence budget and get the allies to do likewise. (The Committees vice chairman, Frank Gaffney, argued right before Trump left The White House that Trump must declare the Chinese Communist Part a trans-national criminal group (see The Committees members here).

Why these details? Because The Report refers to this Journal which carries an article by Dr Adrian Zenz to whom we shall soon return because of his central position in the entire issue. One must wonder whether Dr Zenz has chosen more or less extreme-political outlets for his research or his manuscripts have not passed peer-reviews of more relevant academic journals.

One more frequently used (22 times) source deserves special mention, namely Radio Free Asia. It presents itself as a private, nonprofit, multimedia news corporation but these are dubious words. It is one of many US government media outlets with an annual budget of US $ 43 million, with 253 employees, headquartered in Washington D C and comes under the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM).

Like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, it is engaged in promoting US values and perspectives vis-a-vis adversaries. The USAGM has been haunted by political controversies and its origins harken back to CIAs secret special operations in 1948.

This is not to imply that these sources all tell lies or exaggerate the brutality of events. Some may, some may not  we as authors have no way of knowing. The main point is that the sources used in The Report  literally without exceptions  tilt in the same politico-ideological, Near-governmental direction and that no sources have been used that could, to put it crudely, give a different perspective, critically examine the selected sources or otherwise look into the validity and reliability of the media stories presented which are standard methods in independent academic scholarship.

To summarize, the majority of sources on which The Report is based are Western, particular US, mainstream media plus materials from organisations which, indisputably and without exception, are on a Sinophobic (anti-China) mission, see the world (and the China-US relations) in black-and-white terms plus US State Department/Pentagon-related individuals with attitudes promoting US global dominance and intervention policies.

Whether intended or knowingly, or not  The Report and its attempt at documentation of genocide in Xinjiang are perfectly fit to be used for such US policies rather than for a genuine human rights-only campaign and trustworthy advocacy. The Report contains no calls to action directed at human rights organisations; instead, some of its authors have tried to influence government policies directly.

The report does not attempt to distance itself from the elites behind those global dominance policies. It makes excellent use of them  either directly or indirectly (as the above personality connections have documented).

Now to the mentioned Dr Adrian Zenz (1974- ) who is stated everywhere as the expert on Xinjiang.

Dr Adrian Zenz  the world expert on Xinjiang who is guided by God

Zenz appears no less than 41 times through The Reports 317 notes, most others once or twice. There can be no doubt that The Reports documentation is based way more on his studies than on any other experts. So who is he?

Since October 2019, he is a Senior Fellow in China Studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) in Washington, D.C. and here is a presentation of him in conjunction with a widely circulated article of his published in 2018 by the Jamestown Foundation of which he is stated to be an analyst. It was set up on the initiative of the CIA and remains an arch-conservative foundation with a board composed of corporate, business and investment people, former US government officials, former CIA leaders and militaries and some experts on terrorism.

It does not seem obvious why a human rights report by Dr Zenz would end up being published by such an organisation (and, as mentioned above, Zens has published with other hawkish outfits like the Corr Analytics) rather than in a scholarly journal or a document for a genuine human rights organisation.

The VOC was established by a unanimous act of the US Congress and George. W. Bush was its honorary chairman 2003-2009, i.e. during the invasion and occupation of Iraq. VOC proudly states in its 2019 report that Since joining VOC, Dr Zenz has been mentioned over 240 times in over 120 media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the BBC, and has conducted broadcast interviews with NPR, Bloomberg, and CNN, as well as top German newswires Deutsche Welle and Tagesschau  that is, within just the three months.

It speaks volumes of the type of uniform expertise sought for by these media  something that is confirmed by the above presentation of media sources underlying The Report. One must wonder whether there were no other experts on human rights in Xinjiang than Dr Zenz? Did the media ever look for others? Did he just fit a particular purpose? Or do they simply not know the importance of diversity and objectivity?

The VOC  that has assets of about US$ 16 million  obviously works to outcompete the Nazi Holocaust when, on its front page, it states that Communism killed over 100 million. Were telling their stories and, according to Wikipedia, In April 2020, the organization announced they would be adding the global victims of the COVID-19 pandemic to their death toll of Communism, blaming the Chinese government for the outbreak and every death caused by it. So much for its attitude to China.

Heres the Wikipedia entry for Adrian Zenz. Hes a German anthropologist who used to work at the European School of Culture and Theology, which is related to the Columbia International University, a Bible College not to be confused with Columbia University. Dr Zenz is a born-again Christian and has stated that he feels that God has told him to pursue this research  17:00 minutes into this Washington Watch interview  on Chinese Muslims and other minority groups in China.

Zenz co-authored a book about the end times in 2012 with his father-in-law, Marlon L. Sias, titled Worthy to Escape: Why All Believers Will Not Be Raptured Before the Tribulation; on the book link, you will see that they are both learned men and that Adrian studies New Testament Greek besides teaching (at the time) and preaching at his local church.

Here is a short January 2021 video interview in which Dr Zenz presents his views also on what the US should do vis-a-vis China. And Jerry Grey, an Australian who has lived in China for 16 years, has written this portrait of Dr Zenz.

Dr Zenz has been criticised by critical media and investigative reporters. A particularly well-documented criticism has been produced by Gareth Porter and Max Blumenthal and published by The Grayzone carrying this subtitle US State Department accusation of China genocide relied on data abuse and baseless claims by far-right ideologue which displays what they call so much statistical malpractise. Here are other Grayzone analyses related to the issue in general and Adrian Zenz in particular. Blumenthal explains his position here to the Chinese official Global Times.

Adrian Zenz  who seems to have visited China only once and as a tourist in 2007  has been strongly criticised by China and also by scholars at Xinjiang University (and here and here and here). At least one company in Xinjiang has sued Zenz because it believes that his research is false and rumour-based and therefore harmful to it  for which reason it demands that he apologises and pays compensation. The Chinese government has recently imposed sanctions on him, so he cannot enter China.

Naturally, there are reports and analyses which explain in different terms what is going on  some from their perspective inside China. One such example is Canadian beer brewery owner and Vlogger in Shenzhen, Daniel Dumbrill whom you may learn more about from this report by the South China Morning Post, SCMP. He has 148 000 subscribers to his YouTube Channel.

Professor Graham Perrys homepage and this video also provide rather different facts, interpretations and perspectives.

Its reasonable to assume that the criticism of Adrian Zenz, his methods, data collection, interpretations and conclusions  as well as his somewhat peculiar background and divine mandate  impacts considerably on The Report and its credibility. But we do not know why The Reports authors have chosen him as their main witness instead of presenting different analyses and weighing them against each other.

The US State Department doesnt seem to know what it knows

As the last thing he did in office on January 19, 2021, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, determined (here the official text) that what is going on in Xinjiang is a genocide. He also compared it to the Nazi Holocaust, thereby casting China and Xi Jinping in the role of Nazi Germany and Hitler.

However, the U.S. State Departments Office of the Legal Advisor concluded earlier this year that Chinas mass imprisonment and forced labor of ethnic Uighurs in Xinjiang amounts to crimes against humanity  but there was insufficient evidence to prove genocide. That placed the United States top diplomatic lawyers at odds with both the Trump and Biden administrations, according to three former and current U.S. officials  writes Colum Lynch in Foreign Policy. The Biden administration has reaffirmed Pompeos stance and backed off a recent claim Bidens United Nations envoy pick, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, made in her confirmation hearing that the State Department, under the Biden administration, was conducting a review of the designation.

Here is what Linda Thomas-Greenfield had to say according to Reuters: The State Department is reviewing that now because all of the procedures were not followed, Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Theyre looking to make sure that they are followed to ensure that that designation is held.

So State Departments Office of the Legal Advisor is of the opinion that there was not enough evidence and there were procedural problems with designating Xinjiang a genocide. But the Biden administration  and the interests behind The Report  have decided to cement the Trump Administration/Pompeo and Biden/Blinken Administration and ignore that legal advice: It is a genocide!

It deserves mention that China has officially stated that it would welcome a visit by the UN Human Rights Council to Xinjiang.

Does The Report convincingly prove that this is a genocide?

Does The Report prove that the designation/determination genocide is valid according to the classical definition of genocide as a series of acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group? The words intent and destroy are essentially important here.

At four places, The Report mentions that Chinese officials have used expressions such as wipe them out completely  destroy them root and branch and you need to kill them all and break their lineage, break their roots, break their connections and break their origins and eradicating tumours and likening the mass internment camps to eradicating tumours.

These expressions  which are ascribed to the CCP leadership  stem from one source, namely Austin Ramzy and Chris Buckley Absolutely No Mercy: Leaked Files Expose How China Organized Mass Detentions of Muslims in New York Times, 16 Nov. 2019. Their report presents 403 pages of internal Chinese documents that have leaked.

How has this tremendously important leak happened?

The New York Times says that Though it is unclear how the documents were gathered and selected, the leak suggests greater discontent inside the party apparatus over the crackdown than previously known. The papers were brought to light by a member of the Chinese political establishment who requested anonymity and expressed hope that their disclosure would prevent party leaders, including Mr. Xi, from escaping culpability for the mass detentions.

The New York Times report also states that The leaked papers consist of 24 documents, some of which contain duplicated material. They include nearly 200 pages of internal speeches by Mr. Xi and other leaders, and more than 150 pages of directives and reports on the surveillance and control of the Uighur population in Xinjiang. There are also references to plans to extend restrictions on Islam to other parts of China.

So, if we understand it correctly: There was a member of the Chinese political establishment who in 2019 leaked these documents in order to tie President Xi Jinping and other leaders of the CCP and China to the alleged crimes and debunk the official Chinese claims and explanations and, therefore, that person  who The Guardian also calls a political insider  requested anonymity.

It remains unclear how a Chinese political establishment insider got 403 A4 pages over to The New York Times and how the editors checked the validity of those materials. For instance  did it receive these pages directly from the insider him- or herself or via a chain of couriers? If the latter, how did it check the identity and role of that insider and the authenticity of these pages before publication? Was the insider a person who had already defected to the US, or is s/he still in China and still part of its political establishment?

This point deserves emphasis for the fundamental reason that The Report bases its determination/conclusion/advocacy that this is a genocide for which the highest Chinese leadership is responsible exclusively on this New York Times-published batch of documents the background of which we readers cannot know.

Further, its worth noticing also that The Report states (p 3) that In 2014, Chinas Head of State, President Xi Jinping, launched the Peoples War on Terror in XUAR, making the areas where Uyghurs constitute nearly 90% of the population the front line. This formulation followed by the above-mentioned derogative/humiliating expressions could convey the impression that Xi Jinping was out to call all Uyghurs terrorists and therefore destroy them all, starting rationally in the areas where most of them live.

However, here is how BBC formulated it on May 23, 2014, when an attack in Urumqi killed 31 and wounded 90: During a visit to Xinjiang last month, President Xi Jinping promised greater integration and warned terrorists would be isolated like rats scurrying across a street. Xi Jinping is obviously talking specifically about Uyghur terrorists and not about all Uyghurs.

The question therefore is: If the Chinese leadership is targeting only what it calls terrorists  like Western countries also do in the GWOT  and not the Uyghur people as such, what is then left of the determination that this is genocide, i.e. the destruction of an ethnic group/nation in whole or in part?

What about terrorism in Xinjiang and elsewhere?

The Report does another interesting thing: It plays down completely that there have been problems with terrorism in Xinjiang. It states that Similar restrictions multiplied in the early 2000s, during which time Chinese authorities began referring to Uyghur dissent more frequently as terrorism, despite an almost complete absence of terrorist attacks (our italics). The source for this assertion is Sean Roberts, The War on the Uyghurs: Chinas Internal Campaign against a Muslim Minority (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2020) and Pablo A. Rodriguez-Merino, Old counter-revolution, new terrorism: historicizing the framing of violence in Xinjiang by the Chinese state, Central Asian Survey, Vol. 38, No. 1 (2019), 27-45.

Both of these publications are  from the outset  strongly critical of Chinas Xinjiang policies and can be interpreted as pladoyers for the Uyghurs. Roberts who is undoubtedly a very capable researcher with lots of on-the-ground experience uses a particular definition of terrorism and the argument that to be called a terrorist is negative and traumatising. It is on the basis of this that he argues that there has been rather little terrorism in Xinjiang, although he does acknowledge (p 20 of his book) the 2009 Urumqi riots and other Uyghur-led acts of violence. On February 10, 2021, Roberts wrote an article in Foreign Affairs in support of Secretary of State, Mike Pompeos genocide statement  but whatever the merits of the term [e.g. genocide and crimes against humanity], the evidence of the atrocities that China has committed against Uyghurs is undeniable.

From a review of his book in Foreign Affairs, one understands that Roberts main thesis is that Harsh Chinese policies have provoked some reactive violence from Uighurs and have driven what is estimated to be tens of thousands of them to join jihadis in Syria. Roberts provides fascinating new details on that relatively marginal phenomenon, revealing that organized Uighur militancy is almost entirely illusory. Beijings policy of repressive assimilation has now reached such an intense stage that Roberts labels it cultural genocide.

This is the type of documentation and interpretation the authors of The Report use  no further investigations of possible terrorism activity in Xinjiang over the last 20 or so years. Instead of doing research and also investigate, in all fairness, whether or not China also has a terrorism problem (as the US-led world has had since 2001 and fought in the Global War On Terror, GWOT), the authors seem to simply compile sources that support what they want to prove  namely that China is repressing all Uyghurs because they are Uyghurs and not some because they are Uyghur terrorists.

If they had done their research  instead of ideological opinion-formation  they might have asked themselves: What has the US government itself produced about terrorism in China/Xinjiang? They would then have come across Patterns of Global Terrorism 2001 Annual Report from the US State Department and on page 16 found that Presidents George W. Bush and Jiang Zemin met in Shanghai in February 2002 (and other US-China meetings took place in Washington, Beijing and Hong Kong) and that the two countries cooperated and coordinated their policies and concrete policies against terrorism with explicit reference to the terrorist activities of Uyghur groups in Xinjiang.

In this State Department analysis, we find that China is increasing its vigilance in Xinjiang, western China, where Uighur separatist groups have conducted violent attacks in recent years and that Several press reports claimed that Uighurs trained and fought with Islamic groups in the former Soviet Union, including Chechnya. Two groups in particular are cause for concern: the East Turkestan Islamic Party (ETIP) and the East Turkestan Liberation Organization (or Sharki Turkestan Azatlik Tashkilati, known by the acronym SHAT). ETIP was founded in the early 1980s with the goal of establishing an independent state of Eastern Turkestan and advocates armed struggle. SHATs members have reportedly been involved in various bomb plots and shootouts. Uighurs were found fighting with al-Qaida in Afghanistan. We are aware of credible reports that some Uighurs who were trained by al-Qaida have returned to China. (It also states that previous crackdowns by China has raised human rights concerns, without specifying which).

As a piquant detail, in 2006, American forces captured 22 Uyghur militants linked to al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan and imprisoned them for 5-7 years at Guantanamo and in 2018, Pentagon announced that it had bombed training centers of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) in Afghanistan. More about this extremist organisation created by militant Uyghurs in Xinjiang and reportedly partly funded by Osama bin Laden at the time  here at the US Council of Foreign Relations, an extremely important foreign policy organisation that can hardly be accused of being anti-American or pro-Chinese. ETIM was listed by the US Treasury in 2002 as a terrorist organisation (and taken off again in 2004). (The Council backgrounder also presents the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) that has taken credits for violent attacks in several Chinese cities and gives a background to the Uyghurs).

Readers may also find that e.g. retired Cabinet Secretary of the Government of India, B. Ramans, 2002 analysis US and Terrorism in Xinjiang in the South Asia Analysis Group highlights the immensely complex web of Uyghur-related terrorism and how the US and China cooperated on counter-terrorism. (US State Department seems to have stopped publishing this world-covering terrorism reports after 9/11 or, rather, after the GWOT gained momentum and global terrorism increased).

Perhaps to the surprise of quite a few, the fact is  but not mentioned in The Report  that China has not denied that it is taking hard measures in Xinjiang. Here is a Reuters report concerning an official Chinese government document: Authorities in China have arrested almost 13,000 terrorists in Xinjiang since 2014Since 2014, Xinjiang has destroyed 1,588 violent and terrorist gangs, arrested 12,995 terrorists, seized 2,052 explosive devices, punished 30,645 people for 4,858 illegal religious activities, and confiscated 345,229 copies of illegal religious materials, it addedIt also gave a breakdown of 30 attacks since 1990, with the last one recorded in December 2016, saying 458 people had died and at least 2,540 were wounded as a consequence of attacks and other unrest.

You may, of course, have decided that you trust nothing coming out of official China. But if you do, these are significant figures concerning the clampdown and repression in Xinjiang. But they are also small figures compared with the human and other costs of the US-led GWOT, which, to take one of many dimensions, has displaced at least 37 million people according to the US-based Brown Universitys Cost of War Project. If such a displacement among innocent civilians is not a serious human rights violation, it isnt easy to see what it is.

To summarize this point, The Report leaves substantial materials about terrorist activities in Xinjiang untold. It thereby conveys the impression that China commits an ongoing genocide on the whole Uyghurs group of 10-12 million citizens. Above, we have only highlighted a few of very many sources on this. The fact is that Wikipedias entry on Terrorism in China offers a much more sober, balanced and factual background to this essential issue.

The authors can hardly be ignorant about these facts. Still, they have chosen to omit them and every other source and discussion about possible reasons behind the  hard  clampdown by China on Uyghur terrorism/terrorists.

Summary

The Newlines/Wallenberg Report on Genocide in Xinjiang is not trustworthy

The Report is not independent and does not present new materials. Its the product of cooperation by at least six, more or less inter-connected, interest groups:

Christian fundamentalism + hawkish US foreign policy + Muslim Brotherhood circles (Ahmed Alwani) + extreme anti-Communism + pro-Israel circles + the human rights political machinery (in favour of pro-war/humanitarian intervention). They are all Near-governmental rather than Non-governmental.

What combines them is a negative attitude, bordering on hatred, of Russia, Iran, China and a Sinophobic ideology (not only here but in many other earlier cases) on the one hand and pro-US world dominance/ interventionism (enemy image production) on the other.

In short, six overlapping interest groups sharing some fundamental values presented as human rights concerns.

The somewhat haphazardly edited Report may have been published to back up former Secretary of State Mike Pompeos determination on January 19, 2021, that what goes in Xinjiang is an ongoing genocide carrying similarity with the Nazi Holocaust  the first time this word and that reference are being used. Pompeo is known to, in his capacity of CIA director and in his own words, be proud that we lied, cheated and stole  we had entire training courses  and it reminds you of the glory of the American experiment. (Watch him say that 29:15 into this conversation). Mike Pompeo is also known as a Conservative Christian who, while at the West Point Military Academy, was brought to Jesus Christ, and he is extremely critical of China.

The Report contains both fake and dubious data and a significant, systematically biased choice of sources. It deliberately disregards or omits fundamentally important perspectives, theories, concepts and facts. At least parts of it would hardly pass as a paper for an MA course; it leaves much to be desired in terms of academic rigour, methods, knowledge and evaluation of testing the validity and reliability of materials it makes use of. This is noteworthy because the Newlines Institute professes to differ from other think tanks in that Unlike most think tanks, we have established an institutional method for research and analysis. The Report reveals no such method, whether ex- or implicitly.

The Report appears  whether knowingly or intentionally or not  as supportive of hardline US foreign policy and as (mis)using human rights concerns to promote a confrontational policy vis-a-vis China. As shown above, a series of people connected with The Report have urged the US government to take a much harder line with China to stop it from doing anything it pleases (as one of them states in the presentational video). Thus, The Report can reasonably be interpreted as pro-conflict, or pro-Cold War, ideology production that (mis)uses human rights arguments to promote hawkish policies. This is indeed a cause for serious concern because the Newlines Institute also maintains that it is guided by the 5 principles of Peace, Development, Community and Citizenship, Character and Stewardship. The Report is characterised, grosso modo, by the opposite.

It also states under About that its purpose is to shape US foreign policy based on a deep understanding of regional geopolitics and the value systems of those regions.

The Report does not contain any geopolitical analysis and shows no understanding of the Chinese value system. Rather, it is systematically demonising.

The Report conveys propaganda in the specific sense of treating China as the subject of all evil but omitting that an understanding of Chinas policies must also include its relations, including the conflicts to which China is a party to, such as that with the US. China is seen as an independent variable, and, therefore, The Report can not produce any comparative perspective. To put it crudely: If what China does in Xinjiang is a genocide, are there other governments who should also be determined as pursuing genocidal policies? How does the Chinese war on terror inside Xinjiang and its human costs compare with the US-led Global War On Terror and its human costs?

Of course, a human rights report can not deal with everything and all human rights issues. But since The Report and its associated interests find it urgently important to characterise China as genocidal, one would, per common sense, ask: How does the geopolitical actor who use that  extreme  term operate? And, does The Report function (of course in a small way) like a psycho-political projection that boosts an enemy image with the intention to legitimate ones own, even more destructive, actions and policies?

Given the problems we have pointed out in this analysis, one must be deeply concerned about the Western mainstream medias systematically uncritical reception of the Newlines/Wallenberg Report. We have found none checking the sources of The Report or questioning the attention-grabbing public relation for The Report that conveys that it is an independent institute and the first-ever documentation, or proof, that China is responsible for genocide.

It should be the first duty of professional reporting to check and cross-check sources rather than  effortlessly  repeating what self-congratulatory press releases may state. Here some examples of the reporting by CNN, The Guardian, Aljazeera, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and AFP devoid of scrutiny of any kind.

It is reasonable to hypothesise that the political narrative of genocide in Xinjiang will end up the way other significant narratives before it has  e.g. of the impending genocide on Kosovo-Albanians in Yugoslavia, the Afghan terrorists committing the crime of 9/11, Saddams nuclear weapons, Gaddafis planned mass murder in Benghazi, Irans almost-status as nuclear power (for about 25 years) and Bashar al-Assad as the only reason behind the violence in Syria  namely as psycho-political warfare, opinion deceptions, or lies, serving the purpose of Cold War politics, military intervention, resource grabbing or destructive wars.

Whatever the truth is about the determination of genocide in Xinjiang, accusations like these serve neither good West-China relation nor the US itself. The question remains  and no one in the US seems to have an answer: How do we build trust, win-win cooperation and peace with China? And if we are truly concerned, how do we convey those concerns in the most effective manner?

End notes  in lieu of conclusion

Because of the worlds fundamental interconnectedness, the increasingly Cold War-like relations between The West and China have negative consequences for both systems and for the rest of the world.

Of all conflicts in our world, The West/China conflict will influence the future world order more than any other conflict. It is therefore of utmost importance to analyse what the conflicting parties say and do  in particular when one or both take steps that tend to increase both the tension and the probability of future use of violence in some form. Such heightened tension will harm them both as well as the rest of us. It will also make concerted efforts to solve all the other problems facing humanity much more difficult.

If you accuse another country of committing an ongoing genocide, the world has a right to expect that the evidence is rock solid.

Weve written this analysis to show that the empirical basis for accusing China of genocide is surprisingly weak and that The Report from the Newlines Institute and the Raoul Wallenberg Center  which professes to deliver the ultimate proof of genocide  rests on very selective materials that, when put together, invite further confrontational policies instead of cooperative problem-solving  not to mention Western comparisons or self-reflection concerning human rights.

The Report is politicised and reflects the interests of what we call the Military-Industrial-Media-Academic Complex, MIMAC. It contains serious flaws of investigation as well as a biased selection of sources and expertise. Furthermore, we have made the extremely serious observation that The Report has not been questioned or checked by any Western mainstream media. Despite its politicised, ideological characteristics and extremely serious accusation, it has simply been propagated.

Therefore, we do not believe that The Report is helpful from any rational perspective.

Furthermore, from a meta point of view, we do not believe in zero-sum or win-lose, but in that win-win is possible and should be tried for the common good of the West itself, China and the world. We also believe  perhaps unconventionally for Western scholarship  that multipolarity and respect for different cultures different codes is desirable. In contrast, unipolarity based on universalising and imposing ones own ideological norms and values upon other systems is counterproductive and undesirable.

We further believe that it is meaningful  also and particularly when in a conflict situation  to seek dialogue and cooperation rather than offence and confrontation. Cooperation does not build on similarity or common identities and goals. It can take place within the framework of unity/cooperation in diversity. It is clear that, at the moment, it is China that advocates cooperation and dialogue whereas the United States, in particular and the West in general, pursue negative and confrontational policies with a series of other countries and cultures  something indicated also by the US alone having 600+ military facilities around the world and standing for more than 40% of the worlds military expenditures.

Multipolarity and mutually beneficial cooperation  as well as dialogue instead of demonisation  are conducive to violence-risk reduction and confidence-building. Accusations, sanctions, demonisation, name-calling and confrontational characterisations of the political systems and culture of other, by definition, cannot produce security, stability or peace. It closes down dialogue.

And the more this is done short-term, the less security, cooperation and peace there will be in the long-term.

(Source: https://transnational.live/2021/04/27/%F0%9F%9F%A5-breaking-the-xinjiang-genocide-determination-as-agenda/ )

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Hongyu)
China to expand coverage of social relief for the vulnerable

Xinhua) 16:59, May 08, 2021

BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- China has issued revised guidelines for qualifying the vulnerable for social relief, including more people facing difficulties into the support scheme, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Saturday.

Apart from including more people living with disabilities, China's social relief network will provide support to poor families whose legal caregiver is over 70 years old and earns less than the local average disposable household income of the previous year, or families where the caregiver lives with disabilities and is supported by the social relief scheme, according to the guidelines.

Minors supported by the social relief scheme will receive continued assistance until they are 18 years old, instead of the previous 16 years old, said the document, adding that the support will continue if those coming of age are enrolled in compulsory education or senior high schools or vocational schools.

The revised guidelines will go into effect on July 1, 2021, nullifying the current version that was adopted in October 2016, said the ministry.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
China's foreign trade expanded 28.5 percent year on year to 11.62 trillion yuan (about 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars) in the January-April period as global recovery picked up and pent-up demand was unleashed.

This marks an increase of 21.8 percent from the pre-epidemic level in 2019, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said.

Exports jumped 33.8 percent from a year earlier while imports climbed 22.7 percent in yuan terms.

The trade surplus increased 149.7 percent to reach 1.02 trillion yuan in the January-April period.

In April alone, exports jumped 22.2 percent from a year earlier to 1.71 trillion yuan, GAC data shows.

China's exports sustained sound momentum, said Zhou Maohua, an analyst with the China Everbright Bank, noting that this was driven by the recent strong global economic recovery.

Friday's data shows that China's exports to the European Union rose 36.1 percent to 974.69 billion yuan, and exports to the United States surged 49.3 percent to 1.05 trillion yuan in the first four months.

The stimulus in developed economies sustained demand for products manufactured in China, noted Lu Ting, chief China economist with securities firm Nomura.

Visitors view bicycles during the 30th China International Bicycle Fair in east China's Shanghai, May 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

The country's imports climbed 32.2 percent from a year earlier to 1.44 trillion yuan in April.

China's manufacturing sector has seen improving vitality, and manufacturers have started to build their stocks, driving the rapid growth of imports of products including energy resources, said Gao Ruidong, chief macroeconomist at Everbright Securities.

The rising prices of bulk commodities have driven up China's import value, according to Li Qilin from Hongta Securities. China's imports of iron ore, soybeans and copper all increased in the first four months, GAC data shows.

In April, China's trade surplus narrowed 12.4 percent from a year earlier to 276.5 billion yuan.




The first Yangtze River Delta International Emergency Disaster Reduction & Rescue Expo kicks off in Shanghai on May 7, 2021.





Photo taken on May 7, 2021 shows a booth of an Anhui-based company at the first Yangtze River Delta International Emergency Disaster Reduction & Rescue Expo in Shanghai.

The first Yangtze River Delta International Emergency Disaster Reduction & Rescue Expo kicked off in Shanghai on Friday.



Hosted by the Emergency Management Bureau of Shanghai and its counterparts in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui and the Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai, the expo plays an important part in promoting coordination in emergency management among members of the Yangtze River Delta region and in strengthening both domestic and international cooperation in the field.

435 companies are attending the three-day expo, including 20-odd ones from Anhui province. The Anhui-based enterprises are presenting the provinces latest achievements in the emergency management industry.

Covering a total area of 52,000 square meters, six exhibition sections showcase new technologies and products in emergency management, disaster control, and emergency rescue.




A Palestinian man receives the second dose of Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine at a medical center during a vaccination campaign in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, April 29, 2021. (Photo by Luay Sababa/Xinhua) With the WHO's validation for emergency use, the Sinopharm vaccine, as the first COVID-19 vaccine developed by a non-western country, is expected to accelerate vaccine rollout in many low and middle-income countries through purchase and delivery by the WHO-led COVAX initiative. The World Health Organization (WHO) validated on Friday the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinopharm for emergency use, a move set to boost global vaccine rollout, particularly in the developing world. "This afternoon, the WHO gave emergency use listing to Sinopharm Beijing's COVID-19 vaccine, making it the sixth vaccine to receive WHO validation for safety, efficacy and quality," said WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press briefing. "This expands the list of vaccines that COVAX can buy and gives countries confidence to expedite their own regulatory approval, and to import and administer a vaccine," he said. COVAX is a global coalition that works to ensure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines around the world. In addition to the Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV vaccine, the WHO had previously listed the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, two versions of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine, the Janssen vaccine and the Moderna vaccine for emergency use. In an official press release, WHO Assistant Director General for Access to Health Products Dr. Mariangela Simao said that the addition of the Sinopharm vaccine has "the potential to rapidly accelerate COVID-19 vaccine access for countries seeking to protect health workers and populations at risk." Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic receives an injection of China's Sinopharm vaccine against COVID-19 in Majdanpek, Serbia, April 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu) FIRST COVID-19 JAB WITH VIAL MONITOR The jab produced by the Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of the China National Biotec Group, is an inactivated vaccine with easy storage requirements, which makes it highly suitable for use in low-resource settings. It is also the first vaccine that will carry a vial monitor, a small sticker on the vials that changes color if the vaccine is exposed to heat, letting health workers know whether the vaccine can be safely used. According to the WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), the Sinopharm vaccine is recommended for use in adults 18 years and older in a two-dose schedule with a spacing of three to four weeks. Though few adults over 60 years were enrolled in clinical trials and efficacy could not be estimated in this age group, the WHO is not recommending an upper age limit for the Sinopharm vaccine, because reviewed data have suggested that the vaccine is likely to have a protective effect in older persons, according to the WHO press release. "There is no theoretical reason to believe that the vaccine has a different safety profile in older and younger populations," said the WHO press release, which recommends that countries using the vaccine in older age groups conduct safety and effectiveness monitoring. Assessment by SAGE has shown that the Sinopharm vaccine had been authorized by 45 countries or jurisdictions for use in adults 18 years or older, where more than 65 million doses had been administered through emergency use programs. No safety concerns have been identified from pre-clinical or repro/tox (reproductive toxicity) studies, while most adverse events were mild to moderate, such as injection pain, headache and fatigue. Workers prepare to unload the COVID-19 vaccines from China at the Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad, Iraq, April 11, 2021. (Photo by Khalil Dawood/Xinhua) GLOBAL PUBLIC GOOD As of Wednesday, more than 1.1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered globally, but over 80 percent of those had been administered in high and upper-middle income countries, while just 0.3 percent in low-income countries, according to Tedros. With the WHO's validation for emergency use, the Sinopharm vaccine, as the first COVID-19 vaccine developed by a non-western country, is expected to accelerate vaccine rollout in many low and middle-income countries through purchase and delivery by the WHO-led COVAX initiative. According to Yu Qingming, chairman of the Sinopharm Group, this year's output of the Sinopharm vaccine is targeted at more than one billion doses, and is expected to reach three billion doses in the future. China has decided to provide ten million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the COVAX initiative to meet the urgent needs of developing countries, a concrete step to deliver on the promise to make vaccines a global public good. This is also an important achievement in the field of epidemic prevention and control. China was the first to have put the pandemic under control, and successfully developed one of the earliest vaccines in the world. Adhering to the concept of a community with a shared future for health, China has so far provided vaccine assistance selflessly to more than 80 countries and three international organizations, exported vaccines to more than 40 countries, and collaborated with over ten countries in vaccine research and development (R&D) and production. The validation of the Chinese vaccine, which is the result of high technology content and high R&D investment, has also strengthened the international recognition of the "Made in China" and "R&D in China labels." Workers unload China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines, donated by the Chinese government to Ethiopia, at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 30, 2021. (Photo by Michael Tewelde/Xinhua)
By Li Shurui

On May 4, local time, the United States Central Command announced that 2%-6% of American troops had been pulled out from Afghanistan. Previously, US President Joe Biden said its time to end Americas longest war, and the country began to withdraw the remaining 2,500 troops from Afghanistan on May 1, to be completed on September 11 at the latest, in memory of the 20th anniversary of Al Qaedas terrorist attack on the US.

Withdrawing troops is easy, but realizing peace in Afghanistan is not. While Washington is eager to end the 20-year-long war, what that leaves the Afghanis is a colossal security black hole that is almost impossible to patch.

The security situation in Afghanistan has worsened since the White House announced its withdrawal plan on April 14. Taliban armed forces have ramped up attacks in 24 provinces, leaving 226 civilians and military personnel dead. Not only are the ordinary Afghanis worried about the aggravating security, but the National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib also said gloomily that the Taliban would escalate violent activities going forward, and every Afghani will be a target.

Clearly, the withdrawal of American troops will not only create the space for terrorist organizations to expand their sphere and influence but will also break the balance among various factions in Afghanistan and throw the country into more cruel civil conflicts. Washington is trying to bring the Afghan government and Taliban to the negotiating table, but the Taliban doesnt show much interest, and the peace talks are in a stalemate. Meanwhile, international forces are also on their toes to fill the vacuum left by American troops, making the national security situation more vulnerable.

After the 911 terrorist attack in 2001, the US sent troops to Afghanistan in the name of counter-terrorism. Still, it is generally believed in the international community that their anti-terror operations there in the past two decades are of little avail, except causing a massive humanitarian disaster. US war in Afghanistan has cost 241,000 lives in 20 years, including over 71,000 civilians. A United Nations report shows that more than 3,000 Afghan civilians died, and nearly 5,800 were injured in 2020 alone; casualties caused by the lack of medical treatment, malnutrition, and environmental pollution far outnumber those directly caused by the war.

Besides, the protracted war has seriously disrupted peoples normal lives, stagnated urban construction, and ruined industrial and agricultural development. Todays Afghanistan suffers from dire deficiency, with 72% of the population living under the poverty line, the unemployment rate as high as 38%, and about 11 million Afghanis becoming refugees and 3.5 million children driven out of school. Instead of uprooting terrorism, the 20-year-long anti-terror war fought by America has brought the Afghanis more insecurity and instability, stagnation and even retrogression of national development, and indescribable miseries for the people.

Every Afghani looks forward to peace. We can develop the country. People in Afghanistan yearn for peace. The Afghan people are expressing their concerns about the security situation. Now, before it uproots the terrorist organizations and restores peace in Afghanistan, the country that started all this mess just packs up and pulls out without showing the slightest sense of responsibility, leaving behind the humanitarian disaster it has caused to continue or exacerbate. Who is to blame for Afghanistans lost 20 years? Americas irresponsible actions in Afghanistan have, of course, let the Afghanis down and will leave a stain on its history book.
The departure ceremony for the 7th group of Chinese military medical experts to Ethiopia is held at the Southwest Hospital of the Army Medical University on May 6, 2021. (Photo by AMU Southwest Hospital)

By Wen Yujie and Guo Chen

CHONGQING, May 8 -- The 7th group of Chinese military medical experts to Ethiopia departed Friday from Chengdu, Sichuan Province and flew to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, for a yearlong medical aid mission.

The ten military medical experts are selected from five units, including the Southwest Hospital of the Army Medical University (AMU), specializing in respiratory medicine, ultrasound diagnosis and infectious diseases. They will engage in clinical treatment, personnel training and technical instruction and assistance according to the needs and actual situation of the General Hospital of the Ethiopian Army.

Before departure, the Army Medical University and the Southwest Hospital had made full preparations for the mission including raising materials and organizing vaccine inoculation for the group members .

On the afternoon of May 6, a departure ceremony was held at the AMU Southwest Hospital. Leaders of the hospital vowed to provide all-round support to the expert groups medical assistance work in Ethiopia.

The departure ceremony for the 7th group of Chinese military medical experts to Ethiopia is held at the Southwest Hospital of the Army Medical University on May 6, 2021. (Photo by AMU Southwest Hospital)
By Lei Yang

BEIRUT, May 8 -- The 19th Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent to Lebanon started the COVID-19 vaccination for peacekeepers in Lebanon entrusted by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), on May 6, local time. A total of 260 doses were given on the first day, and no adverse reactions occurred.

The spread of COVID-19 in Lebanon is still severe at present, posing grim security challenges to peacekeeping operations. To effectively help UNIFIL fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese medical peacekeepers have carried out nucleic acid testing and vaccination in good order.

Since the recipients are from different countries and in different physical conditions, the Chinese medical contingent specially formulated treatment measures for adverse reactions and strengthened the monitoring of paradoxical reactions to ensure the safety of vaccination.

According to the head nurse Zhang He, the recipients need to take pre-vaccination health registration, check body temperature, identity information and blood pressure at the registration site. Then they will enter the vaccination area to get vaccinated, and they are allowed to leave 15 to 30 minutes later if they have no adverse reactions.

It is learnt that more than 2,000 UNIFIL troops will go to the camp of the Chinese peacekeeping medical contingent in southern Lebanon to get inoculation of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of June this year.
Former President Lee Myung-bak returned to prison on Monday after the Supreme Court last week upheld a 17-year jail sentence and a W13 billion fine for corruption and embezzlement (US$1=W1,136).

According to his lawyer Kang Hoon, Lee (78) told aides before leaving his home for the Seoul Dongbu Detention Center, "Don't worry too much about me. I'll be back after faithfully serving my term."

"I will persevere in the firm belief that you can confine me, but you can't confine the truth," Lee added.

Lee was given a solitary cell on the 12th floor of the remand prison -- the same tiny cell he had had from when he was indicted in March 2018 until he was released on bail a year later.

Normally inmates are transferred to a regular penitentiary once their sentence is final, but given Lee's old age and status he is likely to serve his term in the remand prison.
WHO's decision allows the Sinopharm vaccine to be included in COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, or COVAX, an initiative to distribute vaccines to mainly poor countries. WHO has said it could decide on China's second main vaccine, made by Sinovac Biotech, as early as next week.

Friday's move was also the first time the global public health group granted emergency approval to a Chinese vaccine for an infectious disease. China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine has already been administered to hundreds of millions of people in China and in other parts of the world, along with a second Chinese vaccine.

The World Health Organization has approved a COVID-19 vaccine developed in China for emergency use worldwide. The vaccine, from China's state-owned drugmaker Sinopharm, is the first vaccine manufactured by a non-Western country to be endorsed by WHO.

 India

The COVID-19 outbreak continues to ravage India, putting pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lock down the country to control the outbreak.

A "coordinated countrywide strategy" is needed, Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India, told the Associated Press. He said the lockdowns some Indian states have imposed are not enough in the battle to defeat COVID-19 in India.

"The human cost will result in many more tragic consequences for our people," opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said Friday in a letter to the prime minister.

India's health ministry reported record-breaking statistics Friday for the previous 24-hour period: 414,188 new COVID-19 cases and 3,915 deaths. Officials believe the tolls are likely higher.

 United States

The White House COVID-19 Response Team said Friday its focus is on meeting the president's new goal of fully vaccinating 160 million Americans by July 4, as infections, hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline.

At the team's briefing, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said that by the end of the day, 110 million Americans will have been fully vaccinated and 150 million Americans, or 57 percent, will have had at least one shot.

Zients said that to help meet the president's goal, the government will make walk-up, no-appointment shots available at 20,000 pharmacies around the country. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will also be shipping vaccines from high-volume vaccination centers around the country to smaller community-based sites, where they are more in demand.

Australians who were banned from entering their country if they had traveled to India will be allowed to return home starting May 15, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday. Australians will not, however, be allowed to board the repatriation flights out of India if they test positive for the coronavirus.

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than 3.2 million lives around the world, the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported Friday. The U.S. has suffered the most deaths, according to Johns Hopkins, with more than 581,000. Brazil is rapidly catching up with the U.S. death toll, with almost 417,000 deaths, followed by India, with more than 234,000 deaths.

There have been more than 156.2 million global infections, according to Johns Hopkins. The U.S. remains the location with the most infections, with more than 32.6 million, followed by India, with 21.5 million infections, and Brazil, with 15 million.
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush told attendees of the Texas Legislative Conference in New Braunfels on Friday he is seriously looking
A table is marked off from seating customers at Crosswalk Coffeehouse & Cafe on Thursday, March 19, 2020. MIKALA COMPTON | Herald-Zeitung
Town Moderator Scott Wilson presides over Town Meeting on May 3. Wilson was elected to fill the vacancy left by Todd Johnson following his election to the Board of Selectmen. (Rosalyn Impink photo)
Mary-Ellen Cooper (center) has been named the Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners 2021 Distinguished Nurse Practitioner. Cooper values the teamwork and close relationship with her fellow Tewksbury Hospital nurses as the reason for her success and survival during the fight against COVID-19. From left are Amie Marquis, Mukumbi Brown, Cooper, Paula Surro, and Janice Mahoney. (Courtesy photo)
Woburn, MA (01801)

Today

Clear to partly cloudy. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable.
Woodville, AL (35768)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Localized flooding is possible..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Localized flooding is possible.
Bloomberg columnist Sir Max Hastings shares his thoughts on guns, crime, and the differences between his native Britain and the United States in I Grew Up on Guns. Now Ive Learned to Love Firearm Control.

Having a father who had brought home keepsake firearms from the Second World War, he claims he became exceptionally proficient at taking apart and reassembling guns as a child. This glimpse into his background is provided to preempt the common response of American enthusiasts to the rest of the worlds horror: Foreigners dont understand guns. That isnt quite the point. Foreigners  regardless of how well they may handle guns  dont always understand Americans.

He writes the association of right-wing patriotism with gun ownership is a recent construct, with it being a fiction that weapon ownership [is] an inherent part of American identity. Weapon ownership may not be an integral part of the national identity and remains a matter of personal choice; however, the right to possess and bear arms has something of a longer and more celebrated pedigree. The United States Supreme Court, in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), traced this right back to English precedents that predated the creation of the United States. The Second Amendment was not intended to lay down a novel principl[e] but rather codified a right inherited from our English ancestors.

According to Sir Max, it is a truth universally acknowledged that possession of a gun facilitates homicide and suicide, as it requires absurdly little physical effort, or even psychological commitment, to point and fire a gun. He states no other country comes close to the scale of gun ownership in the United States, with 400 million weapons, or 46% of all the worlds guns, in private hands. Assuming his information and premise are correct, one would expect the United States to dominate homicide and suicide rates worldwide by a spectacular margin. .....
CARMEL, Ind., May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CNO) announced today that its Board of Directors has approved an additional $500 million to repurchase the company's outstanding common stock. At March 31, 2021, CNO had remaining repurchase capacity under its share repurchase program of approximately $169 million. The repurchase program is intended to be implemented through purchases made from time to time in the open market, through private transactions or by a tender offer, in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission requirements. The amount and timing of the repurchases (if any) will be based on business and market conditions and other factors.

The company also announced today that its Board of Directors has approved a $0.01 per share increase in its quarterly dividend, its ninth consecutive annual increase. The Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.13 per share on the company's common shares. The dividend will be payable June 24, 2021, to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 10, 2021.

In addition, CNO announced that at the company's annual meeting earlier today, its shareholders:

Elected 10 directors ( Gary C. Bhojwani , Ellyn L. Brown , Stephen N. David , David. B. Foss, Robert C. Greving , Mary R. Nina Henderson , Daniel R. Maurer , Chetlur S. Ragavan , Steven E. Shebik , and Frederick J. Sievert ) to serve terms expiring at next year's annual meeting.

, , , David. B. Foss, , , , , , and ) to serve terms expiring at next year's annual meeting. Approved, by non-binding advisory vote, the executive compensation of the company's named executive officers as disclosed in the proxy statement for the annual meeting.

Approved the adoption of the company's Amended and Restated Section 382 Shareholder Rights Plan.

Ratified the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for 2021.

About CNO Financial Group

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CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CNO) secures the future of middle-income America. CNO provides life and health insurance, annuities, financial services, and workforce benefits solutions through our family of brands, including Bankers Life, Colonial Penn and Washington National. Our customers work hard to save for the future, and we help protect their health, income and retirement needs with 3.2 million policies and $35 billion in total assets. Our 3,400 associates, 5,000 exclusive agents and 4,000 independent partner agents guide individuals, families and businesses through a lifetime of financial decisions. For more information, visit CNOinc.com.

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SOURCE CNO Financial Group, Inc.
CROWN POINT  An attorney for a Gary man asked a judge this week to dismiss the man's latest charges because he's already been acquitted by a federal jury of the underlying allegations.

Jarod D. Johnson, 24, is currently facing charges in three cases in Lake Criminal Court.

He's accused of shooting a man in the face and leg and the man's girlfriend, who was five months pregnant, in the abdomen June 13, 2017, in the area of West Fifth Avenue and Madison Street in Gary.

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He's accused of working with his mother, Patricia Carrington, 48, and brother Jaron Johnson, 22, to abduct a relative of the woman he allegedly shot in 2017 in an attempt to gain information about the woman's whereabouts April 14, 2019, the night before he was to stand trial in the 2017 shooting.

Carrington and Jaron Johnson each pleaded guilty to a federal kidnapping charge earlier this year and are awaiting sentencing.

They admitted in their plea agreements they worked with Jarod Johnson to abduct the woman as she walked home from work, shot her multiple times behind an abandoned home in Gary's Glen Park neighborhood. She survived and sought help from a neighbor in the area.

However, a U.S. District Court jury acquitted Jarod Johnson of the kidnapping charge after a trial in March.

The Johnson brothers and Carrington initially were charged in Lake Criminal Court in connection with the 2019 shooting, but prosecutors dropped the charges after the U.S. attorney's office charged them.

After Johnson's acquittal in federal court, Lake County prosecutors filed two more cases against him.

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He was charged with felony escape and theft in connection with allegations he failed to recharge and removed a GPS-equipped ankle bracelet he was wearing just before the April 2019 shooting.

Prosecutors also refiled charges related to the 2019 case, including attempted murder, three counts of battery and intimidation.

Johnson's attorney, Marc Laterzo, wrote in court filings the latest charges should be dismissed because they arise from the same conduct that was alleged in the federal case.

"It's a double jeopardy issue," Laterzo said.

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Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez set a hearing for June 18 on the motion to dismiss and the state's motion to join all three of Johnson's pending cases for trial.

Vasquez also rescheduled Johnson's trial in the 2017 case for the week of Oct. 4, after defense attorney Mark Gruenhagen said he had a scheduling conflict and Johnson had agreed to accept responsibility for the delay.

Lake County Deputy Prosecutor David Rooda said he would not object to the defense's motion to continue Johnson's trial.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
CROWN POINT  The Lake County Commissioners are refusing to stand silently by as Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. continues denigrating the Merrillville company retained by the commissioners to provide pre-trial electronic monitoring of accused criminals.

Matthew Fech, attorney for the county's three-member executive board, said Friday there is much more to the story of the currently missing Aaron Jacob Collins, 26, than the sheriff disclosed Thursday in a news release blaming ICU Monitoring for losing track of Collins.

Specifically, Fech said the sheriff's office appears not to have checked for warrants against Collins after Lake Superior Judge Nicholas Schiralli on April 7 ordered Collins released from jail, subject to electronic monitoring by ICU.

Records show ICU placed Collins, who is accused of felony possession of methamphetamine, in the recovery housing program at Eden House in Gary as part of the wraparound services it provides in conjunction with electronic monitoring to individuals awaiting trial.

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Fech said the sheriff's office was tasked with transporting Collins to Eden House, and seemingly no one in the sheriff's office noticed there was an outstanding warrant against Collins from Marshall County, Indiana, before taking him out of the Lake County Jail.

"This outstanding warrant would have been enough to hold Mr. Collins and should have been checked by the Lake County Sheriff's Department prior to his release to the Eden House," Fech said.

"It is entirely possible Marshall County advised they were not coming to get Mr. Collins. But it is unclear if the sheriff checked this or if Marshall County so advised."

Martinez said officers at the Lake County Jail routinely check inmates for warrants before they leave the facility and through this process the Collins warrant from Marshall County for misdemeanor driving while on a suspended license was discovered.

However, Martinez said execution of the warrant was limited to counties immediately adjacent to Marshall County, and since Lake County is separated from Marshall County by Starke, LaPorte and Porter counties, the warrant could not be acted on and Collins had to be released.

Records show Collins was arrested again April 23 by the Gary Police Department after officials at Eden House said they discovered Collins was using synthetic marijuana.

A subsequent search of Collins' possessions uncovered a hypodermic needle, possession of which can be charged as a Level 6 felony in Indiana.

But instead of seeking to have Collins charged with either drug offense, which would have sent him back to the Lake County Jail, Gary police appear to have released Collins after holding him for the maximum 48 hours, Fech said.

The Gary Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its arrest and release of Collins.

According to court records, ICU Monitoring notified the Lake Superior Court on April 26 that Collins violated the terms of his pre-trial release by not returning to Eden House and refusing to call-in as required to report his location.

A warrant for Collins' arrest was issued by the court April 27. He is described by police as a white male who weighs 151 pounds and has brown hair and hazel eyes, and may be hiding out in his hometown of Indianapolis.

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Martinez said ICU should have immediately notified his office Collins was at large. The sheriff said the company did not file a police report until April 30, and his detectives did not begin investigating until May 3.

"It's important that the Lake County Sheriff's Department is involved in these instances because, although I never agreed to the contract with ICU, we are still a party to that contract," Martinez said.

Fech insisted that is not the case.

He said the contract with ICU was inked by the commissioners on behalf of the Superior Court judges. While Fech acknowledged the money for the contract comes out of the sheriff's budget, he said the County Council just as easily could pull the money from the judges' budget.

"The sheriff has nothing to do with the program. It is solely administered by the judges," Fech said. "Being a 'party' suggests that you have some sort of interest or standing in the contract. The sheriff does not."

Moreover, Fech said the sheriff's jurisdiction with individuals accused of crimes  but not yet convicted  extends only to those individuals unable to secure their release from the county jail.

"Nowhere in the statute does it state that the sheriff is charged with caring for a defendant released pre-trial," Fech said.

"If a judge orders a defendant released either on their own recognizance or to ICU Monitoring, the sheriff's department has no choice other than to release of a defendant pre-trial absent a hold (a warrant) from some other county, state, or some other agency (federal system)."

Martinez repeatedly has condemned ICU since the commissioners unanimously awarded the company a two-year contract renewal April 21, citing three individuals on pre-trial release who committed new crimes while under electronic monitoring by ICU.

The sheriff also claims his preferred vendor, Sentinel Offender Services LLC, could do a better job at half the approximately $1 million Lake County annually pays ICU.

WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops: Monitoring LaPorte with Specialist Justin Dyer

Fech said ICU was selected by the commissioners because it was the only bidder of the four competing companies to include the judge-requested wraparound services, such as psychological counseling, substance abuse counseling and similar programs, in addition to electronic monitoring of individuals released from jail prior to trial.

In addition, Fech said even if ICU's bid was higher than other companies, it is a minority-owned business located in Lake County and therefore entitled to a price preference under the countys purchasing guidelines.

The sheriff and the commissioners repeatedly have clashed over myriad purchasing issues during the past year, spurring the Lake County Council to seek and win a judges approval April 16 to seize control of the county's purchasing office from the commissioners.

The commissioners last week requested a stay of that ruling pending appeal. A hearing on that request is scheduled for June 14.

COVID-19: Hoosiers We've Lost
Egbert is a wild octopus who is always excited to see his human best friend and reaches out to touch her hand every time she visits.
Press Release

May 8, 2021 Dispatch from Crame No. 1,065:

Supplemental Statement on Duterte's remark that the arbitral ruling is a worthless piece of paper This is getting troublesome, if not downright treasonous! More and more, Duterte has been parroting China's talking points on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue. First, he said we cannot enforce the Hague ruling. Then he claimed that it was just a piece of paper to be thrown in the trash. Noong una, may pa-jetski pa raw si Duterte sa WPS para sabihin sa China na atin yun. Tapos sa speech niya sa ASEAN, sinabi niya na hindi na maitatanggi ang panalo natin sa kaso natin laban sa China. Ngayon, biglang atras siya at sinabing hindi niya kailanman ipinangako na babawiin niya ang WPS at i-pressure ang China. Tapos sinabi niya na basurang papel lang ang ipinanalong kaso natin. He forced Sec. Locsin to apologize to China for using expletives in demanding that they withdraw their ships that trespassed in our territory. This after he has used foul language against non-Chinese world leaders like the US President and the Pope. He relentlessly insults the gentlemen-patriots, former SAJ Carpio and former SFA del Rosario. Why would our President take a stand against our own who are defending our country? Kahit ang simpleng pangingisda, parang si Duterte pa ang nakikiusap sa China na payagan ang mga Pilipino na mangisda sa karagatan natin. Throughout his term, Duterte has always assumed a defeatist attitude towards our rights over the WPS. He said that our claims are disputed. It is not. He said that we cannot do anything. We can. Maliban sa China at kay Duterte, kinikilala ng buong mundo ang ating karapatan sa WPS. Ang US, Europa, Australia ay nagsalita na sa pagkilala nila sa pagkapanalo natin sa kaso natin laban sa China. Senate President Sotto said that we should either negotiate or go to war with China. With all due respect, why would we allow China to drive our choices? Why is the only non-war option to negotiate with China on their own terms? Do we even trust Duterte to protect the interests of the Filipino people when dealing with China? We need to strengthen our alliance with countries who observe the rule of law and whose interests align with ours. They already recognize our rights over the WPS under UNCLOS. If we negotiate, it should be on our own terms and in affirmance of our rights. That is the only way to cancel China's hegemony over our region. The West Philippine Sea represents food, energy, security, and so many resources for Filipinos now and the generations to come. For Duterte to casually dismiss our rights is treason against our country and our future. I call on my colleagues to honor our oaths to support and defend the Constitution of the Philippines and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same, as members of a strong and independent Senate. (Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 1065 here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_1065)
Press Release

May 8, 2021 Bong Go pushes measures to fill gaps in pandemic response and strengthen gov't preparedness for public health emergencies Senator and Chair of the Senate Committee on Health Christopher "Bong" Go during a hearing on Thursday, May 6, pushed for a set of measures which aim to strengthen the country's epidemic preparedness and response to COVID-19 by addressing the gaps and weaknesses in the health care system. In a speech delivered before the Committee on Health, Go acknowledged the need to expand the capacity of the health care system in order to address the still high number of COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region and its surrounding provinces. However, he also highlighted the important role played by the frontline medical workers and noted the need to expand the country's health workforce in light of the enormous pressures it is currently facing. "Ngayong pandemya, problema natin ang kakulangan natin sa hospital beds, particularly [intensive care unit] beds. Kinakailangan po natin magtayo ng temporary facilities and modular hospitals for COVID-19 cases. But aside from these facilities, equally important is the service of our health care workers," began Go. "But the reality is our health personnel are strained by the surge of COVID-19 cases which hinders our capacity to combat the disease immediately and effectively. As hospitals in the NCR Plus areas are overburdened, its medical frontliners are [also] exhausted because of the number of patients," he continued. The Senator also expressed his profound gratitude to the medical frontliners and volunteers for their service to the nation as the country celebrates Health Workers' Day this May 7th. He especially praised the many Visayan medical frontliners who volunteered to be deployed to Metro Manila to help augment the region's medical personnel and support the local pandemic response. "Some health workers in the Visayas expressed willingness to be deployed to NCR Plus areas. I am very thankful to them. They are one of the reasons for making us believe that the spirit of bayanihan continues to live within the hearts of Filipinos," said Go. "Walang katumbas ang sakripisyo ninyo para malampasan natin ang pandemyang ito. The entire nation owes you a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid," he added. To bolster the country's medical personnel and address staff shortages, Go filed Senate Bill No. 1451 in April 2020 which seeks to establish a Medical Reserve Corps composed of individuals who have degrees in health-related fields but have yet to obtain professional licenses. "Even [President Rodrigo Duterte], in his recent State of the Nation Address, has acknowledged the need for this measure. We need a Medical Reserve Corps that may be called upon and mobilized to assist the national government and the local government units in their functions related to addressing the medical needs of the public in times of national emergencies," he explained. "The establishment of the Medical Reserve Corps will uphold the role of health workers in nation-building and promote in them patriotism and nationalism," emphasized Go. Taking this one step further, the Senator also filed SBN 2158 on Tuesday, May 4, which seeks to establish a Center for Disease Control and Prevention to serve as the principal agency tasked with controlling the spread of infectious diseases and developing and implementing communicable disease control and prevention initiatives. "In other countries, Centers for Disease Control have been instrumental in this pandemic. As experts in the field of infectious diseases, they are at the forefront of the health battle against COVID-19. It is high time for us to strengthen our health units and have our own CDC. President Duterte also acknowledges this and has urged Congress to pass this important measure," said Go. He stressed the need for a comprehensive approach and multi-disciplinary preparedness plans to prevent or contain the emergence of pandemic and epidemic diseases. By reorganizing and strengthening the country's health units committed to preventing and controlling communicable diseases, Go expressed confidence that the government will be better prepared to deal with any public health emergency in the future. "Let me reiterate, this is a learning experience for all of us. But then as we move forward, we need better foresight to successfully re-assess what institutional practices we need to change, institutions we need to further strengthen, and make long-lasting plans not only for our recovery but also for our sustainable future," he appealed. Several other measures seeking to strengthen the country's pandemic response were also discussed during the hearing. They included SBN 1527 and 1592 which similarly seek to create a Medical Reserve Corps. The bills were authored by Senators Pia Cayetano and Imee Marcos, respectively. Senate Bills 1450 and 1440, authored by Senators Grace Poe and Richard Gordon, respectively, also provide for the establishment of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, SBN 1443, 1444, 1922 and 1801 seek to establish an inter-agency council or task force to respond to public health emergencies. The measures were authored by Senators Cayetano, Emmanuel Pacquiao, Nancy Binay and Risa Hontiveros.
Press Release

May 8, 2021 Lacson: Palace Risking More Damage with 'Damage Control' Overkill on WPS Debate Issue

More at: https://pinglacson.net/2021/05/08/lacson-palace-risking-more-damage-with-damage-control-overkill-on-wps-debate-issue/ The more Malacanang tries damage control in the West Philippine Sea debate issue, the more it risks additional damage while worsening the deep political division in the country, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Saturday. Lacson said there is no point for raising further issues since the debate between President Rodrigo Duterte and former Justice Antonio Carpio will no longer push through. "If you try doing too much damage control and it becomes obvious, you just risk more damage. The issue is finished, there is no more debate," he said in an interview on DWIZ radio. "A piece of unsolicited advice to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque or those in Malacanang: It is better to just stay quiet. After all, the debate won't push through," he added. On Friday, Roque said President Duterte designated him to debate with Carpio over territorial issues between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea. While the President had challenged Carpio to the debate and Carpio had accepted, Roque said the President heeded the advice of his Cabinet not to push through with the debate. "There is no need to raise further issues, lest people see it as an obvious attempt at damage control. But if there is overkill in the attempt at damage control, the more it becomes damaging on their part," Lacson said. Lacson reiterated the country needs to have a united stand on the West Philippine Sea issue, with Filipinos speaking out independently on the matter instead of succumbing to two political camps and their troll farms.
The renewal of relations between Morocco and Israel will give a new momentum to the peace dynamics in the Middle East, said Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.

The renewal of diplomatic relations is a response to a double appeal: a call from the Moroccan Jewish community, eager to deepen its relationship with Morocco, but also a call for peace and the development of the original dynamic, conducive to a lasting peace in the Middle East, Bourita pointed out in an address before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), on the sidelines of its annual meeting.

For Morocco, a pioneer in action for peace in the Middle East since the reign of the late King Hassan II, it is a normal step, a step of conviction, but also an investment in peace and a way to deepen the strong relationship between Morocco and the Jewish community.

As put by King Mohammed VI in December, Moroccos decision was not an opportunistic one. It is a natural decision due to the Kingdoms ties with its Jewish community and to the historic involvement of Morocco in peace, the FM stressed.

He added that the regional dynamic is very important. Regional stability is very important to promote peace between Israel and Palestine. Morocco has played a pioneering role in the peace process in the Middle East and it is today also ready to contribute to it.

We hope that all efforts will be made from all sides, including on the part of Israel, to promote genuine peace, a peace which will preserve Israels security and stability of its people, but which allows also Palestinians to enjoy their rights, he said.

Commenting the exceptional relations between Morocco and members of its Jewish community, Bourita said that to understand the relationship with Israel, you should link it to the relationship with the Jewish community.

The relationship is very old and the link between Morocco and the Jewish community is very deeply rooted. And I wonder if we can talk about Morocco and the Jewish community as separate entities because they are one community, the official underscored, recalling that the Jewish population has lived in Morocco for centuries. It is part of the Moroccan population. It enriched the Moroccan identity. And that is why our constitution is perhaps the only one in the Arab and Islamic world, which mentions the Jewish constituent among the important components of Moroccan identity.

Bourita who surveyed the centuries-old relationship between the Jewish community and the Kings of Morocco since the 15th century when the Jews were expelled from Andalusia and welcomed in Morocco, recalled that the late King Mohammed V rejected the anti-Semitic laws of the Vichy regime and refused to hand over the Moroccan community to the Nazi regime.

Under the reign of Mohammed VI, Morocco has safeguarded Jewish heritage and ordered the inclusion of the Jewish dimension in Moroccos educational curricula.

AS to relations with Israel, he said the liaison offices have been opened in Rabat and Tel Aviv, the two sides agreed to create direct air links between the two countries, and set up 8 working groups to beef up their cooperation in the fields of agriculture, tourism, water, security

We will go as far as possible in the development of bilateral cooperation for the benefit of both peoples and for the benefit of the region, the minister pointed out.

Bourita also warned of the looming Iranian threat in the region, saying that Tehran supported the Algeria-sponsored polisario separatists.

This country (Iran) has not only armed the Polisario but it also offered military training to these militias in order to perpetrate attacks on Moroccos territorial integrity, he said.

Besides its armed support to the Polisario separatist, Irans activism has been on the surge in West Africa where it sows the seeds of instability.
The decision of the Spanish authorities not to notify their Moroccan counterparts of the arrival of the leader of the polisario militias is a premeditated act, a voluntary choice and a sovereign decision made by Spain, of which Morocco takes full note, says the ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad in a statement.

The ministry stresses that the decision of the Spanish authorities not to notify their Moroccan counterparts of the arrival of the leader of the polisario militias, is not a simple omission. It is a premeditated act, a voluntary choice and a sovereign decision by Spain, of which Morocco takes full note. It will draw all the consequences from that.

Since Spain has received on its territory the leader of the polisario militias, who is accused of war crimes and serious human rights violations, Spanish officials have made many statements in an attempt to justify this serious and contrary act to the spirit of partnership and good neighborliness, the ministry points out, noting that the invocation of humanitarian considerations can not justify this negative attitude.

The ministry explains that humanitarian considerations do not justify the maneuvers behind the backs of a partner and a neighbor.

Humanitarian considerations, it adds, cannot be a panacea that is given selectively to the leader of the polisario militias, at a time when thousands of people live in inhumane conditions in the Tindouf camps.

The ministry underlines that humanitarian considerations could not, either, explain the inaction of the Spanish justice, while documented complaints are properly in the hands of this justice.

Law enforcement and the preservation of victims rights cannot be a case of double standards, it notes.

Humanitarian considerations do not explain, moreover, that one is complicit in identity theft and falsification of passports, intended to voluntarily circumvent the law, the source says.

Finally, humanitarian considerations cannot negate the legitimate claims of victims of rape, torture and massive human rights violations committed by the leader of the polisario militia, the ministry underlines.

The ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad points out that the attitude of some government officials, prejudging the Moroccan reaction and minimizing the impact, however serious on the relationship, could not obscure this deplorable situation.

Preserving the bilateral partnership is a shared responsibility, which is nourished by a permanent commitment to showing mutual trust, maintaining fruitful cooperation and safeguarding the strategic interests of the two countries, the ministry concludes.
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Mother's Day will be celebrated on May 9 this year. Mothers are the most important persons in our lives and they put in their all to help us hone our skills and/or abilities and carve our personalities. Mother's Day is celebrated every year to appreciate the efforts a mother puts in for her child. People usually give gifts, flower bouquets, etc. to their mothers to make this day special.

Mother's Day 2021 date

This day is celebrated on different dates in various countries. Mother's Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of March in the memory of Mother Church on Christian Mothering Sunday in the UK. The day is observed on February 2 in Greece whereas many Arab countries celebrate it on March 21. Most other countries including India will, however, celebrate Mother's Day day on May 9.

Mother's Day history

Mother's Day was celebrated by the Greeks and the Romans in ancient times by worshipping Goddess Rhea and Cybelle.

Another popular belief is that Mother's Day was first celebrated in the US. A woman named Anna Jarvis wanted a special day dedicated to mothers since her mother expressed this desire.

Anna took the initiative after her mother's death and held a memorial for her mother in 1908, three days after her death at St Andrew's Methodist Church in West Virginia.

It is believed that while she herself did not attend the memorial, she sent a telegram to the attendees wherein she highlighted the importance of this day with 500 white carnations.

Mother's Day began to be observed officially after former American president Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914 declaring the second Sunday in May as a national holiday.

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Marketing companies of remdesivir, used in the treatment of Covid-19 patients, will supply 53 lakh vials of the antiviral drug to the states/UTs for the period between April 21 and May 16, the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers said in a statement on Saturday.

"The companies have been instructed to ensure timely supplies to all states/ UTs strictly as per the supply plan," it added.

In continuation to the allocation of remdesivir to states/UTs done on Friday, the company-wise supply plan of the drug for the period April 21 to May 16 has been issued to states/UTs. The plan has been prepared in consultation with the marketing companies, the ministry said.

To ensure smooth supply of remdesivir, the allocation of the drug to the states and Union territories has been made up to May 16, Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Sadananda Gowda said on Friday.

As per the supply plan, while Zydus Cadila is to supply a total of 982,100 vials of remdesivir for the April 21-May 16 period to the states/ UTs, Hetero will supply 1,717,050 vials for the duration, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said.

For the period, Mylan will supply 7,28,000 vials and Cipla is to supply 7,32,300 vials of the drug to the states/UTs, it added.

While Jubilant will supply 4,45,700 vials of remdesivir for the period, Syngene/Sun is to supply 3,73,000 vials and Dr Reddy's will supply 3,21,850 vials of the critical drug between April 21 to May 16, the statement said.

Demand for remdesivir has gone up manifold in the country amid a massive spike in Covid-19 infections.

The government has already waived customs duty on remdesivir, its raw materials and other components used to make the antiviral drug in order to help augment domestic availability and reduce the cost of the injection.

On April 11, in view of increased demand for remdesivir, the Centre banned the export of the injection and its active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) till the situation improves.

Also read: Chinese COVID-19 vaccine Sinopharm gets WHO approval for emergency use
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[May 07, 2021] Gov. Edwards Announces New Amazon Robotics Facility In Shreveport SHREVEPORT, La., May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards and Amazon announced the company's first robotics fulfillment center in Louisiana, with over 1,000 jobs and a $200 million capital investment coming to an LED Certified Site in north Shreveport. Located in the Hunter Industrial Park, the site is near Interstates 20, 49 and 220 and provides ideal access for Amazon's logistics operations. The Amazon robotics fulfillment center will include contemporary robotics technology, inventory and shipping operations in a multi-level building with a 650,000-square-foot foundation. The project will create over 1,000 full-time jobs with starting pay of $15 per hour and comprehensive benefits beginning on day one  full medical, vision and dental insurance; and 401(k) savings with a 50 percent company match. The development will generate 800 construction jobs, and Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 1,118 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 2,100 permanent new jobs in Northwest Louisiana. "This new Amazon project is a major advancement for the Shreveport-Bossier City metro area and for Louisiana's economy," Gov. Edwards said. "In addition to providing strong benefits, Amazon will pay workers double the minimum wage or more in a state-of-the-art technology environment. Only a year ago, we dedicated Hunter Industrial Park as one site in a growing inventory of LED Certified Sites that now numbers 126 statewide. Through partnerships with our elected officials, economic development allies and utility partners, we are proving that great things are possible in Louisiana when we make smart plans for the future." One of every five U.S. residents lives within a 500-mile radius of Shreveport, making the location enviable for distribution and logistics companies. Amazon will begin construction of its Shreveport fulfillment center immediately, with plans to open the site in September 2022 in time for its busiest e-commerce season. "Amazon may be a global business, but it's made up of small businesses and communities. From the local jobs we bring, to the local people we employ, train, and upskillour business is made up of people from communities like Shreveport," said William Hicks, Regional Director of Operations at Amazon. "We're thrilled to be able to expand our operations in Northwest Louisiana and we look forward to becoming part of the fabric of the local community." The Amazon Robotics fulfillment center in Shreveport is the largest of seven Amazon facilities operating, announced or under construction in Louisiana. The company's committed investment in the state to-date is more than $600 million and icludes seven Whole Foods Market locations. In Shreveport, Amazon employees will pick, pack and ship smaller customer orders, such as books, toys, electronics and other household items.

"The City of Shreveport is committed to developing a diverse business community," Mayor Adrian Perkins said. "We are excited to be the new home for a state-of-the-art distribution center. This will be a valuable asset to our community and will provide employment opportunities to hundreds of our residents. This project could change the life trajectory for many of our citizens who are still dealing with the financial fallout from the ongoing pandemic." "Great things are happening in Caddo Parish, and we are delighted to welcome Amazon into our parish and region," said Caddo Parish Commission President Lyndon B. Johnson. "The arrival of such a large and multidimensional distribution center to Caddo Parish will undoubtedly have a significant impact on our area's economy. The ability to utilize over 1,000 members of our community's diverse and talented workforce will enhance the quality of life for our residents, and is a result of the strong collaboration between our governing bodies and community partners to create a winning opportunity for Amazon and the parish." LED and its economic development partners began formal discussions with Amazon about a potential Shreveport fulfillment center in August 2020. To secure the project, the State of Louisiana offered the company a competitive incentive package that includes the comprehensive workforce solutions of LED FastStart, the nation's No. 1 workforce training and talent attraction program. To offset site infrastructure costs, Amazon will be eligible for a $5 million performance-based grant payable in two installments during 2022 and 2023. In addition, the Caddo Parish Industrial Development Board is negotiating a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, or PILOT, agreement with the company. "The Caddo Parish Industrial Development Board (IDB) is excited about this project and proud of the part we've played," said Caddo IDB President Kyle McInnis. "Alongside North Louisiana Economic Partnership, LED, Caddo Parish, and the City of Shreveport, we have worked diligently to ensure that the tax incentives involved are attractive to the company while also providing substantial economic benefits to Caddo Parish and its citizens. Our board is made up of a diverse set of volunteer community leaders, all pleased to see our work lead to this great success. The project confirms that Caddo Parish is an attractive place for large-scale industrial development, and we look forward to more projects like this." In 2020, Amazon ranked Louisiana No. 5 among all states for the fastest annual growth among its digital entrepreneur partners. More than 14,500 small and medium-sized businesses in the state participate in Amazon's fulfillment network and collectively recorded a 49 percent growth in recent year-over-year sales.

"We are thrilled to have Amazon become a new major employer in North Louisiana," said Chairman Chap Breard of the North Louisiana Economic Partnership. "Their decision to locate in Shreveport confirms that North Louisiana's competitive strategic location, strong stakeholder partnerships and project-ready industrial sites, like the Hunter Industrial Park that was certified in 2020, are critical for success in economic development." In addition to the entities noted above, NLEP gives special recognition to community stakeholders including Walker-Alley & Associates, the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission, Caddo Levee District, Engineering and Public Works Departments of the City of Shreveport, State Fire Marshall, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, and AEP SWEPCO for their responsiveness and collaboration in bringing this major project to fruition. The hiring of most employees for Amazon's Shreveport fulfillment center will begin in the summer of 2022, approximately three months prior to the launch of the facility. To keep up-to-date with career opportunities at Amazon in Shreveport, visit Opportunities.LEDFastStart.com/global/en/Amazon. About North Louisiana Economic Partnership

North Louisiana Economic Partnership, an Accredited Economic Development Organization, provides professional economic development services to a 14-parish region of North Louisiana, including lead generation and prospect management. The organization also represents the interests of North Louisiana with a unified voice and as a single point of contact. It acts as a catalyst, a convener, and a connector in the region to ensure that North Louisiana's economic development potential is realized. Its vision is for North Louisiana to be a thriving region-a destination for high quality talent, innovative companies, and global investment. Media Contact: Angie White, Executive Vice President

(W) 318.677.2559

(E-mail) awhite@nlep.org View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gov-edwards-announces-new-amazon-robotics-facility-in-shreveport-301286880.html SOURCE North Louisiana Economic Partnership

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H.E. President Xi Jinping and H.E. President Julius Maada Bio Speak on the Phone

2021/05/08

On May 7, 2021, H.E. Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with H.E. Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Sierra Leone, President Xi pointed out that over the half century, no matter how the international situation changes, the two countries have always supported each other on issues related to their respective core interests and major concerns, and have always stood firmly together at critical moments in the face of such major infectious diseases as Ebola and COVID-19.

The two sides, he added, have always maintained a high level of political mutual trust and are good brothers and good friends.

Chinese medical teams, expert teams, anti-epidemic supplies and vaccines have played a positive role in Sierra Leone's epidemic prevention and control, he said.

Stressing that this year is important to the two countries, their parties and their relations, President Xi suggested that the two sides join hands to hold 50th-anniversary celebrations, carry forward their traditional friendship, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and promote common development.

China will continue to provide as much support and assistance as its capacity allows for Sierra Leone's national economic development, he said, adding that as the world is undergoing transformations rarely seen in a century, the two sides should strengthen unity and cooperation, firmly support each other, and jointly safeguard international equity and justice as well as the common interests of developing countries.

The Chinese side, he said, is willing to work with Sierra Leone to strengthen coordination within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC.

For his part, President Bio expressed warm congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Sierra Leone and China.

President Bio said that China, in the spirit of putting people first, has made remarkable achievements in getting rid of poverty and fighting the COVID-19 epidemic, which has not only made itself stronger, but also made important contributions to world peace, security and economic growth.

He thanked China for its concrete and practical assistance for Sierra Leone's economic and social development and the African country's fight against the pandemic, saying that China is a true and trustworthy good friend of Sierra Leone and the African people.

Sierra Leone firmly upholds the one-China policy and firmly supports China in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, President Bio said.

Sierra Leone stands ready to work with China to deepen their friendship, strengthen cooperation in such areas as education, health and food security, and advance cooperation within the framework of the FOCAC, he added. Enditem

(Source: Xinhua News)
Imtac, a leader in IT and Industry 4.0 solutions in Oman, has signed a major contract with Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), a world leader in connected lighting, to provide its smart street lighting solution to the Muscat Municipality.

As per the deal, the two companies will implement more than 13,000 smart LED lights in the city of Muscat that are controlled by 370 smart remote controls.

Once implemented, the two companies would have installation base of more than 20,000 smart streetlamps in the city that are all controlled remotely thus saving significant amount of energy for the municipality and lower the carbon footprint in the city.

Established in 1984 in Oman, Imtac operates in multiple geographies through direct operations, subsidiaries and JVs. It is a leading provider of technology solutions in the fields of IT, smart cities (public lighting, water distribution and management, surveillance etc.), telecommunications and healthcare.

The contract was signed in the presence of top management of both the companies.

Goktug Gur, President and CEO of Signify for METAP region, said: "As a global leader in connected lighting, we are proud to provide our latest IoT technology of Interact City in Muscat Municipality using more than 20,000 connected street lighting luminaires throughout the project providing up to 85% energy saving, reducing maintenance costs while leveraging the value of smart street lighting systems for additional benefits."

Imtac Vice Chairman Fareed Al Hinai said: "We are very excited about implementation of energy saving street lighting solution for Muscat Municipality and to help create a sustainable infrastructure in Oman."

"Our relationship with Signify is critical to our Smart City roadmap and it addresses Omans 2040 vision," he added.

Imtac CEO Mukesh Arora, said: "Our partnership with Signify has helped us combine our widely used Industry 4.0 solutions with the global best practices in lighting from Signify. Its smart city brand empyreal is a leader in Industry 4.0 solution in the areas of Municipal Operations, Building Management, Urban & Social Infrastructure, Healthcare, Water & Wastewater management, and Manufacturing Industries."

Smart streetlighting systems with their dimming-based energy saving capabilities are finding widespread deployment across the world. Over the past few years, millions of smart streetlights with associated control systems have been added by city municipalities across the globe, noted Arora.

LED lamps have served as a default replacement of conventional lights which were consuming multiple times more energy than their LED replacement, he added.

According to him, municipal bodies have the responsibility of providing appropriate lighting levels in the city and at the same time, keep the energy costs to their minimum.

Most cities such as Muscat have strategic plans that specify how lighting is to be provided and their intensity to be controlled online for different areas of the city. By doing this there is direct saving in the energy cost, he added.

Zeyad Al Zadjali, Director of Lighting & Traffic-light at Muscat Municipality, said, Energy saving and city beautification through streetlights has been a very high priority for Muscat Municipality. We have deployed world class technology to implement LED based streetlights that are remotely controlled using state of the art LED luminaires and computing hardware and software.

The latest lighting and control technology from Imtac and Signify helps city planners in creating and executing dynamic operation schedule and dimming levels for the city sections, he added.
Moro Hub (Data Hub Integrated Solutions), a subsidiary of Digital Dewa, the digital arm of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), has signed an agreement with Huawei to build the largest solar-powered Uptime Tier III-certified data centre in the Middle East and Africa at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

The new sustainable, carbon-neutral green data centre uses 100% renewable energy and has a capacity exceeding 100 megawatts (MW) and is the second solar-powered green data centre in Dubai launched by Moro Hub.

The deal was signed by Marwan Bin Haidar, Vice Chairman and Group CEO Digital Dewa and Jerry Liu, CEO of Huawei UAE, in the presence of Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dewa, and Charles Yang, President of Huawei Middle East.

"The carbon-neutral centre supports Dubai's efforts to exceed the goals of Dubai's Carbon Abatement Strategy in reducing carbon emissions by 16% by 2021. Dubai has surpassed this target, reducing emissions by 22% in 2019," he noted.

"The new centre positions Moro Hub which also includes InfraX and DigitalX, as a leading contributor to the UAE's circular economy, while significantly aids Dewas progress towards sustainable development," said Al Tayer.

The centre will offer digital products and services using Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, such as cloud services, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Since the new green Data Centre is the largest in the Middle East and Africa, it will enable global hyper-scalers to access carbon-free computing. Moro Hubs green data centre will help customers in their sustainability initiatives to reduce their carbon emissions and become carbon neutral, added Al Tayer.

On the partnership, Yang said: "Huawei is pleased to associate with Moro Hub as the key technology provider for the largest green data centre in the region. This is an important association, and it allows us to strengthen our partnership with Moro Hub and take part in fortifying the UAE's sustainable development goals."

"There's been significant growth in the renewable sector, and we are optimistic that this agreement will reinforce our endeavours to implement and strengthen the adoption of carbon-neutral digital technologies," he added.

Mustapha Louni, Senior Vice-President, Middle East, Africa and Greater India, Uptime Institute, said: "We laud the relentless efforts of the UAE government to accelerate the adoption of the next-generation infrastructure for its citizens and businesses."

"Construction of the most sustainable Uptime Institute Tier III-certified data centre in the region will provide green leadership to the IT industry at large, and we are confident that this new facility will support the country's sustainable economic growth for years to come," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
APM Terminals Bahrain, the operator of the Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP), said it has been honoured with the AME Region - Terminal of the Year 2020 at the APM Terminals Africa and Middle East Region awards.

The recognition is a huge testament to APM Terminals Bahrains relentless efforts in evolving KBSP, the kingdoms only commercial port as a major regional trade and transportation hub, through its world-class infrastructure, services and highly skilled talent.

It is a joint venture between APM Terminals International BV - a unit of Denmark-based container shipping company AP Moller-Maersk - and YBA Kanoo Holdings of Bahrain.

It is only APM Terminals-operated port to have earned this award in the GCC region, said the company in a statement.

This demonstrates the successful partnership between APM Terminals Bahrain and the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications working together to contribute towards Bahrain's economic development and the people's future, it added.

Lauding the achievement, Kamal bin Ahmed Mohamed, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications in Bahrain, said: "We are very proud that our countrys main commercial port located in Hidd has received this global recognition."

"We have worked hand in hand with APM Terminals to implement the highest safety and security standards while maintaining the levels of business efficiency that our stakeholders have come to expect from the kingdom," he stated.

On the top honours, CEO/Managing Director Maureen Bannerman said: "We are proud that APM Terminals Bahrain has been awarded the AME Regional Terminal of the Year for 2020."

"With Covid-19 disrupting the global economy and supply chains last year, our role as facilitators of the maritime trade was even more critical to support the Bahrain government and our customers with uninterrupted operations of bringing 90% of consumer goods through the port," she stated.

"This was possible with the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications' continued support and the dedication shown by our employees and partners. With renewed efforts, we will continue supporting the nation and our customers by connecting Bahrain seamlessly to the world" he added.

The AME Region Awards aims to acknowledge APMT teams and individuals' accomplishments across the region, focusing on health, safety, security and environment (HSSE), ways of working, customer focus and financial performance of AME Terminals in 2020.-TradeArabia News Service
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has appointed Liz Ortiguera as its next Chief Executive Officer effective May 17, succeeding Dr. Mario Hardy who will finish his term at the end of May.

The announcement was made at the Associations Board Meeting held earlier today.

PATA Chair Soon-Hwa Wong said: We are delighted to welcome Liz to the PATA family, especially as she will be the first Asian American female CEO in PATAs 70 year history. Her extensive leadership experience across different industries in the Asia Pacific region is what PATA needs to lead the Association to new heights. The Executive Board looks forward to working closely with her as we rebuild a more resilient, responsible, sustainable and stronger travel and tourism industry."

Commenting on her new appointment, Ortiguera said: I am honoured to be selected as the next PATA CEO. I am confident that PATA, with its diverse member base of industry leaders, will continue to help catalyse our industry's recovery and growth. From crisis comes innovation and from community comes strength. PATA is even more critical as a business community today to support new partnerships, innovation, and the adoption of sustainable business practices.

Liz Ortiguera is a senior executive with over 25 years of global experience and expertise in general management, marketing, business development, and partner network management. Ortiguera is passionate about innovation, business transformation, and community building. Her career spans several industries - travel/lifestyle, technology, financial services, and pharmaceuticals. She has experience in working at both multinational corporations including American Express and Merck and start-up environments in software as a service (SaaS), e-commerce, and ed-tech. For 10 years she was the General Manager for Amex's Travel Partner Network in Asia-Pacific, managing partnerships with top travel management companies, MICE, and leisure agencies in the region. She is able to adeptly work across cultures and business environments to catalyse opportunities and drive growth. - TradeArabia News Service
North African low-cost carrier flyEgypt has announced the launch of its commercial passenger operations from the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah to Cairo International Airport in Egypt.

The airline is operating three fights a week - Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays - from the RAK Airport.

The new schedule, which enhances Ras Al Khaimahs connections with Menas most populous country, marks an acceleration in the airports current expansion strategy that is seeing it as the fastest-growing aviation hub in the UAE.

Commencing the launch from its hub Cairo on May 6, flyEgypt landed its debut flight FEG501 at the RAK Airport.

In addition to this, the budget carrier is also starting twice-a-week direct flights from the Egyptian city of Suhag to Ras Al Khaimah, thus opening up the emirate to Egypts 100 million people.

The new partnership comes at an important time, with travel restrictions being progressively lifted in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, said a top official.

"Egypt is a strong brotherly nation for the UAE, and this is reflected in the growing, economic and cultural ties between us. Increasing connectivity between Ras Al Khaimah and Egypt at this critical time will facilitate these and other mutual activities," remarked Sheikh Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation and RAK Airport.

From a localised viewpoint, this service will support Ras Al Khaimahs diversification strategy and further enhance RAK Airports strategic position as a logistics and transport hub for the region, he added.

"The tourism sectors in both countries will benefit significantly from the new flyEgypt service. It provides a direct connection for Ras Al Khaimah residents to take in the wonders of the pyramids and ancient Egypt, while travellers coming the other way can experience the many delights of Ras Al Khaimah and its unique outdoor environment that is establishing it as an adventure tourism hub," remarked Sheikh Salem.

"This is particularly significant for the emirates economy, with the widening of the emirates tourism sector and the attraction of greater numbers of visitors a major strand in its economic diversification strategy," he added.

RAK Airport CEO Sanjay Khanna, expressing delight at the launch of a strategic partnership with flyEgypt, said: "This is one that reconnects Ras Al Khaimah with North Africa in the post-pandemic phase and, in the process, creates a vital link to fuel growth and development between two important Arab entities."

"RAK Airport is determined to play an instrumental role in repositioning the aviation sector as a major driver for economic activities in the new normal and this new partnership is just one of many that the airport is establishing in pursuit of this goal," he noted.

He said the emirate was committed to opening up even more routes, with further partnership announcements to be made over the next two months.

"This new service provides an attractive alternative for Egyptian citizens wishing to visit the UAEs established tourist hot spots as travel restrictions ease. It also helps cement the northern emirate as a prime destination in its own right," noted Khanna.

"The partnership will go a long way in helping the emirates authorities with their aim of bringing in more visitors and opening up its array of attractions to a wider segment of travellers," he added.

Karim Baky, Chief Commercial Officer of flyEgypt, said: "It is with great pleasure and very high hopes we announce Ras Al Khaimah as the latest valuable addition to our existing list of destinations - an addition that will help strengthen our equity as a brand and solidify our presence within the Middle East region."

"We strongly believe that Ras Al Khaimah will eventually become the perfect gateway to the UAE for all our passengers," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
by Kamel Abderrahmani

In an interview with "Al-Arabiya", the Saudi Crown Prince suggests concentrating the constitution and laws on the Koran, eliminating many hadiths (sayings of the Prophet). He speaks of the need for a current interpretation of the Koran. A real change in ideological direction that goes beyond the Wahhabism propagated by Riyadh to date. No more stoning, scourging, killing apostates and homosexuals. Many Muslim intellectuals were persecuted and killed because they proposed the same vision as Mbs.

Paris (AsiaNews) - On April 27 Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman (Mbs), gave a long television interview to the Saudi channel "Al-Arabiya"[i], dedicated to his economic and social program for a new country in the framework of the 2030 vision, first unveiled in 2015.

In the interview he spoke of moderation in the application of Islamic laws, challenging Wahhabism, an ideology developed by Mohammed ben Abdelwahhab, an 18th century Saudi preacher, who reigned for a long time in the country and elsewhere, after promoting it for many decades in the Muslim world.

It would seem that MBS has come out in favor of the reform of Islam, when he stated: All Muslim jurists and scholars have been talking about the concept of moderation for over a thousand years. So, I do not think I am in a position to clarify this concept, as much as I can ... abide by the Saudi constitution, which is the Quran, the Sunnah, and our basic governance system and to implement it fully in a broad sense that is inclusive of everybody."

Until a few years ago, such a speech would have been unimaginable and [even that evening] it was hard to believe it, if broadcast live on the television channel.

MBS also declared that "the Constitution of Saudi Arabia is the Koran" and that his country is "obliged to implement the Koran in one form or another"; that is: all citizens will be respected as such and in their differences. To be more explicit, he stressed that only what is only said unequivocally in the Koran should be applied: In social and personal affairs, we are obliged to implement only the stipulations clearly enunciated in the Quran. Thus, I cannot apply a sharia punishment without a clear or explicit Koranic stipulation of the Sunna.

If this is to take place, says MBS, then Islam needs reform and sources of religious legislation need review. In saying as much, MBS has placed himself alongside Muslim intellectuals such as Mohamed Arkoun, Mohamed Shahrour, Faraj Fouda and others. It must be said that many of these intellectuals have been persecuted, imprisoned, interdicted, or killed because they had defended a contemporary view of Islam, or tried to cure Islam of its illness: Wahhabism, or political Islam.

MBS says the reform is clear: "The government, where Sharia is concerned, has to implement Quran regulations and teachings in mutawater (well-known) hadiths[ii], and to look into the veracity and reliability of ahad hadiths[iii], and to disregard khabar hadiths[iv] entirely, unless if a clear benefit is derived from it for humanity. So, there should be no punishment related to a religious matter except when there is a clear Quranic stipulation, and this penalty will be implemented based on the way that the Prophet applied it.

In this case, according to this criterion, only 10% of the valid hadiths remain, which are those converging with the Koran. In addition, some Islamic laws would disappear, such as stoning, scourging, amputating the hands of thieves, as well as Islamic criminal law laws, such as the death of the apostate and homosexuals.

The announcement of the crown prince establishes a distance, a fundamental break with Wahhabism and constitutes a real change of ideological direction, in the sense that it favors recourse to the direct interpretation of the Koran and the hadith, without worrying about the different schools of thought and the ulama who forged Wahhabi Islamic thought.

The crown prince also added that "to implement a penalty on the pretext that it is a Sharia penalty while there is no stipulation for such a penalty in the Quran or in the mutawater hadith, then this is also a falsification of the Sharia [...] When we commit ourselves to follow a certain school or scholar, this means we are deifying human beings. God Almighty did not put a barrier between Himself and people. He revealed the Quran and the Prophet PBUH implemented it and the space for interpretation is open permanently."

Mbs continues: If Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdulwahhab were with us today and he found us committed blindly to his texts and closing our minds to interpretation and jurisprudence while deifying and sanctifying him he would be the first to object to this. There are no fixed schools of thought and there is no infallible person. We should engage in continuous interpretation of Quranic texts and the same goes for the sunnah of the Prophet PBUH, and all fatwas should be based on the time, place, and mindset in which they are issued. For example, 100 years ago, when a scholar would issue a certain fatwah not knowing that the Earth was round and not knowing about continents or technology, etc. that fatwah would have been based on the then-available inputs and information and their understanding of the Quran and Sunnah, but these things change over time and are different right now.

This is like saying that Saudi Arabia is opting for Koranism, a current of thought that rejects the authority of the hadiths and that supports the re-actualization of interpretations as a function of time, knowledge and cultures. Koranism supports that each country can have its own Islam, which is encultuated by the culture that welcomes it.

But for the moment, despite these revelations, Bin Salman appears to be proceeding with caution. His considerations denote his having read the books of Mohamed Shahrour, Ahmed Abdo Maher and other thinkers who perhaps influenced and incited him to break away from the excessive religion of his ancestors and ancient generations. MBS understood that Islam, as it is understood and known today, constitutes a brake on development and modernity.

In any case, it is curious to note that on the part of the leaders of Wahhabism there has been no reaction, if not some expression of support published in recent days[v].

Yet, in the near past, such claims would have been considered blasphemous. Will they have been afraid to hear the prince say: "Anyone who adopts an extremist way, even without being a terrorist, is a criminal and will be severely punished by the law"?

Without political will and political strength, the reform of Islam cannot take place: I had already written this in one of my articles on AsiaNews, in 2017. In any case, the question today is: what are other countries waiting for to reach the same decision? Do they want to keep the dull ideas that barley help them stay afloat? If other Muslim countries do not have the courage to follow the Saudi model currently in vogue, they will find themselves with a modern day inquisition, such as Algeria which condemns free thinkers to prison. It is enough to recall here that some human rights activists, such as Said Djabelkhir (Islamologist) and Dr. Amira Bouraouinb who were even sentenced.

[i] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eriiLN1XIa0

[ii] The hadiths are linked to a large number of transmitters, so it is impossible for them to have agreed on the falsehood, at each link in the chain of transmission, from start to finish.

[iii]It is said of a hadith that it is transmitted by an important number of people, but their number does not reach that of the well-known hadith.

[iv] It is different. Hadith is what comes from the Prophet, but information [al-khabar] is what comes from another.

[v] [5] https://arabic-cnn-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/arabic.cnn.com/amphtml/middle-east/article/2021/04/29/saudi-mbs-council-senior -scholars? amp_js_v = a6 & amp_gsa = 1 & usqp = mq331AQHKAFQArABIA% 3D% 3D # aoh = 16203252485819 & referrer = https% 3A% 2F% 2Fwww.google.com & amp_tf = Source% C2% A0% 3A% 20% 251% 24s % 2Farabic.cnn.com% 2Fmiddle-east% 2Farticle% 2F2021% 2F04% 2F29% 2Fsaudi-mbs-council-senior-scholars
At least 163 Palestinians and six Israeli policemen were injured yesterday, when Al Qods Day, famous in Iran, was celebrated. The Red Crescent had to set up a field hospital to treat the mass of wounded. Hamas proposes the occupation of the Al Aqsa compound until the end of Ramadan. UN: Enough with the forced expulsion of Palestinians, a possible "war crime".

Jerusalem (AsiaNews / Agencies) - At least 163 Palestinians and six Israeli policemen were injured yesterday in clashes at the Damascus Gate, in Shaikh Jarrah (a neighborhood in East Jerusalem), but above all on the Temple Mount also known as Al Aqsa.

Thousands of Muslim Palestinians had participated in Friday evening prayers during the month of Ramadan, in the place sacred to Islam. Immediately afterwards there were clashes with heavily deployed police, with stone throwing on one side and gunshots on the other. The Red Crescent had to set up a field hospital to treat the mass of wounded.

Tension has been high for some time, due to a conflict between Palestinian families of Shaikh Jarrah, who risk expulsion by Israeli settlers. Two days earlier, a young Palestinian had been killed in Beita, south of Nablus.

Israeli police said they were forced to use force to "restore order" in the face of "riots of thousands of faithful" who "threw stones, bottles and other objects".

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas holds "Israel responsible for the dangerous developments in the Old City" and called the Palestinians gathered on the compound "heroic people".

Hamas has proposed to occupy Al Aqsa from tonight until Thursday morning, May 13, the end of Ramadan. "The Israeli occupier - says the militant group - must understand that the resistance is ready to defend Al Aqsa at any cost".

Yesterday, in the region, the Day of Al Qods (Arabic name for Jerusalem) was celebrated, celebrated in several countries, but especially in Iran. In Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, pushed to fight against Israel and to "overthrow the Zionist regime".

In Jordan there have been demonstrations of solidarity with Palestinian families who risk expropriation, with the slogan "We are ready to die for Shaikh Jarrah".

The US State Department said Washington is "deeply concerned about the acute tensions" and "deeply concerned about the potential expulsions of Palestinian families."

The UN has called on Israel to put an end to any forced expulsion of Palestinians, and warned that these acts could be considered "war crimes".
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Tomorrow Russia remembers the conquest of Berlin, which ended the Second World War. Kirill: The saints "mystically opposed the invader". A law has been presented to the Duma which prohibits denying the "decisive role" of the USSR in the victory over Nazi Germany, with penalities of fines up to 5 million rubles and 5 years of forced labor. Historian Oleg Budnitskij: "In this way scientific controversies will be equated with criminal offenses". A pagan cult of victory.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Tomorrow May 9, Russia remembers the conquest of Berlin, which ended the Second World War. On the eve of the celebrations, the patriarch of Moscow Kirill (Gundjaev) wished to observe that the war with the Nazis "was marked by two prophetic dates: June 22, when the Germans invaded Russia in 1941, was the Sunday of the feast of 'All the saints who illuminated the Russian land', who mystically opposed the invader. And while many celebrate the end of the war on May 8, Victory Day for us is May 9, the memory of St. George martyr, protector of the Russian armies ... Even our Marshal Zukov, who entered Berlin at the head of the Soviet army, his name was Georg.

The patriarch concluded his speech by observing that "behind us lies a great history, great wonders and amazing coincidences, and only a blind man could not see in all this a real system in which the spiritual principle, undoubtedly, has manifested itself in our history ".

To avoid this "blindness", or perhaps a political one, on May 6 a group of deputies from United Russia together with Senator Alexei Puskov presented a bill to the Duma that prohibits denying the "decisive role" of the USSR in the victory over Nazi Germany.

An pre-existing law already enshrines the perennial recognition of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of the years 1941-1945. Now a new article will be inserted in it, which prohibits "publicly comparing the aims, decisions and actions of the leadership of the USSR and its armed forces, with the aims, decisions and actions of Nazi Germany and the countries of Axis".

It is also "forbidden to deny the decisive role of the Soviet people in the defeat of Nazi Germany, and the humanitarian mission of the Soviet Union in the liberation of the countries of Europe". Such comparisons and denials would be continually re-proposed by various publications at home and abroad, and the initiators of the proposal explain that "our principled position is to contrast a legislative armor [zaslon - military term] to the obvious offenses against the our grandparents and great-grandparents, to petty speculations about our Victory, and not to allow us to accumulate political capital at the expense of our ancestors, keeping in this a space for historical research, for scientific discussions, including discussions on certain actions and behaviors of individual people".

The ban will extend to offenses against war veterans (a measure already imposed on Alexei Navalnyj) and to the denial of the outcomes of the Nuremberg trial, and will be applied to public interventions, works dedicated to the subject, the media and every internet platform. Those who do not respect it will face heavy penalties, a fine of up to 5 million rubles and even a sentence of up to 5 years to forced labor.

The interventions of the deputies in favor of increasingly rigorous measures to defend "Soviet glory" have been repeated for a couple of years now, with the explicit support of President Vladimir Putin, who has always recommended working "with accuracy" on these arguments. Moreover, Putin has repeatedly reaffirmed in his speeches that it is not permissible to deform historical memory on the war years and on the role of the USSR, the true ideological bastion of his own political action. He tends to show the continuity of today's Russia with the Soviet one, and with all other versions of the past. In an inflamed speech Putin condemned, as "colossal idiocy", the association of Stalin with Hitler in the course of the world war.

As an example of an "offensive historical judgment", deputy Elena Yampolskaya, one of the initiators of the law, cited a sentence from a recent book, without citing the author, according to which "Poles have suffered several misfortunes: violence and killings, first at the hands of the Nazis, and then at those of Soviet soldiers.

The phrase belongs to the irreverent book by American blogger Mark Manson, entitled The subtle art of doing whatever you want, published in 2016 read worldwide, including Russia, as a "self-satisfaction manual. ". It does not seem in reality a historical work worthy of criticism and revision, and the deputies did not bring academic examples, either for or against, on the "sacred" period they intend to defend.

One of the most eminent Russian historians, Oleg Budnitskij, commented on the proposed measures saying that in this way scientific controversies will be equated with criminal offenses; beyond the obvious condemnation of the Nazi crimes, historians disagree on many topics regarding the war period and its protagonists ".

Another historian, Tamara Eidelman, reiterated: "I have always said that the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact was a criminal shame of Soviet diplomacy, and I will continue to repeat as much". Other authoritative commentators see in the fixation of Putin and his deputies the expression of a "pagan cult of Victory", a fundamental concept of Putin's ideology.
God instill "a spirit of justice that mobilises us to ensure universal access to vaccines and the temporary suspension of intellectual property rights; a spirit of communion that allows us to generate a different, more inclusive, just and sustainable economic model.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Ensure universal access to vaccines and the temporary suspension of intellectual property rights."

Pope Francis addressed the issues of vaccine patents today and - moreover reiterating a position already expressed  took a stand in favor of the vaccine for all.

Francis comments in support of the words expressed by President Biden is contained in a video message sent today to the participants of "Vax Live: The Concert To Reunite The World", a benefit concert organized by Global Citizen to support fair global vaccine distribution.

The message, in Spanish, opens with a humorous tone: "You receive warm greetings from this elderly man, who does not dance or sing like you, but who believes with you that injustice and evil are not invincible. The coronavirus has caused death and suffering, affecting the lives of all, especially the most vulnerable. Please do not forget the most vulnerable. Do not forget those at the limit. Moreover, the pandemic has contributed to worsening existing social and environmental crises, as you, young people, are always reminding us. And you are right to remember this.

In the face of so much darkness and uncertainty, we need light and hope. We need paths of healing and salvation. And I mean healing at the root, healing the cause of the evil and not just the symptoms. In these sick roots we find the virus of individualism, which does not make us freer or more equal or more brotherly or sisterly, but rather makes us indifferent to the suffering of others. And a variant of this virus is closed nationalism, which prevents, for example, an internationalism of vaccines. Another variant is when we put the laws of the market or intellectual property above the laws of love and the health of humanity. Another variant is when we create and promote a sick economy, which allows a few very rich people, a few very rich people, to own more than all the rest of humanity, and production and consumption patterns to destroy the planet, our "Common Home".

These things are interconnected. Every social injustice, every marginalisation of some into poverty or misery also affects the environment. Nature and people are linked. God the Creator instils in our hearts a new and generous spirit to abandon our individualism and promote the common good: a spirit of justice that mobilises us to ensure universal access to vaccines and the temporary suspension of intellectual property rights; a spirit of communion that allows us to generate a different, more inclusive, just and sustainable economic model.

Clearly we are experiencing a crisis. The pandemic has placed us all in crisis, but do not forget that we do not come out of a crisis the same as before: either we come out better or we come out worse. The problem lies in having the inventiveness to look for better ways.

May God, physician and saviour of all, comfort the suffering, and receive into His kingdom those who have already departed. And I also ask God, for us, pilgrims on earth, to grant us the gift of a new fraternity, a universal solidarity, that we may recognise the good and the beauty He has sown in each one of us, to strengthen the bonds of unity, of common projects, of shared hopes.".
And so an already stressed system has been forced to confront an existential quandary: Do countries opt for continuing international lockdowns, or do they increase the risk of disease and court much-needed tourism revenue? New Zealand, which, through a combination of stringent lockdowns, border closures and strict quarantines, has all but eliminated the coronavirus from its shores, has staked its claim at one end of the spectrum. Greece appears to be claiming the other.
The fact that people are not in person testifying at the council, and theyre not showing up in groups with their shirts and all of the advocacy that groups do before the council, I think has had an impact, Pittman said at a Tuesday news conference. I also believe that when people are face to face, among council members, that their humanity comes out, and that people might come to different conclusions.
Doug White, who lives near Chadwick Elementary School, recalls that when he was in high school, he was aware of Everton Garfield Brown, because of the oversized signs Brown displayed on his vehicle. White was relieved that his son, who visits a friend who lives near Brown, was not in the Parkview Crossing neighborhood on Saturday when Brown fatally shot three people and injured another after setting his house on fire. He was killed by the police. (Amy Davis/Baltimore Sun)
According to Salary.com, the average police officers salary in Baltimore City is a pathetic $59,800. Imagine  every day, 12 months of the year, they put on a uniform and many walk out into a battery of hostility. Theyre taunted, spit on, attacked, and some of them die, yet most continue to exhibit restraint well beyond most of us and do their jobs. And now we question their qualified immunity? These men and women deserve so much better.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met in the Kremlin with the head of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon. During the meeting, the leaders of the two countries discussed the development of bilateral relations.

Putin stressed that despite the coronavirus, Russia remains Tajikistan's main trade and economic partner. "I am very pleased to note that Russia remains the main trade and economic partner of Tajikistan. True, trade fell slightly due to the pandemic, but I am sure that there is every reason to believe that it will be restored and will develop further. We have good projects." the President of Russia said.

The head of state also noted that the issue of labour migrants is very important. According to him, the authorities are doing everything to make labour migrants who come to Russia feel comfortable.

"Of course, an important issue, you always raise it, the issue of labour migrants. I know that this is a sensitive issue for Tajikistan. We do everything to make people feel comfortable, especially since we currently do not have enough working force in entire sectors of the economy, Putin said.

The Russian president also pointed out that Tajik citizens are sending "a fairly large amount" of money from Russia to support their families. "I think this is an absolutely positive process," he added.
Stunned students watched in horror as a Spanish teacher at a high-performing New York City school reportedly sucked the nipples of a topless man during a Zoom lesson.

Amanda K. Fletcher, 37, allegedly performed the 'inappropriate sexual act' in front of students at the Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science, and Engineering during a class on September 30 last year.

The New York Post reported that Fletcher 'appeared to suck the nipple of an unidentified topless male' while 'gyrating' or 'rocking back and forth'.

Students had earlier seen her the man standing behind Fletcher as she ate spaghetti during the live Zoom class, the Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools found.

Amanda K. Fletcher, 37, allegedly performed the 'inappropriate sexual act' in front of students at the Columbia Secondary School (pictured) for Math, Science, and Engineering during a class on September 30 last year

They later shared videos of the incident on Snapchat and other social media sites, investigators discovered.

Despite offering no explanation for the incident, Fletcher remains on the payroll at the prestigious school in Morningside Heights, where she made $105,588 last year.

'This behavior is absolutely unacceptable,' the city's Department of Education spokeswoman Danielle Filson told the NY Post.

About 12 minutes before the class finished, Fletcher began getting amorous with her shirtless companion.

After fixing her lips onto his naked torso, and rocking back and forth several times, she resumed teaching and 'discussing a worksheet', one student told the investigators.

It's unclear how she ended up on camera in a compromising position, but it appears she may not have realized her camera was still on at the time.

The X-rated Zoom class last September took place just two weeks after New York city resumed its 2020-21 school year.

After completing its investigation last October, the Department of Education 'reassigned' Fletcher.

Filson told the NY Post it will pursue disciplinary action against her.

According to her Linkedin profile, Fletcher studied at DePaux University, a private college in Indiana, and has been teaching with the New York City Department of Education for 13 years.

The secondary school ranks 203rd nationally among secondary schools, and 24th in New York.

The Zoom gaffe is the latest in a series of embarrassing incidents where teachers have been caught behaving inappropriately during remote lessons.

The Zoom gaffe is the latest in a series of embarrassing incidents where teachers have been caught behaving inappropriately during Zoom lessons. In another case, physics teacher Ruben Dario Parras (right) is seen apparently kissing his wife's breast (left) after forgetting to turn off the camera on a Zoom call with students

Last month, a California teacher who dared parents to 'come at me' if they had a problem with the way she was running her virtual lessons, has been suspended.

Alissa Piro, a 39-year-old teacher at San Marcos High School, was captured ranting at students in a video that was later posted to a private Facebook group, and shared on Twitter by an activist group calling for the full reopening of California schools.

Piro was complaining about a plan to go back to in-person learning that has been driven by parents' suing school boards across the state. She suggested the parents didn't know what they were talking about.

Alissa Piro was suspended from her position as a teacher at San Marcos High School near San Diego after she was captured ranting at students in a video

A few weeks later, a Catholic school teacher in Colombia was left red-faced after forgetting to turn off a Zoom call with his class of teenage students before snuggling up to his wife's breasts.

Ruben Dario Parras didn't realize he was being filmed as he lifted up his wife's blouse.

The physics tutor then appeared to kiss her left breast as the moment was broadcast to everyone on the call.

And last week, an Alaskan teacher was placed on leave after telling students that George Floyd would still be alive if he had complied with police and not to dress as 'thugs' if they do not want to be targeted by cops.

In a 15-minute video a parent posted to YouTube, a teacher who is referred to as 'Ms. Gardner' can be seen talking to her students about police killing black people, and telling them that if they complied with police, they would be less likely to get shot.

'If George Floyd had at the beginning when they got him out of the car and went to put him in the police car, if he had just sidled into the car and slid in there and let them put his legs in, he would be alive today,' the teacher at Lathrop High School in Fairbanks said.
BEIRUT (AP)  The leader of Lebanons militant Hezbollah group on Friday indicated his support for a dialogue between Iran one one side and the U.S. and Saudi Arabia on the other.

Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech that such talks could benefit Tehran and its allies and calm tensions in the region. Iran is a top backer of Hezbollah.

The U.S. and Iran recently resumed indirect talks about getting Tehran and Washington to return to the nuclear deal. Meanwhile, Iraq is hosting talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as Riyadh seeks to end its years-long war in Yemen where the kingdom is fighting Iran-backed rebels.

We support any Iranian dialogue with international, regional or Arab powers," Nasrallah said in the hour-long speech. We consider it as helpful to calming tension in the region."

Nasrallah's comments were his first since news emerged of Baghdad-mediated talks last month between Tehran and Riyadh.

There has been growing unease among Gulf Arab partners over Americas re-engagement with Iran. Through intermediaries in Vienna, Tehran and Washington have discussed a return to Iran's nuclear deal with world powers. Former President Donald Trump in 2018 pulled America out of the deal, saying it does not do enough to prevent Tehran from pursuing a nuclear weapon. Iran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.

Washington's Gulf Arab allies have been pressing that a return to the nuclear deal should address Iran's support for regional proxies, including Hezbollah.

Iran has never sold out its allies and friends," Nasrallah said. It never gave them up, never comprised their interests or even negotiated on their behalf.

He also said he cannot confirm nor deny reports of secret talks between Saudi Arabia and Syria. Riyadh has boycotted the government in Damascus since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

Such talks, however, would be logical," Nasrallah said, as Syrian President Bashar Assad, a key ally of Tehran, has solidified his hold on power. Riyadh, along with other regional powers such as Turkey, had supported Syria's opposition since the start of the civil war in 2011.
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While there is no EU army and defence remains exclusively a matter for member states, the EU has recently taken big steps to boost defence co-operation. As EU Reporter writes, since 2016, there has been significant progress in the area of EU security and defence with several concrete EU initiatives to encourage co-operation and reinforce Europes capacity to defend itself.

Europeans expect the EU to guarantee security and peace. Three quarters (75%) are in favour of a common EU defence and security policy according to a special Eurobarometer on security and defence in 2017 and a majority (55%) were in favour of creating an EU army. More recently 68% of Europeans said they would like the EU to do more on defence.

EU leaders realise that no EU country can tackle the current security threats in isolation. For example French President Macron called for a joint European military project in 2017, while German Chancellor Merkel said we ought to work on the vision of one day establishing a proper European army in her address to the European Parliament in November 2018. Moving towards a security and defence union has been one of the priorities of the von der Leyen Commission.

A common EU defence policy is provided for by the Treaty of Lisbon (Article 42(2) TEU). However, the treaty also clearly states the importance of national defence policy, including NATO membership or neutrality.

In recent years, the EU has begun to implement ambitious initiatives to provide more resources, stimulate efficiency, facilitate cooperation and support the development of capabilities:

Permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) was launched in December 2017, and 25 EU countries are participating as of June 2019. It currently operates on the basis of 47 collaborative projects with binding commitments including a European Medical Command, Maritime Surveillance System, mutual assistance for cyber-security and rapid response teams, and a Joint EU intelligence school.

The European Defence Fund (EDF) was launched in June 2017. It is the first time the EU budget is used to co-fund defence cooperation. On 29 April 2021, MEPs agreed to fund the flagship instrument with a budget of 7.9 billion as part of the EU's long-term budget (2021-2027). The fund will complement national investments and provide both practical and financial incentives for collaborative research, joint development and acquisition of defence equipment and technology.

The EU strengthened co-operation with NATO on 74 projects across seven areas including cybersecurity, joint exercises and counter-terrorism.

A plan to facilitate military mobility within and across the EU to make it possible for military personnel and equipment to act faster in response to crises.

Making the financing of civilian and military missions and operations more effective. The EU currently has 17 such missions on three continents, with a wide range of mandates and deploying more than 6,000 civilian and military personnel.

Since June 2017 there is a new command and control structure (MPCC) to improve the EUs crisis management.

Spending more, spending better, spending together

At Nato's Wales summit in 2014, the EU countries that are members of Nato committed to spend 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2024. The European Parliament has been calling on member states to live up to it.

NATO 2019 estimates show that only five EU countries (Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Lithuania) spent more than 2% of their GDP on defence.

However, building up EU defence is not only about spending more, but also about spending efficiently. EU countries collectively are the second largest defence spender in the world after the US but an estimated 26.4bn is wasted every year due to duplication, overcapacity and barriers to procurement. As a result, more than six times as many defence systems are used in Europe than in the United States. This is where the EU can provide the conditions for countries to collaborate more.

If Europe is to compete worldwide, it will need to pool and integrate its best capabilities as it is estimated that by 2025 China will become the second largest defence spender in the world after the US.

The European Parliaments position

The European Parliament has repeatedly called for fully using the potential of the Lisbon Treaty provisions to works towards a European defence union. It consistently supports more cooperation, increased investment and pooling resources to create synergies at EU level in order to better protect Europeans.

Challenges involved

Apart from practical challenges, the EU needs to reconcile different traditions and different strategic cultures. Parliament believes that an EU white paper on defence would be a useful way to do it and underpin the development of a future EU defence policy.
She always turns heads whenever she steps out.

And Lea Seydoux was sure to cut a stylish figure as she joined fellow French star Vincent Cassel, 54, at the Formula E Monaco E-Prix in Monte Carlo on Saturday.

The Bond actress, 35, looked sensational in a sleeveless black blazer and thigh-high leather boots as she strolled around the motoring event.

Style: Lea Seydoux looked effortlessly cool as she joined Vincent Cassel, 54, at the Monaco E-Prix in Monte Carlo on Saturday

Lea showcased her toned physique in a pair of tiny blue cord shorts which she styled with a white T-shirt.

The beauty kept her accessories to a minimum however ensured to don a white face mask to abide by any Covid regulations at the track and toted a Louis Vuitton bag.

Meanwhile, Vincent put on an equally fashionable display in tan trousers and a laid-back white polo shirt styled with a leather jacket.

Here they come: The Bond actress, 35, and French actor, 54, appeared to be in good spirits as they strolled around the motoring event

He added a flat cap and white espadrilles to complete his look as well as a black face covering.

Lea and Vincent worked together on the French adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, which was first released in Belgium in 2014.

And the former co-stars appeared to be in good spirits during the day and even got to pose with Panasonic Jaguar Racing team's driver Mitch Evans.

Evans came close to victory during the race, however Antonio Felix da Costa managed to nab the win after a last-lap overtake.

Looking good: Lea looked sensational in a sleeveless black blazer and thigh-high leather boots

Poser: She worked all her angles as she posed next to one of the Jaguar race cars

Lea will appear in 007's 25th instalment No Time to Die, which has been pushed back several times amid the Covid pandemic after originally being slated to come out in April 2020.

But following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement that the government hope to end all lockdown restrictions on June 21, it was reported in February that No Time To Die's release has been brought forward to 30 September.

Reports surfaced about the release date change after Tom Linay, who is marketing company Digital Cinema Medias Content Business Director, tweeted the news.

The final entry in the franchise to star Daniel Craig will still be released in the United States on October 8 as planned.

VIPs: The French stars both donned blue lanyards for the E race and ensured to abide by any Covid regulations as they donned face masks

Racer: The former co-stars, who worked together on the 2014 French adaption of Beauty And The Beast, even got to pose with Panasonic Jaguar Racing team's driver Mitch Evans

Lea will reprise her role as Dr. Madeleine Swan and agent Bond's love interest in the hotly-anticipated upcoming film.

While Vincent's appearance at the ABB FIA Formula E Monaco E-Prix comes after he was seen relaxing at the beach in Rio de Janeiro last month.

The French star was joined by his stunning wife Tina Kunakey, 24, for the sun-soaked outing, with the duo putting on a loved-up display as they snapped selfies.

Vincent and Tina welcomed their daughter Amazonie in April 2019, less than a year after their fairytale wedding.

He also shares daughters Deva, 16, and Leonie, 10 with his ex-wife Monica Bellucci.
The new coronavirus will no longer be circulating in Britain by August, the government's departing vaccine taskforce chief Clive Dix told the Daily Telegraph on Friday. "Sometime in August, we will have no circulating virus in the UK", Dix said, adding that he believed the vaccine booster programme could be pushed back to early 2022.

The government is looking at which COVID-19 vaccines would offer the best booster shot for vulnerable people later this year. Dix told the Telegraph that he expects everybody in the UK to have been vaccinated at least once by the end of July, by which time "we'll have probably protected the population from all the variants that are known."

The UK has administered over 51 million vaccines and has been the second quickest country to give a first dose to at least half its adult population. British officials said people under 40 should be offered an alternative to Oxford/AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine where possible due to a small risk of blood clots.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said the advice reflected low levels of coronavirus infection in Britain and the availability of other vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna. Dix, who was appointed as interim leader of the task force in December, stepped down from his role last week.

Also read: COVID-19 surge: US urges citizens in India to return home through available flights
Joe Biden snapped at a reporter on Friday when the fully vaccinated president was asked why he continues to wear a mask 'so often' before he then put his mask on outdoors to fly to Camp David for the weekend again.

Biden, who received the first dose of the Pfizer shot on live television in December, had walked out to the podium with his mask on but removed it to give a briefing on the April jobs report in the East Room of the White House.

'You walked out to the podium with your mask on. Why do you choose to wear a mask so often when you're vaccinated and you're around other people who are vaccinated,' the reporter asked.

Biden replied: 'Because I'm worried about you.'

Joe Biden joked with a reporter on Friday when the fully vaccinated president was asked why he continues to wear a mask 'so often'

Biden later put his mask on outdoors to fly to Camp David for the weekend again

President Joe Biden waves as he walks toward the Marine One for a departure from the Ellipse, south of the White House

The president made his first trip to Camp David in mid-February and visited the retreat again in mid-March. He then spent the Easter holiday at Camp David in mid-April with Jill Biden

The president then paused for a moment for effect before telling the press that it was a joke.

'No, that's a joke. It's a joke. Why am I wearing the mask? Because, when we're inside, it's still good policy to wear the mask. That's why,' Biden said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines note that masks should be worn any time a person is in a public setting.

'In indoor public spaces, the vaccination status of other people or whether they are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 is likely unknown,' the CDC said.

'Therefore, fully vaccinated people should continue to wear a mask that fits snugly against the sides of your face and doesnt have gaps, cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands often, and follow any applicable workplace or school guidance.'

The guidelines note that fully vaccinated people 'can gather or conduct activities outdoors without wearing a mask except in certain crowded settings and venues.'

Biden was then pictured wearing his mask again as he waved to the press while preparing to board the Marine One helicopter for Camp David, the country residence of the president about 60 miles north of the White House.

The president made his first trip to Camp David in mid-February and visited the retreat again in mid-March. He then spent the Easter holiday at Camp David in mid-April with First Lady Jill Biden.
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Jerusalem has seen a second night of violent clashes as Israeli police fired a water cannon at Palestinian protesters and blocked busloads of Muslim pilgrims headed to the Al-Aqsa mosque on the holiest night of Ramadan.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced Israel as a 'cruel terrorist state' amid the escalation of already heightened religious tensions that have unleashed the worst unrest in the holy city in years, as the Palestinian Red Crescent reported 90 people injured on Saturday night. Israeli police said one officer was injured.

He said: 'Israel, the cruel terrorist state, attacks the Muslims in Jerusalem - whose only concern is to protect their homes ... and their sacred values - in a savage manner devoid of ethics.'

The violence in Jerusalem was 'an attack on all Muslims', he said, adding that 'protecting the honour of Jerusalem is a duty for every Muslim'.

He urged all countries, in particular Muslim countries, to react and called on the United Nations to 'stop this persecution'.

Police defended their actions as security moves, but these were seen as provocations by Muslims who accuse Israel of threatening their freedom of worship.

Protests broke out on the Israel-Gaza border late on Saturday, the holiest night of Ramadan, following the clashes in Jerusalem's Old City.

Jerusalem has seen a second night of violent clashes as Israeli police fired a water cannon at Palestinian protesters

People help an injured Palestinian woman during a protest in Damascus gate on Saturday on the second night of violent clashes

Israeli forces blocked busloads of Muslim pilgrims headed to the Al-Aqsa mosque on the holiest night of Ramadan

Police defended their actions as security moves, but these were seen as provocations by Muslims who accuse Israel of threatening their freedom of worship

A Palestinian protester hurls stones at Israeli security forces in Jerusalem's Old City as clashes continue between police and demonstrators

Palestinian protesters burn tyres amid clashes with Israeli security forces at the Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus city, in the occupied West Bank

Protests broke out on the Israeli-Gaza border late on Saturday, the holiest night of Ramadan, following clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police in Jerusalem's Old City on Friday night

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced Israel as a 'cruel terrorist state' amid the escalation of already heightened religious tensions

Competing claims in east Jerusalem, home to the city's most sensitive Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites, lie at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and have triggered major rounds of violence in the past.

Police said they dispersed the protest in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood where demonstrators had thrown stones at security forces.

Saturday night is 'Laylat al-Qadr' or the 'Night of Destiny,' the most sacred in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Islamic authorities estimated 90,000 people were gathered for intense nighttime prayers at Al-Aqsa.

'The right to demonstrate will be respected but public disturbances will be met with force and zero tolerance. I call on everyone to act responsibly and with restraint,' Israeli police chief Koby Shabtai said.

Pope Francis on Sunday called for an end to violence in annexed east Jerusalem, where clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police have left scores of Palestinians injured.

After delivering his Regina Caeli prayer from the window overlooking St Peter's Square, the pope said he was 'following with particular concern the events that are happening in Jerusalem. I pray so that this might be a place of encounter and not violent clashes, a place of prayer and of peace,' he said.

'I invite everyone to seek shared resolutions so that the multi-religious identity and multi-culture of the holy city might be respected and so that fraternity might prevail. Violence only generates violence. Let's stop these clashes.'

Jordan warned Israel on Sunday to stop what it described as 'barbaric' attacks on worshippers in the Jerusalem Aqsa mosque and said it would be stepping up international pressure, an official statement said.

The kingdom, which has custodianship of Muslim and Christian sites in Jerusalem, said Israel should respect worshippers and international law safeguarding Arab rights in the disputed city.

Police said they dispersed the protest in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood where demonstrators had thrown stones at security forces

In Jerusalem, police said they made three arrests for attacks on officers, while Palestinians reported 13 other arrests earlier in the day

Israeli police are deployed during clashes with Palestinians at Damascus Gate on Laylat al-Qadr during the holy month of Ramadan

Palestinian medics said 205 Palestinians were injured in the clashes at Al-Aqsa and other flashpoints around Jerusalem

Israeli troops fired tear gas toward Palestinian protesters along the Gazan border, where protesters burnt tyres during a demonstration against rising violence

After weeks of nightly violence, Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were bracing for more conflict in the coming days

Gazans gathered at Al Omari Mosque, observing Covid-19 measures, to pray on Laylat al-Qadr, the holiest night of Ramadan, on Saturday

On the border with the Gaza Strip, troops fired tear gas toward Palestinian protesters, as officials said three incendiary balloons were launched into Israel, causing fires but no injuries.

In Jerusalem, police said they made three arrests for attacks on officers, while Palestinians reported 13 other arrests earlier in the day.

On Friday, riot police stormed Al-Aqsa mosque compound, unleashing rubber bullets and sound grenades after they said Palestinians threw rocks and fireworks at officers.

Police said 18 officers were injured and several hospitalised.

Palestinian medics said 205 Palestinians were injured in the clashes at Al-Aqsa and other flashpoints around Jerusalem.

Gazan protesters carried Palestinian flags as they dodged tear gas fired by Israeli security forces during the demonstration on Saturday night

In response, aircraft struck a military post for Hamas, the militant group ruling the territory. There were no reports of casualties in either attack

The Israeli military said Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket at the country's south that fell in an open area early on Sunday

The violence was the worst in years to rock Al-Aqsa, Islam's third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina, located on the site Jews revere as the Temple Mount

A Palestinian protester runs from Israeli security forces outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City

On Saturday, protesters chanted, waved Palestinian flags and threw stones before police moved in

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the police actions.

'Israel is acting responsibly to ensure respect for law and order in Jerusalem while allowing freedom of worship,' he said in a meeting of security officials.

The violence was the worst in years to rock Al-Aqsa, Islam's third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina, located on the site Jews revere as the Temple Mount.

Palestinians have held nightly protests in Sheikh Jarrah against an attempt by Israeli settlers to take over Arab homes.

On Saturday, protesters chanted, waved Palestinian flags and threw stones before police moved in.

Dozens of Arab Israeli protesters also gathered across Israel in solidarity with Sheikh Jarrah residents, holding up signs that read 'the occupation is terrorism'.

Israeli security forces arrest a protester during a demonstration by Palestinians against a possible eviction of local Palestinian families

A member of Israeli security forces tries to detain a Palestinian protester outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City

Police blocked buses filled with Arabs headed for Jerusalem from northern Israel, saying they would not be allowed 'to participate in violent riots'.

Instead, hundreds marched on highways leading to the city.

The Islamist movement Hamas, which rules Gaza, urged Palestinians to remain at Al-Aqsa until Ramadan ends, warning that 'the resistance is ready to defend Al-Aqsa at any cost'.

Outside the Damascus Gate entrance to Jerusalem's Old City, Palestinians set fire to a barricade before police on horseback dispersed the protesters.

The United States - a staunch Israeli ally whose tone has toughened under US President Joe Biden - said it was 'extremely concerned' and urged both sides to 'avoid steps that exacerbate tensions or take us farther away from peace'.

'This includes evictions in east Jerusalem, settlement activity, home demolitions and acts of terrorism,' the State Department said.

Palestinian devotees pray on Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Destiny) outside the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque

An Israeli policeman holds a weapon during clashes with Palestinians on Laylat al-Qadr

Palestinians gather amid burning tyre fumes and tear gas fired by Israeli security forces during a demonstration by the Israel-Gaza border

The European Union called on the authorities 'to act urgently to de-escalate the current tensions,' saying 'violence and incitement are unacceptable and the perpetrators on all sides must be held accountable'.

Russia voiced 'deep concern' and called the expropriation of land and property in the occupied Palestinian territories including east Jerusalem 'a violation of international law'.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said he held the Israeli government responsible for the unrest and voiced 'full support for our heroes in Al-Aqsa'.

Yair Lapid, an Israeli politician attempting to form a coalition government to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sent encouragement to police officers.

'The state of Israel will not let violence run loose and definitely will not allow terror groups to threaten it,' he tweeted.

Palestinian protesters burn tyres amid clashes with Israeli security forces at the Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus city, in the occupied West Bank

Israeli police officers fire stun grenades towards Palestinian demonstrators during clashes at Damascus Gate just outside Jerusalem's Old City

The clashes in Al-Aqsa drew sharp rebukes across the Arab and Muslim world.

Jordan condemned Israel's 'barbaric attack' and Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia, Pakistan and Qatar were among Muslim countries that blasted Israeli forces for the confrontation.

Israel also drew criticism from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, two countries that signed normalisation accords with the Jewish state last year.

Iran called on the United Nations to condemn the Israeli police actions, arguing that 'this war crime once again proved to the world the criminal nature of the illegitimate Zionist regime'.

Tensions are expected to remain high in Jerusalem.

Israel's supreme court is to hold a new hearing in the Sheikh Jarrah case on Monday, when Israelis mark Jerusalem Day to celebrate the 'liberation' of the city.
New Delhi:

In-Service Doctors in Rajasthan have called off their 7-day strike on Sunday after successful talks with health minister Kali Charan Saraf and other top government officials.

The doctors said the government has agreed on most of their demands and they shall resume their duties from Monday morning.

"The government gave nod to all our 33 demands including grade pay scale of Rs 10,000 and arrears. All in-service doctors will return to their duties from Monday morning," said Dr. Ajay Choudhary, president of All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors Association (ARISDA).

Doctors in Rajasthan end strike after talks with state Govt representatives were successful  ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2017

Earlier on Saturday, fourteen doctors were arrested in the state under the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act (RESMA).

The doctors were arrested from Tonk, Jaipur, Kota, Swai Madhopur, Bharatpur, Jhalawar and Banswara districts, ADG (Law and Order) NRK Reddy said.

The arrests came after the deadline set by the government for the medical practitioners to resume work expired on Friday evening, the officer said.

On Friday, six doctors were arrested and on Saturday, eight, Reddy said, adding that 100 doctors have joined work to avoid arrest.

The major demands of the agitating doctors included single shift, hike in the grade pay scale and promotions.

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Daniel Payton Brinson, 22, has been charged with two counts of malice murder

A man is being charged with two counts of malice murder after allegedly killing a young couple in Georgia late last month.

Daniel Payton Brinson, 22, of Harrison in Washington County, was issued an arrest warrant on May 5, following the deaths of Destiney Hope Kight, 18, and Charlie Jaylon Garrett, 18.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Brinson was an associate of Garrett.

Brinson was previously arrested on April 26 by the Marietta Police Department for an unrelated matter and is currently in custody at Cobb County Jail.

Jail records show the previous charges against Brinson include possession of drugs with intent to distribute and purchase, possession, manufacture, distribution or sale of marijuana, according to WRDW.

The Johnson County Sheriffs Office responded to a call about two deceased people on April 23 around 1pm in Wrightsville.

Upon arriving, deputies discovered the bodies of Kight and Garrett, each with apparent gunshot wounds.

Kight and Garrett were laid to rest together on April 30, according to 13WMAZ. No motive has been revealed by authorities yet.

Before being laid to rest, Garrett's family members remembered the young man and grieved him.

'It's been very difficult to try to plan an 18-year-olds funeral,' aunt Magen Douglas said, according to 13WMAZ.

Young couple Destiney Hope Kight, 18, and Charlie Jaylon Garrett, 18, were found dead in April

The two victim were found dead on April 23 with apparent gunshot wounds

'Our emotions of laughing, remembering something stupid he did, to crying, to being angry at the ones that were involved in this tragedy. Our emotions have just been, for lack of a better word, all over the place,' Douglas added.

Douglas continued, 'He was very generous, he would give the shirt off his back to help somebody out. He was just a joy to have in our lives.'

No motive has been given yet for the murder of the young couple (police response pictured)

A GoFundMe for the two victims has raised over $2,500 for the two families of the deceased

Garrett's uncle, Chad Garrett, also spoke to how close his relationship was with his 18-year-old nephew.

'He was like my own child, he was more like my son,' Chad Garrett said. 'We were very close.'

A GoFundMe for the two victims has raised over $2,500 for the two families of the deceased.

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office, Wrightsville Police Department, Laurens County Sheriff's Office, Washington County Sheriffs Office, U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, Emanuel County Sheriff's Office, and the Department of Community Supervision Dublin Office all assisted the GBI with the investigation, which is ongoing.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 16:06:42|Editor: huaxia

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by Xinhua writers Liu Xinyong, Jin Yiqing, Li Jian

LHASA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region is moving steadily toward full enrollment in preschool education thanks to the implementation of the region's free education policies.

By the end of 2020, the region's gross enrollment rate for preschool education stood at 87.03 percent, up more than 52 percentage points from 2011, according to the regional education department.

The ratio was higher than the rate of 85.2 percent for the whole country.

At present, there are some 2,200 kindergartens in Tibet, over 10 times the figure for 2011, when the region expanded its free education policies for farmers and herders to cover preschool education.

Under the policies, the children of farmers and herders are exempted from meal, lodging and basic school expenses. Children of urban families in financial hardship can also enjoy the policies.

Dawa Yangzom, a resident of Hongxing community, Gyixong Town, Gonggar County, is satisfied to see her 6-year-old son Tenzin Jigme enjoy school meals with milk, vegetables and meat.

"The food in the kindergarten provides nutrition for my son's physical development. There are more varieties of food than at home, and the food is all free," she said.

This stands in sharp contrast to old Tibet under feudal serfdom. Before the region's peaceful liberation in 1951, serfs accounted for more than 95 percent of the population in Tibet but were barred from receiving education. In 1951, there were only about 3,000 students in schools across the region.

Since 1951, the country has been constantly increasing education spending in the region.

In 1985, Tibet began to provide free meals, lodgings and tuition to children from farmers' and herders' families throughout their nine years of compulsory education. The policies were subsequently expanded several times.

Now, Tibet has become the first provincial-level region in China to provide 15 years of free education, from kindergarten to senior high school.

Preschool education has developed at a blistering pace over the past years, and such institutions now cover almost all cities, counties, townships and villages with a relatively large population in Tibet.

There are more than 150,000 students enrolled in kindergartens at present, data showed.

Cheng Dongya, vice dean of the education college at Tibet University, said preschool education plays an important role in long-term education.

"The rapid development of Tibet's preschool education reflects the country's emphasis on the education of ethnic minority groups, and will help foster the talent pool necessary for the long-term development of the plateau," said Cheng. Enditem
Bhubaneswar:

The OMQ (Ore, Mines & Quarries) Division and Ferro Alloys & Mineral Division (FAMD) of have been honoured with the Aqua Foundation's Excellence Award 2017 under the category of Sustainable Development in the Mining Sector.



The award was presented at a ceremony held during an International conference, XI World Aqua 2017 at New recently, a company release said.

The "Aqua Excellence Awards" are the highest awards given by Aqua Foundation to its members, stakeholders and contributors in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the field of water, environment, energy, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, planetary sciences, pollution control and sustainability solutions, it said.

Also Read: Tata Steel taking steps to stop theft of company products

Aqua Foundation honours, in each World Aqua Congress, individual/nominees of corporate members who have made a mark in their respective fields of expertise or have made a significant contribution towards Humanity.



was nominated for the award for constantly complying with all regulations and mining laws in the country. With the adoption of best practices, modern technologies and innovation to ensure in mining activities, the Company has been causing minimum environmental impact while contributing to social development in neighbouring communities, it said.

Also Read: Ratan Tata testifies in Netanyahu graft case, claims Israeli media



For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 01:59:16|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese Ambassador to San Marino (also to Italy) Li Junhua (L) and San Marino's Foreign Minister Luca Beccari (R, Front) attend a press conference in the city of San Marino, San Marino, on May 6, 2021. A series of celebrations and commemorative activities were held in San Marino on Thursday to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between San Marino and China. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting)

SAN MARINO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A series of celebrations and commemorative activities were held in San Marino on Thursday to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between San Marino and China.

Among the celebrations was a photo exhibition named "San Marino-China: 50 Years, 50 Images," featuring 50 photos that recorded the exchanges and profound friendship between the two countries over the past 50 years.

In addition, San Marino will issue special stamps in June marking the 50th anniversary. Other business and cultural exchange activities are set in July, including a business forum focusing on commercial relations.

The commemorative activities are of special significance, as they are the first large-scale public events held in San Marino since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, said Captains Regent Marco Nicolini during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to San Marino (also to Italy) Li Junhua on Thursday at the Public Palace in the City of San Marino, capital of the country.

The Chinese ambassador attended a commemorative event titled "Under the Same Sky" later on in company with San Marino's Foreign Minister Luca Beccari.

Li said that San Marino was the first Western country to sign an agreement on mutual exemption of visas with China, leading more and more Chinese tourists to San Marino.

The bilateral trade volume grew by a record 32.9 percent last year in spite of the pandemic, according to Li. Enditem
Amid the surge in the COVID-19 cases across the state, Uttarakhand Minister Subodh Uniyal on Saturday said that the government is mulling to take stern decisions to break the chain of Covid-19 infection.

"The increase in COVID-19 cases in Uttarakhand is cause for concern and the state government is very serious about it and is ready to take strict steps soon," Uniyal told ANI.

Uniyal, who is also the spokesperson to the Uttarakhand government said, "The public participation is also important. Only the government efforts cannot prevent infection."

The cabinet minister appealed to people to postpone the marriage ceremonies and other functions.

"The awareness among people is necessary to prevent the spread of COVID. I appeal to people to follow SoPs for the safety of their lives and the lives of their family members," he said.

According to the spokesperson of the government, there is a curfew in almost every district of the state today, they said that the time has come to take more strict decisions, the government is very sensitive and thinking seriously about it.

Earlier, Uniyal had said the state government will take some "major decision" by May 10 to curb the transmission.

The state witnessed a record daily rise of 8,517 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total active tally to 67,691 in the state.

The state government has extended the 'Corona curfew' in the heavy caseload districts of Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital till May 10. The curfew was imposed in the last week of April.

(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.)
Fictitious executives were told Prince Michael of Kent could be hired to endorse their company to Vladimir Putin's inner circle, a bombshell report claims.

The Queen's cousin, 78, told undercover reporters posing as investors from South Korea in a virtual meeting that he could be hired for 10,000 a day to make 'confidential' representations to Putin's regime.

Journalists from Channel 4 Dispatches and The Sunday Times were investigating claims that Prince Michael and the Marquess of Reading were selling their links to the Russian regime.

Prince Michael said he would be 'very excited' to work with the fictitious 'House of Haedong' - which alleged it wanted to further its business in Russia by making links with Putin's inner circle.

Prince Michael, a grandson of King George V, allegedly said he would give the 'House of Haedong' his endorsement in the Kremlin for a $200,000 fee.

He added his relationship with the state could 'bring some benefit' to the firm, billed as 'new boutique fund that invests in the most regal of assets: gold'.

A representative for Prince Michael has insisted the royal has 'no special relationship with President Putin', adding they have had no contact since June 2003.

Fictitious executives were told Prince Michael of Kent (left) could be hired to endorse their company to Vladimir Putin's inner circle, a bombshell report claims

Prince Michael, a grandson of King George V, allegedly said he would give the 'House of Haedong' his endorsement in the Kremlin for a $200,000 fee. Pictured: Putin

The royal's secretary allegedly told the two undercover reporters that Prince Michael could make introductions to people high up in the Russian state ahead of the meeting.

She said: 'We can certainly help in that sense. Even if he doesn't have direct contact to the person that you want, there is a way in. There is always a way in.'

There are few rules that dictate how a royal can earn private income, and Prince Michael does not receive any money from the civil list.

However, research conducted for Dispatches found that two-thirds of Britons don't believe royals should be able to personally profit from their status.

Prince Michael allegedly drew attention to the fact Putin had bestowed upon him the Order of Friendship in his meeting with the 'House of Haedong'.

According to the Sunday Times, the Marquess of Reading remained in the call with the apparent South Korean executives after the royal left the Zoom.

While explaining the type of service he could offer in Russia, Lord Reading allegedly claimed Michael acted as 'Her Majesty's unofficial ambassador to Russia' and could meet with Putin.

The cost of the 'confidential' service was given as 50,000 for a four or five-day trip to Russia, the Times reported.

The above family tree shows how Prince Michael of Kent is related to Queen Elizabeth II

Prince Michael said his relationship with Russia could 'bring some benefit' to the firm, billed as 'new boutique fund that invests in the most regal of assets: gold'

Journalists from Channel 4 Dispatches and The Sunday Times were investigating claims that Prince Michael and the Marquess of Reading were selling their links to the Russian regime

Lord Reading said: 'Clearly Prince Michael is very interested in all that you have to say regarding Russia Well, if you want to get into Russia right, you have to go through the Putinistas.

'And the best way of getting through the Putinistas, are through himself, through Putin himself. Putin, exactly.

'I mean, I can show you an album of a picture of me with various Putinistas, about six or seven of them... and he, he has a whole lot more erm of these, of these instances, where he is seen with Putin and he will be discussing a number of different subjects, right.

'But if he is representing the House of Haedong, he could mention that to Putin and Putin would find the right person, erm who is interested in South Korea or interested in gold. It just opens the door, you know, which is so helpful.'

Lord Reading (left) said the tension between Britain and Russia has not changed Prince Michael's (right) relationship with the Kremlin

In a statement, Prince Michael said: 'Prince Michael receives no public funding and earns his own living through a consultancy company that he has run for over 40 years. Prince Michael has no special relationship with President Putin'

There are few rules that dictate how a royal can earn private income, and Prince Michael does not receive any money from the civil list. Pictured: The Zoom meeting

He concluded that the arrangement would be 'slightly discreet', adding: 'We wouldn't want the world to know that he is seeing Putin purely for business reasons, if you follow me.'

Asked if Prince Michael has done this before, he said: 'Yeah. I mean, he's not I mean, he's he's done He's been able to do that. But he doesn't broadcast it.'

Lord Reading also said the tension between Britain and Russia has not changed Prince Michael's relationship with the regime.

He said: 'No, it hasn't. It hasn't affected his relationship with Prince Michael. He is just generally regarded as Her Majesty's erm, unofficial Ambassador to Russia'.

Dispatches said Lord Reading had preciously used an event at Kensington Palace in 2013, in which Prince Michael was a guest, to sell access to Putin.

The event, to promote the Russian wrestling sport of Sambo, also allegedly offered opportunities to personally meet the Russian leader at a later date.

Marina Litvinenko, the widow of the murdered Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, told Channel 4 she was concerned about claims Prince Michael was selling access to Putin's regime.

In a statement, Prince Michael's office said: 'Prince Michael has no special relationship with President Putin.'

Lady Gabriella Windsor with her father Prince Michael of Kent for her wedding to Mr Thomas Kingston in May 2019

She said: 'He has to be aware that his relationship is not a simple business deal. And opening a door for business and directly with Vladimir Putin is a very toxic relationship.'

In a statement, a representative for Prince Michael insisted he does not have a 'special relationship' with the Russian leader.

They added: 'Prince Michael receives no public funding and earns his own living through a consultancy company that he has run for over 40 years.

'They last met in June 2003 and Prince Michael has had no contact with him or his office since then.

'Lord Reading is a good friend, who in trying to help, made suggestions which Prince Michael would not have wanted, or been able, to fulfil.'

Lord Reading said: 'I thought the approach from the House of Haedong was genuine and I was only trying to facilitate an introduction to my friend Prince Michael.

'I made a mistake and over-promised and for that, I am truly regretful. I wasn't at my peak as I was recovering from a kidney transplant.

'For the record, the Sambo event which was eight years ago was my event and Prince Michael was simply my guest along with many other people.'
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 06:25:22|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, May 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday raised concerns about Iran's seriousness in Vienna talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Asked at the White House if he thought Iran was serious about the ongoing negotiation in Vienna, Biden replied, "Yes. But how serious and what they're prepared to do is a different story."

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki later in a daily press briefing recognized that some progress had been made in past weeks' talks, adding it is a good sign that the negotiations are continuing.

Meanwhile, she reiterated that the United States "would be prepared to lift the sanctions necessary for our JCPOA compliance only if Iran were prepared to return its nuclear program to its JCPOA status."

"We will not get into a situation where the United States does more than is required by the JCPOA agreement in terms of sanction relief and Iran does less," she noted.

The fourth round of talks over a potential U.S. return to the Iran nuclear deal began in Vienna on Friday.

A senior State Department official said on Thursday that the United States and Iran could achieve a mutual return to compliance with the Iran nuclear deal in the coming weeks if Tehran makes a "political decision."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that the United States knows that it has to return to law and assume its obligations pertaining to the nuclear deal.

The JCPOA was reached in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the United States, Britain, Russia, France, China, plus Germany) together with the EU. Tehran agreed to roll back parts of its nuclear weapons program in exchange for decreased economic sanctions.

Iran gradually stopped implementing parts of its commitments in May 2019, one year after the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the agreement and re-imposed sanctions on Iran. Enditem
KYODO NEWS - May 7, 2021 - 21:28 | All, Coronavirus, Japan

People expressed concern Friday after the government decided to add Aichi and Fukuoka prefectures to the areas for the coronavirus state of emergency and extend it to May 31, while some were skeptical about whether the measures can bring down the number of infections.

"I wonder if it is worth issuing an (emergency) declaration now," said Tsukasa Ishii, who was on the way to work in Fukuoka Prefecture. Japan has seen no signs of new cases abating even under the current state of emergency.

As restaurants and bars in the two prefectures will be prohibited from serving alcohol and must close by 8 p.m. under the expanded emergency, the 33-year-old also said, "I feel sorry for the eateries."

Tokyo and the western prefectures of Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo have been under the nation's third state of emergency since April 25 in an effort to reduce the flow of people, with local authorities taking stronger anti-virus measures such as asking department stores to close temporarily. Aichi and Fukuoka will join the four prefectures from Wednesday in coming under the emergency declaration.

The third declaration means the public is increasingly frustrated with restrictive measures. A growing number of people are seen drinking on the street and crossing prefectural borders for shopping and traveling.

When the first state of emergency was declared in April last year, many avoided nonessential outings as requested by the authorities.

But during the Golden Week holiday period from late April to early May this year, the number of people moving throughout the country by train and plane rose more than five and 10 times, respectively from the same period last year, railway companies and airlines said Thursday.

In the central Japan city of Nagoya in Aichi, 58-year-old Nobuya Matsuyama said, "Looking at the flow of people now, it was difficult to suppress infections under less strict measures. I have the impression that response measures are falling behind, as (the government) was unable to foresee the future."

A 24-year-old woman from Nagoya who works at an apparel store said, "I lack a sense of crisis compared with the last time" when the emergency was declared in January, adding, "I might go out once in a while."

Meanwhile, some workers expressed relief as the government plans to ease some measures including allowing department stores to reopen.

"If we can open the store even for shorter operating hours, we can devise ways to run the business and secure sales," said an official of a department store in Tokyo.

But the official also wondered if the store can really be reopened with shortened business hours, as it will be the local governments that decide on the specific requests that businesses need to adhere to.
Ahead of Budget night Treasurer Josh Frydenberg joins Kieran Gilbert on Sunday Agenda today.

The Treasurer has granted unprecedented access to his home in Melbourne. Former Prime Minister John Howard also joins for his insight into Frydenbergs Budget blueprint and political ascendancy.

Further coverage and analysis begins on SKY News on Tuesday.

Then on Tuesday 11 May, the countdown to the Treasurers Budget address begins at 5:30am with Peter Stefanovic on First Edition.

From 9:00am, Laura Jayes will be joined by leading economists to discuss the potential market and economic impact of the Governments package during AM Agenda.

At 11:00am join Tom Connell and then Ashleigh Gillon on NewsDay for the latest predictions from politicians, pundits and policymakers.

Then at 2:00pm Sky News will cross to live coverage of Question Time during Parliament Live from the House of Representatives in Canberra.

Tom Connell will anchor Afternoon Agenda at 3:15pm from Canberra providing insight and analysis on the breaking news stories set to affect the outcome of the 2021 Budget.

At 5:00pm Chris Kenny anchors a special edition of The Kenny Report, setting the scene and examining the potential political and economic reaction to the Budget.

At 6:00pm Peta Credlin anchors a special 90-minute Budget edition of Credlin with some of Australias best economic and financial experts joining the program to breakdown what will matter most.

Live from 7:30pm, coverage from the House of Representatives, as Treasurer Josh Frydenberg hands down Budget 2021.

After the Treasurer delivers his speech, Chief News Anchor, Kieran Gilbert anchors Budget 2021 Live at 8:00pm. Kieran will be joined for the hour-long analysis by an expert team, including Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell, Sky News Business Editor Ross Greenwood and Sky News Anchor Laura Jayes. Sky News Anchor Paul Murray and The Daily Telegraphs Federal Political Editor James Morrow also join the coverage with their verdict. Kieran will also have a live one-on-one interview with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers as the political debate over the nations fiscal fightback heats up.

Then at 9:00pm join Paul Murray as he cuts through the Canberra spin and breaks down what the budget means for you during Paul Murray Live.

At 11:00pm Peter Gleeson hosts The Front Page, taking a first look at the nations front pages to examine how the Budget will play out in the media.

On Wednesday 12 May Sky News Budget 2021 coverage continues bringing viewers all the post-budget analysis.

From 5:30am on First Edition, Peter Stefanovic anchors the program live from the front lawn of Parliament House, providing viewers with comprehensive post-Budget coverage. As Australia charts its post-pandemic path to recovery, key political, business and industry figures join Sky News to deliver their verdict of the Morrison Governments blueprint.

At 12:30pm Sky News will broadcast live coverage as Treasurer Josh Frydenberg delivers his Post-Budget Address live from the Great Hall of Parliament and takes questions from the Press Gallery.

Then at 2:00pm Sky News will cross to live coverage of Question Time during Parliament Live as Labor look to put the Morrison Government to the test for the first time since the release of its Budget.

Kieran Gilbert and Andrew Clennell then return 3:15pm for Afternoon Agenda with complete analysis of the Budget and its fallout.

On Thursday 13 May at 7:30pm Sky News will broadcast live coverage as Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese delivers Labors Official Budget Reply.

Sunday May 9

8:00am Sunday Agenda with Kieran Gilbert and Andrew Clennell

Tuesday 11 May

5:30am First Edition with Peter Stefanovic

9:00am AM Agenda with Laura Jayes

11:00am NewsDay with Tom Connell

12:00pm NewsDay with Ashleigh Gillon

2:00pm Parliament Live  Live coverage of Question Time

3:15pm Afternoon Agenda with Tom Connell

5:00pm The Kenny Report with Chris Kenny

6:00pm Credlin: Budget 2021 Special with Peta Credlin

7.30pm Budget 2021: Treasurers Speech  Live coverage from the House of Representatives with Josh Frydenberg

8:00pm Budget 2021 Live with Kieran Gilbert

9:00pm Paul Murray Live with Paul Murray

11:00pm The Front Page with Peter Gleeson

Wednesday 12 May

5:30am First Edition  Budget Breakfast with Peter Stefanovic Live from Canberra

12:30pm National Press Club Post-Budget Address with Josh Frydenberg

2:00pm Parliament Live  Live coverage of Question Time

3:00pm Afternoon Agenda with Kieran Gilbert an Andrew Clennell

Thursday 13 May

7:30pm Budget 2021  Labors Official Budget Reply with Anthony Albanese

*All times in AEST

For those outside of Australia and New Zealand, full live coverage is available on australiachannel.com.au

Related
CHICO, Calif. - A Butte County Sheriff's deputy and his K-9 partner arrested a man involved in an early morning police chase that started southbound on Highway 99 in Chico and ended in Live Oak.

Julio Velasco-Barajas, 27, drove his Honda Accord around 125 miles per hour at 7 a.m., CHP Officers attempted to stop Valesco-Barajas but had to call off their pursuit out of the risk to public safety.

Gridley Police shortly located the suspect and also had to cancel their pursuit due to risk to public safety due to high speeds.

Velasco-Barajas crashed on Highway 99 at Nevada Street in Live Oak, and ran off.

A request was made to the Butte County Sheriff's Office for a K-9 to assist in locating the suspect. Within minutes K-9 Enzo found Valesco-Barajas in a shed behind a home.

As the deputy was telling Valesco-Barajas that he would release K-9 Enzo, Velesco-Barajas came out of the shed and surrendered peacefully. He was then booked into the Sutter County Jail.
 "Life 'With' or 'Without'?: An Empirical Study of Homicide Sentencing" | Main | "Encouraging Desistance from Crime" 

Alice Marie Johnson and JaRon Smith have this notable new USA Today opinion piece headlined "COVID-19 concerns sent thousands of inmates home. Give clemency to those who deserve it." The subtitle of the piece captures its themes: "Nearly 5,000 inmates may be sent back to prison. After rebuilding their lives, and being contributing members of society, how is being returned justice?". Here are excerpts (links from original):

This spring, as more Americans are able to get vaccinated, theres hope the pandemic is nearing its end and life is slowly returning to normal. But for 4,500 Americans, the end of the pandemic could instead mean returning to prison.

The March 2020 CARES Act allowed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to expand the period of home confinement, which usually comes at the end of a sentence. As a result, thousands of incarcerated individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes were released from prison  where COVID-19 swept through cramped facilities  to home confinement. Many were able to reunite with their families and find jobs.

But earlier this year, the Justice Department ordered that individuals under home confinement due to COVID-19 must return to prison when the emergency is lifted, putting 4,500 lives in limbo, awaiting an uncertain date when their return to normalcy is taken away. Inmates near the end of their sentence may be able to stay home if the Bureau of Prisons grants permission, according to a recent USA TODAY report. And while the Biden administration extended the length of the COVID emergency declaration, that still might not help people with years left to serve.

The administration could get into a legal back-and-forth over the interpretation of the CARES Act. But a simpler path would be for President Joe Biden to grant clemency to those on home confinement who pose no threat to public safety. Reviewing the cases will be another step toward reducing unnecessary incarceration in America, which imprisons more people than any other democratic country with no added benefit to public safety.

The two of us experienced the justice system, and clemency in particular, up close. One of us worked as a senior adviser to former President Donald Trump on criminal justice and other policy issues. The other served nearly 22 years in prison for a first-time, nonviolent drug offense before returning home after Trump granted clemency, and later a pardon. Through these experiences, we have come to know people from diverse backgrounds who have made mistakes, but still have much to offer their families and our society. That is what we are seeing with many of the individuals under home confinement due to COVID-19....

To prevent individuals like these from being sent back to prison, a congressional coalition wrote a letter to Biden, urging him to review their cases for clemency. The letter notes that the CARES Act did not require individuals on home confinement be sent back to prison, and that the Justice Department can modify the guidance issued by the last administration. But clemency would allow rehabilitated individuals to move on with their lives rather than serving home detention for the rest of their sentences.

Clemency should be carefully and fairly considered. But all the people under home confinement were released because they were determined to be safe, making them strong candidates. The moral issue goes beyond these 4,500 Americans. In recent years, a diverse coalition from across the political spectrum has united for criminal justice reforms. Trump signed the bipartisan First Step Act in 2018, reducing some excessive sentences and creating more opportunities for rehabilitation.

Biden ran on a platform to build on these criminal justice reforms. As he said in a proclamation commemorating Second Chance Month, We lift up all those who, having made mistakes, are committed to rejoining society and making meaningful contributions. Biden should now extend that commitment to people under home confinement. Reviewing these cases for clemency will not only help transform the lives of thousands of Americans, but also continue the momentum toward a more sensible and fair criminal justice system.
New Delhi:

Lebanese PM Saad al-Hariri, who shockingly resigned during his state visit to Saudi Arabia, on Sunday said he will return to Lebanon very soon.

In an Interview with his partys Future TV from Riyadh, Hariri said he is free in Saudi Arabia and resigned to protect himself.

It was the first time Hariri has spoken to media after his sudden decision to resign from the post of Lebanon's Prime Minister citing unspecified threat to life as a reason behind the big move.

Hariris statement came a day after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah claimed that Saudi Arabia was holding Saad al-Hariri against his will and accused the country of inciting Israel against Lebanon.

Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah  a powerful Islamist political party and militant group based in Lebanon, had also accused Saudi Arabia of declaring war on his country.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun had also feared that Hariri is being held under house arrest by Saudi Arabia and forced to do their bidding.

Saad al-Hariri, a Sunni leader and businessman, was nominated to form Lebanons government in November 2016.

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New Delhi, May 8 (UNI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that his government can vaccinate the entire National Capital within three months if 80-85 lakh doses of vaccines are provided per month.

'We want all of Delhi to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccination is a defence mechanism that can save lives. Right now, the second wave is in operation and it is being said that the possibility of a Third Wave looms large. Thus, it is our aim that the entire Delhi be vaccinated within 3 months,' he said.

Mr Kejriwal, who visited a vaccination centre at Chirag Delhi, said that to achieve the target of vaccinating the entire Delhi in three months, 'we have to administer three lakh vaccines daily'.

He said the Delhi government is going to increase the vaccination centres from 100 to 300 to achieve the capacity of applying three lakh vaccines daily.

Mr Kejriwal said, 'As I had mentioned earlier, there are 1.5 crore people in Delhi above the age of 18. These 1.5 crore people need 3 crore doses. As of now, we have received 40 lakh vaccines from the Centre; so we need an additional 2 crores 60 lakh vaccines. If we are to complete the vaccination drive in the next 3 months, we need 80-85 lakh doses per month, which means that we will have to administer 3 lakh vaccines per day.'

Mr Kejriwal said, 'Right now, arrangements have been made in 100 schools and 1 lakh vaccines are being administered daily. In the next few days, we are going to increase it to 300 schools and will work on our capacity to administer 3 lakh doses per day. Today we have come to evaluate the situation. We also talked to all those who were being vaccinated and I'm happy people appreciate the arrangement. All our DMs, officers, doctors are working very hard. If people are vaccinated rapidly, their problems will diminish rapidly.'

Mr Kejriwal said the Central government has always extended its help and expressed hope that it will do the same in this case too.

UNI NY JW1747
A company that operates a major U.S. energy pipeline says it was forced to temporarily halt all pipeline operations following a cybersecurity attack.

Colonial Pipeline said the attack took place Friday and also affected some of its information technology systems. The company describes itself as the largest refined products pipeline in the United States. It says its responsible for transporting more than 100 million gallons of fuel daily, through a pipeline system spanning more than 5,500 miles between Texas and New Jersey.

The Alpharetta, Georgia-based company said it hired an outside cybersecurity firm to investigate the nature and scope of the attack and has also contacted law enforcement and federal agencies.

'Colonial Pipeline is taking steps to understand and resolve this issue,' the company said in a late Friday statement. 'At this time, our primary focus is the safe and efficient restoration of our service and our efforts to return to normal operation. This process is already underway, and we are working diligently to address this matter and to minimize disruption to our customers and those who rely on Colonial Pipeline.'

The precise nature of the incident was unclear, including who launched the attack and what the motives were.

Mike Chapple, teaching professor of IT, analytics and operations at the University of Notre Dames Mendoza College of Business and a former computer scientist with the National Security Agency, said systems that control pipelines should not be connected to the internet and vulnerable to cyber intrusions.

FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2008 file photo traffic on I-95 passes oil storage tanks owned by the Colonial Pipeline Company in Linden, N.J. A major pipeline that transports fuels along the East Coast says it had to stop operations because it was the victim of a cyberattack. Colonial Pipeline said in a statement late Friday that it 'took certain systems offline to contain the threat, which has temporarily halted all pipeline operations, and affected some of our IT systems.' (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

'The attacks were extremely sophisticated and they were able to defeat some pretty sophisticated security controls, or the right degree of security controls werent in place,' Chapple said.

The FBI and the White Houses National Security Council did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The federal Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency referred questions about the incident to the company.

A hackers botched attempt to poison the water supply of a small Florida city raised alarms about how vulnerable the nations critical infrastructure may be to attacks by more sophisticated intruders.

Anne Neuberger, the Biden administrations deputy national security adviser for cybersecurity and emerging technology, said in an interview with The Associated Press in April that the government was undertaking a new effort to help electric utilities, water districts and other critical industries protect against potentially damaging cyberattacks. She said the goal was to ensure that control systems serving 50,000 or more Americans have the core technology to detect and block malicious cyber activity.

Since then, the White House has announced a 100-day initiative aimed at protecting the countrys electricity system from cyberattacks by encouraging owners and operators of power plants and electric utilities to improve their capabilities for identifying cyber threats to their networks. It includes concrete milestones for them to put technologies into use so they can spot and respond to intrusions in real time. The Justice Department has also announced a new task force dedicated to countering ransomware attacks in which data is seized by hackers who demand payment from victims in order to release it.

___

Suderman reported from Richmond, Virginia.
New Delhi:

A day after a Muslim man was killed cow vigilantes in Rajasthan, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that he had a detailed discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on attacks by gaw-rakshaks and the PM has assured him such attacks will be dealt sternly.

Bihar chief minister replying to a question during a press conference said, I had a detailed discussion with PM Modi on the issue. He said that the law should take its own course and we should deal sternly with elements on killing spree in name of cow vigalantee.

In Bihar, since Kumar has partnered with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a coalition government at least three incidents of alleged cow vigilantism killing have been reported.

On November 10, a Muslim man was shot dead by alleged cow vigilantes, and threw his body on railway tracks in Rajasthan's Alwar. The victim was identified as Ummar Khan. He was transporting cows along with two others to Fahari village near Alwar's Govindh Gadh when they were attacked by cow vigilantes. Ummars uncle has filed a complaint with the Alwar police.

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Police have launched a desperate search for two young girls who are missing after they left a home together.

The girls, 13 and 9, were last seen leaving a house in Nerang on the Gold Coast around 2pm on Friday.

Police hold grave concerns for the welfare of both minors as the behaviour is said to be out of character.

The girls, 13 and 9, (pictured) were last seen leaving a house in Nerang on the Gold Coast around 2pm on Friday

The 13-year-old teenage girl is of Pacific Islander appearance, about 155cm tall with dark brown hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing a white and blue tie-dye shirt and was also carrying a grey bag.

The younger girl is Caucasian, about 140cm tall with dark brown hair and green eyes.

She was wearing a pink shirt and shorts at the time of her disappearance.

Police are appealing for the girls - or anyone who has seen them - to contact police immediately.

Update: Queensland Police confirmed on Saturday both girls were found safe and well before being reunited with their relieved families.
Scott Morrison has warned international borders will remain closed indefinitely if it means protecting Australians from deadly outbreaks of mutant Covid-19 strains from overseas.

The Prime Minister said Australians had come to accept local lockdowns as 'part of living with Covid-19' and that residents did not have 'an appetite' for change.

He warned that reopening the borders too soon would expose the country to another and more ruthless outbreak of Covid-19, like the ones experienced in the UK, India and Europe.

'We sit here as an island that's living like few countries in the world are at the moment,' he told The Sunday Telegraph.

'We have to be careful not to exchange that way of life for what everyone else has.'

Scott Morrison has warned international borders will remain closed indefinitely if it means protecting Australians from a deadly outbreak of Covid-19 from overseas

Australians have been banned from leaving the country since March 2020 without special exemptions, and only citizens and permanent residents have been allowed to enter under some of the strictest Covid-19 border rules in the world.

But Mr Morrison denied adopting an 'elimination strategy' and said suppressing the virus remained the Government's primary focus.

'Australia's COVID suppression strategy has not changed to an 'elimination' strategy nor is 'zero cases' our goal,' he clarified on Sunday.

'There will always be cases as we return Australians home from overseas. As always, we will continue to listen to the medical advice and make decisions in the best health and economic interests of all Australians.'

Poll Are you happy for Australia's borders to be closed indefinitely to retain our way of life amid the Covid-19 pandemic? Yes No Are you happy for Australia's borders to be closed indefinitely to retain our way of life amid the Covid-19 pandemic? Yes 1996 votes

No 1831 votes Now share your opinion





Last year, the Government predicted international borders would be open in October 2021 after the adult population had been offered a vaccine.

However Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said the date will be pushed back to some time in 2022 amid the slow vaccine rollout and uncertainty over the Covid-19 vaccine's ability to protect against mutating strains of the virus.

India is currently grappling with its deadliest outbreak of the virus with nearly 240,000 people dead.

The country has recorded more than 400,000 new cases of Covid-19 in three consecutive days and its hospitals are struggling with a shortage of oxygen supplies to treat severely infected residents who are having trouble breathing.

Mr Morrison said he will wait until 'clear evidence' proves the vaccines are effective against mutant strains before allowing vaccinated Australians to travel overseas again.

'The next big step that can be taken is that Australians who are vaccinated are able to travel and return to Australia without having to hotel quarantine, and ideally we only have to engage in some sort of home quarantine of a less restrictive nature,' he said.

Mr Morrison said he hoped vaccinated Australians would be exempt from any future lockdowns imposed by state governments.

The Prime Minister also admitted he could not put a timeframe on when the country would begin to accept overseas travellers again.

Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the Federal Government had a responsibility to bring Australians home after becoming stranded overseas because of the pandemic.

The Prime Minister said Australians had come to accept local lockdowns as 'part of living with Covid-19' and that residents did not have 'an appetite' for change

'The Government's got the responsibility to get vaccinations and quarantine right to make that possible,' he told ABC's Insiders on Sunday.

Thousands of Australians have been also left stranded in India because of the border closure and threatened with jail time if they try to make their way back into Australia.

'What we are seeing in India is incredibly distressing,' Mr Chalmers said.

'Thousands of Australians, not just abandoned there to those horrific scenes, but are threatened with jail time as well.

'We wouldn't even be having this conversation if the Prime Minister hadn't comprehensively stuffed up vaccinations and quarantine.'

Labor's health spokesman Mark Butler told reporters on Sunday that the Government is taking 'voters for mugs' by saying Australia is at the forefront of the vaccine effort.

'We are running at about 350,000 doses per week. At that rate it will take about two years just to vaccinate the adult population of Australia,' Mr Butler said, according to The Australian.

'We are so far behind in a vaccine effort we can't even see the front of the queue.'

'We sit here as an island that's living like few countries in the world are at the moment,' Mr Morrison said

He also called out Mr Morrison's changing timeframe for opening up the border, saying that plans for a national quarantine program were meant to be released mid-year.

Instead citizens are being told they could be locked down 'forever'.

Meanwhile Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino said the 'reality' is that the pandemic will 'be with us for quite some time' and supports Mr Morrison's hardline stance on border closures.

'Whilst we're not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination, we are in a good position, and we need to make sure we stay in that good position.'

Mr Merlino said international travel should remain off the cards until not only Australia successfully rolls out the vaccine but globally, too.

'Other parts of the world are on fire right now, so the Prime Minister is absolutely correct to say that this will be with us for some time, and the border controls, which is a commonwealth responsibility, have to reflect that.'

In the interim, the state of Victoria has committed a further $260million to revive Melbourne by attracting tourists from interstate.

News of the international border remaining closed has come as a hammer blow to millions of Australians who have not been able to see family members overseas for more than a year.

New Zealand travelers embrace at Sydney International Airport. Australians can travel to New Zealand but no-where else

According to the 2016 census, half of Australians were either born overseas or have at least one parent who was born overseas.

Earlier this month, Trade Minister Dan Tehan revealed the Government would take a 'systematic' approach to opening the borders which will see travel bubbles set up with individual nations.

'Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam have all been mentioned as potentials in that area,' he said, without giving any dates for when bubbles may start.

Australia has had a two-way travel bubble with New Zealand since April 18.

Although Mr Morrison has warned he will keep the borders closed over fears of another Covid-19 outbreak, a top epidemiologist says it is 'only a matter of time' until Australia has another one.

University of Melbourne professor James McCaw predicted cases will increase as people socialise more frequently and the virus spreads undetected.

He said eventually an outbreak will avoid the diligent work of contract tracers, and only mass vaccination would stop it.

'We will expect incursions at least once a month and more often. And while we mix more socially, the chance of one of those taking hold goes up very quickly,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'The virus will win. But it won't have a devastating impact if we are vaccinated.'

Australia's international borders will not be 'flung open next year,' finance minister Simon Birmingham has said (pictured, A Covid tester at Bondi Beach)

Professor McCaw, who is leading a research team providing expertise on the pandemic to the Federal Government, went on to state the British B117 strain of the virus has the potential to be a negative game changer in Australia.

'That strain is more transmissible and is more severe, and the severity comes to lower age groups,' he said.

The Federal Government aims to vaccinate 25 million people in Australia aged over 16 but just 2.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered by medical staff to date.

Supply shortages and a 'rare but serious' blood clot complication linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine have been significant factors.

Dr Suman Majumdar, an infectious diseases physician at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, believes the current virus is 'stronger than we have ever seen' and is more powerful than the Wuhan virus which emerged from China in 2020.

With winter looming, there are fears people with symptoms may dismiss them, fearing they just have the common cold.

This could result in the virus spreading rapidly across the nation.
A huge 18-ton chunk of China's Long March space rocket is now set to land in the Pacific - but predictions are changing by the minute as it hurtles towards Earth.

The latest estimates project re-entry will take place early on Sunday morning, with most agencies predicting it will emerge between 2am and 4am UK time.

The Aerospace Corporation says the rocket will arrive at around 2.11am UTC, with the European Unions Space Surveillance and Tracking team estimating 2.30am.

Space-Track agrees, saying the Long March fragment should arrive within hours.

The rocket's path is too unpredictable to pinpoint exactly where it will crash, but recent forecasts have suggested it may fall in the Pacific Ocean.

'The center of the current prediction window places the #LongMarch5B CZ-5B rocket body reentering over the Pacific,' the Aerospace Corporation said tonight.

'This prediction has shifted 24 minutes earlier than the previous prediction.'

The exact point of impact is near-impossible to predict without knowing the time it will crash, and forecasts have varied wildly between scientists.

Astronomers from the US Center for Astrophysics place a 2am UTC arrival over the Indian Ocean.

A massive 18-ton chunk of a Chinese rocket is set to crash back to earth tonight, with a Russian space agency predicting it will re-enter the atmosphere near Indonesia. Pictured: The Long March 5B rocket lifting off from the Wenchang launch site on China's southern Hainan island

The rocket's journey is too unpredictable to know exactly where it will land, but recent forecasts have suggested it may fall in the Pacific Ocean

New photographs taken by telescope emerged tonight as the rocket plummeted across the stars ahead of its anticipated crash to Earth

Russian space agency Roscosmos has predicted the rocket will re-enter the Earth's Atmosphere after 2330 GMT Saturday, south of Indonesia over the Timor Sea (pictured)

The latest forecasts come as Beijing today downplayed fears the rocket could crash into an inhabited area, claiming there is a very low risk of any damage.

The Long March-5B rocket launched the first module of China's new space station into Earth's orbit on April 29.

However, its 18-ton main segment is now in freefall and experts have said it is difficult to say precisely where and when it will re-enter the atmosphere.

Chinese authorities claim most of the rocket components would likely be destroyed on re-entry, meaning there is very little danger to life.

'The probability of causing harm... on the ground is extremely low,' Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Friday.

Pentagon spokesman Mike Howard said the US was tracking the rocket but 'its exact entry point into the Earth's atmosphere cannot be pinpointed until within hours of its re-entry'.

'We're hopeful that it will land in a place where it won't harm anyone,' he added.

The Long March 5B rocket carrying a module for a Chinese space station lifted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang in southern China's Hainan Province

A massive 18-ton chunk of a Chinese rocket is set to crash back to earth tonight amid fears it could land on populated areas. Pictured is the rocket's current orbit, and what populated areas fall under the rocket's path

Pictured are predicted paths of the rocket over the eastern coast of the US. Calculations reveal six possible paths Long March 5B could take

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier said that the US military had no plans to shoot it down, and suggested that China had been negligent in letting it fall out of orbit.

'Given the size of the object, there will necessarily be big pieces left over,' said Florent Delefie, an astronomer at the Paris-PSL Observatory.

LONG MARCH 5B The Long March 5b rocket, also known as Chang Zheng 5, is a Chinese-made heavy-lift launch vehicle. Named for the Red Army's Long March during the Chinese Civil War. It is the third most powerful launch vehicle in operation, after the SpaceX Falcon Heavy and the Delta IV Heavy. Height: 186.9ft Stages: 2 Payload to LEO: 55,000lb Total launches: 7 Launch site: Wenchang Advertisement

'The chances of debris landing on an inhabited zone are tiny, probably one in a million.'

In 2020, debris from another Long March rocket fell on villages in the Ivory Coast, causing structural damage but no injuries or deaths.

The first image of the rocket in orbit was released by astronomers on Thursday, with the Italy-based Virtual Telescope Project capturing the craft.

The rocket was moving 'extremely fast' when it soared 435 miles above the Virtual Telescopes Project's telescope Wednesday evening, researchers said.

Gianluca Masi, an astronomer with the Virtual Telescope Project who snapped the image, stated that 'while the Sun was just a few degrees below the horizon, so the sky was incredibly bright: these conditions made the imaging quite extreme, but our robotic telescope succeeded in capturing this huge debris.'

'This is another bright success, showing the amazing capabilities of our robotic facility in tracking these objects.'

Space agencies and astronomers worldwide are tracking the path of Long March 5B with the hopes of better preparing for when it falls back to Earth.

The latest information shows it is expected to crash back to Earth on Saturday, May 8 and possibly rain down on inhabited areas, the US government warns.

Spokesperson John Kirby said that the government does not 'know enough right now to be able to ... formulate specific notification plans.'

The first image of China's rouge Long March 5B rocket has been released by astronomers. The Italy-based Virtual Telescope Project captured the craft, which appears like a glowing light, as it passed 435 miles above the group's 'Elena' robotic telescope

He continued to say that 'if we have information that can be of use, we're going to share that appropriately, the State Department, through their channels ... would provide as much information to that process as possible. But I just don't think we're there right now.'

Chinese Space Station modules - Tianhe: Core module. Launched on April 29, 2021 - Wentian: Experiment module I. Launch planned for 2022 - Mengtian: Experiment module II. Launch planned for 2022 - Xuntian: Space telescope module. Planned launch in 2024 to co-orbit with Chinese Space Station Advertisement

'As far as I understand, this type of rocket adopts a special technical design, and the vast majority will be burnt up and destructed during re-entry process,' said Wang.

He added that it 'has a very low probability of causing harm to aviation activities and the ground.'

Usually, discarded rocket stages re-enter the atmosphere soon after liftoff, normally over water, and don't go into orbit.

CEO of British rocket startup, Skyrora, Volodymyr Levykin, said events like the fall of the Long March 5b 'shouldn't be happening,' calling for action to address situations like this 'before disaster strikes.'

'There are around 26,000 objects currently orbiting the planet and new constellations of satellites being launched among debris from 60 years of space missions,' he said.

'Orbital Transfer Vehicles, such as Skyroras space tug, are on hand to help safely deorbit space debris or transport it to a disposal orbit.

'With the capability of refiring its engine multiple times, a tug can complete several missions after deploying an initial payload.'

'By integrating them as part of the rocket's third stage, we can effectively deploy a vehicle as part of every launch, creating an orbital fleet of space tugs ready to be called upon when required.'

He said every future launch, regardless of who is running it, should include some form of Space Tug, to make sure the 'uncontrolled re-entries are a thing of the past.'

Last Thursday's liftoff was a proud moment for China and a watershed event in its quest to become a dominant force in humankind's quest for advancement in space

HOW MANY ITEMS ARE THERE IN ORBIT? Rocket launches since 1957: 5450

5450 Number of satellites in orbit: 8950

8950 Number still in space: 5000

5000 Number still functioning: 1950

1950 Number of debris objects: 22300

22300 Break-ups, explosions etc: 500

500 Mass of objects in orbit: 8400 tonnes

8400 tonnes Prediction of the amount of debris in orbit using statistical models Over 10cm: 34 000

34 000 1cm to 10cm: 900 000

900 000 1mm to 1cm: 128 million Source: European Space Agency Advertisement

'Its not only about helping the planet or clearing up the mess orbiting it but about protecting the crucial infrastructure thats taken decades and trillions of dollars to build, which could effectively be wiped out in an instant.'

Last May, another Chinese rocket fell uncontrolled into the Atlantic Ocean off West Africa.

The Communist Party newspaper Global Times said the stage's 'thin-skinned' aluminium-alloy exterior will easily burn up in the atmosphere, posing an extremely remote risk to people.

The Long March 5B rocket carried the main module of Tianhe, or Heavenly Harmony, into orbit on April 29. China plans 10 more launches to carry additional parts of the space station into orbit over the coming years.

The roughly 30-meter (100-foot) -long stage would be among the biggest space debris to fall to Earth.

The 18-ton rocket that fell last May was the heaviest debris to fall uncontrolled since the former Soviet space station Salyut 7 in 1991.

China's first space station, Tiangong-1, crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 2016 after Beijing confirmed it had lost control. In 2019, the space agency controlled the demolition of its second station, Tiangong-2, in the atmosphere.

In March, debris from a Falcon 9 rocket launched by US aeronautics company SpaceX fell to Earth in Washington and on the Oregon coast.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 18:57:04|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's General Election Commission has officially registered three politicians as candidates for the upcoming presidential election, local media reported Saturday.

The commission approved Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, chairman of the ruling Mongolian People's Party, Sodnomzundui Erdene, former chairman of the opposition Democratic Party, and Dangaasuren Enkhbat, former legislator, as presidential candidates.

Enkhbat is the candidate from the Right Person Electorate Coalition, which won one seat in the regular parliamentary elections held in June 2020.

Political parties or coalitions that have at least one seat in parliament are eligible to nominate their candidates for the presidential election.

Mongolia has set June 9 as the date for its next presidential election. Enditem
A woman has her swab taken during a mass testing campaign of coronavirus infection in Lo Giao Village of Hanoi's Dong Anh District, May 4, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.

With the Covid-19 outbreak worsening, mass testing of the population is the only way to detect infections, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has said.

"This outbreak is at a highly alarming level because of multiple transmission sources and different strains of viruses that allow rapid infection, which make it difficult to control," he said at a meeting Friday.

A fourth wave of new coronavirus began on April 27 when the first case was confirmed.

Since then at least five hotspots have been identified, mostly in the north, and the infection has spread to 19 cities and provinces, including Hanoi and HCMC.

Worryingly, the sources of transmission for the outbreaks at Hanois frontline Covid medical facility, the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, and Da Nang are still unclear.

Most patients have been infected with the U.K. and Indian strains, which experts worldwide have said are "more concerning" due to their ability to spread much faster than those found in 2020.

It is highly possible that more hotspots would appear with new sources of transmissions, Long warned.

"This is why mass testing is vital as it allows early detection of infections to locate the affected areas and contain the spread as soon as possible.

"It is the only way."

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, head of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, said at the meeting, "It is possible that the transmission source could have already existed within the community."

As of Saturday morning 176 people have been found infected. Hanoi leads with 72 cases, followed by the northern Vinh Phuc and Ha Nam Provinces with 26 each.
Trot Insider has learned multiple Hall of Famer Keith Waples, generally regarded as one of the greatest horsemen in the history of harness racing, has passed away at Guelph General Hospital on Friday, May 7, 2021 at the age of 97.

Born December 8, 1923, Keith's gift to harness racing has been his long and memorable career, a lifetime filled with excellence, accomplishments and perseverance.

At the age of 12, Waples started driving in organized event but he recalled jogging horses at his Victoria Harbour family farm at the age of four. The 'official' start of his driving career came after Keith accompanied his father Jack Waples to a race meeting in the small town of Sundridge, Ont. Recent rains had compromised the track and left it in a condition the story recalls as "like porridge." The senior Waples was a rather large man, weighing in the range of over 200 pounds. An astute bystander suggested "Why don't you let the boy drive? He's a lot lighter and he'll be easier to pull." While the father was somewhat in agreement he said, "But what if his mother finds out?" The simple reply to that was, "But she's not here today." And so it all allegedly began. His first victory came behind a horse called The Grey Ghost, and more than 3,000 victories would follow.

In the earliest days of Keith's career the sport was essentially confined to a few months of the year when local horsepeople travelled about the countryside, competing on holiday weekends at many small towns. Very early in his career, however, Keith began to show a penchant for winning races; he won them in clusters. He seemed from the start to have a God-given talent for everything it took to be a good driver: good timing, the ability to make snap decisions, athletic ability and perhaps above all he was quiet and reserved.

During the decade of the 1940's a young Waples plied his trade in the Northern and central parts of Ontario. Each year his talents gained the recognition of more people, and with it came more owners seeking his services. During the winter months he was off to Toronto and Dufferin Park, the capital of winter racing. Despite his relative youth in a then senior-dominated sport, he quickly rose to the top.

By the decade of the 1950's, harness racing was huge in the province of Quebec and the two large tracks in Metropolitan Montreal, Blue Bonnets and Richelieu Park soon became a "home away from home" for Keith Waples. Later that decade, Waples would indelibly etch his name in Standardbred history as the first driver to win a race faster than 2:00 by guiding Mighty Dudley to victory at Richeleu Park on July 21, 1959.

The one I thought Id have the most trouble with that night was Chief Maid, and with the seven hole, I didnt want to leave against her," Waples told Trot Insider back in 2009. "But as it turned out, they all kept taking turns and when it was my turn to come, I still had lots of horse.

Waples would continue to set records on both sides of the border for decades following that miracle mile. His name is engraved on such prestigious trophies as The Little Brown Jug, The Prix d'Ete, The Adios, The International Trot, and the list could go on seemingly forever especially if you start counting driving titles won. While his records show more than 3,200 driving wins, that number is surely a fraction of the true total given that statistics for a good part of his career weren't recorded.

Among the standouts notably handled by Waples: Hall of Fame inductees Tie Silk and Strike Out, plus Alberts Star, Choir Boy, Duke of Decatur, Ben Boy, Blaze Pick, Zip Tar, Rob Ron Ronnie and Rob Ron Tarios.

In 1973, 50-year old Keith Waples was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. He became just the fourth inductee selected from the sport of harness racing, following fellow drivers Joe O'Brien and Herve Filion as well as Col. Dan MacKinnon, who was enshrined in the Builders category. His induction into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame followed in 1978, with the U.S Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame honouring Waples in 1987.

"A quiet spoken man with a dry wit, spoke very few words to most of the media, but his driving exploits spoke volumes on the race track," said the late Hall of Famer Bill Galvin of Waples. "Consistently among the top dash and money winners, Keith was always in the limelight. He was a horseman's horseman, respected by his peers and a role model for young aspiring horsemen. He pursued his craft in a quiet manner, but his lack of conversation with some inquiring writers was very often brief. As a young publicity man who worked the backstretches on a daily basis and talked to trainers, grooms and drivers in search of a good story, I understood why this wily wizard of the reins had little time to answer the queries of some scribes who knew very little about the sport and posed a lot of silly questions."

During his career Waples took time off from his on-track exploits to assist in the front-office operations of developing harness racing in both Ontario and British Columbia. He and his brother Murray, Hall of Famer Jim Keeling and other partners built and operated Orangeville Raceway and then moved west to bring major league harness racing to B.C., building Cloverdale Raceway (now Fraser Downs) in Surrey and Sandown Park on Vancouver Island.

In 2005, Keith was named the greatest horseman of the 20th Century in a poll conducted by the Canadian Sportsman. Try talking to Herve Filion, Ron Waples or Bill ODonnell about Keith, and youll get a real sense of what kind of horseman he was, said historian and Hall of Famer Bob 'Hollywood' Heyden.

Waples maintained involvement in the industry through his 80s and 90s both as an owner and occasional on-track participant. In 2014, the harness racing industry paid tribute to first cousins Keith and Ron Waples with a tribute night at Mohawk Racetrack that also served as a fundraiser for the family of the late Mark Austin.

In recent years, Keith Waples' name was connected to a handful of notable Ontario Sires Stakes performers such as Emery Flight, Junior K, Senior K and 2020 O'Brien Award finalist Karma Seelster. Waples showed in June 2018 -- at the age of 94 -- that he was still quite capable of handling the lines and he quietly made occasional appearances behind his Standardbreds in the years that followed.

His yellow and blue silks last appeared in a race when he was 81 in 2005, but he continued to train a few horses until just a few years ago. In recent years track visits became less frequent, but his TV was usually tuned to the Horse Racing Channel and he followed industry happenings on the Standardbred Canada website.



Keith and Eileen Waples celebrating their 72nd wedding anniversary in 2018 Keith and Eileen Waples celebrating their 72nd wedding anniversary in 2018

He will be sadly missed by Eileen, his loving wife of almost 75 years, and his four children, Barbara Lennox, Donna Galbraith (Mac), Karen Hauver (Maurice) and Gord (Denise), as well as his 9 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Keith was the son of the late Jack and Bertha Waples and was predeceased by sisters, Jean Swan and Annabelle Caffry, and by his grandson Jason (Jay) Waples.

He is survived by sisters Dorothy Rumney of Wasaga Beach, Peggi Diebel of Squamish, B.C. and Mary Jane Burnett of Orangeville, and brother Murray of Barrie.

As per his wishes, his body has been cremated and a small private funeral will be held at the Gilbert MacIntyre and Son Funeral Home in Guelph, Ont., Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. The service will be live streamed and a link is available on the funeral home website. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

As an expression of sympathy, donations to the Guelph General Hospital would be appreciated by the family in recognition of the excellent care that he and Eileen have received there over the years. Donations/online condolences can be made through the Funeral Home at gilbertmacintyreandson.com.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Keith Waples.

(Robert Smith contributed to this report.)
KYODO NEWS - May 7, 2021 - 19:34 | All, World

China on Friday brushed aside concern that debris from its large rocket that is likely to fall back to Earth this weekend would hurt people, stressing most of it will be burned in the atmosphere.

Latest estimates have shown the Long March-5B Y2 rocket, which carried the core module of China's first space station to orbit late last month, is expected to come down "somewhere between" Saturday and Sunday, the United States said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters in Beijing, "Most of the components will be ablated and destroyed during the re-entry process" into the atmosphere.

"The probability of causing harm to aviation activities and on the ground is extremely low," he said, adding, "The relevant competent authorities will promptly report the situation."

On Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the country's military currently has no plan "to shoot the rocket down."

"We're hopeful that it will land in a place where it won't harm anyone, hopefully in the ocean, or someplace like that," he told a press conference.

The U.S. Space Command has been tracking the used launch vehicle. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Wednesday the entire body of the rocket is "almost intact."

The Chinese rocket blasted off from a launch site on the coast of the southern island province of Hainan on April 29.

The core stage of the rocket, which is roughly 30 meters long, would be among the largest pieces of space debris to ever fall to Earth, according to The Associated Press.

Austin emphasized Thursday that there should be "a requirement to operate in a safe and thoughtful mode" for those who conduct activities in space, apparently criticizing China for not fully managing the rocket's return to the atmosphere.

The Global Times, a tabloid affiliated with the ruling Chinese Communist Party, quoted an analyst as saying "only a very small portion" may fall to the ground, which will "potentially land on areas away from human activities or in the ocean."

The Pentagon's reported claim that the rocket wreckage will fly back "out of control" and "may cause damage if it hits inhabited areas" is nothing but Western hype of the "China threat" in space technology advancement, the newspaper quoted observers as saying.

In an attempt to develop new materials and promote the study of bioscience, China is scheduled to continue sending modules to complete the construction of the nation's first space station, named Tiangong, by the end of 2022.

The core cabin module will be able to house three crew members for an extended period in the future.

As the Communist-led government has been steadily moving ahead with space development projects in recent years, expectations are growing that competition between China and the United States will intensify in the field.

Related coverage:

China launches core module of its 1st space station: Xinhua

Suga, Biden commit to take on China challenges, affirm Taiwan stance

G-7 ups pressure on China over human rights, Taiwan threat
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  Des Moines police say a woman was fatally shot, and the man suspected of shooting her died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police found the woman outside an apartment building Friday night. The woman, identified Saturday as 39-year-old Christina Marie Dirks, died at a hospital.
Sen. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, has served in the state Legislature since 1996 and currently represents the 13th Senate District, which includes Marion and Monongalia Counties. He is retired from the UMWA and lives in Rivesville.
The socialist Trojan Horse within the US Christian church

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In recent years, the number of Christians identifying as Christian Socialists or Christian Communists has skyrocketed in a way not seen in over 40 years. Sarah Ngu, in her 2020 article Why These Young American Christians Embrace Socialism wrote the following: Over the past three years, some American Christians have rediscovered this tradition and found themselves gravitating to socialismin all its varieties, from democratic socialism to full-fledged communism. Gary Dorrien, a professor of social ethics at Union Theological Seminary, writes The revival (of Christian socialism) is a Christian flank of the current upsurge for democratic socialist. For the most part, the orthodox Christian community has remained silent about this growing trend, seemingly oblivious to the dangers. Its time we acknowledged how the Trojan Horse of Socialism entered the Church, and fight back.

First, doctrine and history make clear that Biblical Christianity and Socialism and/or Communism are in opposition on fundamental levels. The intellectual forefather of Socialism, Karl Marx, taught this about Christianity: The social principle of Christianity preaches cowardice, self-contempt, abasement, submission, humility. Marx further asserted The more of himself that man gives to God, the less he has left of himself. Like all future communist and socialist leaders who follow Marx, he believed: Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of the heartless world, and the soul of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opiate of the people. (Communist Manifesto, the Bible of Communism).

The history of the socialist war against Christianity is instructive. The League of the Militant Godless was developed by early Soviet leaders like Leon Trotsky and Lenin. Its slogan tells volumes: The struggle against religion is the struggle for socialism. In just over 15 years, the League boasted 3.5 million members and included a hundred ethnicities. This was while Soviets in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) were executing tens of thousands of Priests, millions of Christians, demolishing churches and ruthlessly suppressing Christianity. The official literature of the Comintern (International Communist Front), stated One of the most important tasks of the cultural revolution affecting the wide masses is the task of systematically and unswervingly combating religion  the opiate of the people.

Ben Gitlow was a top figure in the early Communist Party (USA), and twice ran as Vice President of the US on the Communist Party ticket in 1924 and 1928. He left the Communist Party in 1929, and began hearings before Congress about Communist infiltration in America starting in 1939. According to Gitlow in answering Congress about the Communist united front technique of infiltrating America: the tactic of the united front adopted by the Communists in 1922 after they realized that their militant policy for instigating a revolution in Germany and then throughout Europe and the world had failed.. The united front tactic enabled the Communists to greatly increase the effectiveness of their infiltration activities. The aims were to first build pro-Soviet sentiment in America. Second, to set conditions for Communists to capture trade unions. Third to Spread Communist propaganda, incite discontent amount the people, undermine the loyalty of the American people and to divide them on religion, national, racial, and economic lines.

Importantly, Gitlow said this about infiltration of the Christian Church in America: the united front policy enabled the Communists to widely expand their infiltration activities on the religious field because instead of using the Communist Party directly (on Christian organizations), they used united-front organizations not directly connected to the Communist Party. Communist Party USA leader Manning Johnson told Congress that deceit about the anti-Christian nature was a major policy of the Communist Propaganda. According to Johnson: (Communists) made fine gestures and honeyed words to the church people which could be will likened unto the sea nymphs luring millions to moral decay, spiritual death, and spiritual slavery. An illustration of this treachery, I might point out, is smiling, sneaky Earl Browder, for example, who was vice chairman of the American League Against War and Fascism, greeting and praising ministers and other church workers participating with him in the united front anti-war activities, while secretly harboring in his heart only contempt for them and for the religion that they represented.

The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and no longer commands the worldwide Comintern. However, Communism as a worldwide movement continues. The ideology spawned during those decades made substantial inroads into the Church and academia (an estimated 18% of American Professors today identify as Marxist). United Methodist Reverend Lindsey Joyce provides a window into the modern infiltration: Socialism gave me a politics that finally provided clarity.. It wasnt about my individualistic faith or spiritual gifts. Christianity centers around individual spiritual redemption, while socialism is about the collective and material. Communist Christian Dean Dettloff is indicative of the fraud being promulgated to soften and revive Communism within the Church. Dettloff claims the worst abuses in history have actually been committed by people who are devoted to Jesus Christ. This glosses over the upwards of 100 million people who died under 20th century communism, a number that dwarfs almost 2000 years of alleged Christian abuses.

The Church can no longer remain silent. The Trojan Horse of Socialism and Communism, wheeled in to the US in the 1920s, is a growing enemy within. Neither Communism, nor Socialism can be reconciled with Christianity, and its time to voice that truth boldly and loudly. We fight back with spiritual weapons and in Christian love, but against this threat we must fight back.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
The Ghana Armed Forces on Friday deployed 400 soldiers of all ranks to begin the second phase of 'Operation Halt' to rid the country's water bodies of illegal miners.



The operation is aimed at removing all persons and logistics involved in mining on the water bodies.



In a statement signed and issued by Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah in Accra on Friday, said the second phase of the exercise would focus on the tributaries of Pra River, which were significantly affected by the activities of illegal miners.



The military, the statement said, had also begun armed patrols of the Pra River itself and advised the public to stay away from mining in rivers, in order to avoid any action from the soldiers.



GAF also deployed 200 soldiers to get rid of persons and mining logistics on water bodies



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, April 28 authorized the Ghana Armed Forces to commence an operation to remove all persons and logistics involved in mining from Ghana's water bodies.



The operation started at 0600 hours involving 200 soldiers.



The endeavour was in furtherance of the resolutions of the final communique issued at the end of the two-day National Consultative Dialogue on Small-Scale Mining held from April 14 to 15.



The operation was aimed at ensuring that mining on the water bodies was stopped.

Source: GNA









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President Moon Jae-in / Yonhap



Marking his fourth inauguration anniversary next week, President Moon Jae-in is still wrestling with several challenges, especially COVID-19 vaccinations, a stalemate in his Korea "peace process" and continued hikes in home price in major cities.



Moon has just a year in office to handle the problems, the results of which will affect the chances of his Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) winning the next presidential election.



The President is grappling with the coronavirus vaccine issue, as his government aims to achieve herd immunity by November, while hundreds of newly confirmed coronavirus cases are reported here daily. Many people have doubts about the smooth introduction of vaccines  they are also concerned about the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with Pfizer-made ones, the only other brand currently available here, reportedly in short supply.



Moon gained huge public support for the government's early-phase coronavirus response, which was praised by the international community. South Korea, however, is now dubbed a "laggard" on vaccines.



He expressed confidence to the public that the country's vaccination program was on the right track.



"The introduction of vaccines and inoculations are going smoothly beyond the original plan," he stated at the outset of a special Cheong Wa Dae session on the coronavirus held Monday.



As many as 13 million people will get vaccine shots before the end of June, 1 million more than originally planned, he added.



The president is also emboldened by reports that the country's gross domestic product expanded 1.8 percent in the first quarter of the year compared to 2020.



But the faster-than-expected growth, much led by exports, belies a widening asset gap and deepening troubles for people's livelihoods, critics point out. Those in their 20s are struggling to land decent jobs.



In addition, the left-leaning Moon administration has failed to stabilize the property market despite a series of strong policy packages.



Voters are highly sensitive to the matter, along with the coronavirus problem, as demonstrated in the ruling party's crushing defeat in the April 7 Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections.



In a Gallup Korea survey from April 27 to 29, the President's approval rating dropped below 30 percent for the first time since he took office, May 10, 2017, but it did rebound to 34 percent in this week's poll.



Moon is pinning his hopes on a new lineup of officials to be in charge of the thorny real estate issue, as he is replacing the prime minister and the land minister.



The ruling party also plans to set up its own special committee of experts on relevant policy measures, under the initiative of its new leader Song Young-gil.



In the coming weeks, Moon is expected to focus efforts on reactivating his Korea "peace process" that has been stalled for more than two years since the no-deal summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi.



Trump is gone and his successor, Joe Biden, is resetting Washington's policy on Pyongyang to take a "calibrated practical approach" for complete denuclearization.



Moon is scheduled to hold his first in-person summit with Biden at the White House, May 21, and participate in the Group of Seven summit in Britain in June.



Once regarded as playing a mediating, or facilitating, role between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea, now, Moon has little room to maneuver amid chilly inter-Korean relations.



North Korea even announced a decision to skip the Tokyo Olympics, citing worries about the coronavirus, a setback to Moon's push for a breakthrough similar to that achieved during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games. (Yonhap)


Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 22:38:04|Editor: huaxia

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People carry an injured child at a local hospital in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, May 8, 2021. At least 25 people were killed and 52 wounded after three consecutive explosions rocked outside a school in western part of Kabul, capital of Afghanistan on Saturday, the capital police confirmed. (Photo by Sayed Mominzadah/Xinhua)

KABUL, May 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 25 people were killed and 52 wounded after three consecutive explosions rocked outside a school in western part of Kabul, capital of Afghanistan on Saturday, the capital police confirmed.

"The latest figures found 25 martyred and 52 wounded were transported from today's incident and the toll and number of wounded may change," Basir Mujahed from capital police told reporters via a text message.

The incident occurred in front of Sayyed-ul-Shuhada High School in Etifaq township, Police District 13 roughly at 4:30 p.m. local time.

The initial information said the blasts were caused by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) placed by terrorists.

Among the affected people were several parents and students as well as passing-by people.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Over the past years, the capital city with a population of nearly 5 million has been hit by a series of terror attacks by Taliban insurgents and militants of the Islamic State (IS). Enditem


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Boris Johnson last night threw down the gauntlet to Nicola Sturgeon over Scottish independence by urging her to join a UK-wide council of war to rebuild the nation after Covid.

After knife-edge election results left the SNP one seat short of an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament, the Prime Minister called on Ms Sturgeon to join Team UK to tackle the legacy of the pandemic

But she appeared to reject the offer by mocking the supposedly clever manoeuvre. Mr Johnsons invitation will be seen as a move to head off demands for another independence referendum by tying Ms Sturgeon into a national rebuilding exercise.

He congratulated the SNP leader on her success in the elections, before saying he believed passionately that the interests of people across the UK and in particular the people of Scotland are best served when we work together.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, pictured, along with the SNP's Kaukab Stewart outside the election count centre in Glasgow yesterday challenged Prime Minister Boris Johnson over his refusal to permit an independence referendum

Ms Sturgeon, pictured, said a majority of MSPs in the Scottish parliament stood on a manifesto supporting a referendum

Prime Minister Boris Johnson toasted his party's success in England on Friday, but results in Wales and Scotland have been less promising

The Conservative Party smashed through further parts of the red wall, but failed to gain significant ground in Scotland and Wales, according to this week's election results

Citing the success of the vaccine rollout from Gretna to John oGroats, he said: This is Team UK in action.

Mr Johnson also invited First Ministers of Wales and Northern Ireland to the Covid summit to discuss our shared challenges and how we can work together in the coming months and years to overcome them.

But in a televised statement being delivered as the letter was being emailed to her, Ms Sturgeon criticised the Prime Minister for resisting a new referendum. She said: I hear about Boris Johnson refusing to give in to these demands. And what supposedly clever manoeuvres Westminster might be planning. All of this treats voters in Scotland as if they simply dont matter  like they are just a sideshow. But voters are not a sideshow. You  not me or Boris Johnson  are the people who matter.

Mr Johnson also invited First Ministers of Wales and Northern Ireland to the Covid summit to discuss our shared challenges and how we can work together in the coming months and years to overcome them.

But in a televised statement being delivered as the letter was being emailed to her, Ms Sturgeon criticised the Prime Minister for resisting a new referendum. She said: I hear about Boris Johnson refusing to give in to these demands. And what supposedly clever manoeuvres Westminster might be planning. All of this treats voters in Scotland as if they simply dont matter  like they are just a sideshow. But voters are not a sideshow. You  not me or Boris Johnson  are the people who matter.

65 seats are needed for a majority in the Scottish Parliament

To the relief of No 10, the SNP fell just short of the 65 seats needed to win an outright majority at Holyrood.

The SNP eventually secured 64 seats. The Conservatives won 31, with 22 to Labour, the Greens on 8 and the Lib Dems on 4. Alex Salmonds new Alba party failed to win a seat.

With the Green candidates also standing on a mandate to hold another referendum in the next five years, it means the London Government is facing a coalition in favour of such a vote. But Ms Sturgeons hopes of an outright majority were dashed when tactical pro-unionist voting helped the Tories to hold Aberdeenshire West by more than 3,000 votes.

Despite Mr Johnsons implacable opposition, the SNP leader vowed to push ahead with plans for a rerun of the 2014 referendum, leading to the prospect of a Supreme Court battle between Holyrood and Westminster.

Ms Sturgeon said that rejecting her partys calls would amount to a refusal to accept Scottish democracy. The most recent polls have shown Scottish voters split roughly 50/50 on independence.

As the count continued yesterday, it was clear the SNP would fall one single seat short of an overall majority

In other developments on another day of dramatic election results:

Bitter recriminations broke out within Labour after allies of leader Sir Keir Starmer made his deputy Angela Rayner the scapegoat for the catastrophic election results and fired her as party chairman;

Former Labour Cabinet Minister John Denham said the party under Sir Keir could be finished as a national political force, and that it seems to have turned its back on Eng-land and Englishness;

Andy Burnham became the bookies favourite to be next Labour leader after winning re-election as mayor of Greater Manchester in a landslide;

Yvette Cooper was being lined up as a compromise candidate to replace Sir Keir if he fails to reverse the partys fortunes;

Labour suffered another setback by failing to oust West Midlands Tory Mayor Andy Street;

Sadiq Khan was on course to win a further four-year term as Labours London Mayor  but with a much smaller margin of victory than expected;

Labour won an effective majority in the Welsh Senedd, meaning the partys Mark Drakeford will remain First Minister;

After 130 of 143 councils had declared results, the Tories had gained control in 12 areas, including Gloucester, Worcester and Cannock Chase, with Labour losing power in six;

The Conservatives gained 238 councillors, while Labour had lost 293.

Mr Johnson, pictured with the new Tory MP for Hartlepool, Jill Mortimer, left, has written to the First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland inviting them to a summit to discuss a post-Covid recovery plan

The SNP eventually secured 64 seats. The Conservatives won 31, with 22 to Labour, the Greens on 8 and the Lib Dems on 4. Alex Salmonds new Alba party failed to win a seat

In his letter to Ms Sturgeon, Mr Johnson said: While the UKs broad shoulders have supported jobs and business the length of the country, we know that economic recovery will be a serious shared responsibility because the pandemics dam-age runs deep... from hours of lost school learning, to backlogs in the NHS and courts. Overcoming them will require the same spirit of unity and co-operation which marked our fight against the pandemic.

Mr Johnson concluded his letter by saying: I am confident that by learning from each other we will be able to build back better.

However, yesterday senior Tories accused Ministers of making a strategic tactical error early in the pandemic that gave the SNP in Scotland and Labour in Wales a slam dunk electoral boost.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory party leader, told The Mail on Sunday that using health service legislation rather than the UK-wide Emergency Powers Act meant we had Drakeford and Sturgeon up in front of the cameras day in, day out, laying claim to successes that were in fact the UK Governments, like vaccines.

A senior Government source confirmed the choice of legislation unquestionably shored up the Labour and SNP vote. The fact Sturgeon can appear before the nation for more than a year, talking about matters of public health, has had an effect, there is no shadow of a doubt.

It is understood the decision to use the health legislation was argued by Health Secretary Matt Hancock. A source said he underestimated how devious Sturgeon and Drakeford were going to be in taking credit for policies.

And writing in todays Mail on Sunday, former Tory Chancellor Lord Lamont said the possibility of a Scottish breakaway is so real and so damaging that, from now on, this threat demands the Prime Ministers attention above all else.

Last night, Mr Johnson said: These results are an instruction to us to keep our focus on what matters  more jobs and investment, better public services and levelling up opportunity in every single community.

Voters have put their trust in Conservative representatives, councillors and mayors and we must deliver for them. We will have a laser-like focus on the peoples priorities.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory party leader, told The Mail on Sunday that using health service legislation rather than the UK-wide Emergency Powers Act meant we had Drakeford and Sturgeon up in front of the cameras day in, day out, laying claim to successes that were in fact the UK Governments, like vaccines

Wealthy Tories with the Queen as a neighbour save the Union... for now: Victory in Aberdeen West where the Royals holiday at Balmoral stops SNP majority

By Patricia Kane for The Mail on Sunday

In the face of a Nationalist tsunami sweeping Scotland, one tiny pocket of the nation managed to thwart the SNPs bid to seal an overall majority and put a dent in its bid for separation.

Aberdeenshire West  the constituency that takes in the Queens Highland home of Balmoral  had been a key target for Nicola Sturgeon and a win would have given her a firm moral mandate to hold a repeat of the 2014 independence referendum.

But voters just outside the Granite City threw their weight behind the union with the SNP kept at bay in second place by the Conservative incumbent, Alexander Burnett, who even managed to increase his vote share.

Tactical voting by pro-Union supporters played a part, with many Labour and Liberal Democrat voters temporarily lending their vote to the Conservatives who stood the best chance against the separatists.

Crown connection: The Queens Balmoral summer holiday home, pictured above, lies within the constituency, which had been a key target for Nicola Sturgeon

Last night, Mr Burnett, who saw his share of the vote go up 9.1 per cent, said he was absolutely delighted at the resounding support for his party in the constituency, which was the only seat in the whole of the north east of Scotland that the SNP failed to win.

He said: If we have the mantle or title that stopped the SNP getting a majority, I am happy to take that.

I am under no illusions that some of the people who voted for me are not always people who vote Conservative and Im very grateful and appreciative to Liberal Democrats and Labour who lent me their vote this time.

The constituency takes in Royal Deeside in the south, including the Balmoral estate, widely thought to be the Queens favourite residence.

While famously never entering into political debate, the monarch said in 2014 ahead of the Scottish independence referendum that she hoped people will think very carefully about the future.

The areas rich Royal heritage boosts its tourism, while the local oil and gas industry has helped make it one of the most affluent areas in the country.

One key issue was thought to be Brexit, with the impact on food exports from the largely agricultural area thought to be an influence on how people might vote. But the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on tourism, concerns about the oil and gas industry in a post-Covid recovery and views on independence also all played a part.

Mr Burnett, a Banchory-based property developer and business owner, was up against Fergus Mutch, the SNPs former head of communications, who lives in Braemar.

A map showing the results in Scotland. Many Labour and Liberal Democrat voters temporarily lent their vote to the Conservatives who stood the best chance against the separatists

The law graduate previously worked as a parliamentary assistant to Alex Salmond when he was Scotlands First Minister. In the end, Mr Burnett polled 19,709 votes to Mr Mutchs 16,319.

Tactical voting in Galloway and West Dumfries is also thought to have played a part in incumbent Finlay Carson not only seeing off a challenge by the SNPs Emma Harper but increasing his majority.

His win now completes a Tory blue frontline along the border between Scotland and England, while much of the rest of the country is SNP yellow.

Ms Sturgeon was hoping to reach the 65-seat majority mark to give her a stronger mandate to hold a repeat of the 2014 independence referendum, despite Boris Johnson saying now is not the time.

She is certain to remain First Minister, possibly pursuing a coalition with the pro-independence Greens, setting up a constitutional battle for Scotlands future.

Ms Sturgeon upped the ante last night, by warning that any legal attempts to block a new referendum would fly in the face of Scottish democracy. She has vowed to push ahead with plans for a Scottish referendum, while the PM insisted he would not back the irresponsible move that could break up the union.

Any attempt by Scottish politicians unilaterally to try to hold a referendum would lead to a Supreme Court battle between Holyrood and Westminster.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-09 01:50:54|Editor: huaxia

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MOGADISHU, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Saturday warned of high risk of severe flooding in Somalia amid rise in river levels.

FAO's Somalia Water and Land Information Management (FAO-SWALIM) flood bulletin released in Mogadishu warns at least 150,000 people are at immediate risk from imminent floods as river levels in parts of the country continue to rise due to torrential rains.

Ezana Kassa, Head of Programme for FAO in Somalia said in a statement that it is time to act to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the people who will be affected by this unprecedented flood.

According to FAO, the Shabelle River has risen at an alarming rate over the past week due to the heavy rains, adding that rains on the upper parts of the Ethiopian highlands are causing large volumes of water to flow rapidly towards Somalia.

As with the previous three years, the UN food agency warned of a flood wave likely to inundate Beletweyne, one of the largest towns in Somalia, in the coming days.

FAO said the level of damage expected could supersede the mitigation and risk measures that have already been implemented, such as rehabilitating river embankments and, as in recent years, a limited evacuation from flood-prone areas and extensive crop damage is likely to result.

It said channel crest overflow is forecast between May 10-13 along the Shabelle River, particularly within the Hiran and Middle Shabelle Regions, affecting both urban and rural communities.

It said urgent and collective response is required to reduce the risk to human lives and livelihoods as an unprecedented level of rainfall upstream, as forecast, still poses a high flood risk to riverine communities.

Chris Print, Senior Land and Water Advisor from FAO Somalia said there is a climate emergency in Somalia and in the region, noting that the impacts of climate change on people will be felt mainly through water, driven by pattern shifts in regional weather, particularly rainfall and extreme events. Enditem
A husband from Georgia shot dead his wife before turning the gun on himself leaving their three children heartbroken over their parents' death and the rest of their family struggling to understand what happened.

Timothy Price called police on Tuesday morning around 9am to tell them he had shot his wife of 11 years, 36-year-old Katherine, and needed help.

By the time police reached the couple's home in Centerville, Georgia, there was no answer at the the door.

Timothy Price, 41, shot dead his wife Katherine Price, 36, on Tuesday morning

The Georgia couple who attended Baptist Church had three children

Katherine Price was a Master Sergeant in the Army and had worked in budgeting for 18 years

The Houston County Special Response Team forced their way insider the home after throwing several canisters of tear gas inside.

The bodies of Timothy and Katherine were both found on the floor. The couple both had gunshot wounds.

Timothy, 41, from Byron, Georgia owned a truck company and would also drive 18-wheelers. He had previously worked at Frito Lay.

Katherine, 36, from Warner Robins, Georgia worked at Robins Air Force Base for the 116th Air Control Wing where she served as a budget analyst for 18 years.

Police were called by Timothy Price to the couple's home on Tuesday morning

By the time police arrived, the couple were both dead from gunshot wounds

'Master Sgt. Katherine Price was truly a valued member of our organization and respected by so many,' said Col. Amy Holbeck, 116th Air Control Wing commander, in a statement to 13WMAZ.

'In the Georgia Guard, we are family and when we lose a member it is felt by everyone. We are working closely with Katherine's family, friends and co-workers to provide much needed support during this time of loss and healing.'

The Price's nephew Caleb Miles, 19, says the family is in shock to the station.

'I see a lot of police and stuff and I'm just like, 'What was going on?' because it was no bad relationship and I never heard anything bad about their relationship, or something like this was going on, so I'm just like, lost -- I'm trying to figure out what's going on,' said Miles.

Timothy Price was a truck driver while Katherine was a Master Sergeant in the Army and worked at Robins Air Force Base for the 116th Air Control Wing where she served as a budget analyst for 18 years

The Price's nephew Caleb Miles, 19, says the family is in shock over the couple's death

'Right now, it's just shocking, like we never expected nothing like this. It feels like something you read in a book or like see in a movie or something like that, so for something like that to happen so close, it's just... everybody's lost right now,' Miles continued.

'I'll always remember [Timothy Price] him as like that father figure, like always looking out. Even though I wasn't his child and he had his own family, he always looked out for me, and Kat, bringing me in like I was just one of their own. She just treated everybody like family. They were just always good to people,' said Miles.

Family members say the couple had been married for 11 years and were members of Fellowship Bible Baptist Church.

The shooting left their neighborhood stunned with residents calling the pair a 'power couple'.

'We just have to keep praying for our community, because you never know what's going on, sometimes even next door,' Millicent Wooden who lives opposite the home, said to WGXA.
IBARAKI (TR)  Ibaraki Prefectural Police have obtained a warrant for the arrest of a man over the fatal stabbing of a man and his wife and injuring of two of their children in the town of Sakai nearly two years ago, reports Kyodo News

According to police, the unnamed man stabbed Mitsunori Kobayashi, 48, and Miwa Kobayashi, 50, in their bedroom on the second floor of their residence early on September 23, 2019.

The assailant also stabbed their son, then 13, in the legs and arm while he slept in his room on the second floor. He also stabbed his sister, 11, in the hands.

The results of autopsies conducted on Mitsunori and Miwa revealed that they they both died due to loss of blood. The injuries to the children were not life-threatening, police said previously.

Another daughter, 21, was on the first floor at the time. She was unharmed.

The suspect, 26, lives in Misato City, Saitama Prefecture. Police said on Friday that they plan to arrest him on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

The arrest would not be his first. Last December, he was prosecuted for allegedly storing 45 kilograms of sulfur at his residence, a violation of the Fire Services Act.

In February, Ibaraki police also arrested him for forging a police badge. He was prosecuted the following month.

Police believed that the assailant entered the house for the purpose of committing murder since there were no signs that the interior had been ransacked.

Police said on Friday that there could be problems in the case since the son and his sister did not get a good look at the attacker, who was wearing wearing a black hat and a mask.

Although I couldnt see [the assailants] face because it was dark, I think he was alone, the boy told police shortly after the incident, according to Kyodo News (Sept. 26, 2019).

At around 12:40 a.m. on the day of the incident, Miwa Kobayashi alerted emergency services. During the roughly one-minute call, she said that she had been wounded.

When police tried to call her back, there was no answer. It is believed that the assailant killed her after she made the initial call.
The Tamil Nadu government is readying 12,500 beds with oxygen lines on a war-footing to meet the escalating demand for such beds for the infected in government hospitals, Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian said on Saturday.

In order to ensure that Remdesivir is freely available in other parts of Tamil Nadu, the government would make available the anti-viral drug at Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Salem, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli for sale over the counter as is being done at the Kilpauk Government Medical College Hospital here, the minister said.

Maintaining that the creation of additional infrastructure will help doctors cope with the increasing demand for hospital beds with oxygen supply in all the government hospitals in the state, the minister said these beds will be ready by May 15.

"The 200-year-old Stanley medical college hospital here will get additional 750 such beds from Monday," the minister told reporters after inspecting the oxygen plant and RT-PCR lab at the hospital here on Saturday.

On Friday, during an inspection by Chief Minister



M K Stalin at the health facility in the Chennai Trade Centre, health officials had sought the creation of additional 12,500 beds with oxygen lines at government hospitals in the state.

And the chief minister immediately consented, the minister said.

"The situation is not so acute as in some of the north Indian states as being reported by the media.There is no shortage of medical oxygen in Tamil Nadu," Subramanian said in reply to a question.

He insisted that the priority of the government is to protect the people against the infection and the two-week lockdown from May 10, announced by Stalin, should be seen as a measure to break the virus chain.

The government would also explore ways to step up oxygen production in the state, he added.

To another question, Subramanian, accompanied by Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department P K Sekarbabu and health secretary J Radhakrishnan during the inspection, said the inoculation drive against would continue unabated during the lockdown period.

Earlier in the day, the Tamil Nadu government announced complete lockdown from 4 am of May 10 to 4 am of May 24, to curtail the rising graph.

"We have opened a war room' to carry out Corona prevention operations on a war-footing," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-09 04:51:14|Editor: huaxia

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LONDON, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Scotland's First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) Nicola Sturgeon on Saturday pledged to push for a second independence referendum as her party secured "historic and extraordinary" fourth consecutive victory in the Scottish parliamentary election.

As the final results have been declared, the SNP will form the next Holyrood government with 64 seats, just one short of an overall majority.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Conservatives have secured 31 seats; Scottish Labour 22, Scottish Greens eight and Scottish Liberal Democrats four.

In an earlier televised speech, Sturgeon said the SNP had won the most constituency seats and secured the highest share of the constituency vote in the history of devolution.

According to the BBC, the turnout of 66 percent during Thursday's election was the highest since the Scottish parliament was established in 1999.

"It is then to kick-start and drive our recovery with an ambitious and transformative programme for government," Sturgeon said.

"And, yes, when the crisis has passed, it is to give people in Scotland the right to choose their future. All of that is what I promised and all of that is what I intend to deliver."

Sturgeon said the result of the election meant there was "no democratic justification whatsoever for Boris Johnson or anyone else seeking to block the right of the people of Scotland to choose our future."

She insisted that holding a referendum was now "the will of the country."

Earlier Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that it would be "reckless and irresponsible" for Scotland to hold a referendum right now.

"I don't think this is anything like the time to have more constitutional wrangling, to be talking about ripping our country apart, when actually people want to heal our economy and bounce forward together. That's what people want," he said.

David Phinnemore, professor of European Politics at the Queen's University Belfast, has said the result of Scotland's election could impact the future of Britain.

"I suppose if the SNP doesn't get the majority, fall short of that majority, then it takes some of the pressure off in terms of Scottish independence," Phinnemore told Xinhua.

"The SNP is not going to go away. The whole question of Scottish independence isn't going to go away. But I think some of the momentum will have been taken out of this move towards a second referendum or the question of independence," he said.

Meanwhile, Phinnemore said there is a mix of concerns among Scottish voters.

"Obviously, a number of them are wanting to see an independent Scotland because they don't feel as though Scotland's actually been listened to during the Brexit process, or indeed, the COVID process. Equally, you obviously got people who want to see this very much opportunity to say, we don't want independence," he noted.

In the 2016 Brexit referendum, a majority of Scots voted for Britain to stay in the EU.

Phinnemore added that a Scottish independence in the context of Brexit would bring huge uncertainties both to Scotland and to Britain as well.

"And obviously, independence in the context of Brexit is different to independence in the context of membership in the European Union. And I think one of the concerns, if we look at the Brexit dimension is, if Scotland were to rejoin the European Union, you'd have to have border checks and withdrawals on North South across the English Scottish border," he said.

"And we know those are problematic, they are disruptive. And so from that dimension, there'll be costs, involved costs, which wouldn't have been there last time round," he added. Enditem
After dipping into his savings to weather Indias snap pandemic lockdown last March, Manoj Kumar was just getting his head above water again earning 600 rupees ($8) a day as a construction worker in the tourist hotspot of Goa.

Hed squirreled away enough for a trip last month to his native village in Bihar some 1,490 miles away for a wedding. Hes still there, stuck in one of the nations least developed states, as a fierce second Covid-19 wave triggers the worlds worst health crisis and prevents his return. On a lucky day, hell land some odd jobs that fetch him as much as 300 rupees. But there arent too many of those chores left. So hes taking loans to feed and clothe his wife and three kids.

It is all in Gods hands now, said Kumar, whos told his wife to curtail spending on items such as lentils, cooking oil and clothes. I dont know when I will return. My family is worried and doesnt want me to go back as the cases are also rising in Goa.

Kumar, 40, is one of the millions of migrant workers who form part of Indias vast unreported informal sector, which accounts for half of its $2.9 trillion, domestic demand-driven economy. A protracted Covid wave is shrinking incomes and wiping out savings of people like Kumar, posing the risk of a double whammy for Asias third-largest economy thats still struggling to recover from last years pandemic-induced recession.





The government estimates Indias gross domestic product shrank 8% in the year ended March, its biggest contraction since 1952. Many economists are cutting their forecasts for the current fiscal year as rising unemployment and dwindling savings dim the chances of a double-digit growth. Shaun Roache, chief economist for Asia Pacific at S&P Global Ratings, slashed his prediction to 9.8% from 11% earlier. Fitch Solutions sees the economy expanding by 9.5%, a projection thats below the Bloomberg consensus of around 11%.

A drawn-out Covid-19 outbreak will impede Indias economic recovery, Singapore-based Roache said. The country already faces a permanent loss of output versus its pre-pandemic path, suggesting a long-term production deficit equivalent to about 10% of GDP.

With the latest surge caused by a new strain, total infections in India have risen to 21.5 million, a third of which were added just in the past three weeks alone. Experts have warned the crisis has the potential to worsen in the coming weeks, with one model predicting as many as 1,018,879 deaths by the end of July, quadrupling from the current official count of 234,083.

Harsh and Sudden



As new travel restrictions are put in place in some of the nations biggest economic centers to contain the outbreak, Indias poor are likely to bear the brunt again, just as they did in 2020. They have yet to recover from the lockdown ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in late March last year. The harsh and sudden measure sparked an exodus of migrant workers from cities such as Mumbai and New Delhi, as they trekked hundreds of miles to reach home.

People like Kumar typically work without contracts and often for a pittance. The so-called informal economy in India employs approximately 411 million workers, according to calculations by Jeemol Unni, a professor of economics at Ahmedabad University, who relied on surveys by the governments National Statistical Office to arrive at the number. While the low-paying farm sector employs the bulk of them, construction comes second with about 56 million.

Unprotected by unions and politicians, these laborers often miss out on handouts from governments. After meeting daily expenses, they are left with little to pay for health care and medicines -- a risky situation especially when a pathogen is taking lives and sending thousands to intensive care at overcrowded hospitals running short of beds.

Dip in Savings



Economists warn depleting household savings and falling incomes will have an impact on domestic consumption, which accounts for almost 60% of GDP. A study by Nikhil Gupta, an economist at Mumbai-based brokerage Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd., found that Indias household savings dropped to 22.1% of GDP in the quarter through December, from 28.1% in the three months ended June last year. Full-year numbers show Indias savings growth lagged behind the likes of the U.S., the U.K. and Japan, he said.

A slower rise in household savings, coupled with similar or slower decline in consumption, confirms weak income growth in India, Gupta said. If so, the contribution of pent-up demand in growth recovery would also be limited in India compared with other nations.

Data showed April jobless rate increased to nearly 8% from 6.5% in March, with more than seven million exiting the workforce last month, according to data from Center for Monitoring Indian Economy Pvt., a private research firm.

As a result of all the turmoil that started last year, income inequality is deepening in India. A study by Pew Research Center has shown an estimated 75 million people slipped into poverty since the pandemic began. The second wave is set to crush some more. For the study, Pew considered daily incomes of 150 rupees or less as poor, 151 to 750 rupees as low income and 3,750 rupees and above as high income.

A study by the Azim Premji University in Bangalore showed even more alarming numbers. About 230 million individuals slid below the national daily minimum wage threshold of 375 rupees during the pandemic, it said.

Though India could still emerge as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, it will also be one of the most unequal countries, Oxfam, a non-profit organization said.

Duvvuri Subbarao, a former governor of Indias central bank, said the strife faced by the informal-economy workers could hurt Indias long-term growth prospects. Inequalities have intensified because the formal sector has nearly normalized while the informal sector remains distressed, he said.

Slower growth would be bad news for workers like A.K. Singh, who was a cook for a monthly salary of about 20,000 rupees in a restaurant in Mumbai. He fled recently to his home town of Gorakhpur in northern India to start a tire business, for which hes waiting for a loan.

I used some of my savings and money I received from my last salary, he said. But theres a lockdown here too for the past week. My shop was hardly open for two days during the week. What will we earn out of that?
Liptov will restore tradition of mountain sheep farming

The new project wants to introduce the region to visitors.

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The Liptov region launched a new project with the symbolic chasing of sheep out to the grasslands. The locals will gradually present mountain sheep farming, mountain springs and waterfalls, local crafts, and lesser-known natural localities and hike trails.

All these activities will be held online, to introduce the region to potential visitors, the TASR newswire reported.

"Slovaks know Liptov quite well, but not as a destination for agritourism or nature tourism," said Katarina Sarafinova, manager of the Liptov regional tourism organisation, as quoted by TASR. "

The pandemic has forced locals to take a different look on the region, and uncover something that is not as well known, she added.

A different presentation

The Visitliptov.sk website and social network should provide information to potential tourists. Visitors can find out interesting facts in documentary videos or podcasts as well.

The introductory topic is mountain sheep farming, providing answers to questions like why May bryndza sheep cheese tastes the best, whether a chief shepherd's belt really make him stronger, how many sheep and rams are in a sheepfold, whether women could be found in a traditional sheepfold, and more, TASR reported.

The project also reveals the history and culture of mountain sheep farming, presenting a traditional sheep and a sheephook that can endure difficult mountain terrains, but also the new generation of people engaged in this traditional occupation.

An event dedicated to mountain sheep farming is to be held in the open-air museum in Pribylina.

Spectacular Slovakia travel guides

Ruska Bystra (Source: Tomas Hulik)

8. May 2021 at 9:30 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Congratulations on graduating from a Canadian post-secondary institution. Now, what are you going to do?

Immigration programs for international student grads in Canada Congratulations on graduating from a Canadian post-secondary institution. Now, what are you going to do?

Immigration programs for international student grads in Canada Congratulations on graduating from a Canadian post-secondary institution. Now, what are you going to do?

Immigration programs for international student grads in Canada Congratulations on graduating from a Canadian post-secondary institution. Now, what are you going to do? Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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You have a number of options to stay in Canada after you graduate. Having a Canadian credential plus domestic work experience makes you a prime candidate for several immigration programs.

There are some streams that just require a credential, such as a masters or PhD, but having Canadian work experience or a job offer opens the doors to more possibilities.

After you graduate, you may have the option to get a Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), which will allow you to work anywhere in Canada for up to three years. You can apply for immigration from in Canada anytime before your PGWP expires, but even if it does expire while you are waiting on a decision for your application, you may be able to stay in Canada on a Bridging Open Work Permit.

Find Out if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

The best immigration program for you will depend on a number of factors such as:

where you are located in Canada;

where you intend to live in Canada;

your highest education credential;

how much work experience you have;

what kind of experience you have;

your official language proficiency;

how long you are willing to wait for your application to get processed; and

how much you are willing to pay in application fees.

There are more than 100 economic immigration pathways to choose from. Here is a list of some of the options for international student graduates in Canada.

Express Entry

Express Entry is the main pathway for economic-class immigrants. It is an application management system for the three Federal High Skilled immigration programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

You can be eligible for multiple programs once you have a profile in the Express Entry pool.

Express Entry uses a points system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

It is free to enter the pool but you will have to pay if you want to get permanent residence.

Provincial Nominee Program

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows Canadian provinces to offer pathways to permanent residence to immigrants who would be a good match for their labour market. Most Canadian provinces operate their own PNPs.

It is a two-step process for a PNP. First, you apply for a provincial nomination from the province. Then, if you get the nomination, it supports your application for Canadian permanent residence. Only the federal government has the power to provide permanent residency status.

These are not all of the PNPs that graduates may apply for, but here are some of the options that are tailored for international student graduates.

Ontario

Ontario has two streams dedicated to international student graduates: the Masters Graduate Stream, and the PhD Graduate Stream. Neither of these programs require you to have job offers in order to apply.

Manitoba

Manitobas International Education Stream is for people who graduated from a post-secondary institute in the province. This stream has three sub-categories: Career Employment Pathway, Graduate Internship Pathway, and the Student Entrepreneur Pathway

Saskatchewan

Under the Saskatchewan Experience Category students who recently graduated from an eligible Canadian post-secondary may be able to apply for the Students sub category. You need a full-time job offer from a Saskatchewan employer that has been approved by the province. Your employer needs to register on the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) employer website to get approval. The provincial government will send you a Job Approval Letter, and you can submit that with your application to the SINP.

B.C.

B.C. has a number of options for international graduates through the Express Entry British Columbia stream and the Skills Immigration stream. Although the sub-streams of these programs require candidates to have job offers, you do not need a job offer if you are eligible for the International Post-Graduate Category.

New Brunswick

Graduates from New Brunswick may be eligible for the New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream. This program is for foreigners who have a job offer from a New Brunswick employer. It is not specifically for international student graduates, but they do allow people who completed a one-year program at a New Brunswick post secondary to skip the one-year work experience requirement.

Nova Scotia

The International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream is for graduates who have at least two years of full-time study at a Nova Scotia university or college. You need to have operated your own business in the province for at least one year, and intend to make Nova Scotia your new home.

P.E.I.

The International Graduate Stream is for recent grads of P.E.I. post-secondary institutes who already have a job offer in the province. The job offer must be in a skilled profession in line with your field of study.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador offers two streams for grads. The International Graduate Category is for grads of any eligible Canadian institution who are working or have a job offer from a Newfoundland and Labrador employer. The job must be in your field of study.

The International Graduate Entrepreneur Category is for Newfoundland and Labrador grads who want to run a business in the province.

Quebec

Quebec has its own economic immigration program. International students who studied in Quebec may be eligible for the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ). In addition to a job offer, and work experience, you need to demonstrate a strong command of the French language.

Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is slated to become a permanent program in 2022. It allows employers in the four Atlantic provinces to hire foreign talent and provide a pathway to permanent residence.

Grads from eligible institutions in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick may be able to apply for the Atlantic International Graduate Program. This program allows graduates to apply for permanent residence without having any previous work experience.

Find Out if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
New Delhi: Rising number of infections continues to grip the population in fear which is still struggling hard to find hospital beds and oxygen to survive this second wave of pandemic. As per reports, the current wave is expected to peak by June end and thereafter there may be some respite. Dr K. Vijay Raghavan, chief scientific advisor, said on Friday that the third wave of the pandemic can be handled if stringent, necessary steps are taken on time.

Two days ago Dr Raghavan had said the third wave was inevitable given the high levels at which this virus is circulating. He, however, did not give a timeline of the third wave. But on Friday he clarified that the third wave may not take place everywhere in the country if sufficient precautions are taken. The pandemic has different peaks and falls across the country. The only condition for third wave waves is the presence of a susceptible population. If we take strong measures, the third wave of Covid-19 may not happen at all places or even anywhere. It depends much on how effectively Covid guidelines are implemented at the local level, in the states, districts and in the cities everywhere, Dr Raghavan said.

Several states and UTs have imposed strict lockdowns to break the chain of transmission. Goa on Friday announced a 15-day curfew from Sunday during which only essential services, including medical supplies, will be allowed while grocery shops will be allowed to remain open only from 7am-1pm.

The Centre has said it has so far provided more than 17.35 crore vaccine doses to states/UTs and more than 90 lakh doses are still available with states/UTs to be administered. It added over 10 lakh doses in addition will be received by the states/UTs in the next three days.

The Centre has decided to deploy AYUSH professionals to boost availability of medical personnel to fight Covid-19. The Union health ministry said AYUSH doctors are institutionally qualified professionals, well-trained in various aspects of medical care and have proven their competence in various Covid-19 management roles in different institutions across the country. States/UTs have trained nearly 1.06 lakh AYUSH professionals in different aspects of Covid-19 management, and 28,473 professionals have been deployed for Covid-19 activities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the chief ministers of Manipur, Sikkim and Tripura on the Covid-19 situation in their states. Mr Modi had on Thursday spoken with the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Telangana besides the lieutenant governors of Jammu & Kashmir and Puducherry in this regard.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 01:07:00|Editor: huaxia

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LISBON, May 7 (Xinhua) --- Europe's post-pandemic economic recovery will only succeed if it is "fair and inclusive," said Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Friday as he opened the Porto Social Summit, an event hosted by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Echoing Costa's message, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that Europe is "stronger when it is united by social programs."

"Together we are stronger, together we can make our social rules work for all Europeans. Together we can deliver on Europe's promise," she said.

According to von der Leyen, the objective of the summit is "to build a social Europe that is capable of realizing our ambitions."

Prime Minister Costa, who chairs the Council of the EU, said that "The time has come to rapidly launch economic and social recovery based on the engines of climate and digital transitions in a sustainable way."

These transitions "generate opportunities, but they also generate great anguish and much anxiety for millions of workers, as well as fears for small and medium-sized companies that fear losing competitiveness with the new environmental demands."

"The European Union must not forget the flip side of these transitions, the need for a strong social pillar to combat inequality, to create new jobs, to ensure requalification and social protection," Costa said.

He also stated that the European Commission's plans "are not only a response to the current situation, but above all, they are an instrument for the future."

According to him, the COVID-19 pandemic has "revealed the importance of a strong social state," in addition to "multiple weaknesses that still exist in our societies."

"A precarious society is not a resilient society. Recovery cannot just meet the present emergency and the time has come to combine emergency with recovery," he concluded.

Thanking Costa for hosting the Social Summit, von der Leyen said that "the pandemic uncertainty is not over yet and recovery is still at an early stage."

"Thanks to our single market social economy, we can give people certainty, who now more than ever need tangible and positive changes."

The two-day summit is attended by President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, the European Council President Charles Michel, the Commission's Executive Vice Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, as well as 24 European heads of state and government and other political and institutional leaders, social partners and civil society.

Topping the agenda is the action plan presented by the Commission in March, which sets out three major goals for 2030: have at least 78 percent of the European population in employment, ensure that at least 60 percent of adults participate in trainings, and lift 15 million people out of poverty and social exclusion. Enditem
The week started with housing minister Darragh OBrien insisting that a sovereign government could in no way legislate to plug a loophole that allowed a recently-arrived investment fund, or vulture fund, to build and rent out new houses in residential streets in a Co Kildare town.

The homes would be rented out for 20 to 25 years and, in the midst of the worst housing crisis in the history of the State, would entail little risk for its foreign clients.

But the political row blew up because the investment fund had become a cuckoo fund, and was now effectively using its resources to outbid first-time buyers here.

Pledge to kick out the vultures... again

The week ended with Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar pledging similar legislation to a draft law that Mr OBrien had, as an opposition politician, passionately advocated in late 2019.

It would have kicked out vulture funds from building and owning three-bedroom homes, as opposed to banning them from building and renting out apartment blocks.

An RTE crew shooting in Mullen Park, Maynooth, Co Kildare. Controversy blew up when it emerged that 135 of the 170 homes in the estate were bought by Round Hill Capital, a global property investment firm which will be putting the houses on the rental market. Picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

At the centre of this furore were two recently-arrived investment funds. Round Hill Capital is building family homes in Maynooth, and, in partnership with another fund called SFO Capital, is completing a residential estate in an outer suburb in north west Dublin.

Round Hill bought over 130 new family homes in Maynooth. In global terms, it is a relatively small player. The 2bn it has committed may look like a lot of money, but its projects are however spread across much of the globe: It has offices in locations that include Palm Beach, Madrid, Porto, Munich, and Singapore. It only set up an office in Ireland in 2018, when it announced a project for student accommodation in Cork.

London-based SFO Capital is also a relative newcomer. Its Dublin residential focus was on 112 new-build family homes and involved SFR, which translates from the jargon of the property fund industry as single-family residential homes for rent.

The term is purposely used to stress the difference between building and renting suburban homes as opposed to building and renting apartment blocks, which such funds are regularly involved in.

Funds are chasing secure investments

Round Hill and SFO Capital are just two of the many thousands of funds  from the US and Europe and, increasingly, from China  that are chasing secure investments in bricks-and-mortar projects with billions of euro around the world.

By type, the funds include pension funds which are seeking to finance retirement income of a diverse roster of clients, including professional retirees and trade unions.

They also include funds which have become known as vulture funds, which now play a huge part in the Irish economy. That role extends beyond office and apartment blocks and goes into the heart of banking here.

Making this row politically toxic was that well-resourced foreign funds during a housing crisis were effectively bidding directly against first-time buyers.

It was also politically embarrassing for Government politicians in their failure to act over a loophole that could have been closed years ago.

Homebuilding role for investment funds

Mr Varadkar has made clear that the Coalition will close the loophole to stop funds competing with first-time buyers. But the new legislation will not outlaw investment funds from building homes because, he said, they play a part in solving the housing crisis.

Effectively, the Government is sending the message to the investment funds to get back to building apartment blocks in Dublin city centre and its affluent near-suburbs, and not to stray into competing for land with first-time buyers for conventional three-bedroom housing.

Funds have been part of policy

The row has been useful nonetheless for throwing a light on what is going on with housing and banking policy  the two industries that were crippled and then failed to return to financial health after the banking and property crash of 10 years ago.

What ministers have failed to explain is that the States policy over the last 10 years is now so deeply entwined with foreign investment funds.

The funds help build private apartment blocks, fund whole housing projects, and are now involved with big local authorities to supply social homes for rent amid a desperate housing crisis.

Mortgages sold off to funds

Then there is the endorsement that the Government and the Central Bank have given to the vulture funds to own, albeit indirectly, residential property in another way  buying up large numbers of residential mortgage loans from all the main mortgage lenders.

The row says much about the way that governments and officials have outsourced Irelands broken housing and banking markets to investment funds in recent years.

The financial crash entailed the crippling of Irish banks and the destruction of most small Irish housebuilding firms. Ever since, reaching out to foreign investment firms to provide sticking plasters for the running sores of housing and banking has been the policy choice, despite these problems calling for long-term solutions.

Construction outsourced abroad

Construction of office buildings and then large apartment blocks in the Dublin docklands and its inner wealthy suburbs has been outsourced to foreign-owned funds when it was decided to wind down Nama earlier than first planned.

Sovereign asset recovery agencies are meant to recover value for their citizens over very long term timeframes.

And its not the first-time that government politicians have stumbled over a loophole involving foreign funds.

Irish Collective Asset-management Vehicles were introduced under law in 2015 to help US funds, in particular, to transfer monies through Ireland. Within a year, it became clear that a number of the 200 funds used Icav structures instead to buy or invest in Dublin apartment and office blocks, while paying no tax.

There were also the Section 110 tax incentives which were tapped by funds to buy distressed commercial and in some cases mortgage debt.

Funds encouraged by the State

Lorcan Sirr, a senior lecturer in housing at the Technological University Dublin, said the row this week blew up because it involved residential streets of three-bed homes, as opposed to apartment blocks that, since the crash, funds have built and let out to tenants in the centre of Dublin.

The investment funds havent been reined in, and are now at the centre of Irish housing, encouraged by the State to provide local authorities with social housing.

Mr Sirr estimates that a quarter of the approximately 20,000 annual housing units built before the onset of the Covid crisis were one-off homes, while another quarter were built by local authorities and other approved housing bodies.

An 'Irish Examiner' article published on November 27, 2019, explaining how then Fianna Fail housing spokesman (now housing minister) Darragh O'Brien proposed to clip the wings of vulture funds.

Of the remaining 10,000 units, over 3,500 a year were bought by investment funds and are mostly new apartments, with at most 7,000 new homes provided for first-time buyers.

Any encroachment into residential three-bed family homes by the funds will likely have consequences for the market, Mr Sirr said.

He said some of the leases involve upward-only rent reviews tied to the consumer price index which provide foreign funds with a low-risk investment of up to 25 years, with the property returned to them at the end of the lease.

Social housing 'a gilt-edged investment'

Funds are securing gilt-edged returns in Ireland that they couldnt get anywhere else on the globe, having strayed from building upscale apartment blocks for the well-paid staff of multinationals into social housing.

The State is now the underwriter, Mr Sirr said.

Social housing has overtaken luxury housing as the gilt-edged investment for funds.

Ken MacDonald of Hooke and MacDonald said that investment funds will start pulling back from building three-bed residential properties because they will not want to attract further Government restrictions.

Vultures embedded in Ireland

The row this week was remarkable for what it didnt focus on. Ministers werent quizzed on the way that vulture funds are embedded along almost every residential street in Ireland.

Senior policy adviser at the Free Legal Advice Centres, Paul Joyce, a leading expert on mortgage debt and the banks, said that 13% of all the 735,000 residential mortgage loans in the Republic are now in the hands of vulture funds  or the so-called non-bank entities and servicing firms.

They were sold to foreign funds by the main mortgage banks after the financial crash.

Worse, vulture funds own well over half of all residential mortgage loans in long-term arrears, he said.

The housing and banking crises are intertwined.

Essentially, we stopped building social housing during the banking crash and we havent recovered since, Mr Joyce said.
ROME (AP)  Italian archaeologists have uncovered the fossilized remains of nine Neanderthals in a cave near Rome, shedding new light on how the Italian peninsula was populated and under what environmental conditions.

The Italian Culture Ministry announced the discovery Saturday, saying it confirmed that the Guattari Cave in San Felice Circeo was one of the most significant places in the world for the history of Neanderthals. A Neanderthal skull was discovered in the cave in 1939.
As the second wave of COVID-19 continues to ravage the country, is likely to hold a Working Committee (CWC) meeting on May 10 to discuss the pandemic situation in India.

On Friday, President Sonia Gandhi had alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre has "failed the people of country", and "abdicated its fundamental responsibilities and duties towards the people" in the COVID-19 crisis and demanded that it should urgently call an all-party meeting to discuss the pandemic situation.

Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting, she attacked the government saying "India is crippled by a political leadership today that has no empathy for the people".

"Fighting COVID is not a 'government versus us' battle but 'us versus corona' battle" which "transcends political differences" and "we have to fight this battle together as a nation," Gandhi had said.

She further had added that meetings of standing committees must be convened to ensure collective action and accountability to combat the pandemic better.

The cumulative COVID-19 caseload cases in the country reached 2,14,91,598 including 1,76,12,351 recoveries, informed the Union Health Ministry on Friday. The death toll further mounted to 2,34,083.

(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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An environmental group is demanding that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency take emergency actions to reduce chloroprene emissions at the Denka Performance Elastomer manufacturing plant in LaPlace and ethylene oxide emissions at two nearby chemical plants, charging that EPAs own data show nearby minority and low-income residents of St. John the Baptist Parish face the highest risk of cancer in the country.

The petition was filed with EPA Administrator Michael Regan on behalf of the Concerned Citizens of St. John group on Thursday, the same day that EPAs own inspector general also demanded that the agency move quickly to upgrade regulation of chloroprene and ethylene oxide to reduce cancer risks in St. John and Ascension parishes and 16 other U.S. locations.

The high cancer rates in St. John the Baptist Parish are an emblematic example of environmental racism, said Maryum Jordan, an attorney with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which is representing the activists group. The communities affected by the Denka facility would greatly benefit from comprehensive, protective air regulations.

The inspector general report also tied increased regulation to environmental justice concerns.

Minority and low-income populations are disproportionately impacted by chloroprene and ethylene oxide emissions, the report said, adding that EPAs own environmental justice screening tool found that 100 percent of the people living in the same census block group where Denka is located are minorities and 49 percent of them are low-income.

The report recommends EPA conduct new residual risk and technology reviews for chloroprene and ethylene oxide manufacturing to address the elevated cancer risk faced by nearly a half million people in census tracts near chloroprene and ethylene oxide manufacturers and to achieve environmental justice. Those studies would result in new risk values that would then require EPA to consider adopting lower emission limits. EPA concluded chloroprene was a likely human carcinogen in 2010, and that ethylene oxide was a carcinogen in 2016.

A spokesman for Denka repeated the companys contention that it has never violated its state permitted emission limits. The company is operating under a 2017 voluntary compliance agreement with Louisiana state government to install new equipment that has dramatically reduced its emissions. That agreement did not reduce its official emission limits, however.

Denka spokesman David LaPlante said EPAs own risk website indicates that steps taken by the company have reduced the potential risk of cancer by 85%, based on 2019 emissions.

And he said the company has asked EPA to reconsider its listing of chloroprene as a likely human carcinogen, based on a company-sponsored peer-reviewed study that concluded the chemical was much less cancer-causing than EPA found.

According to a 2014 National Air Toxics Assessment by EPA, the individual lifetime cancer risk from both chemicals was at the rate of 2,000 cases per 1 million individuals at the census tract level near the Denka plant, the highest in the United States.

The inspector general's report says EPAs failure to review its rules might violate a 1994 Clinton-era executive order requiring the agency to address environmental justice concerns.

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Denka is the only manufacturer of chloroprene in the U.S. According to the Concerned Citizens petition, ethylene oxide is being released from the Evonik Corp., three miles away in Reserve, and the Union Carbide Corp. Taft/Star plant, seven miles away in St. Charles Parish.

The inspector general report lists three plants in Louisiana that were determined in 2014 as contributing to cancer risks equal to or greater than 100 in a million in local census blocks  a group of census tracts  in Ascension Parish:

BASF Corp., Geismar

Dow Chemical Co., Plaquemine

Shell Chemical LP, Geismar

It says most cancer risk to residents living and working in census tracts nearest the Denka plant results from chloroprene from that plant, but it adds that a significant portion of the elevated cancer risk results from their exposure to ethylene oxide emissions from Union Carbide and Evonik.

Judge tosses second lawsuit blaming Denka's Reserve plant for health problems 23 residents waited too late to sue, insufficiently linked company to their ailments, ruling says

The report also said that while Denkas chloroprene emissions have dropped significantly since the company agreed to install new equipment in 2018, a 12-month rolling average of readings at six local monitoring sites still indicates emissions exceed the EPA cancer risk level of 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter, and that short-term spikes exacerbate that problem.

Based on the rolling annual average since 2017, the report concluded, EPAs existing regulations governing chloroprene may not be protective of human health.

In its petition, the Concerned Citizens group pointed to readings at a monitor on Chad Baker Street averaging 1.6 micrograms per cubic meter between October 2019 and September 2020, and to one reading that was as high as 22.6 micrograms per cubic meter. At East St. John High School, the petition said, the average between October 2019 and September 2020 was 0.3 micrograms per cubic meter, higher than the agreed limit.

Our families are dying of cancer because for the last four years EPA has ignored our community and allowed companies like Denka to dump hazardous pollution into our air, said Mary Hampton, a member of Concerned Citizens.

LaPlante disagreed with the groups contention that there is an increased number of cancer cases near the plant. He pointed to Louisiana Tumor Registry studies that indicate no difference in the rate of cancer cases in the Denka census tract and in St. John Parish, when compared to state averages.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the year of Denka's voluntary compliance agreement with Louisiana state government.
Jaipur:

A day after cow vigilantes killed a Muslim man in Rajasthans Alwar, states Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said that they do not have enough manpower to control every situation.

Humare pass itni manpower nahin hai ki har jugah har sthithi ko samay se pehle control kar saken (We do not have enough manpower to control every situation on time, said Kataria.

The home minister also added that strict actions would be taken against the culprit irrespective of the their religion. Actions will be taken against the culprits even if the murderers are Hindu, said Kataria.

The Rajasthan home minister added that the state police has detained a person in connection to the brutal killing by alleged cow vigilantes.

On Sunday Umar Khans body was recovered near railway tracks in Alwars Ramgarh. Family members and human right activists have alleged that he was shot dead by cow vigilantes when he was ferrying cattle in a vehicle.

Also read: Five people beaten in Faridabad on suspicion of carrying cow meat



An FIR has been registered at Govindgarh police station under relevant Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections including 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) against unidentified people.

Also read| No one can have audacity to export cow meat from UP: Adityanath



Umars killing is the second incident in Alwar district in the past seven months. Earlier, a 55-year-old farmer, Pehlu Khan, from Haryana was lynched by alleged cow vigilantes.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
A lax mentality that breached prevention protocols has worsened the situation of virus variants and other factors that Vietnam is dealing with in its fourth Covid-19 wave.

After going for more than a month without any Covid-19 community transmission, the streak snapped on April 27 with a hotel employee infected by a group of Indian experts quarantined at the hotel in the northern province of Yen Bai.

Two days later, six more local cases were recorded in the northern province of Ha Nam. The cases stemmed from one man who finished his mandatory 14-day quarantine period after returning from Japan, but neglected post-quarantine self-isolation protocols and ended up passing the virus to others.

In the following days, the outbreak spread to several localities, especially following a four-day Reunification Day holiday that saw tourism sites jam-packed with people. As of Saturday, the spark of infection has ballooned into 176 community cases recorded in 19 cities and provinces, forcing lockdowns on several places across the country.

In the latest outbreak, even a frontline hospital in the Covid-19 fight has not been spared. Hanois National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the main facility for Covid-19 treatment not only for the capital city, but the northern region in general, has been locked down after becoming a novel coronavirus hotspot, triggering dozens of infections in at least 14 localities.

Commenting on this development, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said: "That stronghold has now been breached."

Vietnams fourth Covid-19 outbreak has shown marked differences compared with the earlier ones in Da Nang City last year or Hai Duong Province earlier this year: multiple hotspots; the existence of different variants; the difficulties in tracking down "patient zeros;" and infections detected after completion of mandatory quarantining.

Multiple hotspots

Nguyen Van Kinh, chairman of the specialists council for Covid-19 treatment, said previous Covid-19 waves had spread from one hotspot to different locations. For example, the Da Nang outbreak last year had the Da Nang Hospital as its epicenter, and the one in Hai Duong outbreak earlier this year the Poyun industrial area.

But this time, things have been different: multiple outbreaks have been observed across different locations within a short time frame  one at Ha Nam Province, stemming from the man returning from Japan who tested positive after completing the mandated quarantining in a centralized facility, but tested positive later and passed the infection to people in localities like Hanoi, HCMC and Hung Yen; another in Vinh Phuc Province, associated with a group of Chinese experts who'd tested negative three times during their quarantine, but were found positive later; yet another in Yen Bai Province where a group of Indian experts staying in a local hotel tested positive; and even one at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, which has proved highly contagious, spreading to many other localities.

"This coronavirus wave is much more complex with so many outbreaks involved, forcing all provinces to ramp up their prevention measures," said Kinh.

Variants of concern

Genetic sequencing has revealed the existence of several variants among cases in the new wave, most notably one carrying double mutations  B.1.617  that originated in India.

This variant, making its first appearance in Vietnam, contains two key mutations called E484Q and L452R, which have been found separately in other variants but not together in a single strain. These mutations have been seen to make the virus more transmissible and less susceptible to neutralizing antibodies, experts said. This variant has been found among patients in the outbreak at Vinh Phuc, Hanoi and Hai Duong.

Another variant with origins in the U.K., called B.1.1.7, which had already appeared in Vietnam previously, have been found among cases at Ha Nam, Hung Yen and Ha Tinh. The U.K. variant is believed to be more transmissible, but not more deadly, experts said.

Le Quoc Hung, head of the Tropical Diseases Department of HCMCs Cho Ray Hospital, said the presence of multiple outbreaks and variants at the same time means these are independent of each other and have come from different sources.

"The virus is ever-changing. The recently observed variants would increase infection risks and incubation periods so they could go from one person to another in a shorter time frame," he said.

While isolation and lockdowns might be very effective against local outbreaks, multiple variants and infection sources mean the virus has spread on a much wider scale, requiring much greater containment efforts, he added.

Missing Patient Zeros

In previous Covid-19 outbreaks, the first patients to be infected with the virus were relatively quickly identified, which was especially helpful for contact tracing and quarantining. But things changed with the Hai Duong outbreak earlier this year. The virus had already spread far and wide by the time it was detected, making it very difficult to track down the original source of infection, Hung said.

The same thing is happening with the current wave, he added.

"We have totally lost track of F0 cases," said Hung, referring to patients who were infected first and placed in the first chain of transmission. The fact that most patients were largely asymptomatic also means they did not know they had the virus and still continued to travel, silently allowing the virus to fester within the community.

"They are like time bombs," Hung said.

The inability to track down Patient Zeros has made contact tracing much harder. Combined with the fact that authorities have been detecting a high influx of illegal entrants trying to enter Vietnam, meaning there could be people who have slipped through the border undetected and the chance of the virus silently infiltrating society is high, he added.

Negative three times, but positive again

The 28-year-old man who sparked the coronavirus outbreak in Ha Nam had already finished his 14-day quarantine after returning from Japan and tested negative three times, but he still managed to contract the virus later. The same thing happened with the group of Chinese experts in the Vinh Phuc outbreak and other cases.

Tran Dac Phu, a senior advisor for the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC), said there must have been breaches in quarantine procedures at hotels for the virus to get out.

Truong Huu Khanh, head of the Neuro-infectious Disease Department of HCMCs Childrens Hospital 1, said novel coronavirus positive results after 14-day quarantining may indicate problems with either the quarantining or testing procedures.

"In general, the problem lies with human carelessness, not the disease," he said.

The Ministry of Health recently extended the Covid-19 quarantine period from 14 to 21 days.

Letting their guard down

People used to be much more fearful and careful about Covid-19, said Hung, with streets becoming empty and crowds not gathering anywhere during previous outbreaks.

But in this wave, citizens have decided to go out and party despite frequent reports of new Covid-19 cases popping up everywhere.

Authorities have found numerous instances of people going to karaoke parlors despite existing bans. Some people have neglected self-isolation protocols and endangered public health in the process, Hung said.

He said Vietnams earlier successes and high trust in the government may have made people complacent and not follow protocols strictly.

He warned: "This is especially alarming. People play a vital role in the Covid-19 fight. If outbreaks are not quickly contained, the virus will spread on a large scale and have unexpected impacts."
HARTFORD  State police arrested a 33-year-old city man Thursday charged with illegally carrying a 9mm handgun following a traffic stop.

Zabdiel Hueca faces charges of criminal possession of a pistol or revolver, illegal transfer of a high capacity magazine, as well as other weapon and motor vehicle offenses.

The investigating officer was traveling south on Interstate 91 near Exit 23 in Hartford when he spotted a gray Honda driven by Hueca with fake temporary tags.

The officer pulled the Honda over where he smelled marijuana emanating from within the vehicle.

State police said Hueca was also wanted for violation of probation. The officer searched the vehicle and found a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun, according to state police.

Hueca was released on $50,000 bond and is due to appear in New Britain Superior Court on July 30.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 13:31:22|Editor: huaxia

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SINGAPORE, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a milestone in China's development, said Singapore's former Foreign Minister George Yeo.

When talking about the CPC, one needs to review the history of the Chinese revolution, "which is the greatest revolution in human history," Yeo told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"I've been watching Awakening Age (a TV series on the founding of the CPC), reviewing the debates in China after Xinhai Revolution in 1911, and finally the creation of the Chinese Communist Party," Yeo said.

The revolution in China was full of twists and turns, but all the time the CPC has been learning and finding a way forward, harnessing the unity, the energy and the creativity of the Chinese people.

A key achievement of the CPC is to elevate the status of women in society.

"The result is that Chinese women today is probably the most liberated among all Asian women," he said.

Worldwide, a very exciting chapter is being revealed in human history, and it represents a new internationalism, he said.

Now many countries are going to the Moon and the Mars. "There do people fight each other or cooperate with each other? As a challenge to all human beings, this requires a new thinking," he added.

Today China is possibly the most digital society in the world, Yeo said, citing applications of e-commerce, facial recognition, artificial intelligence and digital currency.

Moreover, China aims to raise its urbanization rate to 65 percent during the 2021-2025 period, according to the recently published 14th Five-Year Plan.

Other countries will watch and learn what China does, he said, and likewise, China can learn from other people's successes, as "we can only find the way to the future by learning from the experiences of others."

It requires a very lively party which is very open to the world and to new ideas, and takes a lively interest in the experiences of others and learn from them, said Yeo. Enditem
Coleen and Wayne Rooney are reportedly set to take their children Kai, 11, Klay, seven, Kit, five, and Cass, three, for a summer holiday in Wales.

According to reports on Friday, the WAG, 35, and her husband, also 35, have decided to book a trip at a chalet in a luxury seaside resort known as The Warren.

The family usually jet off to Barbados for their summer breaks, but are said to have chosen a location closer to home amid the coronavirus crisis.

Holiday: Coleen and Wayne Rooney 'trade Barbados for Wales as they plan to take their children on a seaside summer holiday in a luxury resort', it was reported on Friday

The Warren is based in the Welsh village of Abersoch in Gwynedd, and the resort boasts its own helicopter pad and five-star facilities.

It was reported by The Sun that the resort will cost 5,000-a-week, and they claimed it is known as the 'millionaire's caravan park.'

A source told the publication: 'Its essentially a step up from camping. But with a gilded twist for the rich and famous.'

MailOnline has contacted Coleen and Wayne's representatives for further comment.

Closer to home: According to reports, the WAG and her husband have decided to book a trip at a chalet in a luxury seaside resort known as The Warren

Exciting: The Warren is based in the Welsh village of Abersoch in Gwynedd, and the resort is said to boast its own helicopter pad and five-star facilities

It comes after MailOnline exclusively revealed last month that Rebekah Vardy is making a fresh bid to weaken rival Coleen's case before their so-called Wagatha Christie case reaches its dramatic conclusion.

Rebekah, 39, is working to have a section of evidence from Coleen's defence 'struck out' in her latest move, the section is known as 'TV Details story' and stems from a story Coleen claims she leaked in September 2019.

Meanwhile, Coleen was given just 24 hours (until 4.30pm on Friday) to add any more evidence before a new deadline, with Rebekah then given a chance to serve a reply to Coleen's evidence documents.

The twin developments signal that the two warring Wags are further than ever from reaching an eleventh-hour agreement to prevent a lurid and hugely expensive court case from going ahead.

Claims: Meanwhile, Rebekah Vardy is making a fresh bid to weaken rival Coleen's case before their Wagatha Christie case reaches its dramatic conclusion (pictured November 2020)

Rebekah, married to Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, is suing mother-of-four Coleen for libel after Coleen accused her to leaking false stories over her private life.

The long-running feud between the high-profile WAGS erupted after Coleen revealed that she had set a trap to see who was responsible for the leaks, which earned her the nickname Wagatha Christie.

Coleen famously wrote: 'I have saved and screenshotted all the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them. It's ................ Rebekah Vardy's account.'

Soon after, Rebekah took to social media to deny being the person who had leaked the stories to the press, after Coleen's post went viral.

Deadline time: Coleen was given just 24 hours to add any more evidence before a new deadline, MailOnline learned last month (pictured October 2020)

Last June, it emerged that Rebekah had launched a case to sue Coleen for 1 million.

The latest twist in the saga saw Mr Justice Nicklin, set the deadline in an order, telling both women that if they want to change any dates, they have to apply formally to the court.

He also set down a timetable to take the case forward, with both women being required to serve revised costs budgets with the court by June 18 this year.

The section of evidence which Rebekah wants to be 'struck out' in her latest move - removed as evidence from the case - is known as the 'TV Details story' and stems from September 2019.

At that point, Coleen claims to have blocked all followers from her Instagram Stories, except Rebekah, then posted a selfie alongside the text: 'Up and out!! Easing my way back into work!! TV decisions today maybe it's time for Australia' and 'Good Day' with a heart emoji.

Three days later the Sun published an 'exclusive' story suggesting that Coleen was in talks to join Strictly Come Dancing the following year and was looking 'to revive her TV career'.

According to Coleen's defence document, Rebekah could be inferred to be the source of the Sun's story, but Rebekah's lawyers reject that conclusion, and want the judge to agree with them by striking out the passage.

Post: Coleen famously wrote, 'I have saved and screenshotted all the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them. It's ................ Rebekah Vardy's account'

A costs and case management hearing will take place before procedural judge Master Roger Eastman on July 2, likely to last two and a half hours. The hearing will decide how the case will go ahead.

Already Coleen has described Rebekah's budget of nearly 900,000 for the case as 'grotesque' after a virtual hearing before Master Eastman in March, who said the budgets for both women were 'extraordinarily large.'

Coleen estimated her budget for legal fees at 402,312.

Case: The twin developments signal that the two warring WAGs are further than ever from reaching an eleventh-hour agreement to prevent a lurid and hugely expensive court case

Efforts at mediation in the hope of settling the case are thought doomed to failure, especially since Coleen has declined to remove the posts at the centre of the libel action, which remain accessible online.

Since Rebekah initiated the case there have been a series of legal skirmishes ahead of the planned full case.

In October 2020, Coleen 'doubled down' by filing her 55-page defence and sharing images of the Instagram posts she alleged Rebekah leaked.

The following month, Rebekah won the first round of her High Court libel battle at the 'meanings hearing'

Time's running out! Coleen now has until 4.30pm on Friday to present evidence to oppose the striking out, and Rebekah will then get a chance to serve a reply to Coleen's evidence

Sued: Rebekah, married to Jamie Vardy, is suing Coleen for libel after Coleen accused her to leaking false stories over her private life (pictured with husband Jamie and daughter Olivia)

In February, the pair attended a court-ordered mediation session on Zoom, their first meeting for years.

Zoom proceedings began with both sides reading out a statement and then breaking off into separate virtual rooms as the mediator spoke to them and their legal representatives independently.

Former columnist Coleen reportedly tried to reach out to brunette Rebekah after another round of failed talks to avoid a costly legal battle.

However, it's thought that she saw the mediation as a 'waste of time' as TV star Becky continues to demand she apologise for her fierce accusationLast February, Rebekah broke down on ITV's Loose Women, saying the feud was 'one of the worst things I had to deal with apart from being abused when I was younger'.
(AFP via Getty Images)

The Long March 5B rocket, which carried a Chinese space station module, has dropped into low Earth orbit and now risks crashing back down.

The rocket successfully launched the Tianhe module last week, which will become the living quarters of the future Chinese Space Station (CSS). Unfortunately, the 30-metre long rocket also reached orbit, and is now one of the largest ever launches to make an uncontrolled re-entry.

It is uncommon for rockets to reach the velocity necessary to reach orbit, but it is currently travelling around the world once every 90 minutes, or seven kilometres every second. It passes by just north of New York, Madrid, and Beijing, and as far south as Chile and New Zealand.

There are fears that the rocket could land on an inhabited area; the last time a Long March rocket was launched in May 2020, debris was reported falling on villages in the Ivory Coast. The speed of the rocket means scientists still do not yet know when it will fall, but it is likely to do so before 10 May 2021.

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For years, I have been deeply concerned about the plight of lions in South Africa.

Specifically, I have lobbied for an end to the barbaric captive-bred lion industry.

Last summer I published Unfair Game, in which I exposed the horrifying truth about what it really involves.

Captive-lion breeding operates under the umbrella of the respectable tourist trade, but in reality it has meant thousands of lions have been farmed and then exploited in the most cruel ways imaginable simply for profit  all the while risking human health as well.

Now, thanks in part to my campaign, this scandal looks as though it will, finally, come to an end.

In South Africa, over the past 30 or 40 years, thousands of lions have been purpose-bred for a life that is disgusting and depressing. Pictured: Hunters pose for a photo with a lion that was darted in 2018

Lions are supposed to be wild creatures, free to roam the earth as they have always done. Yet in South Africa over the past 30 or 40 years, thousands have been purpose-bred for a life that is disgusting and depressing.

Days after being born, these poor creatures are torn half-blind from their mothers and placed in tourist facilities and lodges. There, well-meaning but naive foreigners pay large sums of money to pet them.

When the animals are no longer cute and cuddly, they are caged, beaten and drugged until big enough to be slaughtered.

Often, this happens for 'sport' or pleasure in a so-called canned hunt, in which wealthy tourists pay tens of thousands to 'hunt' a lion when, in fact, all they do is pursue a tame creature in an enclosed space and then shoot it.

Finally, their body parts and bones are stripped and shipped by crime syndicates to China, where they have a high value as a traditional 'medicine'.

Nobody should be in any doubt about how large this problem has become: there are about 12,000 captive-bred lions in South Africa today, compared with a wild population of just 3,000.

As the world reels from the Covid-19 crisis, what should alarm everybody is that lions carry various zoonotic diseases which threaten humans as well. This is something more than just an animal welfare crisis.

One wildlife veterinary surgeon quoted in my book, Dr Peter Caldwell, believes a major public health incident will occur in Asia as a result of its people's rampant consumption of lion bones.

Another expert who contributed to my book, Professor Paul van Helden, of the University of Stellenbosch, is an authority on animal TB.

He told me about the risk of lions passing TB to humans during their lifetime and via their bones post-death.

The good news is that a few days ago, a major dent was put in this disturbing industry.

Barbara Creecy, South Africa's environment minister, announced that she wanted to implement the recommendations of an independent committee which spent months examining the management, breeding, hunting, trade and handling of lions as well as elephant, leopard and rhinoceros.

Barbara Creecy, South Africa's environment, forestry and fisheries minister, speaking in Pretoria, South Africa

The upshot is that captive-lion breeding and hunting is now in line to be banned, as are all tourist interactions with captive lions and the sale of products  bones, for example  produced by this trade. This is a triumphant step forward in the march to stamp out this offence to nature.

Last year I wrote to Ms Creecy and sent her a copy of my book. Along with dozens of others, I also gave evidence to the independent committee which she appointed, and sent each of its 25 members a copy of my book.

Although I'm an outsider, I've invested substantial resources into revealing the horrors of lion-farming and financed a 700,000 undercover investigation of this disgraceful trade.

I understand that my input went a long way to convincing all parties that lion-farming has tarnished South Africa's brand globally, quite apart from the suffering of the animals themselves. Ms Creecy deserves praise for tackling this issue.

I know from personal experience that the small group of people in South Africa who control the lion business are powerful, well organised and ruthless.

I know that Boris Johnson and his fiancee, Carrie Symonds, are passionate supporters of animal welfare

Only their bullying has allowed big-cat exploitation to flourish. Anybody who gets in their way potentially risks their life, yet Ms Creecy has been open-minded and brave enough to look at the facts and take action in a way that her predecessors were unwilling or unable to do.

The Mail on Sunday must also be acknowledged for the role it has played in shining a light on this outrage by devoting extensive coverage to my various lion investigations, starting with my decision in 2018 to save a captive-bred lion, whom I called Simba, from certain death.

I know that every word the MoS has published on this matter has given a boost to activist groups in South Africa such as Blood Lions. This is a tribute to the power of newspaper journalism.

Now that South Africa's Cabinet has approved the recommendations which Ms Creecy has endorsed, it is up to its parliament to vote on the matter and for the law to be upheld. I am sure that further battles lie ahead. I will do what I can to help fight those battles.

I understand, too, that recent developments do not automatically spell the end of this squalid situation. That is why I will be watching carefully to make sure that no quarter is given to the sick individuals who preside over it.

One question I am often asked is what should happen to those lions currently living in captivity. There are no easy answers.

It must be remembered that these animals were bred only in order to be killed, as described above. Many are genetically weakened by inbreeding. None has the ability to survive in the wild.

First, however, an independent audit must take place to establish the exact number of captive lions in existence.

Next, all the diseased and injured animals must be put down.

After that, scientists and veterinarians will have to work out how many can be saved  if homes for them can be found.

I know from my own experience of rescuing Simba that there is a shortage of decent venues and trustworthy custodians. Inevitably, some hard-nosed decisions will be required but these will be taken to achieve the wider goal of ending the phenomenon of captive lion breeding.

This brings me to the British Government. Previously, I have called in this newspaper for the United Kingdom to join Australia, France, America and the Netherlands in introducing new laws to prohibit the practice of importing lion trophies into this country.

Despite a lot of talk, there has been little action so far. While I am the first to recognise that the Government has been preoccupied by the Covid-19 crisis over the past 12 months, I know that Boris Johnson and his fiancee, Carrie Symonds, are passionate supporters of animal welfare.

I further know they are well aware of this issue, having been sent my book last summer.

Lord Goldsmith, the Environment Minister, is also very hot on this topic.

These three influential people need to use the tools available to them to act in support of South Africa, a member of the Commonwealth, by implementing a British ban as soon as possible. Not to do so would be nothing short of a dereliction of duty.

Unfair Game: An Expose Of South Africa's Captive-Bred Lion Industry, by Michael Ashcroft, is published by Biteback.

To order, visit bitebackpublishing.com/books/unfair-game. All royalties go to South African wildlife charities.
My name is J.B. Gaskins and I am the president and CEO of Blood Assurance. I am honored to serve at the head of Blood Assurance and am honored to help provide blood to our area patients in need. I am writing today to say that we need our communitys help now. At the beginning of the pandemic, we knew that we would see a decline in blood donations. Many people were staying home ... (click for more)
The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) has called for calm between the Wesley Girls High School and the Ghana Education Service (GES) over the right of a Muslim student to fast in school in the ongoing Ramadan.



We believe that each party in their respective viewpoints do wish the best for the child concerned. But this can only be done in the midst of calm. History has shown that whenever decisions are made out of turbulence, other problems were given birth to, it said.



The GNECC, which made the call in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, and signed by its Executive Council Chairman, Mr Joseph Atsu Homadzi, said it was also their concern that the School did not heed the GES directive.



That, the Coalition believed, might set a precedence for other schools to disregard the supervisory Agency in other matters.



No matter how genuine their traditions and the welfare of the student they have at heart, we think they could dialogue a better solution before making a final verdict, it said.



The Coalition said it believed there was the need for all stakeholders to seek guiding interpretations to the provisions of the 1992 Constitution, Article 14(1)(e), which indicates that no person shall be deprived of their personal liberty/rights except: for the purpose of the education or welfare of a person who has not attained the age of eighteen years."



It is on this premise that we of GNECC wish to call on all stakeholders, especially policymakers and implementers, to agree on developing national policies to serve as a guide to this issue and similar issues to ensure that all stakeholders adhere to the resolution in the best interest of the child, it said.

Source: GNA









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He defended pupils' right to question school's introduction of new LGBT policies

A Monday morning, just before the start of term, and the teaching staff of Trent College are in the dining hall, chanting two-word slogans.

It occurs to the school chaplain, the Reverend Dr Bernard Randall, sitting near the front, that the woman on whose every word they hang, Elly Barnes, possesses the fervour of a revivalist preacher. To others, the event might also seem redolent of a rally in a totalitarian state.

Dr Barnes runs an organisation called Educate & Celebrate. Standing at a lectern, she demonstrates with growing zeal how to embed gender, gender identity and sexual orientation into the fabric of the school.

The next slogan, the syllable-crammed exhortation SMASH HETERONORMATIVITY flashes up on a giant screen and the teachers dutifully repeat it. Usually applied negatively, the term refers to the attitude that opposite sex attraction is the norm.

Today, in an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Dr Randall recalls that as others chanted he remained silent, deeply troubled by what he felt was the revolutionary Marxist flavour of the language and the sentiments expressed.

Reported: The Reverend Dr Bernard Randall, pictured above, who was previously chaplain at Christs College, Cambridge, says Christians cannot speak their mind

The chanting was frankly bizarre and I felt uncomfortable, he says. It was all very cleverly put together though  her rhetorical skills were impressive.

She started off slowly with general things about anti bullying and diversity, which no one could object to. But then the focus moved to gender identity and an introduction to the language of trans.

And there seemed to be an emphasis on instruction rather than suggestion.

He found it embarrassing that Dr Barnes was giving teachers stickers bearing her groups rainbow logo when they answered questions correctly.

When she overheard Dr Randall explaining the meaning of cis-gender to an unenlightened colleague (it refers to someone who identifies with the sex into which they were born), he was offered a sticker. He declined.

Today Dr Randall is without a job, his career in jeopardy. He pinpoints that day in September 2018 as the start of his troubles, although at the time he had no idea of the dark way in which events would unfold.

Certainly he could never have foreseen that his opposition to some, by no means all, of Educate & Celebrates creed would put him on a collision course with the school leadership team, in particular the deputy head, Jeremy Hallows, who is responsible for pastoral matters in the school, and designated safeguarding lead Justine Rimington.

Or that Ms Rimington would secretly report him to the Governments anti-terrorism programme, Prevent, after he delivered a sermon that, he says, moderately and carefully presented the Christian viewpoint on identity questions.

I was terrified when I found out, recalls Dr Randall. I had visions of being investigated by MI5, of men coming to my house at dawn and knocking down the front door. What was I supposed to tell my family? It was crazy.

I had gone to such lengths in the sermon to stress we must respect one another no matter what, even people we disagree with. I am not ashamed to say I cried with relief when I was told that the report to Prevent was not going to be taken further.

Sitting in his clerical garb, Dr Randall doesnt betray obvious signs of being a terrorist, extremist or radicalising firebrand.

The bespectacled 48-year-old Oxford graduate does fit the popular notion of a school chaplain however. Tolerant, kind, patient, he projects the right mixture of authority and benevolence.

Ordained in the Church of England, he is welcoming of people from all faiths and none. When in 2015, having answered an advert in the Church Times, he joined Trent College, an independent boarding school near Nottingham with a Christian ethos, he brought intellectual vigour to the role.

Previously, he was chaplain at Christs College, Cambridge, and the colleges director of studies for theology. What appealed about the new role  a parish priest for the school community  was that it involved working with pupils of all ages.

Activist: Dr Elly Barnes, above, who runs the Educate & Celebrate inclusion programme

I thought that if I could see a whole cohort through from preschool to sixth form, that would be a lovely thing to do, he says.

With some justification, head teacher Bill Penty remarked that the pastoral and spiritual care of the pupils was in safe hands.

Given what happened later, it is worth noting what Dr Randall claims his agreed role entailed. He would share the Christian faith, and raise awareness of the spiritual dimension to life, and of spiritual and moral values which remain important whether we subscribe to a particular faith or not.

The new chaplain settled in well. He taught classics and religious studies and ran an extra-curricular philosophy group.

In 2018, the school invited Educate & Celebrate  a group that goes into primary and secondary schools to give lessons on gender diversity  to help staff navigate a changing world in which a kaleidoscope of alternative terms are used to describe gender and sexuality.

Dr Barnes does not favour, for instance, the terms boys and girls lest they discriminate against transgender pupils. Not that they got down to such specifics on the 2018 training day.

I had concerns beforehand but reserved judgment because I believe in freedom of speech, recalls Dr Randall.

Above all it was the focus on gender identity that bothered him, the blurring of the biological distinctions between men and women.

He says: They were importing this identity politics kind of way of approaching things which comes from Marxist and postmodern roots which is fundamentally atheist.

They were bringing in this atheist worldview into a Christian school and my job as I saw it was to speak up a little bit about some of the difficulties that might raise.

Dr Randall claims he was particularly aggrieved to hear Dr Barnes claim that gender identity  an individuals sense of having a particular gender  was a protected characteristic under the Equality Act so at a suitable juncture he discreetly took her aside and pointed out this wasnt the case.

He also took issue with what he says was her claim that as many people are born intersex  in which a person may have genitalia or chromosomes from both sexes  as are born with ginger hair. He says after a short discussion she conceded that the data on the subject wasnt reliable.

Dr Barnes did not respond to requests for comment.

Afterwards, Dr Randall raised concerns about how some of the ideas clashed with certain Christian beliefs and values.

He says he was assured by the school that he would be involved in any decision-making on whether the school would implement the programme.

This, he said, allayed his fears.

During another training session in January 2019, Dr Randall claims that he learned a decision had been made to pursue the Educate & Celebrate programme in full.

This involved trying to meet 30 targets to achieve gold standard status. Dr Randall claims that one was the instruction for all departments and faculties to embed LGBT+ Inclusive lessons.

Others included holding a fundraiser for Educate & Celebrate and putting up an LGBT display in key areas of the school, including reception, hall, theatre, corridors and library. Despite previous assurances, he says that he was told that he had not been included in discussions because he might disagree with it.

Unsurprisingly Dr Randall was angry that he had been sidelined.

The school pressed ahead with the LGBT programme but Dr Randall says he was never consulted on how, for instance, it might be tailored to fit with the schools stated position in support of the Protestant and Evangelical principles of the Church of England.

Around June 2019, Dr Randall says he was approached by a pupil who asked him: How come we are told we have to accept all of this LGBT stuff in a Christian school?

Others he talked to were similarly upset, concerned or confused by the issues, he claims.

It was a school tradition that during the summer term pupils give me ideas for sermons, he says.

So I decided to address the school on some of the issues raised by pupils about Educate & Celebrate. Normally I speak off the cuff, but I decided to write this sermon  Competing Ideologies  beforehand because of the sensitivity of the subject matter.

Christian ethos: Trent College near Nottingham, which claimed that Dr Randalls 2019 school sermon was harmful to LGBT pupils

In one contentious passage he said that it is perfectly legitimate to think that marriage should only properly be understood as being a lifelong exclusive union of a man and a woman; indeed, that definition is written into English law.

Though he neglected to say that same-sex marriage was made law in 2013, he would later point out that he was referring to Church of England Canon Law, which has the force of statute law.

Dr Randall claims that the following week, he was pulled into a meeting and told the sermon had hurt some peoples feelings and undermined the LGBT agenda.

He was also told that it was offensive to describe Dr Barnes as an LGBT activist, despite her describing herself as a DIVA Activist of the Year on her Twitter profile at the time.

At one point he was challenged about a conversation in the staff room some years earlier.

He says: I was overheard having a conversation about the appropriateness of a boy transitioning and then being in a girls boarding house.

And I think I said something along the lines of how it might cause difficulties and parents not being totally happy. That this conversation was recalled four years later was staggering.

From then on the chaplain says he was a marked man.

Dr Randall then discovered by accident that he had been reported to Prevent and claims he was only casually told it would not be taken any further.

I came to another disciplinary meeting with many questions  one of them being, Do you think the Church of England is a terrorist organisation?

When it came to this point I was told, No, er, we probably should have told you that the Prevent referral didnt meet the threshold.

Following an investigation and disciplinary hearing, Dr Randall was sacked for gross misconduct but reinstated on appeal.

However, he claims he was told that he must comply with 20 conditions regarding future sermons.

He was reportedly banned from broaching any topic or expressing any opinion (in Chapel or more generally around School) that is likely to cause offence or distress to members of the school body.

Another stipulation was that you will not publicly express personal beliefs in ways which exploit our pupils vulnerability.

Future sermons had to be approved in advance, with a staff member observing to ensure each stipulation was met, he claims.

I see what has happened to me in Orwellian terms, he says.

I was doing the job I was employed to do. I wasnt saying anything that I should not have been able to say in any liberal secular institution.

Everyone should be free to accept or reject an ideology. Isnt that what liberal democracy means?

Dr Randall will claim in his legal proceedings that life was made intolerable for him and that the school refused to reinstate his teaching timetable. In December, he was made redundant.

He says: My story sends a message to other Christians that you are not free to talk about your faith. It seems it is no longer enough to just tolerate LGBT ideology.

You must accept it without question and no debate is allowed without serious consequences.

Someone else will decide what is and what isnt acceptable, and suddenly you can become an outcast, possibly for the rest of your life.
The is making all the efforts to help India in this hour of crisis, a senior State Department official has said.

In the last one week, six air shipments of vital assistance have landed in India, which is battling the second wave of the pandemic, Senior Advisor Ervin Massinga from the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs said on Friday.

These flights included health supplies such as oxygen concentrators, N95 masks, rapid diagnostic tests and medicines. US assistance is expected to be about USD 100 million, he said.

"The entire from President Biden to our team at the Embassy and consulates on the ground is doing everything we can to help India," Massinga said during an event called "Bolstering US COVID Relief Efforts in India: Perspectives from the Diaspora".

"We are bringing to bear the strength, innovation, and unique capabilities of the American people to assist those suffering in India. And we recognise that the pandemic will not be over for anyone until it is over for everyone, he said.

Massinga referred to the recent remarks of US President Joe Biden when he told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his government will do everything possible to help India at this time.

Biden's discussion with Modi last week marks their fourth conversation in the administration's first 100 days.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken and other senior Department officials have also been regularly engaged with their Indian counterparts to address the most recent wave, Massinga said.

"In my 26 years with the Department of State, I have never seen such an outpouring of personal and institutional generosity as we have experienced from the Americans of all backgrounds in the last month. The level of focus and dedication from private sector, civil society and community-based organisations, including contributions from Indian-Americans, has contributed to ensuring much needed supplies and resources get to those most in need, he said.

USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia Anjali Kaur said the whole-of- response has been immediate, targeted to India's evolving needs and informed by nonstop consultations with their Indian counterparts and a multitude of other stakeholders.

Kaur said the US has mobilised its partners in India to immediately expand existing programs to meet urgent needs.

"For instance, as hospitals across the country ran out of oxygen and related supplies, within days of receiving a request from the Government of India, the USAID quickly mobilised funding to purchase 1,000 oxygen concentrators. These life-saving units, with a lifespan of more than five years, will provide oxygen to hundreds of primary health care facilities, she said.

"The USAID is also supporting the Government of India's efforts to establish 150 Pressure Swing Adsorption oxygen generating plants, which will allow 150 healthcare facilities to generate their own oxygen, rather than rely on oxygen deliveries, she added



The USAID, she said, has received an overwhelming response from both US and Indian companies, as well as the Indian diaspora.

Even individual states, such as California, have responded by partnering with USAID to facilitate a donation of life-saving oxygen supplies, Kaur 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.)


India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar (file photo) India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has boycotted a high-level Security Council meeting at the ministerial level that was convened by China, which is the body's President for this month. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla represented India at Friday's high-level meeting on multilateralism that was presided over by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.



Coming amid tensions between India and China, Jaishankar's absence stood out as the other 14 members of the Security Council sent minister-level officials to the meeting held virtually.



US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves participated in the meeting.



Seven other countries sent their foreign ministers to the meeting that had the formal title of "Maintenance Of International Peace and Security: Upholding Multilateralism and the UN-Centered International System."



The remaining three were represented at the sub-cabinet ministerial level by Ministers of State Tariq Ahmad of Britain and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne of France and Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Raychelle Omamo, who functions as the de facto Foreign Minister.



The country that holds the Council presidency for the month holds what are called signature events e high-level meetings usually at the ministerial-level e on topics of special interest to it.



China is planning two more signature meetings, on Africa and Covid-19 recovery, and on improving the safety of peacekeepers.



Because of the Covid-19 pandemic many meetings of the Council are held virtually facilitating the greater participation of ministers who don't have to make the trip to New York. That makes absences noticeable.



Since India joined the Security Council as a non-permanent member in January, Jaishankar has participated in the ministerial-level Security Council meetings convened by the presidents for the month, Vietnam in April, Britain in February and Tunisia in January.



Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar also spoke at the high-level meeting on climate change called by Britain in February and presided over by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.



When the US was in the chair in March, its signature meeting, Conflict and Food Security, was presided over by Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who has cabinet status, rather than Blinken.



Some countries including China, France and Russia did not send ministerial-level representatives and only their permanent representatives participated.



That was the case with India: Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti participated in the meeting.



India will get a chance to hold its own signature events when it presides over the Council in August.



Shringla in his speech on Friday at the Council asserted that global vulnerabilities and fault lines have been exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.



"It is the lack of a coordinated global response that has exposed the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the multilateral system as it stands today, providing a timely reminder for the pressing need for comprehensive reform," he said.



"While the pandemic exposed the fault lines from unreliable global supply chains to inequitable vaccine distribution, it has also underlined the need for global solidarity and strengthened multilateralism," he added.



He pointed out that India provided Covid-19 vaccines, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment to more than 150 countries and said, "In that same spirit of friendship and solidarity, we extend deep appreciation to those that have come forward to provide us with some priority requirements to battle the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic that we are currently facing."



Shringla also reiterated the demand for Council reforms, saying, "Today, the UN has 193 Member States, nearly a fourfold increase from 1945. The narrow representation and privileges of a few in the primary decision-making organ of the UN poses a serious challenge to its credibility and effectiveness. How can we explain the contradiction of Africa not being represented in the Security Council in the permanent category, even though African issues dominate its agenda?"



In an indirect dig at China, he said India's aid "fostered global socio-economic development through transparent, viable, sustainable and demand-driven partnership programmes."



China's aid programmes have been criticised for lack of transparency and driving the recipients to unrepayable debts that lead to loss of assets.






A crowd of leaseholders took to the streets in London to demand an end to the cladding scandal a day after a fire at a building bearing the same cladding as Grenfell Tower.

More than 100 people gathered at the Isle of Dogs urging politicians to do more to protect leaseholders who face financial hardship in the face of huge bills.

The demonstration that followed numbered around 160 at one stage, while Tower Hamlets mayor John Biggs and Labour MP for Poplar and Limehouse Apsana Begum also attended.

(Harry Scoffin)

Some came from as far away as Ipswich to join the protest, while signs read Jenrick Time To Act! and End Our Cladding Scandal!.

We had honking horns, the police were very fair with us, campaigner Harry Scoffin, 26, told the PA news agency.

They came, spoke to some of the councillors and worked out what kind of event it was. It was a peaceful event.

The main message is that leaseholders shouldnt pay for these remediation bills.

Remediation work includes the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings, but while the Government had insisted that leaseholders would not bear the cost of removing the flammable materials, critics say the Fire Safety Bill will leave some people liable for costs of up to 50,000.

(Harry Scoffin)

Mr Scoffin said some of those involved in the protest had been affected by the fire at an east London block near Canary Wharf on Friday morning, adding that it was one of a number of factors behind the timing of the demonstration.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said two adults had been taken to hospital after suffering the effects of smoke inhalation and a further 38 adults and four children were treated at the scene of the incident.

Approximately 22% of the buildings facade features aluminium composite material polyethylene (ACM PE) cladding panels, which were found to be a key factor in the 2017 Grenfell fire.

However, building developer Ballymore said the cladding did not combust and played no part in causing the fire.

Ballymore also said that work to replace the cladding was under way and the main contractor had been due to take possession of the site on Monday.

(Harry Scoffin)

Theres a lot of anger and upset among people who think that they are being forced into bankruptcy, forced into financial hardship, and being forced to live in these really dangerous buildings with their children, said Ritu Saha, co-founder of the UK Cladding Action Group.

They organised it really quickly, it was very well managed  because of the strength of feeling, we had lots of people coming down.
A joint police force has seized two men as the suspects in the stabbing of a dentist in the southern Vietnamese province of Binh Duong early this week.

Criminal police officers of Binh Duong coordinated with their counterparts from Nghe An Province and the Ministry of Public Security to seize the two suspects on Friday.

Nguyen Van Dong, a 30-year-old native of Binh Duong, was held in the provinces Di An District, while Nguyen Huu Thuy, 29, hailing from Nghe An, was seized in the north-central provinces Vinh City.

The arrests came three days after the Binh Duong police launched an investigation into the stabbing of P.V.T., a 33-year-old dentist, on Tuesday evening, which led to his death later the same day.

T. was stabbed when he attempted to prevent Thuy from stealing a motorbike parked in front of the dental clinic, T.s workplace, located on D37 Street in the Viet Sing residential area, An Phu Ward, Thuan An City.

During the polices initial interrogation, Dong and Thuy admitted to their crime, saying they intended to steal the bike since they needed money to satisfy their spending needs.

The two suspects had set up a plan for their crime. Accordingly, Dong drove Thuy around the streets on a motorbike to hunt for a prey and when they targeted one, Thuy would get off the bike and steal it.

In the evening of Tuesday, the two men spotted a motorcycle in front of the clinic and when Thuy was stealing the vehicle, the dentist, who was then at a local pool hall nearby, discovered Thuys act.

The dentist then ran back to his clinic to stop the man from stealing the vehicle. In response, Thuy stabbed the dentist with a knife and then fled the scene on Dongs motorbike.

The victim was taken to hospital for emergency aid but did not survive.

A day later, Binh Duong police offered a cash reward of VND100 million (around US$4,300) to anyone who could provide information that leads to the capture of the killer.

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While Mai Trung Thus Portrait of Mademoiselle Phuong smashed the nations auction record with a $3.1 million bid, such events remain the exception for Vietnamese works.

On April 18, the masterpiece fetched the highest bid for a work by a Vietnamese artist at the Sotheby's Auction House in Hong Kong masterpiece.

This landmark event, along with several other similar instances of Vietnamese works fetching high prices, have been flagged as a hopeful sign for local artists making good in international markets.

Vu Tuan Anh, general director of the Hanoi-based Chon Auction House, said: "I want my colleagues and I to hold auctions for million-dollar works in the future."

However, other industry insiders believe that such a future is not around the corner.

"Portrait of Mademoiselle Phuong" by Mai Trung Thu. Photo courtesy of Sotheby's.

Arts researcher Ngo Kim Khoi said that the bids for Vietnamese works at international auctions are still low compared to other Asian paintings because of several factors, not just the quality of the artwork.

Vietnams art auction market was like a child that has not received proper care early on, Khoi said.

"Now, other kids can run while we still cannot walk."

The history of Vietnamese fine art has had an influence on local painting prices. Vietnamese paintings had "disappeared" for a long time, especially after the Ecole Superieure des Beaux Arts de l'Indochine, also known as the Indochina College of Fine Arts, was closed in 1945.

In the 1930s, this school had trained many famous artists like Mai Trung Thu (1906-1980), Le Pho (1907 - 2001) and To Ngoc Van (1906 - 1954). Their paintings were displayed and highly appreciated at art exhibitions in Paris (1931), Rome (1932), Germanys Cologne City (1933), Italys Milan City (1934), Belgium (1935 - 1937), San Francisco (1937), Japan (1940), and other places.

However, after the college closed, Vietnamese artists and their works were not seen at international exhibitions for a long time, so many collectors and industry experts were not aware of them.

Then, during the long decades of war, the Vietnamese people did not have financial conditions or market demand for artworks, except among a few rich people. Therefore, there were no collectors in the country in order to form a market for paintings.

During this period, the few artworks produced were not well preserved. They were often damaged by the weather, and lost to destruction wreaked by bombs.

At this time, the art scene developed steadily in other countries and a market developed for their works.

In 2010, the painting "Bali Life" by Chinese-Indonesian artist Lee Man Fong (1913-1988) fetched $3.2 million at a Sothebys auction, setting a bidding record for a painter from Southeast Asia at that time.

In 2011, Chinese painter Qi Baishis "Eagle Standing on a Pine Tree" sold for $64.4 million. In South Korea, Kim Hwan Gi's "Universe" went under the hammer in Hong Kong for $12.8 million in 2019.

Many fakes

The widespread prevalence of copies or fakes has also made collectors and investors wary of spending big money on Vietnamese paintings.

Painter To Ngoc Thanh, son of famous painter To Ngoc Van, said that when some artists works fetch high prices, fakes follow soon after.

"Auction houses do not know how to handle this problem. Even with many buyers, they lack confidence and are afraid. No one wants to spend big money to buy an artwork without knowing whether it is real or fake," Thanh said.

In 2016, Christie's auction house in Hong Kong sold To Ngoc Van's "Thuyen Tren Song Huong" (Boat on Perfume River) for $57,000 and Le Van De's "Lady of Hue" for $ 89,000. However, the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi also hung up two identical paintings. The museum said that they had bought To Ngoc Van's painting in 1965 and Le Van De's painting in 1976.

Thanh said that the two paintings have been copied many times that it was difficult to determine which work was the original one.

In September 2019, Sotheby's withdrew To Ngoc Vans "La Thu" (Letter) and Tran Van Cans "Hai Co Gai" (Two Women) from its auction after allegations they were fakes. Le Pho's "Doi Song Gia Dinh" (Family Life) was also suspected by experts to be a fake, although it was sold for $1.1 million.

"La Thu" (Letter) by To Ngoc Van was withdrawn from a Sotheby's auction over allegations that it was a fake. Photo courtesy of Sotheby's.

Khoi said Vietnamese artists were to blame. They copied paintings of artists from the Indochina period and get them into French galleries. Also, the relationship between galleries, collectors, and brokers was complex. Many people know that the paintings are fake but put them up for bids anyway to make money.

"After Bui Xuan Phai's paintings were bought for thousands of dollars, many fake paintings emerged. People joked that during that time, Phai painted more than when he was still alive," Khoi said.

The prices of paintings also depend largely on collectors and investors, according to art researcher Pham Long.

He said most Vietnamese people dont have an interest in collecting valuable art. People with money choose to invest in real estate, which pays off quickly. Locals have started to pay more interest in Vietnamese artists only in recent years, so they cannot push up the prices of artworks that quickly.

Meanwhile, collectors in countries like China, Indonesia, and other countries have "higher aesthetic perceptions and art habits." This makes the art collection market vibrant and boosts prices, Long said, adding that in such countries, collectors and billionaires actively buy paintings from domestic artists and set up private museums.

In Indonesia, the majority of museums are privately owned. The OHD Museum in Java, founded by Oei Hong Djin, Indonesian tobacco mogul, displays more than 2,000 works of contemporary and modern Indonesian artists.

In China, the He Jing Yuan Art Museum in Beijing is owned by billionaire Li Bing, while the Aurora Museum in Shanghai was founded by electronics tycoon Chen Yung Tai. Meanwhile, one-third of the museums in Singapore are founded by collectors and billionaires.

The researchers also said art collectors and investors will pay more for paintings on seeing their economic benefits. Once that happens, related fields such as auctions, appraisal and artwork management will also develop and become professional. In turn, the market for Vietnamese paintings will become more active and attract more domestic and foreign investors, they added.
New Delhi:

A day after former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah stated that PoK belongs to Pakistan, VHP leader Pravin Togadia on Sunday said those talking about independent Kashmir should go to Pakistan.

Kashmir is an integral part of India. People talking about independent Kashmir should go to Pakistan or else our security forces are ready with AK 47s at the border to deal with them, the VHP working International President said on the sidelines of an event here.

Abdullah said on Saturday that PoK belongs to Pakistan and this wont change no matter how many wars India and Pakistan fight.

To a query on the controversy surrounding Bollywood film Padmavati, the Hindu leader said the Censor Board should take a stand on the issue and stop its release.

Padmawati was a great queen, why should people protest against the movie based on her life? Its the responsibility of the Censor Board. It should take a stand and shouldnt allow the movie to be released, he said.

Various Rajput organisations have been protesting the December 1 release of the film starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh in the lead, claiming that it is based on distorted history and is hurtful to Hindu sentiments.

To a query, Togadia said Congress vice president Rahul Gandhis frequent visits to temples in poll-bound Gujarat is a victory for Hindus.

Rahul Gandhi frequents temples in Gujarat every now and then. I see this as a victory for Hindus, he said.

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Calls to cancel pandemic-era unemployment benefits intensified this week as worries over a labor shortage gained steam, culminating in a crescendo on Friday after a wildly disappointing jobs report for April.

South Carolina and Montana announced plans before the report to end the jobless programs at the end of July, after weeks of local reports across the country recounted how restaurants couldnt fill positions.

After the jobs report on Friday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced its support of stopping the extra $300 in weekly unemployment benefits, citing worker shortages, while Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced a bill to repeal the pandemic unemployment programs.

While there are certainly people that needed access to increased unemployment benefits during the heart of this pandemic, we should not be in the business of creating lucrative government dependency that makes it more beneficial to stay unemployed rather than return to work, Marshall said in a statement on Friday.

A man wearing a mask walks past a "now hiring" sign on Melrose Avenue amid the coronavirus pandemic on April 22, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

What's to blame for the disheartening job performance in April, though, has no consensus among economists. After payroll gains missed by over 700,000  266,000 jobs were added last month versus estimates of 1 million  a firestorm on Twitter ignited among economists and analysts, who largely agreed that tightness in the labor market existed, but argued over the culprit.

Complicating matters is that the jobs recovery is not occurring in a vacuum, but amid a public health crisis that introduces multiple variables.

A real sign of labor market tightening or even shortages

While there is no single measure for workforce shortage, increased work hours and wages are considered some of the signs that indicate employers are struggling to fill jobs and the labor market is tightening, according to Heidi Shierholz, senior economist and director of policy at the Economic Policy Institute. Both occurred in April.

Average weekly hours for workers in leisure in hospitality significantly increased in April, reaching 26.7 hours, up from its pre-pandemic levels of 25.8 hours in February 2020, according to data from the Labor Department.

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"If employers really can't find the workers that they need, they'll respond by ramping up the hours of the workers, Shierholz told Yahoo Money.

Average hourly earnings for workers in labor and hospitality also increased to $17.88 in April, up from their pandemic low of $16.92 in July and are higher than their pre-pandemic level of $16.90 in February 2020, according to data from the Labor Department.

Some economists pointed to the increase as a sign that employers are competing with the enhanced unemployment benefits, specifically the extra $300 a week that the Chamber of Commerce said results in approximately one in four recipients taking home more in unemployment than they earned working."

Shierholz noted that the wage increases in some sectors may not be robust enough. For instance, nonsupervisory workers in leisure and hospitality still make less than $21,000 a year after wage increases, according to Shierholz, or about $10 an hour.

While there's definitely signs of isolated and temporary tightness in the labor market, Shierholz said, a lot of the huge complaints that we're seeing really are about businesses being frustrated that they can't find workers at extremely low wages.

Entirely among men

A customer walks by a now hiring sign at a BevMo store on April 02, 2021 in Larkspur, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Making it more difficult to pin blame is the pandemic itself that has disrupted American life in ways unlike a typical downturn. Factors like remote schooling and limited child care options ripple through the economy, especially affecting female workers. The details of Aprils job report back this up.

There was a big increase in the labor force in April, [but] it was entirely among men, Shierholz said. That doesn't scream that it's an unemployment benefits issue, it really does scream that it's something like care-giving responsibilities in the time of COVID.

The number of women in the labor force fell by 64,000 in April, while the number of men increased by 493,000, Michael Madowitz, an economist at American Progress, pointed out to Yahoo Money.

If there is a labor shortage, it's all about women, Madowitz tweeted on Friday after the jobs report.

Where hiring fell also provides another clue. Leisure and hospitality actually added 331,000 jobs in April, but manufacturing saw payrolls drop by 18,000, specifically a 27,000 decline in auto production, which could be related to the national chip shortage.

Additionally, fears over the public health situation may be holding some workers back, Shierholz said. Covid vaccines were not available to all adults until April in 33 states  the others didnt open until mid- to late March  meaning those who received the Pfizer or Moderna shots had to wait five to six weeks before becoming fully vaccinated.

'We need to have a reasonable phase out'

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Several papers found that the extra $600 in benefits distributed earlier in the pandemic had limited labor supply effects and likely didnt disincentivize work, including one by the National Bureau of Economic Research and another by Yale University. The researcher of the NBER study noted that his original findings held when applied to January to the end of March when workers again got extra unemployment benefits.

Today's jobs report has led to most people just re-stating their priors about [unemployment insurance], and we have learnt very little, Arindrajit Dube tweeted on Friday. Through end of March, changes in [unemployment insurance] replacement rates across states due to Jan boost had little impact on jobs.

Greater clarity on whats holding back workers may come with next months jobs report. Until then, around 16.5 million workers still depend on unemployment benefits that run through September 5, while the economy is 8.2 million jobs short of its pre-pandemic levels.

We need to have a reasonable phase out of those things because even though the economy is improving, we still will have a lot of unemployed workers at this time, Shierholz said. More importantly, we won't have enough job openings for all unemployed workers.

Denitsa is a writer for Yahoo Finance and Cashay, a new personal finance website. Follow her on Twitter @denitsa_tsekova

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Following sermon, Dr Randall was flagged to Prevent, which normally identifies those at risk of radicalisation

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A school secretly reported its chaplain to the anti-terrorism Prevent programme after he delivered a sermon defending the right of pupils to question its introduction of new LGBT policies.

The Reverend Dr Bernard Randall told pupils at independent Trent College near Nottingham that they were allowed to disagree with the measures, particularly if they felt they ran contrary to Church of England principles.

Among them was a plan to develop a whole school LGBT+ inclusive curriculum.

Having decided that Dr Randalls sermon was harmful to LGBT students, the school flagged him to Prevent, which normally identifies those at risk of radicalisation.

Police investigated the tip-off but advised the school by email that Dr Randall, 48, posed no counter terrorism risk, or risk of radicalisation.

Derbyshire Police confirmed that the case did not meet the threshold for a Prevent referral.

The Reverend Dr Bernard Randall, pictured above, 48, told pupils at independent Trent College near Nottingham that they were allowed to question the introduction of new LGBT policies

But in a disturbing development, Dr Randall, a former Cambridge University chaplain and Oxford graduate, claims that the school later told him that any future sermons would be censored in advance.

He also claims that he was warned his chapel services would be monitored to ensure that... requirements are met. Dr Randall was later dismissed. He is suing for discrimination, harassment, victimisation and unfair dismissal and his case is due to be heard next month. My career and life are in tatters, he said.

Campaigners said the case was one of the most extraordinary of its kind and raised disturbing questions about freedom of speech. Former Education Minister Sir John Hayes said, if the claims are proved, the school had behaved appallingly.

Dr Randalls sermon, delivered in the school chapel on June 21, 2019, was prompted, he says, by concerns from pupils about an organisation called Educate & Celebrate, run by Dr Elly Barnes, which was invited to embed gender, gender identity and sexual orientation into the fabric of the school.

In it, he said: You should no more be told you have to accept LGBT ideology, than you should be told you must be in favour of Brexit, or must be Muslim. But he stressed the need to treat each other with respect. Several days later, he will tell the tribunal, he was called to a meeting and told the sermon was inflammatory, divisive and harmful to LGBT pupils.

Dr Randall only learned about the Prevent referral because it was mentioned in documents given to him ahead of a disciplinary hearing. I had visions of being investigated by MI5, of men knocking down the front door, he said.

Trent College has a Christian ethos and Dr Randall was appointed in 2015 to provide pastoral care, share the Christian faith and lead services in the schools chapel.

But he claims he found himself increasingly sidelined as the school began implementing the Educate & Celebrate programme.

The MoS can also reveal that in legal proceedings against the school it will be claimed:

Teachers were urged to chant Smash heteronormativity during a training session;

Dr Randall was excluded from discussions about the programme when he said some of its beliefs were contrary to Christian values;

Educate & Celebrate demands schools adopt a gender neutral uniform policy and believe children should not refer to each other as boys and girls to avoid offending transgender pupils;

Dr Randall was reported to the local authority designated officer, apparently because the school felt he might be a risk to children.

Toby Young, of the Free Speech Union, said: This is a fantastic sermon, reminding us no one has a monopoly on moral truth. For Bernard Randall to lose his job as a result of this sermon is scandalous.

Whats so depressing about his treatment is the message it sends to the pupils. The central theme of his sermon is that children shouldnt be afraid to think for themselves. But the message the school has sent is the opposite. Schools should be teaching children how to think, not what to think.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Dr Randall, said: Who are the extremists in this story? The partisan agency who teach young children that they can be born in the wrong body, or the school chaplain moderately presenting what the Christian church has taught about marriage, sex and gender for the past 2,000 years?

The College declined to comment.

'You should no more be told you have to accept LGBT ideology than be told you must be in favour of Brexit': The sermon that cost a school chaplain his livelihood

By The Reverend Dr Bernard Randall, Chaplain at Trent College

I have a theory about Brexit. It seems to me that people who voted to leave the European Union voted for largely political reasons  to do with democratic self-determination; and people who voted to remain did so for largely economic reasons  to do with prosperity and jobs.

Of course Im simplifying here, and both sides claim to consider both, but it seems to me that which set of ideas, which ideology, takes priority determines which way many people voted.

And while we can easily discuss facts, and try to find the truth behind factual claims, ideals arent true or false in the same way.

And so the problem with the often very heated and unpleasant debate ever since the referendum is that people havent managed to cope with there being two competing sets of ideals  two ideologies.

Now when ideologies compete, we should not descend into abuse, we should respect the beliefs of others, even where we disagree. Above all, we need to treat each other with respect, not personal attacks  thats what loving your neighbour as yourself means.

By all means discuss, have a reasoned debate about beliefs, but while its OK to try and persuade each other, no one should be told they must accept an ideology. Love the person, even where you profoundly dislike the ideas. Dont denigrate a person simply for having opinions and beliefs which you dont share.

There has been another set of competing ideals in the news recently. You may have heard of the protests outside a Birmingham primary school over the teachings of an LGBT-friendly No Outsiders programme.

In a mostly Muslim community, this has been sensitive, because many parents feel that their children are being pushed to accept ideas which run counter to Islamic moral values.

Christian ethos: Trent College (pictured above) near Nottingham, which claimed that Dr Randalls 2019 school sermon was harmful to LGBT pupils and flagged him to Prevent

And in our own school community, I have been asked about a similar thing  and the question was put to me in a very particular way  How come we are told we have to accept all this LGBT stuff in a Christian school? I thought that was a very intelligent and thoughtful way of asking about the conflict of values, rather than asking which is right, and which is wrong.

So my answer is this: There are some aspects of the Educate and Celebrate programme which are simply factual  there are same-sex attracted people in our society, there are people who experience gender dysphoria, and so on.

There are some areas where the two sets of values overlap  no one should be discriminated against simply for who he or she is: Thats a Christian value, based in loving our neighbours as ourselves.

All these things should be accepted straightforwardly by all of us, and its right that equalities law reflects that.

But there are areas where the two sets of ideas are in conflict, and in these areas you do not have to accept the ideas and ideologies of LGBT activists. Indeed, since Trent exists to educate boys and girls according to the Protestant and Evangelical principles of the Church of England, anyone who tells you that you must accept contrary principles is jeopardizing the schools charitable status, and therefore its very existence.

You should no more be told you have to accept LGBT ideology than you should be told you must be in favour of Brexit, or must be Muslim  to both of which Im sure most of you would quite rightly object.

I am aware that there will be a good few in our community who will have been struggling, if they feel they are being told that they must accept ideas which run counter to their faith  or indeed non-faith  based reasoning about the world.

So I want to say to everyone, but especially to those who have been troubled, that you are not obliged to accept someone elses ideology. You are perfectly at liberty to hear ideas out, and then think, No, not for me.

There are several areas where many or most Christians (and, for that matter, people of other faiths, too), will be in disagreement with LGBT activists, and where you must make up your own mind. So it is perfectly legitimate to think that marriage should only properly be understood as being a lifelong exclusive union of a man and a woman; indeed, that definition is written into English law.

You may perfectly properly believe that, as an ideal, sexual activity belongs only within such marriage, and that therefore any other kind is morally problematic. That is the position of all the major faith groups  though note that it doesnt apply only to same-sex couples.

And it is a belief based not only on scripture but on a highly positive view of marriage as the building block of a society where people of all kinds flourish, and on recognising that there are many positive things in life more important than sex, if only wed let them be.

This viewpoint is recognised by many people as extremely liberating. And its an ethical position which could also be arrived at independently of any religious text, I think.

In other areas you are entitled to think, if it makes more sense to you, that human beings are indeed male and female, that your sex cant be changed, that although the two sexes have most things in common, there are some real, biologically based differences between them overall. And if you think that, you would be in accord not only with the tradition of most Christians, and other faiths, but much of the biological and psychological sciences too.

You are entitled, if you wish, to look at some of the claims made about gender identity and think that it is incoherent to say that, for example, gender is quite independent of any biological factor, but that a persons physiology should be changed to match his or her claimed gender; or incoherent to say that gender identity is both a matter of individual determination and social conditioning at the same time, or incoherent to make claims about being non-binary or gender-fluid by both affirming and denying the gender stereotypes which exist in wider society.

And if these claims, which do seem to be made, are incoherent, then they cannot be more than partially true. Yet truth is important as we try to make decisions about the consequences of these ideas.

And you might reasonably notice that some LGBT activists will happily lie about gender identity being a legally protected characteristic (which it isnt), and from that observation wonder whether there are other areas where their relationship to truth is looser than might be ideal.

But, by way of contrast, no one has the right to tell you that you must lie about these matters, to say things you sincerely believe to be false  that is the tactic of totalitarianism and dictatorship.

On a more positive note, Christians will want to have a discussion about human identity which focuses on the things we all have in common, rather than increasingly long lists of things which might divide.

You might be concerned that if you take the religious view on these matters you will be attacked and accused of homophobia and the like. But remember that religious belief is just as protected in law as sexual orientation, and no one has the right to discriminate against you or be abusive towards you.

Remember too that phobia words have a strict sense of extreme or irrational fear or dislike, like arachnophobia, fear of spiders, or triskaidekaphobia, fear of the number thirteen  well, theres nothing extreme about sharing your view with the Church of England, established by law, and of the majority of the worlds population who belong to these faiths.

Nor is it irrational to hold these views, since they can be based both on secular reasoning and on scriptures  and if, on other grounds, you are sure that the scriptures reflect the mind of God, then they provide the very best reasons possible for anything.

But homophobia and transphobia have come to be used in a looser sense to mean often simply, You disagree with me and Im going to refuse to listen to you, and shame you to shut you down. In other words, they have sometimes come to be terms of abuse, used in a dictionary-definition, bigoted and bullying way. You can safely ignore these uses, although that takes real moral courage, I know.

And you may think that LGBT rights are different somehow, because no one chooses to belong to the varied groups represented by these ideas. To which I would remind you that equalities law does not recognise that distinction  all equalities are in fact equal.

So, all in all, if you are at ease with all this LGBT stuff, youre entitled to keep to those ideas; if you are not comfortable with it, for the various especially religious reasons, you should not feel required to change.

Whichever side of this conflict of ideas you come down on, or even if you are unsure of some of it, the most important thing is to remember that loving your neighbour as yourself does not mean agreeing with everything he or she says; it means that when we have these discussions there is no excuse for personal attacks or abusive language.

We should all respect that people on each side of the debate have deep and strongly held convictions. And because, unlike Brexit, this is not a debate which is subject to a vote, it is an ongoing process, so there should be a shared effort to find out what real truth looks like, and to respect that that effort is made honestly and sincerely by all people, even if not everybody comes up with the same answers for now.

Charity that wants to ban use of 'boys and girls'

By Michael Powell for The Mail on Sunday

Taxpayers have paid out 250,000 to Educate & Celebrate to fund its mission to make schools more LGBT friendly.

The charitys website says that it has worked in thousands of schools in the UK since 2012, running workshops and teacher training days. It also distributes books and lesson plans.

It was criticised in 2017 over a book it published that critics said promoted the use of puberty-blocker drugs for children as young as 12. The book for primary school pupils told the story of Kit, who used the drugs to transition from female to male. At the time, former Tory Party chairman Lord Tebbit said: It is damaging to children to introduce uncertainty into their minds.

Activist: Former music teacher Dr Elly Barnes, above, who runs and founded the Educate & Celebrate inclusion programme. She was made an MBE for her charity work in 2016

Prescribing puberty-blocker drugs to children has become highly controversial and was effectively banned by High Court judges last year for most minors unless a court order had been obtained. This followed dire warnings from medics that the drugs were a live experiment on hundreds of children.

Another of the charitys guidebooks also controversially advises teachers that it is OK to help children get treatment for gender dysphoria  feeling you are the wrong sex  without telling their parents. The charity also advocates banning the use of the terms boys and girls in the classroom and encourages children to replace he and she with the gender-neutral terms they and zie.

Schools are charged 1,200 to take part in its Pride In Inclusion Awards. To achieve Gold, they have to pay a further 1,000 over two years and introduce 30 LGBT-friendly policy changes  including hosting a fundraising day for the charity.

The charity was founded by former music teacher Dr Elly Barnes, who was made an MBE for her charity work in 2016.

She has links to the Socialist Workers Party and is a member of Schools OUT, a pressure group started by a Left-wing group of gay teachers in the 1970s. Last year, Dr Barnes attended a protest outside a meeting of a feminist group called Labour Womens Declaration, who believe demands for rights from transgender pressure groups infringe the rights of women.

The charitys chair of trustees is activist Julie Bremner, a Cabinet Office civil servant who has joined scores of Left-wing marches.

'The hall was full of teachers chanting "Smash heteronormativity" (the view that attraction to the opposite sex is the norm). I felt uncomfortable': Ex-Cambridge college chaplain on how his new job to guide young people became an Orwellian nightmare

By Ian Gallagher for The Mail on Sunday

A Monday morning, just before the start of term, and the teaching staff of Trent College are in the dining hall, chanting two-word slogans. It occurs to the school chaplain, the Reverend Dr Bernard Randall, sitting near the front, that the woman on whose every word they hang, Elly Barnes, possesses the fervour of a revivalist preacher. To others, the event might also seem redolent of a rally in a totalitarian state.

Dr Barnes runs an organisation called Educate & Celebrate. Standing at a lectern, she demonstrates with growing zeal how to embed gender, gender identity and sexual orientation into the fabric of the school.

The next slogan, the syllable-crammed exhortation SMASH HETERONORMATIVITY flashes up on a giant screen and the teachers dutifully repeat it. Usually applied negatively, the term refers to the attitude that opposite sex attraction is the norm.

Reported: Dr Bernard Randall, pictured above, a 48-year-old Oxford graduate, says Christians cannot speak their mind

Today, in an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Dr Randall recalls that as others chanted he remained silent, deeply troubled by what he felt was the revolutionary Marxist flavour of the language and the sentiments expressed.

The chanting was frankly bizarre and I felt uncomfortable, he says. It was all very cleverly put together though  her rhetorical skills were impressive.

She started off slowly with general things about anti bullying and diversity, which no one could object to. But then the focus moved to gender identity and an introduction to the language of trans.

And there seemed to be an emphasis on instruction rather than suggestion.

He found it embarrassing that Dr Barnes was giving teachers stickers bearing her groups rainbow logo when they answered questions correctly.

When she overheard Dr Randall explaining the meaning of cis-gender to an unenlightened colleague (it refers to someone who identifies with the sex into which they were born), he was offered a sticker. He declined.

Today Dr Randall is without a job, his career in jeopardy. He pinpoints that day in September 2018 as the start of his troubles, although at the time he had no idea of the dark way in which events would unfold.

Certainly he could never have foreseen that his opposition to some, by no means all, of Educate & Celebrates creed would put him on a collision course with the school leadership team, in particular the deputy head, Jeremy Hallows, who is responsible for pastoral matters in the school, and designated safeguarding lead Justine Rimington.

Or that Ms Rimington would secretly report him to the Governments anti-terrorism programme, Prevent, after he delivered a sermon that, he says, moderately and carefully presented the Christian viewpoint on identity questions.

I was terrified when I found out, recalls Dr Randall. I had visions of being investigated by MI5, of men coming to my house at dawn and knocking down the front door. What was I supposed to tell my family? It was crazy.

I had gone to such lengths in the sermon to stress we must respect one another no matter what, even people we disagree with. I am not ashamed to say I cried with relief when I was told that the report to Prevent was not going to be taken further.

Sitting in his clerical garb, Dr Randall doesnt betray obvious signs of being a terrorist, extremist or radicalising firebrand.

The bespectacled 48-year-old Oxford graduate does fit the popular notion of a school chaplain however. Tolerant, kind, patient, he projects the right mixture of authority and benevolence.

Ordained in the Church of England, he is welcoming of people from all faiths and none. When in 2015, having answered an advert in the Church Times, he joined Trent College, an independent boarding school near Nottingham with a Christian ethos, he brought intellectual vigour to the role.

Previously, he was chaplain at Christs College, Cambridge, and the colleges director of studies for theology. What appealed about the new role  a parish priest for the school community  was that it involved working with pupils of all ages.

I thought that if I could see a whole cohort through from preschool to sixth form, that would be a lovely thing to do, he says.

With some justification, head teacher Bill Penty remarked that the pastoral and spiritual care of the pupils was in safe hands.

Given what happened later, it is worth noting what Dr Randall claims his agreed role entailed. He would share the Christian faith, and raise awareness of the spiritual dimension to life, and of spiritual and moral values which remain important whether we subscribe to a particular faith or not.

The new chaplain settled in well. He taught classics and religious studies and ran an extra-curricular philosophy group.

In 2018, the school invited Educate & Celebrate  a group that goes into primary and secondary schools to give lessons on gender diversity  to help staff navigate a changing world in which a kaleidoscope of alternative terms are used to describe gender and sexuality.

Dr Barnes does not favour, for instance, the terms boys and girls lest they discriminate against transgender pupils. Not that they got down to such specifics on the 2018 training day.

I had concerns beforehand but reserved judgment because I believe in freedom of speech, recalls Dr Randall.

Above all it was the focus on gender identity that bothered him, the blurring of the biological distinctions between men and women.

He says: They were importing this identity politics kind of way of approaching things which comes from Marxist and postmodern roots which is fundamentally atheist.

They were bringing in this atheist worldview into a Christian school and my job as I saw it was to speak up a little bit about some of the difficulties that might raise.

Dr Randall claims he was particularly aggrieved to hear Dr Barnes claim that gender identity  an individuals sense of having a particular gender  was a protected characteristic under the Equality Act so at a suitable juncture he discreetly took her aside and pointed out this wasnt the case.

He also took issue with what he says was her claim that as many people are born intersex  in which a person may have genitalia or chromosomes from both sexes  as are born with ginger hair. He says after a short discussion she conceded that the data on the subject wasnt reliable.

Dr Barnes did not respond to requests for comment.

Afterwards, Dr Randall raised concerns about how some of the ideas clashed with certain Christian beliefs and values.

He says he was assured by the school that he would be involved in any decision-making on whether the school would implement the programme.

This, he said, allayed his fears.

During another training session in January 2019, Dr Randall claims that he learned a decision had been made to pursue the Educate & Celebrate programme in full.

This involved trying to meet 30 targets to achieve gold standard status. Dr Randall claims that one was the instruction for all departments and faculties to embed LGBT+ Inclusive lessons.

Others included holding a fundraiser for Educate & Celebrate and putting up an LGBT display in key areas of the school, including reception, hall, theatre, corridors and library. Despite previous assurances, he says that he was told that he had not been included in discussions because he might disagree with it.

Unsurprisingly Dr Randall was angry that he had been sidelined.

The school pressed ahead with the LGBT programme but Dr Randall says he was never consulted on how, for instance, it might be tailored to fit with the schools stated position in support of the Protestant and Evangelical principles of the Church of England.

Around June 2019, Dr Randall says he was approached by a pupil who asked him: How come we are told we have to accept all of this LGBT stuff in a Christian school?

Others he talked to were similarly upset, concerned or confused by the issues, he claims.

It was a school tradition that during the summer term pupils give me ideas for sermons, he says.

So I decided to address the school on some of the issues raised by pupils about Educate & Celebrate. Normally I speak off the cuff, but I decided to write this sermon  Competing Ideologies  beforehand because of the sensitivity of the subject matter.

In one contentious passage he said that it is perfectly legitimate to think that marriage should only properly be understood as being a lifelong exclusive union of a man and a woman; indeed, that definition is written into English law.

Though he neglected to say that same-sex marriage was made law in 2013, he would later point out that he was referring to Church of England Canon Law, which has the force of statute law.

Dr Randall claims that the following week, he was pulled into a meeting and told the sermon had hurt some peoples feelings and undermined the LGBT agenda.

He was also told that it was offensive to describe Dr Barnes as an LGBT activist, despite her describing herself as a DIVA Activist of the Year on her Twitter profile at the time.

At one point he was challenged about a conversation in the staff room some years earlier.

He says: I was overheard having a conversation about the appropriateness of a boy transitioning and then being in a girls boarding house.

And I think I said something along the lines of how it might cause difficulties and parents not being totally happy. That this conversation was recalled four years later was staggering.

From then on the chaplain says he was a marked man.

Dr Randall then discovered by accident that he had been reported to Prevent and claims he was only casually told it would not be taken any further.

I came to another disciplinary meeting with many questions  one of them being, Do you think the Church of England is a terrorist organisation?

When it came to this point I was told, No, er, we probably should have told you that the Prevent referral didnt meet the threshold.

Following an investigation and disciplinary hearing, Dr Randall was sacked for gross misconduct but reinstated on appeal.

However, he claims he was told that he must comply with 20 conditions regarding future sermons.

He was reportedly banned from broaching any topic or expressing any opinion (in Chapel or more generally around School) that is likely to cause offence or distress to members of the school body.

Another stipulation was that you will not publicly express personal beliefs in ways which exploit our pupils vulnerability.

Future sermons had to be approved in advance, with a staff member observing to ensure each stipulation was met, he claims.

I see what has happened to me in Orwellian terms, he says.

I was doing the job I was employed to do. I wasnt saying anything that I should not have been able to say in any liberal secular institution.

Everyone should be free to accept or reject an ideology. Isnt that what liberal democracy means?

Dr Randall will claim in his legal proceedings that life was made intolerable for him and that the school refused to reinstate his teaching timetable. In December, he was made redundant.

He says: My story sends a message to other Christians that you are not free to talk about your faith. It seems it is no longer enough to just tolerate LGBT ideology.

You must accept it without question and no debate is allowed without serious consequences.

Someone else will decide what is and what isnt acceptable, and suddenly you can become an outcast, possibly for the rest of your life.
New Delhi :

Cow vigilantes have struck again in Alwar, where a Muslim man identified as Ummar was shot dead by unknown assailants in the wee hours of November 10. Police have not registered an FIR until now.

Police have so far not given any statement concerning the unfortunate incident that took place in Fahari village near Govindh Gadh in Alwar district of Rajasthan.

According to media reports the killers did not just stop after shooting Ummar. They put the body at the railway tracks so as to make it look like an accident.

We're told there were 3 people, one of whom was shot dead when they were going with their cows. Neither relatives nor anyone else was there so we'll investigate to know what happened: Anil Benwal, Police on a man allegedly shot dead while transporting cows in Rajasthan's Alwar pic.twitter.com/n9KH454CMt  ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2017

The relatives of Ummar alleged police presence at the scene of the crime. The left limb and the head got severed but the rest of the body with bullets is intact.

As per Sher Muhammad, the family members of deceased Ummar are not willing to take his body for burial because they want to make sure that justice is served.

Earlier in April this year another case of cow related death surfaced when diary farmer Pehlu Khan died due to injuries sustained as a result of an assault by the vigilantes.

All the six accused were given clean chit by the investigating team. Ummar is survived by a wife and eight children.





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Diego (an alias) doesnt want any surprises, and he is clear with his clients from the beginning: If anyone asks, this is a restaurant, the waiter tells them. Until now, the bar where he works had followed Covid-19 protocols to the letter. Inside, there are sanitizing mats to disinfect shoes, digital thermometers and hydroalcoholic gel dispensers. The only unusual request is for mobile phones at the entrance. A security guard peels off two small white tags, one to cover each phone camera. Please guys, no pictures when you come in, he says.

Its past 10pm and there are only a couple of tables left on the outdoor terrace, where lingering customers are about to pay the bill, finish their drinks and move on. But behind closed doors, staff have already lowered the black curtains and Diegos restaurant is in full metamorphosis. From 11pm the good stuff starts, youre going to see how it gets, says head waiter Nina. Seen from the outside, the bar looks dead and officially closed. Backstage, bottles are popping and sparklers are being lit while smoke rises from water pipes, and more people cram inside. Remixes of 80s and 90s hits boom against the walls, and the only people wearing masks are the service staff.

Clubs and late-night bars have been left out of Mexico Citys economic reopening plan, where currently bars and restaurants can open, but with limited capacity and restricted hours. Visitors have to be in ventilated spaces. The Mexican Association of Bars, Discotheques and Nightclubs called for a demonstration in the capital in January using empty glasses to symbolize the loss of 300,000 jobs and 400,000 more under threat throughout the country, according to their own calculations. Since last year, some businesses in the food and drink sector have opened in secret to cater to family and friends, although this is largely kept hush hush. Over the last month though, the rebellion of the antros, as clubs are known in the country, has broken out into the open on social media.

Drinks at an underground club in Mexico City. seila montes

We opened two or three weeks ago, says Gerardo, one of the partners of the restaurant visited by EL PAIS, gesturing to show that the bar is bursting at the seams. We are doing really well, thank God, he adds, his shirt partially unbuttoned. The staff asked us to do this, they couldnt wait any longer. This particular bar is in Santa Fe, a part of Mexico City home to skyscrapers and areas with development markers similar to those of Germany, but also some of the citys most marginalized neighborhoods. Gerardo is blunt when he explains the owners decision to go back into business. How many girls at that table do you suppose have already gone to get vaccinated in Houston? he says. These people have a lot of money and theyre going to keep going out and spending, pandemic or no pandemic. Why not let them do it here?

They are not the only ones. In the same square, a well-known nightclub has opened for the second week in a row, and while there is no advertising or official announcements, word spreads fast. To get there, you have to go through the kitchen and out the back door of the first bar, and the entrance is through the parking lot, where you will encounter what was once on the street: the lines, the bouncers and the parade of luxury cars.

Screens that once projected music videos now insist in English that photos and recordings are not allowed under the implicit threat of having your phone taken away, or being kicked out. Everything else is the same. Tables start at the price of two bottles, some of which run to hundreds of dollars. All the elements are there to forget about the pandemic. Reggaeton makes everyone dance, flirting gives hope to single attendees, and masks and social distancing are gone. Covid doesnt exist, says one clubber in the bathroom. We dont give a shit, one of his friends replies.

On the main street, around 500 meters from all the places that are supposedly shut, the police are breathalyzing people. A little more than three kilometers away, but still in Santa Fe, a clandestine joint takes things up a notch. There, security guards dressed in suits and ties guard what looks like the gated entrance to a bunker. Before the pandemic, speakeasies inspired by the Prohibition era were fashionable, with facades of other businesses like flower shops or dry cleaners. Now that idea of hidden clubs entered through secret passages isnt a marketing trick anymore, but the only way they can stay open.

Some venues are conducting a booming business despite existing coronavirus restrictions. seila montes

The bunker gate leads to the back rooms of several subterranean shops in a park adjacent to a futuristic shopping mall. Inside is a labyrinth that requires going down several flights of stairs that pass through concrete tunnels. From the mall, one would see a store under renovation, scattered with paint cans, wooden boards and sheets to protect furniture. Next door, one somewhat modest establishment has bathrooms, tables, more security guards, a DJ, a small bar and individual mattresses in the corners. Photos are also prohibited. The point is not the place itself, explains one attendee, but that you found it. Admission is exclusively for friends and acquaintances of the owners, who party until the bar closes at dawn.

Increasingly, invitations are common and the options are more varied in Mexico Citys hidden nightlife. It could be clubs that lower their curtains, rooftops transformed into bars, or discos hidden under the facades of buildings. Owners from all levels of society are returning to reclaim their clientele, from the wealthy neighborhood of Polanco to abandoned houses in working-class areas. In Colonia Juarez, in the city center, an old car repair shop is transformed every Saturday into a gay club playing dance music. It asks customers not to spend too much time on the street to avoid arousing suspicion. I needed this, even though I know its a gamble, says Arturo, after ordering his first drink. Even if life refuses to return to how it was before in Mexico City, glasses are being raised to the new normal.
She has turned her reality TV fame into a successful and well paid media career.

And on Saturday, Angie Kent proudly told The Daily Telegraph that she never imagined reaching the goals she's achieved today.

The 31-year-old said: 'If someone had have told me 10 years ago, when I was fresh out of uni at 21, that I would be where I am now and have done everything I have done, I wouldn't have believed you in a billion years.'

'I wouldn't have believed you in a billion years': Angie Kent marvelled at her success of turning her reality TV fame into a long-term media career

She first graced our screens on Gogglebox from 2015 to 2018 with her then-housemate Yvie Jones.

After quitting the show in 2019, they joined season five of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

Later that year Angie went on to be cast as The Bachelorette and found love with Carlin Sterritt, but they eventually called it quits in June 2020.

Rise to fame: She first graced our screens on Gogglebox from 2015 to 2018 with her then-housemate Yvie Jones

TV romance: Later that year Angie went on to be cast as The Bachelorette and found love with Carlin Sterritt, but they eventually called it quits in June 2020

Soon after her Bachelorette stint she also released her memoir - If You Don't Laugh You'll Cry: Life and love from either side of the TV screen.

She also went on to take compete on Channel 10's Dancing With The Stars last year.

In addition to TV, the blonde beauty many other area's of her career are thriving, including her sponsored content on Instagram for brands like Nissan, Mentos and Liddells Lactose Free Dairy.

She's an author! Soon after her Bachelorette stint she also released her memoir - If You Don't Laugh You'll Cry: Life and love from either side of the TV screen

Influencer life: In addition to TV, the blonde beauty many other area's of her career are thriving, including her sponsored content on Instagram for brands like Nissan (left), Mentos (right) and Liddells Lactose Free Dairy

She is also set to start in her first film, an Australian-produced horror film called The Possessed, alongside former Home and Away star Lincoln Lewis - set for release in August.

The actress told the publication of her career pivot: 'It's not something I really planned  it all just kind of happened. I put the call out to the universe and it delivered.'

Angie recently surprised fans by announcing she will start a Try Guys-inspired podcast called Angie Tries It, produced by Nova Podcasts.

The series will document her experiences as she samples new therapies and learns about the mind.

'Sister loves a chat': Angie recently surprised fans by announcing she will start a Try Guys-inspired podcast called Angie Tries It, produced by Nova Podcasts. The series will document her experiences as she samples new therapies and learns about the mind

'Sister loves a chat, asking all them questions is one of my favourite things to do, and I am absolutely mad for therapy/learning about how this mad mind ticks,' she wrote on Instagram on this week.

Her intriguing career move comes after she recently purchased her first home in Mount Tamborine, near the Gold Coast.

Angie's fixer-upper property features three-bedrooms, four-bathrooms, which she bought for $615,000 in April.
Former President Barack Obamas dog Bo died Saturday after battling cancer. Obama and his wife Michelle both shared news of the 12-year-old Portuguese water dogs death on social media. Today our family lost a true friend and loyal companion, Obama wrote. For more than a decade, Bo was a constant, gentle presence in our liveshappy to see us on our good days, our bad days, and everyday in between.

Bo became an instant celebrity when the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, a major supporter of Obamas 2008 presidential campaign, gave the dog to the Obamas. He tolerated all the fuss that came with being in the White House, had a big bark but no bite, loved to jump in the pool in the summer, was unflappable with children, lived for scraps around the dinner table, and had great hair, Obama said. He was exactly what we needed and more than we ever expected. We will miss him dearly. Throughout his two terms in office, Obama was a constant presence and frequently made cameos at formal events and surprised visitors.

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The former president had promised daughters Malia and Sasha they could get a dog after the election. At the time, Bo was supposed to be a companion for the girls. We had no idea how much he would mean to all of us, Michelle Obama wrote in an Instagram post. No. one was happier than Bo when the Obamas were all suddenly under the same roof during the pandemic, the former first lady said. I will always be grateful that Bo and the girls got to spend so much time together at the end.

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In his 2020 memoir, Obama wrote that of all the pleasures that first year in the White House would deliver, none quite compared to the mid-April arrival of Bo. The dog gave Obama what someone once described as the only reliable friend a politician can have in Washington, the former president wrote. He also said the dog gave him the perfect excuse to put off work and go with his family for after-dinner walks.

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In August 2013 the family got another dog of the same breed, Sunny.
A record number of children under ten have been found armed with guns and knives amid fears they are being exploited by county lines gangs.

Police figures show a steep increase in the number of children who were investigated for having weapons  but were below the age of criminal responsibility.

The numbers will fuel fears that criminal gangs aware of the legal loophole are increasingly using young children to look after their weapons.

Last year saw 160 cases where police forces in England and Wales dropped a criminal weapons case because the suspect was too young to be charged.

The tally for 2019/20 was more than six times the figure of 26 seen just five years earlier.

A record number of children under ten have been found armed with guns, knives, axes and machetes (pictured posed by model)

Four cases  in Kent, Cleveland, Lincolnshire and West Yorkshire  related to firearms while the rest involved bladed items such as knives, axes and machetes.

Last year there were 7,358 criminal cases of all types logged by police where no prosecution was brought because the suspect was too young. It was double the figure of 3,641 recorded five years earlier.

Also among last years crimes involving under-tens were 59 racial assaults.

Additionally, there were 75 attacks on police, compared with five in 2014/15, and six cases where the child was caught in possession of illegal drugs.

The force writing off the largest number of weapons crimes involving under-tens last year was West Yorkshire with 21, followed by Hampshire (15) and Cleveland and Devon and Cornwall (both nine).

Javed Khan, chief executive of Barnardos, says the charity knows of children as young as nine being exploited

The largest force, the Metropolitan Police, had four cases, the West Midlands had six and Greater Manchester recorded seven, figures obtained by the Daily Mail show.

County lines drug gangs are known to exploit youngsters to sell hard drugs. Last year it emerged that the criminals were targeting children at free wifi spots.

The internet areas, popular with youngsters who have used up all their pay-as-you-go phone credit, are ideal places for gangsters to meet and groom vulnerable children, the Howard League for Penal Reform said in a report.

Criminals also try to recruit young people at more traditional locations such as parks and bus stops, it added. Javed Khan, chief executive of Barnardos, said: We know of children as young as nine who have been criminally exploited.

They could be carrying weapons out of fear for their own safety or just not understand the implications of their actions. These children must be safeguarded first and foremost and protected from further harm.

He added: Children are not born with knives in their hands. But at a young age they can be highly vulnerable to exploitation and coerced into committing crimes such as carrying weapons or drugs.

Last year it was reported criminals were targeting and grooming children at free wifi spots (picture posed by model)

These children can also have been threatened and blackmailed, subjected to physical, emotional or sexual abuse and are at risk of serious violence. Far too often these children go unidentified and unsupported.

Anastasia de Waal, director of the I Can Be childrens charity, said: At the heart of these figures lies the troubling reality that very young children are being exploited by criminal networks.

She added: What are often very vulnerable children are not just having their childhoods blighted by this exploitation, their futures are also too often affected by their early involvement in crime.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 04:44:25|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Friday that it has deported 160 illegal migrants from Libya to their home country Bangladesh this week.

"IOM this week facilitated the safe return of 160 Bangladeshi migrants stranded in Libya via its Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) program," IOM said in a statement.

The migrants were stranded in Libya due to COVID-19 and the challenging security situation in the country, the statement said, adding that the IOM had worked closely with Libyan authorities and the Embassy of Bangladesh in Libya to assist the migrants in getting home.

The state of insecurity and chaos in Libya following the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 has encouraged thousands of migrants to cross the Mediterranean Sea towards European shores. Enditem
Happy Mothers Day to everyone!

Armed Forces Day is the third Saturday in May  this year May 15  for those who wear the uniform.

Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, for those who never made it out of the uniform.

Veterans Day is Thursday, Nov. 11, for those who used to wear the uniform.

We will again gather at the Union Cemetery on East Street (Old State Road) in Victory for services for those who never made it out of the uniform. The LaBuff-Cole American Legion Post No. 911 of Cato will continue their ongoing service of recognition at six cemeteries and sites in northern Cayuga County on Memorial Day. The service at Victory is at approximately 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 31, an outdoor service and open to the public.

Twenty-five years ago, in June 1996, I gave a tour of the Victory Union Cemetery for the 175th anniversary of our town. The following are some of the founding men and women who were dedicated to the town of Victory and its growth and survival. These people paved the way for their ancestors. They sacrificed much and pulled together for the good of all, neighbor helping neighbor, worshipping together (three active churches) and celebrating patriotism with veterans from the Revolutionary War and Civil War.
Mama June Shannon was forced to be honest with herself and her family about the odds that she could end up in prison for up to two years on Friday's episode of Mama June: Road To Recovery.

The 41-year-old reality star couldn't keep lying to herself after she was confronted by her daughter Lauryn 'Pumpkin' Shannon and her husband Josh.

Pumpkin, 21, also got her own surprise when she learned on camera that she was pregnant with her second child.

Being honest: Mama June Shannon, 41, was forced to stop her lies and admit to her family that she could go to prison for as long as two years on Friday's episode of Mama June: Road To Recovery

The episode picks up with Alana staying on her own with June and her boyfriend Geno at their temporary Florida house.

She had been visiting with Pumpkin for the first time since her older sister became her guardian among June and Geno's struggles with drug addiction and homelessness.

But Josh drives through the day from Georgia to Florida to pick up Alana, as he doesn't like the idea of her staying there.

He was incensed after learning that June took her youngest daughter apartment hunting to entice her to stay, even though Pumpkin and Josh didn't think she was anywhere near ready for that step.

Last straw: Pumpkin's husband Josh drives to June and Geno's home in Florida to take Alana home after learning that they went apartment hunting with her

Surprise: Alana is confused by his arrival, as she thought 'nothing bad has happened,' and June asks why he couldn't have given them a call first

Once he arrives, Josh confronts a shocked June at the front door before marching into the house without her permission.

Alana is confused by his arrival, as she thought 'nothing bad has happened,' and June asks why he couldn't have given them a call first.

But Josh says the apartment hunting was the last straw.

'We dont live in Florida to pick up the pieces,' he tells June with a blank face.

Geno seems to be the only one who understands why Josh is angry about looking for new places to live, and he urges June to let Alana go.

Time to go: But Josh says the apartment hunting was the last straw. 'We dont live in Florida to pick up the pieces,' he tells June with a blank face

Peacemaker: Geno seems to be the only one who understands why Josh is angry about looking for new places to leave, and he urges June to let Alana go

'You think you can go in my house any time you want to?' June cries out as Alana covers her face as if to cry, though she's dry eyed when she moves her hands.

'No, just this time,' Josh replies.

While her husband is in Florida retrieving her little sister, Pumpkin visits June's sister Doe Doe, who proceeds to tell her that June confessed to her that she could be facing up to two years in prison, while Geno is 'definitely doing time' and could spend as many as 10 years behind bars.

June never conveyed anything that serious to Pumpkin, even when she pressed her about it, so she feels lied to.

The truth: Pumpkin visits June's sister Doe Doe, who tells her that June confessed that she could be facing up to two years in prison, while Geno is 'definitely doing time' and could spend as many as 10 years behind bars

Cooling off: After Alana calms down once she gets home, Pumpkin goes int to chat with her

'I know what Pumpkins going through because I had to step in and raise June when she was young,' Doe Doe says.

She adds that 'Junes doing just what mama used to do by buying Alanas love.

Later that night, Alana is furious at Josh for taking her home during their tense car and she says Josh ruined her life, though he tells her he's the 'boss' when it comes to matters of her safety and well-being.

Once she calms down a bit after playing on her phone in her bedroom, Pumpkin comes in for a chat.

Misplaced anxiety: Alana admits that she thinks its time for her to move back in with June and Geno because Pumpkin and Josh have been arguing lately, but she says its not because of her

Failings: 'Mama tends to leave out the bad parts, but Mamas looking at jail time,' she tells Alana, which surprises her sister

Alana admits that she thinks its time for her to move back in with June and Geno because Pumpkin and Josh have been arguing lately, but she says its not because of her.

'Mama tends to leave out the bad parts, but Mamas looking at jail time,' she tells Alana, which surprises her sister.

Pumpkin adds that she thinks of Alana like more than a sister, and she says her daughter Ella thinks of her like a sister, so she'll never be a burden on them.

Later on, June and Geno move into their new house in Florida after signing the papers.

It doesn't have a pool but it's near the beach, which June wanted to entice her youngest to move back in with her.

But during a virtual therapy session, her therapist calls her out for going apartment hunting with Alana and not being truthful about the possibility of prison time, but she doesn't want to do that out of fear that her daughters will visit less often.

New start: Later on, June and Geno move into their new house in Florida after signing the papers

Truth teller: But her therapist calls her out for going apartment hunting with Alana and not being truthful about the possibility of prison time, but she doesn't want to do that out of fear that her daughters will visit less often

Back in Georgia, Doe Doe visits Pumpkin and Ella as they fill up party favors for her daughters friends ahead of Ella's birthday party.

Doe Doe convinces Pumpkin that she's doing a good job of taking care of her sister and daughter, but in a moment of stress she pours a whole handful of Pixy Stix into her mouth, and then there's a flash back to her bingeing and eating junk food in recent episodes.

On her way back home, Doe Doe calls up June in the car and blasts her for not being honest about her court proceedings, even though her sister doesn't want to hear it.

Nevertheless, she leaves a message for Pumpkin and says shes available to talk whenever shes ready.

Encouragement: Doe Doe visits Pumpkin and convinces her she's doing a good job raising Ella and Alana

Hungry? In a moment of stress she pours a whole handful of Pixy Stix into her mouth, and then there's a flash back to her bingeing and eating junk food in recent episodes

Geno joins in with the others and tells June she needs to be honest with herself before she can be honest with the others.

'That's not gonna happen,' she says about the possibility of going to prison.

'You hope it's not gonna happen,' Geno corrects her.

She seems to be suffering under delusions and thinks she might go to a fancy 'celebrity' jail if she's convicted, but Geno sets her straight and tells her there won't be anything nice about it, and she might even get 'beaten up or stabbed' if she acts the way she does on the outside.

Later, she has her video chat with Pumpkin and Alana and admits that she might go to prison, but she also acts as if it's not serious and reveals she might try to represent herself, which Pumpkin knows would be an awful self-sabotaging idea.

Honesty: June has her video chat with Pumpkin and Alana and admits that she might go to prison

Backsliding: But she also acts as if it's not serious and reveals she might try to represent herself, which Pumpkin knows would be an awful self-sabotaging idea

Not feeling great: Pumpkin has to rush away to the bathroom in the middle of the call with a bout of nausea, which confuses Alana and June. 'I dont think Im pregnant, but if I am, this would literally be the worst time,' she says

Pumpkin has to rush away to the bathroom in the middle of the call with a bout of nausea, which confuses Alana and June.

'I dont think Im pregnant, but if I am, this would literally be the worst time,' she says in a confessional recording.

Right after the call she leaves the house to go to a nearby pharmacy, where she buys a pregnancy test and uses it in the store's bathroom.

She sounds frustrated with the camera people and meekly asks them to give her some space as she leaves while looking distressed.

Needs answers: Right after the call she leaves the house to go to a nearby pharmacy, where she buys a pregnancy test and uses it in the store's bathroom

Tired out: Back at home, Alana is running around the yard while pulling Ella in her toy convertible, but she has to stop when she gets out of breath

Warning: Her aunt Jessica says it might have to do with the sugary snacks she has lying out and says she needs to worry more about the possibility of getting diabetes

Back at home, Alana is running around the yard while pulling Ella in her toy convertible, but she has to stop when she gets out of breath.

Her aunt Jessica, who lives with them, suggests it might have something to do with the sugary snacks she has lying out and says she needs to worry more about the possibility of getting diabetes, which her father already has.

Jessica also mentions that Pumpkin has been bingeing on unhealthy foods recently.

But Alana pushes it aside and jokes that she'll 'pass out' if she eats too many vegetables.

Bad mood: Pumpkin arrives home to find Josh playing with Ella in the living room, but she's annoyed that he was doing that instead of looking for a new job after quitting his in recent weeks

Hint hint: He tries to convince her that they're fine and there's no rush, but she gives him a stern look and says, 'OK, but you never know if something unexpected pops up'

Pumpkin arrives home to find Josh playing with Ella in the living room, but she's annoyed that he was doing that instead of looking for a new job after quitting his in recent weeks.

He tries to convince her that they're fine and there's no rush, but she gives him a stern look and says, 'OK, but you never know if something unexpected pops up.'

Then she hands him her positive pregnancy test from the drug store, revealing that they'll soon have another child.

'I am pregnant,' she says, but Josh's only response is, 'What the f***.'
Two more British firms have been targeted by foreign predators in the latest flurry of pandemic plundering.

Defence and aerospace group Meggitt is being circled by US rival Woodward, in a move that threatens to further pummel Britain's world-leading engineering industry.

And St Modwen Properties has received a 1.2billion offer from another American firm, private equity giant Blackstone.

Bombardment: Meggitt's clients include aerospace giants BAE Systems, Boeing and Lockheed Martin

It is the second US private equity approach in just two days after infrastructure group John Laing revealed it was in talks with KKR.

Foreign bidders have swooped on a string of UK firms since the pandemic broke out  including the AA, G4S, power generator provider Aggreko and superyacht servicer GYG.

The Covid-19 outbreak sent markets into freefall in February last year, wiping significant value off many companies which still have not fully recovered.

That has made them appear good value to suitors who have been accused of 'pandemic plundering'.

Fund manager JO Hambro, the fourth biggest shareholder in St Modwen, is said to be unhappy with the price of the offer from Blackstone and is set to oppose such a deal, according to The Times.

The latest takeover talk sent shares soaring, with Meggitt up 8.3 per cent and St Modwen 20 per cent.

Like John Laing, whose shares gained nearly 20 per cent on Thursday, Meggitt and St Modwen are listed on the FTSE 250, which leapt a record high of 22,775.28.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'Two private equity approaches in two days  one for John Laing from KKR and one for St Modwen from Blackstone  add to a growing list of takeover offers for UK-listed companies, to suggest there is still value to be had. The number of bids suggests that someone, somewhere  be they trade or financial buyers  feel UK companies are still going cheap.'

John Laing, St Modwen and Meggitt shares are all trading at a lower value than before the pandemic struck last year.

The latest string of takeover talks raises fresh questions about whether UK rules are too lax.

Meggitt's sale would deal another blow to Britain's engineering and defence industry  which has already been hit by the sale of companies such as Laird and Cobham over the last few years. Based in Dorset, Meggitt's history reaches back to the 1850s, when its predecessor invented hi-tech, pioneering devices such as the first altimeter for the hot air balloon.

The defence and aerospace group has more recently counted industry giants BAE Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Rolls-Royce among its customers. And its work includes making parts for Boeing's 737 Max planes and radar technology on the RAF's Typhoon fighter jet.

St Modwen has three business divisions  one of which is a logistics arm that has enough land to build 19m sq ft of warehouse space in the next few years.

The boom in online shopping during Covid has sent demand for warehouse space sky high.
BHP has commenced oil production in Trinidad and Tobago in the next big energy development in the Caribbean. After recent successes in Guyana and Surinames energy sectors, Australian firm BHP has begun production on its $500m Ruby Project, located in shallow water in Block 3(a) within the Greater Angostura Field.

The project will see gas and oil being produced from the Ruby and Delaware reservoirs via five production wells offshore Trinidad and Tobago. Several more wells are expected to be drilled in the area by the end of the year.

Peak production levels are expected to be around 16,000 bpd of oil and 2.26mn m/d of gas, upon completion of the development.

Geraldine Slattery, President of BHP, stated The start-up of Ruby represents the continued development of BHPs oil and gas production facilities in Trinidad and Tobago, re-enforces the quality of the resource and its investment competitiveness.

BHP will operate the Ruby development holding a 68.46 percent stake, with the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC) holding a 31.54 percent stake. NGC has signed a contract with BHP allowing the national company to buy 100 percent of the gas produced in the Ruby development to expand its natural gas portfolio.

Mark Loquan, President of NGC, stated of the project, NGC has been working closely and conscientiously with upstream operators, both as a value chain stakeholder and Joint Venture partner in several developments, to advance work programs and bring more gas into the pipeline. It is extremely heartening to see that work bearing fruit. The announcement of the first oil from Ruby signals important progress on an important project. We look forward to more positive news from the field and expect associated gas production which would contribute to further stability in supply. This is promising news for our downstream sector, for our Company, and for the country.

Related: Iran Says It Welcomes Talks With Saudi Arabia

While other countries faced difficulties in oil production throughout 2020, Trinidad and Tobago were able to maintain pre-pandemic production levels of around 55-60,000 bpd. Trinidad has also upheld its status as a regional leader in energy production, both oil and gas, with 728 million barrels of proven crude oil reserves identified in 2016.

However, neighboring countries are now catching up as oil majors invest heavily in Suriname and Guyana. Guyana has become a hub for foreign investment following Exxon Mobil Corps discovery of over 8 billion barrels of oil and gas in the offshore Stabroek Block in 2020. And just last month Exxon released a statement announcing a new discovery, which will likely increase this figure substantially. Four Exxon developments are expected between now and 2025.

In Suriname, oil production is expected to commence by 2025 from the first of five discoveries made offshore in the past year. The delay reflects the undeveloped nature of the countrys oil industry, which is expected to boom over the next decade. ExxonMobil, Total and Apache all have a stake in Surinames oil sector, as well as smaller partner companies.

With new developments across the Caribbean region, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname and Guyana have stolen the spotlight from big Latin American oil states as oil majors look to invest in the largely underdeveloped energy industry across the region.

By Felicity Bradsrtock for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
By Nina Baker

bakernin@grinnell.edu

As vaccines become readily available and COVID-19 cases fall across the United States, a return to pre-pandemic life is approaching for many domestic Grinnell College students. But many international students face a different, more brutal reality: exploding COVID-19 surges in their home countries, strict visa regulations and insufficient vaccine access for them and their families.

Things here feel like were sort of back to normal. For most of our international students, it doesnt feel that way, said Karen Edwards, director of International Student Affairs at the College. For them, its been navigating ever-changing visa regulations, border issues, all that, on top of their worries for family and friends and people they love.

Ahon Gooptu `21 is from the city of Kolkata in the state of West Bengal, India, and has been living off-campus in Grinnell for the 2020-21 academic year. India has seen a staggering rise of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of April, shattering global-records with 412,431 cases on May 5.

I havent been able to focus on any work, he said. Its such a distressing situation because we get heartbreaking and devastating news pretty much every other day about someone that we know of. Either theyre sick, or theyre dying.

Despite the magnitude of Indias reported case counts, many epidemiologists believe that this number is drastically underestimated. COVID-19 case rates in India could be up to 10 times higher than reported cases due to lack of testing.

More than 230,168 Indians have died since the pandemic began. Over the past two weeks, death rates have increased by 102 percent, and yet deaths are also massively undercounted.

India is burning. Bengal is burning, said Gooptu.

The spike in cases comes after India averaged less than 20,000 cases a day just a few weeks earlier in March.

Writam Pal `23 currently lives in Kolkata. He said that though the reported numbers were very low in March, he thinks that the low numbers were misleading due to extremely inadequate reporting at the time.

I wouldnt really say in March the cases were low, its that they were undocumented. And as time progressed, it just became more documented and structured.  You cant really be sure about the total cases in the country.

On May 4, Pal tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms, and he is quarantined in his house with his father. His initial plan was to wait to get vaccinated until he reached the United States. That changed when he tested positive.

Its such a distressing situation because we get heartbreaking and devastating news pretty much every other day about someone that we know of. -Ahon Gooptu 21

Vaccination appointments opened up to all West Bengal resident age 18 and older on May 5, and Pal said he believes he will be able to get a vaccine appointment before the fall.

Gooptu received both Pfizer doses in Grinnell, but he is concerned about his parents in India who may be unable to get an appointment for their second dose of the Covishield vaccine to due scarce supply. The vaccine is a locally manufactured version of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII). Covishield is the most widely used vaccine in India, and as cases rise, so does the demand for the shot.

As of May 6, the SII is only producing 60 to 70 million doses per month, nowhere near the estimated 250 million doses India needs per month to fill vaccine drives to full capacity. This shortage of doses may last through July.

Only 2.1 percent of Indias 1.4 billion population have been fully vaccinated. An additional 9.2 percent of Indians have received one of two doses.

Its so distressing to me that people are taking a voluntary choice not to get it [in the United States], where people are like fighting to get it in India, said Gooptu.

Pal said that vaccine hesitancy is a problem not just in the US but in India as well. He said that some of the vaccine resistance is a result of distrust for the current Hindu-led government, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is causing many Indians, especially those in majority Muslim localities, to be doubtful of the vaccine.

Gooptu added that, in some ways, politically driven vaccine hesitancy in the United States mirrors politically-driven vaccine resistance in India.

[Political parties] were using the pandemic and the virus as a means to an end for the political campaigns. Weve seen that in the US as well. This was just being repeated in its own form in India, said Gooptu.

Carolina Klauck Novaes `23 left for Grinnell the week of March 14, right as her home state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, reached its peak in March. In Rio Grande do Sul, one in every 11 people have tested positive for COVID-19.

All hospitals were full. People were dying in line for an ICU bed, she said. It was so full. Everything was crazy.

Brazil is third in the world for COVID-19 cases behind India and the United States. This past week, there have been an average of 59,332 cases per day.

6.7 percent of Brazilians are fully vaccinated, with an additional 7.3 percent of Brazilians having received their first dose.

Demand for vaccinations far outstrips the supply. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro declined shipments of over 100 million vaccines for Brazil in 2020 and has repeatedly downplayed the efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19 transmission. Additionally, the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency declined approval on April 26 for the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V, citing safety concerns.

The difference between vaccine availability in Grinnell and in Brazil was shocking, said Klauck Novaes.

Literally the minute I got here, when I entered the city of Grinnell, I got an email like, Yeah, schedule your vaccine, and I was like, oh God.

Things here feel like were sort of back to normal. For most of our international students, it doesnt feel that way. -Karen Edwards, Director of International Student Affairs

Looking ahead to the 2021-22 academic year, Edwards said that the primary concern of the Colleges International Affairs office is that there may be students who are unable to travel to Grinnell next year due to consulate closures and visa backlogs in countries like India and Brazil.

Approximately 52 international students who are current first-year students have not yet been able to secure an F-1 visa to come to Grinnell in the fall of 2021. There are also about 90 international students in the class of 2025 who will need to acquire F-1 visas by August.

Though she said that in prior years the office has had mild worries about students being unable to acquire visas, the issue this year has been severely exacerbated.

Its absolutely specific to the pandemic, said Edwards. Our first and primary goal is to do everything we can to help students be on the ground ready to give these applications and get appointments as soon as they become available.
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo on Saturday accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of "indulging in theatrics" over people moving out of the national capital because of the COVID-19 lockdown, and said the same was being seen in Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab.

She demanded that vaccines should be administered for free to everyone, especially the poor, Dalits and tribals, and economic assistance should also be given to them.

In a series of tweets in Hindi, the former said, "The Delhi chief minister, with folded hands, urging people not to flee Delhi is a drama which was enacted during COVID-19 earlier. Now, the same is being seen in Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab. Many people from Ludhiana in Punjab are fleeing. This is extremely sad."



"If these state governments generate confidence among the people that their needs will be fulfilled in time, then they would not flee. These state governments are indulging in varied theatrics to hide their failures. This is not hidden from anyone," she alleged.

(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.)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 8)  Newly installed Philippine National Police chief Guillermo Eleazar assured face mask violators they will not be physically hurt.

In a statement on Saturday, Eleazar said law enforcement authorities will uphold their responsibility to respect human rights as the PNP moves to strictly implement minimum health and safety protocols - the wearing of face masks in particular.

"I understand the concerns of some people regarding the arrest of those not wearing face masks but this is a needed measure to ensure compliance of the people to observe the minimum health safety standard protocol," the new PNP chief said.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this week ordered the police "to arrest and detain" individuals who do not wear masks properly.

READ: Duterte orders police to detain, probe citizens not wearing face masks properly

Eleazar stressed that police can detain individuals, but they should not hurt or punish the violators.

"Kapag ginawa ninyo ito, mananagot kayo sa akin," he warned police officers.

[Translation: If you do this, I will hold you accountable.]
WILLOWS, Calif. - Restaurants near I-5 in Willows are noticing a trend.

Some customers are coming into their stores trying to buy food with counterfeit money, like at the KFC in Willows.

At around 9:30 last night, the Glenn County Sheriffs Office got a call about someone using counterfeit cash at the KFC.

The manager didn't want to go on camera, but he told Action News Now that an older woman walked into the restaurant and tried to buy food with two counterfeit $20 dollar bills.

He said his employee noticed the bills were not real and told the woman he couldn't give her back the fake money.

He said she then claimed to have gotten the bills from her bank.

But this is not the first time this has happened at the KFC in Willows.

The manager said over the past several months he has been on the receiving end of two other counterfeit bills, one $20 dollar bill, and a $100 dollar bill.

Some other restaurants in the area are experiencing the same thing, like the Mexican restaurant across the street, Casa Ramos.

Employees at Casa Ramos did not want to go on camera, but they said people have recently come into their restaurant with counterfeit money.

And just a couple of minutes down the road, another restaurant said they have had to deal with the same thing.

Action News Now reached out to the Glenn County Sheriff's Office to ask about this recent surge and have yet to hear back.

If you know anything about counterfeit cash going around, call your local law enforcement.
Marcella's Kitchen Celebrates 10 Years of Service

By Easton Sanders

MARSHALL COUNTY - On Friday, Marcella's Kitchen celebrated ten years of serving the community.Marcella Perkins, owner of Marcella's Kitchen, told West Kentucky Star that it's incredible to see how the organization has grown."It's amazing what God has done. We started out with a four-burner stove, a little kitchen, and serving probably 30 or 40 people a day. Now we have up to 250," she said.In their previous location, Perkins said they served approximately 150,000 meals in eight years. Since moving to their new location, they have served an average of 5,000 meals per month.She is proud of the accomplishments over the last ten years, although she said there is still work to be done."We haven't even scratched the surface yet," she continued, "We haven't gotten to Hardin, to Aurora. There are so many more needs out there."Perkins hopes they can continue growing and reaching more people over the next ten years and inspire others to serve the community.She said, "Murray is thinking about starting one [a community kitchen], and I hope to be able to help them. I would love to do what I could to help some of these other counties start a ministry like this."
We invite it into our homes each night on television and we go to sleep with it on the bedside table between the covers of a paperback.

Murder is elevated above all other offences in our courts. Yet the law is clear that not all killers are equally wicked.

Which of them is truly guilty and which simply out of their mind? Who needs help, not punishment? And how is a court to know?

The way the law makes these complex decisions is down to a handful of strange and brutal deaths.

From the murder of sweet Fanny Adams to an attempted assassination of the Prime Minister, these desperate, sometimes inexplicable crimes still shape the way we see deliberate killing  and haunt Britains court rooms even now.

A lunatics attempt to shoot the PM  or was it?

On quiet nights at Londons Liverpool Street Station, the anguished cries of the departed can still be heard, or so it is sometimes claimed.

The station was built on the former site of one of medieval Londons most notorious institutions, the Royal Bethlehem Hospital, better known by its nickname, Bedlam.

In early 1843, an unlikely Westminster assassin helped to reshape the law on insanity. His name was Daniel MNaghten, a wood-turner who had until then lived a quiet, industrious and completely anonymous life in his native Glasgow

During the 18th and 19th Centuries, Bedlam would play host to some of the most notorious killers of the age. And how far a mental affliction could, and should, relieve them of criminal liability would give rise to some of the most intriguing cases of the era.

In early 1843, an unlikely Westminster assassin helped to reshape the law on insanity. His name was Daniel MNaghten, a wood-turner who had until then lived a quiet, industrious and completely anonymous life in his native Glasgow.

At about the age of 30, however, MNaghten was plagued by paranoid thoughts.

These mostly involved authority figures such as the police or Church officials, but developed into a fixation on the Conservative Party  then in power  and a belief that he had been singled out for persecution.

These were the days before secret ballots, and he concluded that the Tories had got it in for him because he was known to have voted against their candidate in an election.

It led MNaghten to travel to London, where he spent the next few weeks loitering around Westminster and Whitehall forming a plan to murder Robert Peel, the Prime Minister himself.

On the afternoon of January 20, 1843, MNaghten stalked a lone figure walking along Whitehall towards Downing Street and shot Peel in the back at close range.

This was not the assassination that he had envisaged, however. Rather than murdering Robert Peel, MNaghten had unwittingly killed Peels private secretary, Edward Drummond.

He made no effort to escape and was arrested at the scene.

In his subsequent statement to police, MNaghten blamed the Tories, who he said follow me wherever I go, and added: In fact, they wish to murder me.

At his trial at the Old Bailey, MNaghten pleaded insanity. It was an assertion the prosecution felt it had little choice but to accept  otherwise, the Crown would have been obliged to take MNaghtens wild accusations against the Tories seriously.

And with the additional weight of testimony from MNaghtens doctors, the prosecution agreed to withdraw the case. The jury was given no option but to deliver a verdict of not guilty on the grounds of insanity.

MNaghten was ordered to be held indefinitely at Bedlam. The acquittal was greeted with public uproar. If MNaghten, a man who was capable of running a successful business and had the wherewithal to plan and execute such a killing, could successfully claim to be insane, where would it end?

The controversy led to a debate in the House of Lords, and the setting down of rules on insanity that are still applied in English courts today.

Known as the MNaghten rules, these essential points include proving that the accused has a disease of the mind and that their mental faculties are affected.

One of the quirks of the case was that MNaghten was never actually judged against the rules that still bear his name two centuries later. They were created several months after he had been committed to an asylum for the rest of his life.

In 1864, he became one of the first patients of Broadmoor, where he died a year later aged 52.

There is an interesting footnote, which suggests that not all was as it might have seemed.

When MNaghten was arrested in Whitehall, the police found he was carrying a bank receipt for 750, equivalent to 45,000 today. Was his insanity a cover story? Was he in fact a hired hitman tasked to assassinate the Prime Minister?

Just how mad was the most famous criminal lunatic in English legal history?

The gruesome murder that led to sweet FA

Insanity was already a matter of concerned debate by the time MNaghten entered Broadmoor.

In 1861, a legal milestone, the Offences Against The Person Act, came into force. It meant murder was in effect the only crime (other than treason) punishable by death under English law.

And, in turn, this meant that the handful of people accused of murder now had a particular interest in claiming insanity. It could be a matter of life and death for those who were on trial.

From then on, there seemed to be a perverse contradiction at play: the more brutal the killing, the more inclined a jury might be to accept that someone was out of their right mind when they did it.

The hanging of Fanny Adams killer Frederick Baker

Could this be exploited by those who were simply bad, not mad, in order to escape the gallows?

In August 1867, six years after the new Act came into force, local labourer Thomas Gates stumbled upon the severed head of a young girl as he ambled home through hop fields near Alton, Hampshire.

It was that of eight-year-old Fanny Adams, who had failed to return to her family cottage nearby after playing in the fields with her friends.

The account given by Fannys friends was every parents nightmare. As the girls were playing, they had been approached by Frederick Baker, a clerk at a local solicitors firm, who had offered Fanny a halfpenny to accompany him into a field and sent her friends away with money to buy sweets.

Baker strenuously denied any involvement, but his colleagues confirmed that he had been absent from work that afternoon, and that his clothing was found to be heavily bloodstained.

On searching his desk, police found Bakers diary, in which he had recorded an entry for the day that was chilling in its banality.

It read: Killed a young girl. It was fine and hot.

A conscientious church-goer and teetotaller, Baker was short and slight, with a pale and unprepossessing countenance. If the Victorians had their image of a madman, then Baker did not match it.

Madmen did not hold down respectable jobs and go to church.

Nevertheless, Baker pleaded insanity, spinning a tale of a family history of mental disorders, including a maternal uncle confined in the county asylum.

The doctors called to give evidence at the trial testified he suffered from homicidal mania, which was then a diagnosable mental condition.

The jury was not persuaded. Baker was indeed very bad, but under English law he was not mad.

He was executed in Winchester, with a crowd of several thousand gathering to watch.

Fannys terrible death left one unexpected legacy.

In a display of tasteless humour, the British Navy appropriated the term Sweet Fanny Adams to describe substandard meat rations, comparing them unfavourably with poor Fannys dismembered remains.

The term eventually was applied to anything deemed worthless or pointless, and often abbreviated as Sweet FA.

The unlucky cabin boy and his cannibal mates

Less than 20 years later, another extraordinary question reached the courts: is eating people always wrong?

In early September 1884, three emaciated sailors disembarked from a ship in Falmouth harbour.

Cannibal sailor Thomas Dudley

They revealed themselves to be Thomas Dudley, erstwhile captain of the yacht Mignonette, his first mate Edwin Stephens and mate Edward Brooks, hired four months earlier to sail the vessel from England to its new owner in Australia, accompanied by 17-year-old cabin boy Richard Parker.

Their voyage from Southampton had been largely uneventful until they reached the mid-Atlantic, off the west coast of Africa, in early July.

Somewhere between the islands of Tristan da Cunha and Saint Helena, their ship was overcome by a storm, leaving the four seamen to escape the wreck in the yachts small lifeboat.

Over 1,000 miles from land in perilous, shark-infested seas, their meagre rations quickly exhausted, reduced to drinking their urine and with no sign of rescue, thoughts turned to self-preservation.

Twenty days after they were shipwrecked and about ten days after they had last eaten, Dudley and Stephens passed the point of no return.

As Parker, the youngest and weakest of the four, lay in the keel of the boat, Stephens held him down while Dudley slit his throat with his pocket knife.

Four days later, in a remarkable turn of fortune, the lifeboat was sighted by a German cargo vessel. A large sun-bleached bone and some pieces of dried-out meat in the keel were the only earthly remains of Richard Parker.

An 1884 illustration of the yacht Mignonettes stricken lifeboat is pictured above

After reaching English soil five weeks later, Dudley and his crew did not attempt to conceal Parkers fate: cannibalism born out of desperation following a shipwreck was a long-held  albeit rarely acknowledged  custom of the sea, and the crew believed they had simply done what any other seaman would have done in the circumstances.

But they had not reckoned with Sergeant James Laverty of Falmouth Harbour Police, who, horrified by what he had heard, prevailed upon the mayor of Falmouth to sign an arrest warrant.

The trio were marched to the town courthouse, where, after accepting he had played no part in killing Parker, the case against Brooks was dropped. Dudley and Stephens were charged with murder, with Brooks testifying against his former shipmates.

Dudley and Stephens flirted with an insanity plea, but decided instead to gamble on pleading not guilty, with a unique defence of necessity. Parkers killing, their lawyers argued, was vital to ensure the survival of the rest of the crew.

The public, including Parkers family, were largely sympathetic to this argument. Yet there was also no doubt that allowing a defence of necessity to murder into English law would pose some tricky moral dilemmas. Could the natural human instinct for survival in the direst of situations ever justify the taking of anothers life?

Unable to take the risk, the panel of judges unanimously declared the duo guilty of wilful murder. Ultimately, the court was more afraid of what might follow in Dudley and Stephenss wake if they were allowed to get away with it.

The only sentence was death. But the huge public support behind them meant they avoided the gallows  and were sentenced to just six months in prison.

Dudley emigrated to Australia and lived as a sail-maker known by the name Cannibal Tom, while Stephens descended into alcoholism and poverty.

But Edward Brooks, who had never faced trial, was keen to trade on the fleeting fame brought by the case. He exhibited himself in touring freak shows and circuses as The Cannibal of the High Seas  and would gnaw on pieces of raw meat thrown into the showground by the audience.

 Kate Morgan, 2021

Murder: The Biography, by Kate Morgan, is published by Mudlark at 16.99. To order a copy for 14.95 go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193 before May 14. Free UK delivery on orders over 20.
Ray R. McNeary, 35, has been charged after he held five employees hostage inside a bank during an eight-hour standoff on Thursday.

A Minnesota man has been hit with a slew of charges after he held five people hostage inside a bank on Thursday.

Ray R. McNeary, 35, was charged with first-degree aggravated robbery and five counts of kidnapping and assault on Friday - one day after the eight-hour siege which took place inside a Wells Fargo in St. Cloud.

Judge Nathaniel Welte rescheduled McNeary's bail hearing from Friday to Monday after the accused was 'uncooperative and refused to appear for court'. He will be held over the weekend.

Police said Friday that no firearm was found on McNeary or at the scene.

However, Wells Fargo spokeswoman Staci Schiller had said Thursday that the suspect had 'some sort of weapon'. Police did not respond to an Associated Press request for further information.

McNeary was arrested in the Wells Fargo bank after FBI agents stormed the building shortly after 10pm on Thursday.

A female hostage is seen running from the bank with her hands in the air after being held inside for nearly five hours on Thursday

Local police, an FBI tactical team and a crisis negotiation team attempted to persuade McNeary to release the hostages

Over the course of the standoff, a large crowd had gathered near the bank and cheered each time a hostage emerged

Law enforcement officers began negotiating with McNeary more than eight hours earlier after a robbery at the bank was reported.

McNeary - who has a lengthy rap sheet - reportedly became enraged about a transaction inside the branch about 1.45pm. An alarm button was pushed and other customers fled the store, leaving just five bank employees inside.

Local police, an FBI tactical team and a crisis negotiation team attempted to persuade McNeary to release the hostages.

The first hostage, a woman, was freed around 6pm and ran to officers with her hands raised in the air.

Seconds later someone appeared to open the bank's front door and bizarrely threw a wad of cash outside.

A few minutes later, a second woman emerged and was led away. Then, just before 8pm, a male bank employee emerged unharmed. A fourth person, a woman, walked out minutes later.

Over the course of the standoff, a large crowd had gathered near the bank and cheered each time a hostage emerged.

Just before 8pm, a male bank employee emerged unharmed from the Wells Fargo bank

Police lead McNeary away from the Wells Fargo branch following the standoff

The final hostage was freed about 10:15 pm, before officers stormed the Wells Fargo and arrested McNeary without incident.

At a subsequent press conference, St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson said McNeary was known to authorities before the hostage situation.

'We have had numerous contacts with this individual dating back at least a decade, including violent crime,' Anderson said.

Criminal records reveal McNeary has previously been charged for disorderly conduct, trespassing, terroristic threats, and domestic assault.

He also has a felony conviction and multiple misdemeanor convictions.
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At least 55 people are dead, many of them children aged between 11 and 15-years-old, after a bomb exploded near a girls' school in Afghanistan.

The Taliban condemned the attack, which took place on Saturday in a majority Shiite district of west Kabul, and denied any responsibility - claiming it could only 'Islamic State'.

Ambulances evacuated the wounded as relatives and residents screamed at authorities near the scene of the blast at Syed Al-Shahda school, in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood.

A pile of shoes, some stained with blood, recovered from the scene of the explosion which is thought to have killed at least 55 people

A notepad found at the scene spattered in blood. The attack took place outside of a school and many of the victims are pupils

Afghan men try to identify the daed bodies at a hospital after a bomb explosion near a school west of Kabul,

The bombing, apparently aimed to cause maximum civilian carnage, adds to fears that violence in the war-wrecked country could escalate as the US and NATO end nearly 20 years of military engagement

The explosion went off as the girls were streaming out of the school at around 4:30 pm local time

Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said the death toll is expected to rise further.

The bombing, apparently aimed to cause maximum civilian carnage, adds to fears that violence in the war-wrecked country could escalate as the US and NATO end nearly 20 years of military engagement.

Residents in the area said the explosion was deafening.

One, Naser Rahimi said he heard three separate explosions, although there was no official confirmation of multiple blasts.

Rahimi also said he believed that the sheer power of the explosion meant the death toll would almost certainly climb.

People stand at the site of a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan May 8, 2021. Residents in the area said the explosion was deafening

An Afghan school student is treated at a hospital. The attack occurred just as the fasting day came to an end

Ambulances evacuated the wounded as relatives and residents screamed at authorities near the scene of the blast at Syed Al-Shahda school, in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood

At one nearby hospital, Associated Press journalists saw at least 20 dead bodies lined up in hallways and rooms, with dozens of wounded people and families of victims pressing through the facility

The explosion went off as the girls were streaming out of the school at around 4:30 pm local time.

Authorities were investigating the attack but have yet to confirm any details.

While no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, the Afghan Islamic State affiliate has targeted the Shiite neighbourhood before.

The radical Sunni Muslim group has declared war on Afghanistan's minority Shiite Muslims.

Washington blamed IS for a vicious attack last year in a maternity hospital in the same area that killed pregnant women and newborn babies.

In Dasht-e-Barchi, angry crowds attacked the ambulances and even beat health workers as they tried to evacuate the wounded, Health Ministry spokesman Ghulam Dastigar Nazari said.

He implored residents to cooperate and allow ambulances free access to the site.

Images circulating on social media purportedly showed bloodied school backpacks and books strewn across the street in front if the school, and smoke rising above the neighbourhood.

An Afghan school student is treated at a hospital. At one nearby hospital, Associated Press journalists saw at least 20 dead bodies lined up in hallways

An injured man is transported to a hospital. Both Arian and Nazari said that at least 50 people were also wounded, and that the casualty toll could rise

At one nearby hospital, Associated Press journalists saw at least 20 dead bodies lined up in hallways and rooms, with dozens of wounded people and families of victims pressing through the facility.

Outside the Muhammad Ali Jinnah Hospital, dozens of people lined up to donate blood, while family members checked casualty posted lists on the walls.

The attack occurred just as the fasting day came to an end.
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65 seats are needed for a majority in the Scottish Parliament

Nicola Sturgeon warned Boris Johnson not to stand in the way of a new Scottish independence referendum tonight, saying it was the 'will of the people'.

The First Minister lashed out at Mr Johnson and 'right-wing Brexit-obsessed Tory governments' in Westminster as the SNP won the Scottish Parliament election.

Ms Sturgeon's party is far and away the largest in Holyrood, but fell agonisingly short of an overall majority by a single seat, in a blow to her separatist ambitions.

The Tories held Aberdeenshire West by more than 3,000 ballots thanks to tactical unionist voting to make it all-but impossible for the SNP to wrestle overall control, leaving them needing a coalition with the Greens.

In a fiery victory speech tonight in Glasgow, Ms Sturgeon said that the Scottish electorate had 'voted to give pro-independence parties a majority in the Scottish Parliament'.

'Usually - and by the normal standards of democracy - parties are expected to deliver on the commitments they make in elections, not face attempts to block them from doing so,' she said.

'Given the outcome of this election, there is simply no democratic justification whatsoever for Boris Johnson or anyone else seeking to block the right of the people of Scotland to choose our future.'

'If there is such an attempt it will demonstrate conclusively that the UK is not a partnership of equals and that Westminster no longer sees the UK as a voluntary union of nations.'

'That in itself would be a very powerful argument for Scotland becoming an independent country.'

Any attempt by Scottish politicians to unilaterally try to hold a referendum would lead to a Supreme Court battle between Holyrood and Westminster.

Mr Johnson last night insisted he would not back the 'irresponsible' move that could break up the union.

Ms Sturgeon was hoping to hit or pass the required 65-seat mark to give her a stronger mandate to hold a repeat of the 2014 referendum against the wishes of Boris Johnson's Westminster Government. But election expert Professor Sir John Curtice this afternoon predicted that the Aberdeen vote would leave the SNP two short on 63.

Conservative Alexander Burnett held on to the seat with 19,709 votes, increasing his majority there and defeating Fergus Mutch, who polled 16,319 for the SNP.

It came as:

Andy Burnham caused trouble for Keir Starmer after a huge win in the Greater Manchester mayoral election

Senior Tories are confident that West Midlands mayor Andy Street will secure a second term in office today;

Labour suffered a big defeat in the Hartlepool by-election, with Jill Mortimer securing a near-7,000 majority;

Tory Ben Houchen won a second term as Tees Valley mayor with an astonishing 73 per cent share of the vote;

Tories gained control of a series of councils, including Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Dudley and Harlow.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon leaving home today ahead of the second day of Scottish parliament vote counting.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Jacksons Wharf in Hartlepool, County Durham, yesterday following MP Jill Mortimer's victory

With 49 of the 73 constituency results declared in Scotland by this morning, the Scottish National Party had 40 seats, Liberal Democrats four, Conservatives three and Labour two. The SNP needs 65 seats for an outright victory in Scotland

Alex Salmond admits defeat for Alba party Former SNP first minister Alex Salmond said the votes his Alba Party has received are likely not enough to win them any Holyrood seats. He launched the breakaway party less than two months ago as the final stage of his bitter spat with successor Nicola Sturgeon. He had hopes of forming a 'super majority' with the SNP to immediately begin a Scottish breakaway from the UK. But this afternoon he conceded that his party was not going to get a seat, and he congratulated Ms Sturgeon 'on her victory'. 'It is now Nicola's responsibility to carry forward the independence argument and she now has to answer the questions of how you proceed with obduracy from Westminster,' he said. 'Now I think Alba brought forward a number of ways to do it and we pointed the way. I wish Nicola luck in getting that forward and Alba will be there urging things on. 'And I suspect the existence of Alba will be an additional incentive for those who have gained election to the Scottish Parliament to get on with the job of delivering the Scottish people independence.' Advertisement

However, Ms Sturgeon is certain to remain First Minister in a coalition with the pro-independence Greens, setting up a constitutional battle with the Prime Minister for Scotland's future.

Mr Johnson is riding high after a string of election wins for the Tories in England that left Labour in disarray and Conservatives predicting Mr Johnson could be in power for longer than Margaret Thatcher.

And senior minister George Eustice warned today it was the wrong time to be considering another plebiscite in Scotland.

The tense parliamentary contest looked on track for a record turnout, despite fears that the pandemic and poor weather would dent voter numbers, with Ms Sturgeon's SNP expected to win its fourth term in power.

Kaukab Stewart will become the first woman of colour to serve as an MSP in the Scottish Parliament after winning the Glasgow Kelvin seat for the SNP.

There was a rare glimmer of good news for Labour in Wales as the party equalled its best-ever Senedd result by winning 30 seats, effectively giving it a majority in the 60-seat chamber. It means Labour's Mark Drakeford remaining in place as First Minister.

Some constituencies are still to be counted today, when the crucial regional list results of 56 regional MSPs will also be declared. Traditional overnight counts were abandoned after Thursday's election due to Covid-19.

Ms Sturgeon, who comfortably defeated Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to claim Glasgow Southside yesterday, said afterwards: 'My focus, if we are re-elected as the government, is to get back to work to steer the country through the crisis and into recovery.

'That remains the case. But once the crisis is over, and if there is a majority in the parliament for an independence referendum, people should have the right to choose our future. Scotland's future should always be in Scotland's hands.'

Speaking about the prospect of winning an overall majority, the SNP leader said: 'It's certainly not impossible, but nor is it guaranteed.

'That was always going to be on a knife edge, it comes down to a small number of votes in a small number of seats, so at this midway point it is certainly still there as a possibility, but I have never taken that for granted.

'It is a long shot, to say the least, in a PR (proportional representation) system, to win a majority - you effectively have to break the system. I would like to do it, but I have never been complacent about that.'

But Mr Eustice branded the idea 'a complete distraction,', telling Times Radio: 'It would be irresponsible to have another divisive referendum and another bout of constitutional debate at a time when we are charting our way out of this pandemic and when we've got to really focus on economic recovery.

'We think it's completely the wrong thing to be doing. We had a referendum just a little over five years ago and that settled the issue.'

In England, Labour this morning blamed the pandemic for 'restricting' the opportunities' for its politicians to campaign after the Conservatives racked up a string of stunning poll victories in the local elections.

Labour will hope for better results today after a bruising Friday. With results in from 84 of 143 English councils, the Tories had a net gain of seven authorities and 173 seats, while Labour had a net loss of four councils and 164 seats.

In London's mayoral contest, Sadiq Khan's hopes of a second term were growing this afternoon as he opened up a lead over his Tory rival Shaun Bailey.

The SNP total hit 40 this morning as they held Aberdeenshire East in the first result to be declared on Saturday. Gillian Martin (above, in Aberdeen today) retained her seat with 18,307 votes, with Tory candidate Stewart Whyte in second on 16,418 votes

Votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow this morning

Counting continues in the parliamentary contest today, with the main Glasgow counting centre pictured this morning

Votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Ingliston Highland Centre in Edinburgh this morning

'King of the North' Andy Burnham piles pressure on Keir Starmer Andy Burnham piled more pressure on Labour leader Keir Starmer today as he lashed out at the party for being too 'London-centric'. The former health secretary, who quit as an MP after losing the leadership to Jeremy Corbyn, also hinted that he would be prepared to have another tilt at the top job after being overwhelmingly returned as Greater Manchester mayor. Mr Burnham, who has been dubbed 'King of the North' after taking on Boris Johnson over Covid regulations last year, won a second term as mayor with an increased share of the vote, on an increased turnout, from 2017. It left him the most senior and successful elected Labour Party politician outside the parliamentary leadership of the party. His success came amid a torrid set of Super Thursday election results for Labour, including losing the Hartlepool by-election to the Conservatives. In an interview with Sky, Mr Burnham suggested he would entertain becoming leader of the Labour Party 'in the distant future', adding: 'If the party were ever to feel it needed me, well I'm here and they should get in touch.' He added: 'I have tried twice to be the leader and it has never worked, so I'm not under any illusions that it has never worked for me in the past. 'I feel I am in the best job in the world and we have a massive job ahead of us but I'm here to help the Labour Party if they need it - but they need to change, let's be really clear about this. 'They have lost an emotional connection with parts of the country that is going to take a lot of work to get back, so I think the party has to do a lot of soul-searching about these results and understand why we have done well in Wales, places like Greater Manchester, and it really needs to then buy in to English devolution and build from the bottom up - that's what these results are telling them.' Advertisement

The two frontrunners were neck-and-neck last night after early voting in the capital, after polls which saw the Labour incumbent winning by some distance. But this afternoon he opened up a five-point lead over Mr Bailey, 40 per cent to 36 per cent.

A decision will be made at 4pm today on whether to announce the result at 8.30pm tonight or tomorrow morning.

Labour was thrashed in the Hartlepool by-election, with Jill Mortimer securing a majority of almost 7,000, while Tory Ben Houchen won a second term as mayor of Tees Valley with a whopping 73 per cent share of the vote.

And the Tories gained control of a series of councils, including Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Dudley, Harlow and Nuneaton and Bedworth  reversing the mid-term slump often suffered by governing parties.

With the Conservatives also winning seats across the West Midlands, senior figures were confident that the region's mayor Andy Street will secure a second term in office when returns there are announced today.

Meanwhile Andy Burnham piled more pressure on Labour leader Keir Starmer today as he lashed out at the party for being too 'London-centric'.

The former health secretary, who quit as an MP after losing the leadership to Jeremy Corbyn, also hinted that he would be prepared to have another tilt at the top job after being overwhelmingly returned as Greater Manchester mayor.

In Scotland, Ms Sturgeon said the SNP would introduce the legislation for a referendum 'and if Boris Johnson wants to stop that he would have to go to court'.

She told Channel 4: 'If this was in almost any other democracy in the world it would be an absurd discussion. If people in Scotland vote for a pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament, no politician has got the right to stand in the way of that.'

Mr Johnson said a referendum would be 'irresponsible and reckless' in the 'current context' following the pandemic.

Pressed on what he would do if Ms Sturgeon pushed ahead with a referendum without Westminster's consent, he told the Daily Telegraph: 'Well, as I say, I think that there's no case now for such a thing ... I don't think it's what the times call for at all.'

Today, Scotland's Deputy First Minister John Swinney told BBC Breakfast: 'It's very clear that the Scottish National Party is going to be the largest party at the Scottish Parliament by a very significant margin.

'We don't know whether we will have a majority yet, that will become clearer in the course of today I would imagine, and that's an astonishing achievement for us given the fact that we are now about to embark on our fourth consecutive term in government after 14 years and three terms of leading the people of Scotland.

'I think we've had a tremendous success in the election yesterday, we will see what comes in the course of today but the signals are very good indeed and obviously we will then turn our minds to the arrangements post election.'

Asked whether the SNP will continue arguing they have a mandate for a second independence referendum if they win more than 65 seats, he said it will come down to the make-up of the Scottish Parliament and whether there is a majority of candidates who have been elected on a programme to deliver a referendum on independence.

He said: 'I think what matters on the question you asked me about a mandate for a referendum is what is the position of those who are elected to the parliament and will there be an overall majority of members elected committed to the hosting of an independence referendum, and I'm very confident that will be the case.'

London set for three more years of Sadiq Khan Sadiq Khan's hopes of a second term as London mayor were growing this afternoon as he opened up a lead over his Tory rival Shaun Bailey. The two frontrunners were neck-and-neck last night after early voting in the capital, after polls which saw the Labour incumbent winning by some distance. But this afternoon he opened up a five-point lead over Mr Bailey, 40 per cent to 36 per cent. And in a further blow for Mr Bailey, Mr Khan is ahead in five of the seven boroughs that are yet to complete their counts - with the Tory ahead in the other two. Although there are thousands of votes still to be counted, Mr Khan's lead over Mr Bailey is far narrower than the 14-point win he achieved over Tory Zac Goldsmith in 2016. But the lead could grow if the vote goes to a second round, with Mr Khan expected to pick up more second preference votes than his Tory rival. The winner will serve a three-year term due to the election being postponed from last year by pandemic restrictions. Advertisement

Scottish Tory finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said the party has been affected by people voting tactically for other pro-union parties but is confident the Scottish Conservatives will hang on to second place in the Scottish Parliament.

He told BBC Good Morning Scotland: 'The early indications are that we have polled very strongly in terms of the regional vote and I would expect that will mean we will come back very close to where we were in 2016 in terms of the number of seats, maybe slightly down, maybe slightly up.'

Asked whether he is confident the party will hold on to second place he said: 'Oh yes, I don't think there's any doubt of that at all after what I've seen so far.

'Our regional list vote may well even be up on where it was in 2016, and that should translate into seats.'

Meanwhile Mr Eustice said it was the 'wrong time' to hold a second independence referendum in Scotland, with chances of an SNP majority in Holyrood on a knife edge.

The Environment Secretary told BBC Breakfast: 'There was a referendum that took place just a little over five years ago - that was described as a 'once in a generation' opportunity to debate these issues and they did.

'And I think now, as we try and come out of the pandemic and get economic recovery going, it is the wrong time to have yet another divisive referendum and yet another bout of constitutional argument on a matter such as this.'

Put to him that Brexit had a been a 'fundamental change in British politics' since the 2014 border poll, Mr Eustice replied: 'The important thing is that now we have left the European Union - and yes, that was quite a divisive debate, there is no getting away from that.

'But it does mean that in whole swathes of policy areas, particularly the ones I deal with on the environment, animal welfare, agriculture and fisheries policy, there is now more power going to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland than they have ever had before.

English Local Authorities English County Councils Scottish Parliament Welsh Parliament

Labour party leader Keir Starmer leaves his home in North London today, after a defeat for his party in the local elections

People observe the votes being counted as the process continues for a second day at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow today

Votes are counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow this morning

Election staff members count votes for the Scottish Parliamentary election at a counting centre in Glasgow this morning

'Radical' Drakeford keeps power in Wales as Labour keeps control of Senedd Mark Drakeford vowed to be 'radical' and 'ambitious' in government as Labour remained in power in Wales. The party equalled its best ever Senedd election result by winning 30 seats - just one short of a majority - though it did not take any of the four regional seats declared on Saturday. With the final results in, the Welsh Conservatives have 16 seats, while Plaid Cymru has 13 and the Liberal Democrats have one. Mr Drakeford can now choose whether to form a minority government or invite members of other parties into a Labour-led administration, giving the party greater control of the Senedd. Welsh Labour put the 'extraordinary set of results' down to Mr Drakeford's leadership during the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen the First Minister's cautious and careful approach go down well with voters. Asked if he planned to continue his cautious brand of politics during a new administration, Mr Drakeford told the PA news agency: 'Well, absolutely as far as coronavirus is concerned. The pandemic has not gone away. 'A government I lead will continue to follow the science to do what our medical advisers tell us we should do, and that does mean doing things in a way that continues to keep Wales safe. 'But on other matters, our manifesto is a radical manifesto with a host of ideas that are ambitious for Wales. 'I'll be very keen to ensure that we give that the most powerful sense of momentum behind it to get those things happening here in Wales.' Mr Drakeford returned to Labour's offices in Cardiff for reserved celebrations after Friday's night of constituency results gave the party 27 seats. He visited Porthcawl, Bridgend, on Saturday afternoon to make a speech to party members. Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds, who won a regional seat in Mid and West Wales after her party lost the Brecon and Radnorshire constituency to the Conservatives, said she has yet to be approached by Mr Drakeford to help form the next government. She told BBC Radio Cymru: 'I need to speak to other people within the party and we shall have to see.' The Welsh Conservatives said they had secured the party's 'best ever result' in a Senedd election, winning 16 seats. This included taking the Vale of Clwyd from Labour, and Brecon and Radnorshire from the Liberal Democrats. Andrew RT Davies, Senedd leader for the Welsh Conservatives, said he was 'delighted' to have secured those constituency seats as well as an increased number of seats on the regional list. 'It's been an unconventional campaign and it's clear incumbency and continuity has played a significant part,' Mr Davies said. He congratulated Mr Drakeford and Welsh Labour on a successful campaign and said the election had been fought 'in good spirit' by political parties across Wales. Plaid Cymru now has 13 seats in the Welsh Parliament, though high-profile former leader Leanne Wood lost her Rhondda seat to Labour. On her Facebook page, Ms Wood said the result was 'disappointing' but that her team could 'hold our heads high in the knowledge that we ran a clean and honest campaign, we did not denigrate our opponents and we worked hard'. Polling at the start of the campaign suggested Labour was facing its worst ever result and was at risk of winning as few as 22 of the Senedd's 60 seats, a loss of seven from 2016, though later polls suggested a stronger showing. Advertisement

'Areas of policy that have been occupied and an EU competence over the last 40, 50 years are now policies that these devolved administrations will be able to exercise judgment on and I think that is going to be really important.'

Asked whether the Government would fight any bid for a second Scottish referendum in the courts, Cabinet minister Mr Eustice said: 'Look, I'm not a lawyer - lawyers will look at these things and I think it is getting ahead of ourselves.

'We'll have to see how the results pan out later today. There is a question at the moment over whether the SNP will get a majority or not - we'll have to wait and see until the results come through.

'The UK Government's position is very clear on this. We don't think there is a case for another referendum, particularly now as we try and chart a way out of the pandemic and get our economy going again.

'But we will obviously deal with whatever we have to deal with once these elections are settled and once the new Scottish administration decides what it wants to do.'

Mr Eustice also further with his arguments against granting the SNP a second independence referendum in Scotland, calling the idea 'irresponsible'. The Environment Secretary told Times Radio: 'We think this is a complete distraction.

'It would be irresponsible to have another divisive referendum and another bout of constitutional debate at a time when we are charting our way out of this pandemic and when we've got to really focus on economic recovery.

'We think it's completely the wrong thing to be doing. We had a referendum just a little over five years ago and that settled the issue.'

The SNP is on course to secure a fourth term in power in Scotland but could still be blocked from an outright majority by the Tories.

A dramatic day of results yesterday saw the SNP pick up a series of key seats, including three snatched from pro-Union rivals.

But it won't be known whether it has done enough to win a majority until the final constituencies and the vital regional list result are declared later today.

The Scottish Conservatives have relentlessly focused on the peach party list ballot  and believe they have increased their regional vote share compared to a record performance in 2016, when the party secured 23 per cent of the votes.

Of the 48 constituencies which had declared by last night, the SNP had won 39 seats, the Liberal Democrats four, the Conservatives three and Labour two seats.

But the outcome of the regional list vote could be critical in deciding whether the SNP wins a majority.

Despite its strong showing in the constituencies, where its victories included two seats previously held by the Conservatives and one taken from Labour, the SNP is expected to make minimal gains on the regional list.

Polling experts also believe the SNP vote has not increased enough in key constituencies to indicate it will win a majority.

The SNP picked up one crucial seat in Edinburgh Central

Former SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson won the seat that had previously been held by former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson.

It also snatched Ayr from the Tories and took East Lothian from Labour.

But all the other 45 seats declared yesterday did not change hands, meaning the make-up of parliament is likely to be very similar to the 2016 term.

The Conservative party focused its campaign on trying to persuade pro-Union voters to back it on the party list ballot in order to deny the SNP a majority.

Early indications suggest it could have increased its vote share in some regions  and Tory strategists hope to improve on the 23 per cent share from 2016.

There were strong signs that pro-Union voters united behind the best-placed rival to the SNP in many key battlegrounds.

The Lib Dems held four of their seats  Orkney, Shetland, North East Fife and Edinburgh West  but narrowly missed out on a key target of Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, where SNP Childcare Minister Maree Todd narrowly held on.

The Tories held two of their Borders strongholds  Dumfriesshire and Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire  and also held off a SNP challenge in former leader Jackson Carlaw's Eastwood seat. However, losing Ayr was a major blow.

Labour's big victory was Jackie Baillie retaining Dumbarton, which was one of the last of the 47 constituencies to be declared last night. It also held Edinburgh Southern as Tory voters lent their support to Daniel Johnson.

Mr Robertson, who won the top SNP target of Edinburgh Central, immediately declared that voters believed that 'Scotland's future should be in Scotland's hands'.

Votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow this morning

An election staff member counts votes for the Scottish Parliamentary election at a counting centre in Glasgow today

Staff are seen counting ballots in Aberdeen today, two days after voting concluded in the Scottish Parliament election

An election staff member counts votes for the Scottish Parliamentary election at a counting centre in Glasgow today

Election agents watch votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections in Aberdeen this morning

Counting staff are seen carrying ballot boxes in Aberdeen today following the Scottish Parliament election on Thursday

ANALYSIS: It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing By STEPHEN DAISLEY FOR THE SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL As we await the full results of this crucial Holyrood election, we appear to have veered into Donald Rumsfeld territory. George W Bush's Secretary of Defence famously outlined the difference between 'known knowns' (things we know we know), 'known unknowns' (things we know we don't know) and 'unknown unknowns' (the ones we don't know we don't know). The known known is that turnout is up across a number of constituencies. More voters came to the polls than last time in Perthshire North, Dundee West and Clydebank and Milngavie, to name just a few. If this trend is replicated nationwide, we'll be looking at a substantially higher turnout than 2016, when just under 56 per cent of the electorate showed up at polling stations. What we don't know for certain is if that will benefit any one party in a uniform fashion. From the results yesterday, the SNP did benefit from this surge  but we can't be sure that will be the case in every region. We know the nationalist vote is relatively united, despite the Alba split. Plus, the Scottish Greens generally help rather than hurt the SNP, as they predominantly contest the regional lists. Since Nicola Sturgeon's party has roughly 40-45 per cent of the electorate baked into its numbers  mostly people who support separation  any uniform national increase in turnout stands a good chance of boosting the SNP's vote. In such circumstances, the party would be in a strong position to take not only a majority of Holyrood seats, but to do so in the constituencies alone. We know there has been tactical voting but we don't know by how much or who, if anyone, it will benefit. A Tory source told me the problem was a familiar one  Tory voters are willing to vote tactically for Labour or the Lib Dems, but the reverse is not true. If this is indeed what has happened, it would mean that, after a decade of Ruth Davidson's endeavours, the Scottish Conservatives are still sufficiently toxic to hamper nationwide tactical voting. Crudely put, some voters who hate the SNP still hate the Tories more. Speaking of toxic, Alex Salmond's Alba Party appears to have fallen flat. Asked to describe how the breakaway faction was faring, an SNP source replied with a word that can't be printed in a family newspaper. In the blame game, it's a toss-up between Salmond's personal standing in public opinion and the feasibility of his 'super-majority' plan, which targeted pro-separation voters dissatisfied with Sturgeon's progress on Indyref 2. Either the prevalence of such dissatisfaction has been wildly exaggerated or these voters could not bring themselves to vote for Salmond's party. As ever, there are blips that make a smooth narrative difficult to fashion. Yes, the SNP vote has gone up in most seats so far, but not all of them. The Nationalist vote dropped in seats they nonetheless held, including Clydebank and Milngavie and Na h-Eileanan an Iar. In Banffshire and Buchan Coast, the drop was dramatic  almost 10 per cent. We know the various reasons why the SNP share might slip in particular areas, but not why it has done so across such a diverse range of seats. Finally, there are the unknown unknowns, the surprise results that may be coming. Could the Tories capture Perthshire South and Kinross-shire? How will the regional list seats fall? The SNP has won the election, but just how handsomely? That's the unknown that will be answered today. Advertisement

The former SNP deputy leader said: 'In this most European of capital cities, people have resoundingly rejected the party of Brexit and Boris Johnson. The public has rejected all of the parties that want to block an independence referendum.'

Votes for the Scottish Green Party are up across the country but the margins for seat gains on the regional lists are very slim, co-leader Patrick Harvie said.

Mr Harvie is standing in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency, although the Greens expect to make their gains in the regional list vote.

He said: '(The regional list vote) seems to be up in most places, some places very strongly, like yesterday in Glasgow Southside.

'The tricky thing is the difference between getting our first seat on the board in places like the South of Scotland, Central Scotland, North East - it could be a very marginal difference, a very narrow gap.

'It looks like there's three or four seats which are in contention for us but potentially close. We've still got a way to go yet.'

He added: 'The difference between a result which looks outstanding for us and one that's a bit more conservative is actually very small.'

Following the result in Dumbarton, where Labour saw off an SNP challenge, he said: 'I've always said that Parliament's at it's best when there's a balance and ministers are at their best when they're kept on their toes, whichever political party they're from.

'The Greens will continue to provide a pro-independence majority and I think that looks likely to be the case. We've worked hard over the last five years to push the SNP beyond their comfort zone and we'll keep on doing that.'

Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who held Perthshire North to become the longest-serving MSP in a single constituency, said it was now 'beyond any doubt' that the SNP will form the next government.

He added: 'That is an absolutely gigantic feat for the Scottish National Party to have achieved, to be on the brink of a fourth continuous term.'

Nicola Sturgeon also held off the challenge of Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar in Glasgow Southside. As results were announced at the Emirates Arena on Friday, Mr Sarwar won 10,279 votes to Miss Sturgeon's 19,735.

In 2016, the First Minister won a total of 15,287 votes  with the Labour candidate Fariha Thomas winning 5,694 votes.

After the result, Mr Sarwar said: 'I'm pleased that we doubled the actual number of votes that we got and we increased the share of our vote by 9 per cent.

'I think you can see the immense progress we have made in the last ten weeks.'

He said Labour was still on a journey to build a 'credible alternative' to the SNP.

Former Scottish Conservative leader Miss Davidson insisted her party will still be a strong opposition to the SNP.

Counting continues in the Welsh Senedd elections at the Cardiff City House of Sport in South Wales this morning

People count the votes in the Welsh Senedd elections at the Cardiff City House of Sport this morning

Counting continues in the Welsh Senedd elections at the Cardiff City House of Sport this morning

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford is elected as Cardiff West MS after counting at the Cardiff House of Sport yesterday

She said: 'We are going to get into a post-constitution politics in Scotland at some point and I really hope that we do.

Now senior MPs claim the Left's mantle after major success in the polls Senior Tories called the Conservatives the 'true workers' party' last night after a series of astonishing electoral gains. Jill Mortimer took Labour's Hartlepool stronghold  securing only the fifth by-election win by a governing party since the Second World War. In a second stunning Tory victory in the North East, Ben Houchen secured a second term as Tees Valley mayor. He grabbed 73 per cent of the vote  up from 39.5 per cent four years ago. The prospects for a hat-trick of successes were rising last night, as the party made gains across the West Midlands, where Andy Street is also bidding for a second term as mayor. Boris Johnson, who made a whirlwind visit to Hartlepool yesterday, hailed the result as a 'mandate for delivery' on his pledge to 'level up' opportunity across the country. In a sign of the town's remarkable political transformation, well-wishers erected a 30ft inflatable of Mr Johnson outside the counting centre. On his arrival, the Prime Minister gestured at the inflatable and joked: 'Who's that fat bloke over there?' In the biggest round of local elections for decades, the Conservatives defied the odds to make gains in bellwether seats and traditional Labour areas. Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Dudley and Nuneaton and Bedworth all fell to the Tories, having previously been under no overall control. They also gained Harlow in Essex directly from Labour after seven seats changed hands. Harlow MP Robert Halfon said the result was a sign that the Tories had now usurped Labour as the 'true workers' party'. The former Tory minister added: 'There has been lots of talk about a vaccine bounce, but it is not just stick a needle in someone's arm and they will vote Tory  it's much more than that. 'Labour has become very metropolitan and its whole campaign has just been negative mudslinging. We have been focusing on people's priorities like the NHS, skills, keeping fuel duty down and recruiting more police. We are the true workers' party now. And the Boris brand works  he is liked by people in a way that Labour do not understand.' Fellow Tory MP Neil O'Brien, who was appointed last week as the Prime Minister's 'levelling up' adviser, said there was a chance to 'use this incredible moment to change the country for the better'. Mr Houchen, who has become a galvanising figure for Tory support across the North East, said his thumping win in what was once a rock-solid Labour area was down to a record of delivery following 'years and years of neglect'. He added: 'Governments of both colours have failed to invest in this region and this Government under Boris Johnson has invested hugely  people are seeing tangible benefits on the ground.' Simon Clarke, Tory MP for Middlesbrough South, said political allegiances that saw some communities vote Labour for decades were now shifting. 'People in the North East have stopped voting Labour 'because my parents did',' he said. 'They are looking at the two parties clear-sightedly, on the basis of what they offer  and they aren't going to go back for being taken for granted.' In Hartlepool, Mrs Mortimer gained 15,529 votes  more than half the total cast. She said the result  overturning a Labour majority of more than 3,500 at the 2019 general election  was 'truly historic'. The Tory surge also saw the party pick up a smattering of seats in some of the most solidly Labour areas. In Sheffield, the party won its first seat on the city council since 2008. In nearby north Derbyshire, the Tories won for the first time in Clay Cross. Elections expert Professor Sir John Curtice said early results showed 'Leave and working-class areas are moving more strongly to the Conservatives than are Remain and more middle class places'. Advertisement

'When you have the party in government, a fortnight before dissolution before election, passing a Bill for another referendum  and saying it has to be Scotland's choice and stating that now  and you have got a former First Minister joining the fray to try to make the vote harder and faster towards independence, which voters in Scotland have already rejected, somebody has to stand up for the over two million people that want to stay part of the United Kingdom.

'If that falls to the Scottish Conservatives then we will do so because we believe that the vote in 2014 should be respected.

'If Labour and the Lib Dems don't want to stand up for it that's up to them but we will.'

She added: 'We have to get past constitutional politics in Scotland and we have to focus on the recovery.'

On the Scottish Tory campaign led by Douglas Ross, Miss Davidson said: 'Absolutely everything that Douglas put together as part of his campaign  I wasn't part of the campaign team and I wasn't part of the planners  was all about not having a referendum so we can focus on the recovery.'

This morning, Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds told breakfast TV that the pandemic had 'restricted the opportunities' for the party leader Sir Keir Starmer to 'set out his vision' for the country.

He told Times Radio: 'Keir has been in a situation over the past year where, in the national interest by the way, he has been providing that constructive opposition to the pandemic. And that was absolutely right.

'At a point of national crisis, yes of course you criticise the Government when it was appropriate to do so but it was also appropriate to do things like support the Government on the furlough scheme or supporting the Government on its public health messaging and not, for party political reasons, trying to create confusion around that.

'What that has also meant is that it's restricted the opportunities for Keir to set out his vision.'

Mr Thomas-Symonds said he disagreed with former Labour frontbencher Khalid Mahmood MP's comments about the party being 'captured' by the 'London-based bourgeoisie', pointing to election successes in Wales.

'We did that because we had a set of priorities that spoke to the priorities here of the people - we have to now transfer that across into England,' he added.

Mr Thomas-Symonds said there would be a policy review in a bid to reconnect with voters,and that in places like Hartlepool and its traditional heartlands elsewhere, people 'do not now see Labour as answering' their concerns.

He added: 'That's now what we have to reflect on and why we have to change. Keir has started that process of change over the past 12 months, he's led very courageously on things like tackling anti-Semitism in the Labour Party - now it is a question of moving on, having that review of our policies, economically setting out the difference that we will not go back to the insecure economy of the past and reimagine our economy.

'And also make sure we are changing our party so that our party is connected in communities up and down the country - that is the challenge and we are determined to do it.'

The shadow cabinet member defended Labour's criticisms of so-called 'sleaze' in Government and said the party 'absolutely have to hold the Conservatives to account' when it came to alleged 'cronyism' when handing out contracts and the Prime Minister's spending on his Downing Street flat renovations.

Also today, Environment Secretary George Eustice said Brexit and the success of the vaccine rollout had helped the Conservatives to win votes off Labour.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'When it comes to the really big breakthrough in the Hartlepool by-election and the election of Ben Houchen as well (as Tees Valley Mayor), I think really it is a case of parts of this country feel they have elected Labour for a very long time, they feel taken for granted.

'I think the Brexit decision and the wrangling over that in recent years has focused minds in that they have questioned whether the Labour Party was really in touch with their priorities. And of course the rollout of the vaccine has been successful and I think people feel positive and that they can see a way out of this terrible pandemic we have been enduring.'

Put to him that 'crises favour incumbents', Mr Eustice replied: 'I'm not sure that is the way I would view it.'

Now, Ministers have predicted that Boris Johnson could rule longer than Margaret Thatcher as results showed the Tories could take 36 more Westminster seats from Labour at the next General Election.

They believe there has been a permanent shift in the UK's political identity and claimed Mr Johnson - who has been the premier since July 2019 - could outlast Margaret Thatcher's 11 years in Downing Street, The Times reports.

They believe the Tories must establish an advantage by winning the 'culture wars' and challenging 'woke' views. Meanwhile sources told the Guardian Sir Keir is now considering moving Labour out of London to reconnect with 'Red Wall' voters.

Labour conceded the results were a 'shattering' blow to Sir Keir, who last night admitted his party had 'lost the trust of working people'.

The dismal results triggered a fresh wave of Labour infighting, with the Left hitting back at claims by Lord Mandelson that the party was suffering the effects of 'Long Corbyn' syndrome.

Khalid Mahmood dealt a fresh blow to Sir Keir last night by announcing he was quitting Labour's front bench.

The former defence spokesman said the party had been 'effectively captured' by a 'London-based bourgeoisie, with the support of brigades of woke social media warriors'.

Labour sources warned that low turnout and voter 'complacency' could even cost Sadiq Khan a second term as London mayor  a contest he had been expected to win by a landslide.

But senior Tories remained on alert for results from the Scottish Parliament elections, with Nicola Sturgeon insisting a majority for the SNP would give her a 'mandate' to hold a second independence referendum.

On a victory tour of Hartlepool yesterday, the Prime Minister acknowledged that the success of the vaccine programme had played its part in the results, but said it was now up to ministers to deliver for voters on his pledge to 'level up' opportunity.

Liberal Democrats and Greens enjoy resurgence The Liberal Democrats and Greens put in a strong performance last night as they picked up a string of Labour and Conservative council seats. The Lib Dems made gains across the country, including in at least one Brexit stronghold. This will be welcome news to leader Sir Ed Davey after the party's poor performance in the last general election, when then leader Jo Swinson lost her seat. The smaller parties were forecast to take more seats today. The Lib Dems deprived the Tories of overall control of Cambridgeshire County Council, winning five seats. In Brexit-voting Sunderland, they took four from Labour, while in Sheffield they and the Greens helped deprive Labour of overall control. In Stockport, the Lib Dems became the largest party, with a one-seat advantage over Labour. They will probably form a minority administration. The party also made gains in Hull and were also expecting to take seats in Liverpool from Labour, and in Kent and Lincolnshire from the Tories. Sir Ed said: 'In great swathes of the country the Lib Dems are the only party who can beat the Conservatives.' The Green Party made good progress, winning at least 40 new seats. There were nine councils where Green candidates won seats for the first time, including Stockport, Northumberland, Hastings, County Durham and Derbyshire. Advertisement

He said Brexit had allowed the Government to deliver the vaccine rollout 'faster than other European countries'.

Asked about the future, he replied: 'Number one is continuing the vaccine rollout, making sure that we go from jabs, jabs, jabs, to jobs, jobs, jobs, make sure that we have a strong economic recovery.'

The results came as:

Blairite former Labour minister Lord Adonis joined calls for Sir Keir to resign, saying he was a 'transitional figure' who lacked 'political skills at the highest level';

Dominic Cummings hit out at both Labour and the Conservatives, saying that neither was focused on being a 'serious government';

In a glimmer of hope for Labour, Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford suggested the party could become the first to ever gain an outright majority in the Welsh Assembly;

Sir Keir was sharpening his axe for a major reshuffle in which both his Shadow Chancellor and Shadow Home Secretary could get the chop;

In a rare reversal, the Conservatives lost control of Cambridgeshire County Council as the Liberal Democrats gained a handful of seats;

Miss Sturgeon insisted that an SNP majority remained a 'very, very long shot', despite early gains;

In a blow to the Tories, the SNP gained the Edinburgh Central seat previously held by former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson;

Mr Johnson dropped the strongest hint yet that the next easing of Covid restrictions would go ahead on May 17, allowing indoor socialising and stays away from home.

Thursday's polls were the biggest test of electoral opinion since the 2019 election, with 48million people able to vote in local, regional and devolved elections.

Both main parties admitted being surprised by the scale of the Tory surge, following a campaign in which normal election canvassing was heavily restricted by Covid regulations. Counting was also delayed by health and safety restrictions imposed because of the pandemic.

But, as the results rolled in, it became clear that Mr Johnson had confounded the conventional wisdom that voters use local elections to punish the sitting government.

Mr Johnson said delivering on his pledge to 'Get Brexit Done' had been vital in boosting Tory support in Leave-voting areas in the North and Midlands.

He said the results gave him a 'mandate' to deliver on the rest of his programme, but studiously avoided any sense of triumphalism.

Landslide re-election for Red Wall-busting mayor The man credited with punching the first brick out of Labour's Red Wall was re-elected as Tees Valley mayor yesterday  after winning 73 per cent of the vote. Ben Houchen secured 121,964 votes compared with 45,641 for Labour's Jessie Joe Jacobs, the only other candidate, on a turnout of 34 per cent. Ben Houchen (pictured with his wife Rachel yesterday) was re-elected as Tees Valley Mayor with 73 per cent of the vote Mr Houchen's close ties with Boris Johnson have been seen as instrumental in securing 'freeport' status for the region and the new northern outpost of the Treasury in Darlington. He was also hailed for his success in turning around Teesside airport  a central part of his 2017 election campaign in which he vowed to renationalise the ailing hub as part of a ten-year rescue plan. Yesterday Mr Houchen, 34, said: 'We've made a fantastic start and I am confident the things we have put in place will bring benefits for everyone across our region, but there is still a long way to go.' Advertisement

Mr Johnson said people 'can see we did get Brexit done... and I think what people want us to do now is to get on with delivering on everything else'.

In an upbeat assessment he said upgraded economic growth forecasts from the Bank of England suggested there was a 'prospect of a really strong rebound in the second half of the year'.

A lack of Labour wins to celebrate meant that Sir Keir was forced to deliver his response to the election from his office in London.

The Labour leader appeared rattled by the scale of the setback, but insisted the party was not facing an 'existential crisis'. He promised to do 'whatever is necessary' to rebuild voter trust following a 'bitterly disappointing' defeat in Hartlepool.

Lord Mandelson, who once held Hartlepool for Labour, said Jeremy Corbyn still cast a 'long shadow' over the party.

The architect of New Labour said the pandemic had also played a key role, with voters more interested in vaccines and the release from lockdown than day-to-day policies.

Richard Burgon, a former Labour frontbencher, claimed Mr Corbyn would have won in Hartlepool, and urged Sir Keir to move further to the Left.

'We are going backwards in areas we need to be winning,' he added. 'Labour's leadership needs to urgently change direction.'

Meanwhile a Labour frontbencher last night quit his post, claiming a 'London-based bourgeoisie' had 'effectively captured the party'.

Khalid Mahmood warned Labour had 'lost touch with ordinary British people' as others raised fears it may never get back into power.

Sir Keir's allies yesterday argued the party is suffering from 'Long Corbyn' in the wake of its crushing by-election defeat in Hartlepool.

But the leader faced a battering from all sides as both the hard-left and Blairites demanded an urgent change in direction.

His misery was compounded as the Conservatives took control of a raft of local councils in England. Lord Mandelson, who was MP for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, said he felt 'a mild fury' at the result.

He added: 'The last 11 general elections read: lose, lose, lose, lose, Blair, Blair, Blair, lose, lose, lose, lose. We need, for once in this party, to learn the lessons of those victories, as well as those defeats.'

The scale of the changes in key areas was laid bare in charts produced by Election Maps UK

In a further blow, Mr Mahmood last night launched a blistering attack as he announced his resignation as a Labour defence spokesman.

Voters to give Salmond the Alba: Leader expects to miss out on Holyrood Alex Salmond has admitted he expects to miss out on winning a seat at Holyrood. The former SNP First Minister said he does not anticipate his Alba Party will gain any seats. It would be a humiliation after he claimed when he launched the party that it could help secure a 'pro-independence super-majority' of around 90 seats. Alba leader Alex Salmond speaks in Aberdeen yesterday But early regional list results in some constituencies indicate that Alba has won just a tiny share of the vote. If the trend is repeated across the country when the regional list ballot results are confirmed today, Alba would win no seats. In Aberdeen Donside, where Mr Salmond tops his party's North East Scotland regional list, Alba is estimated to have taken just 2 per cent of the vote  while sources said it was 'barely registering' in other key areas, such as Glasgow. Mr Salmond appeared to play down hopes of his party gaining seats when he attended his local count yesterday. He told Bauer Radio: 'I think our success is registering as a political party and registering on the political spectrum. 'To form a political party in a six- week period, to publicise it and get the activists, the members, the candidates and the programme, everything else  I don't know if it has ever been done before, certainly not in a general election and this is the Scottish general election. Time will tell if our argument we've been putting forward in this campaign proves correct.' He went further when interviewed on the BBC last night. Asked about his prospects, he said: 'Alba are registering as a political party in terms of the vote share we are getting and that is all to the good. But whether we make it tomorrow, I don't think so on the results we've seen.' He said the SNP looks like it will be 'poised on an overall majority' but there won't be the 'backing in terms of the enthusiasm of getting on with the independence referendum'. Advertisement

In an excoriating article for centre-right think-tank Policy Exchange, the MP for Birmingham Perry Barr wrote: 'My view is simple, in the past decade Labour has lost touch with ordinary British people.

'A London-based bourgeoisie, with the support of brigades of woke social media warriors, has effectively captured the party.'

He argued: 'The loudest voices in the Labour movement over the past year in particular have focused more on pulling down Churchill's statue than they have on helping people pull themselves up in the world. No wonder it is doing better among rich urban liberals and young university graduates than it is amongst the most important part of its traditional electoral coalition, the working-class.'

Sir Keir last night admitted Labour had lost the trust of voters. But he insisted he was up to the job of leader and vowed to 'take responsibility for fixing things'.

It is understood he will hold a reshuffle of his shadow Cabinet in the next week, but he conceded: 'We have lost four general elections and had a bitterly disappointing set of results last night. This goes way beyond a reshuffle or personalities.'

Party figures yesterday raised alarm at how Labour had failed to make progress despite ditching Mr Corbyn and moving on from the issue of Brexit.

The Hartlepool result was in part due to voters who backed Nigel Farage's Brexit Party at the last election  when it took a quarter of the vote  switching to the Conservatives.

There are a further 36 Labour seats across the country where its lead over the Tories in 2019 was smaller than the number who voted for the Brexit Party.

Former Labour cabinet minister Lord Adonis last night admitted 'it could be curtains for the Labour Party'. 'We need to contemplate that possibility,' he told Andrew Pierce's Mail+ podcast.

The peer, who had supported Sir Keir to replace Mr Corbyn, said he now believed he was just a 'transitional figure' and lamented his lack of 'political skills or antennae'.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle, a Labour MP on the party's left, attacked the leader for 'valueless flag-waving and suit-wearing'.

But influential Corbynite figures, including Unite general secretary Len McCluskey and ex-shadow chancellor John McDonnell, stopped short of calling for Sir Keir to go, and argued he should be given more time.

Mr Corbyn last night suggested Sir Keir's Labour Party was 'offering nothing' to voters.

Asked if Sir Keir should quit, he told Channel 4 News: 'It's up to him what he decides to do. But the important thing is that this party represents a real, radical alternative to inspire people.

'Offering nothing, offering insipid support for the Government, causes people either to vote for somebody else or simply to stay home and disappear.'

Momentum, which backed Mr Corbyn, said the results were a 'disaster'. Co-chairman Andrew Scattergood said if Sir Keir 'doesn't change direction, not only will he be out of a job  but the Labour Party may be out of government forever'.

A JL Partners poll for Channel 4 News found the top reason people gave for not voting Labour on Thursday was Sir Keir's leadership. This was followed by not agreeing with the party's policies, or worrying they did not have any at all.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 00:21:13|Editor: huaxia

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MOSCOW, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed issues related to bilateral ties and exchanged congratulations on the 76th anniversary of the victory in World War II during a telephone conversation on Friday, the Kremlin said in a statement.

"Russia and Israel jointly oppose attempts aimed at rewriting the history of World War II, glorifying Nazism and denying the Holocaust," the Kremlin said.

Putin expressed wishes of health and well-being to Israeli veterans in light of the upcoming Victory Day commemorations.

Both leaders expressed commitment to closer bilateral cooperation, the Kremlin added. Enditem
Prince Harry and Prince William have been arguing for 'past year and a half', ITN's Tom Bradby has claimed.

Journalist Bradby - who was once friends with both princes - also denied negotiating ITV's rights for Harry and Meghan's incendiary interview with Oprah Winfrey.

During the bombshell tell-all, the Sussexes lobbed a number of grenade-like allegations at the monarchy, including claims a senior royal had made racist comments about their future child's skin colour.

Bradby claimed in an interview with The Times that reporting on the royals 'used to be quite a straightforward thing' when Harry and William 'weren't arguing and life was simple'.

But the brothers' relationship 'slowly descended into something that was difficult - personally and publicly - really over the past year and a half', he said.

Prince Harry and Prince William have been arguing for 'past year and a half', ITN's Tom Bradby (pictured) has claimed

Bradby was host of an ITV documentary filmed in South Africa in 2019 when Meghan, in a swipe at her new family, moaned: 'Not many people have asked if I'm okay. It's a very real thing to go through behind the scenesit has really been a struggle' (pictured)

Bradby presented ITV's coverage of Prince Philip's funeral last month. The Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex walked behind the coffin of their grandfather as it was carried in a procession to St George's Chapel

MailOnline's Dan Wootton was the first to reveal that Prince William ended his long-standing friendship with Bradby because of his concerns he sided with Prince Harry and sister-in-law Meghan in the increasingly bitter transatlantic war of the Windsors.

Bradby refused to be pressed on his current relationship with William - who was once so close to the journalist he asked him to conduct the November 2010 engagement interview with the Cambridges.

Bradby was host of an ITV documentary filmed in South Africa in 2019 when Meghan, in a swipe at her new family, moaned: 'Not many people have asked if I'm okay. It's a very real thing to go through behind the scenesit has really been a struggle.'

Harry also used Bradby's documentary to publicly confirm a feud with his brother, admitting that he and William were 'on different paths at the moment'.

Addressing the documentary in his interview with The Times, Bradby said it was his own experience with mental health that helped him notice that the Sussexes were struggling.

Bradby had to take lengthy time off from hosting News at Ten in 2018 after suffering what he dubbed a 'mental health equivalent of a heart attack'.

Harry also used Bradby's documentary (pictured with Bradby) to publicly confirm a feud with his brother, admitting that he and William were 'on different paths at the moment'

He said: '[I] was clearly influenced by my own experience and I didn't think they were in great shape, and so I altered the way I was planning to do the documentary.'

He said he 'felt like there was an untold story' behind Meghan's public image, so he asked her the question: 'Are you OK?'.

When pressed on whether the South Africa documentary, and the insight into the royal rift that followed, increased his stress, Bradby said: 'Well, it used to be quite a straightforward thing, right, because they weren't arguing and life was simple.

'And then it just slowly descended into something that was difficult - personally and publicly - really over the past year and a half.'

Bradby presented ITV's coverage of Prince Philip's funeral last month.

William and Harry were seen speaking to each other after the service as they walked away, with Bradby commenting: 'Funerals are a time of reconciliation and that a sight, let's be honest, that's many wanted to see. Not least the family itself.'

Journalist Bradby - who was once friends with both princes - also denied negotiating ITV's rights for Harry and Meghan's incendiary interview with Oprah Winfrey (pictured)

About an hour earlier, the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex walked behind the coffin of their grandfather as it was carried in a procession to St George's Chapel.

Also in the interview, Bradby recalled a lunch he had with Boris Johnson, prior to the now-Prime Minister revealing he would back the Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum.

Mr Johnson wrote down the benefits of leaving and remaining on a tablecloth, Bradby said, before declaring he's not sure and its a 'difficult decision'.

Bradby said: 'When I got up, I tried to take the tablecloth with me and [press secretary] Will Walden was like, "No way." And he took the tablecloth, folded it, put it in his pocket. I assume he's still got it.

'But I left that restaurant convinced Boris was for Remain.'

Boris Johnson (pictured in front of the Vote Leave campaign bus) wrote out the pros and cons of Brexit on a restaurant tablecloth before admitting the decision was 'difficult', ITN's Bradby revealed

Journalist Bradby (pictured with Mr Johnson) recalled a lunch with the now-Prime Minister and his press secretary at an Italian restaurant near London's City Hall

It was last month revealed that the Duke of Cambridge has been left annoyed that the high-profile presenter sided with his brother Prince Harry.

While phone calls and communication between the Duke of Sussex in California and Bradby in London have become commonplace, William, in contrast, is said to no longer trust the high profile journalist who was once a close confidante.

A royal insider revealed: 'The friendship between William and Tom is very much over. The Duke feels let down by Bradby and the way he's acted over the past few months.

'William is a sensitive soul and believes it's in times of crisis when you find out who your true friends are. It would be fair to say Bradby hasn't been one of them.'

Our royal source added: 'The Duke will, of course, remain cordial and professional in his relations with senior media figures, but that special relationship he once had with Bradby is no more. William no longer sees him as a friend.'

Among senior royal aides, there is growing anger at the way Bradby and ITV News seem to have become a mouthpiece for Harry and Meghan's gripes about the Royal Family.

The royal source said: 'Some staff at the Palaces are even angrier about Bradby and the tone of his reporting at ITV News, which they consider to be pro-Harry and Meghan.

'It's well-known Bradby personally communicates with Harry on a regular basis and that is pretty obvious to royal aides who know how things work.

'But it's been very difficult to accept given the long history between Bradby and William.'

William was once so close with Bradby that he was chosen to conduct the Cambridges' engagement interview.

Bradby went on to attend the nuptials at Westminster Abbey as a guest.

A spokesman for William at the time said: 'The couple asked to record this interview specifically with Mr Bradby, whom they have both known for some time.'

Bradby refused to be pressed on his current relationship with William, who was once so close to the journalist he was chosen to conduct the November 2010 engagement exclusive interview with him and Kate (pictured)

But Bradby was equally close with Harry, attending his Windsor wedding to Meghan, alongside other media figures including Oprah and James Corden.

The friendship with both brothers was solidified during Bradby's time as ITV's royal correspondent.

He travelled with Harry to Lesotho in Africa to make a 2004 documentary.

Bradby's closeness to the brothers then exploded into the public domain as part of the News of the World phone hacking scandal, when details of a call between him and a royal staff member was published in the Sunday newspaper.

Like Harry, Bradby has been publicly open about his mental health issues, revealing he had to take lengthy time off from hosting News at Ten in 2018 after suffering the 'mental health equivalent of a heart attack'.

The Mail on Sunday revealed last month that Bradby has 'significant sway' over how Meghan is portrayed more widely on ITV.

They reported he may have been involved in pointing the Duchess 'in the right direction' over how to complain about Piers Morgan's criticism of her on Good Morning Britain, which resulted in him quitting the show.

A source told the newspaper: 'Tom Bradby has a certain cache at ITV as their news man. He is also the man with the golden goose in the bosses' eyes as he has a hotline to Prince Harry.'

Kensington Palace declined to comment to reports about Bradby's fall out with Prince William, first published by MailOnline.

A spokeswoman for ITV News said: 'Unfortunately at this moment we won't be in a position to comment.'
Demi Lovato began her career as a Disney Channel star. She released multiple albums through Disneys Hollywood Records. Though known for catchy pop anthems and personal, soulful ballads, she later began to branch out and address other issues with her music.

Demi Lovato performs onstage on March 22, 2021, in Beverly Hills, California. | Rich Fury/Getty Images for OBB Media

A track on her seventh studio album, Dancing with the Devil the Art of Starting Over, falls into this category. Heres why Lovato says theres kind of a piece of history on the record.

Demi Lovato has tacked politics in her music

RELATED: Demi Lovato Promises a Follow-up to Commander in Chief Before D7: This Cannot Happen Any F*cking More

In October 2020, Lovato released the single Commander in Chief. Aimed directly at then-President Donald Trump following events like the nationwide protests in Summer 2020, she was inspired by Pinks Dear Mr. President, which addressed George W. Bush.

I was thinking about the music thats out there right now, and I was like, Why isnt anyone talking about whats happening? In the 60s and 70s, when anything political would happen, music was such a key element to help people process and get through it, Lovato said on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

I was like, You know, I really need to step up my lyrics and make it about something other than just my life,' she continued. I started making more music that is less about me and more about the broad scope of whats going on in the world, and one of the songs that we came up with was Commander in Chief.'

She released Dancing with the Devil the Art of Starting Over

#DWTDTAOSO the album is here!! This has been a journey years in the making I cant believe its here. Please listen to the tracks in order, top to bottom, for me. I love you all https://t.co/nfMs1VXHjH pic.twitter.com/qcLIMpV0Fp  Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) April 2, 2021

Lovato finally released her highly anticipated seventh studio album, Dancing with the Devil the Art of Starting Over, in April 2021. It showcases the last few years of her life, including the lead-up to her 2018 overdose and whats come after it, like her short-lived engagement to actor Max Ehrich.

In interviews, Lovato has revealed how some of the most personal tracks came to be, from The Kind of Lover I Am to California Sober. The former addresses her sexuality, while the latter explains her approach to sobriety post-overdose. She even sang about her late father Patrick Lovato on Butterfly.

The album contains a cover of Mad World

However, one track is a cover. Mad World was a song on the album that I recorded actually the day of the insurrection, Lovato said on The Zach Sang Show of the January 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol building.

I had shown one of my producers, Mitch, the [2001 cover of the] song by Gary Jules [and Michael Andrews], and I loved that song so much that I told him I wanted to cover it, she explained.

Our minds were just blown about what was going on, Lovato continued of the day in question. Thats kind of a piece of history on my album. Its pretty cool because I can always hear that song and think, Wow when I recorded this, there were actually people still at the Capitol.'
DERRY, Pa. (AP) 

Benutze es oder verliere es.

In other words, for those who dont speak German, use it or lose it.

That truism applies to many things in life, including conversing in a foreign language.

Its what has kept two local men returning week after week, for decades, to practice their German phraseology with language instructor Evelyn Ruffing of Derry Township.

If you quit, you lose it, and its probably something that you lose pretty fast, said longtime student Mike Miller, 65, of Greensburg.

Miller has been taking German lessons from Ruffing since 1993, when she was teaching a course in the language at Saint Vincent College in Unity.

Robert Judson Jud Beltz, 80, of Latrobe, was enrolled in the class as far back as the early 1980s.

Ruffing no longer leads a course at the college, but continues to provide instruction by opening her home to students every Monday evening.

Miller and Beltz are the remaining diehards who show up regularly for a German gabfest and a cup of tea with Ruffing. It helps that all three got covid-19 vaccinations.

Since both are advanced students, Ruffing said, the class now is mainly for retention of what theyve already learned. If you dont keep it up, you forget it.

Im really proud of these guys, and the fact theyve stuck with it so long.

While wintering in Florida, Beltz dialed in for his weekly dose of Deutsch, though he prefers attending in person.

Trying to hold a phone in one hand and hold my dictionary in the other is a problem, he said.

Beltz keeps on top of his German language skills to ease the dialogue on his business trips to that country for Kalumetals, the Derry Township company he co-founded.

The company makes a nickel-containing powder from materials including machine shop grindings and markets it to the specialty steel industry, he explained.

Despite his years of study, Beltz thinks he still falls short of being fluent in German.

Ive always had pretty good luck when speaking with native Germans, he said. But, Sometimes, you say hello to somebody and introduce yourself, and they say, Oh, you speak German, and they start off, and then I have to slow them down.

I can read a German newspaper, and I can get into a conversation. But I dont have to speak about 30 seconds and whomever Im with knows Im not a native German speaker.

If he has to, he can fall back on a translating app on his phone to find the right words.

Miller, who recently retired as an electrical engineer with First Energy, also applied his knowledge of the language on multiple trips to Germany with his late father, Bernard, visiting Old Country cousins in 1994, and more recently with his wife, Diane.

My dads parents came to the U.S. from Germany in the 1920s, Miller said. They got here separately and, somehow, they met in the states.

My dad spoke German when he was very young, but then (World War II) started, and it was: dont speak German.

On the 1994 trip, Millers father started to remember some things. From the way he spoke, people knew what region of Germany his family was from  Bavaria.

While the covid-19 pandemic has ruled out additional trips to Germany for the time being, Miller and Beltz both expect theyll return there at some point.

After taking basic German language courses in high school and college, Miller upped his game when he enrolled in Ruffings class.

For me, writing in German is the most difficult, he said. Im never quite sure that Im getting it right.

Still, he responded in that language when he received letters and emails from a German court official informing him he was named in the will of a distant relative.

I thought, Im going to write back to him in German just because, and he was very impressed by that.

To keep her students on their toes, Ruffing has them speak only in German for the first part of each two-hour class. She begins by asking each of them, Was gibts neues? or Whats new?

For the remainder of the class, they take turns reading aloud and translating passages from books printed in German  often works originally written in English.

They recently finished a John Grisham legal thriller set in Appalachia following the Great Recession. Originally titled Gray Mountain, the German version goes by Anklage, which means accusation.

Now, theyre working on Eskapaden, a mystery by Scottish writer Martin Walker set in France. The German title translates as Escapades, but Walker originally called it The Patriarch.

Between classes, Beltz creates his own translations of newspaper articles he reads. Ill think, How would I say that in German? and Ill consult my dictionary.

I find that enjoyable. Ive learned a lot just doing that.

This brushes me up, Ruffing said of the effect continuing classes have on her own German language abilities. This is a tremendous boost for me. Its been fun.

___

Online:

https://bit.ly/3ueGXoH
Frankfort, KY (40601)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Thunder possible. Low 68F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Thunder possible. Low 68F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
WhatsApp has released a statement on its website informing users that they will not immediately lose functionality if they fail to accept the companys new terms of service and privacy policy by 15 May.

This is a softening of the Facebook-owned mobile instant messaging apps original stance on the deadline.

It previously warned that users will lose some functionality if they dont accept the new terms and policy by the deadline.

If you havent accepted by then [15 May 2021], WhatsApp will not delete your account. However, you wont have full functionality of WhatsApp until you accept, the company had originally warned users.

For a short time, youll be able to receive calls and notifications, but wont be able to read or send messages from the app.

Facebook first issued a notice to WhatsApp users about the changes in January, with the original cut-off date set for 8 February 2021.

Facebook extended the deadline following widespread backlash over concerns from users that WhatsApp user data would be shared with the Facebook social network.

The concerns arose due to the wording of the initial notice. It said that one of the key updates was more information about how WhatsApp partners with Facebook to offer integrations across Facebooks family of products  WhatsApp, Instagram, Oculus VR, and Facebook itself.

Within a day of the social media backlash, Facebook issued a statement assuring WhatsApp users that the privacy policy changes were only about business messaging.

There will be no change in data sharing with Facebook for non-business chats and account information, and with regard to business messaging, we are not mandating users to share data, Facebook stated.

Facebook said the main thing users should keep in mind about its new policy, is that businesses will now have the option to use Facebooks hosting infrastructure to host their WhatsApp chats if they dont want to store their messages themselves.

Every user will be notified within the chat if the business they are talking to has chosen to use Facebooks secure hosting infrastructure to store their WhatsApp messages, and people do not have to message or interact with businesses on WhatsApp if they choose not to do so, said Facebook.

Users can also still easily block a business on WhatsApp if they want.

By 16 January, Facebook announced that it was delaying the implementation of its new terms of service and privacy policy, and giving users until 15 May 2021 to opt in.

Now Facebook has said that no-one will lose functionality on the day of the deadline.

Instead, it said that users will eventually be shown a persistent reminder to accept the new terms, which will block access to their contact list.

For the last several weeks weve displayed a notification in WhatsApp providing more information about the update, WhatsApp stated.

After giving everyone time to review, were continuing to remind those who havent had the chance to do so to review and accept. After a period of several weeks, the reminder people receive will eventually become persistent.

This will not happen to all users at the same time, it said.

After it becomes impossible to dismiss the reminder notification, WhatsApp said users will have limited functionality until the accept the new terms and privacy policy.

You wont be able to access your chat list, but you can still answer incoming phone and video calls. If you have notifications enabled, you can tap on them to read or respond to a message or call back a missed phone or video call.

After a few weeks of limited functionality, you wont be able to receive incoming calls or notifications and WhatsApp will stop sending messages and calls to your phone.

Now read: How fraudsters use Facebook and WhatsApp to steal money from South African mobile customers
Ive been to a lot of fab parties in this gig, but Im not sure Id want to be on the guest list for the next Byron Bay White Party with Chris Hemsworth and Co (not that I have an ice cubes chance in hell of being invited).

Apart from the fact that the whole White Party theme thing seems so, I dunno, 2005, I know for certain that my white outfit - if I were to ever actually wear such a confection - would be splattered with canapes and cocktails within minutes of arriving, looking more Pro Hart than minimalist post-modern masterpiece.

Chris Hemsworth and Matt Damon on the far right at the white party in Byron Bay. Credit:Instagram

Nor could I be certain that during such a party I would refrain from regurgitating any of those canapes or cocktails all over my crisp white shirt, especially after observing so many of the guests clamouring to get as many selfies with as many famous people as possible.

And Id be at risk of further involuntary gag reflux when those same bragging selfies flood Instagram, only to then cause the mother of all hangovers for days on end as they are recycled over and over on breakfast television for us mere mortals to admire how the rich and fabulously good looking celebrities are handling the great pandemic of the 21st century.
Henry Cavill has played Superman since 2013s Man of Steel. Yet, hes only reprised the role twice. Rather than Man of Steel 2, he appeared in 2016s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017s Justice League. Recent reports indicate Cavill might be done with Superman. But perhaps stepping away from the character might be a good idea for his career. Heres why.

Henry Cavill poses for pictures at the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice photocall | Hector Vivas/LatinContent via Getty Images

Whos playing Superman in the DC Extended Universe?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. and DC Films are developing a new Superman film without Cavill. In fact, the project  which will be written by Ta-Nehisi Coates  is searching for a Black actor to headline and a Black director to make the movie. This isnt too much of a surprise, as rumors have long pegged Michael B. Jordan for Superman.

However, many fans assumed this movie would introduce a new character named Val-Zod. In DC Comics, this Kryptonian hero hailed from an alternate Earth and was his worlds version of Superman. He even assumed the role in the comics. But THRs story claims the new Superman movie will focus on Kal-El, the same character Cavill has been playing for years.

RELATED: Henry Cavill Reveals the Super Awkward Position He Was Put in Because of Justice League

Henry Cavills career might be better if hes done as Superman

Right now, its unclear whether the new movie would tie directly into the DC Extended Universe or be a separate entity, much like The Batman. Of course, the DCEU is about to officially tap into the multiverse with its upcoming The Flash movie. So its possible this new Superman could co-exist with Cavills version. But it might be the final straw leading to Cavills exit.

For years, the actors long-term future as Superman has been called into question. In fact, every time he takes on a new role  such as his Netflix hit The Witcher  fans wonder if it means Cavill has moved on. The actor has been adamant that he wants to keep playing the Man of Steel. But partly due to Warner Bros. indecision, he hasnt really been able to define his character.

Although his Superman debut wasnt as big as Warner Bros. hoped, it was strong enough to kick off the DCEU. Then Cavill saw Man of Steel 2 turn into a Batman-Superman crossover, and fans know all about the mess surrounding Justice League. His DC role has likely led to frustration more than anything. In the meantime, Cavill has seen his career prospects only grow.

RELATED: DCEU: Will Henry Cavill Lose Superman to 1 of These 2 Huge Stars?

Will Marvel Studios come calling the soon-to-be former Man of Steel?

Since Man of Steel, Cavill has starred in five non-DC movies. While his role in Mission: Impossible  Fallout was a one-off, it did prove the actors star power opposite someone as iconic as Tom Cruise. Coupled with The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  which itself has a cult following  Cavill has demonstrated just how strong a fit he would be for James Bond. But he could wind up a superhero again too.

Marvel has a history of rehabilitating former DC stars. Take Ryan Reynolds fan-favorite turn in Deadpool, for instance. So while Warner Bros. is taking its time deciding what to do with Superman, Cavill could wind up signing up with the competition. Popular fan-casting has him as Hercules or even Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But rest assured, Cavills prospects outside of DC are many indeed.
Bamboo Airways has acquired slots to operate regular direct flights from HCMC to San Francisco and Los Angeles starting September 1.

At the San Francisco International Airport, the daily flights are expected to land at 10 a.m. (U.S. time) and depart at 1 p.m.; and the landing and takeoff times at the Los Angeles International Airport flights are 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively, the carrier said in a press release Friday.

The flights would be operated using the long-haul Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Bamboo Airways is rushing to complete the final steps in the process of building its personnel apparatus, including pilot and flight crew training, to get ready for operating the direct flights to the U.S., it said.

There are currently no non-stop routes between the two countries, and passengers have to transit through Hong Kong, South Korea or Taiwan, taking 18-21 hours in all. A direct flight would shorten the travel time to 15-17 hours.

Bamboo Airways had received a permit from the U.S. Department of Transportation to carry passengers and cargo to that country last year.

Vietnam's Ministry of Transport is also finalizing procedures to designate Bamboo Airways to operate charter flights between Vietnam and the U.S. following a proposal made by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam at the end of April.

It will allow the private airline to carry passengers and goods from Vietnam to the U.S. and vice versa on charter flights upon approval by the prime minister and relevant agencies.

Passengers on these flights could be experts, foreign investors and Vietnamese citizens in the U.S. wishing to return home. Bamboo Airways chairman Trinh Van Quyet said the airline expects to operate charter flights to the U.S. from July.

Americans are among the top foreign visitors to Vietnam, with 687,226 arrivals in 2019, and an ethnic Vietnamese population of over 2.1 million in the U.S. is also expected to be a steady source of travel demand.
Shen Peng, founder and CEO of Chinese online insurance technology firm Waterdrop Inc, speaks during an interview with Reuters ahead of the companys U.S. (Photo : REUTERS/Tingshu Wang)

Shares of Chinese gaming giant Tencent-backed online insurance technology firm Waterdrop Inc tumbled 14.5% in their New York debut on Friday.



American depositary shares of the company opened at $10.25, before recovering to $11.50. The shares were priced at $12 apiece in the IPO, raising $360 million through the stock sale.



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Waterdrop's founder and chief executive, in an interview with Reuters earlier in the day, said the company would focus more on user growth than on profit in the short term.



The company aims to be China's version of UnitedHealth Group in a decade and has no plan to revive its once popular mutual aid service, Shen Peng said.



The loss-making company will focus until 2025 on growing its online insurance business in China, and would like to expand further into healthcare businesses in 10 years' time in the country, Shen said. UnitedHealth is the biggest U.S. health insurer.



"Currently becoming profitable is not our priority," said Shen, adding that growth and serving more users was more important in the short term.



Waterdrop's stock market debut was seen as a key test of investor appetite for Chinese fintech companies amid a regulatory crackdown that started after the halting of Ant Group's IPO last November.



Waterdrop doesn't plan to restore its mutual aid service, which was shut down in March and had provided 80 million users with shared basic health plan covering critical illnesses, as Shen believes such services are out of fashion and cost-effective insurance policies underwritten by insurance carriers will prevail in China's lower-tier cities.



China's financial regulators have said since late last year that all financial activities needed to be overseen by regulators and all businesses needed to be licensed to operate.



Last month, Chinese financial regulators said that they would step up efforts to regulate fintech companies that have offshore public listing plans.



Shen said that the company started to proactively communicate with regulators when it first had the IPO idea and kept talking with regulators at every step of the IPO process.



"Regulators have expressed that they are delighted to see innovative companies obtain public listings as long as the companies' operations comply with regulations," Shen said.



Founded in 2016 by Shen, a former executive at Chinese food delivery giant Meituan, Waterdrop was valued at about $2 billion in a pre-IPO funding round last August. It also counts reinsurer Swiss Re, Boyu Capital, and Meituan as investors.



Beijing-based Waterdrop's remaining core businesses include distributing insurance policies online and providing illness crowd-funding.



The company said in its filing that its revenue hit 3 billion yuan ($464.43 million), an increase of over 100% year on year.



($1 = 6.4596 Chinese yuan renminbi)


Rep. Matt Gaetz has shrugged off a federal probe into sex trafficking allegations as a 'deep state' plot, while joking the media would report that he is 'surrounded by beautiful women' at a Florida rally filled with senior citizens.

'I'm a marked man in Congress, I'm a cancelled man in some corners of the internet, I might be a wanted man by the deep state,' Gaetz said at the rally on Friday in The Villages, a massive retirement community and pro-Trump stronghold.

The Justice Department is investigating whether Gaetz violated sex trafficking laws by having sex with a 17-year-old girl and paying for her to travel across state lines -- claims that Gaetz denies and asserts are part of a scheme to extort his family for $25 million.

'We have a right to confront our accusers in this country,' Gaetz, a Florida Republican, said at the rally.

'There can be no due process here if the only process due to conservatives is to see leaks embroidered onto lies and then just endlessly repeated by the America Last media,' he said, pointing to the cameras at the back of the room as the crowd booed.

'CNN is just the worst. I already know - so today is my birthday, and I already know how CNN is going to report it: "Matt Gaetz Has Wild Party Surrounded By Beautiful Women in The Villages,"' he said. 'So just get ready for it!'

Rep. Matt Gaetz shrugged off a federal probe into sex trafficking allegations as a 'deep state' plot at a rally in The Villages, Florida on Friday

'So today is my birthday, and I already know how CNN is going to report it: "Matt Gaetz Has Wild Party Surrounded By Beautiful Women in The Villages,"' Gaetz said at the rally

There are no formal charges against the congressman and no woman has publicly accused him of wrongdoing.

Federal investigators are, however, looking into if Gaetz had sexual relations with a minor or paid for sex. The House Ethics Committee also opened a probe to 'gather additional information' about the accusations revealed against Gaetz.

The rally came just a week before Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg faces a deadline to enter a plea deal that could lead to damaging information against the Florida congressman.

What began as an inquiry into sex trafficking allegations and whether Gaetz paid women and an underage girl in exchange for sex has grown into a larger review of public corruption.

Federal investigators are looking at whether Gaetz and his associates tried to secure government jobs for some of the women. They are also scrutinizing Gaetz's connections to the medical marijuana sector.

Greenberg, a former local tax collector, has been accused of trafficking a minor for sex and faces a May 15 deadline to strike a plea deal with prosecutors.

Former Seminole County Tax Collector, Joel Greenberg (right), seen here in this 2017 photo with longtime Trump advisor Roger Stone (left) and Rep. Gaetz (middle) is facing sex trafficking charges related to a girl between the ages of 14 and 17

If he does, Greenberg may be pressed to cooperate with federal investigators and deliver damaging information against Gaetz.

At Friday's rally, Gaetz was joined by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the freshman Republican from Georgia, and like Gaetz a strong ally of Donald Trump.

The event marked the launch of the duo's 'America First Rally', an ambitious attempt to force party leadership to fall in line with their pro-Trump faction of the party.

'We've got this battle going on right now for the soul of the Republican Party,' Gaetz told the roaring crowd of senior citizens. 'Maybe we're the leaders, Marjorie. Maybe they should follow us!'

'Today, we send a strong message to the weak establishment in both parties: America First isn't going away. We are going on tour,' Gaetz said.

It comes as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who is focused on winning back GOP control of the House next year, faces tough decisions about whether siding with the populist faction represented by Gaetz and Greene will help or hurt the party in the midterms.

As soon as next week, McCarthy is expected to lead the party to an inflection point by calling a vote on whether to dump Rep. Liz Cheney, who is outspoken in condemning Trump's election fraud claims, from the No. 3 House leadership position.

At Friday's rally, Gaetz was joined by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the freshman Republican from Georgia, and like Gaetz a strong ally of Donald Trump

Some 300 supporters, mostly retirees, packed into a hotel ballroom to listen. A long line trailed outside the hotel with people who couldn't get in

People walk past a bus wrapped with President Donald Trump photos during a Gaetz/Greene rally on Friday in The Villages

The rally was extraordinary in the amount of time the duo spent tearing into their own GOP colleagues-- though rarely by name, with the exception of Cheney.

'If Liz Cheney could even find Wyoming on a map and went there, she would find a lot of very angry cowboys who are not happy with the fact that she's sorta for every war,' said Gaetz, referring to Cheney's home district.

'I didn't go to the Republican retreat, because I feel like the Republicans have been in a constant state of retreat,' said Gaetz, referring to the annual House GOP retreat held last month in Orlando. 'I'm ready for an advance, not a retreat!'

'They go to the retreat and basically the whole retreat is Kevin McCarthy fighting with Liz Cheney,' he said. 'Why did they not listen to us like, three four months ago when we said, this is not going to work?'

'When somebody's fundamental view is that we don't need to work on election integrity, we don't need to worry about the crisis at the border, we could find four more countries to invade before lunchtime tomorrow - that person should not be the spokesperson for the Republican Party,' Gaetz said of Cheney.

Some 300 supporters, mostly retirees, packed into a hotel ballroom to listen them. A long line trailed outside the hotel with people who couldn't get in once the ballroom reached capacity.

The Villages, which was the fastest growing U.S. metro area last year, has been a Republican bastion for decades and is often a must-stop destination for Republican presidential candidates.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 8)  Two doctors will be put on trial for alleged medical negligence in the death of Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia's younger brother.

In a 34-page resolution dated March 1, the Cebu City Prosecutor's office found probable cause to indict Dr. Elfleda Hernandez and Dr. Yvonne Bettina Montejo for the death of former Barili town mayor Marlon Garcia.

Prosecutors recommended suing the two doctors for reckless imprudence resulting to homicide.

"Verily, the causation of death as having been admitted as hospital-acquired bacterial infection lends credence to the complainant's allegation that there was lack of standard care expected of the attending physicians," read the court resolution penned by Asst. City Prosecutor Verna Merelos and approved by Cebu City Prosecutor Liceria Lofranco-Rabillas.

The younger Garcia died on Sept. 6 last year of "septic shock secondary to catheter related blood stream infection, ventilator associated pneumonia." His death happened after his recovery from COVID-19, while being confined at Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu.

In its decision to start trial on the two doctors, the court placed a huge weight on Yale University infectious diseases specialist Dr. Ravi Durvasula's testimony. The Garcia family presented him as a medical expert in the case.

Durvasula said the development of catheter-associated bacterem on Garcia's body and his subsequent death is considered a red flag in hospital care.

"Though initial treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia and vascular complications was appropriate and protocol-driven, subsequent care deviated from acceptable standards of medical documentation, laboratory investigations and infection control," Durvasula said.

Hernandez and Montejo denied the allegations that they were negligent and blamed the Garcia family for refusing several medical procedures needed during the critical stage of Marlon's confinement.

"They were not able to immediately administer the planned treatment and procedure at the time when its intervention was crucial," Montejo said.

Hernandez indicated that Garcia suffered from comorbidities such as obesity, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea. She also found out that he was also a smoker, who smoked 10 packs a day.

"He has been suffering from fever for four days and had been experiencing shortness of breath since the morning of August 5, 2020, had been doing tuob and have taken capsules of Chinese drug Lianhua Qingwen," Hernandez added.

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration approved the use of traditional Chinese medicine Lianhua Qingwen, but not for COVID-19 treatment.

Meanwhile, the Philippine College of Physicians Central Visayas Chapter expressed support for the two doctors indicted for the death of Garcia.

"We stand in solidarity with our colleagues and all frontliners. Our enemy is COVID-19," the group posted on its social media page.

CNN Philippines Cebu Correspondent Dale Israel contributed to this story.
Boris Johnson is preparing to rent out his 1.2million south London townhouse to raise cash amid a feud over the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat, reports say.

It is understood the Prime Minister has taken out a buy-to-let mortgage on the home he purchased with his fiancee Carrie Symonds in Camberwell, south London, in July 2019.

He could let the three-storey, redbrick house for between 3,300 and 4,000 a month, according to The Times.

The couple face growing scrutiny following the estimated 200,000 refurbishment of their Downing Street flat - and the decision to fund it via contributions from Tory donors.

Boris Johnson is preparing to rent out his 1.2million south London townhouse to raise cash amid a feud over the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat, reports say

A preview of Lulu Lytle (pictured with her dog Panther) of Soane Britain's collaboration with Christie's Spring edition of The Collector sales

It emerged on Wednesday that Britain's top civil servant Simon Case only discovered Mr Johnson wanted a charity to pay for the makeover earlier this year.

Former royal aide Mr Case decided to look into the matter further and reportedly discovered that Tory donor Lord Brownlow of Shurlock Row had been lined up to chair a planned Downing Street charity and two other peers were said to have been asked to join the board.

It is understood the Prime Minister has taken out a buy-to-let mortgage on the home he purchased with his fiancee Carrie Symonds in Camberwell, south London, in July 2019

Mr Case had a meeting with the potential trustees, former Thatcher adviser Lord Powell and senior Labour peer Baroness Jay, to find out what was happening.

He is now conducting one of several investigations into how the costly redecoration of the Number 11 residence was funded.

A Cabinet Office spokesman confirmed: 'The Cabinet Secretary only became aware of the Trust in late February.'

The Prime Minister purchased his home in Camberwell in July 2019 with a mortgage from Santander.

Land Registry documents show it was remortgaged with Clydesdale Bank last August.

Mr Johnson also recently began renting out his 1.2million home near Thame, Oxfordshire. A buy-to-let mortgage was taken out last year with Barclays.

The four-bedroom, detached house was listed for 4,250 a month in April.

It comes after the Prime Minister was asked to pay for the lavish renovation of his Downing Street flat last spring.

Mr Johnson had reportedly complained to aides that Carrie was buying wallpaper costing 840 a roll from interior designer Lulu Lytle.

Mr Johnson had reportedly complained to aides that Carrie was buying wallpaper costing 840 a roll from interior designer Lulu Lytle. Pictured: The designer

He told Ministers that he had settled the bill with his own money, but has ducked questions about who originally paid out when the work at 11, Downing Street was completed in 2020.

An inquiry has now been launched following a string of revelations in the Mail suggesting a 58,000 cost overrun may have been paid originally by the Conservative Party before being covered by Tory donor Lord Brownlow.

Failure to declare donations is an offence under electoral law, punishable by fines of up to 20,000.
The scarcity of Covid-19 vaccines across the developing world is largely the result of efforts by vaccine manufacturers to maintain their monopoly control and profits.

by Joseph Stiglitz and Lori Wallach

The Covid-19 vaccines have been developed by scientists from all over the world, thanks to basic science supported by numerous governments. We must not let drug companies put profits ahead of lives.

Activists rally outside Pfizer headquarters in New York City on March 11, 2021. (Photo: Steve Frances Kong)

The only way to end the Covid-19 pandemic is to immunize enough people worldwide. The slogan no one is safe until we are all safe captures the epidemiological reality we face. Outbreaks anywhere could spawn a SARS-CoV-2 variant that is resistant to vaccines, forcing us all back into some form of lockdown. Given the emergence of worrisome new mutations in India, Brazil, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere, this is no mere theoretical threat.

Worse, vaccine production is currently nowhere close to delivering the 10-15 billion doses needed to stop the spread of the virus. By the end of April, only 1.2 billion doses had been produced worldwide. At this rate, hundreds of millions of people in developing countries will remain unimmunized at least until 2023.

It is thus big news that US President Joe Bidens administration has announced it will join the 100 other countries seeking a Covid-19 emergency waiver of the World Trade Organization intellectual-property (IP) rules that have been enabling vaccine monopolization. Timely negotiations of a WTO agreement temporarily removing these barriers would create the legal certainty governments and manufacturers around the world need to scale up production of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics.

Last fall, former President Donald Trump recruited a handful of rich-country allies to block any such waiver negotiations. But pressure on the Biden administration to reverse this self-defeating blockade has been growing, garnering the support of 200 Nobel laureates and former heads of state and government (including many prominent neoliberal figures), 110 members of the US House of Representatives, ten US Senators, 400 US civil-society groups, 400 European parliamentarians, and many others.

An Unnecessary Problem

The scarcity of Covid-19 vaccines across the developing world is largely the result of efforts by vaccine manufacturers to maintain their monopoly control and profits. Pfizer and Moderna, the makers of the extremely effective mRNA vaccines, have refused or failed to respond to numerous requests by qualified pharmaceutical manufacturers seeking to produce their vaccines. And not one vaccine originator has shared its technologies with poor countries through the World Health Organizations voluntary Covid-19 Technology Access Pool.

Recent company pledges to give vaccine doses to the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, which will direct them to the most at-risk populations in poorer countries, are no substitute. These promises may assuage drug companies guilt, but wont add meaningfully to the global supply.

As for-profit entities, pharmaceutical corporations are focused primarily on earnings, not global health. Their goal is simple: to maintain as much market power as they can for as long as possible in order to maximize profits. Under these circumstances, it is incumbent on governments to intervene more directly in solving the vaccine supply problem.

A Commonsense Solution

In recent weeks, legions of pharmaceutical lobbyists have swarmed Washington to pressure political leaders to block the WTO Covid-19 waiver. If only the industry was as committed to producing more vaccine doses as it is to producing specious arguments, the supply problem might already have been solved.

Instead, drug companies have been relying on a number of contradictory claims. They insist that a waiver is not needed, because the existing WTO framework is flexible enough to allow for access to technology. They also argue that a waiver would be ineffective, because manufacturers in developing countries lack the wherewithal to produce the vaccine.

And yet, drug companies also imply that a WTO waiver would be too effective. What else are we to make of their warnings that it would undermine research incentives, reduce Western companies profits, andwhen all other claims failthat it would help China and Russia beat the West geopolitically?

Obviously, a waiver would make a real difference. That is why drug companies are opposing it so vehemently. Moreover, the market confirms this thinking, as evidenced by the sharp decline in the major vaccine-makers share prices just after the Biden administrations announcement that it will engage in waiver negotiations. With a waiver, more vaccines will come online, prices will fall, and so too will profits.

Still, the industry claims that a waiver would set a terrible precedent, so it is worth considering each of its claims in turn.

Big Pharmas Big Lies

After years of passionate campaigning and millions of deaths in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, WTO countries agreed on the need for compulsory IP licensing (when governments allow domestic firms to produce a patented pharmaceutical product without the patent owners consent) to ensure access to medicines. But drug companies never gave up on doing everything possible to undermine this principle. It is partly because of the pharmaceutical industrys tight-fistedness that we need a waiver in the first place. Had the prevailing pharmaceutical IP regime been more accommodating, the production of vaccines and therapeutics already would have been ramped up.

The argument that developing countries lack the skills to manufacture Covid vaccines based on new technologies is bogus. When US and European vaccine makers have agreed to partnerships with foreign producers, like the Serum Institute of India (the worlds largest vaccine producer) and Aspen Pharmacare in South Africa, these organizations have had no notable manufacturing problems. There are many more firms and organizations around the world with the same potential to help boost the vaccine supply; they just need access to the technology and know-how.

For its part, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has identified some 250 companies that could manufacture vaccines. As South Africas delegate at the WTO recently noted:

Developing countries have advanced scientific and technical capacities the shortage of production and supply [of vaccines] is caused by the rights holders themselves who enter into restrictive agreements that serve their own narrow monopolistic purposes putting profits before life.

While it may have been difficult and expensive to develop the mRNA vaccine technology, that doesnt mean production of the actual shots is out of reach for other companies around the world. Modernas own former director of chemistry, Suhaib Siddiqi, has argued that with enough sharing of technology and know-how, many modern factories should be able to start manufacturing mRNA vaccines within three or four months.

Drug companies fallback position is to claim that a waiver is not needed in light of existing WTO flexibilities. They point out that firms in developing countries have not sought compulsory licenses, as if to suggest that they are merely grandstanding. But this supposed lack of interest reflects the fact that Western pharmaceutical companies have done everything they can to create legal thickets of patents, copyrights, and proprietary industrial design and trade secret exclusivities that existing flexibilities may never cover. Because mRNA vaccines have more than 100 components worldwide, many with some form of IP protection, coordinating compulsory licenses between countries for this supply chain is almost impossible.

Moreover, under WTO rules, compulsory licensing for export is even more complex, even though this trade is absolutely essential for increasing the global vaccine supply. The Canadian drug maker Biolyse, for example, is not permitted to produce and export generic versions of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to developing countries after J&J rejected its request for a voluntary license.

Another factor in the vaccine supply shortage is fear, both at the corporate and the national level. Many countries worry that the United States and the European Union would cut off aid or impose sanctions if they issued compulsory licenses after decades of threats to do so. With a WTO waiver, however, these governments and companies would be insulated from corporate lawsuits, injunctions, and other challenges.

The Peoples Vaccines

This brings us to the third argument that the big pharmaceutical companies make: that an IP waiver would reduce profits and discourage future research and development. Like the previous two claims, this one is patently false. A WTO waiver would not abolish national legal requirements that IP holders be paid royalties or other forms of compensation. But by removing the monopolists option of simply blocking more production, a waiver would increase incentives for pharmaceutical companies to enter into voluntary arrangements.

Hence, even with a WTO waiver, the vaccine makers stand to make heaps of money. Covid-19 vaccine revenue for Pfizer and Moderna just in 2021 is projected to reach $15 billion and $18.4 billion, respectively, even though governments financed much of the basic research and provided substantial upfront funds to bring the vaccines to market.

To be clear: The problem for the pharmaceutical industry is not that drug manufacturers will be deprived of high returns on their investments; it is that they will miss out on monopoly profits, including those from future annual booster shots that doubtless will be sold at high prices in rich countries.

Finally, when all of its other claims fall through, the industrys last resort is to argue that a waiver would help China and Russia gain access to a US technology. But this is a canard, because the vaccines are not a US creation in the first place. Cross-country collaborative research into mRNA and its medical applications has been underway for decades. The Hungarian scientist Katalin Kariko made the initial breakthrough in 1978, and the work has been ongoing ever since in Turkey, Thailand, South Africa, India, Brazil, Argentina, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and other countries, including the US National Institutes of Health.

Moreover, the genie is already out of the bottle. The mRNA technology in the Pfizer-produced vaccine is owned by BioNTech (a German company founded by a Turkish immigrant and his wife), which has already granted the Chinese producer Fosun Pharma a license to manufacture its vaccine. While there are genuine examples of Chinese firms stealing valuable IP, this isnt one of them. Besides, China is well on its way to developing and producing its own mRNA vaccines. One is in Phase III clinical trials; another can be stored at refrigerator temperature, eliminating the need for cold chain management.

How the US Could Really Lose

For those focused on geopolitical issues, the bigger source of concern should be Americas failure to date to engage in constructive Covid-19 diplomacy. The US has been blocking exports of vaccines that it is not even using. Only when a second wave of infections started devastating India did it see fit to release its unused AstraZeneca doses. Meanwhile, Russia and China have not only made their vaccines available; they have engaged in significant technology and knowledge transfer, forging partnerships around the world, and helping to speed up the global vaccination effort.

With daily infections continuing to reach new highs in some parts of the world, the chance of dangerous new variants emerging poses a growing risk to us all. The world will remember which countries helped, and which countries threw up hurdles, during this critical moment.

The Covid-19 vaccines have been developed by scientists from all over the world, thanks to basic science supported by numerous governments. It is only proper that the people of the world should reap the benefits. This is a matter of morality and self-interest. We must not let drug companies put profits ahead of lives.

Joseph E. Stiglitz is University Professor at Columbia University. His most recent book is Measuring What Counts: The Global Movement for Well-Being (2019). Among his many other books, he is the author of The Price of Inequality: How Todays Divided Society Endangers Our Future (2013), Globalization and Its Discontents (2003), Free Fall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy (2010), and (with co-author Linda Bilmes) The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Costs of the Iraq Conflict (2008). He received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2001 for research on the economics of information.

Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizens Global Trade Watch division, is co-author of Whose Trade Organization?

Originally published by Project Syndicate -  2021 Project Syndicate
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 8)  A group of health experts is asking the Food and Drug Administration to cancel the compassionate use permits it issued to COVID-19 vaccines without emergency use authorization (EUA) amid safety concerns.

In a statement signed by members of the Healthcare Professionals Alliance against COVID-19, the group said it "recommends to policymakers that existing CSPs for any COVID-19 vaccines without EUAs be rescinded, and that the said vaccines undergo proper EUA process before being administered to any Filipino."

This is following the recent inoculation of President Rodrigo Duterte with China's Sinopharm vaccine, which has yet to apply and receive EUA in the Philippines.

The group noted that six out of ten Filipinos are still hesitant to receive coronavirus shots. It is now a challenge to convince them to do so and using a vaccine without EUA further erodes the trust and confidence of the people, it added.

The HPAAC said it is crucial that only vaccines with EUA are made available to the public, since such authority issued by experts assures the safety and efficacy of these COVID-19 shots.

"This will ultimately improve vaccine uptake since it will assure the people that any COVID-19 vaccine that is offered to them for vaccination is safe, effective, and equitable," the group said.

On Monday, the President received his first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine, which the Palace said was among the doses granted with the compassionate use permit.

After being criticized for using Sinopharm, Duterte apologized to the public and asked the Chinese Ambassador to withdraw their donated doses.

In December, the FDA started to look into the entry of "smuggled" Sinopharm vaccines to the country after it was revealed that members of the Presidential Security Group had already been vaccinated with the unregistered doses.

It was only in February 2021 that the state regulator granted the PSG a special compassionate permit to use 10,000 doses of Sinopharm's vaccine.

The FDA has so far issued EUA to COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Gamaleya, Sinovac, Bharat Biotech, and Janssen.
About 100 cattle have invaded the Wanpu Dam which sometimes serves as a source of drinking water for the residents of Bimbilla in the Northern Region.



According to an eyewitness, Mr Atta Abdul-Gafaru, the situation had persisted for some weeks now but got to a head last Thursday.



Mr Abdul-Gafaru indicated that the cattle did not belong to indigenes of Bimbilla due to the numbers that were trooping to the area.



"Considering the numbers, those cattle do not belong to the indigenes of Bimbilla. When I tried approaching the herdsmen who brought the cattle, they all ran away leaving the cattle, but later came for them secretly," he said.



Threat



A resident and a youth advocate of Bimbilla, Mr Basit Mohammed Yussif, said the cattle invasion of the dam posed health threats to the people of Bimbilla.



According to him, the cattle muddied the water while urinating and defecating in the water, making it unsafe for domestic use.



He added that though the water was polluted by the cattle, a significant number of residents depended on the dam as their only source of water for drinking and other domestic purposes since that was the only dam in the area.



"The Wanpu Dam is the only dam in the area, and, as a result of that, some residents are now competing with the animals for the water. And it is worth noting that with the level of pollution going on in the water, the water, when drunk, can lead to sickness," Mr Yussif said.



Mr Yussif appealed to duty bearers to act by finding a solution to the situation to avoid further pollution of the dam.



"We are calling on our leaders and duty bearers to urgently save the situation, otherwise if this continues, we the youth of the area will take the matter into our hands," he stated.



When contacted, the Nanumba North Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Abdulai Yaquob, stated that because the Wanpu Dam was the only dam in the area, all animals in and around the Bimbilla town were all drinking from it.



According to him, there was a small dam which was dedicated solely to the animals to drink from, but was, however, muddied by fishermen from the Bimbilla community, making the water to dry out.



"Some of the cattle belong to the indigenes and at first, we dedicated a small dam by the Wanpu Dam for the animals to drink from. But some community people said they wanted to do fishing there. So, they muddied the water, pushing the herdsmen to take the animals to the Wanpu Dam," the MCE stated.



Intervention



The MCE, however, stated that some security personnel were deployed to the place to ensure that they prevented more cattle from further invading the dam while the situation was investigated.



He added that he was going to engage the traditional and community leaders to find a solution to the incident.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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

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Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Ngo Sach Thuc on May 7 inspected preparations for the upcoming elections of deputies to the 15th legislature and members of all-level People's Councils for 2021-2026 in the northern province of Ninh Binh.

Attending the working session were Chairman of the Ninh Binh Provincial People's Council Tran Hong Quang; Chairman of the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee Do Viet Anh; and Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Council Nguyen Hoang Ha, among others.

The preparations for the upcoming elections of deputies to the 15th legislature and members of all-level People's Councils for 2021-2026 in Ninh Binh province have been done in line with regulations.

The province has also established eight election committees at the district level; 143 election committees at the commune level; two boards for theelection of deputies to the 15th NA; 14 boards for the election of members of the provincial People's Council; 62 boards for the district level; 984 boards for the commune level and 1,020 election groups.

Candidates for the seats of the 15th National Assembly and all-level People's Councils have met with voters. Meanwhile, the lists of candidates and voters have been published. The communications work has been conducted widely and comprehensively.

Speaking at the working session, Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Ngo Sach Thuc lauded the province's efforts in preparing for the election.

Thuc also asked the provincial Election Committee and the provincial Fatherland Front to continue to well implement guidance and direction documents on the election and actively ensure COVID-19 prevention and control measures as well as guarantee social order and security before, during and after the election.

He also suggested that the province should pay attention to popuparising the election and calling citizens to promote their responsibilities in choosing right deputies to the 15th National Assembly and all-level People's Councils.

Translated by Nguyen Thuy
He's the Australian schoolboy destined for stardom when his film Those Who Wish Me Dead hits Netflix next week.

And for 14-year-old Finn Little, working alongside the likes of Angelina Jolie is just another day on the job.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the teenager revealed he and the Hollywood star quickly connected when she suggested they went to a skirmish session before filming commence for their new thriller.

'We got to know each other': Australian actor Finn Little has revealed what it was like to work with Hollywood legend Angelina Jolie

'It's like paint ball, just for bonding so we got to know each other,' he explained.

'She rocked up in full black and a tactical vest and just the biggest gun, she was so ready. I feel like she was prepared to shoot me,' he excitedly added about the Tomb Raider star.

Finn filmed alongside the 45-year-old director and actress in the US for a total of three months in the US.

When asked how the two got along, the Brisbane-based high schooler admitted it was an easy transition.

'We sort of bounced off each other and I think there was a good connection between us.'

'She rocked up in full black and a tactical vest and just the biggest gun, she was so ready,' he said of Angelina

Earlier this week, Angelina also revealed she enjoyed 'hanging out' with her co-star during an interview with Access Hollywood.

She also added she, 'really cared for Finn as soon as I met him.'

She added: 'Part of it was how not to parent school of parenting, but Finn is also so tough, he's a real extremely talented actor.'

Audution: He added he was flown from Australia to Los Angeles, adding, 'so much was riding on this' and he was, 'about to break down'

Finn, 14, also added: 'I'll admit, in the audition when I met you, I was just freaking out. I was so nervous.'

He added he was flown from Australia to Los Angeles, adding, 'so much was riding on this' and he was, 'about to break down.'

Angelina added that when they would film intense scenes with fire they would get through the smoke and there was a real sense of accomplishment between them both.

Finn added: 'It was hard at times but I think it definitely paid off'.
Camilla Franks shared a heart-wrenching post after undergoing ovarian removal surgery this week, as her battle with breast cancer continues.

But on Saturday, the brave 44-year-old fashion designer shined a light on the 'angels' who have supported her throughout her journey.

She shared a photo of herself with a team of medical workers who she called 'angels on earth' who 'brighten the darkest of days.'

'They deserve a wave of gratitude': Camilla Franks shared a heartfelt message to medical staff for 'brightening the darkest of days' on Saturday, after undergoing surgery to remove her ovaries this week as her battle with breast cancer continues

'I cannot thank these beautiful souls who've supported me through this breast cancer journey enough,' she wrote.

'Nurses, obstetricians, oncologists, cleaners, surgeons, cooks, physicians, pathologists, therapists, psychologists, radiologists and so many wellbeing warriors,' she thanked in her post.

Camilla added: 'I have such wonderful health care workers giving me so much love, strength and encouragement as I've struggled through an avalanche of physical and emotional pain.'

The Kaftan Queen continued: 'These are true Earth Angels. Selfless, nurturing and special beyond words. They deserve a wave of gratitude.'

'When you are in such a vulnerable place, just having someone there with a kind word, a warm touch and an empathy for your suffering, means so much,' she said.

Camilla also shared another special thank you to everyone who has 'helped save my life, picked up the broken pieces and worked tirelessly to put me back together again.'

On Thursday, Camilla shared a heart-wrenching post on Instagram in which she revealed she was still in hospital recovering after undergoing surgery to remove her ovaries.

Recovering: On Thursday, Camilla shared a photo of herself lying in bed alongside her two-year-old daughter Luna's teddy bear, Camilla called the toy her 'comfort in a sea of sadness' as she recovered after undergoing surgery to remove her ovaries

Sharing a photo of herself lying in bed alongside her two-year-old daughter Luna's teddy bear, Camilla called the toy her 'comfort in a sea of sadness'.

'I'm clinging to it like a life raft, breathing in her smell, feeling her presence and warmth. Its little furry body is soaked with a torrent of tears that I can't seem to stop,' she began.

'I lie here with a broken heart as I recover from surgery to finally remove my ovaries. The grief and pain is excruciating. I feel as if my chest is going to burst as I mourn the loss of children I can no longer bear.'

Devastating: 'I'm clinging to it like a life raft, breathing in her smell, feeling her presence and warmth. Its little furry body is soaked with a torrent of tears that I can't seem to stop,' she began

Describing her battle with breast cancer as 'hideous', Camilla confessed her fight with the insidious disease is ongoing.

'The gut-wrenching fear, sickness and debilitating rounds of immediate treatment are one thing, but it goes on,' she continued, noting that she has the 'harmful BRCA2 gene variant.'

'Not only did I have to fight the breast cancer I had, I also had to prevent the future cancers I was so much more likely to get - more breast cancer, ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, and others.'

Tragic: Describing her battle with breast cancer as 'hideous', Camilla confessed her fight with the insidious disease is ongoing

'The gut-wrenching fear, sickness and debilitating rounds of immediate treatment are one thing, but it goes on,' she continued. Pictured at a fashion launch in Sydney in April 2017

She added: 'I had to fight to save my life. A life which is so much more precious now that I have a little girl who loves and needs me.'

Camilla was first diagnosed with stage three breast cancer only months after welcoming her daughter, who she shares with her musician fiance JP Jones, in January 2018.

In the post she recalled discovering the lump in her breast and having to stop breastfeeding child before undergoing six months of chemotherapy, which were successful.

After that, the designer noted that she then had a double mastectomy and surgery to removal her fallopian tubes.

'I lie here with a broken heart as I recover from surgery to finally remove my ovaries. The grief and pain is excruciating,' she wrote

'But now, this. The divine essence of my womanhood. My ovaries, the most sacred givers of life, being taken from me, leaves the biggest hole of all.'

Camilla revealed she'd been undergoing IVF treatments in the hope of having another child when her dream of becoming a second-time mum was destroyed.

The famed Australian designer revealed that she'd undergone 'five unsuccessful rounds of IVF'.

'I've spent the last 18 in pursuit of the dream of becoming a mother again,' she confessed.

'I had to fight to save my life. A life which is so much more precious now that I have a little girl who loves and needs me,' she wrote. Pictured at a fashion show in Sydney in May 2018

Fight to survive: Camilla was first diagnosed with stage three breast cancer only months after welcoming her daughter, who she shares with her musician fiance JP Jones (pictured), in January 2018

'I kept putting this final lifesaving surgery off in the hope that I could pull off a miracle... I just really wanted to carry a baby again.'

'I wanted to have a brood of bubbas and now must accept that I will have one biological child,' she wrote.

Camilla said the whole ordeal had reminded her 'just how much being a mother is a gift', but said she's 'beyond grateful' for the daughter she has.

She added: 'There will always be an undertone of grief and sadness but I will thrive again. I will laugh. I will feel joy. Because that is who I am.'
In order to curb the rising number of infections, authorities in Pakistan are imposing complete countrywide lockdown from May 8 for the next 10 days, Gulf News reported.

The Pakistan government has already declared May 8 to 15 as Eid holidays and now there will be a complete ban on unnecessary movement of people and gathering of any kind at any place during these 10 days of lockdown.

Pakistan reported 120 more deaths from coronavirus, taking the national death toll to 18,797 on Saturday, Geo News reported citing the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

About 4,109 more people contracted the infection, increasing the total caseload to 854,240 nationwide.

Pakistan's Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan has cautioned that COVID-19 cases might rise again if precautions are not taken during "this 'critical period' when we are seeing the last days of the month of Ramadan while Eid is fast approaching," reported Gulf News.

He also said that there were some 'initial signs of stability' in the third wave of Covid-19 in Pakistan. However, he emphasised it was also a 'very risky period' as we see during this period a kind of shopping frenzy.

"We are today in the midst of the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic," he said adding the public alone could make the battle against the virus successful by strictly following COVID-19 SOPs.
Schwartz has acknowledged making calls to county executives but said he did nothing wrong and denied discussing vaccines during those conversations.

The state attorney generals office declined comment. Cuomo's office referred to a statement that Beth Garvey, acting counsel to the governor, issued on the matter in March. In it, she said that allegations Schwartz acted unethically or against the interests of New Yorkers was patently false.

Larrys conversations did not bring up vaccine distribution -- he would never link political support to public health decisions," Garvey said. "Distorting Larrys role or intentions for headlines maligns a decades long public servant who has done nothing but volunteer around the clock since March (2020) to help New York get through the COVID pandemic.

Schwartz, an executive at a company that runs restaurants and other services at major airports, resigned from his volunteer czar position last week ahead of a change in state rules that would've barred him from lobbying governors office for two years if he stayed on.

Schwartz served as secretary to the governor from 2011 until 2015 and remains a member of the board of directors at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs public transit in the New York City area.
Hello again to you all.

Ye have endured the fangs of the most savage Mayday since records began, the fabled May morning dew being whipped away from your gardens by a spate of gales worse than anything January threw at us.

But the brighter tidings now are that better times are beckoning, and there again is the pure truth.

I have to inform ye all that your survival and relative comfort outdoors during the storms are mainly due to the genius, a century ago, of a really genuine hero to whom, until now in this zany space, proper thanks and appreciation has never been offered by any of us.

Lets begin with my guarantee that all of you lot out there are utilising at least one or two, but probably many more examples of his works of genius.

Male or female, young or old, that is the situation.

Ye will be checking that status yourselves in a few minutes, when I explain more fully the story of the great man we are paying overdue tribute to.

There again is the pure truth.

My reliable sources in the USA have supplied me with details of our heros lifestyle and life a century ago.

No more than ourselves after a long lockdown, he enjoyed wining and dining to the limit, evening after evening.

He earned the nickname Giddy from his wide circle of friends because, apparently, that was often the way he behaved when he eventually managed to get home after a nights carousing.

The food and drink consumed over the years brought him to such an obese state that Giddy, the following day, would routinely have to suck in his tummy so he could button up his britches.

Even then, Im informed, he would never be able to close the top buttons because of his overhanging belly. (Some of ye possess waistlines like that too. Ive no doubt.) Enough of that.

Giddys baptismal name, incidentally, was Gideon, and he was of Swedish descent and a member of a respected Sundback clan in his homeland before emigrating to the United States.

He did well for himself over there, right from the beginning, working mostly as an engineer, and that was how he always had lots of funds for his socialising, Often with Irish acquaintances.

He was a man, Im informed, that was very good at solving problems and that is how, when he eventually was having such difficulty in closing his britches, that we all came to benefit hugely from his solution.

Yes, thank Heavens, in 1913, the bold Gideon patented the first version of the zip fastener, as his gift to all humanity since.

There had been efforts by others to create zips before then. but none of them worked.

Gideons did, dramatically, right from their invention, and that is why all of us have so many garments equipped with zips today when the gales blow and the rain falls down.

(How many zips are you wearing today?).

While ye are digesting this information, Im zipping up my anorak and heading out the Killaloe front door for a breath of fresh air.

Is that OK with ye?

Stay safe and all zipped up against anything the weather sends down on us and, God willing, well survive to meet up again here next week.

Slan agus slainte.
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Hundreds of bikers rode through London with the support of veterans and even an MP as part of rally to prevent old soldiers being tried over historic offences committed during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Sacked minister Johnny Mercer led the Respect Our Veterans march on Saturday after the trial against two paratroopers accused of murdering Official IRA leader Joe McCann collapsed earlier this month.

Mr Mercer was sacked by Boris Johnson after the PM refused to include Northern Ireland veterans in legislation protecting British troops who served overseas from prosecution.

Hundreds of bikers took to the streets of London as part of the march, with flags adjourning their vehicles. Supporters and veterans gathered to watch and listen to speeches underneath the gaze of the famed statue of Winston Churchill

The march comes days after news broke that the government is reportedly planning to make British veterans and terrorists exempt from prosecution for incidents that took place before the 1998 Good Friday agreement.

Any actions involving war crimes, genocide or torture however will not be included.

Four soldiers have already been charged with offences including murder. A further 12 are awaiting decisions on prosecutions following historic investigations by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

A veteran looks on as speeches are made close to the statue of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Attendees worn facemasks, some clear and some with flags on them, to adhere to coronavirus guidelines.

Vehicles of all shapes and sizes took part in the rally, including three-wheeled ones. The vehicle represents the colours of Ireland and provides a shelter from the wet weather for passengers who want to take part in the rally.

Flags were flown across the rally, including ones such as this which calls for justice for Northern Ireland veterans, and tells the government to 'stop the witch hunt now'. In the background, people gather at a safe social distance to watch the rally

Sacked minister Johnny Mercer led the respect our veterans march on Saturday after the controversial trial against two paratroopers accused of murdering Official IRA leader Joe McCann effectively collapsed earlier this month. He gave a speech to a large crowd who had made their own posters and brought flags calling for the prosecutions to end.

Big Ben, still undergoing renovation work, looms over the bikers who have travelled to London to show their support.

Seven were members of a covert military unit made up of members of the SAS, Royal Marines and Parachute Regiment instructed to 'eliminate' suspected members of the IRA.

While a statute of limitations brought in by the government would protect the majority of these men from prosecution, it is unlikely to apply to cases that are already going through the courts.

Veteran groups have claimed that the prosecutions are politically motivated, and want the government to take action to prevent them.

Protestors made signs like this one, calling for the 'witch hunt' to end and stop the prosecution of older veterans.

People gathered on the sidelines as the rally of hundreds of bikers rode by from Trafalgar Square to Parliament to demonstrate their support for veterans and call on the government for change

The bikers were also part of the crowds, many of whom filmed the speeches coming from prominent speakers. They all wore facemasks, and many veterans came in military uniform, to adhere to guidelines laid out due to the coronavirus pandemic

Some bikers and members of the crowds had taken to customising their clothing to show their support. Pictured are two men with HM Forces Veteran on the backs of their jackets, and another saying 'we will remember them today, tomorrow, forever'

The driver of one bike concentrates ahead while his passengers take in the moment and shout with the crowds that have gathered to see the rally pass by. One films the scores of crowds, likely not seen since before the pandemic, on her phone

A crowd gathered as Mr Mercer was joined on stage by British soldier Dennis Hutchings to give a speech.

It comes after two former paratroopers accused of the murder of an Official IRA leader were formally acquitted at Belfast Crown Court after prosecutors offered no further evidence at their trial.

Mr Mercer has previously called on the Government to include veterans who served in Northern Ireland in a new Bill to protect soldiers from prosecutions.

The former Army officer left the Government last month after it emerged the Overseas Operations Act would not include soldiers who served in Northern Ireland.

In his resignation letter, he said he had 'no choice' but to leave after frustration at a lack of progress over the legislation to protect British veterans who served during the Troubles.

Signs captioned 'The Real Bloody Sunday' and 'Bloody Monday' talk about the 12 murdered by the IRA on the M62 motorway on February 4, 1974. In the background, buses pass by as life begins to return to normal following the relaxation of lockdown rules

Signs also called for the end of trials of veterans who were involved in the Troubles, while cars pulled up to show flags and support for the rally and cause.

British former Minister for Veteran Affairs, Johnny Mercer (R) speaks with British former soldier Dennis Hutchings at a 'Respect Our Veterans' parade

Hundreds gathered at the march. Pictured in the background is Parliament, where the rally headed from Trafalgar Square

The British flag flies above the heads of those who took part in the rally, with Parliament pictured in the background

He said he had hoped Mr Johnson's premiership would 'signal a step change in veterans affairs in the UK' and that he had raised his concerns in a face-to-face meeting with him.

The legislation, which gained royal assent in Parliament last week, was developed in response to legal claims made after operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Overseas Operations Act will come into effect following the opening of the new Parliament on Tuesday.
Photo: The Canadian Press Jennifer Coffman, owner of Truffle Pigs in Field, B.C., poses beside her business sign

Jennifer Coffman didn't expect to get hit with a double whammy at her restaurant in the tiny community of Field just west of the Alberta-British Columbia boundary this year.

Coffman has been running the Truffle Pigs Bistro and Lodge for the last 12 years.

Field, with a population of just under 200, sits along the Trans-Canada Highway, about 10 kilometres from the Alberta boundary, and relies pretty much solely on tourism.

COVID-19 seriously cut into international visits last year, so Coffman shut down for a couple of months. She expected things would improve this year. But things are tough again with the closure of a nearby section of the Trans-Canada Highway for construction this spring and fall, and Albertans being urged by the B.C. government not to travel to the province as the pandemic continues.

"I just keep going back to the Monty Python (movie scene) 'Not dead yet' and the guy's got his arms and his legs all cut off," Coffman said.

"I don't know how many legs and arms that I can have cut off before I just close down, take a deep breath, and gear up when it's time."

Coffman said Albertans accounted for about 80 per cent of business last year and about 50 per cent before the pandemic.

"We rely on Calgarians so heavily, right? Especially through this. Albertans are a huge, huge part of why we survive," Coffman said.

"Last summer was OK. I thought, 'I've got to count my lucky stars. I can stay open.' But ... this second one is hard."

A B.C. RCMP spokeswoman said technically the boundary isn't closed and there won't be any checkstops.

"There are no restrictions that preclude people from coming from Alberta," said Staff Sgt. Janelle Shoihet.

"If people are coming from Alberta and travelling to a health region, then they're required to stay within that health region and can go no farther."

Shoihet said any travel within B.C. has to be deemed essential.

"Please do not come to our province. Stay in your own province unless it's for essential travel.

"Stay home. We love you, but stay home."

The picturesque resort town of Fernie in southeastern B.C., less than an hour from the boundary, is hoping Albertans will continue coming this summer.

Brad Parsell, executive director of the Fernie Chamber of Commerce, says the community is reliant on Alberta visitors.

"Fernie might as well be in Alberta for all intents and purposes. We're that reliant on Albertans, obviously in the tourism industry, but in our economy at large," he said.

"It's been incredibly challenging for the tourism industry to not have the welcome mat out to those folks at the moment."

Parsell said visits from Alberta probably account for 70 to 80 per cent of total business.

"It's a huge chunk ... for sure," Parsell said.

"This isn't just about arbitrary numbers. These are people's livelihoods and their lives."

Business remains slow at the Fernie Hotel and Pub, but manager Alicia Dennis said part of that can be blamed on poor weather and restrictions on indoor dining.

She said visitors from Alberta and Saskatchewan were a saving grace last summer.

"We definitely noticed a huge spike in people from Saskatchewan and Alberta coming here for vacations. It was definitely one of our busiest summers I've seen so far."

In Montana, the border closure between Canada and the United States is hurting the economy in Browning, a town on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

"A lot of our revenue for the local casino comes from folks in Lethbridge (Alta.), ... because we are a border town right next to the Canadian border," said spokesman James McNeely.

"I think the state of Montana has seen some impact from the lack of Canadian visitors. We don't see those plates anymore."
Dublin, May 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Bangladesh Diesel Genset Market (2021-2027): Market Forecast by KVA Rating, by Applications, by Regions and Competitive Landscape" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Bangladesh Diesel Genset Market size is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.9% during 2021-27.

The Bangladesh diesel genset market would escalate over the coming years on account of rising demand for a continuous and reliable source of power, increasing power outages, thereby leading to the rising need for power backup solutions. Additionally, the rising demand for electricity in Bangladesh in line with the infrastructural growth in the country would positively influence the diesel Genset market growth.

Projected growth in the construction market, upcoming new hotels and shopping malls on the back of increased inflow of FDI in the retail sector, coupled with increasing government spending on infrastructural development projects would drive the diesel Genset market in the country over the forthcoming period.

Diesel gensets find their applications in various sectors such as industrial, commercial, and residential, however, on account of the global coronavirus pandemic, the government decided to shut all the major operations in many sectors to curb the spread of the virus thereby restraining the diesel Genset market growth during the first three quarters of 2020.

However, the upcoming construction projects such as Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Padma Bridge among many others require an uninterrupted power supply which would bolster the demand for diesel gensets in the country over the coming period.

Further, as per the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bangladesh would need to invest approximately $25 billion annually through 2030 in order to meet the country's growing infrastructural needs. This, in turn, would back the demand for diesel gensets in order to serve the additional auxiliary power demand created.

Based on applications, the industrial vertical emerged as the dominating segment, in revenue terms, in 2020 on account of widespread usage of gensets in factories and manufacturing plants. Power generation and oil & gas industries are the major users of diesel generators in the industrial segment. As these processes are critical, they are generally backed by secondary power sources such as diesel gen-sets, to provide power in case of outages and to cater to additional load/power requirements.

Bangladesh Diesel Genset market report thoroughly covers the market by kVA ratings, applications, and regions. The report provides an unbiased and detailed analysis of the ongoing market trends, opportunities/high growth areas, and market drivers which would help the stakeholders to devise and align their market strategies according to the current and future market dynamics.

Key Highlights:

Bangladesh Diesel Genset Market Overview

Bangladesh Diesel Genset Market Outlook

Bangladesh Diesel Genset Market Forecast

Historical data of Bangladesh Diesel Genset Market Revenues and Volume for the Period 2017-2020

Market Size & Forecast of Market Revenues and Volume until 2027

Historical data of Market Revenues and Volume, By kVA Rating for the Period 2017-2020

Market Size & Forecast of Market Revenues and Volume, By kVA Rating until 2027

Historical data of Market Revenues and Volume, By Applications for the Period 2017-2020

Market Size & Forecast of Market Revenues and Volume. By Applications until 2027

Historical data of Market Revenues, By Regions for the Period 2017-2020

Market Size & Forecast of Market Revenues, By Regions until 2027

Market Drivers and Restraints

Bangladesh Diesel Genset Market Trends

Bangladesh Diesel Genset Market Industry Life Cycle

Porter's Five Force Analysis

Market Opportunity Assessment

Bangladesh Diesel Genset Market Shares, By Players

Competitive Benchmarking

Company Profiles

Key Strategic Recommendations

Market Segmentation:

By kVA rating:

Up to 100kVA

1 to 350kVA

1 to 1000kVa

Above 1000kVA

By Applications:

Residential

Commercial

Industrial

Healthcare

Hospitality

Public Infrastructure

Others (Transportation and Power Utilities)

By Regions:

Northern

Southern

Companies Mentioned

Aksa Power Generation

Atlas Copco AB

Caterpillar Inc.

Cummins Inc

DEUTZ AG

Himoinsa S.L.

Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited

KOHLER-SDMO

Perkins Engines Company Limited

Sterling and Wilson Powergen Private Limited

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8bxoxl
(CNN) Our first royal vloggers? Not quite, but the vibe was certainly there when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appeared on a sofa, giggling together in a teaser for their new YouTube channel this week.

"By the way, be careful what you say now," William quips to Kate while pointing to the camera. "Because these guys are filming it." Kate nervously laughs "I know!" before the rest of the 25-second clip launches into a montage of official tours, engagements, red carpet events and a behind-the-scenes blooper, overlaid with a buzzy soundtrack.

While the teaser released on Wednesday included outtakes from a previous video, and the royal family already has a YouTube channel, this is about showing the couple's work "in more depth," a royal source told CNN.

The transition of reigns takes official effect the moment a monarch dies but, in reality, the process is ongoing well before then, and the revamped social presence is probably a part of that. Each heir in the direct line of succession is expected to reflect and represent their generation to keep the monarchy relevant. For millennial heirs William and Kate, if any platform defines this era of mass communication, then it's social media -- and if you want to go long-form then YouTube is the place to be. (Eagle-eyed royal fans may also have noticed the quiet change to the Cambridges' Instagram account, with the couple migrating to a new @DukeandDuchessofCambridge handle to match the YouTube channel.)

So, what can subscribers expect from this new outlet? Well, the second video on the channel featured a powerful phone call between Kate, 4-year-old Mila Sneddon and her mother, Lynda. They had to isolate from Mila's father, Scott, and big sister, Jodi, to protect Mila, who was receiving chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, according to Kensington Palace. The family were finalists in a lockdown photography competition run by the duchess. Their image documented Mila giving her dad a kiss through a closed window at their home in Falkirk, Scotland.

It's a lengthy and compelling conversation in which you learn about Mila and the competition but also see the informal side of Kate, who has a passion for both photography and children's welfare.

Some media figures are suspicious that the royals are ramping up the PR machine to try to control their own media rather than partner with mainstream brands as they have in the past. But the reality is that, for young people, YouTube is the mainstream, and the Cambridges are simply hoping to approach their audience directly.

The move seems to have paid off so far, with more than 249,000 subscribers in the first 24 hours and their first vid garnering 1.3 million views. Among the stream of excited comments, fans praised "the wonderful surprise" and thanked the couple for "giving the world transparency on life in the royal family." Other users joked that someone was "gonna have to get them on challenges they've missed now" like the "spicy noodle challenge" or "ice bucket challenge."

While it's fair to assume the couple's filming setup will require more than ring lights and mounted iPhones, their success will be measured by how much pickup they get, just like their content-creating counterparts.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "William and Kate are YouTubers now."
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 19:25:57|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday strongly condemned the Israeli police for an operation at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem, which left hundreds injured in clashes, official IRNA news agency reported.

A total of 205 Palestinians and 17 Israeli police officers were injured in clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound on Friday night, following a ruling that forced Palestinians to leave their homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers.

Saeed Khatibzadeh, the spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, denounced the Israeli police operation as a "war crime."

Iran, Khatibzadeh added, calls on the United Nations and other relevant international organizations to "fulfill their definite duty" in dealing with the incident. Enditem
A blue-and-yellow macaw that zookeepers named Juliet flies outside the enclosure where macaws are kept at BioParque, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Juliet is believed to be the only wild specimen left in the Brazilian city where the birds once flew far and wide. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Some have claimed she's indulging a forbidden romance. More likely, loneliness compels her to seek company at Rio de Janeiro's zoo.

Either way, a blue-and-yellow macaw that zookeepers named Juliet is believed to be the only wild bird of its kind left in the Brazilian city where the birds once flew far and wide.

Almost every morning for the last two decades, Juliet has appeared. She swoops onto the zoo enclosure where macaws are kept and, through its fence, engages in grooming behavior that looks like conjugal canoodling. Sometimes she just sits, relishing the presence of others. She is quietershier? more coy?than her squawking chums.

Blue-and-yellow macaws live to be about 35 years old and Julietno spring chickenshould have found a lifelong mate years ago, according to Neiva Guedes, president of the Hyacinth Macaw Institute, an environmental group. But Juliet hasn't coupled, built a nest or had chicks, so at most she's "still just dating."

"They're social birds, and that means they don't like to live alone, whether in nature or captivity. They need company," said Guedes, who also coordinates a project that researches macaws in urban settings. Juliet "very probably feels lonely, and for that reason goes to the enclosure to communicate and interact."

A pair of macaws perch on the top of a passageway as people visit the aviary at BioParque, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Refauna, which reintroduces species into protected areas with an eye on rebuilding ecosystems is participating with BioParque to breed blue-and-yellow macaws. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Aside from Juliet, the last sighting of a blue-and-yellow macaw flying free in Rio was in 1818 by an Austrian naturalist, according to Marcelo Rheingantz, a biologist at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and there are no other types of macaws in the city. The lovebirds featured in the 2011 film "Rio are Spix's macaws, which are native to a different region of Brazil and possibly extinct in the wild.

Being boisterous with brilliant plumage helps macaws find each other in dense forest, but also makes them easier targets for hunters and animal traffickers. They're often seen in other Brazilian states and across the Amazon, and it is suspected Juliet escaped from captivity.

Biologists at BioParque aren't sure if Juliet's nuzzling is limited to one caged Romeo, or a few of them. They're not even certain Juliet is female; macaw gender is near impossible to determine by sight, and requires either genetic testing of feathers or blood, or examination of the gonads.

A blue-and-yellow macaw that zookeepers have named Juliet perches on the outside of an enclosure where captive macaws are kept at BioParque, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Every morning for the last two decades, Juliet has appeared where macaws are kept. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Either would be interference merely to satisfy human curiosity with no scientific end, biologist Angelita Capobianco said inside the enclosure. Nor would they consider confining Juliet, who often soars overhead and appears well-nourished.

"We don't want to project human feelings. I look at the animal, and see an animal at ease," Capobianco said, noting Juliet has never exhibited behavior to indicate disturbance, such as insistently pecking at the fence.

"Who am I to decide it should only stay here? I won't. It comes and goes, and its feathers are beautiful."

After more than a year of COVID-19 quarantine and travel bans, the appeal of roaming without restriction is evident to humankind. Macaws are used to flying great distances of more than 30 kilometers (20 miles) a day, Guedes said.

Last year, BioParque g ave its macaws more space: a 1,000-square-meter (10,700-square-foot) aviary where they fly beside green parrots and golden parakeets to compose an aerial, technicolor swirl. It's a massive upgrade from prior enclosures that were roughly 100 square feet. BioParque reopened to the public in March, after privatization of Rio's dilapidated zoo and almost 17 months of renovations.

A blue-and-yellow macaw that zookeepers have named Juliet, left, grooms with a captive macaw at BioParque, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Every morning for the last two decades, Juliet swoops onto the enclosure and through its fence, engages in grooming behavior that looks like conjugal canoodling. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

BioParque aims to feature species associated with research programs at universities and institutes. One such initiative is Refauna, which reintroduces species into protected areas with an eye on rebuilding ecosystems, and is participating with BioParque to start breeding blue-and-yellow macaws.

The plan is for parents to raise some 20 chicks that will receive training on forest food sources, the peril of predators and avoidance of power lines. Then the youngsters will be released into Rio's immense Tijuca Forest National Park, where Juliet has been sighted and is thought to sleep each night.

"Their role could be important in terms of ecosystem and reforestation. It's a big animal with big beak that can crack the biggest seeds, and not all birds can," said Rheingantz, the university biologist, who is also Refauna's technical coordinator. "The idea is for it to start dispersing those seeds, complementing forest animals that can't."

A pair of macaws perch on a rope inside an enclosure at BioParque, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Macaw gender is near impossible to determine by sight, and requires either genetic testing of feathers or blood, or laparoscopy of the gonads. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A macaw flies inside an enclosure at BioParque, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Macaws are used to flying great distances, more than 30 kilometers or about 18 miles a day. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Children visit the aviary at BioParque, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, May 5, 2021. BioParque reopened to the public in March, after privatization of Rio's dilapidated zoo and almost 17 months of renovations. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A blue-and-yellow macaw grooms a red-and-green macaw, inside an enclosure at BioParque, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Last year, BioParque gave its macaws more space: a new 1,000-square-meter (10,700-square-foot) aviary. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A blue-and-yellow macaw that zookeepers named Juliet perches on a branch outside the enclosure where captive macaws are kept, at BioParque in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Juliet is believed to be the only wild specimen left in the Brazilian city where the birds once flew far and wide. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

After some pandemic-induced delays, the project has slowly restarted and Rheingantz expects to release blue-and-yellow macaws into Tijuca park toward the end of 2022.

After two decades of relative solitude, Juliet will then have the chance to fly with friends. Neves said Juliet could teach them how to navigate the forest, or even find a love of her own.

Explore further Brazil receives macaw pair from Germany

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-09 04:11:12|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The high representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), Miguel Moratinos, on Saturday expressed "dismay and deep concern" over the recent violent clashes in and around Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third holiest site.

Recalling the UN Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites: In Unity & Solidarity for Safe Worship, the high representative, through a press statement, called for respect of the sanctity of religious sites and stressed the right of worshippers to practice their religious rituals and traditions peacefully and safely without fear or intimidation.

The UNAOC chief appealed for peace and respect of the status quo of the Holy Sites in East Jerusalem and wished those who were injured a speedy recovery.

The clashes erupted on Friday when Israeli police forces stormed the yards of Al-Aqsa Mosque and fired rubber bullets and tear gas canisters to disperse dozens of demonstrators against Israel, leaving at least 205 Palestinians injured, according to Palestinian sources.

Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have mounted recently as Israel has decided to resettle forcefully Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah, a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem. Enditem
On March 24, a coalition of Islamist and anti-India separatist groups failed to convince the Chicago City Council to pass a resolution vilifying India and accusing it of religious persecution. The bill attracted fierce opposition from Chicago's Indian and Hindu communities, which joined counter-Islamists in a grassroots campaign to defeat the non-binding legislation.

In a 26-18 vote, Resolution 2020-583 was rejected by a majority of Chicago aldermen who refused to wade into foreign affairs and make uninformed judgments about communal tensions in India.

"If we take this on, why not take on the Chinese ethnic cleansing debate? Why not deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?" asked Ald. George Cardenas, who voted against the resolution.

Chicagoland was just the latest political battleground in a nationwide push to persuade local governments to weigh in on India's internal politics. After failing to pass legislation at the federal level, India's critics have targeted progressive strongholds across the United States, persuading elected officials in cities such as San Francisco and Seattle to introduce resolutions condemning India.

Deferred for six months, the deceptively titled "Chicago Resolution Honoring India's Independence and Democracy" criticized the country for implementing a pair of democratically sanctioned reforms that enjoy majority support among Indian citizens.

The Citizenship Amendment Act is a humanitarian policy providing sanctuary and a fast track to Indian citizenship for persecuted religious minorities subsisting in nearby Muslim-majority countries. The National Registry of Citizens, another target of Chicago's resolution, is an effort to record a list of bona fide Indian citizens living in Assam, where a porous international border has subjected the state to smuggling and infiltration.

Adopting the position of India's left-wing opposition, resolution co-sponsors mischaracterized these measures as "inconsistent with the country's long tradition of secularism."

To bolster claims of religious persecution, Chicago's resolution cited the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's recommendation to list India as a "country of particular concern." However, the text failed to note that the U.S. government unequivocally rejected that recommendation.

Similarly, the anti-India lobby sought to convince the U.S. House of Representatives to adopt a resolution condemning India for alleged injustices in Jammu and Kashmir, but that measure failed after garnering just 69 co-sponsors. In November 2019, just four lawmakers from an 84-member congressional commission attended a partisan hearing on Kashmir, with abstainers calling it "biased, one sided," and lacking in "credibility."

Having failed to move Congress, India's critics have targeted the most liberal city governments in America, framing their arguments in terms of social justice and identity politics.

A resolution in St. Paul, Minnesota was inspired by disdain for then-president Donald Trump, whom local Democrats accused of spreading "anti-Muslim violence" merely by visiting the Indian subcontinent in 2020. In Hamtramck, Michigan, a Muslim-majority city council passed a resolution insisting that "religious intolerance" in India is "clearly related to the Black Lives Matter movement in the US," and a resolution sponsor in Seattle compared India to Nazi Germany.

Similar language was employed with great success in other progressive cities, where the Islamist lobby couched the subject of India within broad national conversations about white supremacy and racial justice.

However, resolution-backers met their match in Chicago, where Hindu and Indian-American civil society organizations waged a months-long campaign against the symbolic legislation. The U.S.-India Friendship Council (USIFC), an umbrella of local Indian-American groups, attended committee hearings and voiced opposition to the bill, organizing a March 22 protest outside resolution sponsor Maria Hadden's downtown office.

USIFC hired a lobbyist, former Chicago alderman Joe Moore, to meet with his former colleagues and Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot and explain how the bill threatened community harmony among the city's South Asian diaspora. According to Moore, the mayor agreed that the city council should avoid "weighing in on the internal affairs of a democratic nation 8,000 miles away."

Additionally, Chicago's Indian-American community received assistance from the local chapter of the Counter-Islamist Grid (CIG), a project of the Middle East Forum that was founded to monitor and oppose local Islamist activity. CIG Associates organized a campaign that sent more than 12,000 letters to city aldermen, warning them about the extremists behind the divisive bill.

"This resolution is the brainchild of a coalition of Islamist and ultra-partisan organizations that are closely connected to violent extremist and separatist movements in South Asia," the constituent letters stated. "They seek to weaken and divide India to advance their theocratic agenda."

Chicago residents were rightfully concerned about the resolution's origins. Legislation in St. Paul was drafted in close consultation with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a group designated as a terrorist entity in 2014 by the United Arab Emirates. CAIR's influence was no less subdued in Chicago, where the local branch issued an action alert accusing India's government of "instituting the final steps of settler colonialism."

In response, USIFC chairman Bharat Barai called for a U.S. Justice Department probe into CAIR's foreign connections. "The funds of a not-for-profit organization should not be used for partisan politics or [a] hateful extremist religious agenda," he said.

Constituent letters pointed to other "endorsing groups," such as the Islamic Circle of North America and Helping Hand for Relief and Development, calling them "the U.S. branches of Jamaat-e-Islami, a militant South Asian Islamist network responsible for thousands of murders during Bangladesh's war for independence."

Chicago's 49 aldermen also learned about the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), which published a press release extolling the virtues of the resolution. A recent Newsweek article described IAMC as an "Islamist group with alleged ties to SIMI, a banned terrorist organization in India."

Next, concerned locals pointed to non-Muslim extremists supporting the bill, such as the Sikh Religious Society, which they claimed "seeks to separate from India and establish a religiously-governed state called Khalistan." A tribute to a "slain terrorist leader" is proudly displayed inside the suburban Chicago temple, where 95 percent of worshipers are said to support Sikh autonomy.

City aldermen were overwhelmed with messages opposing the legislation. "My office, as I'm sure many of yours, have received thousands  thousands of people communicating with us, overwhelmingly in opposition to this resolution," said 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez.

Ald. Cardenas of the 12th Ward recalled that his office was "flooded" with statements from local citizens. "We've not been able to do our day-to-day functions in the Ward because we've been getting calls from Hindus and Muslims and others that care about this issue," he said.

During phone calls and emails with several aldermen, CIG-Chicago Associate Hesham Shehab explained how resolution supporters are not the disinterested human rights and civil advocacy groups they claim to be. "Although their mission may appear just, these radicals are not just passive observers of the communal strife gripping India; rather, they are actively complicit in provoking this unrest," he said.

Indeed, these organizations have a direct interest in maligning India and undermining its immigration and national security policies. Islamists seek a weak and divided India that is isolated on the world stage, because this is the best environment to advance their separatist goals and fundamentalist agenda.

By bruising India with a distorted, one-sided portrayal of events, these extremist organizations hope to undermine the nation's counter-terrorism efforts, instigate hatred between India's various religious communities, and ultimately establish Islamist-administered territories throughout the subcontinent. Thanks to a display of courage from Chicago lawmakers, this radical pipe dream has been temporarily sidelined.

Benjamin Baird is the director of the Counter-Islamist Grid, a project of the Middle East Forum.

Image via Pexels.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
China's Didi Chuxing to take 3.1% of passenger ride fees as profit

A man is seen under a Didi logo at the headquarters of Didi Chuxing in Beijing, China (Photo : REUTERS/Florence Lo)

Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing, which is backed by SoftBank, Alibaba and Tencent, said on Friday that 3.1% of passenger fees for rides will go towards its profit last year.



Drivers can on average get 79.1% of what customers pay for a ride, Didi posted on WeChat. This is the first time it offers details of its income structure from ride-hailing services in 2020.



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It added that it would adjust its pricing strategy after receiving driver's advises. Didi also operates other businesses including sharing bikes, grocery and logistics services.



Nine-year-old Didi Didi Chuxing has mandated Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to lead its blockbuster initial public offering in New York, sources told Reuters.



Didi's CEO Cheng Wei said last year the company aimed to complete 100 million orders a day and have 800 million monthly active users globally by 2022.


The Mail today launches a campaign to fight the growing scourge of online financial fraud in Britain.

Criminals are using sophisticated internet investment scams to swindle life-changing sums from victims  leaving many pensioners destitute later in life.

The crooks often use fraudulent adverts and websites to tout bogus schemes ranging from bonds and pensions to bitcoin.

And in a sinister development, many now use images of celebrities or household names such as Lloyds Bank, HSBC, Aviva, M&G and Hargreaves Lansdown without permission to lure victims into a false sense of security.

More than 78m was lost to these 'brand cloning' scams last year  an average of 45,000 per person  and the figure is rapidly rising, according to Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime.

Overall it is thought that 1.7billion was lost to fraud last year, with 85 per cent of cases taking place online.

Victims are often elderly. Many are approaching, or in, retirement and the devastating losses can mean they are forced to work longer or potentially sell their home.

And the proceeds are being used by criminal gangs to finance further crimes including drug trafficking, child sexual exploitation and even terrorism.

Despite this, sham ads and websites have been waved through with minimal scrutiny by telecoms companies and internet giants such as Google and Facebook, which make a profit from their placement.

So today, we are calling on the Government to take action against these despicable scams by including internet fraud in the forthcoming Online Safety Bill, also known as the Online Harms Bill. We want web giants to be given a legal responsibility for the ads and websites they carry on their platforms. This would include verifying whether these ads and websites are legitimate and not linked to fraud.

Our Stamp Out Investment Fraud campaign is backed by Britain's biggest banks, asset managers and insurers, as well as elderly charity Age UK and consumer champion Which?.

City institutions who support it include TheCityUK, the Investment Association, UK Finance, City of London Corporation, City of London Police, Innovate Finance, the Personal Investment Management & Financial Advice Association (Pimfa) and the Association of British Insurers. The Financial Conduct Authority  the City watchdog  says it has also 'very clearly' recommended that online fraud be included in the government bill.

Backing the campaign last night, Chris Cummings, chief executive of the Investment Association, said: 'Online financial scams have increased hugely since the start of the pandemic, with devastating consequences for victim's lives.

'We're urging the Government to include these scams in the Online Safety Bill, and regulate online platforms to ensure the adverts they carry are legitimate and people are protected.'

Liz Field, chief executive of Pimfa, said they welcome the campaign. She said: 'Online fraud is ruining lives and it is growing at an alarming rate. We urge the Government to take notice.'

And Anabel Hoult, chief executive of Which?, said: 'We are delighted that the Daily Mail is taking a stand on behalf of the millions of people at risk of being caught out by fraudsters.

'Online platforms like Google and Facebook are not doing enough to tackle an epidemic of scams, leaving users dangerously exposed to devastating financial and emotional harm.'

Last night Facebook said it was putting 'significant resources' into tackling scams, while Google said it had joined forces with banks in Stop Scams UK to take down bogus content quickly.

The gaping hole in new internet law

The Online Safety Bill is set to feature in the Queen's Speech next week.

At the moment, it aims to tackle internet content that harms users, particularly children, and deal with issues of child safety, bullying and extremist content.

But it excludes the crucial issue of online financial fraud  an omission that campaigners and the Mail believe is a serious mistake. Today we call for:

The Online Safety Bill to include financial scams.

Internet platforms to be made legally responsible for checking that adverts and websites are not fraudulent.

Platforms to have a legal duty to take down scam adverts and websites immediately.

Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has called for financial scams to be covered by the bill. And the City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, has made a 'clear recommendation' to ministers for financial fraud to be included in the bill.

Tricked by fake Aviva site

Pensioners Donald and Val Woodhams lost 11,000 last year in an online scam.

Mrs Woodhams, 73, found an internet ad that had Aviva's branding and transferred 2,000 and 9,000 over two days from her Nationwide account.

Paperwork sent through showed her new account had been credited with 171 interest. Mr Woodhams, 75, decided to invest his 50,000 in the same bond. But his first 10,000 transfer on January 6 was blocked after Nationwide flagged it as suspicious. But the building society refused to refund his wife her 11,000 losses because it said she had ignored the scam warnings on her screen.
Alabama is growing around the edges.

New population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau suggest the state added around 13,600 people between 2019 and 2020 - and much of that growth can be found on the northern and southern extremes of the state.

No county grew faster from 2019 to 2020 than Limestone, part of the Huntsville Metro area in north Alabama. It grew by 3.1 percent in just one year, adding more than 3,000 people and bringing its total estimated population over 100,000.

[Cant see the list? Click here.]

Including Limestone, each of the top three fastest growing counties in Alabama are along the northern or southern edges of the state.

Baldwin County, home to Alabamas beaches, grew by 2.6 percent, the second fastest rate in the state. It added more than 5,700 people, and passed Montgomery in population, moving into the list of Alabamas top four most populous counties.

No other county in Alabama grew by two percent, but Madison County, home of Huntsville, was close. It grew by 1.9 percent, or more than 6,900 people.

Shelby County, a suburban county in the Birmingham Metro area, grew by 1.5 percent from 2019 to 2020, the fourth fastest rate in Alabama. It was one of two counties in the Birmingham Metro area to make the top 10 - St. Clair County, just to Birminghams northeast, was No. 6, with a growth rate of 1.1 percent.

Lee County, home to Auburn, has been near the top of the list of the states fastest growing counties for much of the past decade, but has seen its growth slow slightly. It grew by 1.1 percent in 2020, and just 0.5 percent in 2019, after topping 3 percent annual growth earlier in the decade.

These population numbers are not the official counts from the 2020 decennial Census. The estimates are from the Bureaus Vintage 2020 Population Estimates program, and are used as a baseline to compare against the actual count to gauge the accuracy of estimates. Official head counts from the 2020 Census are set to be released in September.

According to the new estimates, most of Alabamas counties are losing people - including many in the states Black Belt, one of the poorest regions in the country.

[Cant see the chart? Click here.]

No county lost population at a faster rate than Dallas, home to Selma in the Black Belt. It lost nearly 8,000 people from 2010 to 2020, according to the latest estimates, including more than 1,000 in the last year alone. That was a decline of 2.9 percent in Dallas in just one year, after a decade of continual population loss.

Perry County, Dallas neighbor to the northwest, was just behind, losing 2.8 percent of its population from 2019 to 2020, though Perry was much smaller to begin with. It now has an estimated population of 8,700 people.

[Cant see the map? Click here.]

Do you have an idea for a data story about Alabama? Email Ramsey Archibald at rarchibald@al.com, and follow him on Twitter @RamseyArchibald. Read more Alabama data stories here.
Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut said on Saturday that she tested positive for COVID-19. Taking to social media, she said that has quarantined herself.

Sharing a photo of herself in a yoga pose, Kangana called COVID-19 "a small flu which got too mch press" and further said that she will "demolish it."

Also Read: Twitter suspends Kangana Ranaut's account after controversial tweets

Kangana is COVID-19 positive

"I was feeling tired and weak with slight burning sensation in my eyes for past few days, was hoping to go to Himachal so got my test done yesterday and today the result came I am covid positive," Kangana posted on Instagram.

"I have quarantined myself, I had no idea this virus is having a party in my body, now that I know I will demolish it, people please don't give anything any power over you, if you are scared it will scare you more, come let's destroy this Covid -19 it is nothing but a small-time flu which got too much press and now psyching few people. Har Har Mahadev," she added.

Kangana's Twitter handle was permanently suspended a couple of days ago after she put up several tweets that were in breach of the guidelines of the micro-blogging site. The actor had made objectionable comments about Mamata Banerjee in a series of tweets.
Senate Democrats recently voted down an amendment to a hate crimes bill that would have barred "federal funding for any institution of higher education that discriminates against Asian Americans in recruitment, applicant review, or admissions." The amendment was sponsored by Ted Cruz, John Kennedy, and Bill Haggerty. Cruz stated: "This amendment is straightforward. it targets the ongoing discrimination that is being directed against Asian-Americans by colleges and universities across the country." He noted that many universities have been unjustly "denying admission to qualified Asian-American applicants in favor of underrepresented minority groups" and added that the Department of Justice had recently sued these universities until President Joe Biden put a stop to the lawsuits.

This isn't the first time Democrats have treated Asian-Americans like second-class citizens...or worse. Think Franklin Roosevelt and the internment of roughly 120,000 Japanese-Americans in World War II, most of whom were actually American citizens.

Louisiana senator John Kennedy said, "We have major universities in this country that are discriminating in admissions against Asian-Americans. Discrimination is discrimination." He added, "This is wrong, it is contemptible, it is odious."

Cruz put up the amendment as part of a vote on Senate legislation called the "COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act" that would require "expedited review of hate crimes" by the Department of Justice. The "COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act" was proposed by Hawaii Democratic senator Mazie Hirono and would "establish online reporting of hate crimes or incidents" and "expand public education campaigns aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes and reaching victims."

Ironically, Hirono voted against the amendment targeting discrimination perpetrated against Asians by so-called institutions of higher learning, calling it a "cynical attack" on universities that seek to "increase diversity." (Hirono's legislation is awaiting a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.)

To recap, Democrats are in effect saying, "We have to protect the structural ability to discriminate against Asians (and white people) if we are to finally eliminate systemic racism in this country. Anyone with a brain knows that not discriminating against Asians (and white people) is raaacist!"

Photo credit: Senate Democrats.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Ahmedabad:

A day after Pakistan announced to allow former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadav to meet his wife, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday called the move a good humanitarian gesture.

Sitharaman during a press conference in Ahmedabad said, I learnt about Pakistan's decision from the media. I don't know what is the position on allowing Jadhavs wife to visit him, but it is a good gesture. It will boost Jadhav's morale in jail."

The defence minister also added that India has approached the International Court of Justice (on the issue). We are making all efforts to get Kulbhushan Jadhav released from Pakistan prison, she added.

Jadhav a former Indian Navy officer has been accused of being an agent of India foreign intelligence service, Research and Analysis Wing. He has been sentenced to death for alleged espionage by Pakistan court and is currently in Pakistan prison.

Pakistan had been denying repeated requests from New Delhi consular to allow Jadhav meet his wife. But, on Saturday Islamabad informed the Indian High Commission that it would allow the former navy officer to meet his wife.

Also read: Pakistan allows meeting of Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife on humanitarian grounds



Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal on Saturday had said, The government of Pakistan has decided to arrange a meeting of Jadhav with his wife in the country, purely on humanitarian grounds."

Also read| Pakistan's claim on Jadhavs swapping with Peshawar attacker another imaginary lie: India



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Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur on Saturday condoled the death of 229 taxmen in the line of duty due to COVID-19 complications, saying the nation will always remain grateful to them. The minister said that as many as 110 officials of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and 119 officials of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) have lost their lives in the line of duty amid the pandemic.

"You are risking your lives in service of the nation in this hour of crisis and the nation is grateful for your service. It is because of your service that essential medical supplies such as oxygen cylinders and equipment are being swiftly cleared at various ports of entry.

"It is because of your service that the wheels of the government system are running efficiently," the minister said.

The Finance Ministry was one of the hardest hit ministries during the pandemic, Thakur said.

"I also want to take a moment to remember 110 officers of CBIC and 119 officers of CBDT who have lost their lives in the line of duty. My heart goes out to their families and loved ones," the minister said and appealed to everyone to follow COVID-19 protocols and get vaccinated.

The CBDT and the CBIC are primarily into revenue collection.

The Finance Ministry has taken various steps, including setting up of testing camps at period interval and motivating officer and staff for vaccination.

Besides, the ministry is coordinating with hospitals and medicine suppliers and oxygen supplier to help officers ans staff and their family members who may need help.

Also Read: India may witness 1 million COVID-19 deaths by Aug 1, says Lancet
NORFOLK, Mass. (AP)  A school bus driver in Norfolk was arrested Friday after students found a handgun that police say he had accidentally dropped.

David Tripp, 65, of Norfolk, faces charges including reckless endangerment of a child and carrying a firearm on a school campus. He was being held by Norfolk police and is expected to be arraigned Monday.

Police say they received a call Thursday from a parent whose child saw the gun while getting on the bus at King Philip Middle School. An investigation found that the gun had been on a seat in the back of the bus as students were boarding. None of the students touched it, police said.

After hearing a commotion, the driver retrieved the gun and put it in his pocket, police said. He continued on the route and did not report the incident to police or school officials. There were about a dozen students on the bus at the time.

Police said the gun had fallen out of Tripps pocket while he was cleaning the bus. Officers arrested him at his home on Friday.

It was not immediately clear whether Tripp has obtained an attorney to comment on his behalf.

Tripps license to carry a firearm has been suspended and any guns he owns are being seized. Police already confiscated the handgun and said it was loaded with seven rounds.

Tripp was working for Holmes Bus Company, which operates buses for Norfolk Public Schools and the King Philip Regional School. He has been barred from transporting students in both districts. The bus company did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

Norfolk Public Schools Superintendent Ingrid Allardi said she was furious and will demand that Tripp be fired.

I was horrified to learn about this incident and it is unconscionable that a person would bring a firearm onto a school bus full of children, let alone someone whose care of those children had been entrusted to them, Allardi said in a statement.
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With half the children under five in India being malnourished, the present Covid-19 crisis could further impact and service delivery across the country that is in the grip of a ferocious second wave, said the UN Children's Fund

"With 27 million births and 30 million pregnancies every year, life-saving services to help women give birth are critical in India," said Yasmin Ali Haque, Representative in India, on Friday.

"However, as health facilities continue to be overwhelmed treating Covid-19 patients, there are reports of pregnant women struggling to find the required support to give birth."

She noted that schools across the country remain closed, and remote learning is also disrupted in several states.

"This is tearing 247 million children in elementary and secondary education away from these safe spaces, just when they need them most. In addition, many children do not have access to digital learning. Learning loss will therefore continue for children in India.

"We're assisting the government to ensure that critical services for the most vulnerable children continue to function across all states.

" in India has been on-the-ground working tirelessly since the start of the pandemic."

The UN official noted that India is in the grip of a ferocious second wave of Covid-19.

"In the last 24 hours (till May 7), India bore the burden of 414,188 new daily cases, which is highest daily case count ever recorded by any country in the history of Covid-19 pandemic -- higher than even the count a day earlier (412,262). There were 3,915 deaths due to Covid-19.

"UNICEF is very concerned about this deadly daily surge in new cases. This wave is almost four times the size of the first wave and the virus is spreading much faster. On an average there were more than four new cases every second and more than two deaths every minute in last 24 hours.

"With the surge in cases, the virus is also affecting more people across age groups, including children and infants."

She said, "What is happening in India should raise alarm bells for all of us. The pandemic is far from over. Covid-19 cases are rising at an alarming rate across South Asia, especially in Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Entire health systems could collapse, leading to more tragic loss of life.

"Very low levels of vaccination in most South Asian countries (less than 10 per cent in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal) is adding to concern of the virus spiraling even further. Besides South Asia, we are also seeing alarming situations in other parts of the world.

"Along with the increase in COVID-19 cases, the impact on children being affected by the virus has also increased. And of course the impact of the outbreak and public health and social measures on children is likely to be aggravated following the second wave. They are living through a tragedy.

"Children are losing parents and caregivers to the virus leaving many of them destitute, without parental care."

The UN official said, "While there isn't enough data yet, we can see that illegal adoption pleas have surfaced on social media, making these orphans vulnerable to trafficking and abuse.

"UNICEF is calling for greater efforts to safeguard these orphans. We need to promote kinship care, family tracing, enhance functionaries and accelerate the sponsorship of destitute families.

"This surge is having dire consequences for children whose access to essential health, social, protection and education services is being constrained.

"Children are facing mental health issues and are at greater risk of violence, as lockdowns shut them off from their vital support networks.

"They are missing out on life-saving routine immunization, critical care and treatment for pneumonia and other diseases."

UNICEF has sent critical lifesaving supplies to support India at this difficult time. For example, 3,000 oxygen concentrators, testing kits and other critical equipment in place.

It has sent additional critical lifesaving supplies to India, including two million face shields and 200,000 surgical masks. Additionally 2,000 more oxygen concentrators will arrive by the second half of May with another 2,650 being procured.

"We support the regular monitoring of more than 50,000 Covid vaccination centres across 27 states of India," the UN official said.

"Covid has shown more than ever we are living in an interconnected world. India is under threat today. We need solidarity to prevent the situation from getting worse in other countries. We are very thankful for the support and compassion from the international community. We need the compassion and contribution to continue until we see the end of the pandemic," she added.

--IANS

vg/in

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
DENVER, Colo. (AP)  First lady Jill Biden extended her gratitude to military spouses for their service on Thursday at an Army base in Colorado.

Biden spoke at Fort Carson military base near Colorado Springs at an event hosted by the United Service Organization Spouse Connection ahead of Military Spouse Appreciation Day on Friday. The USO is a nonprofit established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt before WWII that provides domestic and overseas help to service members and their families.

"Thank you for your service. Thank you for all that you've done for our nation. And for me as well, as a military mom and a military daughter," Biden said.

In her speech, Biden empathized with the loneliness and anxiety that comes with being married to a service member overseas and commended the spouses' perseverance and ability to push through the hard times.

We need to do more. Your service to this country has earned nothing less, Biden said. Giving you the support you need to thrive, matters to me and to the president.

Krista Cole, 37, who's husband serves as a major in the National Guard said she and the other military spouses were grateful to be recognized and feel supported by the first lady.

It definitely raises morale when the people that you look up to, that you may or may not have voted for take notice and come to events like this. Politics aside, they want to help everyone, Cole said. The spouses really appreciate that and appreciate that people are looking out for them.

Biden also touted a revived White House initiative, Joining Forces, which prioritizes employment opportunities for military spouses, education for children of enlisted parents and veterans, and military families health and well-being.

The initiative's revival was announced last month but the program was first rolled out in 2011 under President Barack Obama. Joining Forces was led by then-first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden when Joe Biden was vice president. Under former President Donald Trump, the White Houses web page for the initiative was taken down and archived.

In her remarks, Biden also recognized several of the wives individually  one who's working to adopt two foster children while her husband is in Afghanistan and another who runs a Facebook support group for thousands of military spouses.

There's a saying  If you want to get something done, ask a busy person to do it. But after getting to know so many of you ... I think we should change that saying to, 'If you want to get something done, ask a military spouse," she said.

Following her speech, the first lady made rounds of the tables to speak with dozens of military spouses who came to the event. Several spouses spoke with Biden about their troubles finding affordable child care and building relationships with a mobile lifestyle.

The relationships I find and the stories I hear always stay with me because really this community is unlike any other, Biden said. "It's bound together by love, love for our country, love for our service members and love for our communities that you all build together."

U.S. Sens. John Hickenlooper, Michael Bennett, Rep. Doug Lambourn and Colorados Lt Gov. Dianne Primavera were also in attendance.

There are more than 1.3 million active-duty service members, 52% of whom are married, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And 642,000 children under 18 are living in those households.

Joining Forces aims to create flexible, transferable and remote job opportunities for military spouses due to the frequent travel lifestyle of active-duty families. According to the Department of Defenses 2019 Active-Duty Spouses Survey, the military spouse unemployment rate was nearly 22%.

A White House statement about the initiative says there are an estimated 2 million children in families with active-duty service members, reservists or veterans. Joining Forces aims to create programs to support military children's education and help ease the burdens created by the highly mobile military lifestyle."

Joining Forces also addresses health and well-being for military families. That includes improving mental health resources, eliminating food insecurity and supporting the health and economic tolls of wounded, ill or injured service members.

The first lady named Rory Brosius as Joining Force's executive director. She had previously served as the programs deputy director under Obama.

Jill Bidens father, Donald Jacobs, was a Navy signalman in World War II who went to college on the GI Bill. Her late son, Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015 at 46, served in the Delaware Army National Guard, including a year in Iraq.

Bidens other causes are education and cancer research. She is a longtime English professor at community colleges.

Her appearance came a day after Biden visited a school and vaccination clinic in Utah. She started Thursday in Las Vegas, where she visited an elementary school to surprise a teacher who was named the 2021 National Teacher of the Year.

___

This story has been updated to correct that the USO was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, not President Theodore Roosevelt.

___

Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Las Vegas contributed to this report. Nieberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
The Tennessee Department of Education on Friday announced that 15 applicants have been awarded subgrants under the Charter School Expansion Grant, including two in Hamilton County. These funds are intended to support sponsors throughout the planning, design, application, and potential launch of new charter schools in the state.

These subgrants will fund up to 8,800 new charter school seats that, subject to authorizer approval, will be available to students in five districts that currently do not have any charter schools and in three districts that already authorize charter schools.

Subgrants totaling $6.3 million were awarded primarily from the Governors Emergency Education Relief Fund, which is the second GEER grant designed specifically to support charter schools, with additional funds from the Charter School Program grant.

"Governor Bill Lee has made providing high quality school options for all Tennessee families a top priority, said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. With the goal of helping ensure students throughout the state are provided a high-quality education, this expansion of charter school supports will help give Tennessee families and students additional school options.

The review process for charter school applications for the 2022-23 school year is ongoing and the subgrant awards are contingent upon approval of the proposed charter school by the applicants respective school districts or, if an appeal occurs, the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission.

All Tennessee students, regardless of where they live, have the right to a quality education that will prepare them for college and their careers, said Senate Education Chairman Brian Kelsey. These critical investments in high quality public charter schools will give more parents an opportunity to access an education that is best suited to their childs needs, helping them to reach their full potential. I congratulate these successful applicants and look forward to seeing great schools with the highest standards of excellence.

The prospective grantees with their school district that they are applying to are:



Academy of the Arts Charter High School, Fayette County Schools

Aventura Community Schools, Metro Nashville Public Schools

Capital City Academy, Metro Nashville Public Schools

Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence High School, Hamilton County Schools

Foundations Autism Charter School, Williamson County Schools

Grizzlies Preparatory Girls School, Shelby County Schools

Ivy Academys Skillern Elementary School, Hamilton County Schools

KIPP Southeast Nashville College Prep Elementary, Metro Nashville Public Schools

KIPP Southeast Nashville College Prep Middle, Metro Nashville Public Schools

Lighthouse, Shelby County Schools

Millington STEM Charter Middle, Millington Municipal Schools

Nashville Classical II, Metro Nashville Public Schools

One on One Learning*, Montgomery County Public Schools

Rutherford Collegiate Prep, Rutherford County Schools

Tennessee Nature Academy, Metro Nashville Public Schools

*The applicants name is cited, as the name of the proposed charter school has not been determined.

Last year, Governor Lee announced $63.6 million in GEER funding for K-12 schools, which included an initial $5 million charter school support grant to be distributed to charter schools across the state with a focus on supporting charter schools that demonstrate sustained and significant academic growth.
Drug maker Pfizer has projected a revenue of $26 billion in 2021 through sales of COVID-19 vaccine, BNT162b2, it developed with BioNTech, while Moderna sees the sales from its coronavirus vaccine at $19.2 billion during the year.

The two m-RNA technology based COVID-19 vaccines are set to shatter the record of Pfizer's Lipitor in terms of highest sales in a year. The cholesterol lowering drug, now without patent protection, had revenue of approximately $13 billion in 2006.

The company projections come at a time when the US government has decided to support efforts initiated by countries like India and South Africa to make COVID-19 vaccines available for low and middle-income countries with patent waivers and technology transfer.

Pfizer, which a few days ago raised its revenue guidance for full-year 2021 to a range of $70.5-$72.5 billion, now anticipates revenues of approximately $26 billion as against the earlier estimate of $15 billion from BNT162b2, reflecting 1.6 billion doses expected to be delivered in 2021 under signed contracts as of mid-April 2021. The vaccine contributed $3.5 billion to revenue in the first quarter of this year.

"We have achieved important clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones across our pipeline and portfolio while also continuing to increase our capacity to supply urgently-needed doses of BNT162b2 to the world," the company's chairman and chief executive officer Dr Albert Bourla said while announcing the first quarter results.

Also read: COVID-19: Ray of hope for India--it's getting better in the US!

Pfizer has already committed a total of 600 million doses to the European Union and 300 million doses to the US. As of May 3, it has shipped approximately 430 million doses of BNT162b2 to 91 countries and territories around the world. Further, Pfizer and BioNTech entered into an agreement with Israel to supply millions of doses in 2022, with an option to purchase millions of additional doses. The companies have also entered into an agreement with Canada to supply up to 125 million doses in 2022 and 2023, with options to purchase up to 60 million additional doses in 2024. Pfizer is currently negotiating similar potential contracts with multiple other countries.

Meanwhile, Moderna said it has increased its 2021 supply forecast to between 800 million and 1 billion doses and is making investments to increase global supply for COVID-19 vaccine to up to 3 billion doses in 2022.

Its net income was at $1.2 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2021, as compared to a net loss of $124 million for the same period in 2020. The company has already signed Advance Purchase Agreements (APAs) for scheduled delivery in 2021, with a total of $19.2 billion in anticipated product sales, including sales already recorded in the three months ended March 31, 2021.

"This is our first profitable quarter in the company's history, after 10 years of scientific innovation and several billion dollars invested to make our mRNA platform a reality," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said.

The company has already delivered 100 million doses and is trying to make a billion doses this year. "New partnerships, like COVAX, for up to 466 million doses in 2022 and discussions with new governments in Asia, Middle East, Africa and Latin America, make us believe that our total advance purchase agreements for 2022 should be higher than those in 2021," Moderna said.

Also read: COVID-19: NHAI exempts oxygen tankers from toll on national highways
Newly appointed Ambassador of Italy presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

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BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has partially vetoed a bill aimed at penalizing the states 11 colleges and universities for funneling federal grant money to individuals or organizations that promote or perform abortions.

The Republican governor said in his veto message late Friday that the multimillion-dollar penalties directed toward our public higher education institutions and mandatory criminal charges against state employees is problematic.

Burgum vetoed the portion of the bill that contains the sanctions, citing state law that already forbids an agency of the state from funding or supporting programs that do not give preference, encouragement and support to normal childbirth. Burgum said the sections he did not veto were intended to clarify that unless institutions abide by anti-abortion policies, they are ineligible to receive challenge grant dollars.

The Republican-led North Dakota Legislature passed the bill, which was primarily aimed at preventing North Dakota State University from funneling grant money to Planned Parenthood for sex education in the state.

The bill says any institution that enters into a contract with a person that performs or promotes the performance of an abortion would have its operating budget cut by $2.8 million. The school official signing the contract also would face a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine.

The $250,000 annual grant to the Fargo-based research university comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NDSU President Dean Bresciani has said the grant expires in September and wont be renewed, but not because of the Legislatures threat of sanctions.

Bresciani said that he wont bow to political pressure or proposed sanctions against the school for having ties to Planned Parenthood. He called it a matter of academic freedom.

The bill appropriates $11.1 million from the states General Fund for the Challenge Grant program thats used at all schools for such things as scholarships and research. The money is matched two-to-one with private or other funds.

The Senate passed the bill, 35-11. The GOP-led House passed the measure 66-25.

Burgum cited state law already prevents agencies from funding, endorsing, or supporting "any program that, between normal childbirth and abortion, does not give preference, encouragement, and support to normal childbirth.

The Legislature adjourned April 30 and is unlikely to reconvene to challenge the veto.

In the veto message, Burgum reaffirmed the highly conservative states stance on abortion.

North Dakota has strong pro-life public policies, and our administration has a strong record of signing pro-life legislation into law, Burgum wrote. The North Dakota legislature has made clear, and our administration agrees, that taxpayer funding should not go toward funding abortions.
ANNANDALE, Va. (AP)  Tens of thousands of Virginia Republicans, sometimes waiting in long lines of cars, cast ballots Saturday to choose nominees for governor and other statewide offices at a drive-thru nominating convention.

The Republican Party held what it's calling an unassembled convention on Saturday to select its nominees in this year's race for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Republicans haven't won a statewide race in Virginia since 2009.

Because pandemic restrictions ban mass gatherings, delegates are casting ballots at nearly 40 polling sites statewide.

More than 53,000 Virginians successfully pre-registered as delegates. GOP officials rejected applications from roughly 700 would-be delegates.

Virginia is the only state with an open-seat gubernatorial contest this year, and the race will be closely watched as an early indicator of party strength heading into the 2022 congressional elections.

Four candidates  Amanda Chase, Kirk Cox, Pete Snyder and Glenn Youngkin  all have a shot at winning the nomination as no clear favorite has been established. Three other candidates  Sergio de la Pena, Peter Doran and Octavia Johnson  were considered long shots.

Youngkin campaigned the entire day at one of the largest polling sites, Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale.

We're seeing this coming together of Virginians, and that's so encouraging, said Youngkin, his voice slightly hoarse from the day's campaigning as crowds flocked to the convention. Republicans want to be engaged. People want to participate. There's an absolute movement afoot.

Chase, who voted amid long lines at the Fulghum Center in Midlothian, expressed concern about the instructions on the ranked-choice ballot. She suggested to her voters that they fill in her name across the ballot in all seven slots, but the ballot instructions warn that doing so could result in a spoiled ballot.

Chase said shes received assurances from party leaders that such ballots will be counted. But, she said, her supporters just don't trust anything about this process. Theyre very skeptical, very leery, she said.

Chase and other candidates prevailed on the party to change its procedures for counting ballots. The party agreed and is now using a system that provides greater transparency to the campaigns but will take longer to complete.

Youngkin said hes confident that the count will be accurate. He is one of the candidates who prevailed on the party to use paper ballots instead of a software system that he and other candidates believed was untested.

Id much rather it be slower if it ensures transparency and accuracy, he said. Were supposed to be the party of election integrity.

In Fairfax County, cars backed up onto Little River Turnpike and wound through nearly a mile of side streets on the Annandale campus of Northern Virginia Community College on Saturday morning, waiting to cast ballots as they ran through a slow-motion gauntlet of pamphleteers and volunteers touting various candidates and causes. By mid-afternoon, lines had cleared and voters could cast ballots relatively quickly.

Aaron Harrison of McLean saved himself some time by getting out of his car and walking his ballot down to a waiting volunteer, who was accepting ballots in a large storage bin.

Harrison was no fan of the ranked-choice system implemented by Republicans, calling it nonsense that left voters confused and losing candidates with an excuse to claim chicanery. Still, he filled out his ballot all the way from first choice to last, with Snyder first and de la Pena second.

Harrison said he's been involved in Republican politics a long time and remembers Snyder from his failed 2013 run for lieutenant governor. He said he has no doubts about Snyder's conservative credentials and appreciated his emphasis on reopening schools and businesses shuttered during the pandemic.

The lockdown has become a religion for the left, he said.

At a nearby polling district in Springfield for the 8th Congressional District, lines were significantly shorter. Voters were greeted by Doran and his Vizsla dog, Psyche, who sat comfortably in a large backpack.

Doran said he was impressed by the turnout and excited to see the strength we have in the Republican Party. He said dog lovers were especially excited to see Psyche campaigning with him and joked he's got to be worth at least 5 points on the margins.

Polling closed at 4 p.m. Saturday, but the party won't even begin counting ballots until Sunday. And when counting does begin, party spokesman John March said, the plan to start with the attorney general race and then the lieutenant governor contest before moving on to governor,

It may take several days to finish the count, which is complicated by the ranked-choice voting and proportional representation that is awarded each city and county.

Democrats will choose their gubernatorial nominee in a primary next month. Former Gov. Terry McAuliffe is the frontrunner among five Democrats.

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam is barred from seeking reelection under term limit rules.

___

Earlier versions of this story incorrectly referred to candidate Octavia Johnson as Octavia Jackson.
Following a national search, Baylor School has named Rev. Alex C. Gallimore as the schools new chaplain.

Rev. Gallimore is replacing Rev. Dan Scott, who retires this year after serving as chaplain from 2004-2021 and as interim chaplain from 2003-2004.

I am honored to serve as chaplain to a diverse community with a historic commitment to making a positive difference in the world, said Rev. Gallimore.

Assistant Headmaster Shaw Wilson '84, who led the search committee, said, Baylors faith statement reads, We believe that faith is central to every persons life and that the study of religion is an essential part of a complete education. To that end, Baylors chaplain must be able to work with a large and diverse school community and serve as the schools primary spiritual guide. The chaplain develops the schools chapel programming and contributes to the school in multiple areas, most notably as a classroom teacher."

We were blessed to interview several highly qualified and compelling candidates for the Baylor chaplaincy," said Headmaster Scott Wilson '75. "Still, Alex rose to the top through this process. While he was not on our radar (and very likely we were not on his) several months ago, we believe our meeting was ordained, and that he will be a perfect successor to Dan Scott."

Rev. Gallimore most recently served as senior pastor at Bayshore Baptist Church in Tampa, Fla. Prior to that he was senior pastor at Hester Baptist Church in Oxford, N.C., for five years and was the associate pastor and minister to youth at Piney Grove Baptist Church, Mount Airy, N.C.

I have always sought to cultivate congregations where people felt safe to discover their truest selves and ask challenging questions of life and faith, said Rev. Gallimore. As I learned more about the role of chaplain, I saw myself bringing that same approach to chapel, the classroom, and everywhere the quest for learning, meaning, and service intersect. Im excited to join the students, faculty, and friends of Baylor School as we walk that journey together.

Rev. Gallimore earned his Master of Divinity degree from Wake Forest School of Divinity in 2012 and a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies from Georgia State University. He will receive his doctorate in ministry from the Boston University School of Theology later this year.

He will live on campus with his wife Allison, and their three sons, Abram, age five; Archie, two; and Allston, one.








Louisiana lawmakers are considering a bill that would increase Medicaid coverage for new moms from 60 days to one year, an expansion that backers say would improve the states dismal rate of moms and babies who die shortly after birth.

More than 60% of births in Louisiana are covered by free health coverage through Medicaid, which is available to pregnant people based on income. A family of two, for example, qualifies if they make less than $2,004 monthly.

But Medicaid coverage for new moms is only guaranteed for 60 days after giving birth. After that, small fluctuations in income, identified during frequent wage checks, can result in a temporary loss in coverage.

Research shows many life-threatening complications that hurt moms and interfere with caring for an infant occur up to a year after birth. House Bill 468 aims to ensure that postpartum women continuously receive coverage. Like children on Medicaid, they would be guaranteed full coverage for a year.

These are the people most likely to have complications, most likely to have low birthweight babies, most likely to go back to the hospital, said Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, who sponsored the bill. That care is expensive. It leads to death. The children are left without a mother.

Louisiana's death rate for pregnant women is twice the average; homicide is a leading cause With a death rate for pregnant women that's twice the U.S. average, Louisiana is one of the country's most dangerous places to have a baby. No

The bill would keep about 9,800 Louisiana moms on insurance who would otherwise go without, according to Landry, who said that about 15% to 20% of new Louisiana moms on Medicaid drop off after 60 days.

The bill has received bipartisan support during a Health and Welfare Committee hearing and will now go before the House Appropriations Committee. Because of a provision in the federal American Rescue Plan, the majority of the cost would be paid by the federal government if it becomes law. It would cost the state $738,954 and the state would receive $2,239,641 in federal funds in the coming fiscal year. After that, the state would spend approximately $4.4 million and receive around $15 million in federal funds yearly.

Thirteen other states have passed similar other measures.

Were gonna pay one way or another, said Rep. Lawrence Bagley, R-Stonewall, at the committee hearing Wednesday. These ladies roll off and dont have any way to get taken care of.

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Ali Wiggins, a 34-year-old mother of five in Hammond, was one of those Medicaid recipients who had coverage during pregnancy and then lost it. She was on Medicaid nine years ago when she had her first son. She saw her doctor at the standard six-week postpartum appointment. The doctor said everything looked good. But inside, she was fighting intrusive, unrelenting thoughts about her sons safety that made it hard to sleep and care for her new baby.

I would have to fight panic attacks in the shower if he wasn't in the bathroom with me, said Wiggins. It affected my ability to parent him.

+4 Giving birth in Louisiana, U.S. can cost thousands of dollars as the price has increased When Elizabeth O'Brien Brown found out she was pregnant, she knew it would be expensive. So she chose a hospital in her insurance network and 

She didnt know how to seek help for it; she also had lost Medicaid coverage at the 60-day mark. She struggled for about six months, white-knuckling her way through feelings of dread that were abnormal for her, a self-described laidback person. Now a mom five times over and a doula who helps other new moms, she recognizes it as postpartum anxiety.

It was not obvious to me that it was not normal until I had my second child, said Wiggins. Insurance allowing for a covered therapist could have made a big difference.

While the rate of maternal mortality in the U.S. is one of the highest among developed nations, Louisianas rate is far worse. In 2018, the U.S. had a maternal mortality rate of 17.4 per 100,000 live births. Louisianas rate was 25.2.

The state also has one of the worst infant death rates. In 2019, 468 babies in Louisiana died in their first year of life, a rate of 8.07 per 1,000 live births. Only Mississippi had a higher rate of infant mortality, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When we recognize that babies come from moms, and we start taking care of our moms, that will reduce the infant mortality, said Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, the medical director of the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative, which reviews maternal deaths in the state.

Premature birth rates in Louisiana are among the worst in U.S., report says Louisiana is one of six states to earn an F grade on the March of Dimes' annual report card for premature births.

We need a mom that feels like she was cared for, said Wiggins. It can be really hard as a doula to tell this mom, Pelvic floor therapy, you can really use this, knowing youre telling this to a woman who cannot afford it.
Additional reporting: Charlotte Vossen. Follow Kirsty at Instagram @kirstyelwoodbodymind

From your emotional state to what you got up to at the weekend, they can reveal a lot  or so foot readers claim. Lucy Holden dips her toe in weird waters

Holistic practitioners love a metaphor, and Kirsty Elwood has some good ones: apparently Im both an alsatian straining on its lead in a park and a snowball rolling down a hill. And Kirsty can tell this just from my feet.

Foot reading, an extension of reflexology, claims to analyse our emotional lives and personality traits from the toes, skin and feet. Its possibly the most popular new form of self-discovery you didnt know existed.

Kirsty, 38, a trained reflexologist with 18 years experience, first started using her unusual analysis as a party trick. Since then shes been gathering queues of fascinated people at wellness conventions, and her appointments sell out within 24 hours of going online. I always keep a box of tissues close at hand because people often dont realise how emotional it can be, she tells me via email. But if it gets too weird, or too personal, we stop, she adds.

The fact the readings involve a body part people are self-conscious about lends an intimacy to the sessions. Kirsty, who trained as a foot reader eight years ago, asks for a photo of the top of my feet and another of the soles, assuring me not to worry about their appearance. I take that to mean that a pedicure would destroy valuable evidence.

Everything tells me a story of your journey, mentally and emotionally  from the skin to colours, lines, markings and shapes, she says. Im intrigued as to what my feet will reveal about my life so far. The aim, she explains, is for me to better understand and appreciate myself, but at this point I feel like Im in a podiatric Line of Duty and Kirsty is AC12.

In the phone consultation that follows (which lasts an hour at a cost of 35), Kirsty explains that she was once a sceptic herself. She grew up in Northern Ireland  where she still lives with her husband and two small children  and was excelling on a post-school media studies course when her family was hit by what she describes as the black year. A cancer diagnosis, that resulted in death, made 18-year-old Kirsty want to help people rather than become a radio producer. I remember having reflexology when I was about 18 and I laughed for the first 15 minutes, she admits. Exposing that part of my body to a stranger felt so bizarre. But after that, the thought of how it could be used to help people heal themselves became very exciting to me.

Predominantly used to ease stress, reflexology focuses on lines that connect different parts of the body to the feet. Converts believe that massaging the corresponding locations on the feet can help issues with organs and limbs. Foot reading, though more under the radar, has been practised in the UK for 20 years and is studied via a day course (around 100) or book. What intrigued Kirsty was the similarity to reflexology and the extra sensitivity she found herself with after the black year.

Through training and her sixth sense, Kirsty feels she can understand a clients issue from the moment they walk into her room, and claims to know where people have had incisions for open-heart surgery, or can feel their hip problem. For years, whenever I was asked how I knew, I lied and said Id observed them and saw it in the way they walked, because I was worried people would think I was a witch, she laughs. Her foot-reading sense works just as well with pictures, she says, and has meant she has been able to read the feet of clients in New York and Los Angeles.

If you can suspend your disbelief, the stories of how she turned this deep empathy into a successful art are countless. She tells me that at a wellness meeting she noticed one womans twisted James Bond toe, which to Kirsty meant she had a side that she expressed secretly. Instead of MI6, Kirsty guessed that the woman was a nursery-school teacher who pole-danced at the weekend. After she laughed with embarrassment, the woman admitted she was a primary-school assistant who loved pole-dancing at weekends. There are so many stories in the toes, Kirsty says with the air of someone who loves their job.

After I had my face read by an expert last year, Im curious to see whether foot reading will match up. According to my face reader, Priya Sher, I would be married and settled by 35 (Im now 31), and one day would present a political satire show on television.

Having spent a day observing and annotating images of my callused crystal balls, Kirsty says she can tell that people remember me, but doesnt mention my future TV career, so I guess Ive not got the feet for primetime.

Instead, Kirsty mentions a carving of a heart in lighter skin on the sole of my male foot (the male right foot depicts our working life while the left foot is female and indicates our emotions). According to reflexology its in the exact place corresponding to my real heart. Can you see it? she asks. Once I know where to look, I admit that I can. I once saw a cats face in that place on a woman, she adds. And it turned out shed bought a cat to mend her heart when her only child, a son, left home. Kirsty can also see anger in my feet. Its like someones ripped the Aladdins carpet from beneath your feet. Youre in limbo  which I know sounds silly in a pandemic  but I feel youre going through a shift, like winter into spring. Theres a lot of processing going on.

Having had my heart broken at the start of last year by my ex-boyfriend and also having to leave London to move back in with my parents in Bath, I did feel like the rug had been ripped from beneath me. And its true, I feel like Im waiting for something.

We start on the top of the foot and Im told I have very symmetrical feet, which means Im torn between two personalities: Lucy at home  who desires domesticity  and Lucy the cavewoman, the go-getting, earning side. Kirsty reads from the big head of my big toe that Im a thinker with a lot of mental energy; from my TV antenna toes that Im happy when learning, and from the space between them that Im curious; always learning and growing.

You juggle a lot at once, she tells me. At my nails, we hit a problem because their small size, apparently, leaves me vulnerable. That vulnerability is beautiful, Kirsty says. People may not see your sensitivity  they think youre strong enough to handle anything. But you do what you do so well because you feel everything.

The soles rather than the top of the feet are more revealing, she adds, and from mine gleans that Im burnt-out. Could I argue with that? Probably not, given Im in the last stages of a book due out this summer and have recently written a second. In my heels, Kirsty sees scaffolding that only I can pull down, meaning that she thinks Ive built a defence against past pain which shows in harder skin.

From the colour of my heels (a bruised, painful shade), she can tell I need emotional nourishment. Its like youre an ice-cream man whos given away his last scoops and has none left for himself, she tells me sadly. The width shows her Im making pathways, even if I have run out of ice cream.

Weirdest perhaps is the underneath of my toes. On the second emotional toe of my male foot, Kirsty sees three small scars and asks me if there have ever been three difficult times at work, or three traumas involving men that have scarred me. Er, I stall, knowing the latter is a central theme in my book. Then she asks if one of the situations was a love triangle (which it was) because theres a very faint fourth scar next to one of the three. I dont know how this works, she says, when I tell her the story, but isnt that funny? I just have so much respect for the body and how much it holds.

I go downstairs afterwards and ask my dad if weve got ice cream. Why? He asks. I need to nourish myself, I explain.

How to start sole searching

Discover toe-curling truths with Kirstys quick guide

1 Your right foot is your professional side and your left your emotional side. If one foot is bigger than the other, youre more confident in that side of yourself.

2 A vertical line between the padding of the ball of your foot indicates low self-esteem.

3 Crisscrossing can indicate indecisiveness.

4 Peeling skin is a good thing  it means youre releasing an emotion, such as finalising a divorce.

5 Hardening skin means youre putting up a protective barrier due to changes in your life such as ending a relationship, a miscarriage or a job change.

6 If you have a narrow heel, youre someone who needs more security and is dependent on others.

7 A long line from north to south of the foot means you put pressure on yourself to be perfect.

8 The lengths of your toes relate to the areas in which your strengths lie. The big toe links to thoughts, the second to emotions and passions, the middle to career, the fourth to relationships and the little toe to a sense of security.
It seems like a conservative voters dream -- an extremely popular and transgender athlete-celebrity, whom many in the woke crowd would support, is running on the Republican recall election ticket for governor of California, the bluest state in the Union, and actually appears to have a real chance to defeat the current left-fringe Democratic governor. Wow! A once-in-a-lifetime chance to take back a major blue state.

I, however, am less than enthusiastic, to put it mildly. As a person of faith, who believes that a persons gender is determined as God created him or her (male and female did He create them -- Genesis 1:27) and cannot be altered or defined differently, I could not support a candidate who publicly defies this principle and who sets an example for others of its denial in an official capacity. I would gladly support a different Republican candidate for governor -- for in my book, principles come before political victories.

There is more to this. Transgenderism was always classified by psychiatrists as a mental disorder. The American Psychiatric Association (APA), which refers to transgenderism as a Gender Identity Variant (GIV) and historically categorized it as a mental disorder, resolved two months ago to no longer consider GIVs to be mental disorders. (The World Health Organization (WHO) did the same thing two years prior.) The APA resolution states:

The foundational professional guideline for working with gender diverse persons acknowledges that, 'Psychologists understand that gender is a nonbinary construct that allows for a range of gender identities and that a persons gender identity may not align with sex assigned at birth.' Gender identity refers to 'a persons deep felt, inherent sense of being a girl, woman, or female; a boy, a man, or male; a blend of male or female; [or another] gender.' While gender refers to the trait characteristics and behaviors culturally associated with ones sex assigned at birth, in some cases, gender may be distinct from the physical markers of biological sex (e.g., genitals, chromosomes). Gender identity is also distinct from gender expression, which refers to 'the presentation of an individual including physical appearance, clothing choice and accessories, and behaviors that express aspects of gender identity.' Diversity in gender identity and expression is part of the human experience and transgender and gender nonbinary identities and expressions are healthy, incongruence between ones sex and gender is neither pathological nor a mental health disorder."

In other words, redefine and reinvent the term gender to mean something other than it has meant for thousands of years, and the problem goes away. If a person who commits theft is no longer called a thief but is called a taker, then the laws regarding theft can be circumvented and ignored, in the Age of Woke. If a man believes that he is a woman, rather than refer to him as a man with an emotional disorder, revise the definition of woman and decide that this person is really a woman in a mans body.

Taking this to its logical conclusion, why are people have Split Personality Disorder considered to be suffering from a mental illness? Perhaps there are indeed two different people inside of one body?

And why are people who have Clinical Lycanthropy and believe that they are really animals, as they howl, bark and exhibit other animal behaviors, not classified as animals that happen to be in human bodies?

Driven by a liberal social agenda and reversing centuries of accepted science with sleight of hand by playing with definitions and thereby declaring transgenderism to be a normal state, the Age of Woke has caused psychiatry and society at large to ignore the reality and normalize the abnormal.

Taking this back to California, a vote for Candidate Jenner is a vote for Woke. It is a statement that the male Jenners female identity is normal, such that he can represent one of Americas greatest states as a regular female governor in a good and proper manner. It is a statement similar to the dangerous and revisionary Woke notions that math class is racist or that rioting is an acceptable form of social expression.

Lets pray that the other Republican candidates get plenty of support. Anything less than that means disaster, whoever wins.

Avrohom Gordimer is chairman of the Rabbinic Circle at Coalition for Jewish Values, and he serves on the editorial board of Jewish Action magazine, is a staff writer for the Cross-Currents website, and is a frequent contributor to Yated Neeman, Israel National News, and a host of other publications. He is also a member of the Rabbinical Council of America and the New York Bar. By day, he works as an account executive at a large Jewish organization based in Manhattan. The views expressed above are solely his own.

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A heartbreaking photo of a couple lying next to each other after a horrific motorcycle crash claimed their unborn baby has prompted an outpouring of grief and sadness - but the pair have revealed they won't let the tragedy destroy their love.

Kendra Smith and Corey Thompson lost their unborn baby after their Harley Davidson toppled over on January 12 when it was clipped by a truck on the Kapiti Coast, north of Wellington in New Zealand.

The impact on the asphalt crushed Corey's arm and left his leg so badly damaged it had to be amputated.

But despite the traumatic ordeal, the couple say they plan to get married on the anniversary of the crash after Corey proposed from his hospital bed.

Kendra Smith (right) and Corey Thompson (left) lost their unborn baby after their Harley Davidson toppled over on January 12

Kendra, who was five months pregnant, ended up 200m away from Corey hunched over the wrecked bike with a litany of serious injuries.

After they were separately air-lifted to Wellington Hospital doctors performed emergency surgeries on both of them and inserted rods into Kendra's badly broken leg to save it.

Doctors say it's a miracle they survived the ordeal.

A family friend, who set up a Givealittle page for the couple, said the pair are well known in the local area for their involvement in the community.

'As a young single mum she took up the reigns of President of the Featherston Rugby Club, before meeting and falling in love with Corey,' Ritchie Wards said.

'They have been involved with outreach on the Kapiti Coast helping Maori and Pasifika youth.'

Kendra and Corey (pictured) were separately air-lifted to Wellington Hospital doctors performed emergency surgeries on both of them

Before they got together Kendra was working in retail and looking after her son, while Corey, a painter and plasterer, was taking care of his three 'beautiful daughters'.

'They are committed and amazing parents,' Mr Wards said.

'Everyone has a past, but these two have chosen to take a new road and set a good example for their children. They would do anything to help anyone in need.'

After a few days in the ICU, nurses were able to move the couple into the same room and put their beds together so they could hold hands.

In the midst of the teary reunion, Corey asked Kendra to marry him, 7NEWS reported.

Before they got together Kendra (pictured) was working in retail and looking after her son, while Corey, a painter and plasterer, was taking care of his three 'beautiful daughters'

'I know I can't get down on my knee right now but, will you marry me?' Corey said.

'There was no hesitation, he just said 'I want to spend the rest of my life with you',' Kendra said.

In a show of defiance, the loving couple plan to get married on the anniversary of the crash in 2023.

'We want to spin the event, take that trauma and turn it to a celebratory day. We nearly died together but we didn't. Instead of every year remembering the trauma of the crash, we will remember the strength of love instead,' Kendra said.

The couple are sharing their journey of recovery with regular updates on their Givealittle blog.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 20:44:21|Editor: huaxia

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DHAKA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh has detected its first cases of a highly infectious coronavirus variant first identified in India.

The variant, named B.1.617, was detected in two people screened at a hospital in Dhaka, the country's capital, Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the country's health directorate, said at a press briefing here on Saturday.

Bangladesh detected the cases of the highly infectious coronavirus variant weeks after imposing a ban on the entry of travellers from India via land ports.

Amid its second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh on April 25 imposed the ban from April 26 on the entry of travellers from India via land ports.

The air travel between the two countries was suspended from April 14 following a steep rise in COVID-19 infections in India.

Bangladesh reported 1,285 new confirmed cases and 45 new deaths from the coronavirus epidemic on Saturday, bringing its total tally to 772,127 with 11,878 deaths.

The official data showed that 14,703 samples were tested in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh.

The total number of recovered patients in the country rose to 706,833 with 2,492 new recoveries reported on Saturday, said Bangladesh's Directorate General of Health Services.

According to the official data, the COVID-19 fatality rate in Bangladesh is currently 1.54 percent and recovery rate is 91.54 percent. Enditem
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Justice Department is sending a strong message about its priorities these days.

In just over the past two weeks, it has opened investigations of police in Louisville, Kentucky, and Minneapolis. Federal prosecutors have charged four former Minneapolis police officers with civil rights violations in George Floyd's death, and accused three men of hate crimes in the death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. In both criminal cases, authorities moved forward with federal charges before most of the defendants have gone to state trial.

Attorney General Merrick Garland is making good on his confirmation promise to refocus the department around civil rights after four years of tumult during the Trump administration, when such investigations waned and the focus was on curbing immigration and the Russia probe.

What we couldnt get them to do in the case of Eric Garner, Michael Brown in Ferguson, and countless others, we are finally seeing them do, the Rev. Al Sharpton said Friday after the charges were announced in Floyd's death.

Former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin has already been convicted of murder and manslaughter charges in state court and is scheduled to be sentenced June 25. The federal case could be insurance against a successful state appeal or a lenient sentence.

Separately, federal officials accused Chauvin in a 2017 case involving Chauvin's arrest of a 14-year-old boy. Chauvin hit the boy, who is Black, with a flashlight and pinned him to the ground, putting his knee on the boy's neck and back.

Chauvin's lawyer, Eric Nelson, has filed a request for a new trial in Floyd's death, citing a host of reasons, including publicity that was so pervasive and so prejudicial ... that it amounted to a structural defect in the proceedings.

He also argued that the trial judge, Peter Cahill, abused his discretion when he denied earlier requests to move the trial. Cahill has not said when he would rule on Nelsons request for a new trial.

Nelson had no comment on the federal charges.

The three other officers brought up on civil rights charges, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao, haven't been tried yet in state court on charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter in the Floyd case.

Usually, federal prosecutors hold off on any charges until local investigations are completed. But when they do, it's often seen a safety net against the difficulty of prosecuting law enforcement locally.

According to a person familiar with the investigation, that happened during the case against former officer Michael Slager in South Carolina. In 2015, Slager shot to death Walter Scott, an unarmed Black man who ran from a traffic stop.

Local prosecutors worried they could not win a conviction, this person said, so federal prosecutors stepped in and brought charges, working out a plea deal to resolve both the federal and state cases. Slager was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

The person was not authorized to publicly discuss those internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The federal charge is limited in its scope and has been rarely used. According to Syracuse Universitys Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, or TRAC, federal prosecutors have used it an average of 41 times a year between 1990 and 2019.

In the 1960s, federal authorities successfully prosecuted eight men involved in the 1964 disappearances and murders of civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner in Neshoba County, Mississippi, after local authorities said they did not have enough evidence to prosecute anyone.

One of the most high profile uses of the federal statutes came in the 1992 Rodney King case in Los Angeles. Federal authorities charged four law enforcement officers with violating Kings constitutional rights in his videotaped beating. That decision came after a jury in Simi Valley acquitted the officers in the state case, prompting several days of riots in Los Angeles.

It's not clear whether Garland was stepping in to aid local prosecutors in Minneapolis with the three officers, but it's likely they are communicating about the cases. And the same in Georgia, where federal hate crime charges were announced against Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory, and a third man, William Roddie Bryan, in the death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. The three are jailed on state murder charges and are due in court next week. Jury selection is scheduled to start Oct. 18.

Arbery was killed on Feb. 23, 2020 by three close-range shotgun blasts after the McMichaels pursued him in a pickup truck. Arbery was dead more than two months when a cellphone video of the shooting was leaked online, leading to a national outcry. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case and arrested the men.

Federal officials have also revived pattern or practice investigations, which were rarely used under the Trump administration. They weren't banned under President Donald Trump, but his attorney general, William Barr, suggested they may have been previously overused.

Jeff Sessions was Trump's first attorney general, and when he resigned in November 2018, he signed a memo that sharply curtailed the use of consent decrees, which are often used during major policing changes in a city. The policy made their use more difficult to enact and required top Justice Department officials to approve the deals. It was quickly rescinded under Garland.

Federal officials have initiated broad reviews that will investigate Louisville police tactics following the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville last year. A similar investigation into Minneapolis policing was announced the day after Chauvin was found guilty.

Those public announcements led to hope that the Garland Justice Department will take a fresh look at some closed investigations. The family of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was shot to death by a Cleveland police officer in 2014 while the boy was playing with a toy gun, wrote a letter to Garland asking the investigation be reopened into the officer.

"The election of President Biden, your appointment, and your commitment to the rule of law, racial justice, and police reform give Tamirs family hope that the chance for accountability is not lost forever, the family said in the letter.

___

Forliti reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press writer Gary Fields in Louisiana and Colleen Long contributed to this report.
For the first time, India has recorded more than 4,000 Covid-19 related deaths as cases continue to surge across the country and two more states go into lockdown.

Saturday's record of 4,187 deaths takes the country's official death toll from the virus to nearly 240,000, although the true figure is believed to be much higher.

A further 401,000 new infections were also confirmed in the last 24 hours, meaning India has recorded over 400,000 new cases for three consecutive days.

Two southern states in India became the latest to declare lockdowns, as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement a nationwide shutdown.

At over 300,000, Karnataka's capital of Bengaluru has the highest active caseload of any Indian city.

But experts warn the worst is still ahead as India's third largest city buckles under oxygen shortages, overrun hospitals and crowded crematoriums.

A woman mourns after her husband died due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outside a mortuary of a COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad, India, May 8, 2021. Saturday's record of 4,187 deaths takes the country's official death toll from the virus to nearly 240,000, although the true figure is believed to be much higher

Relatives in PPE follow as healthcare workers pull a stretcher carrying the body of a person who died from the COVID-19 at a mortuary in Ahmedabad, India, May 8, 2021

A man mourns after his father died due to the coronavirus disease outside a mortuary of a COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad, India, May 8, 2021

For the first time, India has recorded more than 4,000 Covid-19 related deaths as cases continue to surge across the country and two more states go into lockdown. Family members along with medical workers shift a COVID19 patient to Level-3 ward of Swaroop Rani Nehru hospital in Prayagraj on Saturday

In Tamil Nadu state, the lockdown announcement followed a daily record of more than 26,000 cases on Friday.

Infections have swelled in India since February in a disastrous turn blamed on more contagious variants as well as government decisions to allow massive crowds to gather for religious festivals and political rallies.

On Saturday, India reported 401,078 confirmed cases, including a record high of 4,187 deaths. Overall, India has more than 21.8 million confirmed infections and nearly 240,000 deaths. Experts say even those dramatic tolls are undercounts.

Researchers at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation warned on Thursday that the true toll is likely 700,000 and could top 1million by the end of the month, having doubled in just over six weeks.

A further 401,000 new infections were confirmed in the last 24 hours, meaning India has recorded over 400,000 new cases for three consecutive days. Pictured: A graph showing the seven-day average new infections in India

Saturday's record of 4,187 deaths takes the country's official death toll from the virus to nearly 240,000, although the true figure is believed to be much higher. Pictured: The seven day average coronavirus deaths in India

Due to India's huge population of almost 1.4 billion, the country is struggling to give Covid-19 vaccines to enough people to stem the spread of the virus.

While the country has vaccinated over 131 million people - second only to the United States' total figure of almost 150 million - that only represents around 9.5 percent of its total population.

One doctor in Bengaluru said he's had to reject patients 'left, right and center' as his hospital struggled to find more oxygen.

'The problem is the demand is so high that we need constant oxygen,' Dr. Sanjay Gururaj, the medical director at Shanti Hospital and Research Center, said.

The hospital is sending a truck twice a day to oxygen plants on the outskirts of the city to bring back 12 jumbo oxygen cylinders. 'In normal times, this would have lasted over two weeks - now, it lasts just over a day,' he added.

Two southern states in India became the latest to declare lockdowns, as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement a nationwide shutdown. Pictured: A woman mourns after her husband died due to the coronavirus, outside a mortuary of a COVID-19 hospital in Ahmedabad, India, May 8, 2021

Pictured: A woman receives the AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19 as others await their turn at a medical college in Prayagraj, India, Saturday, May 8, 2021

A man who has contracted Covid-19 rests inside the ICU ward of a hospital treating coronavirus patients on May 06, 2021 in Bengaluru, India. At over 300,000, Karnataka's capital of Bengaluru has the highest active caseload of any Indian city

Tweet every 30 seconds for oxygen or hospital bed in India Pleas for oxygen, hospital beds, ventilators, access to intensive care units and even Covid-19 tests have inundated the Twitter feeds of Indian users in recent weeks. Analysis by Reuters of Twitter data shows one tweet is being sent every 30 seconds by someone using #SOS or the word 'urgent' in relation to Covid, as they appeal to social media for help. The pleas on Twitter only provide a small glimpse into what is happening in the world's second-most populous nation, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has come under criticism for its handling of the crisis. While Twitter is not as widely used as Facebook or WhatsApp in India, it is proving to be a more valuable tool during the pandemic, largely because of its re-tweet function that can quickly amplify pleas for help through users' networks of contacts. 'Twitter is having to do what the government helpline numbers should be doing,' wrote Twitter user Karanbir Singh. Advertisement

The state's oxygen shortages prompted the high court on Wednesday to order the federal government to increase the daily liquid medical oxygen supplied to Karnataka.

The ruling came after 24 COVID-19 patients died in a government hospital on Monday. It's unclear how many of them died due to the lack of oxygen, but an investigation is ongoing.

Experts caution that the surge in Bengaluru is fast eclipsing other hard-hit cities like the capital, New Delhi, and Mumbai.

Cases have increased 100-fold since February, said Murad Banaji, a mathematician modelling COVID-19 growth in India, citing official data.

Test positivity has jumped to over 30 percent, which indicates the infection is much more widespread than confirmed figures, he added.

'Disaster was looming by early March, when cases started to shoot up,' he said. 'Bangalore is more than a ticking time bomb right now - it is in the middle of an explosion.' Bengaluru was previously known as Bangalore.

Much of the focus in recent weeks has been on northern India, led by New Delhi, where television stations have broadcast images of patients lying on stretchers outside hospitals and of mass funeral pyres that burn throughout the night.

The situation unfurling in Karnataka has thrown attention to other southern states also battling a rise in cases. Daily cases have breached the 20,000 mark for the past three days in Andhra Pradesh state, leading to new restrictions there.

Kerala, which emerged as a blueprint for tackling the pandemic last year, began a lockdown on Saturday.

Pictured: A medical worker inoculates a woman with a dose of the Covaxin Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine at a vaccination centre in KC General government hospital in Bangalore on May 7, 2021

While the country has vaccinated over 131 million people - second only to the United States' total figure of almost 150 million - that only represents around 9.5 percent of its total population. Pictured: A graph comparing India (bottom) to other nations

With daily cases crossing 40,000, the state is aggressively boosting resources, including converting hundreds of industrial oxygen cylinders into medical oxygen, said Dr. Amar Fetle, the state's officer for COVID-19.

'The magnitude of cases from last year to now is vastly different,' he said, adding that increasing numbers have meant more hospitalizations and more strain on health care systems, with hospitals running nearly full.

'It's become a race between occupancy and how fast we can add beds. We're trying to stay ahead of the virus as best as we can.'

It's clear infections are rapidly rising across the southern region, but there has been 'less visible outcry' than in the north because of relatively better health infrastructure and government initiatives that address problems at the community level, said Jacob John, professor of community medicine at Christian Medical College, Vellore.

But while the virus has ripped through large cities in waves, smaller towns and villages, where health care is less accessible, are now exposed.

'These places are quickly getting affected, which means we may not have sustained the worst yet in south India,' he said.

A man runs to escape the heat of funeral pyres burning at a cremation ground in Delhi

Indian variant officially labelled 'variant of concern' in Britain In Britain, it was announced by health officials that India's variant is now officially a 'variant of concern'. Public Health England say the variant  linked to an explosion of cases in India  is 'at least' as infectious as the current dominant Kent strain. Cases of the variant, scientifically called B.1.617.2, have more than doubled in a week. It has now been spotted 520 times, with hotspots in Bolton and London. Health officials are confident vaccines currently being used should still work against the variant but are carrying out urgent tests to be certain. Scientists have grouped the Indian variant into three separate sub-strains, with type 2 quickly spreading in the UK. It has been found in schools, care homes and places of worship, it was reported today. The other two are genetically similar strains  B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.3  and aren't currently considered variants of concern. But PHE said their status will be kept 'under constant review'. Despite being more infectious, health chiefs don't believe the variant is deadlier than original coronavirus strains. The move to make the Indian variant one 'of concern' means officials can now put in place tougher measures to contain the strain, including ordering door-to-door tests and boosting contact tracing. All residents living in areas where the variant is spreading in the community will be asked to get a test, even if they don't have symptoms. The Department of Health has announced it will start surge testing in Bolton in the BL3 postcode and has asked residents to book a test online or on the phone so they can go for one at a site or have one delivered to them at home. Surge testing in London has not yet been announced. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Friday that tracking of the Indian variant will be 'absolutely ruthless'. Advertisement

On Friday, the country's main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi issued the dire warning as he called on Prime Minister Modi to begin a second national lockdown.

Mr Gandhi said India's huge and genetically diverse population provides 'fertile ground' for the virus to mutate into more infectious and deadly forms, causing devastation not just within its borders but across the globe.

India has already produced one Covid mutant that is thought to be more infectious than previous strains and which has spread overseas, but high infection rates mean the virus has plenty of chances to mutate again and become more dangerous.

Mr Modi has so-far resisted calls to go into a second national shutdown fearing the economic impacts, and has instead relied on states to decide their own measures while focusing nation efforts on distributing medicines and ramping up vaccines.

But a growing chorus of politicians, medical experts and judges has warned he is running out of options as the country's healthcare system stretches past breaking point with no end to the surge in sight.

'India is home to one out of every six human beings on the planet. The pandemic has demonstrated that our size, genetic diversity and complexity make India fertile ground for the virus to rapidly mutate, transforming itself into a more contagious and more dangerous form,' Mr Ghandi said.

'Allowing the uncontrollable spread of the virus in our country will be devastating not only for our people but also for the rest of the world.'

Researchers' calculations on India's true death toll are based on a statistical model that takes into account 'excess mortality' data - meaning deaths that occur above established averages.

The figure will therefore include deaths that are missed in government counts, such as in India which only includes deaths in hospital and with a positive test - despite both hospital beds and test kits being in short supply.

But the data is controversial because it also mops up a lot of deaths that are either not directly related to Covid, or have nothing to do with the virus at all.

Based on their calculations, India will top 1million Covid deaths by May 27 having taken until April 12 to reach 500,000.

Another model, developed by the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, estimates that the official toll could be above 400,000 by early June.

Their analysis suggests government's figures will hit 404,000 by June 11, having doubled from around 201,000 on April 27 - again, a little over six weeks.

It means India could end up with the world's highest Covid death toll, even if excess mortality isn't taken into account.

America currently has the world's highest official toll, which stands at 594,000.

Pictured: A health worker takes a nasal swab sample of a policeman to test for COVID-19 in Prayagraj, India, Saturday, May 8, 2021

With the crisis showing no sign of slowing and the country's healthcare system stretched past collapse, medical experts, political opponents and some Supreme Court justices have said nationwide measures appear to be the only solution.

Over the past month, nearly a dozen out of India's 28 federal states have announced less stringent restrictions than the nationwide lockdown imposed for two months in March last year.

Modi, who held consultations with top elected leaders and officials of the worst-hit states on Thursday, has so far left the responsibility for fighting the virus to poorly equipped state governments.

Dr. Randeep Guleria, a government health expert, said a complete, aggressive lockdown is needed in India just like last year, especially in areas where more than 10 percent of those tested have contracted COVID-19.

Rahul Gandhi, an opposition Congress party leader, in a letter to Modi on Friday reiterated his demand for a total lockdown, warning 'the human cost will result in many more tragic consequences for our people.'

He said the government should not worry about the economic cost of a shutdown and provide critical financial and food support to the poor.

Srinath Reddy, president of the Public Health Foundation of India, a public-private consultancy, acknowledged that different states were experiencing different intensities of the epidemic, but said a 'coordinated countrywide strategy' was still needed.

According to Reddy, decisions need to be based on local conditions but should be closely coordinated by the center. 'Like an orchestra which plays the same sheet music but with different instruments,' he said.

Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, also suggested that a complete shutdown in India may be needed two to four weeks to help ease the surge of infections.

Modi, who held consultations with top elected leaders and officials of the worst-hit states on Thursday, has so far left the responsibility for fighting the virus to poorly equipped state governments. Pictured: Modi during a campaign rally on March 7, 2021

'As soon as the cases start coming down, you can vaccinate more people and get ahead of the trajectory of the outbreak of the pandemic,' Fauci said in an interview with the Indian television CNN News18 news channel on Thursday. He did not provide specifics of what a shutdown should entail.

He said it appears there are at least two types of virus variants circulating in India. He said B117, which is the U.K. variant, tends to be concentrated in New Delhi and that the 617 variant is concentrated in the worst-hit western Maharashtra state.

'Both of those have increasing capability of transmitting better and more efficiently than the original Wuhan strain a year ago,' Fauci said.

Modi imposed a two-month stringent lockdown last year on four hours' notice. It stranded tens of millions of migrant workers who were left jobless and fled to villages with many dying along the way. Experts say the decision helped contain the virus and bought time for the government.

India's economy contracted by 23 percent in April-June quarter last year and showed recovery as the restrictions were eased. The International Monetary Fund's projection of 12.5 percent growth in 2021-22 financial year, beginning April, is expected to suffer again with the surge in infections.
SCHELLSBURG, Pa. (AP)  Prosecutors in Pennsylvania have announced charges against two people in connection with gunfire between a group of marchers on their way to Washington, D.C., from Milwaukee and a rural Pennsylvania resident last summer.

Bedford County District Attorney Lesley Childers-Potts said Friday that 51-year-old Terry Myers of Schellsburg and 37-year-old Orsino Thurman of Milwaukee, Wisconsin faced charges including aggravated assault and reckless endangering.

Childers-Potts said the charges were based upon the facts of the case, not emotion or popular opinion, adding that she hadn't been willing to make a charging decision based upon incomplete information.

I personally reviewed every piece of evidence, including over 700 pages of written reports prepared by the Pennsylvania State Police, said DA Childers-Potts. Where someone lives or who they know is not relevant in our prosecutions. Seeking truth and justice and doing the right thing for the right reason are important in every case.

The group of about 20 had set out early in August 2020 on a 745-mile march from Milwaukee to the nation's capital to mark the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream Speech. Late on Aug. 24, 2020, the group stopped alongside rural Route 30 in Bedford County near the towing garage and home of Myers' father, who saw them outside and yelled at them to leave, although police said there was no indication that they heard him.

A state police affidavit released Friday said Terry Myers arrived and fired twice in the air with a shotgun, then scanned the crowd with his gun and fired after seeing two flashes, hitting Thurman in the face, The (Johnstown) Tribune-Democrat reported. Two pistol shots then rang out and Myers responded with another blast, police said, citing footage they had reviewed, the paper said.

Thurman was recorded moments later saying Myers shot me with the buckshot. I hit him, too, the report said. Police said at the time that one demonstrator was struck by bird shot and was treated at a hospital and then released.

Myers was charged with aggravated and simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, criminal mischief and harassment, prosecutors said. Thurman was charged with a firearms crime as well as aggravated and simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, criminal mischief and criminal trespassing.

Myers attorney, Matthew Zatko, told WJAC-TV that his client fired in self-defense.

If you look at the affidavit especially the last page, you will see that in the state police investigation, they indicate that two shots were fired at Mr. Myers before he returned the shots, striking the individual who fired the gun, Zatko said. Those are the facts and they are not in dispute.

Court documents didn't list an attorney for Thurman and numbers listed in his name weren't in service Saturday.
YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. Paul Van Doren, the co-founder of Vans sneaker and clothing company, has died at age 90, CNN reports citing the companys statement issued on Friday.

It's with a heavy heart that Vans announces the passing of our co-founder, Paul Van Doren. Paul was not just an entrepreneur; he was an innovator, the company tweeted.

Van Doren, a high school dropout, launched the brand renowned in skateboarding circles alongside his brother Jim Van Doren and two other partners. The first Vans store opened in 1966 in Anaheim, California. On the store's opening day, 12 customers purchased shoes, the company said.

Van Doren led the company at various times for the next two decades until it was sold in 1988. Vans is currently owned by VF Corporation, which also runs brands such as Supreme, The North Face, Timberland, Dickies and JanSport. Today, there are more than 300 Vans stores worldwide.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Biman Banerjee on Friday elected as Speaker of West Bengal Legislative Assembly for the third time.

West Bengal witnessed a fierce contest between the ruling and BJP across eight phases. The Samyukta Morcha comprising the Congress, Left parties and ISF has also tried to put up a strong fight. The BJP has made a concerted attempt to dislodge the

Trinamool Congress (TMC) won 213 seats in the just concluded state assembly elections. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the other hand, garnered 77 seats in the 294-seat state assembly.

Elections for two seats in Murshidabad are postponed due to the demise of candidates due to COVID-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.)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-07 23:08:14|Editor: huaxia

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MOSCOW, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has signed deals with three Chinese biopharmaceutical companies for the production of over 260 million doses of its Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus in the past weeks, according to statements published on the website of the RDIF.

The first contract was signed with China's Shenzhen Yuanxing Gene-tech Co., Ltd. on March 29 for the production of over 60 million doses of the Sputnik V jab that is scheduled to start this month.

Another agreement was reached on April 1 with a subsidiary of a key leader in the pharmaceutical field, the Tibet Rhodiola Pharmaceutical Holding, namely TopRidge Pharma, for the production of over 100 million doses per year.

The most recent agreement was reached on April 19 with a subsidiary of a major Chinese biopharmaceutical producer Hualan Biological Engineering Inc. for the production of over 100 million doses.

The three deals together amount to a production of over 260 million doses of the jab, which will facilitate supply and could be sufficient to fully vaccinate over 130 million people worldwide, according to the RDIF.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the RDIF, said cooperation with China would significantly "help increase production capacities," adding that the country is one of Russia's key partners in this field.

"China is one of the major production hubs for Sputnik V and we are ready for increasing the scope of partnership with local producers to meet the rising demand for the Russian vaccine," he added. Enditem
What is the name of the police officer at the Minnesota show trial? His given name is Derek Chauvin, but the circumstances of this trial suggest that perhaps his last name may as well be Dreyfus. French officer Alfred Dreyfus was neither the first nor the last to suffer from the mass hysteria of the brainless crowd. He was eventually acquitted on appeal, but there is no guarantee that the same fate awaits this Minnesota police officer. Whats common to both the Chauvin and Dreyfus cases is that a phony press, high-ranking politicians, and well-brainwashed citizens played a decisive role in something that the law and only the law should have operated.

The mass-disinformation media create their own reality, and in this reality, officers Alfred Dreyfus and Derek Chauvin are guilty. In America, this alternative reality is based on the fact that we allegedly have systemic, institutional racism. If we accept this point of view, we then must acknowledge that the systemically racist American judicial system delivered Chauvin a guilty verdict. Of course, this is a logical contradiction  if institutional racism exists, why would Chauvin be spending decades in prison?

Was the jurys decision fair? From the jurys point of view, of course. Otherwise, their lives and the lives of their families would not be worth a penny. From the point of view of the city of Minneapolis, it was very fair. Otherwise, the city would have been burned to the ground. From a legal point of view, this was a gross, unforgivable, but possibly deliberate mistake. It is entirely plausible that there is a sober calculation here  to postpone the pogroms until the appellate courts decision. Most likely, the appellate decision will coincide precisely with the next presidential election or a Republican presidents inauguration.

With braggadocio, Antifa proudly proclaims that Chauvins conviction was possible only because of their daring campaign of mass terror and calls for further violent actions and attacks on law enforcement. All cops are Derek Chauvin  read their post-trial slogan. This also applies to flippant or frightened police officers who flinched and knelt in front of BLM and thereby demonstrated their weakness to the Leftists.

With grief, conservatives in America are now assigned a second-class status, just like the Jews in Nazi Germany. The appropriate term to describe this new political phenomenon would be Judenization.

The chaos on the streets of many American cities began in 2018 with Jewish pogroms. BLM and Antifa attacked Jews and synagogues. The chaos continued for years. In 2021, this Judenization of all American dissidents reached a new level.

Currently, American citizens who legally acquire or inherit firearms face the threat of confiscation. Most conservatives have been banished to digital Gulags and internet concentration camps. Conservatives are the only ones who warn that these virtual, digital Gulags are paving the way for the real Gulags.

Germany from 1933 to 1938 followed a similar path. The Nazis outlawed firearms for everyone except members of organizations associated with the Nazis. Censorship was rampant, including the public burning of unwanted books. Finally, an attempt was made to the final solution to the Jewish question  first in the Third Reich and then in the Soviet Union.

21st century America has so much in common with the Third Reich and the USSR, especially the juxtaposition of European Jews and American conservatives  and, indeed, all White Americans who have not abased themselves before the left. America is still far from full-fledged Nazi or Soviet terror. Today, this is just an inquisition against conservatives, Republicans, and other dissidents, but this may be just the beginning. If left unhindered, it is clear that the American Left is setting the stage for a final solution to the conservative and White question.

Chauvins trial may mean that soon the conservatives will have to wear an American flag badge on their clothes  as a sign of their second-class citizen status. The first-class citizens will not wear a swastika (after all, its the 21st century) but a badge with a hammer and sickle. An American professor, a BLM supporter, said immediately after Chauvins verdict: One cop almost down. A massive carceral system and a million other cops, capitalism, White supremacy, patriarchy, ableism, misogyny, to go.

Judaization came about because the reasons the Left hates America and the reasons the Left hates Jews are essentially the same. Anti-Americanism has always paralleled anti-Semitism, and the persecution of conservatives in America is strikingly similar to the persecution of European Jews.

Unfortunately, America has not learned the lessons of the pogroms of 2018-2020. For example, Minneapoliss autonomous zone posted new rules that all Whites who enter the zone must follow. The rules oblige Whites to make every effort to actively demonstrate their position as second-class citizens.

Another example of Judenization in America is in Washington state. There, coronavirus vaccination is available foremost only to blacks, American Indians, and everyone else of color. Some medical institutions do not even schedule vaccination appointments for Whites at all  Whites are put on a separate, segregated waiting list.

There is no conclusive evidence for the existence of systemic racism in America. But there are signs of systemic Judenization.

In the slave era, Democrats masterfully used Blacks for their own purposes. After that, during segregation, the Democrats skillfully used Whites for their own purposes. Now the Democrats have switched back to Blacks and are using them to the fullest for their political ends. However, the mistakes of White Democrats in the 19th century against Blacks cannot be corrected in the 21st century by bullying White conservatives. We cannot get rid of the consequences of the existence of second-class people in the past by creating new second-class people.

The leftwing bandits incitement, along with legal, financial, and political support for persecuting conservatives and Whites is contrary to the Constitution and leads to an unnecessary confrontation in society. America does not need Judenization of any part of society; only anti-American forces need it. Of course, the primary victims of societal disintegration will be Black and White citizens who follow this sinister leftist ideology. At present, these forces are united against the common hated capitalist enemy  America, but the time is not far off when they will begin to gnaw each others throats.

When the Founders adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, that marked the beginning of our country. Almost 250 years later, many brainless Americans advocate adopting a Declaration of Dependence.

The Left wants American citizens to be entirely dependent on Washington. They want citizens to depend on handouts from the federal government. They want the welfare of citizens to depend on the degree of their conformity to ideas of narrow-minded Democrat gerontocracy. They want individual freedom and freedom of speech to depend on sincerity in supporting leftist dogmas. To achieve this, they must break our existing social compact. To that end, the Chauvin-Dreyfus affair means that most of Americas law-abiding citizens are undergoing a violent Judenization process, which will naturally be followed by an attempt at a final solution.

In the not-too-distant future, many unsuspecting Americans will be faced with the unfamiliar word Judenfrei or more precisely, theyll face its Newspeak equivalent.

Gary Gindler, Ph.D., is a conservative columnist at Gary Gindler Chronicles and a new science founder: Politiphysics. Follow him on (soon-to-be-suspended from) Twitter .

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Ukraine on Saturday, May 8, honors the memory of the victims of the Second World War, which killed more than 8 million Ukrainians, the Foreign Ministry reminds.

"During the war, more than 8 million Ukrainians were killed, tortured or starved to death. More than 7 million Ukrainians fought against the Nazis in the ranks of the allies. Our compatriots were at the forefront - from the very beginning until the final victory. This is a story of destruction, death and misinformation - a big lie that incites enmity, destroys and kills," the ministry said on Facebook.

Despite the hope that war will never again come to the Ukrainian land, in 2014 Russia launched a military aggression against Ukraine and occupied part of the Ukrainian territory, the ministry recalled.

"Today Ukraine defends not only itself, but the entire democratic Europe. The Europe that appeared on the ruins of World War II and is united by the main idea 'Never Again'," the Foreign Ministry stressed.
upGrad, South Asias largest online higher education company, in association with MICA Ahmedabad, hosted the second edition of its online Valedictory Ceremony over the weekend for 1,117 learners who received their degrees. Gracing the event with their presence were Swati Mohan - former Marketing Head for Netflix, MICA Ahmedabad Chairperson for Online Programs - Dr Anita Basalingappa, Professor Siddharth Deshmukh, Professor Dr. Falguni Vasavada-Oza, and upGrad Co-founder and MD of upGrad- Mayank Kumar.

MICA Ahmedabad, along with upGrad, celebrated the successful completion of PG in Digital Marketing and Communications, thus marking another successful event in a span of less than 8 months. Learners coming from various walks of life also included working professionals who wished to expand their skills. The learners who graduated were also addressed by Alumni speakers such as Yuvraj Gogia, Marketing Manager - Wildcraft India, Swati Mohan - ex-Marketing Head, Netflix, Dr. Anita Basalingappa, Chairperson - Online Programs, Professor Dr. Falguni Vasavada-Oza, and Professor Siddharth Deshmukh, along with upGrad Co-founder and MD, Mayank Kumar.

Addressing the learners, Dr Anita Basalingappa - MICA Chairperson for Online Programs, quoted to the learners, "Congratulations to each one of you and your loved ones for successful completion of the program in these challenging times! You are now equipped with the most relevant skills in Digital Marketing & Communication. Be the change you want to see. Every drop in the ocean matters. Dream! Be ambitious! Taste success & failure! Be a life-long learner! Wishing you the best in all your future endeavours! Stay strong & be yourself!"

The guest speaker at the event, Swati Mohan, former Head of Marketing at Netflix, gave the learners excellent insights on being digital marketers of the future. Starting her speech by talking about the pandemic and its sombre repercussions, Swati expressed how a mark of celebrating achievement brings a positive spin to people's lives. She placed two examples of leveraging the true strengths of digital marketing by talking about Netflix's show Sacred Games and National Geographic's initiative Mission Blue. In conclusion, Swati gave the learners three essential points to remember when journeying ahead in the digital marketing space as she quoted, "It truly has been great to be with you all here today. Congratulations once again, and also a big thank you to upGrad and MICA. And till we do meet again (and I hope we do), Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish, Stay Curious, Stay Safe."

upGrad Co-founder and Managing Director Mayank Kumar thanked the MICA Ahmedabad, upGrad community and the learners who made the Valedictorian Ceremony possible. In his speech, he addressed the learners saying, "No matter at what point you are in your journey, whether you are just starting your career or have already completed two decades of it, you are unique. You have the ability, the determination, the commitment, and the fire to do better every single day." Further, he also spoke about how upGrad has promised to be a LifeLongLearning partner to learners and make them industry-ready with unique skills. India is witnessing a wave wherein such online Valedictory ceremonies are taking the centre-stage, added Kumar.

The experience of the online graduation ceremony was further elevated with an entertaining performance by the musical group, Maati Baani. MICA online, in partnership with upGrad, have been offering the PG Certificate in Digital Marketing and Communications for the past eight years.
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I overheard a conversation this morning in a cafe, So nice to be able to meet in these post-COVID times. Then she checked herself, if we can say we are post-COVID.

It turns out we cant. A Sydney couple who tested positive for COVID-19 despite no known links to travel, quarantine, or hospitals, highlight Australias vulnerability. It remains to be seen how long the chain between the patient and the source is, and whether other clusters will emerge.

Doctors have been reporting cancellation of vaccination appointments. Credit:Edwina Pickles

Vaccination is necessary to reach the post-COVID-19 era. The federal government reports 2.4 million doses have been given so far. But confidence is falling. One in six Australians say they will never be vaccinated. (Up from 1 in 12 in August last year.) Another 42 per cent say they will  but not just yet. This is what we call vaccine hesitancy. People who dont believe that the vaccine contains 5G or that COVID is a plandemic nonetheless have concerns. Blood clots associated with AstraZeneca have led to a rise in hesitancy. Only 37 per cent are happy to take whichever vaccine they are offered.

This is already having an impact. There are reports of cancellations and unused doses. Many Australians over 50 are saying they want to delay the vaccine and wait possibly six months for Pfizer  this has huge implications for vaccine coverage/community protection.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 15:47:57|Editor: huaxia

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CHANGCHUN, May 8 (Xinhua) -- A tourist was stranded on a glass-bottomed bridge on Friday at a resort in northeast China's Jilin Province after it was damaged by a gale, raising public concerns over the safety of the growing number of glass bridges across the country.

Several pieces of deck glass of the 100-meter-high bridge were blown off by the wind gusting at a speed of up to 150 km per hour around 12:45 p.m. at the Piyan Mountain in the city of Longjing, according to the city government.

Under the joint rescue efforts of firefighters, police, and forestry and tourism personnel, the male tourist successfully crawled to safety at 1:20 p.m.

He has been sent to a hospital and is receiving psychological counseling.

Although no casualties were reported, the incident has drawn many discussions online, with over 4 million views on Twitter-like Sina Weibo.

"This is exactly why I dare not step on a bridge like that," wrote a netizen named "Wadetian."

"How often did the bridge undergo maintenance?" another netizen inquired.

Glass-bottomed bridges are becoming increasingly popular in China's mountain resorts as a way to attract tourists seeking novelty and adventure.

According to Earth magazine published by the Geological Museum of China, at least 60 glass-bottomed bridges had been or were being built across the country as of late 2016.

In mountainous provinces like Jiangxi, Hunan and Yunnan, glass bridges are particularly common. The most famous is at Zhangjiajie, a tourist destination in Hunan, where a 430-meter-long, six-meter-wide bridge hangs between two steep cliffs 300 meters above the ground.

"So many glass deck bridges have been built in recent years and are very popular with tourists. But how can we ensure their safety?" said a netizen surnamed Li, who is identified as a doctor in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Some local governments have already put in place guidelines to forestall the potential hazards. North China's Hebei Province released in 2018 technical standards for glass bridges and walkways at scenic areas, providing specific guidelines for materials, location, design, construction as well as the use of such bridges and walkways.

For example, glass bridges should not be built in areas with high seismic activity and must be closed during bad weather and natural disasters, and the number of pedestrians on such bridges and walkways will be limited to no more than three per square meter, according to the guidelines.

The Piyan Mountain resort has now been closed.

The Longjing city government will carry out a comprehensive safety inspection of all tourist attractions, and an investigation into the case is underway. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 17:19:01|Editor: huaxia

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WELLINGTON, May 8 (Xinhua) -- A nationwide telecommunication outage is slowing the COVID-19 vaccination process in New Zealand, said the Ministry of Health in a statement on Saturday.

The telecommunications service provider Vodafone has informed the ministry of a nationwide outage which is affecting the digital services at some COVID-19 vaccination centres across the country, said the ministry.

"This means people queuing have to fill out forms manually which is adding some time to the process," said the ministry in the statement.

"We are aware of an issue causing intermittent loss of data for some customers on fixed and mobile connections, and were investigating," said Vodafone New Zealand in a statement on its social media account on Saturday.

There were long queues at two COVID-19 vaccination centres in Auckland on Friday too.

Matt Hannant, director of the Auckland COVID-19 vaccine program, apologized to the public after people gave up waiting for the jab due to long queues and disorganisation.

"We're really sorry for any inconvenience that people have experienced. This is the biggest logistical exercise that's ever been undertaken by the healthcare system," said Hannant.

According to the New Zealand COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan, border and managed isolation and quarantine facilities workers, high-risk frontline workers and people living in high-risk places are in the priority groups currently being vaccinated.

The latest data from the ministry showed that 304,900 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine have been administrated in New Zealand as of May 4. Enditem
Ten men and women have been caught using drugs at a karaoke parlor in Hanoi although local authorities have banned all karaoke services to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Police in Thach That District confirmed on Thursday they had apprehended Ta Quang Viet, 25, owner of Hoa Sua karaoke shop, for trading drugs and harboring the illegal use of narcotics.

Officers also detained Le Van Than, 29, for illegal possession of drugs, as well as Le Cong Duc Long, 21, and Nguyen Ngoc Kim, 25, for organizing illegal use of narcotics.

The districts police unit previously raided Hoa Sua karaoke shop at around 1:30 am on Tuesday and discovered 13 people, including six men and seven women, inside a room.

Ten of them tested positive for drugs.

Officers also confiscated more than two kilograms of ketamine and over one kilogram of MDMA, also known as ecstasy.

All karaoke parlors, bars, discos, and game centers in Hanoi have ceased their operations from April 30 due to the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The municipal Department of Public Security has tasked its units with inspecting these venues to make sure they comply with the order.

Vietnam has recorded 3,091 coronavirus patients as of Friday afternoon, with 2,560 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the health ministry.

The country has registered 121 local infections in over a dozen provinces and cities since April 27.

Among them, 47 have been documented in Hanoi.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 13:53:30|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, May 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 25 Taliban militants were killed and 12 others wounded during a counter-attack offensive launched by Afghan government forces in northern Baghlan province during Friday night, the Ministry of Defense confirmed on Saturday.

During the operation supported by Afghan Air Force, a militants' vehicle and some amount of arms and equipment were also destroyed, the ministry said in a statement.

Hundreds of armed Taliban fighters have attacked and tried to capture Baghlan in recent days but their attacks were repulsed after the government dispatched reinforcement to the war front in the restive province.

The militant group has not made comments so far.

Violence lingers in war-torn Afghanistan as the U.S. and NATO troops are leaving the country.

About 3,500 U.S. forces and 7,000 NATO troops will be withdrawn before Sept. 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the United States into war in Afghanistan. Enditem
The Barefoot Investor has warned his herd of followers to steer clear of the latest 'worthless' cryptocurrency craze Dogecoin.

Dogecoin was created as a 'joke' by its Australian founders several years ago but thanks to Elon Musk throwing his support behind the digital currency, its value has skyrocketed in recent months.

Inspired by the 'doge' meme of a Shiba Inu dog breed, the digital currency is now worth US60c per coin.

Australian financial advisor Scott Pape in response sent an email to his subscribers airing his very blunt opinion on the latest crypto craze.

Barefoot Investor Scott Pape sent an honest email to his followers urging them to steer clear of the 'worthless' currency

'The best-performing cryptocurrency stretching back six years  the top dog  is Dogecoin,' he wrote.

'Remember, Dogecoin was set up as a 'p**s-take' by its Aussie founder. It has zero tangible value. It is worthless.'

He admitted to feeling like a 'chump' because its value has risen so swiftly but claimed he didn't feel like he was missing out and likened the currency to poker machines.

'So do I feel a twinge of regret for not getting in? No,' he wrote.

'For much the same reason that I've never contemplated putting 1 per cent of my net worth into the pokies (''Just in case, you know, I win the jackpot'').

'Life is really hard when you believe you can make a quick buck from magical dog memes. It's stressful being a gambler.

'There is no skill involved, and the odds are stacked against you.'

Dogecoin which is inspired by the 'doge' meme of a Shiba Inu dog breed, is now worth a staggering 60 US cents per coin

Mr Pape said to profit from Dogecoin, you had to sell it - and 'every man and his dog' would trying to sell out of the digital currency when its value peaked.

'If you're persuaded to sell your boring index funds and lay down with dogs, I can almost guarantee you'll eventually end up with financial fleas,' he wrote.

Dogecoin was first launched in 2013 by Australian software engineers Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer to make fun of other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

But thanks to the public backing of Tesla founder Mr Musk who regularly tweets about Dogecoin, the currency reached record highs.

With Mr Musk set to host this weekend's Saturday Night Live episode, its value rose even more over the past few days.

Another notable feature is unlike Bitcoin, which is capped at 21 million coins, there's no limit on Dogecoin currency.

The market value of the currency is now reportedly worth $100billion, with even rapper Snoop Dogg in support.
In the midst of uncertainty created by a global pandemic that has been particularly hard on culture, the Russian Museum in Malaga has opened one of its most ambitious annual exhibitions yet, accompanied by two new temporary shows.

NEW EXHIBITIONS War and Peace in Russian Art. Content: A selection of more than 180 works running through the history of Russia through its conflicts. Dates: Until 24 April 2022. Large format: Nearly half of the works, especially on canvas, are large format. Ivan Aivazovsky and marine painters in Russia. Show: A collection of 39 works, mainly seascapes. Date: Until 12 October 2021. Leo Tolstoy. The Journey of Life. Content: Small format works focusing on the writers life. More information. Where: Coleccion del Museo Ruso. Tabacalera. Av. de Sor Teresa Prat, 15, 29003 Malaga. Opening times: 9.30am to 8pm. Closed Mondays.

War and Peace in Russian Art is made up of 180 works that together present a vibrant journey through the history of Russia guided by the horror of war.

The collection ranges from wooden 16th-century icons to 20th-century avant-garde pieces, focusing on the consequences of wartime horrors. It puts generals alongside wretched paupers, great battles and conquests alongside famine and the wounded, the common thread being the title of the famous novel by Leo Tolstoy, who has his own specific show alongside.

The exhibition's curator Pavel Klimov, explained that the new exhibition is not just about Tolstoy's novel:

"The war and peace of the novel coincide over time like two aspects of a life full of sharp, often unbearable contrasts, where the distance between happiness and sadness, life and death, is sometimes insignificant. The reality of the Napoleonic wars, as described by Tolstoy, could be extended, with some reservations, to the entire history of Russia, which has known few times of peace. And art is a mirror of this history, through which the bitter memory of those who died lives on, and the sound of the drums of war can be heard," he said.

The works in the exhibition, which has been put together in collaboration with Fundacion La Caixa, are displayed mainly in chronological order. This starts with a selection of icons, which share space with outstanding paintings such as Viktor Vasnetsov's Battle between the Scythians and the Slavs (1881).

Siberian Partisans (1927) by Yuri Khrzhanovsky. / Nito Salas

Ivan the Terrible and the so-called Time of Troubles (1598-1613) give way to the wars against the French troops led by Napoleon. A stopping point in this section is Council of War in Fili in 1812 by Aleksey Kivshenko, which shows the moment just after the Battle of Borodino in which Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov takes the decision to abandon Moscow to withdraw troops and, later, win the war.

The most imposing room of the exhibition contains Pavel Filonov's fascinating canvas The German War (1914-1915).

Kazimir Malevich also makes a welcome return to the Russian Museum with Red Cavalry Riding (c. 1932), which has been deservedly given pride of place on the presidential wall of this exhibition.

Detail of one of the pieces in the earlier rooms of the exhibition. / Nito Salas

The room devoted to the Leningrad siege brings more horror, with scenes by Andrei Mylnikov. He depicted streets full of death and desolation, disturbed faces: horror around every corner.

The Russian Museum also unveiled two temporary shows last Friday. The first is a collection of 39 seascapes by Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900), introduced as Russia's great marine artist. The second is the aforementioned exhibit devoted to Leo Tolstoy himself, and includes portraits and pencil sketches of the writer.


Nine killed in gelatin stick explosion in Andhra At least nine workers were killed and some others injured in gelatin sticks explosion in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district on Saturday, police said. The incident occurred near Mamillapalle village in Kalasapadu mandal when the labourers were unloading gelatin stick from a vehicle for using them at a limestone mine.



Such was the impact of the explosion that the body parts of the deceased were blown apart and the vehicle was completely burnt.



The workers hailing from Kalasapadu and Pulivendula mandals were carrying gelatin sticks for blasting the rocks at the mine.



Police rushed to the spot and shifted the bodies for autopsy. They took up the investigation and were trying to find out if the quarry had license to use the explosives.



Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed shock over the deaths in the explosion. He conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased.



The chief minister enquired about the incident and its reasons from senior officials.



TDP national president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu also expressed deep shock and grief over the death of several innocent workers in the blast.



He demanded that the government extend all help and announce ex gratia to the kin of the deceased on par with the LG Polymers in Vizag.



In a statement here, the TDP chief demanded immediate steps to provide better medical care to all those who were injured in the blast. It was unfortunate the tragic incident took place claiming so many lives in the chief minister's own native district. To prevent such incidents, proper safety standards should be followed there. All the workers should be given perfect safety equipment.



Chandrababu Naidu said that the government should immediately launch rescue and relief operations. The rulers should explain to the people why they had allowed the mining works at a time when there was an 18-hour curfew clamped all over the state to check the spread of coronavirus.












A Florida school principal has been cleared of wrongdoing after a viral video showed her spanking a six-year-old girl with a paddle in front of her mom as punishment for damaging a computer.

State Attorney Amira Fox's office said Friday that Melissa Carter, head of Central Elementary School in Clewiston, will not face charges over the incident and that no crime was committed.

Prosecutors said the punishment did not cause harm or amount to child abuse and that its investigation found the child's mom, Fabiola Rivera, had consented to her daughter being spanked by the school staffer.

Carter was under investigation by police after she was filmed spanking the crying girl with a paddle in a classroom on April 13.

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Florida school principal Melissa Carter, left, is seen spanking the six-year-old child with a wooden paddle on April 13. Carter has been cleared of wrongdoing

State Attorney Amira Fox's office said Friday that Melissa Carter (pictured), head of Central Elementary School in Clewiston, will not face charges over the incident

The six year-old's mother, who has not been named, said she was called to her daughter's school after the officials complained she had caused damage to a school computer.

The mother, who does not speak fluent English, claims she was confused by the allegations made against her daughter as she arrived at the school to pay a $50 fine.

She claims she was taken to the principal's office where her daughter was waiting.

Carter then brought out a wooden paddle and smacked the girl on the behind as she wailed.

The mom secretly filmed the incident but did not intervene, later claiming she was confused due to the language barrier.

She filed a police report and her attorney Brent Probinsky accused Carter of committing child abuse and aggravated battery.

But prosecutors said Friday their probe found no crime had been committed.

According to statements by Carter and another staff member Cecilia Self, the first-grader's mom was called by the school telling her about her child damaging the computer and that she would have to pay a fine.

The mom told Self her daughter was breaking things at home as well but that she was scared to spank her daughter at home because the girl had threatened to call authorities, according to the memo.

The mother is an undocumented immigrant and was fearful of reprimand.

The school staff told investigators that the mom asked if the school could spank the child for her, according to the memo.

Rivera was reportedly told she would have to come to the school to request such discipline, and must be 'present during the spanking if she wished for school staff to do it for her,' the memo reads.

'According to both Ms. Carter and Ms. Self, Ms. Rivera then arrived at the school and made that request.'

Prosecutors said it appears that Rivera filmed the incident without the knowledge of anyone else in the room.

In the video, Carter is seen explaining to the child what was about to happen and why.

The little girl can be heard whimpering and crying as she is beaten with the paddle at school

Carter was under investigation by police after she was filmed spanking the crying girl with a paddle in a classroom on April 13. Carter left and another staff member Cecilia Self right

Self and Carter then appear to position the girl in a way she can be safely spanked without causing her injury, prosecutors said.

The girl was then spanked three times then told to apologize to her mother and that the same punishment would happen again if she continued to misbehave.

Both staff members appear to 'treat the child and her mother with respect throughout the process' with Self translating to Spanish for the benefit of the mom on several occasions, the State Attorney's Office said.

At no point did the mom object to what was going on and when she left with her daughter she said 'thank you' to the two staff members, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the two staff members' versions of events also matched their interview with the child.

Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Abraham Thornburg concluded that 'the evidence in this case appears clear that the child's mother sanctioned and consented to the spanking of her daughter as discipline for misbehavior.

'A parent has a right to use corporal punishment to discipline their children and similarly has the right to consent that others do so on their behalf.'

'Based upon the evidence reviewed, the actions of Ms. Carter in this case do not meet the elements of any criminal offense in the State of Florida,' the State Attorney's Office added.

The office also said that edited clips of the video had been released to local media which had led to an 'incomplete and misleading account of the incident.'

The DA's decision came after county investigators reached a similar conclusion.

The mother had told investigators she had been 'confused' because of the language barrier and didn't know what was going on.

Central Elementary School in Clewiston, Florida above. Prosecutors said the punishment did not cause harm or amount to child abuse and that its investigation found the child's mom, Fabiola Rivera, had consented to her daughter being spanked by the school staffer

Carter did not commit a crime prosecutors said Friday. Florida is one of 19 states that still allows corporal punishment in schools, but the practice is banned in Hendry County school district - which includes Central Elementary School

She claimed she feared getting in trouble, or having her immigration status questioned if she tried to stand up for her daughter.

She later took her daughter to a doctor, and documented red marks and bruises made by the paddle.

She later told local media she had offered the youngster as a 'sacrifice' and filmed the spanking to show what was happening at the school.

She said she was now worried about what psychological harm has been caused to her child.

Florida is one of 19 states that still allows corporal punishment in schools, but the practice is banned in Hendry County school district - which includes Central Elementary School.

Corporal punishment is legal in 19 US states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.

But certain school districts in those states have banned the punishment.

In 2011, New Mexico became the most recent state to outlaw the practice.
They are rarely seen together despite having been in a relationship for three years.

And Jake Gyllenhaal, 40, and his French girlfriend Jeanne Cadieu, 25, kept a low profile as they were spotted out separately in Manhattan.

The actor strolled ahead of his model girlfriend and chatted away on the phone while his partner strolled solo behind through NYC.

Walking apart: Jake Gyllenhaal, 40, and his French girlfriend Jeanne Cadieu, 25, kept a low profile as they were spotted out separately in Manhattan

Jake cut a dapper figure in a navy bomber jacket teamed with jeans and white trainers and covered his face with a black face mask in keeping with pandemic protocol.

Jeanne looked typically stylish in an oversized camel coat.

She wore her glossy brunette hair loose and teamed her jacket with a pair of white culottes.

Opting for comfort in a pair of multicoloured trainers, the beauty kept the rays at bay with a chic pair of sunglasses and also donned a black face mask.

Stylish: Jeanne looked typically stylish in an oversized camel coat teamed with culottes and multi-coloured trainers

Though glimpses of the pair together are infrequent, sources told Us Weekly in December 2018 that their relationship had become serious.

'Jeanne is very mature for her age. She's quirky, smart and loves history, reading; she's a really great and well-rounded person,' a source told the magazine.

The source added, 'She and Jake really took things slow, but are now pretty serious.'

In conversation: Jake strolled ahead of his model girlfriend and chatted away on the phone

The couple have spent many vacations together including trips to Martha's Vineyard, London, Greece and Paris.

In 2019, Jeanne attended the opening night of Jake nd Tom Sturridge's Broadway play Sea Wall/A Life. They also went to several events together but walked the red carpet separately.

In August 2019, Page Six reported that the stunning brunette had met the Spiderman: Far From Home star's family.

Though the two both have Instagram accounts, they did not follow each other up until recently.

Jake's previous romances were much more public. The Nocturnal Animals actor has dated some of Hollywood's most famous faces including Kirsten Dunst, Natalie Portman, Reese Witherspoon and Taylor Swift.

However, he has said that he prefers to lead a private life.

Supportive girlfriend: Jeanne attended the opening night of Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge's Broadway play Sea Wall/A Life in 2019

In a 2017 interview with The Guardian, Jake said, 'There are some things I keep to myself, that are my business.'

Gyllenhaal explained, 'I'm not necessarily guarded, but I consider intimacy to be very important and I don't think everybody needs to know about my family or my personal details. I'm old school in that way.'

'I would love to not talk about my personal life,' he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 19:24:35|Editor: huaxia

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by Naim-Ul-Karim

DHAKA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The decision by the World Health Organization (WHO) to list China's Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use will bolster the inoculation drive against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, a Bangladeshi health expert said on Saturday.

Bangladesh is very pleased to learn about the WHO decision to include the Chinese-made vaccine in the Emergency Use Listing (EUL), which surely comes as a big blessing for the whole world in the fight against the deadly disease, said Mushtuq Hossain, an adviser to the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research under Bangladesh's Health Ministry, in an interview with Xinhua.

Bangladesh's drug regulator has already approved the Sinopharm vaccine, one of two main Chinese vaccines that have already been applied to hundreds of millions of people in China and worldwide, for emergency use in the country, he said.

"Our government has already signed an agreement with Chinese counterparts to import this vaccine," the Bangladeshi health expert said.

This decision of the WHO will further facilitate the vaccination of more Bangladeshis, he added.

Speaking of the conference with South Asian foreign ministers that China hosted recently, he said that this was a good initiative of the Chinese government.

"International cooperation is a must for fighting a global pandemic, like COVID-19," he said, noting that a WHO emergency use listing will help China extend more support to the countries in need.

The EUL is reportedly a signal to national regulators on a product's safety and efficacy, and would allow the shot to be included in COVAX, a global coalition that works to ensure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines around the world.

The WHO has previously given emergency approval to COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the country's COVID-19 vaccination drive on Jan. 28 to rein in the pandemic that has so far spread across Bangladesh.

Amid uncertainty over the timely arrival of the next COVID-19 vaccine shipment from India, the Bangladeshi government later halted administering first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine across the country. Enditem
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Matt Hancock was last night accused of sabotaging the nation's half-term holiday plans as the backlash over the Government's overseas travel blueprint intensified.

Fingers were pointed at the Health Secretary and his department amid anger about how Downing Street chose the first 'green list' of 12 countries cleared for quarantine-free holidays after May 17.

Many of the countries are extremely remote or are not allowing tourists to enter. Other potential destinations with low infection levels and high vaccination rates, including the Greek islands, were given 'amber' status, meaning holidaymakers would need to isolate when they returned to the UK.

Meanwhile, the cost of trips to Portugal  the only country on the list regularly visited by large numbers of British holidaymakers  soared.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that the holiday lists will be reviewed in the week beginning May 31 with an update issued the following week. The Joint Biosecurity Centre, which advises the Government, will then assess the data every three weeks before presenting its findings.

Matt Hancock was last night accused of sabotaging the nation's half-term holiday plans as the backlash over the Government's overseas travel blueprint intensified

There was also widespread dismay across the travel industry. easyJet boss Johan Lundgren (above) said the decision to block major holiday destinations was 'overly cautious' and 'not justified by the evidence'

Despite that, Ministers were yesterday accused of 'treating everybody like fools, idiots and children' over the issue.

One senior Conservative said of the traffic-light system: 'The whole thing's a disaster. The vaccine programme will have covered everybody, but instead the decisions have been handed over to the scientists.'

Insiders said the decisions have been 'led by [the Department of] Health' with the Cabinet split between Mr Hancock and Cabinet Officer Minister Michael Gove who were both 'absolutely determined to lock down everything and do exactly what the scientists say' and Home Secretary Priti Patel, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Chancellor Rishi Sunak who argued for a less strict approach. Boris Johnson was described as the 'punchbag in the middle of them'.

Several sources said the Greek islands had not made it on to the first 'green list' because health officials 'weren't ready' to assess the data of the islands separately.

Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski, who sits on the All Party Parliamentary Group for Greece, said: 'How can you categorise Greece as a whole if it comprises hundreds of islands? Islands like Kos, Rhodes, Crete and Corfu all have their own airports. It is not a question of flying to Athens and going from there. Some of these islands have a very low R rate, and authorities have put into place measures to protect tourists.'

All adults on the island of Halki, for example, have been vaccinated, and as of last month there had been no Covid cases there.

Questioning the Government's 'illogical approach', another Tory MP said: 'Australia and New Zealand have banned everybody. So they thought, 'Let's put them on the list, because it's not our fault if you can't go. It makes us look better.'

Several sources said the Greek islands had not made it on to the first 'green list' because health officials 'weren't ready' to assess the data of the islands separately

Other potential destinations with low infection levels and high vaccination rates, including the Greek islands, were given 'amber' status, meaning holidaymakers would need to isolate when they returned to the UK

'They've handed over all of this to scientists who will be telling them what they can't do. You either believe the vaccines work or you don't. At the moment we are puffing up the idea you need the vaccine to save your lives, then saying, 'But just in case they don't work, you can't do anything or go anywhere.'

There was also widespread dismay across the travel industry. easyJet boss Johan Lundgren said the decision to block major holiday destinations was 'overly cautious' and 'not justified by the evidence'.

He said Greece, Spain and their islands should move to 'green' status in three weeks with the rest of Europe following by summer, as the risk in those nations was 'very low', comparable to that in the UK.

British Airways chief executive, Sean Doyle, said he was 'disappointed' by the limited restart to international travel, adding: 'With high levels of vaccinations in the UK and other countries catching up, we need more destinations to go 'green' by the end of June, allowing Britons to get away this summer.

'It's clear that America should be on the green list. A reciprocal agreement between our countries would help restart our economy and support devastated industries.'

Lockdown-weary Brits looking for a week in Portugal can expect to pay at least 75 per cent more than last summer.

One UK holiday site was yesterday advertising a seven-day stay at the end of May for a family of four at a bed and breakfast on the Algarve for an astonishing 2,794. By comparison, a seven-night stay at a five-star hotel last year for a family of four cost 1,596 at the height of August.

British Airways chief executive, Sean Doyle (above), said he was 'disappointed' by the limited restart to international travel, adding: 'With high levels of vaccinations in the UK and other countries catching up, we need more destinations to go 'green' by the end of June, allowing Britons to get away this summer

Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski, who sits on the All Party Parliamentary Group for Greece, said: 'How can you categorise Greece as a whole if it comprises hundreds of islands? Islands like Kos, Rhodes, Crete and Corfu all have their own airports. It is not a question of flying to Athens and going from there. Some of these islands have a very low R rate, and authorities have put into place measures to protect tourists.' The Greek island of Halki is pictured above

The price of flights to Portugal also rose sharply. While easyJet was quoting 73 for a May 16 flight from Luton to the Algarve, it was up to 234 for the following day.

Travel bosses will meet civil servants this week. One industry source said they will ask why it has not lifted restrictions completely for vaccinated passengers.

'The EU has said anybody vaccinated can come into the EU without restrictions,' the source said. 'Why are we not doing the same?'

A Government spokesman said: 'We are taking a cautious approach to opening up international travel to protect against Covid-19 variants. The decision to add countries to the red, amber or green lists is made by Ministers informed by scientific data and public health experts.'

But if you like penguins, you CAN always go here

If you want to get away from it all, I can think of few better spots. You won't see another soul on these rugged, volcanic outcrops in the middle of the South Atlantic.

But there the recommendation ends, unless you're passionate about fur seals and chinstrap penguins, of which there are millions.

The islands were discovered by Captain Cook during his 1775 voyage on HMS Resolution. He named them the South Sandwich Islands to distinguish them from the Sandwich Islands, the present-day Hawaii, to which, let's be honest, they bear little resemblance.

If you want to get away from it all, I can think of few better spots. You won't see another soul on these rugged, volcanic outcrops in the middle of the South Atlantic

They are cold, windswept, with no shelter and very little vegetation. They also have regular volcanic eruptions.

In non-Covid times, the only way to get there is to fly from London to the Falklands, 18 hours in the air, with an overnight stop in Chile.

Then you will need someone with a boat willing to take you on the 1,000-mile trip. Assuming you avoid seasickness and successfully navigate through bits of iceberg, you will have to find somewhere to land (tricky) and somewhere to pitch a tent (dangerous).

You must also make peace with the seals, which can get aggressive and have no difficulty chewing through canvas. Their mouths are toxic, so don't get bitten.

Living on the islands are 17 endangered bird species. Indeed, it is partly the lack of visitors that helps the wildlife flourish. Maybe it's better to keep it that way.
?? #Ahora | Desde el aeropuerto Jorge Chavez, ministra #SilviaLoli lidera la recepcion de 350 000 dosis de vacunas Pfizer contra la COVID-19 a fin de dar continuidad al proceso de vacunacion en el ambito nacional.

?? en: https://t.co/zOiNZosl91 pic.twitter.com/jN8JF2W3OJ
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2021

Schiller Institute May 8 Conference Rallying Point for Peace Through Development

May 7, 2021 (EIRNS)Today in the Syria Times, a Special Interview with Helga Zepp LaRouche, President and founder of the Schiller institute, was posted by Editor in Chief Reem Hadad, who said in the introduction that the Institutes motto is mobilizing globally for a New Paradigm of Mankind. The Schiller Institute is currently conducting a series of conferences ... to try to gain support for the idea that only a Peace Through Development approach can resolve the situation....

On Syria specifically, Zepp LaRouche said in the interview, that, An economic development plan for all of Southwest Asia must be put on the agenda, and all neighbors from Russia, China, India to Egyptand hopefully including the U.S.must be won over to participate. The interview publicizes that Mrs. Bouthaina Shaaban, the Political and Media Advisor to President Assad, will be a speaker at the May 8 Schiller Institute conference, The Moral Collapse of the Trans-Atlantic World Cries Out for a New Paradigm.

Total opposition to this approach was shown May 6 by the U.S. State Department, which announced that U.S. unilateral sanctions against Syria will be continued for another year. This amounts to a death sentence for millions, given what is well known, that 13 million Syrians already lack food and medical supplies, and basic living conditions of shelter, water and sanitation. But in keeping with its geopolitics, the State Department rhetoric was bloodthirsty in lying about Damascus and its backers, including blaming them for keeping out humanitarian aid. The United States condemns the Assad regimes, and its Russian and Iranian enablers brutal violence and human rights violations and abuses.

Such rhetoric goes beyond venality, into pre-war madness. It coheres with the U.S. Strategic Commands casual talk of preparing to win a nuclear exchange.

The same day as the State Departments sanctions decree on Syria, particulars of the dire situation in Syria were released in the new 2021 Global Report of Food Crises by the World Food Program (WFP) and other agencies that make up the Global Network Against Food Crises, that covers 55 nations in extreme need of food. The terrible impact of sanctions was explicitly identified. The Forecast 2021 for Syria warned, Continued sanctions, a war-torn economy, and the effects of a depreciated Syrian pound will also contribute to high numbers of acutely food-insecure Syrians.... Between December 2019 and 2020, food prices rose 236%.... WFP Executive Director David Beasley said on May 6 that 34 million people across some 40 nations (Syria included), are at risk of dying of starvation in the coming months, without relief intervention. He spoke to the online conference of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Beasley called for nations to mobilize systems of support to avert mass death. He pointed to UN Security Council Resolution 2417, passed unanimously in 2018, that says hunger cannot be used as a weapon of war.

Thus, the May 8 conference, and the dialogue process it fosters and reflects, is now a critical world rallying point for voices to sound out for reason in national and human relations. We are in an emergency situation.

The commitment to this outlook was stated today by Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of China, at a High Level Meeting of the UN Security Council, which China chairs for the month of May. The Zoom forum was titled, Maintaining International Peace and Security; Maintaining Multilateralism and the International System with the United Nations at the Core. It was attended by foreign ministers of Russia and the United States, and several other of the current UNSC 15 member states.

Wang Yi chaired the meeting and stressed that, There must be dialogue and cooperation, and he attacked the extensive unilateral use of sanctions. In contrast, Secretary of State Blinken, while using the word multilateralism, spoke in his customary code words for geopolitical attacks on other nations, such as vigilance for human rights. He called for non-traditional partnershipscover-term for anti-China, anti-Russia blocs.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was stern. He denounced the moves to create narrow partnerships. He denounced the call for a summit of democraciesmade by President Biden for this year, as a new club created on an ideological basis. Lavrov reiterated President Putins call for a meeting of leaders of the Permanent Five of the UN Security Council. When it comes to human rights, Lavrov said that the right to life is fundamental.

Attend and grow the ranks for the May 8 International Schiller Institute Conference
Matrix Cellular Services, whose CEO was arrested by Delhi Police in connection with oxygen concentrators hoarding case, issued a statement on Saturday, clarifying its stance to "clear the record".

The company has already moved the Delhi High Court, demanding that the goods seized by Delhi Police be returned. Matrix Cellular CEO Gaurav Khanna was arrested in Gurugram on Friday, May 7.

Police conducted a raid at a location in Chhatarpur after one accused, apprehended from two upmarket restaurants in the Khan Market area in connection with stockpiling of oxygen concentrators, disclosed that they had a warehouse. The warehouse was located in a farmhouse and was allegedly being operated by Matrix Cellular. Police recovered 387 more units of oxygen concentrators, which were being sold at high prices in the black market.

Also Read: COVID-19 in India: Where oxygen concentrators are coming from

Matrix Cellular statement

"Matrix has been a good corporate citizen for over 25 years, enabling its customers to travel the world and stay connected with their loved ones. In line with our corporate values and desire to contribute in times of crisis, we immediately worked with our network partners to ensure availability of critical materials to respond to the COVID 19 pandemic including masks, oximeters, sanitisation equipment and oxygen concentrators," the company said in a statement.

Matrix further stated that all materials procured by it have been by way of import or purchase in India, after paying all relevant duties and taxes. The company added that it thereafter facilitated sale of such equipment/materials via its app or direct orders placed with it "all of which have used formal banking channels based on tax invoices with an unimpeachable audit trail."

"Separately, as part of our corporate social responsibility program, the company has donated over 200 oxygen concentrators, 10,000 masks, across the country; while also committing a donation of 200 oxygen concentrators to reputable organisations," Matrix clarified in its statement.

The company further said that in the wake of the ghastly second wave of COVID-19 in the national capital, Matrix worked to set up a centrally located collection centre to assist in collection of oxygen concentrators.

"What Matrix thought was convenience to help its fellow citizens, has been maliciously portrayed to be a grand conspiracy to cheat Delhi and profit from the pandemic - when nothing could be further from the truth," read the statement.

"At a time, we should ideally have been working overtime to get more shipments of critical materials into India and alleviating the stress on our overwhelmed healthcare system, we find ourselves responding to a malicious, false and one-sided campaign to vilify the company," it added.

Also Read: FedEx to deliver 25,000 oxygen concentrators, converters, masks to India amid 2nd COVID-19 wave

Contesting the "baseless allegations and misguided investigation", the company said that the matter "is now sub judice" before the Delhi High Court.

"The company has complete faith in our criminal justice system and is confident of clearing its name and those of its employees at the earliest," it stated.

Delhi Police on Friday said it recovered 105 oxygen concentrators during raids at two upscale restaurants and arrested four people. Ninety-six oxygen concentrators were recovered from popular restaurant Khan Chacha and nine from Town Hall restaurant, both situated in the Khan Market area, the police said.

On Thursday, police recovered 419 oxygen concentrators from a restaurant-cum-bar in south Delhi's Lodhi Colony area and arrested four men -- Gaurav, Satish Sethi, Vikrant and Hitesh -- for hoarding and black-marketing the equipment. During interrogation, the accused revealed about the Chhatarpur warehouse.
Shell Oil Company's drilling rig Polar Pioneer is seen in the background as activists march to the entrance of Terminal 5 to protest the rig which is parked at the Port of Seattle, Washington (Photo : REUTERS/Jason Redmond/File Photo)

The United States on Friday said it had revoked a last-minute effort by the Trump Administration to loosen safety regulations for the oil industry in the Arctic Ocean off Alaska.



The rule, which was proposed in December of last year, would have revised a suite of Obama-era rules crafted to improve safety in the extreme conditions of the Arctic, including eliminating a requirement that oil operators submit detailed operations plans before exploration and demonstrate they can quickly deploy containment equipment in case of spills.



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"The Arctic exploratory drilling regulations released in 2016 are critical to ensuring adequate safety and environmental protections for this sensitive ecosystem and Alaska Native subsistence activities," the Interior Department said.



The rollback effort was among a string of eleventh-hour proposals from the administration of former President Donald Trump aimed at maximizing energy development on public lands and waters. The rule was never finalized and has now been withdrawn, the department said.



President Joe Biden's Interior Department has been dismantling those efforts as part of a broad federal agenda to tackle climate change. Biden has also imposed a temporary ban on all new federal oil and gas leasing, pending a review of the program.



Much of the U.S. portion of the Arctic Ocean - the Chukchi Sea and part of the Beaufort Sea - was already off limits to new leasing under a judge's 2019 order that overturned Trump's effort to open vast areas of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans to oil leasing.


BOSTON (AP)  Boston's famous Swan Boats are again offering rides after being sidelined last year because of the pandemic.

Acting Mayor Kim Janey took her family on one of the foot-powered boats Saturday to celebrate their reopening at the Boston Public Garden. Janey called it a great way to celebrate our recovery from the pandemic.

We welcome Bostonians and visitors back to our historic park to enjoy this joyful attraction in keeping with current health guidelines for a safe ride with family and friends," she said in a statement.

Masks are required on the boats, and passengers are being spaced apart in line and on the vessels.

The Paget family, which has run the iconic Boston tradition since 1877, said last summer was the first time the entire season had been canceled. The oldest boat in the fleet just celebrated its 111th season.

Each Swan Boat weighs 3 tons fully laden and is powered by the driver using a foot-propelled paddle wheel.

___

NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire Democrats are pushing to retain remote public access to legislative committee work.

The Statehouse has been closed to the public during the coronavirus pandemic, but those interested in testifying on bills have been able to call in to hearings and to watch committee discussions online. At a news conference Friday, Democratic leaders said they hope the next two-year state budget will including funding to allow such participation to continue.

They called the system used during the pandemic a silver lining that has allowed greater transparency and participation by constituents who might otherwise not have weighed in on important legislation due to distance or disability.

By any standard, the use of video conferencing technology has been a success. It has allowed many more people to participate in the legislative process and to observe the workings of the Legislature in action, said House Minority Leader Renny Cushing, D-Hampton. It really opens up our democracy and we hope this process continues.

___

VERMONT

The Vermont town of Vernon is planning to hold its annual town meeting outdoors this year.

Earlier this year the Vernon select board moved the communitys town meeting, which is usually held in March, to May 23 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The whole process will be new but as far as what theyre voting on should be pretty much the same, said Interim Town Administrator Wendy Harrison.

The Brattleboro Reformer reports the meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. on May 23 on the lawn outside the town hall.

In addition to masking, participants will answer health-related questions upon checking in. Social distancing rules also will be applied. No food sales or table leafletting will be allowed.

At the meeting, townspeople will decide a number of economic issues for the community.

___

MAINE

A mobile clinic in Lewiston will offer free COVID-19 vaccines next week as part of an effort to increase immunizations in the area.

The clinic opened Friday near the Oak Street municipal parking area and will resume Monday for walk-ins or by appointment. Shots will be available through Friday to anyone ages 18 and older. The clinic has capacity to give about 1,000 shots while in Lewiston.

The project is being coordinated by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the city of Lewiston and Promerica Health, a medical company.

City administrator Denis DAuteuil said the clinic will be especially helpful to shift workers from the area's businesses.

After its time in Lewiston next week, the clinic will travel to other sites in Androscoggin County and western Maine. It will then return to Lewiston and the other sites to provide second doses of the Moderna vaccine.
Sputnik reported last month that in regard of the latest official statistics, Southeast Asian countries exports are growing on the back of Chinas sharp rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, brightening the regions economic prospect.

(ASEAN Top Ten Destinations of Exports of Goods, 2019, Source: The ASEAN Secretariat)

According to the ASEAN Secretariat, China accounted for 14.2% of total ASEAN exports in 2019, topping the U.S. at 12.9% and the European Union at 10.8%.

China recently released its gross domestic product, marking a year-on-year growth of 18.3% in the first quarter of 2021, versus the 6.8% contraction over the same period in 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic. It is believed that China is providing a tailwind with its brisk growth and steady outlook.

Taking Singapore for an example, its benchmark non-oil domestic exports grew 12.1% in March from the past year, while China-bound non-oil exports increased by an impressive 46.4%, which brings a relief for the city-states record 5.4% GDP contraction last year.

As for Indonesia, its total exports grew 30.5% year on year in March, during which China remained the largest export destination. Non-oil and gas exports to China grew over 80% in March alone, compared with a year earlier.

These are part of the new hopes raised by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) signed last November for greater trade momentum in the region. Last month, China completed the official RCEP ratification process, becoming the second country to do so after Singapore. The trade pact is expected to be the biggest one in Asia, which is going to take effect in January 2022.

Find the original article at http://sputniknews.cn/foreignmedia/202104201033522699/

[ Editor: WXY ]
A senior police officer who was filmed unleashing an explosive rant aimed at a top Queensland cop after a mental health event has been booted from the police force.

A public nuisance charge against Senior Constable James Treanor was dropped at the first day of trial over the expletive-ridden tirade outside the Broadbeach Bowls Club on the Gold Coast on March 20 2019.

Video footage of the incident shows the officer calling Assistant Commissioner Brian Wilkins a 'c****smoker' and a 'coward' with a court also hearing he threatened to 'blow his brains out'.

However, police bosses still used the incident, in which he can be seen offering other officers to take his gun, as grounds to demote him, costing him $10,000 in pay, and to forcibly transfer him.

Senior Constable James Treanor was sacked over an expletive-ridden tirade filmed outside the Broadbeach Bowls Club on the Gold Coast on March 20 2019

A disciplinary ruling at the Southport Magistrates Court last month found that while the officer was suffering from a 'major depressive' episode it did not excuse his 'inappropriate conduct'.

The ruling also noted the incident had 'caused significant media scrutiny' which 'reflected adversely' on Queensland Police, The Courier Mail reports.

His six-month demotion is to be suspended later this month after he was retired on medical grounds after 14 years with the police.

The retirement is in effect a week before the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission is to wade through bullying allegations levelled by the officer at other cops.

Sen Const. Treanor said his career is in tatters and he was looking into his legal options, including a Human Rights Commission complaint.

He said dealing with confronting situations was expected when joining the police force - but he also expected police management would support any mental health struggles.

'You have a mental health breakdown and you're charged, expected to plead guilty, demoted and medically retired  that's the QPS response to mental health and human rights,' he said.

An officer who witnessed the incident told the court his colleague was having a 'welfare issue' and did not think to press charges

After the outburst, Assistant Commissioner Brian Wilkins asked for a misconduct report to be made and the public nuisance charges were pressed and later dropped after he agreed to a caution.

The incident had unfolded after Assistant Commissioner Wilkins gave a speech at a police mental health breakfast last year.

Sen Const Treanor approached his boss asking if mental health assistance he spoke about applied to him as well.

Assistant Commissioner Wilkins previously told the court he refused to speak with Sen Const Treanor about personal issues.

The pair shook hands and spoke for just 12 seconds, with Sen Const Treanor telling Assistant Commissioner Wilkins he was upset.

Assistant Commissioner Wilkins asked Senior Sergeant Paul Hunter to follow Sen Const Treanor outside and tell him 'he can't talk to me like that', the court heard.

Assistant Commissioner Brian Wilkins (pictured), who the explosive rant was aimed at, asked for a misconduct report to be made and charges were laid

After yelling insults at the Asst Commissioner he can be seen telling the officers he did not want to be followed and offered for them to take his weapons.

'I asked him if he includes me and he tells me he I am being inappropriate,' Sen Const Treanor said in the video.

Sen Sgt Hunter and Sergeant David Dixon told the court they heard Sen Const Treanor threaten to 'blow his brains out'.

But Sen Sgt Hunter said he never thought about pressing charges because his colleague was clearly distressed.

Sen Sgt Hunter said Sen Const Treanor was 'very upset' and saw he was 'in crisis'.
Keir Starmer was accused of making his deputy Angela Rayner the scapegoat for Labour's election meltdown last night, after he sacked her as party chairman and campaign co-ordinator.

In a desperate bid to bolster his authority, the Labour leader  who only 24 hours earlier said he took 'full responsibility' for the disastrous election results  removed Ms Rayner from the key roles.

Labour last night said Ms Rayner, who remains the party's directly elected deputy leader, would 'continue to play a senior role in Keir's team'.

But in a sign she was taking the blame for last week's results, a party source said Labour had to 'change how we run our campaigns in the future'.

Ms Rayner declined to comment last night, but her departure sparked immediate claims that the Labour leader was making her a scapegoat. Former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said her sacking was a 'cowardly avoidance of responsibility', adding: 'He's scapegoating everyone apart from himself.'

The sacking came shortly after Ms Rayner's allies told The Mail on Sunday that it was unfair to blame her for either the Hartlepool by-election loss to the Tories or the wider election disaster, claiming: 'Everyone knows that Keir's office controls everything.'

But other MPs said Ms Rayner should lose her posts for failing to stem the Tory tide.

Last night, there were reports that Ms Rayner would be only the first to go in a radical reshuffle of Labours front bench  with claims that Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy would also be sacked, although there were also suggestions she would be moved to a different job. Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas- Symonds, Chief Whip Nick Brown and employment rights spokesman Andy McDonald were also rumoured to be leaving the frontbench or moving to new posts.

The dramatic turn of events came as:

Labour suffered another humiliating defeat yesterday by failing to oust West Midlands Tory mayor Andy Street;

Andy Burnham underlined his credentials as an eventual Labour leader by winning the Greater Manchester mayoral race;

Ex-Labour Cabinet Minister John Denham said the party under Sir Keir could be finished as 'national political force' because it 'seems to have 'turned its back on England and Englishness';

MPs confirmed that Yvette Cooper was being lined up as a 'compromise' candidate to replace the Labour leader if the party's fortunes did not improve.

Sir Keir had been expected to shake up his Shadow Cabinet this week by sacking Rayner ally Anneliese Dodds as Shadow Chancellor and bringing back 'proven heavyweights' such as Ms Cooper and ex-Environment Secretary Hilary Benn. Sources suggest frontbenchers David Lammy and Wes Streeting are being lined up for promotion.

However, sceptics sniped that after the massive 16 per cent swing to the Tories in the Hartlepool by-election, Remain backer Ms Cooper  who was just 1,276 votes ahead of the Tories in her West Yorkshire seat in 2019  is one of a dozen of Labour MPs set to lose their seats at the next General Election.

Last week's catalogue of defeats  symbolised by Tees Valley Tory candidate Ben Houchen winning 73 per cent of the vote in a formerly staunch Labour area  sparked fierce internal recriminations.

The losses continued yesterday after Mr Street defied Labour's Liam Byrne to hold on to the key prize of West Midlands mayor.

Labour pointed to success in Wales where First Minister Mark Drakeford held on to power. But the overall results sparked a frenzy of questions over how long Sir Keir could hang on as leader  especially if he presides over another defeat in a by-election which will be called in Batley and Spen if sitting Labour MP Tracy Brabin wins the West Yorkshire mayoral race today.

Sir Keir is unlikely to face an immediate challenge as Left-wing MPs do not have the necessary 40-plus votes under the party's rules to force a contest while the Right is prepared to give him more time.

Ex-Hartlepool MP Lord Mandelson claimed voters had still not forgiven Labour for Jeremy Corbyn's Left-wing leadership, while the former leader himself savaged Sir Keir for encouraging people to vote for other parties by 'offering nothing [and] offering insipid support for the Government'.

The terrible results also reignited tensions between Sir Keir's office and the camp of deputy leader Ms Rayner, who has reportedly felt 'blindsided' by decisions taken by Sir Keir's team.

The Mail on Sunday was told that the leader's staff were 'incandescent' at Ms Rayner for her 'botched' intervention in the selection of candidates in Liverpool in the wake of allegations of corruption in the local party.

Sources close to the leader's office said MPs briefing against Ms Rayner were not doing so on behalf of Sir Keir.

The terrible results reignited tensions between Sir Keir's office and the camp of deputy leader Ange' Rayner, who was reportedly 'blindsided' by the decisions

But ominously for what was to come, they insisted that as election co-ordinator, she had obviously had a role in the planning for both the elections overall and the Hartlepool contest in particular.

One source said it was ridiculous for anyone to suggest that in election meetings, 'Angela just sat there mute and let everyone else get on with it'. 'She is a big figure and she made her presence felt.'

Mr Denham, Local Government Secretary under Gordon Brown, seized on the Hartlepool result as a symbol of the current party's failure to connect with towns outside the big metropolitan areas.

Mr Denham, now professor of English Identity and Politics at Southampton University, said: 'Ordinary voters outside the big metropolitan areas don't feel Labour shares their pride in being English.'

That cost the party so dearly in Hartlepool because it was 'such an English town'. And Mr Denham questioned the strength of Sir Keir's patriotism, saying: 'The Union flag hanging behind Starmer is a soggy Britishness, not English enough for England nor Scottish enough for Scotland'.

Joe Haines: Page 29

Losing Hartlepool, losing England  how Sir Keir Starmer could be leading Labour out of existence

By former Labour Cabinet Minister John Denham

Where Hartlepool leads, England could now follow.

And for Labour, that means not just many more years out of government.

It could mean the end of the party as a national political force.

Why?

Because the party I represented as an MP and as a Minister seems to have turned its back on England and Englishness.

It doesn't seem to care about England as an entity, as something distinct from Britain as a whole.

Certainly, ordinary voters outside the big metropolitan areas don't feel Labour shares its pride in being English.

That cost Labour and Sir Keir Starmer so dear in Hartlepool because it is such an English town.

Sir Keir Starmer arrives to his home as counting continues in the local elections

In fact, it is simply one of the most English and least British towns in England.

Labour hung on there in 2019 because a large chunk of English voters backed the Brexit Party.

Of course, the party can say it does care and point to the fact that by-election candidate, Paul Williams spent St George's Day stuffing English flag leaflets through Hartlepool voters letter boxes.

But that trite tactic misunderstands what Englishness means.

For those voters, it's not really about the St George's Cross , let alone morris dancing or parish churches.

These English voters don't say 'I'm voting X because I'm English'.

They know they are English and don't need to say so.

But they do want political parties that will stand up for England's interests  not just in Europe and further afield but crucially, within the UK itself.

They want to defend England's interests within the Union and they usually think devolution has been good for Scotland and bad for England/.

Their Englishness carries a deep sense of belonging to their towns and villages.

When they suffer the loss of economic prosperity, a declining sense of community or feel politicians aren't listening anymore, it really hurts.

Immigration has been more disconcerting to this English sense of belonging than to those living in more diverse and mobile cities.

Wanting politicians to stand up for English interests may mean expecting them to understand all these things.

Our national identities reflect shared values that help explain the way we see the world.

Our sense of being English, or British, or both also shapes how we think about our nation, our national democracy, our sense of belonging to place and community.

It is here that the Conservatives are doing so well.

Now, Boris Johnson actually only rarely says anything about England.

He talks more about the Union.

But he has an Anglo-centric British nationalism that appeals to ordinary voters.

He thinks and talks about the Union as the extension of England's interests and institutions, ignoring the complaints of the Welsh, Scots and Northern Irish.

This very English attitude alienates voters in the rest of the Union and may well lead to its demise, but it cements a bond with voters who want English interests prioritised.

Of course, Brexit too chimed with the English desire to deepen national democracy and national sovereignty.

The crisis Labour faces is now existential.

There is no law of political science which says that Labour must always be with us.

Yes, it has a comfortable base amongst younger, better educated metropolitan voters, but these are too few to win a general election.

And a Labour Party that cannot win nationally will soon shed votes to the Greens and the Liberal Democrats.

Only the unfairness of First Past the Post stands between Labour and the dire fate of so many European social democratic parties.

To have any chance of governing again, Labour must win back English England.

But first, it has to want to.

Labour doesn't even talk about England or the English.

Its constitutional commission wants England divided into hated regions.

The party says Brexit is done but shows no understanding why people voted for it.

The English attachment to values of community, solidarity and place are regarded as inherently reactionary.

Labour's Unionism doesn't offer the visceral sense of 'being for the English' that Johnson provides.

The limp Union flag hanging behind Starmer is a soggy Britishness, not English enough for England, nor Scottish enough for Scotland.

Even this shallow Britishness repels many of Labour's 'more British' members who reject patriotism entirely.

Judging from last week's council election results, what happened to Labour in Hartlepool last week is spreading across other parts of the North and the Midlands.

Even then, there is nothing inevitable about English support for the Conservatives.

There is an England beneath the surface that is both patriotic and progressive  one that values the traditions and achievements of England and the social progress of recent decades.

This England is confident and ambitious for the future.

If the Labour Party does not have the audacity to summon it into existence, no other party will.

And it doesn't?

Well, it could simply wither away.

This is the danger now.

In an age of identity politics, Labour lacks that vital ingredient  an identity.

 Former Labour MP and Cabinet Minister John Denham is Professor of English Identity and Politics at Southampton University.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan Presidential Council Vice President Moussa al-Kouni on Friday met with Libyan Army leaders and military officers in the south of the country on ways to unite military institution to preserve the country's security, unity and sovereignty
The recent election results negate the politics of dominance cherished at the centre.

The results of the legislative assembly elections in five statesWest Bengal, Assam, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Keralahold political significance beyond their immediate electoral context and state boundaries. With the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Left Democratic Front (LDF) alliances registering resounding victories in three states, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which managed to retain just one state, has been unable to gain substantial electoral ground when faced with a strong regional party or a combination of parties. This has halted the BJPs ambitious quest for electoral and political hegemony. More importantly, the election campaign by the regional parties saw a reformulation of speeches and realignment of slogans. These reconfigured narratives proved successful against the BJPs electoral mobilisation, which was based on a combination of pan-India issues pitched by the central leadership on the one hand, and the communal card on the other. As the election results show, this strategy proved less effective against parties that used both regional cultural identity and a promise of good governance to ensure electoral success. However, this expansion of political space translates into an alternative to the BJP at the national level, prompting a coming together of opposition forces, but in the context of a decline in the Congress partys fortunes in these elections, what possibilities the future holds remain to be seen.

The assembly elections that took place in the shadow of the COVID-19 health crisis point to the federal character of Indias polity and seem to place a challenge to the union governments increasing centralising tendency. For instance, with the invocation of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (meant for natural disasters) during the lockdown last year, a super-executive emerged that bypassed federal oversight over public health, forcing a diminished decision-making role of state governments, while leaving them to cope with the economic fallout and migrant workers crisis. This, in the context of falling goods and services tax (GST) receipts and lowered state revenues that have drastically compromised state government expenditure and scope for providing relief. Elections in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which were hard hit by the first wave of the pandemic, saw public health provisions and economic response to disruption of livelihoods become electoral issues. In Kerala especially, the LDFs victory has been attributed to its ability to address the Covid-19 crisis. It is hoped that these results will bring a balance to the long-skewed centrestate relations, challenging the way in which the centre has steamrolled flexibility for state governments in policy matters, seen latest in the union governments neo-liberal reform push in state subjects, such as agriculture and public health.
Kolkata-based private sector lender has reported an 80 per cent drop in net profit in the March quarter of FY21, missing Street estimates, due to higher provisions. In Q4FY21, the profit after tax of the lender fell to Rs 103 crore compared to Rs 517.3 crore in the same period last year. Sequentially, the net profit was down 84 per cent as in the December quarter it had recorded a profit of Rs 632.6 crore.

Net interest income (NII) of the microfinancing lender grew 4.6 year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 1,757 crore but sequentially it was down 15.2 per cent, owing to the fact that after the apex court's order it had to reverse interest to the tune of Rs 538 crore on account of non-performing asset (NPA) recognition and interest on interest.

Non-interest income, however, grew 57.4 per cent YoY and 42.3 per cent sequentially to Rs 787.3 crore in the same period, thereby taking the total income in the reporting quarter to 2,544.3 crore, up 17 per cent YoY but down 3 per cent sequentially. The net interest margin of the lender at the end of the March quarter stood at 6.8 per cent as opposed to above 8.3 per cent in Q3FY21 due to the interest reversal.

Provisions of the lender nearly doubled YoY to 1,594.3 crore in Q4FY21 as compared to Rs 827.4 crore in Q4FY20 and 1,068.7 crore in Q3FY21. The bank has written off loans to the tune of Rs 1,930 crore in the reporting quarter, and a large portion of it, about Rs 1,850 crore, is from the book, and for the full year, it was to the tune of Rs 2,038 crore.

Technically, as per our policy we could have retained these loans for a longer period of time but we decided to strengthen our balance sheet as fast as possible hence we have taken these accelerated write-offs," said Sunil Samdani, CFO,

Post-write-off, the gross NPA ratio of the lender at the end of March quarter stood at 6.8 per cent compared to 7.1 per cent in the previous quarter (proforma). The net NPA ratio stood at 3.5 per cent compared to 2.4 per cent in the previous quarter.

During the quarter, the bank has restructured accounts carrying a value of Rs 617 crore of housing finance vertical comprising 0.71 per cent of the total portfolio of the bank. The bank management said they have not restructured advances in the book.

A very challenging year ended on a positive note with growth and collection coming back to normalcy. With accelerated provisioning and write-off, we are now well placed as we enter FY 22. We remain cautious but confident as we deal with the Covid19 second wave. We remain committed to our strategy that we have presented last quarter of granular, diversified, and quality growth, said Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, MD&CEO,

Overall collection efficiency of the lender in their portfolio at the end of March quarter stood at 95 per cent, compared with 92 per cent at the end of December quarter. In West Bengal and Assam, the collection efficiency of the bank was 95 per cent and 83 per cent, respectively.

Top-up loans provided by the banks fell to Rs 260 crore in the March quarter as compared to Rs 920 quarter in the December quarter and the bank management said these loans were not provided to borrowers to avoid restructuring under the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBIs) covid resolution package.

As the economy started opening up, the demand for top-up loans, naturally, came down. So, we do not see this trend changing based on the assumption that the second wave should settle down in 2-3 months time. So, if that is the case, we do not see much increase in the top-up loans," said Samdani.

Total advances of the lender, including on book exposures, off-book exposures, and TLTRO, grew by 21.2 per cent to Rs 87,042.9 crore at the end of March quarter compared to Rs 71,846 crore in the year-ago period. On the other hand, total deposits of the bank grew by 36.6 per cent to Rs 77,972.2 crore in the same period.
At American Thinker, we are careful not to make Nazi analogies. Leftists have a habit of calling every conservative some variation of Hitler, which cheapens the memory of the Holocaust and does nothing to further rational public discourse. Having said that, it's hard to avoid thinking about one single Nazi  Josef Mengele  when you learn what's been going on at the University of Pittsburgh. A horrifying video reveals experiments involving fetal tissues and organs, with taxpayer money helping make these experiments happen.

In the 1990s, the Clintons promised us that abortion would be "safe, legal, and rare." While abortion was never safe for the baby, we were led to believe that leftist social policies would mean that more women successfully avoided unwanted pregnancies or, if pregnant, kept the baby. Instead, over the past thirty years, abortion has turned into an American death cult.

In New York, more minority babies are aborted than are born alive. If you've ever wondered why so many inner-city Blacks hold life so cheaply, perhaps it's because babies are disposable. If a mother doesn't care for her baby, why should anyone else?

In Congress, Nancy Pelosi, who is ostentatiously Catholic, said, "As a practicing and respectful Catholic, this is sacred ground to me[.]" Even Pope Francis, who is decidedly leftist in his politics, opposes abortion, aligning him with two millennia of Catholic doctrine.

In Virginia, the Democrat governor, Ralph "Blackface" Northam, announced that if a baby is born alive during a third-trimester abortion:

In this particular example, if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen[.] ... The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.

In other words, after the infant is born alive or resuscitated, the mother and physician can still make the retroactive decision to abort that living infant. An American governor endorsed infanticide.

Chelsea Clinton announced that Roe v. Wade was a great economic stimulus. Sacrifice babies to the volcano gods, and your crops will prosper.

Again, as I said at the start of this post, leftists have instituted a death cult. Indeed, they've taken this death cult to the farthest extremes, doing experiments that are ostensibly meant to save life through these deaths. Even the pagans didn't do that.

Mengele would have loved the freakish experiments University of Pittsburgh researchers are doing with fetal body parts. After all, he was fascinated by women's reproductive organs, by twins, and by testing practices and poisons that were long known to be deadly. To him, the Jews in his charge weren't human; they were sub-human and could be subject to the same physically and morally cruel research as rats or fruit flies.

Thus, Mengele would have enjoyed reading a report about "Development of humanized mouse and rat models with full-thickness human skin and autologous immune cells," done using "de-identified human fetal tissues at the gestational age of 18 to 20 weeks," "obtained from medically or elective indicated termination of pregnancy through Magee-Womens [sic] Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), with the University of Pittsburgh, Health Sciences Tissue Bank." Using fetal parts was totally copacetic, though, because researchers got "written informed consent" from "the maternal donors," and the University of Pittsburgh signed off on the whole thing.

The tissue was grafted onto the rats, which promptly grew baby hair on their fur. While the word "gross" in the pictures is a scientific term, it seems strangely apt:

The worst part of these experiments is that you and I are paying for them. The NIH, including among its staff one Anthony Fauci, has been passing millions of taxpayer dollars to the University of Pittsburgh to fund this type of research.

The Center for Medical Progress created a video showing what's going on at the University, which partners with Planned Parenthood. It is a truly stomach-churning video. I stopped halfway through:

Maybe it's because we had a family friend who managed, at age 14, to convince Mengele not to send her to the gas chamber, but Mengele has always hovered in the periphery of my consciousness. Mengele had his Jews, and researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have their human fetuses. At the end of the day, is there that much difference in their profound disrespect for human life?

Image: NIH funds fetal tissue research. YouTube screen grab.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Boris Johnson wrote out the pros and cons of Brexit on a restaurant tablecloth before admitting the decision was 'difficult', ITN's Tom Bradby revealed.

Journalist Bradby recalled a lunch with the now-Prime Minister and his press secretary at an Italian restaurant near London's City Hall.

The meeting happened shortly before Mr Johnson revealed he would back the Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum.

When pressed on what side he would support, the PM said picking was 'really difficult' before pulling out a pen and writing out the arguments to leave and remain in two columns on a restaurant tablecloth.

Bradby said in an interview with The Times that he took this to mean Mr Johnson - a staunch Brexiteer - was a remainer.

Bradby said: 'He wrote out the arguments - Leave and Remain - in two columns on the tablecloth.

'And looking at them I said, "Well, you're for Remain then."

Boris Johnson (pictured in front of the Vote Leave campaign bus) wrote out the pros and cons of Brexit on a restaurant tablecloth before admitting the decision was 'difficult', ITN's Tom Bradby revealed

Journalist Bradby (pictured with Mr Johnson) recalled a lunch with the now-Prime Minister and his press secretary at an Italian restaurant near London's City Hall

'And he was like, "Well, I don't know. It's a difficult decision."

'When I got up, I tried to take the tablecloth with me and [press secretary] Will Walden was like, "No way." And he took the tablecloth, folded it, put it in his pocket. I assume he's still got it.

'But I left that restaurant convinced Boris was for Remain.'

Also in his interview, Bradby claimed Prince Harry and Prince William have been arguing for 'past year and a half'.

Bradby (pictured) said in an interview with The Times that he took the list to mean Mr Johnson - a staunch Brexiteer - was a remainer

The journalist - who was once friends with both princes - also denied negotiating ITV's rights for Harry and Meghan's incendiary interview with Oprah Winfrey.

During the bombshell tell-all, the Sussexes lobbed a number of grenade-like allegations at the monarchy, including claims a senior royal had made racist comments about their future child's skin colour.

Bradby claimed reporting on the royals 'used to be quite a straightforward thing' when Harry and William 'weren't arguing and life was simple'.

But the brothers' relationship 'slowly descended into something that was difficult - personally and publicly - really over the past year and a half'.

Bradby was host of an ITV documentary filmed in South Africa in 2019 when Meghan, in a swipe at her new family, moaned: 'Not many people have asked if I'm okay. It's a very real thing to go through behind the scenesit has really been a struggle' (pictured)

MailOnline's Dan Wootton was the first to reveal that Prince William ended his long-standing friendship with Bradby because of his concerns he sided with Prince Harry and sister-in-law Meghan in the increasingly bitter transatlantic war of the Windsors.

Bradby refused to be pressed on his current relationship with William, who was once so close to the journalist he was chosen to conduct the November 2010 engagement exclusive interview with him and Kate.

Bradby was host of an ITV documentary filmed in South Africa in 2019 when Meghan, in a swipe at her new family, moaned: 'Not many people have asked if I'm okay. It's a very real thing to go through behind the scenesit has really been a struggle.'

Harry also used Bradby's documentary to publicly confirm a feud with his brother, admitting that he and William were 'on different paths at the moment'.

Addressing the documentary in his interview with The Times, Bradby said it was his own experience with mental health that helped him notice that the Sussexes were struggling.

He had to take lengthy time off from hosting News at Ten in 2018 after suffering what he dubbed a 'mental health equivalent of a heart attack'.

Harry also used Bradby's documentary (pictured with Bradby) to publicly confirm a feud with his brother, admitting that he and William were 'on different paths at the moment'

Bradby said: '[I] was clearly influenced by my own experience and I didn't think they were in great shape, and so I altered the way I was planning to do the documentary.'

He said he 'felt like there was an untold story' behind Meghan's public face, so he asked her the question: 'Are you OK?'.

When pressed on whether the South Africa documentary, and the insight into the royal rift that followed, increased his stress, Bradby said: 'Well, it used to be quite a straightforward thing, right, because they weren't arguing and life was simple.

'And then it just slowly descended into something that was difficult - personally and publicly - really over the past year and a half.'

It was last month revealed that the Duke of Cambridge has been left annoyed that the high-profile presenter sided with his brother Prince Harry.

Journalist Bradby - who was once friends with both princes - also denied negotiating ITV's rights for Harry and Meghan's incendiary interview with Oprah Winfrey (pictured)

While phone calls and communication between the Duke of Sussex in California and Bradby in London have become commonplace, William, in contrast, is said to no longer trust the high profile journalist who was once a close confidante.

A royal insider revealed: 'The friendship between William and Tom is very much over. The Duke feels let down by Bradby and the way he's acted over the past few months.

'William is a sensitive soul and believes it's in times of crisis when you find out who your true friends are. It would be fair to say Bradby hasn't been one of them.'

Our royal source added: 'The Duke will, of course, remain cordial and professional in his relations with senior media figures, but that special relationship he once had with Bradby is no more. William no longer sees him as a friend.'

Among senior royal aides, there is growing anger at the way Bradby and ITV News seem to have become a mouthpiece for Harry and Meghan's gripes about the Royal Family.

The royal source said: 'Some staff at the Palaces are even angrier about Bradby and the tone of his reporting at ITV News, which they consider to be pro-Harry and Meghan.

'It's well-known Bradby personally communicates with Harry on a regular basis and that is pretty obvious to royal aides who know how things work.

'But it's been very difficult to accept given the long history between Bradby and William.'

William was once so close with Bradby that he was chosen to conduct the Cambridges' engagement interview.

Bradby went on to attend the nuptials at Westminster Abbey as a guest.

A spokesman for William at the time said: 'The couple asked to record this interview specifically with Mr Bradby, whom they have both known for some time.'

Bradby refused to be pressed on his current relationship with William, who was once so close to the journalist he was chosen to conduct the November 2010 engagement exclusive interview with him and Kate (pictured)

But Bradby was equally close with Harry, attending his Windsor wedding to Meghan, alongside other media figures including Oprah and James Corden.

The friendship with both brothers was solidified during Bradby's time as ITV's royal correspondent.

He travelled with Harry to Lesotho in Africa to make a 2004 documentary.

Bradby's closeness to the brothers then exploded into the public domain as part of the News of the World phone hacking scandal, when details of a call between him and a royal staff member was published in the Sunday newspaper.

Like Harry, Bradby has been publicly open about his mental health issues, revealing he had to take lengthy time off from hosting News at Ten in 2018 after suffering the 'mental health equivalent of a heart attack'.

The Mail on Sunday revealed last month that Bradby has 'significant sway' over how Meghan is portrayed more widely on ITV.

They reported he may have been involved in pointing the Duchess 'in the right direction' over how to complain about Piers Morgan's criticism of her on Good Morning Britain, which resulted in him quitting the show.

A source told the newspaper: 'Tom Bradby has a certain cache at ITV as their news man. He is also the man with the golden goose in the bosses' eyes as he has a hotline to Prince Harry.'

Kensington Palace declined to comment to reports about Bradby's fall out with Prince William, first published by MailOnline.

A spokeswoman for ITV News said: 'Unfortunately at this moment we won't be in a position to comment.'
Skaneateles schools have received $1,132,657 in federal grants from December and March aid packages that were passed. Those funds cannot be part of the general fund budget. The state Education Department has not determined the timeline, allowable expenses and regulations for that money, the district said.

A process for deciding how to use those funds includes community involvement, the district said, adding that it will be transparent on how funds are spent while encouraging ideas.

In addition to deciding on the budget and selecting three out of five school board candidates this year, district residents will able to vote on a proposal. It would allow the board to "purchase and finance student transport vehicles" up to $476,000.

Voting will be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 18, at the Skaneateles Central School District Office, 45 E. Elizabeth St., Skaneateles.

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The White House has revealed that mysterious health incidents that had been affecting American personnel based overseas have also been occurring in the U.S.

Several potential incidents have occurred in the United States in 2019 and 2020 that appear similar to previous suspected 'directed' radio frequency attacks that caused a mysterious illness and include one attack that happened near the White House.

U.S. agencies are said to be investigating two possible incidents that appear similar to other mysterious illnesses that impacted diplomats in Cuba and elsewhere known as 'Havana syndrome' named after the first cluster of cases at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba.

The White House has revealed that mysterious health incidents that had been affecting American personnel based overseas have also been occurring in the U.S.

The illnesses have been dubbed the 'Havana syndrome' after American diplomats were targeted in Havana, Cuba

But now pressure is coming from Congress to try and figure out what has affected so many U.S. diplomats, spies and other officials.

'At this point, at this moment, we don't know the cause of these incidents, which are both limited in nature and the vast majority of which have been reported overseas,' said White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday as she acknowledged the newly reported cases in the U.S.

One of the incidents occurred last year near the White House Ellipse in which a national security council staffer was sickened.

In another, a White House official reported feeling some symptoms while walking her dog in the Washington suburb of Arlington in 2019.

One of the incidents occurred last year near the White House Ellipse in which a national security council staffer was sickened (pictured)

What is Havana syndrome? Havana syndrome is a set of medical signs and symptoms reported by United States embassy staff in Cuba dating back to late 2016 as well as in some other countries, including the United States. President Donald Trump accused Cuba of perpetrating unspecified attacks causing these symptoms in 2017. The U.S. reduced staff at their embassy to a minimum in as a restul. Studies of the diplomats affected in Cuba, found evidence they experienced some form of brain injury. There is currently no consensus on the causes of the symptoms Advertisement

Government investigators are examining a suspected attack on US personnel in Miami last year.

Since the first attacks were reported in Cuba, and after that in China, scientists and doctors and debated the causes and effects, without a uniform conclusion.

More than 40 diplomats as far back as 2016 have reported nausea, headache, dizziness and other unexplained symptoms, triggering intense speculation.

A U.S. government report in December said 'directed' radio frequency was the most plausible explanation for the symptoms plaguing diplomats abroad.

In February, the U.S. State Department said the U.S. investigation was still ongoing.

On Friday, Biden's National Security Council said it was conducting 'a full review of intelligence reporting to ascertain whether there may be previously unreported incidents that fit a broader pattern,' a spokesperson confirmed to ABC News. .

The Trump administration initially said affected personnel had suffered 'health attacks,' but whether they were an 'attack' of the 'work of a foreign actor' was still under 'active inquiry..

Hit by mysterious microwaves? The US embassy in Havana

The still unexplained attacks have caused sickness and even brain damage in US diplomats and intelligence officials in Cuba, China, Russia, and other countries.

Moscow is suspected to be behind them, even if the mechanism for them has yet to be explained. Scientists have theorized that the attacks arise from pulsed microwaves.

'This pattern of attacking our fellow citizens serving our government appears to be increasing. The Senate Intelligence Committee intends to get to the bottom of this,' Senators Mark Warner, the committee's Democratic chairman, and Marco Rubio, its Republican vice chairman said last week.

Sens. Mark Warner (left) and Marco Rubio (right), the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said last month that incidents similar to suspected 'directed' radio frequency attacks on U.S. diplomats appear to be increasing and the committee was investigating

Neither the White House nor Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines have denied the reports when questioned.

'It's not clear whether the information we're getting is correct or incorrect,' Senator Jeanne Shaheen told Haines. 'The horse is out of the barn on this. The information is already out there, and I think it behooves us all to try to make sure that the information that gets out is accurate and that people understand what's happening.'

Haines told the Senate Armed Services Committee she could not discuss the issue openly because it involved classified information.

Warner and Rubio said they welcomed renewed investigation by the CIA into the incidents, noting it was important 'to better understand the technology behind the weapon responsible for these attacks.'

'Ultimately we will identify those responsible for these attacks on American personnel and will hold them accountable,' they said.
on Saturday extended the closure of land borders with for 14 more days, hours after the country detected six cases of the Indian variant of the COVID-19.

The land borders with were sealed on April 26 in view of the worsening situation in the neighbouring country.

"The decision to keep close the land borders with has been extended for 14 more days in view of the COVID-19 situation," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Bangladesh's National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on COVID-19 had earlier suggested the border closure, saying the land routes should not reopen until the situation in India improved.

The spokesman said the transportation of goods through the land borders, however, would continue as previous.

He said that Bangladeshis who were at risk of being stranded on expiry of visas could return home only through Benapole, Akhaura and Burimari borders, obtaining no objection certificates from missions in New Delhi, Kolkata and Agartala.

The decision came as detected six people, who had recently visited India, infected with the Indian variant of the COVID-19.

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) spokesman Professor Dr Nazmul Islam Munna said the cases were detected by health officials overnight. Out of the six people, two were detected in capital Dhaka.

"Six people have been found to be carrying the Indian variant so far and we expect more people to be detected with identical types of virus in the coming days," Munna told PTI.

All of them were exposed to the variant, also known as B.1.617 and are currently kept under quarantine.

Even though the borders with India were sealed last month, officials and reports said many people came to Bangladesh from India under special arrangements and some of them fled a mandatory quarantine, heightening risks of spreading the pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) described the Indian variant as a "variant of interest," suggesting it may have mutations that would make the virus more transmissible, cause more severe disease or evade vaccine immunity.

Bangladesh reported 45 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to 11,878. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country stands at 772,127 with 1,285 fresh infections reported on Saturday.

The COVID-19 situation has kept the flight operations suspended between the two countries since April 14.

(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.)
BRIDGEPORT  With the states first criminal trial now behind them, state officials are gearing up for the next step in the path to returning to normal in the states criminal justice system.

Connecticut is getting past this pandemic, and going forward with this trial shows that the states attorneys office and the judges are following the governors lead in returning the states business to normal, said Bridgeport States Attorney Joseph Corradino following the conviction Wednesday of Larise King in the death of her husband. The case was decided by a three-judge panel.

There is no schedule in the state for the resumption of jury trials. There are currently 220 cases scheduled for jury trial and 38 cases scheduled for a bench trial statewide, according to the Judicial Branch.

This week the areas top prosecutor said his office will begin addressing the nearly 2,100 cases backlogged by the pandemic shutdown that have not had a court appearance since March 2020.

The Bridgeport courts handle all the criminal cases for Bridgeport, Stratford, Fairfield, Trumbull, Easton, and Monroe. The most serious felony cases are prosecuted in the Fairfield County Courthouse or Part A court while the other felony cases are handled in the Golden Hill Street courthouse or geographic area (GA) court.

Corradino said he plans to personally lead a team of Part A prosecutors in addressing a backlog of cases at the Golden Hill Street courthouse, referring to this as an all hands on deck situation.

Mr. Corradino's focus will be on those matters that have not appeared in court from the start of the pandemic to present. Both represented and pro se parties will be happy to hear of these efforts to assist in the backlog created by COVID-19, said Frank Riccio, president of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

Retirements had decimated the GAs prosecutor staff but Corradino said he recently was approved funding to hire four new prosecutors for that courthouse  the first new prosecutors hired in Bridgeport in more than a dozen years.

Joining the prosecution staff are Kathleen Morgan; Peter Cunniff, Andres Bermudez-Halstrom and Felicia Valentino.

Corradino said two of the new prosecutors will immediately take on the domestic violence docket.

I am enthusiastic about augmenting my staff with extremely well-qualified and capable young attorneys. They represent a bright future for the Fairfield Judicial District and the people we serve, Corradino said. We hope to follow soon with jury trials. We take the rights of victims and defendants seriously.
BEIJING -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired a high-level meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday, calling for win-win cooperation to practice true multilateralism.

Under the initiative of China, the rotating presidency of the UNSC this month, the UNSC held the meeting on "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Upholding Multilateralism and the UN-centered International System" via video link.

Wang put forward four propositions for all parties to practice true multilateralism:

Firstly, all parties should pursue win-win cooperation, not zero-sum game. All countries should conduct dialogue and cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect. No country should expect others to lose, but should strive to win together with other countries to achieve universal security and common prosperity.

Secondly, all parties should seek fairness and justice, not bullying.

Wang said the core is to promote the democratization of international relations, so that all countries share the responsibility for governance and jointly promote peaceful development, and the key is to promote the rule of law in international relations, abide by universally recognized international laws and mutually agreed international agreements.

International rules are not the patents and privileges of a few countries, and should be abided by all countries, without exceptionalism and double standards, he added.

Thirdly, all parties should focus on action, instead of only talking the talk.

Multilateralism must focus on problems and solve problems, otherwise it will not stand and go far, Wang said, adding that all countries should incorporate their national interests into global interests.

He said all countries should consider both the present and the long-term interests, and must not undermine the sustained peace of the world and the sustainable development of the world at the cost of short-term need.

"In particular, major countries must set an example and take the lead in providing global public goods," Wang said.

Fourthly, all parties should respect diversity, and refrain from pursuing supremacy.

Each country has its own unique history and culture, and needs to take a development path that suits its own national conditions, Wang said, adding that dividing the world by ideology runs counter to the spirit of multilateralism and represents a retrogression of history.

"All countries are happy to see the United States change its practices in the past few years, truly practice multilateralism, and make its contributions to this end," Wang said.

The foreign ministers of Russia, Mexico, Vietnam, Niger, Tunisia, Kenya, Ireland, Norway, Estonia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, U.S. secretary of state and the deputy foreign ministers of India, Britain and France attended the meeting. President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Volkan Bozkir briefed the meeting.

Hailing China's initiative to hold this meeting, the participants agreed that under the current situation, the international community should strengthen solidarity and cooperation, continue to follow the purposes and principles of the Charter of the UN, and strengthen the authority and role of the UN.

They also believed that all parties should join hands to respond to global challenges such as COVID-19 and climate change, uphold the UN-centered international system, maintain international peace and promote common development.
Kush Shah and 3 more test positive on Taarak Mehta sets Anupama Actor Sudhanshu Pandey to Shoot from Home After Getting COVID-19 Aniruddh Dave shooting in Bhopal for webseries critical Actor-anchor Shripradha dies due to COVID Complications Marathi actor Abhilasha Patil dies due to COVID complications The first three days were horrible, says Anupama actor Tassnim Sheikh, who tested positive for COVID-19 These are a few of the myriad current headlines that have come as a shock to the actor fraternity. Everyone from Akshay Kumar to Govinda to Alia Bhatt to Katrina Kaif to Vicky Kaushal to Bhumi Pednekar to Aamir Khan to R Madhavan to Manoj Bajpayee to Ranvir Shorey have all been affected by Covid.

The prime example of the kind of lapses that have occurred was of the shoot of Major Bickramjeet Singh who unfortunately expired. He and two other actors who travelled from the airport, lived in different hotels and travelled back to the airport separately had two things in common. They shared a vanity van in Lucknow. And brought home COVID to their spouses and families. Unfortunately one of them paid with his life. This is just one of the many casualties to COVID-19 we have faced in this difficult time.

Cine and Television Actors' Association (CINTAA), while appreciating the efforts of the Producers and production houses to continue work beyond the boundaries of Maharashtra, has taken a serious note of many of their artist members succumbing to death due to COVID while they were shooting outside Maharashtra and has immediately asked for all health and safety protocols to be strictly followed and a copy of SOP to be shared with them by their members, in order to examine any negligence that would have a severe impact on whole units.

CINTAA has also asked for the SOP designed as per new strain of virus which might show negative in the 1st RT-PCR and thus it means isolating cast and crew before and after shoot.

Also asking for protocols for one-two day character artistes, CINTAA has also expressed that there is a need to make sure that they are shooting in the vicinity of medical emergencies or have made arrangements on the set, and that actors have to undergo RT-PCR tests before going to the shoot on an outdoor location.

"It is wonderful that TV shoots are shooting in a bubble, with necessary precautions, but we are worried that a secure bio bubble of the IPL has been breached, it will not take long for this disaster to strike TV shoots. There is a traffic of actors travelling to and from shoots, using flights and airports and the danger of infection is tenfold," stated the CINTAA spokesperson.

CINTAA also expressed the need to be in the know if all producers have adequately covered the health and life of actors and technicians. With medical costs sky rocketing, it is only prudent that expenses are completely covered with no burden to our members," averred CINTAA Spokesperson strongly urging that the 30 days payment is followed in the current situation till the pandemic is over to ease the financial position, CINTAA expressed displeasure on payment arrears since years to as low as Rs. 3000 even by the reputed houses.

Citing that actors who are not comfortable in shooting during the current phase of pandemic are being replaced overnight without any discussions further, CINTAA insisted that they be compensated.

"Most of the producers are saying that cine workers are frontline workers, we would like to point out that if any category that actually comes in the shape of frontline workers are the actors, who have to perform their scenes without masks. Who have to come in close contact with the Make-up artists, stylists and so on. So, they are most prone and susceptible to COVID infections. Hence, we are appealing to all the stake holders that we want to know on whom does the moral responsibility lie: If the actor contracts COVID who is going to take care of the entire hospital/medical expenses, the insurance, injury cover, death cover, etc. Is the broadcaster taking the onus, studio taking the onus, or the producer association or individual producer is taking the onus, that is what we wish to know," questioned CINTAA.

Urging the need to work in a healthy eco-system, CINTAA understands the problem of the stakeholders and the economics also, but would like the Association to be consulted because this current wave of pandemic which is far more dangerous than the first wave and we are now most probably entering the 3rd wave of COVID 19 crisis. The pandemic has compelled us to distance ourselves socially but we stand united in our combat against the pandemic and we stay optimistic that our collective show of strength will bring in normalcy soon."

The Executive Committee of CINTAA also applauded Yashraj Films' endeavour to request the Honourable Maharashtra CM Shri Uddhav Thackeray for Covid 19 vaccination of 30,000 registered workers of FWICE Mumbai, and pointed out that Actors, whether or not members of CINTAA, should be included in the drive, along with the 30000 registered workers.

Reacting on the news of Salman Khan to donate Rs 1,500 to 25,000 film industry workers amid the second wave of COVID-19, CINTAA lauded the move, but expressed concern and helplessness on no CINTAA member actually being a beneficiary.

This CINTAA stance of coming in the open for its members marks a welcome change for the one-two day actors whose plight is worse than the film workers during this pandemic. If they are at home they will die of poverty and hunger and if they are at work without vaccination and adequate protection or instance, they will expose themselves to death due to pandemic.

Sadly, actors have nowhere been included in the various charities being offered, in spite of maximum casualties to this fraternity being at maximum risk at all levels including their unsure livelihood. This move by CINTAA is thus of utmost importance.
Cambodia has obtained the go-ahead to export mangoes to China, becoming a new rival for Vietnam in the 1.4 billion consumer market.

The Chinese General Administration of Customs has released a list of 37 Cambodian mango farms and five packaging plants allowed to export mangoes through official channels.

The mango farming area in Cambodia has reached 100,000 hectares, mostly in the provinces of Kampong Speu, Kampot, Battambang and Banteay Meanchey, with an average output of 1.5 million tons a year.

The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia in June last year announced that Chinese and Cambodian agencies were discussing an agreement on allowing Cambodia to export 500,000 tons of mangoes a year to China.

Some experts say the high number of orders for mangoes from China will give a push to Cambodias economy as it did with bananas. In 2018, only 10,000 tons of Cambodias bananas were exported to China. After obtaining a license to export to China, the figure soared to 157,000 tons in 2019 and 210,000 tons in 2020.

Experts say that Vietnam will have one more strong rival in the Chinese market. In recent years, Cambodia has exported mangoes to Vietnam at low prices.

According to a report presented at a workshop on Vietnamese mango exports in mid-April, Vietnam exports 160,000-170,000 tons of mangoes a year, with 94 percent heading for China.

Of this amount, only 0.08 percent, or 141 tons, is exported through official channels. This means that more than 99 percent of Vietnams mango goes to China across the border gates.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), mangoes and bananas are two of the major tropical fruits grown in Vietnam.

Vietnam, with a total mango growing area of 87,000 hectares, is the 13th largest mango exporter in the world. Its total mango output in 2020 was 893,000 tons, up by 6.5 percent over 2019.

However, Vietnams mango export turnover in 2020 was $180.8 million, a decrease of 9 percent compared with 2019. The fall was attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused a disruption in global goods circulation.

Of this, exports to China brought $151.8 million in revenue, or 84 percent of total export turnover, but the export volume to the market fell by 4.18 percent compared with 2019.

Meanwhile, Chinese agencies in mid-August 2020 said that 220 consignments of Vietnams mangoes, or 3,300 tons out of total 750,000 tons exported to China in 2019-2020, violated quarantine regulations.

The Chinese side has temporarily stopped importing mangoes from these mango growing areas and packaging establishments in order to pursue an investigation. These include two out of 82 mango growing areas and one out of 12 packaging establishments in Dong Thap province.

T. An

Online stalls help rescue farm produce in North Hai Duongs first farm produce, including cabbage and chicken eggs, are being sold on voso.vn, an e-commerce website, while an online stall distributing Hai Duongs produce has been set up.
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.
Police in Washington state are investigating whether a 22-year-old in Mexico, claiming she was abducted as a child, could be a girl snatched from her hometown almost 20 years ago.

The disappearance of Sofia Juarez in February 2003, when she was four years old, shocked the community of Kennewick.

Home to 81,000 people, 220 miles east of Seattle, Kennewick launched a huge search for the little girl. But the trail went cold.

Now a TikTok video is giving investigators new hope.

Sofia Juarez disappeared from Kennewick, Washington, in February 2003, aged four

Sofia Juarez as she would look today, according to an artistic impression

The unnamed woman spoke to Zazueta in Culiacan, Sinaloa, about celebrating birthdays

A trucking company in Washington state agreed to help spread the word

The woman, sitting in a plaza in Culiacan, Mexico, is asked by journalist Oscar Zazueta, with YouTube channel Aka y Alla, how she feels about her next birthday.

'I'm not happy about it, because I have a lot on my mind,' she replies in Spanish, seated on a bench in Plazuela Alvaro Obregon.

'In all honesty, I don't like my birthday. It shocks me each time I have another one.

'I want to say hi to my auntie and my nana.

'And I want them to come to get me, because I've been kidnapped.'

Zazueta looks taken aback, and she continued: 'Yes, they say I was kidnapped. Maybe from Italy, maybe from Japan.

'I hope they come for me. Because in reality I don't know where I'm from - from here, or from there.

'And now I'm in Sinaloa.'

The woman says she believes she was abducted, but has no idea where she is from

The woman goes on to say that she has problems with drugs, and asks for help, local media reported.

They said her mother, with whom she was living in Kennewick, has since died, without ever knowing the fate of her daughter.

Lt. Aaron Clem, a spokesman with the Kennewick's police department, said they were all eager to track down the woman.

'This is one of those cases that everybody in our community knows exactly what they were doing when she went missing,' said Clem, a 25-year veteran with the department.

Zazueta has been contacted by the police, and on his Facebook page posted a video of him asking around the plaza in case anyone had seen her.

Zazueta, in the black t-shirt, and a colleague asked people in the plaza if they had seen her

Several people in Culiacan told Zazueta and his colleague (above) that they recognized her

One woman said she used to see her frequently, barefoot and dragging a suitcase with her belongings, but has not seen her since the interview, a month ago.

Another homeless person tells Zazueta that he recognized her, but has not seen her for a while.

Others in the area say they have seen her passing, but not recently.

Clem told NBC News on Friday: 'The ultimate goal is to get her identified and have her voluntarily give us a DNA sample.

'There is enough there that we need to do our due diligence.'

The police department about a month ago launched a website to generate interest in Sofia's case and has received around 100 tips, Clem said.

The kidnapped girl is described on the site as 'a beacon of sunshine who had a bright and innocent life stolen from her.'

'Her family, friends and community have lived under a dark cloud since she was taken from us,' the website says.

'Sofia was, and still is, loved by all who knew her.'

Clem said police are also speaking to a local witness that they deem 'highly credible' who saw a crying girl being led away by another person.

The girl matched Sofia's description and the time of the alleged incident is about when Sofia went missing, Clem said.

The same witness also led police to another promising lead about a windowless, grey or light blue van from the 1970s or 80s that was parked in the area near where Sofia went missing the night of her kidnapping.

'It would be amazing,' said Clem, when asked what solving the case would mean.

'It would be great for the family and great for the community.

'Everyone is looking forward to her coming home.'
Neymar has signed a three-year contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain to commit his future at the club until 2025.

There had been talk that the Brazilian superstar could return to Barcelona, who he left to join the French side for a world record 198m fee back in 2017.

Neymar said he wanted to leave France in 2019 amid reports that he was set to return to LaLiga but eventually stayed before the club reached the Champions League final last season.

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Neymar has agreed to extend his contract

The Brazilian has committed his future to Mauricio Pochettino's side until the end of 2024-25

The club have now posted a video on their Twitter page showing pictures of his best moments since joining the club along with the caption 'NeymarJr2025'.

Neymar's contract had been set to expire at the end of the 2021-22 season.

It was previously reported by French newspaper L'Equipe that he was prepared to commit his future to Mauricio Pochettino's side and sign an extension worth 26m (30m) per season.

It was also claimed that the contract will include a huge bonus if PSG win the Champions League in the next few years.

PSG are also looking to extend Kylian Mbappe's deal as the 22-year-old France striker's contract expires at the end of next season.

Kylian Mbappe is being lined up as the next big PSG star to pen fresh terms following Neymar

In his first PSG press conference for two years last week, Neymar said he was 'really happy' at the club, hinting at a possible extension of his contract.

'I have got time left on my contract here at PSG,' Neymar said. 'We want to do what is best for everyone.

'I have already said that I am happy here and I feel much better than in the previous seasons.

'There are some aspects that I have improved here. I also went through difficult times with things that people know about. I have always worked hard and have always been professional, contrary to what some people believe.

'PSG have grown a lot, the club is more respected. When people talk about PSG, they know that we are in the last four, five or six teams in the Champions League.'

He was, however, unable to help the team reach a second successive Champions League final as PSG were knocked out in the semi-finals by Manchester City with a 4-1 aggregate defeat.

The Brazilian has failed to make a consistent impact in PSG's Champions League knockout ties

Neymar's time at PSG has been inconsistent, with the Brazilian gracing the fans with some moments of brilliance while winning three straight Ligue 1 titles.

However, he has failed to make his impact truly felt in Champions League knockout ties, with a combination of injuries and inconsistent performances.

Neymar has missed five European knockout matches for PSG through injury during his time in France, and in the 10 he has featured in, he has scored just twice.
Hartlepool is one of those northern working-class seats where it used to be said that you didn't need to count the Labour vote  just weigh it.

Pin a red rosette on a donkey, and it was on its way to Westminster.

Well, not any more. For the first time since the time of Macmillan and Gaitskell, the constituency has returned a Tory MP  and with a majority more associated with the southern shires.

If this result is indicative, Boris Johnson has not only breached the Red Wall, he's pulverised it  and plunged Labour into an existential crisis.

Hartlepool is one of those northern working-class seats where it used to be said that you didn't need to count the Labour vote  just weigh it

Even Margaret Thatcher in her post-Falklands pomp, when she won a 144-seat landslide, never looked like winning Hartlepool.

The scale and symbolism are hard to overstate. This is a tectonic shift in this country's political geography.

Eleven years into a Tory government, battered by a global pandemic and attacked over allegations of sleaze, red turned to blue in council seats from Sunderland to the Black Country.

In Oldham and Sheffield, Labour council leaders lost their seats.

In Tees Valley, Tory mayor Ben Houchen was re-elected with a crushing 73 per cent of the vote. Andy Street is expected to continue the trend by comfortably retaining the West Midlands mayoralty.

Labour strategists will cling to the idea that the turnaround was driven mainly by Brexit and to some extent it was. But not in the way they think.

The EU referendum gave neglected areas such as Hartlepool and the Tees Valley a chance to give the whole smug, self-serving political class a black eye. However, it also broke a historic link.

For generations voting Labour was a tribal ritual rather than an informed choice. But years of being patronised and taken for granted by an increasingly remote party has finally taken its toll at the ballot box.

The big question now  is this a divorce or merely a temporary separation?

What the Milibands, Corbyns and Starmers never really 'got' is that while it votes Labour by tradition, much of the industrial North is socially conservative  and its people strongly aspirational for themselves and their children.

They are also deeply proud of their history and their country. The great bridges over Sydney Harbour, Victoria Falls and the White Nile at Omdurman were built on the Tees in the days of Empire.

Colonial projects they may have been, but they are global wonders and enormously important to the region's sense of self-esteem.

So Labour's relentless denigration of our nation's history and obeisance to revisionist, identity-driven pressure groups has not gone down well.

Their party now reflects the interests of north London far more than it does the North of England. Indeed, the only connection it has to the working class is its anachronistic name.

But let's not underestimate Mr Johnson's role in changing the political weather. Unlike Keir Starmer he is someone with a big personality.

So Labour's relentless denigration of our nation's history and obeisance to revisionist, identity-driven pressure groups has not gone down well. Pictured: Keir Starmer arriving to his home in London

And he has big ideas. Yes, some of those ideas (a tunnel to Ireland?) are eccentric to say the least, but he is desperate to move the country forward, especially its 'left-behind' areas.

As he said in an impromptu press conference on the Hartlepool waterfront after this astonishing triumph, the focus now is shifting from 'jabs, jabs, jabs to jobs, jobs, jobs'. His optimism has proved infectious.

The sneers and carping of the metropolitan Left have also played in his favour. He can often seem like an underdog struggling against the established order, a role only too familiar to the North East.

Yet he delivered Brexit against the odds and presided over a vaccination campaign that is the envy of the world.

The Labour leader, by contrast, appears technocratic and bloodless. Like the metropolitan barrister he is, Sir Keir is long on rhetorical argument but short on vision.

But mediocre as he is, it's hard to see a worthy successor from the current shadow cabinet.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner has presence, but is another old-fashioned class warrior. Calling a blameless Tory MP 'scum' in the Commons is hardly statesmanlike.

Still, Sir Keir is braced for another bout of unseemly infighting, with Corbynistas already arguing that, irrespective of its trouncing in 2019, what the party needs at the helm is another red-in-tooth-and-claw Marxist.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Jill Mortimer in Hartlepool, Country Durham, today

However, the Tories' worst enemy now would be complacency. Yes, this was a seminal night but also the ideal time for Mr Johnson to fight a by-election.

The inoculation drive, imminent loosening of restrictions and summer just beginning to show its colours have put a spring in the nation's step.

But Mr Johnson's 'unite and level up' agenda is already showing tangible results.

A branch of the Treasury coming to Darlington, vaccine manufacturing plants at Billingham and Barnard Castle, a freeport at Teesside and green technology replacing the old industries.

Jobs are being created and there is a new feeling of forward momentum.

This, though, is nothing more than the start. Mr Johnson must now guide the economy, predicted to grow at its fastest peacetime rate in nearly a century, through a turbulent Covid recovery.

Businesses must be allowed to boom  to create employment and generate wealth to pay for public services.

The social care crisis, which forces countless elderly to sell their homes, must be fixed  as he promised to on his first day in Downing Street.

Building more homes to give young people a realistic chance of getting on the property ladder (and, in the process, creating a new generation of Tory voters). Solving the cladding scandal to avoid another Grenfell-style tragedy.

The Prime Minister has three years to show his newfound supporters that he has made good on his promises.

With his boundless optimism, can-do enthusiasm and deep patriotism, Boris keeps defying the mockers and naysayers.

Think back, for instance, to the bleak days of May 2019. Britain was fractured and paralysed by Brexit. The Conservatives were deservedly annihilated in the local elections.

In a little under two years, Mr Johnson has miraculously remodelled not just his party but his country. He can  and must  cement this seismic political realignment.

But for now, this extraordinary politician should celebrate his well-deserved triumph.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 18:36:57|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on May 6, 2021 shows French and Arabic versions of Moroccan sinologist Nasser Bouchiba's new book in Rabat, Morocco. Moroccan sinologist Nasser Bouchiba recently presented his new book "History of the Relations between Morocco and China (1958-2018)" at the Chinese Cultural Center in Rabat. (Xinhua/Chen Binjie)

RABAT, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan sinologist Nasser Bouchiba recently presented his new book "History of the Relations between Morocco and China (1958-2018)" at the Chinese Cultural Center in Rabat.

During the book launch on Thursday, Bouchiba said the development in political, economic, and cultural exchanges between the two countries in recent years drove him to write the book.

The book systematically reviews the friendly exchanges between Morocco and China from 1958 to 2018 in terms of political exchanges, trade development, cultural exchanges, China's aids to Morocco, and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Bouchiba originally wrote the book in Chinese, and then it was translated into Arabic and French.

Chen Dongyun, cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Morocco, attended the book launch. She said that Bouchiba's book, which contains rich information, can help deepen mutual understanding between the two countries. Enditem
"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
New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi, lashing out at the Narendra Modi government while addressing a Congress Parliamentary Party meeting on Friday, said: I say this categorically -- India is crippled by a political leadership today that has no empathy for people. The Modi government has failed the people of our country. Mrs Gandhi said the government must urgently call an all-party meeting on the Covid-19 situation in India and added: The Modi government has abdicated its fundamental responsibilities and duties towards the people, the Centre has ignored warnings and alerts from the EGOM, National Task Force and the parliamentary panel.

Mrs Gandhi termed the Congress losses in the recent Assembly polls as very disappointing. Adding that the Congress Working Committee will meet soon to review the Assembly poll results. Most unfortunately, our own performance in all the states was very disappointing and if I may say, unexpectedly so, she said while concluding her speech. The CWC is meeting shortly to review the results but it goes without saying that we as a party collective must draw the appropriate lessons from this setback in a spirit of humility and honesty, she added. The virtual parliamentary meeting was attended by its MPs and senior office-bearers.

The Congress has been repeatedly attacking the government for the last couple of weeks over its mismanagement of the Covid-19 crisis, which has been spiralling in the country, with a serious lack of medicines, oxygen, cylinders, hospital beds, ventilators and vaccines. Referring to the letters written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Dr Manmohan Singh, the former PM, and by Rahul Gandhi, the Congress president said all these helpful initiatives had fallen on deaf ears as the government has made no meaningful response and continues to behave as if it alone has all the answers. Mrs Sonia Gandhi also demanded that meetings of the standing committees be held immediately: The situation brooks no delay. Tackling this crisis requires able, calm and visionary leadership. The nation is sinking under the weight of the Modi governments indifference and incompetence. This is a time for us to steel ourselves and rededicate ourselves in the service of our people.

Hitting out at the Central Vista redevelopment project in New Delhi, she said the Modi government allocated thousands of crores for non-essential projects that have nothing to do with the peoples well-being. She was also critical of the governments vaccination policy and said: The Modi governments inequitable vaccination policy will exclude millions of dalits, adivasis, other backward classes, as well as the poor and the marginalised.
The General Prosecutor's Office of Georgia will appeal to the court with a petition for the release of the leader of the United National Movement opposition party, Niki Melia, the ministry's press service reports.

"As soon as we receive an official document on the transfer of the amount, and this amount will be credited to the account, the prosecutor's office will apply to the court with a petition to release Melia," the statement reads.

The chairman of the Association of Young Lawyers of Georgia NGO, which at the request of the European Union carried out the payment process, reported that a document on the payment of the bail had been sent to the prosecutor's office.
In this April 8, 2021, file photo, students exit the KSU Ice Arena after getting their Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. Even as restrictions relax across much of the United States, colleges and universities have taken new steps to police campus life as the virus spreads through students who are among the last adults to get access to vaccines. (AP Photo/Phil Long, File)

About a year into mask mandates, nasal swabs and remote classes, the atmosphere turned tense at the University of Vermont as the school cracked down on rules for social distancing and face coverings amid a spike in student COVID-19 cases.

Students were handed hundreds of citations for violations like standing in another student's doorway or walking maskless to a hallway restroom, igniting a student-led petition that blasted "strict and inhumane living conditions."

"You start to feel suffocated like I'm afraid to leave my room," freshman Patrick Welsh said in an interview on campus.

Even as restrictions relax across much of the United States, colleges and universities have taken new steps to police campus life as the virus spreads through students who are among the last adults to get access to vaccines. Administrators say they've needed to act urgently to avoid risking an early end to the semester or sending infected students home and spreading COVID-19.

In recent weeks, the University of Michigan punished hundreds of students for missing mandatory virus testing by deactivating their access cards to nonresidential buildings, and Cornell University announced that students would lose access to campus Wi-Fi, course materials and facilities for missing virus tests. The University of Chicago locked down residence halls for seven days and shifted classes online after finding more than 50 cases in a matter of days.

In this April 8, 2021, file photo, Kent State University student Jarrett Woo gets his Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination from Kent State nursing student Allie Rodriguez in Kent, Ohio. Even as restrictions relax across much of the United States, colleges and universities have taken new steps to police campus life as the virus spreads through students who are among the last adults to get access to vaccines. (AP Photo/Phil Long, File)

The measures come as administrators assess whether in-person commencement ceremonies are feasible, how to get students vaccinated and whether to make the shots a requirement. The onset of warm weather and eased restrictions outside campus gates pose additional challenges.

After recording 200 cases in the first two weeks of April, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University eliminated in-person dining and banned visitors from campus housing. While the state's governor has lifted an outdoor mask mandate and doubled mass gathering limits to allow 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors, the university has worked with law enforcement to try to shut down off-campus events billed as "Aggie-Fest" celebrations that target students, said Todd Simmons, associate vice chancellor for university relations.

"What we're trying to prevail on students is two things. First, let's not get commencement canceled with some sort of last-minute major surge in COVID infections, and secondly do not take a chance on taking a COVID infection home," Simmons said.

In this April 26, 2021, file photo, Johnson Shao, a nursing student at the College of Southern Nevada, administers the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center at UNLV in Las Vegas. Even as restrictions relax across much of the United States, colleges and universities have taken new steps to police campus life as the virus spreads through students who are among the last adults to get access to vaccines. (AP Photo/John Locher)

The historically Black university also has been pushing students to get vaccinated on campus, he said, bringing in speakers to address vaccine hesitancy.

At the University of Vermont, just under 100 students tested positive for the virus during the fall semester. But the numbers surged in the spring, with more than 680 students infected so far this semester. Gary Derr, vice president for operations and public safety, said the fall semester got off to a smoother start because it was warm enough for students to socialize outside.

"We came back in the spring and we were stuck indoors," he said. Like many campuses, there was no spring break to look forward to; the university didn't want students bringing the virus back with them.

UVM students agree to a pledge that they will abide by school rules for preventing the spread of the coronavirus and violations can lead to fines, probation or suspension for repeated offenses. This spring, six students have been suspended and 23, some of whom had faced full suspension, are banished from campus, allowed only to join classes remotely, after the school agreed to review the cases.

Students and pedestrians make their way through the University of Chicago campus, Thursday, May 6, 2021. Even as restrictions relax across much of the United States, colleges and universities have taken new steps to police campus life as the virus spreads through students who are among the last adults to get access to vaccines. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar)

As tulips and daffodils bloom on campus, signs tell students to keep up the practices like social distancing and mask wearing. At the COVID-19 testing center, where students are tested twice a week, banners say, "IT'S UP TO US" and "THANKS FOR DOING YOUR PART."

The warmer weather has made it easier to see friends and classmates on campus, students said, but fears of being penalized have taken a toll.

"If I go anywhere on campus and I mess up, like I'm sitting too close to someone or my mask is below my nose, I could get fined or I could get suspended. It makes you afraid and it's terrible for mental health," said Welsh, of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. "And I think the UVM administration is not really recognizing that; they're just trying to look good."

When hundreds of young people crowded onto a Burlington beach the second weekend in April, student Gary Sinclair of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, saw it as a kind of revolt against the crackdown.

A group of visitors take a selfie near a sign reading "stay 6 feet apart at all times," Thursday, May 6, 2021, on the University of Chicago campus in Chicago. Even as restrictions relax across much of the United States, colleges and universities have taken new steps to police campus life as the virus spreads through students who are among the last adults to get access to vaccines. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar)

Students wearing masks make their way through the University of Chicago campus, Thursday, May 6, 2021, in Chicago. Even as restrictions relax across much of the United States, colleges and universities have taken new steps to police campus life as the virus spreads through students who are among the last adults to get access to vaccines. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar)

In this May 6, 2021, file photo, University of Chicago men's rugby team players practice on the Midway Plaisance near the campus in Chicago. Even as restrictions relax across much of the United States, colleges and universities have taken new steps to police campus life as the virus spreads through students who are among the last adults to get access to vaccines. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar, File)

In this Feb. 3, 2021, file photo, Jazmyn Finney, seated, is administered a coronavirus rapid test by a certified medical assistant at the student health center on campus at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, N.C. Even as restrictions relax across much of the United States, colleges and universities have taken new steps to police campus life as the virus spreads through students who are among the last adults to get access to vaccines. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

University of Chicago sophomore Silvana Montagu, right and Sonny Lee take advantage of warm spring weather as they spend time in a hummock Thursday, May 6, 2021, in University of Chicago. Even as restrictions relax across much of the United States, colleges and universities have taken new steps to police campus life as the virus spreads through students who are among the last adults to get access to vaccines. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar)

"We were working really hard to make sure the school stays open so that those guys can make money," Sinclair said, "but I think North Beach was a huge, almost a statement to the UVM administration that, 'You know what? If you're going to try to intimidate us with fear and fines, kicking us out, stuff like that, then we're all going to go to the beach and you're not going to kick all of us out.'"

In late April, Derr announced infection rates at UVM had fallen enough to allow multihousehold gatherings of UVM students living on- and off-campus.

Nicole Hardy said students haven't lost sight of the virus but have become desensitized as time has passed.

"I still see people going into quarantine every week, and I still know there are people that are getting sick. ... So it's like there's still a lingering concern," she said. "But I would say overwhelmingly people are prioritizing socializing right now."

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.
A special called meeting of the Red Bank Commission on Friday was contentious from the start. Mayor Hollie Berry and Vice Mayor Stefanie Dalton contend that a vote for a contract to retain Tim Thornbury on an on-call basis at the April 26 meeting was not legal because the city had no representation present. City Attorney Arnold Stulce has recused himself from matters concerning that meeting and Mr. Thornbury, but he had asked Attorney Harry Cash to appear at the meeting on behalf of the city.

The mayor said that her conversation with Elisha Hodge at MTAS made her think that the council needed to vote before hiring an attorney to represent Red Bank. I have to say this, said Attorney Stulce, "it bothers me saying that was illegal. He said he had personally sat in on decisions made by the Chattanooga City Council based solely on a phone call to represent the council. He said on those occasions, no mayor made an appointment and it was never questioned.

The longtime city attorney said, "The first time I heard 'illegal vote,' the implication feels that I did something wrong when asking Mr. Cash to appear with five days notice."

Commissioners Ruth Jeno, Pete Phillips and Ed Lecompte indicated they all felt railroaded into a vote to choose an attorney with only one choice. It seems like the resolution is written for one outcome and Im not thrilled with that, said Commissioner Phillips. The resolution being voted on was for the retention of special counsel Attorney John Harrison of Evans, Harrison Hackett.

How was this firm decided on, and was it a collaboration of all commissioners? How did it come about?" asked Commissioner Lecompte. The response from the mayor was that after speaking to MTAS she asked attorney Phil Noblett for a recommendation. Mr. Noblett is the city attorney for Chattanooga, though his replacement has been announced.

Commissioner Jeno said, "Our own city attorney made two recommendations - Mark Litchford and Harry Cash, and Mr. Cash did sit in on the Zoom meeting. "That was inadmissible," said the mayor because Mr. Stulce had recused himself.

Commissioner Jeno retorted, "I trust his knowledge and dedication to the city and feel it is offensive not to consider his recommendations."

City Attorney Stulce said, "Apparently someone else has said my suggestion is somehow a conflict. I was unaware of this until the mayor just said Phil Noblett told her it would be a conflict.

"Elisha Hodge also said it," said Mayor Berry.

Commissioner Jeno said that she had spoken to Ms. Hodge just two hours prior to the meeting and her suggestion was to hire legal counsel specializing in municipal law. The council had concerns because attorney Harrison specializes in employment, not municipal law.

I dont know why Harry Cash was not good enough, said Commissioner Phillips. "It seems to me that this whole process is asinine. We had a special meeting to decide on the agreement with Mr. Thornbury and voted. This is just being dragged on as if its good for the city. I want to work with you and move the city forward, but were not lawyers, lets do our job.

Commissioner Jeno said that she had assumed that at least three of the other commissioners had agreed to the attorney (Harrison) who had been selected, however she found no one except the mayor and vice mayor knew about it. Were a team and are supposed to work together, she said, adding that the mayor only had to ask the city recorder to send a group email to the commissioners. This is just another stunt from you girls - or women. You go around us. Your opinion doesnt matter any more than the rest of ours.

Attorney Harrison told the board he has no stake in the controversy and that everyone being considered is a fine lawyer. He said this case has the potential for expertise in both fields. He said the first action would be to determine if the decision made at the April 26 meeting is legally binding, and if the conclusion is that it is not binding, then it would get into employment law. He said Mr. Litchford is experienced in both, but he said he is too, although his specialty is employment law.

Its not you, said Commissioner Jeno. "I have a problem with the whole process. You have a wonderful reputation. It is common knowledge that this board is divided."

A vote on the resolution to hire attorney Harrison failed with only the mayor and vice mayor in favor.

It was decided to have another special called meeting to give the commissioners a choice of which lawyer to hire - Harrison or Litchford. A motion passed to set the special meeting for Monday at 11 a.m. The agenda will be to retain either Attorney Harrison or Litchford for legal counsel for deliberation and a vote. Since there is not adequate time to advertise the meeting, the mayor said it could be put on the citys website and that she would put a notice at the Red Bank Food City and Post Office. This is ridiculous, said Commissioner Jeno.

The special meeting to consider the actual contract that had been scheduled for Tuesday may need to be moved so that whichever lawyer is hired has enough time to review the documents and familiarize himself with the case. The date for that public meeting will be decided Monday after the vote on the attorney.
Public libraries and retail giant Amazon have faced increasing pressure to ban a book that's critical of transgender ideology amid what the author calls a rising culture of censorship.

To the surprise of many, Amazon refused to stop selling a book by Wall Street Journal contributor Abigail Shrier, titled, Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, despite a high-pressure campaign by employees who are demanding its removal.

Corporate media outlets supportive of the transgender movement also expressed their disappointment in Amazon's decision not to pull the book, running such headlines as: "Amazon will not remove book advocates say endangers transgender youth," "Amazon overrules employees calls to stop selling book questioning mainstream treatment for transgender youth," and "Amazon Refuses to Stop Selling Anti-Trans Book."

Canada's, CTV News reported Monday that a trans-identified parent in Ottawa is attempting to get the Ottawa Public Library to remove the book from its shelves. The mother, who claims to be on the "trans spectrum" and to have a 6-year-old gender-nonconforming child, sent a letter to the library complaining about the book. The library, however, has refused to remove it on the grounds of intellectual freedom.

Source:The Christian Post
High resolution photographs of the ancient Black Stone at the heart of Mecca's holy Kabba have been revealed for the first time by Saudi Arabia.

Astonishing images of the al-Hajar al-Aswad, said to date back to the time of Adam and Eve, were unveiled by the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Saudi Grand Mosque on Monday.

They took more than 50 hours to capture and develop, with the General Presidency working with the Two Holy Mosques' agency to take some 1,050 photographs in a seven-hour session.

Astonishing images of the al-Hajar al-Aswad (above) were unveiled by the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Saudi Grand Mosque on Monday

The revered Islamic relic, thought to be a meteorite, is set in the eastern corner of the Kabba at the centre of the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

Stone said to date back to Adam and Eve may have fallen from space The Black Stone has often be described as a meteorite, and Islamic tradition holds that it fell from heaven as a guide for Adam and Eve to build an altar, which became the first temple. It is widely believed that it was originally pure white, but has since changed colour because of the sins of the people who touch it. The Islamic relic has long been associated with the Kaaba. According to tradition, it was set intact into the Kaabas wall by the prophet Muhammad in 605 CE. It plays a central role in the ritual of istilam, where pilgrims kiss the Black Stone or touch it with their hands. Advertisement

According to tradition, the stone was set into the building's wall by the Islamic prophet Mohammed in 605 CE.

The Black Stone has since been broken into fragments which are cemented into a silver frame in the side of the Kabba.

New images of the ancient stone were taken using a technique called focus stacking, which combines several images with different focus points, according to CNN.

The relic appears a reddish brown colour despite its name, with scattered grey.

Afifi al-Akiti, a fellow in Islamic studies at the University of Oxford, said the photographs are significant because 'in a sense this is unprecedented.'

He added: 'One sees that it's not actually black, for example... As I understand it, it's the first time there is a magnified digital photo of the stone and one can see the stone up close and personal.

'In the Muslim tradition, this is considered to be a holy relic, but reason plays a major role in the Muslim tradition.

'So while it is unprecedented to see a picture of the stone, I think Muslims are down to Earth and science plays a major role in the religion'.

Mohammed is said to have received his first revelations in Mecca in the early 7th century, not long after it is claimed he placed the Black Stone in the Kabba.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Few things matter more to actor Angelina Jolie than role models. They play a vital role in shaping the next generation. They are what she hopes to be for her own children. And they are also the kinds of roles she wants to bring to the screen, as a director, producer and actor. As we sit down to talk about life, motherhood and her latest movie, Those Who Wish Me Dead, we begin with the subject of role models. That includes the very obvious cinematic trailblazers, such as Sigourney Weavers Ellen Ripley in Alien (1979)and Linda Hamiltons Sarah Connor in Terminator (1984), both of whom paved the way for one of Jolies most-loved roles, that of Lara Croft in the 2001 hit Tomb Raider. But it also includes the many women the 45-year-old actor, filmmaker and humanitarian has encountered in her work as a special envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Its a role that has taken her to some of the worlds darkest corners, where she has witnessed first-hand the frontline workers whose courage serves to ignite a flicker of light. There are times when its the first time somebody takes a step and shows that  whether it be a woman, a man, somebody  they can do something different, Angelina tells Sunday Life. Somebody pushes the boundary, then says this can also be done this way, or this gender can also do this. Then you push those boundaries and tell those stories, and you look for other stories to tell  you dont want to just repeat the same message, she adds. Theres a lot of trauma behind the strong women in a lot of these roles, and it will be nice to get to a place where were also in our maternity, in our femininity, strong and intelligent and not fighting to survive. Its an interesting question. Its a deep question. Particularly for women: what is the representation thats not yet been shown on screen? Who is a woman and what is a woman capable of?

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Theres a lot to discover, theres a lot thats yet to be represented, and theres a space being created right now that is not yet there, Angelina says. Theres a lot of trauma behind the strong women in a lot of these roles, and it will be nice to get to a place where were also in our maternity, in our femininity, strong and intelligent and not fighting to survive. Loading In Angelinas own life, there has always been one very powerful role model: her mother, the actor and humanitarian Marcheline Bertrand, who died in 2007 at the age of 56. The subject is respectfully broached, as Angelina rarely talks about her personal life in interviews. My mother was very gentle, says Angelina. I can be many things in my work and in life, but I am very warm and gentle with my children. That kindness and warmth is a foundation thats unbelievably important. She gave me many other things and taught me many lessons. But if you dont have that base, to feel valued and safe, then its hard for any of the other messages or lessons to land. I hope that Ive been able to be that [for my own children], that Im that warm, safe place. Because  and its maybe a funny thing to say  but considering what my different jobs are, or what people think they know of you, or what you feel you have to be in the world, in truth none of those things are what you really are. Who you are to the children is everything. Perhaps without even consciously realising it, that may have brought Angelina to her latest role, frontline firefighter Hannah Faber, a veteran smoke jumper who comes to the aid of a young boy, Connor (Finn Little), who witnesses the murder of his father at the hands of two paid assassins (Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult).

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When we meet her, Hannah is grappling with a version of survivors remorse, racked with guilt over her failure to rescue a party from a recent fire. Shes intentionally reckless and clearly is not functioning well, Angelina says. If the path this film takes her on didnt happen, Im not sure she would have recovered from what shes carrying. And that is a lot. Not to get heavy, but Ive been to places where there are different groups of people being treated  those who had physical injuries or were harmed, and this other group, those who had to participate in harming others as part of their torture, Angelina says. The damage was so clear, but the mental-health trauma, you cant see it. Those who do those types of jobs, anybody on the front line, you just never know what theyre going through when you look at them, she adds. So in this story, which is not as heavy and depressing as Im making it sound, these people, you throw them together and you light a fire and you see who makes it through. Theres a lot to discover, theres a lot thats yet to be represented, and theres a space being created right now that is not yet there, Credit:Alexi Lubomirski/Trunk Archive/Snapper Images Enter 14-year-old Brisbane-based actor Finn Little, who plays Connor in the film. Its quite obvious within a few minutes of Finn reading anything that hes an extremely talented person, says Angelina. In part thats because hes still young and open and emotional and grounded, while another side of him clearly has a handle on his profession and his professionalism and his craft. Wed both be very serious actors on set, but also have play dates on the weekends with my kids and go hang out all the time, Angelina says. So part of our work, if you will, was just playing paintball or swimming. So our professional bonding was just a lot of fun, being friends.

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Finn describes those encounters with Angelina and her family as important ice-breakers. We just hung out and it made me feel very comfortable around her and her family, he says. And it did make me feel accepted just to be around them. I felt very accepted and well looked after. As you might expect, Finn was a fan before he was a co-star, particularly enjoying Angelinas performance in Maleficent. I was very nervous meeting her for the audition, he adds. But when I got the part and started working with her, I realised that shes just a normal person with normal feelings, and shes great. Angelina Jolie and Finn Little in a scene from Those Who Wish Me Dead. Credit:Courtesy of Warner Bros There is little doubt Angelina took the role because she has a unique understanding of frontline workers. The film also comes at a time when communities are focused on honouring the work of frontline COVID-19 workers, particularly nurses and doctors, but also firefighters. Loading When there are fires, we seem to honour the firemen, and during the pandemic weve been very supportive and focused on those in the hospitals and on that front line, Angelina says. Youd hope these things continue regardless of what is happening in the world. It shouldnt have to take a large fire to respect a fireman, or a pandemic to respect a nurse. But it is also true that she took the role because it contrasts with films she produces and directs, which command a large slice of her time. Taking a gig in which she only acts means she can remain focused on the six children she shares with her ex-husband, actor Brad Pitt: Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14, and twins Knox and Vivienne, both 12. Ive stopped directing for a few years, to be home with my kids, Angelina says.

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Those Who Wish Me Dead is equal parts crime thriller and action movie, and the footage seen so far speaks to extraordinary production values, particularly when the fires are lit. In one of those feats of cinematic legerdemain, while the fire is real, the trees, apparently, are not. To translate that into a public service announcement, it appears no trees were harmed in the making of this movie.

Im a bad person to ask, Angelina says, laughing, when asked about the shoots hazards. Maybe its something thats off about me, but I tend to walk into slightly dangerous situations and be the last to panic. Maybe its something thats off about me, but I tend to walk into slightly dangerous situations and be the last to panic. So I didnt feel like I was in danger during filming. I didnt feel like it was too much. There were certainly times when it got really hot, very fast, and we had to all move to the other side. Again, being with Finn, it did something different, because when youre next to a child, youre so hyper-focused, she says. So when the bullets and shrapnel were flying, all I could think about was his eyes and keeping them covered. When were in situations near the fire, or in the river surrounded by fire, I had my eye on him. But I will say that hes an Aussie, and tough, so there was no real need for me to be concerned for him. He wasnt afraid of anything. Those Who Wish Me Dead opens in cinemas on May 13.

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The world's largest cargo plane left Belfast in Northern Ireland on Friday, carrying three 18-tonne oxygen generators and 1,000 ventilators as part of the UK's latest response to India's Covid-19 crisis, the British government said.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), which has funded to supplies, said airport staff worked through the night to load the life-saving kit aboard the massive Antonov 124 aircraft, which is expected to land in Delhi at 0800 IST on Sunday morning after which the Indian Red Cross will help transfer them to hospitals. Each of the three oxygen generation units the size of 40 foot freight containers produces 500 litres of oxygen per minute, enough for 50 people to use at a time.

"The UK is sending surplus oxygen generators from Northern Ireland to India. This life-saving equipment will support the country's hospitals as they care for vulnerable COVID patients," said UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. "The UK and India are working together to tackle this pandemic. No-one is safe until we are all safe," he said.

The latest set of supplies were announced earlier and follow 200 ventilators and 495 oxygen concentrators sent from the UK to India last month, also funded by the FCDO. The assistance package has been sourced by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the offer by Northern Ireland's health service is in addition to 1,000 ventilators offered by the DHSC.

"The situation in India is heart-breaking and we stand side by side with our friends as they face this immense challenge," said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

"As we battle this global pandemic together, the vital equipment we are providing, including ventilators and oxygen generators, will help save lives and support India's healthcare system. As one United Kingdom we will continue to do all we can to help the Indian health authorities turn the tide on this dreadful virus," he said.

Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann was at Belfast International Airport to see the surplus oxygen generators supplied by his department loaded onto the giant cargo plane.

"The scenes coming out of India are a vivid reminder of the devastation this virus can cause and it shows no sign of abating," said Swann.

"It is our moral duty to help and support where we can. Oxygen supply is under severe stress in India's health system and the three oxygen generation units that we are sending today are each capable of producing 500 litres of oxygen per minute. I sincerely hope this equipment goes some way to easing the pressure and pain the country is currently experiencing," he said.

India is undergoing a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in a shortage of vital medical equipment and supplies. The UK is among several countries that have stepped in with offers of support from their surplus stocks during the crisis.

Also read: COVID-19 crisis: Israel dispatches second consignment of medical aid to India
U.S. health officials have finally acknowledged that coronavirus is airborne and can travel more than six feet in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines updated Friday.

'COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that contain the virus. These droplets and particles can be breathed in by other people or land on their eyes, noses, or mouth,' the guidance reads.

'People who are closer than 6 feet from the infected person are most likely to get infected.'

Previously, the CDC warned that coronavirus spread primarily through close contact, coughs and sneezes, not through what's known as 'airborne transmission.'

Viruses that are airborne are tiny enough to travel farther distances as aerosols, rather than larger 'droplets.'

Evidence has mounted for months that coronavirus travels this way, but the CDC largely punted on the issue, saying it was still assessing the data, until now.

The agency's advice also continues to move away from warning about the risk of contracting the virus from surfaces, though the new guidance does acknowledge their potential to become contaminated.

The CDC has finally acknowledged that coronavirus can spread in a fine mist over more than six feet, especially indoors. It did away with language saying the risk was mostly posed by 'close contact' and larger droplets of saliva or mucus containing the virus (file)

The CDC acknowledged back in October that there was the possibility of airborne transmission, but downplayed this risk, saying that the risk of transmission was low at distances greater than six feet all though such cases had been documented.

Indoor settings among close contacts remain the primary hotbed for the spread of coronavirus.

But the CDC's new guidance at last acknowledges how the virus can travel long distances in a fine mist and inhaled.

With plenty of anecdotal stories of people mysteriously developing COVID-19 without any known close contacts being infected, aerosol transmission seemed like it would inevitably be recognized as a mode of spread.

The CDC has finally removed language specifying that the virus spreads with 'close contact.'

CDC's updates also come at a poignant moment, a week after it advised that fully vaccinated people can safely go without a mask for just about any outdoor activity, regardless of the vaccination status of those around them - unless they are in a crowd.

However, the agency still says that unvaccinated people need to continue to wear masks outdoors, unless they are exercising with members of their own household or with fully vaccinated friends and family.

It also said that fully vaccinated people can ditch their masks during small indoor gatherings with other fully vaccinated people - which President and first lady Joe and Jill Biden, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris were pictured doing for the first time in the past two weeks.

The change was long-anticipated and welcome, but also left confusion in its wake because the U.S. does not require people to carry proof of vaccination, meaning there's no way to tell who is and isn't vaccinated.

Like any form of transmission, aerosol transmission is less likely to occur outdoors than in.

But the newly articulated warning about the ability of the virus to spread further than six feet in fine particles comes at a time when more Americans - vaccinated or unvaccinated - are going maskless.

And many experts have said that the CDC has been slow to change much of its guidance throughout the pandemic.

'CDC. has now caught up to the latest scientific evidence, and they've gotten rid of some old problematic terms and thinking about how transmission occurs,' Virginia Tech aerosol expert Linsey Marr told the New York Times.

Experts clarified that the risk of aerosol spread of coronavirus is still very low outdoors because ample space and wind tend to quickly carry away and disperse particles of the virus.

That means that you're less likely to come into contact with any viral particles and, if you do, the concentration is less likely to be enough to infect you because the risk of contracting the virus increases with the volume you encounter.

But if you are indoors, especially in a poorly ventilated room, the virus is liable to linger in the air and remain a threat - a danger the CDC has finally acknowledged.
Authorities confident once these generation plants are set up there would not be any issues with respect to transport and storage of oxygen.  Representational image/PTI

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to set up pressure swing absorption-based oxygen generation plants in 49 district/area hospitals at a cost of Rs 309 crore.

Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal told media persons here on Friday that based on the number of beds available in each hospital, they would set up such plants and sounded confident that the plants would become operational within three months.

Singhal expressed confidence that once the plants were set up there would not be any issues with respect to transport and storage of oxygen. He said administrative sanction was given for setting up such plants on a permanent basis and out of the allotted Rs 309 crore, the government would spend Rs 180 crore on plants, Rs 25 crore for civil works, and Rs 50 crore for laying 10,000 additional oxygen pipelines. He also informed that out of 50 cryogenic tankers planned to be procured, orders were placed for purchase of 25 tankers. It would cost Rs 45 crore for purchase of the tankers.

On the Covid-19 vaccination, the senior official stated that so far, AP received 73,49,960 doses. A total of 53,58,712 persons were given the first dose, while 17,96,000 were given the second dose, taking the total number of doses given so far to 71,55,000.

The official informed that the state government had sanctioned Rs 45 crore for purchase of 9,91,000 doses of Covishield and 3,43,000 doses of Covaxin and payments were already made for their procurement. Serum Institute of India conveyed that it would supply 3.5 lakh doses more than the allotted doses by the third week of May. With regard to Covaxin, he said that out of allotted 3,43,000 doses, 1,43,000 doses were received while two lakh more doses were yet to be received.

Singhal said the government would give weightage to health workers working on temporary basis on Covid duty for recruitments in the health department, which they had been asking for. A memo was issued to provide 15% weightage to the health workers who worked on Covid duty during the first wave of the pandemic. He assured to give an order shortly with details on modalities to give weightage to the health workers in recruitments.
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said that aerospace major India has come forward to set up a hospital with 200 oxygen beds in to help the state tackle COVID-19 crisis.

In a letter addressed to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he said the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases has led to an exponential demand for oxygen.

"At the present growth rate, Karnataka may require 1500 MT (0xygen) by May 15 based on the consumption norms of the government of India as against the allocation of 964 MT," the CM said in the letter.

"In this background India has come forward to set up a 200-oxygenated bed hospital at the KPCL Site in Yelahanka, where there is an assured oxygen supply from the KPCL gas plant. This will help us to lessen the load on the existing oxygen supplies in the state," he wrote.

Later, Sitharman tweeted: "Thanks @Boeing_In for coming forward to set up two 200 oxygenated bed hospitals in Karnataka for treating COVID-19 cases. Yelahanka(Bengaluru) & Kalaburgi.The latter also to serve Bidar, Belgaum & Raichur. The nodal officers appointed by Hon CM @BSYBJP would expedite the process."

On Friday, the apex court refused to entertain a petition filed by the Centre, against a direction of the state's High Court's order on May 5, directing the supply of oxygen to the state to upto 1200 MT per day instead of the current allocation of 965 MT. The Centre had sought a direction from the top court to put a stay on the order.A bench chaired by two judges of the Supreme Court - Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and Justice M R Shah - refused to pay heed to the petition filed by the Union of India (UOI).

(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.)
Amid suspense over the next chief minister of Assam, the two main contenders for the post -- and Himanta Biswa Sarma -- met BJP president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Saturday.

After a series of meetings, Sarma told reporters that BJP's Assam legislature party is likely to meet in Guwahati on Sunday and all questions related to the next government will be answered there.

Both incumbent Chief Minister Sonowal and Health Minister Sarma were on Friday called to New Delhi by the BJP central leadership, apparently to discuss the leadership issue in Assam.

Three rounds of meetings were held at Nadda's residence between both leaders from Assam, Shah, BJP general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh and the party president.

The meetings lasted for more than four hours.

In the first two rounds of meetings, the BJP's top brass met Sonowal and Sarma separately. While in the final and third round of meeting, the saffron party's top leadership met both Assam leaders together.

Talks related to formation of the next government in Assam and who will be the chief minister dominated the meetings.

Sonowal and Sarma came to Nadda's residence separately, and left in the same car after the meetings.

Sonowal, who belongs to Assam's indigenous Sonowal-Kachari tribals, and Sarma, an Assamese Brahmin who is the convenor of the North Democratic Alliance, are contenders for the top post of the Assam government.

The BJP had not announced a chief ministerial candidate before the Assembly polls in Assam.

In the 2016 Assembly polls, the BJP had projected Sonowal as its chief ministerial candidate and won, forming the first saffron party government in the northeast.

This time, the party has been maintaining that it would decide who would be the next chief minister of Assam after the elections.

In the results announced for the 126-member Assam assembly last Sunday, the BJP won 60 seats while its alliance partners AGP got nine seats and UPPL six.

(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.)
Twenty states have passed "Constitutional Carry" laws in anticipation of another Democrat gun grab. While open carry and concealed carry without permit is a shot across the bow, let's not get misty. Gun control is one of two issues Republicans roll out every election, abortion being the other one, even though they lost that. They also lost on marriage. Why tempt fate?

Because Republicans think their constituents are knuckle-dragging white supremacists and religious fanatics. They won't say that. They just let Democrats say that unchallenged. But times are tough for Republicans. They are losing their Facebook accounts. Maybe if Republicans let us play Wyatt Earp, we'll vote for them again, and they can lever Mark Zuckerberg. Just to be sure, they can run Tim Scott in 2024 and play "gotcha" with racial slurs  a winning strategy if ever there was one.

Without due process, however, quick draw is headed for drum head Chauvin trials. And don't expect any mighty Republican to stand up against that victim you "brutally murdered." That's how Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) still refers to George Floyd.

Maybe if Tim Scott spoke about "resisting arrest" reform? The racial slurs Democrats would hurl! But no: not even Marjorie Greene, Matt Gaetz, Allen West, or Laura Loomer will touch it. The last people we want crafting police reform are the relatives of those whom the police "brutally murdered," Senator Scott. Reform school would be better than police reform. I'm talking about Republicans here, not Minneapolis, Chicago, or New York. Justice for Ashli Babbitt, Derek Chauvin, and the persecuted protesters of 6 January held in FBI dungeons would do better with that. We could even defund the FBI. Otherwise, if you really need a gun just to walk the dog, it's time to move.

This isn't an anti-gun rant. Carrying a firearm isn't a bad idea, provided you really know how to use it. That was the intent of the concealed carry permit, which Texas Republicans abolished.

The Texas course, years ago, required the applicant to competently operate the pistol and put a box full of ammunition into a man-size target rather than spray them all where bystanders might be in a real encounter. Good idea!

The instructor was good, too. Amazing, how many people came out to the course with no idea how to operate the pistol. These were all women, by the way. One discovered that she couldn't pull the slide back without some instruction in how a weaker person might do that. Of course, if you can't lock the slide back, you can't clear a jam. With an unprecedented number of first-time gun owners, more instruction would better than pandering politics  especially since a lot of them are liberals who never liked guns to begin with. BLM may have shown them the light, but if you can't operate your firearm, your assailant might give it a try.

None of this is a problem for those who already know what that little knob at the end of the barrel is for. Defending yourself in court is something else, however. The conflict de-escalation presented in the course was a good way to avoid that. Because even if ruled self-defense, you still have the bereaved family of that stellar breadwinner you just shot.

Open carry is intimidating, but you are also displaying expensive hardware not everyone can get his hands on. One of them is Laura Loomer. She claims it's because of her political opinions, which are pretty much all over the place, but she also has a rap sheet. A black cast production of Hamilton is annoying. But getting arrested for disrupting the performance doesn't display the sort of judgment we'd like to see behind lethal force. Imagine if she had been armed when she handcuffed herself to the Twitter HQ front door in NYC. This is not a person inclined to de-escalating things. Laura Loomer and Al Capone are different, but Republican amnestied all.

We'd like Republicans to represent us, the majority, the law-abiding, not another lunatic fringe.

Besides, gun control isn't in the hands of politicians any longer  not with gun shops bare and waiting lists for reloading components. Republicans may think that they are standing up for our rights, but we already did that. Not even under Obama did a box of 9 mm retail for over one hundred dollars.

Donald Trump was our last hope, and he blew it. Decertifying the election results of 2020 was the Republicans' last hope. Republicans were Big Business's last chance to avoid big taxes and they blew it, too. Conspiracy theories are rationalizing the absurd, at this point. Fact is, luck is more of getting rich than brains while patriotism has become the last refuge of the scoundrel.

So, this is no time to get misty. Vote for the lesser of two evils, and you've still got evil. If Republicans are really serious about another election, they need a mass primary purge before 2022 and a load of new faces. But don't hold your breath. Chances are, this is the last act in the play, when people say they should have seen it coming.

Image via Pxhere.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Holly Hagan was branded 'rude' by fans as she asked them not to send their questins about if her upcoming Ibiza wedding can still go ahead.

The Geordie Shore star, 28, took to her Instagram Stories on Friday to share a slide of details surrounding her upcoming nuptials with Jacob Blyth.

As news of the 'Green List' of places for British people to travel to was revealed, she shared that the Balearics, where her Ibiza wedding was due to take place, still remained on 'amber'.

Bride to be: Holly Hagan was branded 'rude' by fans on Instagram on Friday as she asked them not to send questions about her upcoming wedding

Happy couple: The Geordie Shore star, 28, defended herself after she shared a slide of details surrounding her upcoming nuptials with Jacob Blyth (pictured together)

This means visitors would be required to quarantine, but she remained positive that the wedding could still go ahead as the situation would be reviewed every three weeks.

Holly said it was 'impossible and draining' trying to get back to all of her fans on their wedding questions so she put the details in one place.

She penned: 'Hey! We've obviously had so many messages regarding the wedding. It's impossible and draining trying to get back to everyone so I'll just leave this here for everyone.

Honest: Holly said it was 'impossible and draining' trying to get back to all of her fans on their wedding questions so she put the details in one place

'Spain is on the amber list as it has been for awhile now. We were thinking Balearics would be in a separate grouping however it doesn't seem to be the case.

'There is a review every three weeks which could mean Balearics move to green before the wedding but it's so close we can't really chance that so we have to move ahead with the assumption that Ibiza is amber for the foreseeable future.'

The bride-to-be continued: 'Now regardless of the amber/green result today we still have absolutely no idea if weddings can go ahead in Ibiza and if so to what capacity.

'Until that announcement happens we are still in limbo. We're hoping to hear more from Ibiza soon on that but until then it's still a waiting game for us and we will be flying out regardless.'

Hitting back: The star then posted a video to tell fans their 'love and support wasn't necessary' as it appeared her matter-of-fact statement annoyed some social media users

Holly added at the end: 'Please don't message about how gutted and sorry you are for us, we're fine, what will be will be.' (sic)

The star, whose fellow co-star Charlotte Crosby will be her bridesmaid, then posted a video as it appeared her matter-of-fact statement annoyed fans.

She turned the camera on herself as she looked typically glam with a full face of make-up and a V-neck grey top in the clip.

Alongside some text on the screen, Holly said: 'Apparently I was rude for asking people not to send their condolences. Come on guys it's a wedding'.

'We are both happy and healthy': She turned the camera on herself as she looked typically glam with a full face of make-up and a V-neck grey top in the clip

What's next? Holly then shared a series of helpful tips for any other couples who were in a similar situation with planning weddings abroad

The text read: 'Apparently I was rude for asking people not to send their condolences. 1 - We are still in limbo and no idea if it is cancelled or not.

'2 - We are absolutely fine and I cba replying to the same dm's over and over although I do appreciate everyone's love and support, it's not necessary.

'3 - There's so many more people who need your love and support out there over us.'

Holly continued chatting to the camera and said: 'I'm not dying. There are far more people in this world who need your love and support than us for a postponed wedding.'

She concluded her video with the statement: 'It's a potential postponed wedding. We are both happy and healthy and couldn't be more blessed than that.'

In December, Holly revealed she had postponed her wedding, admitting she had become overwhelmed with the pressure of planning so decided to 'put it off a little bit'.

Jacob proposed during a sunset dinner date at the chic Cotton Beach Club in Ibiza on their second anniversary in June 2019.

Holly told OK! magazine: 'We were planning on doing it in 2021 in summer but do you know what? Its so much hassle and just so much stress that Im thinking we might put it off a little bit.

'Theres no rush, we are only 27 and I think if we rushed through it and then its done, its like, oh whats next, so I think were going to just enjoy being engaged for a while and then see where were at next year.'
The author says that devices that make up the Internet of Things might have attractive features, but take note: They can be used to spy and eavesdrop.
Texas city withdraws petition to take property from church, ends eminent domain legal battle

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A Texas city has withdrawn its eminent domain request to take property owned by a local predominantly African American congregation as part of an effort to build a new fire station.

In the Dallas suburbs, the city of Duncanville garnered headlines last year when it filed a petition to seize a vacant lot owned by Canaan Baptist Church.

The citys attorney Robert Hager confirmed to The Christian Post Wednesday that the town had filed a request to withdraw the eminent domain petition.

The First Liberty Institute of Plano, Texas, which represents the church in court, celebrated the decision to withdraw the condemnation petition.

Canaan Baptist Church believes that God gave the Church this property to fulfill its religious mission, said First Liberty Institute Counsel Keisha Russell in a statement.

The church is relieved, and we are grateful that the City made this decision.

Canaan Baptist Pastor Jarvis Baker expressed thanks to God and city officials for the petition being withdrawn.

We praise God that the battle to keep our property is over, Baker said. We are eager to continue using it to minister to the community. We want to thank the City for ending this conflict.

In August 2020, Duncanville filed the petition for condemnation in Dallas County Court, seeking to take control of a vacant property that the congregation acquired in 2002.

Last October, the church filed a motion in Dallas County Court to dismiss the petition, arguing that it interfered with the congregations usage of the lot for religious purposes.

Although the lot was devoid of any permanent buildings, Canaan Baptist nevertheless regularly held outdoor events at the property, including worship and charitable giveaways.

Before the petitions filing, the congregation had plans to make the lot its central ministry and worship space.

In an interview with CP at the time, Russell explained that Duncanvilles petition had to comport with the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

In this case, the law requires the city to prove that it has no choice but to burden the churchs religious exercise because there is no other property the city can use for its purposes, said Russell. The city cannot prove this because it has many other property options."

Canaan Baptist is a small congregation founded in 1969 and ministers to the South Dallas community. Events held at the vacant lot include clothing drives, youth activity days and movie nights.

In its motion to dismiss the citys petition, lawyers claimed that the church plans to construct a house of worship on the Property. Additionally, the motion argued that the churchs desire to expand its ministry to those within the community from a centrally-located and heavily trafficked location, are unequivocally motivated by its members sincerely held religious beliefs.

At the time, the city argued that it owned property adjacent to the undeveloped lot and developed plans for a fire station to be constructed at that location.

According to the First Liberty Institute, the citys withdrawal comes as it recently began to pursue other property options.
HOUSTON (AP)  George Floyds brother and nephew expressed gratitude Saturday after a federal grand jury indicted the four former Minneapolis police officers involved in his death.

The three-count indictment unsealed Friday put a smile on our faces and holds these guys to accountability, said Rodney Floyd, George Floyds brother.

HOUSTONIANS REACT: Here's how Houstonians reacted to the Derek Chauvin verdict

Brandon Williams, George Floyd's nephew, said the indictment gives us hope.

No family should have to go through what we went through, he said.

The press conference was held at Texas Southern University in Houston, where George Floyd grew up. Floyds death sparked protests worldwide and calls to hold police accountable after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was captured on video kneeling on Floyds neck for more than nine minutes.

POLICE REFORM?: Houston police department has new reform policies. Here's what they entail.

Chauvin was convicted last month on state charges of murder and manslaughter and is asking for a new trial. The other three are set for state trial on Aug. 23.

The federal indictment names Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao, accusing them of willfully violating the Black mans constitutional rights as he was restrained face-down on the pavement and gasping for air. Chauvin was also charged in a second indictment, stemming from the use of force and neck restraint of a 14-year-old boy in 2017.

The Floyd familys attorneys have said the federal indictment sends a strong message about priorities under President Joe Biden's Justice Department.

The hope is that it will set a precedent that the Justice Department ... will look at these other injustices that these families never got their day in court, that were denied due process," attorney Ben Crump said.

___

Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd
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Three police forensic teams have searched a house near the field where PCSO Julia James' bludgeoned body was found after they arrested a British man in his 20s.

Officers carried bagged-up items out of the new build in Aylesham, Kent, this morning, a mile away from where the 53-year-old mother of two was discovered in Snowdown on April 27.

It comes after detectives detained the British man in his 20s and from the Canterbury area at 9.30pm on Friday and remanded him in custody.

The National Crime Agency said it was still supporting the local force with officers from its Major Crime Investigative Support unit as well as giving them access to specialists.

Neighbours of Mrs James earlier said they are too scared to leave home alone amid fears the killer could be someone they know.

Women are frightened to walk their dogs on their own and the local running club has told members they should exercise in pairs.

Kira and Sam Mandon-Jones, who walked their rescue dog Mocha two weeks ago in the wood near where Mrs James' body was found, said they will no longer take that route.

And a woman called Annette now refuses to take her border terrier Sidney to the area by herself, saying she 'definitely wouldn't go over the fields'.

Meanwhile Mrs James' husband Paul broke his silence yesterday to write on Facebook 'I miss you so much Luvly xxx' under an image of the two.

Two forensic police officers carry away materials from the house in Aylesham, Kent, this morning as they continued their searches

Forensic teams searched a house in Aylesham, Kent, this morning, near where the 53-year-old mother of two was found bludgeoned to death in a field in Snowdown on April 27

Police this morning taped off the house in Aylesham as forensic officers conducted searches. Two officers stood outside the detached property on a new build housing estate on the outskirts of the village

Forensic teams on the scene in Aylesham are pictured during their searches of the house. It comes after they arrested s suspect last night

Its curtains were drawn across the front downstairs and upstairs windows and photo frames can be seen on the downstairs front windowsill

Women are frightened to walk their dogs on their own and the local running club has told members to run in pairs after the 53-year-old (pictured) was killed in Snowdown, Kent, on April 27

Kira and Sam Mandon-Jones, who walked their rescue dog Mocha two weeks ago in the wood near where Mrs James' body was found, said they will no longer take that route. Pictured: Mrs James with her Jack Russell Toby

Police this morning taped off the house in Aylesham as forensic officers conducted searches. Two officers stood outside the detached property on the new build housing estate on the outskirts of the village.

Officers with clipboards were going door to door speaking to people living in surrounding houses. A blue Suzuki Celerio was parked in the driveway by the side of the two-storey house.

Its curtains were drawn across the front downstairs and upstairs windows and photo frames could be seen on the downstairs front windowsill.

Estate agent, Annabel Pomeroy, 25, who lives across the road, said she woke up to the house taped off by police, before seeing people in white forensics suits arriving at 9am.

She said: 'I saw the officers and tape when I woke up. Then forensics came at about 9am and they were there for about five hours.'

But Eva Fan, 48, and Steve Cho, 51, who live across the road said they saw police outside the house at around 10.30pm on Friday.

They said officers showed them a photo of a man that Kent Police released yesterday, but they did not recognise him as living in the property.

A neighbour living further up the road, who asked to remain anonymous, said they first saw police tape around the house when they woke up this morning.

Kent Police said in a statement: 'A search at a property in Sunshine Corner Avenue, Aylesham is linked to enquiries being made in relation to the murder of Julia James. There is no further guidance at this stage.'

The update came after officers arrested the British man - who is in his 20s and from the Canterbury area - eight miles from the crime scene.

A police spokesman said: 'Officers investigating the death of Julia James have arrested a man in connection with her murder.

'A man in his 20s from the Canterbury area was arrested at 9.30pm on Friday 7 May 2021, and remains in custody.'

Forensics officers continued to remove evidence from an address in Aylesham, Kent following the arrest of a man in his 20s in connection with the murder of PCSO Julia James

Despite the arrest, police continue seek the assistance from members of the public who may have been in the Snowdown area between 1pm and 4.30pm on Tuesday, April 27

NSIOA Noel McHugh, from the NCA's Major Crime Investigative Support unit, added: 'The NCA is providing a significant amount of our niche capabilities in support of this high-priority investigation led by Kent Police. While we cannot go into any further detail in order to protect the investigation, I hope outlining the breadth of our work illustrates our commitment to seeking justice for Julia'

Assistant Chief Constable Tom Richards said: 'We continue to urge anyone with information, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, to contact us.

'If you were in the Snowdown area between 1pm and 4.30pm on Tuesday 27 April, please contact us.

'This includes anyone local who may have seen something out of place at the time, or who came across someone who made them feel uneasy - such as feeling compelled to cross the road or change the route they were walking.'

NSIOA Noel McHugh, from the NCA's Major Crime Investigative Support unit, added: 'The NCA is providing a significant amount of our niche capabilities in support of this high-priority investigation led by Kent Police.

'While we cannot go into any further detail in order to protect the investigation, I hope outlining the breadth of our work illustrates our commitment to seeking justice for Julia.

'MCIS officers are extremely experienced in supporting such investigations and, along with the wider NCA, work closely with police forces throughout the UK every day as part of our collective, whole system response to tackle serious crime.'

Officers with clipboards were going door to door, speaking to people living in surrounding houses. A blue Suzuki Celerio was parked in the driveway by the side of the two-storey house

A picture of the scene in Aylesham earlier today shows police officers from Kent Police conducting searches of the house near where her body was found

Masked police officers talk outside the house being searched by forensic officers today. It comes the morning after they arrested a suspect in the case

Police officers from Kent Constabulary are pictured holding clipboards as they stand outside the house being searched this morning

Police cars line a road in Kent in connection with the murder of Mrs James on Saturday morning. Searches were conducted near where her body was found in a field

Meanwhile Mrs James's neighbour Mrs Mandon-Jones said she had walked her and her husband Sam's rescue dog Mocha in the fields towards Akholt Wood near Aylesham two days before Mrs James was found.

The 29-year-old graphic designer told the Guardian: 'This is such a lovely route. We'll do it every week. But not now.' Her business analyst husband, 31, added: 'There's this kind of feeling that it could be anyone you know.'

Another local, Annette, said she no longer walks her border terrier Sidney in the area. She said: 'I don't want to go out on my own, and I definitely wouldn't go over the fields. She was just like me, walking her dog.'

And admin worker Elina Petrusevica, 31, revealed before Mrs James was bludgeoned to death she was already weary of walking on her own due to a number of dognappings nearby.

She said women in her running club are now always exercising with others and she only walks her chocolate labrador Oakley in the village unless she is with her partner.

Earlier yesterday, Chief Constable Alan Pughsley said he did not know who the killer was, if they were a man or woman, what weapon was used nor any motive. A post-mortem found she died from significant head injuries.

Mrs James' husband Paul, 57, changed his Facebook profile picture yesterday to he and Mrs James and wrote: 'I miss you so much Luvly xxx'. It is believed to be the first time Mr James has commented.

He also used a 'Help us find #justiceforjulia' frame around the picture - which Mrs James' son in law Chase Coles said more than 8,600 have added to help the family's appeal.

Kent Police this week expanded their search area around the small village and have been looking for clues at several locations, including the woodland.

And Crimestoppers was offering a reward of up to 10,000 for information leading to the conviction of Mrs James' killer.

Commenting on the reward on Facebook, Mr Coles wrote: 'Huge thank you to Crime Stoppers who are now offering a 10,000 reward for anyone with crucial information.

'Please, we have to keep sharing all we can! Someone knows something! Julia was taken from us in such a barbaric way. No family should have to endure this.

'We need to find the inhuman and absolute evil person responsible before it happens again! They cannot be allowed to walk among us!'

A officer speaks to another as he holds a serious crime scene log as forensics conducted their searches on Saturday morning

The image of the man - which shows him wearing a black hoodie and carrying a duffle bag - was hoped to mark a major breakthrough for baffled Kent Police. But they later said they needed no more information about him after he was identified

Paul James, 57, changed his Facebook profile picture to he and Mrs James and commented underneath it: 'I miss you so much Luvly xxx'

It is believed to be the first time Mr James has commented publicly since Mrs James, 53, was found bludgeoned to death in woodland with a 'severe traumatic injury' near her home in Snowdown, Kent, on Tuesday, April 27

Detectives 'do not know the motive of the attack' or if killer was a random stranger A number of key issues were raised at a press conference into the murder yesterday afternoon: 'Motiveless attack' Assistant Chief Constable of Kent Police Tom Richards said detectives investigating the murder of PCSO Julia James are still are not aware of a motive and have not made any arrests. Speaking eight days after the incident, he told a press conference he is keeping 'an open mind', adding: 'I do not know the motive of this attack. I do not know if it's somebody she knew. 'I do not know if it's a stranger attack, of course that possibility is particularly frightening to local residents.' Appeal for witnesses He said he wants to hear from people who were in the location on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of last week. 'We're genuinely interested in any information. If anybody has got any concerns, any suspicions, we really want to hear about it,' he said. 'Most experienced investigators' working on the case ACC Tom Richards said the PCSO Julia James case is 'a hugely challenging investigation', adding: 'Of course in many, many such investigations we have a suspect right from the outset or very, very early on.' He said the 'most experienced investigators' are working on the case. 'It's why we're keeping that open mind and we're looking at every single possibility, but of course it's why I'm appealing today for as much assistance from the public as possible. 'I think the public are one of our most important assets in this investigation. 'They've been absolutely fantastic in their support, but I do need that to continue. 'I'm hoping the picture we've released today might just spark a memory in someone,' he said. Murder is 'number one priority' for force Kent Police is treating the case of murdered PCSO Julia James as its 'number one priority', the force's assistant chief constable Tom Richards has said. Speaking at Folkestone Police Station on Wednesday afternoon, he told reporters: 'I'm confident we're going to put absolutely every effort into it, we're meeting with the family, we're giving them those reassurances, this is the number one priority for Kent Police at the moment. 'This type of attack is incredibly rare, we're not linking it to any other offences which makes it a particularly difficult investigation. 'But we've got the very best staff working and every resource necessary dedicated to this inquiry.' Advertisement

A special 'Justice for Julia' Facebook page was also set up on Thursday in an attempt to 'Turn Facebook blue for Julia' to keep her at the forefront of people's minds.

While Kent Police said yesterday they did not know what the murder weapon was, Chief Constable Pughsley told BBC Radio Kent Mrs James was killed in the 'most brutal of circumstances'.

When asked whether the killer had struck before, Mr Pughsley said: 'I hope not.'

The chief constable said he has asked national police forces to help in their investigations to take the pressure of worn out Kent officers who are working '24 hours, seven days a week'.

He said the National Crime Agency was drafted in to investigate the 'style of the attack', as well as the killer's motive.

Other officers will help with door-to-door inquiries for the next four to six weeks, he added, while some work on the 'painstaking' inch-by-inch finger search of the scene where Mrs James' body was found.

He said: 'It's a massive case. As you would imagine we throw absolutely everything at every murder and this is a murder of Julia in the most brutal of circumstances on April 27.

'So pretty much since that time we've had hundreds and hundreds of officers and staff working 24 hours, seven days a week.'

He added: 'We're about to go to national police forces to ask for some help on that, that went out on my behalf yesterday.

'And as you would expect pretty much every single chief constable in the land is offering whatever assistance they can to help find the murderer.'

He said the force did not know the motive for Mrs James' murder, but said they have 'a really wide mind to why this has happened'.

Mr Pughsley added: 'We do not at this time have a focused suspect. We have lots of lines of inquiry, lots of people to think about, lots of work to do.

'But we need to just get that little bit of luck, little bit of public information, little bit of forensic examination to come back to identify this individual so we can capture him or her.'

When asked why he was reaching out to national forces, he replied: 'So there's probably three things.

'The style of the attack. We've got expertise from the national crime agency who have been really helpful with regards to motive and/or any other reason this person may have done that, so there's some specialism coming in from the NCA.

'We've got lots of detectives doing house to house and investigative work. But also, as much as they don't want to, they need a little bit of a rest every now and again.

'So we've got detectives coming in from other forces to help us for the next maybe four to six weeks. And then we've got the painstaking, but incredibly important, inch-by-inch finger search of the scene which as you know was a massive rural area.

'We are looking for that tiny piece of evidence whether it be on an exit route or an entry route or somewhere along the way to identify and again tie in the murderer. As for the suspect, we are not narrow on that.

'We are looking anywhere for the suspect, whether or not he or she travelled into the area, whether they're from the area, whether they're a Kent resident, whether they're further afield.

'It matters not to us. We are looking wide and broad for him or her.' He said the force is 'not 100 per cent sure' on what weapon was used to kill Mrs James.

He added: 'It was a severe traumatic injury to Julia but it would be wrong to talk about what style of weapon was used until we: One, have the suspect and two, have some more detail about the weapon that was used.'

Mrs James was found near her home in Snowdown, Kent, on April 27. Pictured: Police continuing their search around the Spinney Lane area on Thursday

Officer were seen to enter the former Snowdown Colliery at around 1pm on Thursday afternoon as part of their search

Police vans on Thursday parked outside a former colliery site near PCSO Mrs James' home as the police search for clues in relation to her death

Kent Police's Assistant Chief Constable Tom Richards held a press briefing (pictured) yesterday

When asked if the killer had struck before he said: 'To be fair, I don't know. That's a brutally honest answer. I don't know.

'Because we don't know yet who the killer is. I hope not and we're going to do everything we can to try and capture this person as quickly as we possibly can.'

Appealing to the attacker, he said yesterday: 'You will never ever ever completely get away with this. You'll have to keep looking over your shoulder and at some stage we'll be there to get you and we will get you. The best thing you can do is hand yourself in.'

On Tuesday police patrols stopped a total of 449 cars and spoke to drivers and passengers who could have information.

The force on Thursday released a map of the local area, saying they remain keen to hear from anyone who was inside a red section of fields between 1pm and 4.30pm on the day Mrs James was murdered.

Mick Duthie, director of operations at charity Crimestoppers, announced a reward of up to 10,000 for any anonymous information that leads to the conviction of Mrs James' killer.

He said: 'The public, like our charity, have been horrified at this heart-breaking loss of such an innocent life. Our thoughts are very much with Julia's family and friends at this terrible time.

'Crimestoppers is here to help people who  for whatever reason  won't or can't speak directly to the police, but want to do the right thing. By contacting our charity with information, we guarantee that you will stay 100 per cent anonymous.

Search teams on Thursday expanded their perimeter and could be seen examining hedgerows and a field around a mile away from a white forensic tent where Mrs James' body was found

'We're not interested in who you are and will never ask for your details  all we want is information, however small, that might help find those behind this murder.

'Julia's life has mercilessly been taken away. If you know who was involved, please remember our charity's unique service guaranteeing your anonymity is here for you.

'Crimestoppers has been taking crime information since our charity began in the late 1980s. Every day over a thousand people contact us online and over the phone.

'By contacting us, you can help  anonymously  to have the person behind Julia's murder face up to the consequences of their violent actions and you may even prevent someone else from coming to harm.

'Our UK Contact Centre is open 24/7 on 0800 555 111 or you can use our simple and secure anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.'

Earlier this week, it emerged a driver spotted a car dangerously parked near the PCSO's home shortly before she was killed.

Sheila Tanton, 68, drives past Snowdown - the quiet hamlet near Dover where Mrs James was brutally murdered last week - from her home in Elvington every Tuesday and Thursday when visiting her mother in Canterbury.

She said she noticed a black estate car near the entrance of a disused coal mine - which was searched for the first time by police on Thursday - a few hours before the attack took place - between 3pm and 4pm.

Ms Tanton said: 'I didn't really pay much attention at the time but I know it was a black estate car. It looked pretty new as it was lovely and gleaming.

'It stuck in my memory because of how stupidly it was parked on a blind bend on double yellow lines. I thought someone might go into the back of it on the corner on the bridge over the railway line. It didn't have hazard lights on and there was no one in the car.

'It was 12.50pm on the Tuesday when I was driving to Canterbury. It's been playing on my mind and I've been racking my brains on what I saw when I passed here on the day she was killed. I will be reporting this to the police.'

Kent Police declined to comment on Ms Tanton's discovery, after detectives insisted they would not provide a 'running commentary' on the investigation.

The car was parked around 30 yards from an entrance into Snowdown, where Mrs James lived.

Detectives began searching the disused Snowdown Colliery, which is next to where the black estate car was allegedly parked and is 400 yards from Mrs James' home, for the first time on Thursday.

Officers were seen inside the old coal mine - which closed in 1987 - searching around the multiple derelict buildings.

Two marked Kent Police Land Rovers and a Ford Kuga from the Rural Task Force were parked in the entrance to the eerie setting. Two were seen peering inside the corrugated iron roof of an outbuilding for clues.

The red brick buildings, many of which are covered in graffiti and have windows smashed in, are surrounded by spiked fencing and razor wire.

Signs warn 'DANGEROUS BUILDINGS. KEEP OUT,' and 'These premises are protected by dog patrols,' with 24 hour CCTV in operation.

But the six-foot high, rusted entrance gate is easily jumpable and the private property is popular with urban explorers.

The report of a black car follows a police notice warning of a man in his 60s in a black BMW who approached two dog walkers down a quiet country lane in nearby Nonington on March 16.

He offered them cigarettes in exchange for their pooches and asked if they wanted rid of them anyway - leading police to warn of dog abductors and call for vigilance.

Meanwhile, it emerged this week detectives believe Mrs James left her home only around an hour before she was found bludgeoned to death.

She had taken her beloved Jack Russell Toby out for a walk when she was brutally attacked. Detectives hunting the killer tested the dog for forensic clues to try and track down her murderer.

Police had not previously revealed what time she left the house in the quiet hamlet near Dover, where she was working that afternoon, before her body was discovered at 4.08pm.

But a new appeal for information leaflet now suggests that Mrs James set off just after 3pm once she finished her shift.

It was only around 60 minutes later members of the public found her dead on a public bridle path on the edge of Ackholt Wood, and called the police.

The flyer being handed out locally read: 'Kent Police is keen to speak to anyone who is yet to come forward with information about the murder of PCSO Julia James.

'Julia was found next to Ackholt Wood, near to Aylesham Road, Snowdown, at around 4pm on Tuesday 27 April 2021. She had been out walking her dog having left her home in The Crescent nearby just after 3pm.'

It urged anyone who was in the remote area on Monday or Tuesday who may have seen anything unusual or suspicious to call Kent Police.

Police also released a picture of Mrs James with Toby wearing the same clothes she was in before she was bludgeoned to death on a remote country footpath.

Mrs James' nephews Ryan and Dan have said their aunt's 'smile and humour could light up the darkest of rooms'.

They wrote in a heartbreaking tribute on a bunch of flowers left in Aylesham's historic market square: 'Auntie Julia. We all miss you so very much.

'Your smile and humour could light up the darkest of rooms. Words can't describe how much we all miss you. The world is most certainly a better place for having you in it. All our love. Ryan and Dan.'

Another floral tribute had a card titled 'with fond memories of sister-in-law' which read: 'Words can't say how much we will miss you. A beautiful soul inside and out. Rest in peace. Robert and Sharon.'

Kent Police's East Kent Task Force Team also left a bunch of flowers. Their tribute read: 'PCSO Julia James. Thank you for your service. You are truly missed from your police family.'

It was accompanied with the #justiceforjulia hashtag which is being used on social media to help keep the murder in the public eye.

Another card read: 'With heartfelt condolences from the women of Reclaim These Streets Deal. R.I.P Julia.'
Every four years, a sparse array of local and state contests in the aftermath of a presidential election provides a challenge for politicians and pundits seeking variations in the nations political trends.

Often, these races buoyed the party that just lost the White House, either in the inevitable special elections for congressional vacancies or in the two states  New Jersey and Virginia  that choose governors.

Because the 2021 special congressional contests are mainly in safe districts, these races are more likely to follow form than provide revelations. That was certainly true in the Democratic victory in the recent Louisiana race and the fact two Republicans made the runoff Saturday in a suburban Dallas district.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: $5 for your first 5 months!

But two statewide contests on opposite sides of the country  one traditional, one not  may provide the best opportunities for testing if the Democrats are maintaining their recent strength or Republicans are beginning to mount a comeback.

One is the regularly scheduled gubernatorial election in Virginia, where Republicans hope to end the recent Democratic domination that has seen only one GOP governor elected in the last 20 years. The other is a recall election in California where Republicans hope to unseat a Democratic governor for the second time in this century.
The European Union and India have agreed to restart negotiations on a bilateral free trade deal, eight years after their first attempt failed and with both sides seeking alternatives to China.

The move came as Indian prime minister Narendra Modi spoke via videoconference to EU leaders attending a summit in Portugal.

The two sides announced what they called a pivotal moment in their relations by agreeing to resume talks they gave up on in 2013 and to collaborate on a wide range of other issues.

Speaking at a press conference after the closed-door talks, senior EU officials were thrilled by the prospect of closer ties with India.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called it outstanding and a landmark moment.

European Council president Charles Michel said the agreement marked a new, important chapter in bilateral relations.

Mr Modi was scheduled to be at the online press conference after the meeting, but did not appear.

Charles Michel (AP)

Plans for a face-to-face EU-India summit in Porto, in northern Portugal, fell through after Mr Modi cancelled his trip due to the devastating coronavirus surge in his country.

His remote appearance was the first time an Indian leader participated in a meeting with all of the EUs leaders.

Ms von der Leyen said 17 EU countries have provided more than 100 million euro (87 million) worth of pandemic aid to India, including oxygen generators, medicines and ventilators, and were ready to send more.

While trade talks proceed, parallel negotiations will be held on investment protection and geographic indicators  a key interest for the EU, which places importance on protecting its distinctive products  in order to speed up the process, Ms von der Leyen said.

Todays meeting was a milestone in  relations.



We agreed that we will resume the Free Trade Agreement negotiations!



In parallel, we will launch negotiations on an EU-India investment protection agreement & on Geographic Indications. pic.twitter.com/FwA35u4G6K  Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 8, 2021

The two sides said in a six-page joint statement that they also agreed to cooperate more in areas such as supercomputing for pandemic and climate change modelling, artificial intelligence, and digital and transport connectivity.

Warm relations with India have an added attraction for the EU, which is eager to expand its influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The EUs ties with China have soured over Beijings treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority, leading to the suspension of the blocs ratification of a bilateral investment agreement.

India, meanwhile, fell out with China in a border dispute last year.

Clinching a free trade deal will not be an easy task for EU and Indian negotiators.

Six years of talks produced no agreement the last time they tried, with issues such as vehicle parts and duties on wine and spirits thwarting an agreement.
The fourth round of talks between world powers on Iran's nuclear programme opened in Vienna on Friday, with diplomats voicing hope of progress towards an agreement in the coming weeks.

Diplomats from the remaining parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia as well as Iran, held talks for about an hour at a luxury hotel in the Austrian capital.

The leader of Iran's delegation at the talks, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, hailed the "new energy" and "seriousness of all sides" at the talks.

The Russian ambassador to the UN in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, tweeted that "the delegations seem to be ready to stay in Vienna as long as necessary to achieve the goal".

The EU is co-ordinating the talks and an official from the bloc said that the latest round "should probably be a longer round than the three before because... by now everybody has an idea of how the agreement would look".

The aim of the talks is a return to full compliance with the 2015 accord, known as the JCPOA, which has been slowly disintegrating since former US president Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018 and Tehran responded by breaking the deal's limits on its nuclear activities.

Trump's successor Joe Biden has said he wishes to rejoin the JCPOA, and an American official said on Thursday an agreement was "possible" in the coming weeks, before Iran's June 18 election.

The US is taking part in the talks indirectly, with European diplomats acting as intermediaries between the Americans and Iranians.

The talks are seeking to find a way to lift sanctions on Iran reimposed by Trump, and for Iran to come back into line with the JCPOA's limits on its nuclear activities.

After Friday's meeting, experts from the various delegations carried on meeting in working groups, according to an EU spokesman.

- Inspection uncertainty -

Araghchi told Iranian public television that he hoped the talks could reach a conclusion "in the shortest time possible".

Story continues

According to Araghchi, the Americans "have expressed readiness to lift a large part of their sanctions" but added that they had not yet gone far enough.

He also rejected suggestions that the Iranian presidential election was affecting the timescale of the talks, saying the vote was "an important issue in the country, but it has nothing to do with" the negotiations.

Another potential source of time pressure is the looming expiry of a three-month agreement between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The agreement announced in February allows the IAEA to maintain a level of oversight of Iran's nuclear facilities despite Tehran's suspension of some inspections by the body.

Under the agreement, Iran pledged to keep camera data -- recordings "of some activities and monitoring equipment" -- and hand them over to the IAEA as and when US sanctions are lifted.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi met Araghchi on Thursday, with Iran's ambassador in Vienna saying they had discussed issues of mutual interest.

In an interview last week with Bloomberg TV, Grossi expressed concern that Iran would destroy the camera data if an agreement was not reached in time, adding: "Let's hope it hasn't happened."

He said that if the temporary agreement expired and the broader diplomatic talks remained stuck, he would return to Tehran to try to broker another compromise.

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Adar Poonawalla made big promises. The 40-year-old chief of the worlds largest vaccine maker pledged to take a leading role in the global effort to inoculate the poor against Covid-19. His India-based empire signed deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars to make and export doses to suffering countries.

Those promises have fallen apart. India, engulfed in a second wave, is laying claim to his vaccines. Other countries and aid groups are now racing to find scarce doses elsewhere.

At home, politicians and the public have castigated Mr. Poonawalla and his company, the Serum Institute of India, for raising prices mid-pandemic. Serum has suffered production problems that have kept it from expanding output at a time when India needs every dose. He has come under criticism for departing to London amid the crisis, though he said it was only a quick trip. He told a British newspaper he had received threats from politicians and some of Indias most powerful men, demanding that he supply them with vaccines. When he returns to India, he will travel with government-assigned armed guards.

In an interview with The New York Times, Mr. Poonawalla defended his company and its ambitions. He had no choice but to hand over vaccines to the government, he said. He cited a lack of raw materials, which he has partially blamed on the United States. Making vaccines, he said, is a painstaking process that requires investment and major risks. He said he would return to India when he had finished his business in London. He shrugged off his earlier comments about threats, saying they were nothing we cant handle.

But he also acknowledged that the Serum Institute alone doesnt have the capacity to vaccinate India anytime soon, much less shoulder the burden of inoculating the worlds poor.

The problem is nobody took the risk that I did early on, he said. I wish that others did.

His position represents a dramatic turnabout for Serum and the Indian government. In January, when India launched its own vaccination program while also beginning exports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged its vaccines would save humanity.

Instead, the unfolding tragedy has made it clear that India  even with the worlds largest vaccine maker at its disposal  cannot save itself.

Indias long-term vaccination prospects improved after the Biden administration on Wednesday backed waiving intellectual property protections for vaccines, which could make it easier for Indian factories to make them. Still, that wont help Indias current crisis, which as of Friday had claimed more than 230,000 lives  a figure that likely represents a vast undercount.

Serum won Mr. Modis favor in part because it fit the governments narrative of a self-reliant India that was ready to take its place among the worlds major powers. Now both Mr. Modis government and Serum have been humbled, and their ambitions are being called into question.

Our capacity is extremely poor, said Manoj Joshi, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, which focuses on Indian policymaking. We are a poor country. I hope that we can build some humility into the system.

Mr. Poonawalla took the reins of the Serum Institute a decade ago from his father, Cyrus, a horse breeder turned vaccine billionaire. Before the crisis, he was extolled in the Indian media as an example of a new class of young, worldly entrepreneurs. Photos of him and his wife, Natasha, were a staple of fashion spreads.

Last year, Serum struck a deal with AstraZeneca to produce a billion doses of its Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, called Covishield in India. Serum received a $300 million grant from the Gates Foundation to supply as many as 200 million doses of Covishield and another vaccine in development to the Gavi Alliance, the public-private partnership that is overseeing Covax, the program to donate vaccines to poor countries.

Serum pledged between January and March to sell about 1.1 billion vaccine doses in coming months, according to a review of purchase agreements supplied by UNICEF. By the time India largely stopped vaccine exports, Serum had exported only about 60 million doses, about half to Gavi. India had claimed more than 120 million.

Since then, AstraZeneca has served Serum a legal notice over delivery delays. Serum has just temporarily deferred its commitments, Mr. Poonawalla said, citing the Indian governments halt of exports.

This is something coming from India, he said. Its not the supplier that is defaulting.

The world is grappling with the ripple effect. A spokesman for Gavi said that Indias decision to prioritize domestic needs is having a knock-on effect in other parts of the world that desperately need vaccines. Still, in a sign of the lack of options for getting vaccines, Gavi on Thursday signed a purchase deal with an American vaccine company, called Novavax, involving doses to be made by Serum.

Nepal, Indias northern neighbor, changed its procurement law to pay Serum an 80 percent advance, or roughly $6.4 million, to purchase two million doses of Covishield. Serum delivered the first million doses but is offering Nepal its money back for the second million, said Nepals health department director, Dr. Dipendra Raman Singh. Nepal has refused, in hope of getting more doses as Indias catastrophe bleeds across their border.

Some of Indias needs are self-inflicted. It is manufacturing only two vaccines, Serums Covishield and one developed in India. A government deal to produce Russias Sputnik V in India has been tangled in red tape. If other manufacturers had started earlier, Mr. Poonawalla said, Serum might not face as much pressure.

Serums failure to deliver is also AstraZenecas, since it pledged with Oxford University that the vaccine would be made available to countries that couldnt afford it.

I felt very sad that we couldnt continue helping them, but dont forget my first priority comes to my nation first, which has given me everything, Mr. Poonawalla said. And after all, I am an Indian. I may be a global Indian company, but the fact is that we are in India. We need to take care of our own, like America has taken care of their own, Europe is taking care of their own.

But Serum cant meet Indias needs, either.

Serums plans were to split its doses 50-50 between India, either directly or through Covax, and the rest of the world. Now, Serum is contributing 90 percent of Indias supply and is still falling short. Less than 3 percent of the population has been fully inoculated. In some states, people are being turned away from vaccination centers that have run out of doses.

Serum has missed its expansion targets. Mr. Poonawalla said last fall that by early this year, Serum Institute would be pumping out 100 million doses per month, of which about four in 10 would go overseas.

But after a fire at a facility that was supposed to help the company ramp up vaccine production, Serums capacity has remained at about 72 million doses per month. A grant of more than $200 million from the Indian government should help the company reach its goal by summer, he said.

Mr. Poonawalla has also cited raw materials supplies. In April, he asked President Biden on Twitter to lift the embargo on raw material used to make Covid-19 vaccines. White House officials said Mr. Poonawalla mischaracterized his situation. Still, the United States said it would send raw materials to the Serum Institute to increase its vaccine production, though Mr. Poonawalla said they havent yet arrived.

Mr. Poonawalla has also come under scrutiny for charging different prices to the central government, to Indias states and to private hospitals. Two weeks ago, Serum said it would charge state governments about $5 per dose, about $3 more than what it charges Mr. Modis government.

Last week, following criticism, Mr. Poonawalla lowered the price to $4. Still, the critics point to an interview in which Mr. Poonawalla said that he was making a profit even at the central governments price.

Mr. Poonawalla said that Serum could sell at a lower price to Indias central government because it was ordering larger volumes.

People dont understand, Mr. Poonawalla told The New York Times. They just take things in isolation and then they vilify you, not realizing that this commodity is sold at $20 a dose in the world and were providing it for $5 or $6 in India. Theres no end to the cribbing, the complaining, the criticizing.

Mr. Poonawalla has said he has received more than complaints. His company last month asked the Indian government to provide security for him, citing threats that the company hasnt publicly disclosed. The government two weeks ago assigned him a detail that includes four to five armed personnel.

In an interview with The Times of London newspaper published last week, he described receiving constant, aggressive calls demanding vaccines immediately. Threats is an understatement, he told the paper.

He played down the threats in his interview with The New York Times, and his office declined to disclose further specifics. Still, the comments caused an uproar in India. Some politicians demanded that he name names.

In a petition seeking extra security for Mr. Poonawalla in the Bombay High Court on Wednesday, Datta Mane, a Mumbai lawyer, said the vaccine tycoon had been threatened by chief ministers  Indias equivalent of governors  and business leaders. The company said it had no relationship with Mr. Mane and wasnt involved with the petition.

The Times of London reported that the threats had become so ominous that Mr. Poonawalla had fled India for Britain, a claim Mr. Poonawalla disputed. Instead, he said he was there on a business trip and to see his children, who started school there last year.

His presence in London has only fueled his critics, who excoriated Serums price increases. Sunil Jain, the managing editor of The Financial Express newspaper, tweeted that Mr. Poonawallas departure to London was shameful and that he should reduce prices.

The Serum Institute is planning a major expansion in Britain, investing nearly $335 million for research and development, to fund clinical trials, to build out its sales office and to possibly construct a manufacturing plant, Mr. Poonawallas office said.

Everyone is depending on us to be able to give this magic silver bullet in an almost infinite capacity, Mr. Poonawalla said. Theres this tremendous pressure from state governments, ministers, the public, friends, and they all want the vaccine. And Im just trying to equitably distribute it as best I can.

Selam Gebrekidan in London and Bhadra Sharma in Kathmandu, Nepal, contributed reporting.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP)  Kentucky's second largest county has banned state-licensed providers from practicing discredited practice of conversion therapy for LGBTQ children. .

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council on Thursday voted unanimously to enact the conversion therapy ban immediately.

Conversion therapy is a practice used to try to change sexual orientation or gender identity. Many people who have been through it say it deepened feelings of depression and increased thoughts of suicide

The newspaper reports that Lexington is believed to be the third city in Kentucky to ban conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth.

Ban Conversion Therapy Kentucky, a group that has advocated for a statewide ban, says there are an estimated seven conversion therapy providers in Fayette County. There are nearly 60 providers statewide.

With Lexingtons ban on so-called conversion therapy, more than 20% of Kentuckys population now lives in a city where children are protected from this deadly anti-LGBTQ torture," said Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign. I am excited to see which city or county in our commonwealth will be the next to protect the lives of LGBTQ youth with a similar ban.

Under the new ordinance, pastors who do not hold state-certified licensed would be exempt.
Charles Owusu, Head of Monitoring Unit of the Forestry Commission, has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to quickly form his government.



Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Charles Owusu wondered why till date the President hasn't finished appointing his Deputy Ministers and DCEs for Parliament's approval.



To him, this is one of the reasons why there is a delay in things, hence Ghanaians agitating about the bad performance of President Akufo-Addo's administration.



"The formation of your government in this second term has delayed far too long, because in your first term, I'm not sure we saw this kind of delay. This is the fourth month and we're soon getting in the fifth month; up to date the Deputy Ministers haven't gone for vetting, not to talk about even the DCEs yet to be appointed," he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.



Charles Owusu advised the President to stop the delay stressing ''things are delaying. The government must quicken herself and do things quickly".







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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

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The Trump administration secretly obtained the phone records of Washington Post journalists who reported on allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, the newspaper reported Friday, prompting concerns over freedom of speech.

The Justice Department sent letters to three reporters - Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller, and former Post reporter Adam Entous - saying that it had received work, cell or home phone records 'for the period from April 15, 2017 to July 31, 2017,' according to the Post.

The newspaper was 'deeply troubled by this use of government power to seek access to the communications of journalists,' Post acting executive editor Cameron Barr was quoted as saying.

President Donald Trump's Justice Department secretly obtained the phone records of three Washington Post journalists who wrote about Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election

The reporters were Greg Miller, from left, Ellen Nakashima and former Post reporter Adam Entous

'The Department of Justice should immediately make clear its reasons for this intrusion into the activities of reporters doing their jobs, an activity protected under the First Amendment,' he continued.

The American Civil Liberties Union said the Justice Department had been 'spying' on the journalists 'at the whims of an administration.'

'This should never have happened,' the ACLU tweeted. 'When the government spies on journalists and their sources, it jeopardizes freedom of the press.'

The Justice Department said it had followed 'established procedures' with the requests, the Post reported, citing a department spokesman.

Post acting executive editor Cameron Barr said the paper was 'deeply troubled by this use of government power to seek access to the communications of journalists'

One of the stories the paper published around the time the records were seized centered on Jeff Sessions' alleged efforts to discuss the Trump campaign with the Russian ambassador

The letters did not specify why the records were seized.

But, near the end of that period, the three wrote a story about US intelligence which suggested that Jeff Sessions, who later became attorney general under Donald Trump, had discussed the Trump campaign with the Russian ambassador.

They also wrote a story on the Obama administration's efforts to counter Russian interference in the 2016 election.

US intelligence agencies have concluded Russia hacked into the computer servers of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) during Trump's campaign against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

Trump has played down Russia's involvement in the DNC leak, famously appearing to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his own intelligence agency's assessment.
Jamie Oliver has revealed how he had to turn detective to track down his stolen tractor  after accusing 'unimpressive' police of 'failing to properly investigate' the theft.

The vehicle was found abandoned in a field after a midnight raid on the star's Essex estate.

The TV chef, 45, used trackers on the tractor to locate it and a trailer after giving information to police which he claims they failed to take seriously.

He said he provided CCTV footage and the number plate of a Mercedes used by the thieves after a 'makeshift' plate fell off during the heist. It took place at around midnight on April 29 when the thieves targeted his property, The Sun reported.

Ive tracked it down: Jamie Oliver standing triumphant with his tractor

The vehicle was found abandoned in a field after a midnight raid on the star's Essex estate

The thieves left the tractor in a known dumping spot for criminals.

Oliver is said to have criticised the police's response as 'lukewarm' and warned locals in Bamber's Green about robberies in the area He reportedly wrote: 'Two guys in a black Mercedes 4x4 stole a new trailer and tractor.

'I just wanted to make you all aware there seems to be some confident casual theft going on in and around the village. Another local farmer and house in the village also has been broken into. It's well worth being vigilant as ever.

'When we spoke to them it was still a very active crime and frankly our security systems and team did all the homework for them but no real active interest??

'Anyway, our security cameras picked up the burglars, their car and the number plate (they tried to cover it up but it fell off mid break-in). Everything they stole had trackers so we were able to see it play out.

'Police weren't interested in meeting us at the crime location where our stolen items had been taken. So I had to send my team there to get it back. Honestly?!'

A spokesman for Essex Police told The Sun: 'Officers were unable to attend immediately as they were dealing with other incidents throughout the night and early hours. The informants recovered the vehicles themselves before officers had the opportunity to get there.

'We always prioritise calls where there is the greatest risk of harm to people and threat to life. This means we can't always attend some incidents immediately but we do our best.'
Following a program devoted to a discussion of the other side of vaccination, Tucker Carlson came in for a slew of slams, one of which, by Brian Stelter for CNN Business, was titled Tucker Carlsons Fox News colleagues call out his dangerous antivaccine rhetoric.

Carlsons actual program on reactions, adverse events, various complications including deaths was based on VAERS, a data reporting service.

Trending on Twitter, 7 May, was this:

VAERS and Yellow Card databases show unverified reports of COVID-19 vaccine-related side effects and deaths that can be submitted by anyone, according to the CDC and fact checkers.

VAERS, a standard for doctors and organizations seeking reliable data on adverse events, including deaths, stands for Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. Even though it has been jointly used for 30 years to monitor post-licensure safety of drugs by both the CDC and the FDA, is not 100% foolproof, in that some adverse events are not reported, thus not included in their database.

All reports are passive to the system, neutrally submitted, and are then evaluated via a variety of methodologies and measures by the CDC and the FDA after whatever drug has hit the market. The public is cautioned on relying on the datas predictive or retrospective reliability: You still wont know for sure that a particular set of adverse events were caused by a particular market entity.

In terms of some figures that are already established, according to VAERS: There are over 4,100 dead in the U.S. from the shots, over 8,000 dead in Europe from the same vaccines, and more than 3,300 dead in Israel contiguous to the jabs in the arm. Worldwide, the data say, there are somewhere between 30,000-35,000 dead reported from the inoculations, or shortly thereafter. To be sure, reported deaths are always far fewer than the real numbers, as there are always unreported figures, unrecognized parallels, comorbidities, and so on.

The VAERS data had been there for months. The deaths started months ago in numbers large enough to matter and be reported, frankly. (Indeed, the critics could admonish Tucker: Why wait so long and let so many innocents die before speaking up?)

That includes Anthony Fauci, he of investment himself in the Wuhan Virology Lab. He of umpteen years in AIDs research and data accumulation.

So the public was first primed to doubt the efficacy of the wonder vaccines, as a consequence of getting it, in the unlovely formulation of President 46, into the arms of the public.

Alas, the triumvirate of Fauci, Biden, and Harris did such a good preemptive job of scathing the eventual vaccines brought to birth by President Trump that now they need to expend outsize energy on reconvincing the public at large that they erred in being so negative last year.

Harris ate her words that she wouldnt take any vaccine made by Trump, as if he were standing, pipette in one hand, microtubules in the other, one foot on the treadle to open the super-freezer to minus 90 -degrees Celsius.

The scientific process, we know, always involves the push me-pull me of on-the-one-hand, but-on-the-other variables. No drug is perfect. Most have adverse events, which term -- you realize -- came about because side effects has been viewed as too negative, so the more neutral adverse events, less aggressive, serves.

I think Carlson has every duty to bring up the negative potentials and/or actualities of these new entities in the drug armamentarium. It is part of his job to cover the grey, aqua, and fuchsia as well as the blue they all expect.

Someone has to do it. Brian Stelter sure doesnt. Even 60 Minutes takes a roundabout approach, they being nearer the power center of the White House than is Fox or Carlson.

Truth is, the COVID skeptics may have a point. In Israel, we have cited VAERS reports, more than a tiny number of jabbees have come down with adverse events, from deep vein thrombosis to long-term changes in brain function, to tinnitus, even death, within a short period following their inoculations.

Even healthy people going in, after a few days, in some instances, have reputedly died mysteriously. There is no dotted line from the syringe to the patient to the hospital bed where they may have died shortly thereafter. But it is valid to question.

Too bad the coverage of Tuckers coverage went overboard in hyperbole. The critics, most on the blue side of the spectrum of politicking, of course, don't have much impulse control. What's wrong with hearing a second view from over the fence?

Are we not adult enough to weigh and sift the evidence proffered, and decide the risk-to-benefit ratio is more on the side of the yes, take the shots than the obverse?

What do we really have to lose? Those who have decided not to take the shots have had their opinion for quite some time. Tucker didnt singlehandedly turn the crimson tide. To give him his due, hes pretty intrepid, yes, but hes one guy, and there are all these pundits carrying their opinions on their sleeves, as it were. Why are they so spooked?

It's so hammer-hard against another side of the issue to the public that it makes one queasy.

It's like the hysterics over the Arizona ballot audit. If the vote was so all-fired whistle-clean, what matters if a few auditors do an inspection of the ballots? Youre sure the 2020 Election was 99 and 44/100ths pure, right?

Lots of doctors and military are refusing the vaccines, we know. I feel the results are not yet all in, as it takes years to find out the net reality that may lurk in slow cell deterioration or accumulating blood clots or progressive brain fog, and so on. I was in charge of dealing with some reports of adverse events at Pfizer, in my department, and there were some unexpected or odd reactions to even the mildest drugs.

One part of the public demands in these reportorial complaints was clearly aimed at the companys deep pockets. But some seemed valid. We always informed the FDA of anything significant, even if it was reported by a tiny fraction of the millions of drugs sold or used as vaccines. Our reports then were entered into VAERS database.

Because even the mildest drugs are heavy duty. Aspirin today would not be purchasable over the counter, if its formulators applied to the FDA today for nonemergency use. It's that powerful.

So a few cautionary jabs in the other direction are certainly kosher.

Image: Gage Skidmore

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
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A popular social media influencer has been found dead in a forest 11 days after she vanished from home.

Kristina Zhuravleva, 28, often posed with her husband Dmitry, who has now been detained by police while authorities investigate if she was murdered.

The body of the Russian online personality was found by a passing motorist who stopped to relieve himself in woods near a road southeast of the city of Yekaterinburg.

Reports said there were no signs of a violent death on the woman's body who was wearing a tracksuit.

Kristina Zhuravleva, 28, was found by a motorist who stopped to relieve himself in the woods. Source: Australscope

Less than two weeks prior, her husband reported her missing triggering a major search. However police later detained him on suspicion of involvement in her disappearance.

He had earlier told her friends she left him and wanted to be alone, or that she had gone to Moscow.

One theory is that she may have been forcibly injected with drugs, reported news agency URA.

Ms Zhuravleva was a former teacher turned social media influencer with tens of thousands of followers and also managed social media accounts for clients.

The Russian Investigative Committee said: "Investigators are establishing the circumstances of her death.

A forensic examination, interrogations and other activities are being carried out.

Police said they were currently questioning her family and acquaintances.

It is being established whether there were tensions in the family.

Kristina Zhuravleva with her husband Dmitry. Source: Australscope

The husband was brought in handcuffs by police to the townhouse they shared.

Elena Makhalina, a friend of the dead woman, said: He was calm on the phone and said Kristina had left him.

She packed her belongings and left her phone at home.

She wanted to be alone, and he said going missing was usual for her.

Neighbours said they never heard arguments and the couple were "loving".

Kristina had posted that it was my best decision in life to say yes and marry Dmitry.

They regularly appeared together in her posts.

Australscope

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YEREVAN.  And at one time, many did not imagine that it is realistic to liberate so many territories; everything is a matter of time. Sasun Mikaelyan, Chairman of the Yerkrapah Volunteers Union (YVU) and an MP of the majority My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia, on Saturday told this to reporters at Yerablur Military Pantheon, and about the possibility of once again liberating Shushi, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

"It comes from our country, our people being organized, the strengthening of our army. Regardless of everything, we, especially the Yerkrapahs, must support our army today, our army must be restored, and the rest is a matter of the future, so that no one should despair that we did not liberate Shushi," he added.

With respect to the many speculations about the loss of Shushi after the recent Artsakh war, Mikaelyan said that this war was different in nature, and the law enforcement bodies shall give a clear position on this issue. "So that we can find out what [actually] happened, they inform so that the people know what happened," he said.

Regarding the opposition forces accusations that the incumbent authorities gave the lands to Azerbaijanis, the YVU leader stated that he did not want to discuss politics today. "Our misfortune is that we must unite, decide, find out who gave land, who did not. (). I have seen everything there, but I have no right to speak because it is under investigation, () justice shall always prevail. If this is not done, we cannot unite so that the people find out what [really] happened," Sasun Mikaelyan added.
A top epidemiologist has ominously declared it is 'only a matter of time' until Australia has a widespread Covid outbreak.

University of Melbourne professor James McCaw predicted cases will increase as people socialise frequently and the virus spread undetected.

He said eventually an outbreak will be cunning enough to successfully avoid the diligent work of contract tracers, and only mass vaccination would stop it.

University of Melbourne professor James McCaw predicted cases will increase as people socialise frequently and the virus spread undetected

'We will expect incursions at least once a month and more often. And while we mix more socially, the chance of one of those taking hold goes up very quickly,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'The virus will win. But it won't have a devastating impact if we are vaccinated.'

Professor McCaw, who is leading a research team providing expertise on the pandemic to the federal government, went onto state the British B117 strain of the virus has the potential to be negative game changer in Australia.

'That strain is more transmissible and is more severe, and the severity comes to lower age groups,' he said.

However, six people who were vaccinated overseas before returning to NSW have tested positive for Covid-19 despite having both their shots.

They were among the 150 cases in hotel quarantine reported by NSW Health between April 10 and May 1.

Doctor McCaw stressed the importance of mass vaccinations (pictured) and not getting complacent

Two more case received both their shots, but became infected within two weeks for the second jab before it took full effect.

Twelve other returned travellers tested positive after getting only one of their jabs.

The federal government aims to vaccinate 25 million people in Australia aged over 16 - and just 2.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccine have been administered by medical staff to date.

Supply shortages and a complication linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine have been significant factors.

Dr Suman Majumdar, an infectious diseases physician at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, believes the current virus is 'stronger than we have ever seen' and is more powerful than the Wuhan virus which emerged from China in 2020.

With winter looming, there are fears people with symptoms may dismiss them, fearing they just have the common cold.

This could result in the virus spreading rapidly across the nation.

The Federal government aims to vaccinate 48 million people in Australia aged over 16 - and just 2.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccine have been administered by medical staff to date - (pictured Covid testing at Bondi Beach, in Sydney's east)

Kirsty Short, a virologist based at the University of Queensland, said once the borders are eventually opened, exposure to Covid could be rampant.

'So far there is pretty good vaccine efficiency,' she said. 'That sees people form the belief that personally they don't need to be vaccinated.

'And as soon as the borders are open, Covid could be exposed everywhere.'

In NSW, health authorities are still looking to uncover the mystery Covid-19 case at the centre of the current outbreak.

A man dubbed Patient X and his wife from Sydney's east both returned positive cases earlier this week.

No positive tests were recorded on Friday across the state, with over 13,000 people tested.

With the search for the mystery case continuing, masks and increased restrictions will remain in place across Sydney until at least Monday.
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Alex Salmond suffered political humiliation today as the former first minister admitted he did not anticipate his new Alba Party would gain any seats in a poor debut Scottish election.

The pro-independence party, which launched at the start of the Holyrood campaign, had been fighting on the regional list section of the ballot, with the declared aim of winning an independence 'supermajority'.

But while list votes are still be counted, 66-year-old Mr Salmond said his new party looked set to fall short of the amount needed to pick up seats  although he insisted Alba had still put in a 'credible performance'.

Mr Salmond dropped an election bombshell six weeks ago by revealing he was standing for parliament as leader of the Alba Party in the first week of the campaign in late March.

He pleaded with voters who support independence to back the Scottish National Party on the constituency vote and his party on the regional list in a bid to boost the number of pro-independence MSPs.

Opponents have claimed he was unfit for office after he admitted 'inappropriate conduct' during the criminal trial which ended with him being cleared of all sexual assault charges in March last year.

Alba party leader Alex Salmond walks through Ellon in Aberdeenshire this afternoon as votes continue to be counted

Mr Salmond, pictured in Ellon today, dropped an election bombshell six weeks ago with his Alba party announcement

Mr Salmond speaks to the media in Ellon today as votes continue to be counted for the Scottish parliamentary elections

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross (pictured in Inverness today) said Mr Salmond should now leave frontline politics

He has repeatedly been asked about his past conduct during the election campaign but has refused to apologise.

Today, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said Mr Salmond should now leave frontline politics, adding: 'He should never have come back, I said he was a totally unsuitable person to seek elected office again.

Scottish minister admits he is 'not expecting good news' in list vote Scottish Government minister Paul Wheelhouse has admitted he is 'not expecting good news' on the regional list today. Mr Wheelhouse lost his bid to take Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire from Tory incumbent Rachael Hamilton by 18,564 to 11,701 votes. Gains in other parts of the South Scotland region may harm the energy and islands minister's chances on the regional list, with the SNP taking the East Lothian and Ayr seats from Labour and the Tories respectively. Under Holyrood's voting system, winning constituencies in a certain region harms the chances of a party also gaining seats on the corresponding regional list. In a tweet replying to a supporter, Mr Wheelhouse said he was hoping for the SNP to secure one list seat, but because he is third in the party's ranking it may not go to him. 'Not expecting it will be good news personally given the fact I am third, but still hopeful we get at least one list MSP elected to cover our area,' he said. Advertisement

'He claims - as he has - that he's been cleared by court cases etc but he accepted his own behaviour fell well below the standard expected of someone in elected office.

'And I think it was wrong for him to seek election again and the people of the North East have been very clear they don't want him.'

Mr Salmond claimed that there could be 'perhaps even a million list voters' for Nicola Sturgeon's party which would 'elect nobody', because of the SNP's success in the constituency section of the vote.

He said: 'We warned of the danger of piling up SNP list votes and achieving nothing, getting nobody returned and allowing unionists, Labour and Tory, to sneak in the back door. That unfortunately is what is going to happen.'

Mr Salmond, a former SNP leader, said supporters of the pro-UK parties had been 'smart' in tactical voting but that 'the SNP unfortunately are sending their troops over the top and are piling up perhaps even a million list votes, which will elect nobody'.

Speaking about the votes Alba has received, he said: 'I've obviously looked at the ballot boxes at the count and they've given us some very good ones - Aberdeenshire had over 10 per cent in a couple of the ballot boxes.

'But in some of the big ballot boxes, I think we ended up over 3 per cent in Aberdeenshire East, the same in Banff and Buchan, a bit more actually, which I'm pleased with because these are our best results in Scotland.

'But that doesn't get you a seat. You need 4.5 per cent, maybe 5 per cent, to get a seat. But nonetheless it's a credible performance for a party which has just celebrated its sixth birthday - in other words, we are six weeks old.'

The former first minister insisted: 'I think Alba's future is secure.'

He also congratulated Ms Sturgeon, his successor as SNP leader, 'on her victory' in the election, but added that that came with responsibilities.

Mr Salmond said: 'It is now Nicola's responsibility to carry forward the independence argument and she now has to answer the questions of how you proceed with obduracy from Westminster.

Mr Salmond on his phone as votes are being counted for the Scottish elections at the P&J Live in Aberdeen yesterday

Mr Salmond talks to the media yesterday as votes are counted for the Scottish elections at the P&J Live in Aberdeen

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'Now I think Alba brought forward a number of ways to do it and we pointed the way. I wish Nicola luck in getting that forward, and Alba will be there urging things on.

List votes up for Greens across Scotland, co-leader says Votes for the Scottish Green Party are up across the country but the margins for seat gains on the regional lists are very slim, co-leader Patrick Harvie has said. Mr Harvie is standing in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency, though the Greens expect to make their gains in the regional list vote. Polls leading up to the election have repeatedly suggested the Greens will make gains. He told the PA news agency: '(The regional list vote) seems to be up in most places, some places very strongly like yesterday in Glasgow Southside. 'The tricky thing is the difference between getting our first seat on the board in places like the South of Scotland, Central Scotland, North East - it could be a very marginal difference, a very narrow gap. 'It looks like there's three or four seats which are in contention for us but potentially close. We've still got a way to go yet.' He added: 'The difference between a result which looks outstanding for us and one that's a bit more conservative is actually very small.' Following the result in Dumbarton, where Labour saw off an SNP challenge, he said: 'I've always said that Parliament's at its best when there's a balance and ministers are at their best when they're kept on their toes, whichever political party they're from. 'The Greens will continue to provide a pro-independence majority and I think that looks likely to be the case. 'We've worked hard over the last five years to push the SNP beyond their comfort zone and we'll keep on doing that.' Advertisement

'And I suspect the existence of Alba will be an additional incentive for those who have gained election to the Scottish Parliament to get on with the job of delivering the Scottish people independence.'

The former first minister added: 'I know that the SNP have been a little bit nervous, sending people letters saying if they are associated with Alba they might be disciplined by the SNP, or all sorts of things.

'But I put that down to over-enthusiasm of some people who just joined the SNP and are perhaps not aware of the politeness with which the SNP normally conducts its operations.'

In his final pitch to voters, Mr Salmond had appeared to downplay the prospects for his party, describing it as the 'plucky underdog' and omitting to mention the 'super-majority' aim.

In an eve-of-poll video, Mr Salmond asked for support from the 'independence family' to get Alba MSPs elected via the list system.

He said backing the SNP on the regional list was worse than a wasted vote as it helped elect Unionists 'by the back door'.

He also took aim at the Scottish Greens as the other big pro-independence party on the list, calling them 'divided' and 'soft' on the issue.

Miss Sturgeon's central message of her campaign was telling supporters to give 'both votes SNP'.

In his video, Mr Salmond said: 'So for people who believe that independence is a priority, something which has to be put forward with urgency then the only vote for Scottish independence on that second ballot paper is for Alba, the 'new kid on the block', the plucky underdog of Scottish politics  the people who are trying to gain a bridgehead in the Scottish parliament to develop some urgency into the independence case.'

The SNP continue to lead the Holyrood elections today, but it is still not clear if they will win an overall majority.

Ms Sturgeon's party gained three seats during the count yesterday - the only party to take a constituency from another - winning Ayr, Edinburgh Central and East Lothian.

However, uncertainty continued into Saturday, as the wins picked up by the SNP could cause the party to lose regional seats under Holyrood's system, cancelling out gains made.

With 69 seats declared, the SNP have taken 57, the Scottish Lib Dems and Tories both have four and Labour is on two.

The coronavirus pandemic meant traditional overnight counts were abandoned after Thursday's Scottish Parliament election.

And while new MSPs at Holyrood have still to be declared, Ms Sturgeon said it is 'almost certain' the SNP will win its fourth term in power at Holyrood.

She also stressed that 'when the time is right', she should be able to offer Scots 'the choice of a better future' in a second independence referendum.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the count for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Glasgow Emirates Arena yesterday

Votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow this morning

Votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Ingliston Highland Centre in Edinburgh this morning

Following her comments, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told The Daily Telegraph that his impression was that Scottish voters had 'moved away from the idea of a referendum'.

He said another referendum would be 'irresponsible and reckless' in the 'current context' as Britain emerges from the coronavirus crisis.

Asked what he would do if Ms Sturgeon attempted to hold one without a Section 30 order from Westminster granting permission, he said there is 'no case now for such a thing'.

The SNP have pledged to push forward with legislation at Holyrood for a second Scottish independence referendum which, if passed, could be challenged by the UK Government in court.

Counting continues in the parliamentary contest today, with the main Glasgow counting centre pictured this morning

Mr Salmond with SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon in Perth in 2014 when she took over his leadership of the party in Perth in 2014

Ms Sturgeon, who comfortably defeated Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to claim Glasgow Southside, said afterwards: 'My focus, if we are re-elected as the government, is to get back to work to steer the country through the crisis and into recovery.

'That remains the case. But once the crisis is over, and if there is a majority in the parliament for an independence referendum, people should have the right to choose our future. Scotland's future should always be in Scotland's hands.'

Speaking about the prospect of winning an overall majority, the SNP leader said it was a 'long shot', adding: 'It's certainly not impossible, but nor is it guaranteed.

'That was always going to be on a knife edge, it comes down to a small number of votes in a small number of seats, so at this midway point it is certainly still there as a possibility, but I have never taken that for granted.'
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 16:23:05|Editor: huaxia

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In this combo photo, the upper part taken on Jan. 4, 2021 shows Li Huiting, a medical worker, receiving a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at Shandong No. 3 provincial hospital in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, and the lower part taken on May 8, 2021 shows Li Huiting displaying her "gilt-edged" green health code. To encourage more people to receive COVID-19 vaccination, the health authority in Shandong has upgraded the health codes to the "gilt-edged" version as of May 3, 2021 for all those who have accomplished the vaccination procedure. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)
The Mail on Sunday was today hailed for exposing the appalling cruelty of South Africa's lion farms after the country pledged to outlaw the hunting of big cats in enclosures and end the vile trade of lion bones.

In a stunning victory for former Tory peer Lord Ashcroft and this newspaper, South Africa has announced plans to ban the breeding of captive lions for hunting.

The policy will also end the legal lion bone trade and tourist experiences such as petting cubs, which are destined to be sold to slaughterhouses or shot by hunters when they become too big to be handled.

The announcement comes two years after a landmark investigation by Lord Ashcroft, published by the MoS, exposed how up to 12,000 lions are held on commercial farms in South Africa as part of a repulsive  but hugely lucrative  industry.

The Mail on Sunday was today hailed for exposing the appalling cruelty of South Africa's lion farms after the country pledged to outlaw the hunting of big cats in enclosures and end the vile trade of lion bones. (Above, lions held in a captive tourism facility in South Africa in 2019)

In a stunning victory for former Tory peer Lord Ashcroft and this newspaper, South Africa has announced plans to ban the breeding of captive lions for hunting. The policy will also end the legal lion bone trade and tourist experiences such as petting cubs, which are destined to be sold to slaughterhouses or shot by hunters when they become too big to be handled

The probe revealed how a British City worker paid thousands to shoot a magnificent lion with tranquilliser darts in an apparent breach of South African law.

It also detailed the astonishing story of how Lord Ashcroft and his team rescued a captive-bred lion named Simba from a ranch and released him into a large enclosure.

Writing in today's MoS, Lord Ashcroft said South Africa's crackdown 'is a triumphant step forward in the march to stamp out this offence to nature'.

Hailing The Mail on Sunday, he added: 'I know that every word the MoS has published on this matter has given a boost to activist groups in South Africa such as Blood Lions. This is a tribute to the power of newspaper journalism.'

He also renews his call for the British Government to outlaw the importation of lion trophies  and appeals directly to Boris Johnson and his fiancee, Carrie Symonds, who he said are 'passionate supporters of animal welfare'.

The probe detailed the astonishing story of how Lord Ashcroft and his team rescued a captive-bred lion named Simba (pictured) from a ranch and released him into a large enclosure

He said the pair, plus Environment Minister Lord Goldsmith, 'need to use the tools available to them to act in support of South Africa by implementing a British ban as soon as possible. Not to do so would be nothing short of a dereliction of duty'.

South Africa is the only country that allows large-scale lion-breeding, with animals kept in fenced enclosures at 300 farms.

The most impressive males are supplied for so-called canned hunts, where there is little or no chance of escape. The skeletons of dead lions are sold in South East Asia and China, where they are turned into traditional medicines.

Last week Barbara Creecy, South Africa's environment minister, said the government would adopt the findings of a year-long study by a panel of experts, which recommended banning the breeding and keeping of captive lions for economic gain, including hunting and cub-petting.

The panel said the industry had a 'negative impact' on conservation and eco-tourism. The ban will, however, require parliamentary approval and the regulated hunting of wild lions, which requires hunters to apply for permits, will still be allowed.

The UK government has pledged to ban the importation of hunting trophies but campaign groups and politicians yesterday condemned a proposed exemption for hunters who pay a large sum towards wildlife conservation.
A week ago the headline on our editorial said 'Almost everyone in this country has better things to worry about than Boris and Carrie's wallpaper'.

And so it has proved, as the election results come in and Boris Johnson's Tories seize territory they have not held for more than half a century.

The Conservative victory in Hartlepool  a political earthquake unthinkable even two years ago  is absolute proof that we were right when we said Wallpapergate was a metropolitan obsession, of little interest to normal human beings.

Boris Johnson greets supporters at Jacksons Wharf Marina in Hartlepool following the local elections

And we are also correct when we stated that the real divide in this country no longer runs between Labour and Tory, but between the metropolitan elite and the men and women who live and work in the real Britain  hard-working, patriotic, close to the ground.

Sir Keir Starmer's Labour has less and less to offer to that Britain.

Under Jeremy Corbyn and under Sir Keir himself, it offers only two different faces of the same airy, impractical, dogma-driven ideas, beloved only by activists who have never really grown up, and by urban snobs who think they know what is best for those who live in less exalted circumstances.

Typical of this was Sir Keir's folly in offering the voters of Hartlepool, one of the most pro-Brexit places in Britain, a diehard pro-Remain candidate. We know the Labour leader is himself no enthusiast for Brexit.

But what did he think he was doing? Did he think the people would not notice? Or did he think they would do as Labour voters used to do before 2016, and obediently vote for whoever the party nominated?

Or are there just no significant figures in Labour who sympathise with the pro-Brexit majority?

Labour for decades simply assumed that its voters would come out tribally and support it whatever it did and said, rather than vote Tory. Crucially, that era is over.

Typical of this was Sir Keir's folly in offering the voters of Hartlepool, one of the most pro-Brexit places in Britain, a diehard pro-Remain candidate

Back in 2010, Labour's then leader, Gordon Brown, called lifelong Rochdale Labour voter Gillian Duffy a 'bigoted woman' because she was worried about mass migration from Eastern Europe. But in those days he still assumed she would vote for him anyway.

The EU referendum showed millions like her that they no longer needed to be tied to a party which literally despised them.

And Jeremy Corbyn alerted them to the real face of what had long ceased to be their own movement, but which had assumed it could abuse them behind closed doors, yet still count on their votes.

It is now the Tories, and especially Boris Johnson himself, who are the People's Party, who 'speak human', who act and talk like normal citizens rather than like sociology lecturers.

Labour for decades simply assumed that its voters would come out tribally and support it whatever it did and said, rather than vote Tory. Pictured: Jeremy Corbyn at the Keep Our NHS Public protest in London

The Prime Minister, who can laugh at himself and has an appeal which plainly reaches across the North-South divide, has now notched up several extraordinary achievements. He has reunited his own party. He has got Brexit done.

He has weathered the Covid storm and masterminded the triumph of the UK's vaccination programme.

And now he has set in motion what looks very like a revolution. The events of the past week have confirmed that, in England at least, the Labour Party has lost its grip on those it took for granted.

This change opens up the possibility of a new and better form of British politics, based on the real concerns of the people rather than on outworn prejudices.
A new search warrant was served at the California home of Maya Millete, 39, on Friday, four months after she went missing.

The Chula Vista Police Department served the warrant at Maya and Larry Millete's home in the afternoon around 4:30pm.

Maya's family attorney, Billy Little, claimed that a large group of officers went into the home, as well as several cadaver dogs.

A neighbor told Fox News that around 12 police cars and a van arrived at the residence at 5pm local time and were still there as of 6:45pm.

Maya Millete went missing on January 7 and she was reported missing three days later

Maya Millete (pictured with her husband Larry) went missing on January 7

CBS News 8 also reports that it appeared a vehicle on the property was being searched.

'We're trying to maintain the integrity of the investigation,' said Lt. Frank Giaime, who didn't want to say much about the search.

It's not clear why a new search warrant was executed on Friday, though police were dressed in tactical gear.

A new search warrant was executed at Maya Millete's home on Friday afternoon

The couple with their three kids. Maya's family say they had been arguing frequently

Maya was last seen at her home on January 7, where she made an appointment with a divorce lawyer. She was reported missing three days later, on January 10.

A search of the home and vehicles was conducted that day, as well as the next. On January 12, Larry admitted that the two had been arguing prior to Maya's disappearance.

She hasn't been seen in the four months since then, though. Larry, who had been married to Maya for 21 years, stopped cooperating three weeks after she went missing and hired a lawyer.

A search warrant was served at the home for the first time on January 23, the first of 23 warrants the police have executed.

Maya Millete was reported missing on January 10 after seeking a divorce lawyer

According to ABC 10News, the Chula Vista police served a warrant at Larry's relative's home on April 1.

Meanwhile, volunteers continue to scour the region, looking for clues in Maya's disappearance.

Police have conducted 56 interviews so far and reviewed at least 55 tips in relation to her disappearance.

Maya tried to anonymously seek advice on local divorce lawyers on Facebook hours before she mysteriously disappeared.

Family members revealed the couple's marriage had been on the rocks and that Maya was preparing to file for divorce.

In April, it emerged that Maya had shared a post in a Facebook group for mothers on the same day she vanished claiming she was seeking advice on a local family law firm on behalf of 'a friend.'

Larry has not been arrested, nor has anyone else, in relation to the mother-of-three's disappearance

'Asking for a friend - Has anyone used or have gone through the services of collaborative practice San Diego for divorce? Looking for insights? Positive/negative aspect?' she wrote, Fox News reported.

The group's moderator told the news station Maya likely claimed to be asking for a friend as a 'desperate attempt to remain anonymous.'

She eventually made an appointment with divorce lawyer Marisa Nahale for the following week, but went missing before they could meet.

Maya's older sister Maricris Drouaillet told Fox News her sibling had been considering leaving her husband over the last year.

'I think she was ready in December, and then she finally decided to file that divorce that day,' she said.

Maya 'May' Millete, 39, vanished in January, days before she was due to meet with a divorce lawyer to discuss leaving her husband Larry

The family went camping not long before Maya vanished. Her relatives say she and Larry argued throughout and that it was clear their relationship was over

Maya's brother-in-law previously told DailyMail.com that they went on a camping trip not long before she vanished and that she and Larry were arguing during it.

'They argued a lot and it was a little bit uncomfortable. It was weird because Larry was acting different. He wasn't acting like Larry.

'He was acting different... They were done. The relationship was done. You could just tell,' Richard Drouaillet said.

Maya's family are convinced he is to blame for her vanishing. In the days beforehand, they say she told them: 'If anything happens to me, it's Larry.'

An anonymous source claimed to FOX News in April that Larry suspected his wife of having an affair, and that he offered to pay a hit man $20,000 to kill the man last summer.

The source said he was still talking about it in January, before Maya went missing, and that he seemed 'pretty serious' about it.

Maya's family backed up the claim that Larry suspected she was having an affair.

One unnamed relative told FOX that he said of the apparent boyfriend 'I want to do something to that fool.'

They did not confirm whether or not she was having an affair, or if Larry just suspected her of it.

In April, the Chula Vista Police Department announced a multi-agency partnership with the San Diego County District Attorneys Office, FBI, and NCIS.

Maya previously worked as a civilian contract specialist for the Navy's Southwest Regional Maintenance Center.

She was transferred to the Naval Information Warfare Center last June.

Back in February, volunteers searched swampy trails hoping to find clues as to the whereabouts of a mom-of-three, with little luck.

Recently, friends and family of Maya rallied outside of City Hall and the Chula Vista Police Department, demanding further transparency in the investigation.

'We just want to tell her children where mommy is; they've been waiting for four months,' Maricris Drouaillet said.

Maya is described as being 5'2' and 105lbs with brown hair. She has tattoos of musical notes on her clavicle and a tattoo of a hummingbird on her back.
Photo: RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty Images

The 2020 Democratic primary took place in a disorienting atmosphere. The 2016 election, in which the supposedly unelectable candidate had defeated the supposedly safe one, seemed to overturn all the conventional assumptions about the electorate, and many activists and candidates went into the next election as if those assumptions werent true. Perhaps the voters were craving an even more radical change to the system. Maybe the key was to activate the moribund progressive voters who had been energized by Bernie Sanders and then sat out the general election.

Eventually, reality intervened. Joe Bidens runaway victory, followed by an unexpectedly close general election that saw Black and (especially) Latino voters swing toward Donald Trump, reasserted many of the old laws of political physics.

Persist, Elizabeth Warrens new memoir of her life and presidential campaign, is an excellent and informative account of how that bubble formed. Her campaign was perhaps a prime case study in the delirious post-2016 atmosphere and the errors in political judgment it produced.

The problem is that she is so deep inside that bubble she seems not to recognize it for what it was. She can paint a compelling portrait of what the inside of the Democratic Party activist bubble looked like, but shows no awareness that there is anything outside of the bubble, or even that she was inside of one.

Warren does deal extensively with campaign questions about her electability. But she treats these as largely, and even axiomatically, sexist. She recognizes both a directly sexist effect (voters who would support a male Democrat, but not a female one) and secondary sexism (voters who hesitated to nominate her because other voters might not support a woman). And there is no question that sexism played a role. In particular, Warren suffered from the superficial inference made by many Democrats that, since Hillary Clinton lost and was a woman, the party couldnt risk nominating another woman.

But sexism alone has a hard time explaining why Warren took the lead in national polls of primary voters before collapsing in the fall of 2019. Surely, the reason many of the voters who were prepared to nominate her changed their mind is not that they learned her gender.

Warrens account ignores the possibility that her campaign simply misjudged the electorate, both within the party and outside it. As a result, she positioned herself too far left, which not only cost her support among Democrats, but created well-founded concerns  even among Democrats who liked her ideas  about her ability to beat Trump. (I was one of those voters. My initial enthusiasm for her candidacy gave way to dismay at her apparent lack of political savvy.) Perhaps she would have lost no matter what she did, but her strategic choices seem to have hurt her chances in ways she does not acknowledge.

At the outset of her campaign, Warren staked her ground closer to the ideological center of the party. She labeled herself capitalist to my bones, pledged to avoid any tax increases on the middle class, and emphasized her interest in reforming the most dangerous and antisocial corporate behavior. This was in keeping with Warrens identity as a former Republican who had been inspired to join public life in response to egregious abuses of the financial system.

Yet the competition with Sanders pulled her farther and farther left. Not only did she join other candidates in endorsing highly unpopular proposals like completely decriminalizing border enforcement and providing subsidized health insurance to undocumented immigrants, but she continued to load new program after new program onto her platform.

The biggest trouble came in her decision to junk her health-care plan. Warren initially promised to bring about universal health insurance by building on Obamacare. In 2019, she decided to join Sanders by endorsing Medicare for All. Bringing 150 million people currently covered by employer health insurance onto government rolls, increasing the federal budget by more than half, would make it impossible for her to keep her promise not to raise taxes on the middle class.

Warren does briefly describe a damaging debate in which other candidates piled on the questionable math assumptions undergirding her plans. She doesnt consider that her own decision to abandon her original health-care plan put her in a position where those questions were so easy to ask and so difficult to answer.

In February 2020, at a moment Bidens campaign was bottoming out, Perry Bacon astutely noted that the balance of power within the Democratic primary was held by voters with somewhat liberal views. Warrens campaign, though, has spent a year sprinting away from those voters, as if the party was actually torn between social democracy and democratic socialism.

Warren shares her obvious pride at her refusal to accept large donations, which steered her toward a mass donor base that eventually raised well over $100 million. This strategy, Warren argues, freed her from having to cater to the views of wealthy funders. She fails to consider the possibility that the need to constantly excite her small donor base with a constant string of new progressive announcements may have entrapped her in a different way.

The most painfully oblivious sections are when Warren describes her efforts to woo Black and Latino activists, whose endorsements she equates with wooing those communities as a whole. After one speech about racism, she exults, the Washington Post said it was the speech Black activists had been waiting for. The release of her cutting-edge progressive criminal-justice plan got a good reception from an activist, whose approving tweet she quotes with satisfaction. Her endorsement by Black Womxn For is a moment of triumph in the narrative.

Despite the extensive detail of her hard work to win over activists, she shows no measures of broader Black sentiment. In February 2020, New York Times reporter Astead Herndon detailed how Warrens success with Black and Latino political activists had yielded barely any support among actual Black and Latino voters. Warrens strategy, noted Herndon, revealed the limits of using the language of progressive activists to speak to a Black community that is more ideologically diverse.

That disconnect became even more starkly evident the following November when Trump made shocking gains with conservative-leaning Black and Latino voters. That result produced a searching examination of the disconnect between the increasingly left-wing cadre of young, college-educated activists on the left and its voters, especially the partys disproportionately Black and brown moderate wing.

If Warren learned anything from this failure, or even considers it a failure at all, Persist does not let on. The shame is that Warrens emphasis on sexism as a cause of her defeat leaves little in the way of usable lessons for the admirers she has justifiably drawn. (Female candidates cant do anything about their sex.) The actual lessons of her campaign would be to treat the cadres of activists on Twitter and in academia as just one small yet vocal constituency within the party, not the party itself. Warren is hardly alone in succumbing to this fallacy  the same misread of the electorate tripped up most of the field, with the famously Not Online Joe Biden being an exception.

Maybe the goal of Persist is to console and inspire her supporters, rather than conduct a serious autopsy. Still, if she wishes for her successors to fare better, Warren ought to put her famously incisive analytic skills to use analyzing her own campaign.
Billie Piper has ruled out making a full time return to Doctor Who - but has cast her vote for who she would like to see take over as the next Doctor.

The actress, 38, who played Rose Tyler - a companion to the Doctor in series one and two- would like to see Helena Bonham Carter cast as the next Doctor.

However, Billie said she has no intention on taking on the role of Rose again because of the workload and the pressures of being on a high-profile programme.

No thanks: Billie Piper has ruled out making a full time return to Doctor Who - but has cast her vote for who she would like to see take over as the next Doctor

Speaking to Total Film magazine, she said: 'I couldn't. It's so much work! It's the face of a family show and that's a lot of responsibility that I'm not comfortable with.'

But as speculation mounts that Jodie Whittaker is set to step down from the title role as Doctor Who after the next series, Billie said she would like to see the Crown star, 54, take on the role as she has 'that madcap energy'.

Asked who should be up next for the main role in the sci-fi series, she said: 'Oh I know who! Helena Bonham Carter. She's just got that madcap energy. She's a ruddy powerhouse.'

'She's got that madcap energy': She said she would like to see the Crown star, Helena Bonham Carter, cast as the next Doctor Who (pictured in November 2020)

Billie briefly reprised her role as Rose since leaving the show, in a three-episode stint in 2008 and in the 50th anniversary special 'The Day of the Doctor' in 2013.

Last October, Billie spoke with her former co-star on his podcast, David Tennant Does A Podcast With..., as they recalled their time working on Doctor Who together.

The I Hate Suzie star said the buzz that surrounded the series was similar to how it felt at the height of her music career, remembering how crowds would show up to watch them filming.

She said: 'I'd been there before and it's an uncomfortable position for me. I've never really liked that. You become this thing to people and you don't really have any part in that.

Throwback: The actress, 38, played Rose Tyler, a companion to the Doctor in series one and two from 2005-2006 (pictured as Rose with former co-star David Tennant)

'And so you have to behave a certain way or at least try to, and that's quite annoying.

'It's not the worst thing in the world, but it means that you can't be yourself entirely. And it means that you become incredibly guarded. And for me, reclusive, always.'

This comes as last month, Billie told how she battled through similar mental health issues to Britney Spears.

Britney, 39, famously suffered a public breakdown in 2008 after checking out of rehab, which saw her shave her head and attack paparazzi with an umbrella.

And Billie, who shot to fame as a popstar aged 15, has recalled how working 18-hour days and having a 'lack of control' over everything had a very 'negative impact' on her life.

Similarities: This comes as last month, Billie has told how she battled through similar mental health issues to Britney Spears

Looking back on her early years, Billie told how working relentlessly to become a music star took a toll on her mental health and eventually led to an eating disorder.

Speaking to the Happy Place podcast, the mother-of-three explained: 'I don't know anyone who worked as hard as I did at 15.

'It was a combination of burnout, the trauma of becoming really famous, being disconnected with my family, a lack of control in my life  hence the eating disorder.'

She went on: 'I also felt I was a teenager and changing emotionally and psychologically so much. When I think of the life I lived as a child, with an 18-hour working day and never seeing my family, I see how it negatively impacted my life.'

Troubled: Britney, 39, famously suffered a public breakdown in 2007 after checking out of rehab, which saw her shave her head and attack paparazzi with an umbrella

At 15-years-old, Billie became the youngest female artist to bag a number one on the UK singles chart with her debut track Because We Want To.

She went on to have another number one with her follow-up track Girlfriend and best selling album Honey to the B.

Looking back on how her life was, the former Doctor Who star added: 'My experience is one I just escaped from but it could have gone one or two ways.'

Like Billie, Britney was a teen pop sensation, with Billie noting she relates Britney's troubled time and mental struggles.

Shock: Billie shot to fame as a popstar aged 15, and recalled how working 18-hour days and having a 'lack of control' had a very 'negative impact' on her life (pictured in 2000)

'You think: 'It is so easy not to come out of that alive or without any trust and without some crippling mental health issue'.

Billie controversially married radio DJ Chris Evans in Las Vegas in 2001, with their union raising eyebrows as Billie was just 18 while Chris was 35.

She went on to say how their three-year romance was her 'healing years' as it allowed her to freely eat and drink as she wanted.

She added: 'I needed them so badly and it also gave me space to reinvent with acting.'

Watch I Hate Suzie on Stan in Australia.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 8)  Government troops clashed with Islamist militants who caused a commotion in a public market in Datu Paglas town in Maguindanao early Saturday, according to military officials who said the situation is now "under control" after the gunmen fled.

Troops and members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) clashed for "15 to 30 minutes," Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, 6th Infantry Division commander, told CNN Philippines. Uy said no one died or got hurt among security forces and civilians, but it remains unclear if any BIFF fighter was killed.

"Hindi namin, hindi ko ma-ascertain but definitely may tinamaan," he said, citing witnesses.

[Translation: We cannot, I cannot ascertain [if there are casualties] but definitely some got shot.]

There was no property damage, he added.

What happened?

At around 4 a.m., members of the BIFF Karialan Faction "threatened" some civilians in a public market in Barangay Poblacion, Lt. Col. John Paul Baldomar, 6th Infantry Division spokesman told reporters.

Baldomar said he cannot "ascertain" the exact number of BIFF rebels in the area, but some witnesses saw "more or less" 80 of them. Uy, meanwhile, said authorities spotted less than 20 rebels who were searching for food after clashing with troops in previous days.

Civilians fled the market "out of fear" and reported the rebels' presence to troops nearby, Baldomar said. Government forces immediately responded and evacuated those affected, he added. Troops cordoned off the portion of the Poblacion market and closed a part of the national highway in Datu Paglas for safety reasons. Some people were left stranded while the highway was being closed. As the rebel forces were "withdrawing" from the Maguindanao town, they fired shots at the national highway, prompting troops to fire back.

"Habang nandun pa sa area, may mga civilian kasi tayo na naipit nung sinarado yung highway, may mga civilian tayo na nandun sa part ng highway, ito ay pinaputukan ng mga armadong grupo kaya tayo ay nagretaliate...para maprotektahan yung mga civilian na ito at evacuate natin sila," Baldomar said.

[Translation: Shots were fired at the highway where stranded civilians were, so we retaliated to protect and evacuate the civilians.]

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano, however, gave a different version of the story. He said the BIFF members came from General Salipada K. Pendatun town and went to the Datu Paglas town market to rest after running around for two days. They reportedly negotiated with the local government to stay in the area, but a clash erupted when officials consulted with the police and military.

"Nagpasamantala sila na tumigil dito para magpahinga at nakipagnegotiate sila sa LGU na payagan," Ano told CNN Philippines' Newsroom Weekend. "Ang ating LGU naman ay nakipag-ugnayan sa pulis at sa militar, then nagkaroon ng engkwentro."

[Translation: They went to the market to rest and they negotiated with the LGU to let them stay. The LGU then coordinated with the police and the military but this led to an encounter.]

The secretary said there were only a few of BIFF gunmen during the fight, dismissing reports there were about a hundred involved. He added that no one was hurt and no property was damaged. Evacuees are also returning to their homes while pursuit operations against the militants continue.

CNN Philippines Correspondent David Santos contributed to this report
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 03:59:25|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- More than 1.1 million people are severely food insecure in Madagascar's Grand Sud, where drought crisis is rapidly deteriorating, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

"In Amboasary Atsimo district, about 75 percent of the population is facing severe hunger, with nearly 14,000 people catastrophically food insecure and in famine-like condition," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. It's the worst drought in 40 years,

In the first quarter of this year, children treated for life-threatening severe acute malnutrition is four times the five-year average.

The United Nations and its humanitarian partners are scaling up the response, but the humanitarian office said more resources are urgently needed to save lives.

The Flash Appeal for Madagascar seeks 76 million U.S. dollars to support 1.1 million people, or two in every five people. Launched in January, it is only 22 percent funded.

The world organization urgently calls on the international community for additional funding. Enditem
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 8) The country on Saturday received the third batch of coronavirus vaccine developed by British-Swedish company AstraZeneca from the global COVAX facility.

A total of 2,030,400 AstraZeneca doses landed in Manila Saturday afternoon. This is in addition to the 525,600 doses delivered in March by COVAX a global initiative led by the World Health Organization, vaccine alliance Gavi, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations that seeks member countries' equitable access to vaccines.

The shipment  the largest tranche the Philippines received from COVAX thus far  was welcomed by officials of the country's pandemic task force, the WHO, and UNICEF.

Who is it for?

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the newly-arrived AstraZeneca doses will be allocated for individuals under the A1-A3 priority groups.

"We would like to emphasize that these vaccines will be given to those people who have the burden of disease and death particularly our healthcare workers, senior citizens, and those people with immune-compromised comorbidities," Galvez told a press briefing following the arrival ceremony.

Galvez added the vaccines will be distributed nationwide, and will likewise prioritize areas with higher active COVID-19 cases.

The deployment of the vaccines will also begin "immediately," Galvez added.

"Once these are accounted for, [they] will be deployed immediately. Starting tomorrow, deployment will start," he said.

Galvez and fellow task force officials expressed gratitude for the new COVAX donation, adding that the delivery will help ease the worries of AstraZeneca vaccine recipients looking for their second dose.

Guidelines on AstraZeneca use

Local experts recommend giving two doses of AstraZeneca to people aged 18 and older, four to 12 weeks apart. In early April, the country hit the pause button on the rollout of AstraZeneca vaccines for those below 60, after European drug regulators found a possible link between this shot and "very rare" cases of blood clots with low platelet count.

The Department of Health has lifted the suspension after conducting a review, saying the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine still outweigh the risks. Additional guidelines will be implemented as a precaution.

The government is expecting this month the arrival of seven million COVID-19 vaccines in all.

The country aims to vaccinate up to 70 million Filipinos this year to achieve herd immunity. Over two million doses have been administered since the country began rolling out its COVID-19 vaccination program in March.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has signed decree No. 187/2021 on the issues of the Center for Countering Disinformation, by which he approved the regulation on the center, the press service of the head of state said.

According to the document, the maximum number of employees of the center is 52 people. The Cabinet of Ministers must, within two weeks, determine the terms of remuneration for the employees of the center.

In accordance with the regulations, the center is subordinate to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC). The general direction and coordination of its activities is carried out by the NSDC Secretary.

The center is headed by a leader who is appointed and dismissed by the president of Ukraine on the proposal of the NSDC Secretary.

The Center for Countering Disinformation provides counteraction to both existing and forecasted threats to national security and national interests in the information sphere, identifying and countering disinformation, propaganda, destructive informational influences and campaigns, as well as preventing attempts to manipulate public opinion.
'We are very happy to bring prosperity to the people. We hope to maintain connection with the land and people here," said Israeli Ambassador to Vietnam Nadav Eshcar during his recent business trip to the central province of Quang Tri.

After meeting with officials of Quang Tri province, the Israeli Ambassador visited and learned about the life of the Van Kieu ethnic people in Huong Linh commune in Huong Hoa district. He then paid a visit to two local schools.

After the historic flood in late 2020, the Embassy of Israel sponsored the construction and renovation of a kindergarten in Huong Linh commune and a primary school in Huong Tan commune.

Under this project, the classrooms of Huong Linh communes kindergarten were repaired and renovated, while a primary school in Huong Tan commune received newly built toilets.

Ambassador Nadav Eshcar told VietNamNet that the Israeli Embassy is looking for ways to give the most support to the areas and people severely hit by floods in Quang Tri province.

He said: Quang Tri is a very special province, which suffers from heavy consequences of war and severe climate. So we chose Quang Tri, especially its mountainous areas, to help."

The ambassador of Israel said that Israel wants to boost investment to have a better connection with Quang Tri province, especially in the three fields of agriculture, clean energy and education.

We are very happy to bring prosperity to people, not only in education, but also in other fields. Clean energy, perhaps, is a very interesting area as well. We hope to stay connected with the land and the people here. And the future is very good for them, he said.

Ambassador Nadav Eshcar presents gifts to kids at the kindergarten of Huong Linh Commune.

The Israeli Embassy sponsored the construction and repair of a kindergarten in Huong Linh Commune in Quang Tri Province.

The Israeli Ambassador and students of Xa Re primary school. The primary school in Huong Tan commune receives newly built toilet funded by the Embassy of Israel

Dieu Thuy - Duc Yen

Vietnam, Israel begin negotiation over labour cooperation Vietnam and Israel kicked off negotiation over a labour cooperation agreement with an online meeting on January 21.
PHOENIX (AP)  A Phoenix police officer shot and wounded a man who had raised a gun toward the officer after earlier shooting at different officer, the Police Department said Saturday.

The 34-year-old suspect was hospitalized in critical condition after the Friday night shooting, a police statement said.
A west Alabama couple has been indicted on a combined 39 criminal charges in the alleged sexual and physical abuse of their two young children.

The indictments against Kersey Hinton, 40, and Matthew Hinton, 33, both of Moundville, were issued in April and made public Friday. The husband and wife were initially arrested in July 2020.

Charging documents allege one of the children, a boy under of the age of 6, had food withheld from him, was not allowed to use the bathroom when needed and was forced to stand in one place for lengthy periods of time.

Kersey Hinton, according to records, is accused of trying to have sex with one of the young male victims as well as watching pornography with him in bed and sexually assaulting him.

The indictments indicate the suspects committed the crimes against both Kersey Hintons biological child and Matthew Hintons biological child. Each was a stepparent to the other child. The case was investigated by the Hale County Sheriffs Office, the Alabama Department of Human Resources and the Fourth Judicial Task Force.

Kersey Hinton is charged with 26 crimes: nine counts of first or second-degree rape, three counts of sodomy, four counts of sexual abuse of child, five counts of child abuse and five counts of aggravated child abuse.

Matthew Hinton is charged with 13 crimes: six counts of sodomy, three counts of sex abuse of a child, two counts of child abuse and two counts of aggravated child abuse. The sexual crimes against the children include sexual intercourse and deviate sexual intercourse.

Hale County District Attorney Michael Jackson said the children are in the custody of DHR. Jackson on Friday said Matthew Hinton tried to run out of the Hale County courthouse before authorities could serve him with the warrants, but said he was captured by deputies before he could make his escape.

They will be arraigned in Hale County Circuit Court in the upcoming months.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 01:01:14|Editor: huaxia

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South Sudanese health workers read Chinese language notes during the opening of lessons at Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on May 7, 2021. Several South Sudanese health workers on Friday started enrolling for Chinese language lessons being taught in Juba by members of the eighth batch of Chinese medical team. (Photo by Denis Elamu/Xinhua)

JUBA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Several South Sudanese health workers on Friday started enrolling for Chinese language lessons being taught in Juba by members of the eighth batch of Chinese medical team.

Moses Maror, 42-year-old medic in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Juba Teaching Hospital, said he is interested in learning Chinese language so as to better understand Chinese medical procedure and medicine.

"I am interested in learning Mandarin Chinese to communicate well with my Chinese counterparts in the department of obstetrics and gynecology," said Maror.

Pawil Arop Yor, Acting Director General of Juba Teaching Hospital, thanked the Chinese government for supporting the training of medical doctors in Mandarin Chinese, in addition to providing medicines and other medical assortments to the main referral hospital.

"They are doing a lot of things here. I would like to thank the Chinese government for helping us with medicines and now they are going to teach us Chinese language," said Yor in Juba on Friday during the launch of the training.

The Chinese government has been supporting South Sudan in improving health services in Juba Teaching Hospital.

In March, the Chinese government signed a development pact with South Sudan for the expansion and modernization of the Juba Teaching Hospital to enhance medical services. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 15:54:26|Editor: huaxia

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HAIKOU, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The first China International Consumer Products Expo kicked off Thursday in Haikou, becoming the first international expo held in Hainan since China unveiled a master plan to build the southern island province into a free trade port.

President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the expo. He said China is ready to give play to the advantages brought by the Hainan free trade port in comprehensively deepening reforms and putting up the highest-level opening-up policies on a trial basis.

Xi attaches great importance to the construction of the Hainan free trade port. The following are some highlights of his remarks:

-- The building of a pilot free trade zone across Hainan Island, and providing support for Hainan to explore and phase in free trade port policies and the necessary institutional framework is a major policy made by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee after in-depth research, full consideration, and rational planning, while taking into account the needs of both domestic and international economic growth.

It is also an important measure to demonstrate China's commitment to opening wider to the world and promoting economic globalization.

-- A free trade port represents the highest level of opening-up. The Hainan free trade port should display distinctive Chinese characteristics, conform to conditions in China, and be in accord with Hainan's economic orientation.

It should learn from its international peers and draw on their advanced operation models and managerial experience.

-- China will invite investors worldwide to invest in Hainan, participate in building the free trade port, and share the country's development opportunities and reform outcomes.

-- While building the free trade port, China should stick to the leadership of the CPC and to the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, promote the smooth flow of production factors and build Hainan into a high-quality free trade port with high standards.

-- China will take an active part in multilateral cooperation on trade and investment, fully implement the Foreign Investment Law and its supporting rules and regulations, cut further the negative list on foreign investment, continue to develop the Hainan free trade port, and develop new systems for a higher-standard open economy.

-- Hainan should act boldly and proactively to accomplish the goal of laying a solid foundation for the construction of the free trade port, while central authorities should support Hainan's daring reforms and innovation, pushing for new achievements in the construction of the port. Enditem
Rita is finally free of Gilead in The Handmaids Tale Season 4, but does she miss her life there? There are moments in the shows newest season that show Rita is struggling to acclimate to life in Canada. In a recent interview, actor Amanda Brugel explains why Rita is experiencing some homesick feelings, even though she has no love for the country that kept her as property.

[The Handmaids Tale Season 4 spoilers ahead.]

Amanda Brugel as Rita in The Handmaids Tale Season 4 Episode 2, Nightshade | Sophie Giraud/Hulu

Who plays Rita in The Handmaids Tale?

Rita Blue is a former Martha who was assigned to Serena Joy and Fred Waterfords home. Although they didnt bond for a while, Rita was integral in helping June get Nichole out of Gilead in season 2. Fans thought she could be a spy for the United States, but that theory was debunked. Rita, just like most of the women in Gilead, was forced into her position.

The character is played by Brugal, who has a long list of credits on her resume. She plays Pastor Nina Gomez in Kims Convenience, Eugenia in Snowpiercer, Faith Hanlon in Dare Me, Sonia in Workin Moms, Marci Coates in Orphan Black, and more.

Her portrayal of Rita is quietly strong, and Brugel told Elle people mistakenly underestimate her all the time because of this. She said:

Shes sort of done that to herself. The character is so quiet and stoic because shes purposely made choices to not be noticed, to be smaller, to be muted so she doesnt get in trouble and isnt on anyones radar. I find those people are usually the strongest and usually the survivors because theyre the most cunning.

RELATED: The Handmaids Tale Season 4: Does Aunt Lydia Love the Handmaids?

Rita misses the strange home dynamic of Gilead

In season 4, Rita has been granted asylum in Canada after escaping in Junes Mayday plan. The Angels Flight mission successfully got 86 children out of Gilead. Now, after years under Gileads oppressive thumb, Rita is free and able to make her own choices. Fans might be confused by some of them, because they make it seem like she misses the place that oppressed her. But as this show has argued through all four seasons, trauma is complicated.

As Brugel said:

I think Rita is grateful to be free and in Canada. But I truly believed, or at least I played it like that this season, that she missed Gilead. She misses the routine and the structure and the strange home dynamic that was in the Waterford house. Suddenly shes in Canada and has no family. Shes by herself and has no purpose every day.

To give herself a sense of that routine, Rita bakes bread from scratch in her apartment, a task she had to complete frequently in the Waterford home. She also has a shockingly positive meeting with Serena Joy in her prison cell. But dont mistake her joy over Serenas baby news as friendship.

RELATED: The Handmaids Tale Season 4: Moira and Emily Had Longer, More Complicated Stories That Were Scrapped

Amanda Brugel thinks Rita should raise Serena Joys baby

Serena unsurprisingly asks Rita to work for her again by helping her raise her son. Of course, Serena sees it as friendship, because why would someone who willingly owned people harbor an ounce of self-awareness? Rita shuts down a bit in response. As Brugel told the outlet:

I think she was reminded of her old life, something she was used to, and she fell back into that dynamic. When Serena starts talking about [how] her and Rita had been friends, I think Rita quickly realizes Serena is weaving her web again. For the first time ever, she had the freedom to say, No, thank you. She was drawn in and wanted to see something familiar, but by the end was like, Oh no, youre up to your old tricks, Im out.

After seeing Serena Joy, Rita turned on her (as she should!) and told Fred the baby news. Fred had the audacity to call Rita in a friend in their meeting, to which she responds, We arent friends. Brugel said she wishes Rita could have told Fred off more in that moment, but that would be uncharacteristic of her. She said:

I was shocked that she would do this, or that the writers gave me this gold to release upon Fred. But I really wanted to make sure it was handled in a Rita-like fashion. I think a lot of audience members want her to pop off or start screaming, and thats just not who she is. She asserts herself with strength and gravitas but also grace. In the end, she still betrays Serena and lets Fred know hes having a baby, but she does it with grace.

Brugel also shared her hopes for season 5. In her ideal world, Serena Joys baby will be taken from her, just like Gilead took the children of so many. And she wants the baby to be put in Ritas care.

That would give Rita purpose, she said. It would give her a child back that was taken from her. Also, I would totally take the baby to go and visit its mom in jail.
He's one of Hollywood's biggest stars who has made Australia home in recent months, as he films the new Thor installment.

And on Friday, American actor Matt Damon stopped by a charity luncheon in Brisbane.

The 50-year-old and his wife Luciana Barroso, 45, were the guests of honour at an event held at the Calile Hotel in Fortitude Valley, which raised funds for Queensland domestic violence charity, Safe Haven.

A good cause: On Friday, Matt Damon stopped by a charity luncheon in Brisbane. The 50-year-old and his wife Luciana Barroso, 45, were the guests of honour at an event held at the Calile Hotel in Fortitude Valley which raised funds for Queensland domestic violence charity Safe Haven. Pictured, Matt Damon with a fan at the event

According to The Courier Mail, the A-List couple attended the lunch to learn more on the issues surrounding coercive control.

'He took the time to call in and have the lunch, and he was fantastic,' executive director of the organisation, Jaeneen Cunningham, revealed.

'I spoke to his wife and she said it was a fantastic thing that we were doing and they were more educated after the event.'

Getting educated: 'He took the time to call in and have the lunch, and he was fantastic,' executive director of the organisation, Jaeneen Cunningham, revealed. Pictured, Matt and Jaeneen Cunningham (left)

The event managed to pull in a total of $169,000 for the organisation, which will be used to provide early intervention and housing for women and children.

Safe Haven is an organisation which helps support the victims of coercive control - a social problem which has been highlighted following the deaths of women like Hannah Clarke and Kelly Wilkinson.

His appearance comes days after the actor took a road trip to the village of Jugiong, located in the Hilltops region of NSW.

About three hours drive from Sydney, the riverside town boasts just 222 residents - one of which was lucky enough to get a selfie with the star.

Thrills: Matt made the most of the autumn weather and took a road trip to the village of Jugiong, located in the Hilltops region of NSW, posing with a local for a selfie

The Martian star has been in Australia since the start of the year, as he shoots his role in Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder, which was recently being filmed in Sydney.

He is reprising his comedic cameo from the 2017 Thor installment, Thor: Ragnarok.

Matt and his family have been living in the idyllic town Bryon Bay, which has become a favourite for Hollywood celebrities visiting Down Under, at a $7,000-a-night mansion.

The Martian actor had been travelling between Bryon Bay and Sydney by private jet to film scenes for the Marvel film.

Party time! Over the weekend, Matt attended a party at Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky's Byron Bay mansion. Matt is pictured far right with Chris

Matt recently spent some time in Sydney, staying at the Crown Tower which boasts spectacular views of the Harbour City and can cost $4,000 per night.

Over the weekend, Matt attended a party at Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky's Byron Bay mansion.

The Thor actor, 37, and his wife, 44, threw a 'white party' with all their pals on Saturday.

If you or anyone you know needs help, contact White Ribbon Australia.
A teacher who sparked fury by showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed to pupils during a lesson about blasphemy is living in a safe house with his wife and children because of fears they will be attacked.

More than six weeks after fleeing his home following angry demonstrations outside Batley Grammar School in West Yorkshire, the teacher and his family are still being given police protection. The threat to their safety is judged so severe that even their relatives have not been told where they are living.

The windows of the familys council flat, where they had lived for more than eight years, were this weekend covered with white sheets. Neighbours understand they have moved out permanently, with one friend claiming their children have been unable to attend school.

More than six weeks after fleeing his home following angry demonstrations outside Batley Grammar School in West Yorkshire, the teacher and his family are still being given police protection

Local Muslim leaders and many of those who have children at the school, including some of those who initially joined the protests outside its gates, now believe matters have spiralled out of control and that the teacher should be reinstated

Supporters of the teacher are frustrated by the slow pace of an independent investigation into the incident ordered by the Batley Multi-Academy Trust, which runs the school, and headed by a barrister. It is understood that the conduct of two more teachers at the school is being examined as part of the inquiry, though neither has been suspended. Sources say the probe is unlikely to conclude before the end of the month  leaving the teacher and his family in fear of Islamic extremists and their lives in ruins.

Local Muslim leaders and many of those who have children at the school, including some of those who initially joined the protests outside its gates, now believe matters have spiralled out of control and that the teacher should be reinstated.

But Imam Adil Shahzad, who travelled to Batley from Bradford to join the protests, wants the teacher dismissed. A precedent has to be set. Suspending the teacher was in the right direction and we wont accept anything less than a sacking.

The Mail on Sunday has obtained the first eyewitness account of what happened during the RE lesson at the school on March 22  an episode that has served to highlight the challenge of balancing religious tolerance with freedom of speech.

Speaking through his father, a 14-year-old Muslim pupil said that cartoons depicting the Prophet were shown on an overhead projector along with other images of the former US President Donald Trump, Pope Francis and Boris Johnson.

The Prophet cartoons were first published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in September 2005 and again in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, later the target of a gun rampage that left 12 members of staff dead. The schoolboy said pupils were unaware of who was shown in the cartoons until the teacher spelled out it was the Prophet and asked for their reaction. No one said anything. I was just gobsmacked. But no one raised their hand to say anything, the pupil said.

In a statement, Batley Multi-Academy Trust said: The investigator will make recommendations so, where necessary, appropriate lessons can be learned

The teenager said the teacher, a declared atheist, was popular with students and had never previously shown any disrespect towards Islam. He never said anything bad, but he likes to challenge pupils minds. Thats the way he teaches.

When the lesson ended and the students began to file out, the teacher asked: So who is going to tell their parents tonight? The 14-year-old was one of those who did, initiating first an exchange of messages on a WhatsApp group for parents and then complaints to the school. One of the parents has claimed to have spoken to the teacher on the phone, writing on social media: I got a call from Mr *****. I asked him to confirm what [my son] told me and he agreed. He [claimed] he has freedom of expression under his British values and could use that image. He stated he got consent from the children beforehand.

By the following day, scores of Muslim protesters were at the school gates demanding the teacher be sacked. Among them was local imam Mohammed Amin Pandor, who has opposed gay marriage and even shared a fatwa against the Covid-19 vaccine. He said: Ideally this teachers teaching days are over.

On March 24, the teacher was suspended and the school accompanied its unreserved apology with the announcement of an independent panel to investigate. More than 130 Islamic clerics  including Imam Shahzad  wrote an open letter to Boris Johnson, accusing the teacher of white supremacist ideology. In a reply, Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: It is never acceptable to threaten or intimidate teachers. We encourage dialogue between parents and schools when any issues emerge. Schools are free to include a full range of issues in their curriculum.

Friends of the teacher were initially able to call but police advised the couple to change their numbers. Recalling a conversation with the teachers wife soon after the row erupted, a Muslim neighbour said: She just said she was upset and their lives had been turned upside down. They could not reveal their location. They were the nicest family. They used to give us Eid cards. Its awful what has happened. He was not Islamophobic at all.

Support for the teacher  whom we are not naming but who has been described as a burly rugby-loving Yorkshire lad  is growing among parents. The teacher should have known better but if its a mistake, he should be allowed back, said Mohammed Akram, 56. We should forgive him and move on.

In a statement, Batley Multi-Academy Trust said: The investigator will make recommendations so, where necessary, appropriate lessons can be learned.
Kim Kardashian was sure to set pulses racing as she showcased her killer curves while posing up a storm at the beach on Saturday.

The newly-single star, 40, looked sensational in a tiny black bikini which boasted a scooping top and thong bottoms to further highlighter her phenomenal figure.

However, Kim's sizzling display also caught the attention of some eagle-eyed fans who were left questioning whether she had Photoshopped her toes again.

Sizzling: Kim Kardashian was sure to set pulses racing as she showcased her killer curves in a black bikini while at the beach on Saturday

Kim exuded confidence as she perched on a rock and rested a toned arm by her head while one leg was bent, with her toes on full display.

The beauty accentuated her taut midriff through a stylish tie-detail on her bikini and accessorised only with a pair of sunglasses.

She wore her long locks down, letting them cascade over her shoulders and flow out behind her as she posed up a storm for the sizzling snap.

Turning their attention to Kim's already infamous feet, some fans claimed that she might have done some editing as it appeared as if she only had four toes.

What's going on here? Kim's sizzling display also caught the attention of some fans who were left asking if she had Photoshopped her toes again as she appeared to only have four

Several people questioned that she might have 'cropped a toe off' while others simply commented '4 toes?'.

However others dismissed this theory and said that Kim's fifth toe was actually just being covered by another, creating the illusion that she was a digit short.

One fan penned, 'her 2nd to last toe is behind the small one', while another agreed and dismissed the idea writing: 'You need glasses one toe is on top of the other'.

Kim's toes have come under scrutiny before in 2019, with the star having to even clear up speculation and share a video of her feet in 2020.

'Photoshop queen': Several people commented that it looked as if Kim had 'cropped a toe off'

Back in 2019 after posting a photo promoting her fragrance with younger sister Kylie, fans couldn't help but notice what looked like a sixth toe peeking out of Kim's perspex heels.

In the photo, the mother-of-four and her make-up mogul sister wear matching one legged bodysuits, but it was Kim's left foot that caught fans' attention, as it looked as though she had an extra digit poking out of her clear stilettos.

Despite fans chalking the mistake down to an editing fail, several followers became convinced the star did indeed have a sixth toe, prompting her to share a video of her feet in September 2020 to clear the air once.

Not having it: Other fans dismissed this theory and said that Kim's fifth toe was actually just being covered by another, creating the illusion that she was a digit short

Thirsty Thursday! It comes after Kim showed off her svelte figure in the middle of a workout at home, as she kept her social media accounts red hot as she continues her divorce proceedings

Kim, who announced the end of her marriage to Kanye West in February, has shared a series of sexy snaps over recent days, including one of herself in a slinky bodysuit.

She left little to the imagination as she shared a stunning photo, showcasing her svelte figure in the middle of a workout at home while wearing a revealing monokini.

For her Instagram snap, Kim departed from her usual looks by trading out her lustrous raven locks for long platinum blonde hair all the way down her back.

The skimpy black suit showcased her bust and put her toned tummy on full display thanks to a significant cut-out.

She appeared to be working out her arms on a piece of gym equipment while pulling down on weights.

Ended: In February, Kim announced the end of her marriage to Kanye West and the couple are currently in the throes of legalities to settle custody of their kids - North, seven, Saint, five, Chicago, three, and Psalm, who turns two in May

However, the photo appeared to be part of a shoot and not a real workout photo, as her elegantly made-up face likely wouldn't have stood up to her working up a sweat.

Kim let her gorgeous photo speak for itself and simply captioned it with a puzzle piece emoji.

It's unclear if the photo was new or a throwback from an earlier photoshoot, but Kim last went blond for an extended period in 2017.

The star and Kanye are currently in the throes of legalities to settle custody of their kids - North, seven, Saint, five, Chicago, three, and Psalm, who turns two in May.

Kim filed for divorce from Kanye in February, after almost seven years of marriage.

Kanye filed his response for divorce in early April, per People; he asked for joint legal and physical custody of their four kids.

Looking fab: Kim has shared several stunning bikini snaps to social media over recent weeks

Doting mama: When not posing up a storm in her slinky swimwear, Kim has been spending lots of quality time with her four children (pictured with daughter North)

Their divorce proceedings are going 'smoothly,' People's source revealed.

'Kim and Kanye are getting along. They have both stayed true to their commitment to make the best situation for the kids.'

Adding: 'Kim is very happy that they have managed to keep things calm. She thinks Kanye is a good dad. She wants him to be able to spend as much time with the kids as he wants.'

The insider added that Kim 'seems happier' 'for every week that goes by since she filed for divorce.'

While not setting her followers pulses racing with her sizzling Instagram snaps, Kim has been spending lots of time with her family, and sharing glimpses into their time at her mom Kris Jenner's Palm Springs mansion.

On Friday the mother-of-four shared a series of snaps with her eldest son, Saint, five, as they enjoyed a sweet cuddle.

So cute: On Friday, the mother-of-four shared a series of snaps with her eldest son, Saint, five
UW Trustees Budget Committee Hearings Monday, Tuesday

Units of the University of Wyoming will present their proposed 2021-22 budgets to the Budget Committee of the UW Board of Trustees Monday and Tuesday, May 10-11.

The budget hearings will take place at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center and livestreamed at https://wyolinks.uwyo.edu/budget/.

Deputy Vice President for Finance David Jewell will present the universitys overall budget proposal at 8 a.m. Monday, followed by individual academic colleges, schools, divisions and offices.

The hearings are scheduled to last until at least 5:30 p.m. each day, with 30-minute lunch breaks.

The full schedule of hearings may be found here.

The budget hearings are in preparation for action by the full Board of Trustees on the universitys budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
An 80-year-old grandmother is in hospital with severe bruising all over her body which her family fear is linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Maureen DeBoick was taken to the Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth two weeks ago by worried family members having recently received her first dose of the jab.

Her daughter Trudy Love said she first noticed a large spot on her tongue, which grew overnight and affected other parts of her body.

'It progressed very quickly to the inside of her gums bleeding and everywhere she touched on her body came out in a huge dark bruise straight away. If she rubbed it, it bled,' Ms Love said.

Maureen DeBoick was taken to the Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth around two weeks ago by worried family members having recently received her first dose of the jab (pictured is her swelling and bruising)

Ms Love took photos of her mother's severe swelling and bruising, noting it got worse in the days after and her platelet count dropped to zero.

The octogenarian had two blood transfusions which brought her count back up to two, but still well short of the 100 in a healthy person.

Ms DeBoick had a bone marrow biopsy that found her body was making enough white platelets but her body was attacking them and destroying them.

She will likely have to have her spleen removed and is expected to be in hospital for days to come but her family say doctors are hopeful she will make a full recovery.

Her daughter claimed another woman was admitted to Royal Perth Hospital with the same symptoms, but unlike Ms DeBoick was responding to steroids.

Ms Love claimed doctors said her mother's condition was most likely related to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

'Please don't let your parents have this shot. There is not enough known about it and there is no way that I'm having it,' she said.

'My mind was made up right from the start. This nearly killed my mum and I'm so thankful that she's in the best place possible to hopefully recover.'

Ms DeBoick's second dose of the jab was put on hold and the Western Australian Health Department is investigating her case.

Ms DeBoick will likely have to have her spleen removed and is expected to be in hospital for days to come but her family say doctors are hopeful she will make a full recovery

There's been five new cases of blood clotting in patients this week believed to be linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

A Queensland man is being treated in intensive care for blood clots and thrombosis which are believed to be directly linked to the jab.

The state's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young says the 66-year-old developed abdominal pains after receiving his first dose in Townsville on March 30.

He was later taken to hospital to be treated for deep vein thrombosis and remains in intensive care.

Dr Young said the TGA has confirmed to her they believe his illness 'is a direct result of the AstraZeneca vaccine'.

There's been five new cases of blood clotting in patients this week believed to be linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine

Meanwhile a Tasmanian man is in hospital with blood clots after getting the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The 70-year-old reported symptoms seven days after getting the jab.

Australia's medical regulator has found his case was likely linked to the vaccine.

Tasmania's Department of Health has put together an expert advisory panel to review the local case.

In addition to the Tasmanian and Queensland men, a 74-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman in Victoria and a 64-year-old woman from Western Australia also suffered blood clots from the vaccine.
In a major move, Saudi Arabia has granted permission to companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) to buy real estate in Makkah and Madinah.

This comes following the approval from Council of Ministers amending Article 5 of the Law of Real Estate Ownership and Investment by non-Saudis under which listed Saudi companies are exempted from the prohibition of non-Saudis owning real estate within the borders of Makkah and Madinah, reported Saudi Gazette.

As per this law, a non-Saudi investor with a natural or corporate personality is licensed to practice any professional, vocational, or economic activity may acquire the real estate necessary for practising the activity in Makkah and Madinah.

It is also stipulated that such real estate be invested within five years from its acquirement, stated the report.

The amendment, approved by the cabinet, included listed companies in the purview of those permissible to own and invest in properties in Makkah.

The cabinet had earlier approved the law and a royal decree was issued in this regard in 2019.

The new amendment made in the law read as follows: Companies Listed in the Saudi Stock Exchange, according to controls set by the Capital Market Authority in coordination with the relevant authorities.

The amendment was made following a recommendation by the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and the General Committee for the Council of Ministers and a decision of the Shoura Council, the report added.
A Cork family whose housebound mother was told she is too young for at-home vaccination had to appeal for political help to get the jab done.

Louise O'Learys mother is 69 years old and has Alzheimers disease as well as a number of physical ailments.

She has been unable to leave her home for two years, finding even walking down the steps difficult at this stage.

The family GP told the family it was not possible to arrange an at-home vaccination as she was not over 70, and encouraged them to take their mother to the GP-led clinic at the Munster Technological University campus.

You are made to feel you are saying no to a vaccine if you say no to the centre," Ms O'Leary said. "We want her to be vaccinated, youre made to feel you are making a fuss.

The HSE has been offering at-home vaccinations for housebound people over the age of 70 through the National Ambulance Service; about 3,000 people have registered, with well over half of those now vaccinated.

However, as the vaccination programme begins targeting younger people, the at-home system has not yet been adjusted to cater for housebound people under the age of 70.

Ms O'Leary contacted local politicians including Sinn Fein TD, Thomas Gould, and Fine Gael TD, Colm Burke, in a bid to get her housebound mother vaccinated.

Following a meeting between the politicians and a branch of the HSE Cork/Kerry healthcare, the family were led to believe the system was being changed.

But this week the family's GP was still unable to book the at-home vaccination. So Ms OLeary contacted Mr Gould again.

The TD said his office made seven phone calls and sent 17 emails to HSE offices, and were finally told the service could be provided.

It shouldnt have taken a TD to do it," Mr Gould said. "They have put no provision in place for people under 70 who are housebound. It might not be a huge number but they are vulnerable.

Mr Gould said working by age was necessary at the start of the rollout but it is time to consider other factors now.

In its response to Mr Gould, the HSE wrote: You are completely correct this service is only in place for over 70s. I believe a new process is being considered to ensure anyone who is housebound will be vaccinated.

The Irish Examiner understands planning is ongoing at a national level for this.

Ms OLearys mother received her first vaccine shot at home on Thursday to everyones relief.

This is all we wanted, I feel about 10 stone lighter, she said.

Youre made to feel if you cant get to the vaccine centres then good luck to you. Theyre great, but not everyone can get to a centre.

As a carer, Ms OLeary feels her voice was not heard and said, without a union, families have to fight for change themselves.

It just seems they are being forgotten about. Its bizarre what you have to go through. They tell you dont contact the TDs but they got the job done, she said.

Dr Denis McCauley, chair of the GP Committee of the Irish Medical Organisation, said extending the access is needed.

It is a natural progression, Mr McCauley said.

Younger people discharged from hospital for example and too ill to visit a mass vaccination centre could now be protected, he said.
New Delhi:

The government will provide all help to the family of the Indian-American motel owner, who was shot dead in the US, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday.

Akash Talati, 40, was shot dead on Saturday during an exchange of gunfire between a man who had been escorted out of the club and a security guard, local police said.

Talati owned Knights Inn and Diamondz Gentlemens Club in Fayetteville city, North Carolina.

The Indian Embassy in the US has informed about the circumstances leading to the death of Talati, Swaraj said in a series of tweets.

Indian Embassy in US has informed me of the circumstances leading to the death of Akash Talati, a US citizen of Indian origin, Swaraj tweeted.

Indian Embassy in US has informed me of the circumstances leading to the death of Akash Talati, a US citizen of Indian origin. /1  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) November 12, 2017

ALSO READ | US: Indian-origin man kills wife, gets 20 years in prison

The deceased was shot by an assailant who was escorted out of his club. The security guard returned the fire and the assailant was also injured, she said in another tweet.

We are in touch with the family of the deceased and will provide them all help, she added.

(With PTI inputs)

ALSO READ: Indian origin man kills wife, two daughters, self

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday that a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine doses still exists in the national capital, adding that three crore vaccines will be needed to immunise 1.5 crore beneficiaries (above 18 years of age) in three months. He further noted that Delhi has received only 40 lakh doses so far.

Elaborating further on the COVID-19 vaccination drive in the national capital, Kejriwal exuded confidence that if the Delhi government receives 80-85 lakh doses per month, the inoculation process can be concluded within the set target of three months.





If Delhi government is given 80-85 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine per month, we can complete vaccination within three months: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/mAGzhZT6d4  ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2021

Explaining the math further, the Delhi CM stated, "To complete vaccination within 3 months, we need to vaccinate 3 lakh people every day. Currently, we are inoculating 1 lakh people a day. I request the central government to ensure adequate availability of vaccines to Delhi."

He further stated that the Delhi government currently has 5-6 days' stock of COVID-19 vaccines available and vaccination is taking place in full swing. Kejriwal added that his government is worried about children since there is no vaccine available for them yet.

We're especially worried about children because they can't be vaccinated now. I appeal to experts & the central govt to bring vaccines for children as soon as possible. We have 5-6 days of vaccine left in Delhi, vaccination is going on in full swing: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/IsGvGvIv53  ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2021

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has organised a mass vaccination drive for media (electronic, digital, and print) personnel at the media houses' offices. According to a study conducted by Rate the Debate, an initiative of Delhi's Institute of Perception Studies, more than 100 journalists succumbed to COVID-19 in India last year and 52 reporters succumbed to the infection in April 2021 alone.

As many as 37, 85,047 people have been inoculated in Delhi so far. Of these, 29, 45,498 people have been administered the first dose whereas 8,22,549 people received the second dose of the jab, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

Edited by Mehak Agarwal

Also read: India to receive 190-250 million subsidised COVID-19 vaccines: Gavi

Also read: 'No big outbreak' of Covid-triggered black fungus infection: NITI Aayog member V K Paul
Jessica Washington, a single mother of two, moved from Chicago to Las Vegas in 2006 after she lost her airline job and needed a fresh start. In some ways, she found it: She moved into a roomy apartment, got hired by the Transportation Security Administration, and bought a used BMW.

Then the police began stopping her.

The first time was for a broken taillight, which she said came with a warning from the officer: Youre going to get pulled over a lot driving this car. Washington took it to mean that as a Black woman driving a nice automobile, she would be seen as suspicious.

The stops continued, for minor violations, even after she switched cars. She soon fell behind paying the tickets and her insurance, which led to more tickets, and more fines and fees that she couldnt cover.

Then she learned how harsh her adopted state was for drivers in her predicament: Nevada is one of 13 states that consider traffic violations misdemeanor crimes, and when she didnt pay, courts issued warrants for her arrest that included additional fines on top of what she originally owed. When she found a better paying job as a casino security officer, a warrant turned up on the background check; she settled it by rushing to court to get on a payment plan, which included more fees.

Since moving to Nevada, Washington has received dozens of tickets totaling about $4,431, a debt that ballooned to more than $20,000 with additional fines and fees, according to data analyzed by a law clinic that recently began helping her. She has paid more than $11,000, and the clinics volunteer lawyers helped her get some of the fines and fees waived. But she still owes $1,886.

The system is money hungry, Washington, 37, said. And its hard to dig your way out of that hole.

Washington is among thousands of people in Nevada with warrants out for their arrest because they have not paid traffic tickets. And it doesnt affect everyone equally: A 2003 study found racial disparities in traffic stops, with Black and Hispanic drivers more likely than whites to be pulled over statewide and in Las Vegas.

Story continues

State lawmakers are currently debating a bill that would decriminalize those minor traffic offenses. Similar measures have come up four times since 2011, but have failed to pass after courts and local governments complained that the loss of revenue from fees collected on warrants would wreck their budgets. Theyve made the same argument this time around.

Advocates of the bill, part of a movement to scale back police enforcement of petty crimes, say the measure will save money by reducing the time and expense of putting people in jail. They see the bill as an important step toward reducing the governments reliance on fines and fees.

What they do with traffic in Nevada is an egregious example of the power of the state to sanction people for minor conduct, said Lisa Foster, the co-director of the Fines and Fees Justice Center, an advocacy group that supports the Nevada bill.

But the measure only goes so far. While it would eliminate the threat of arrest and reduce some court debt, it wouldnt change the front end of a ticketing system that throws people into debt in the first place.

Conversations about this issue and similar ones are underway across the country. Reformers are calling for changes to the way police enforce traffic violations and other low-level crimes, saying they feed a cycle of punishment and debt that disproportionately affects poor people, especially Black and Latino residents in highly policed neighborhoods  an inequity documented in a 2015 Department of Justice report on Ferguson, Missouri.

In many states, people who dont pay traffic tickets have their licenses suspended, which is not as severe as an arrest warrant but another way that financial penalties disproportionately affect low-income Americans and increase the chances that they will be confronted on the street by police, advocates say. Among the many examples, they say, is the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, last month after he was pulled over for an expired registration.

Some states and cities have moved to curb officers ability to make traffic stops. But in many parts of the country, these efforts face opposition. Law enforcement authorities often see the policing of minor infractions as a way to prevent more serious crime, and local governments often rely on the revenue to run their courts. That is what has kept Nevada reform advocates goals modest.

Its pretty minor what we are trying to do, and still its an uphill battle, said Nick Shepack, the policy and program associate at the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada. Police officers are still going to be able to pull someone over for a very minor traffic violation, including some we all make every time we drive.

How driving becomes a crime

Even before her traffic tickets began to pile up, Washington lived paycheck to paycheck.

Washington, who has an 18-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son who is autistic, found a job in 2006 as a TSA screening officer. She brought home about $1,600 a month, more than half of which went to rent, she said. Her car payments ate up another $300 a month. Therapy for her son cost about $50 an hour, and wasnt covered by her health insurance. After food and gas, there wasnt much left over, and Washington was forced to let some of her bills go unpaid. That included car insurance and other driving-related fees.

Jessica Washington outside her Las Vegas home. (Joe Buglewicz / for NBC News)

Born and raised on the West Side of Chicago, Washington said shed never been pulled over, let alone received a ticket, before moving to Nevada. When she was stopped around Las Vegas  sometimes for speeding, sometimes for careless driving  she also got cited for secondary offenses like driving without proof of insurance, expired tags, no registration or an expired license.

When she failed to pay the tickets on time, she heard from collection agencies. She went on payment plans. None of it brought her much closer to closing out her growing debt. She tried switching to public transportation, but shuttling among work, babysitters, therapists and schools was virtually impossible.

So she kept driving. And she kept getting tickets.

Washington acknowledged that some of the stops were legitimate, but others she said she believed were the result of officers targeting her because of her race. If she was wearing her TSA or casino security uniform, their tone usually changed, she said, and they let her off with a warning.

The traffic cases were spread across several Las Vegas-area jurisdictions, making it difficult to keep track of everything shed been accused of, how much she owed and where she could go to resolve them. She took out payday loans to pay some of the tickets, fell behind on the installments, and ended up having her paychecks garnished for two years.

Listening to my story, people may say, Jess, just keep your stuff in order. But people dont realize its hard if youre a single mother trying to pay the fines and fees and take care of your kids and pay your rent and you need to drive to get to work, Washington said. Its a domino effect, and you could wind up homeless.

Fines and fees for traffic violations have increased dramatically in Nevada as a way to offset government budget shortfalls over the years, according to a study by the University of Nevada-Las Vegas for the Fines and Fees Justice Center. One fee, first imposed by the state in 1980 to offset losses in federal funding for courts, began as a $10 administrative assessment on all misdemeanors. It has grown to $120, and is one of many fees that help fund courts and other parts of the criminal justice system.

The longer a bill goes unpaid, the more fines and fees are added to it. For example, a $300 ticket given to Washington in 2014 for driving with a suspended registration grew to $1,280.

Bench warrants  arrest orders typically issued by a judge when someone fails to show up for court  play a significant role in the spiraling of traffic debt in Nevada, increasing a persons court debt by hundreds of dollars. In addition to Nevada, Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming also all treat traffic citations as misdemeanor crimes, according to the Fines and Fees Justice Center.

In other states, traffic violations are treated as civil infractions. Nearly two dozen states decriminalized these violations during a movement in the 1970s and 1980s to cut the cost and time of processing traffic tickets in criminal courts, according to Jordan Blair Woods, a University of Arkansas criminologist.

The University of Nevada researchers looked at Las Vegas Municipal Court and found that 83 percent of 102,000 bench warrants issued from 2012 to 2020 were for unpaid traffic fines. Most of those warrants were for administrative infractions like failure to pay, driving without a license or having no insurance. The majority of warrants were issued to people who lived in the Las Vegas regions poorest areas. Black people make up 13 percent of Clark Countys population, but 44 percent of the open warrants.

Ultimately, the Nevada system of fines and fees criminalizes poverty and reinforces racial disparities, the researchers concluded.

As her traffic debt mounted, Washington tried to divert her attention to work and community activism. She started support groups for parents of autistic children and Black women and performed spoken-word poetry. The Las Vegas City Council honored her for all of that work in 2018. She also started an event-planning business specializing in yard displays.

I do all of this from the heart, but I also overindulge myself into giving back in order to not deal with the reality of whats going on in my life, Washington said by phone while making deliveries with her son in tow. My go-to is to get more involved in the community.

But she couldnt do much of it without driving.

A few years ago, Washington became friends with Leisa Moseley, an activist and political consultant who had her own experience with being unable to pay minor traffic tickets that led to bench warrants, fees and debt that reached about $5,000. Moseley had to drain her savings account to clear her name. She now worked as Nevada state director for the Fines and Fees Justice Center, trying to change policies that had nearly ruined her.

Moseley said her ordeal, and Washingtons, showed that anyone can get sucked into traffic ticket debt.

Here we had a very well-respected woman, a poet, an activist who is holding womens empowerment lunches and advocating for her autistic son, and behind the scenes she is struggling with debt related to traffic violations, Moseley said. Seeing her you wouldnt ever know she was looking over her shoulder every day hoping the police werent behind her running her license plate.

Leisa Moseley, Nevada traffic fines. (Courtesy of Felina Banks / Flossy Flicks Photography)

Last year, lawyers at the Misdemeanor Clinic at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas asked Moseley for the names of people who needed help extracting themselves from traffic debt. She told them about Washington.

The clinics co-director, Eve Hanan, saw Washington as an organized and responsible person trapped in an unjust system.

Her case is not unusual, Hanan said.

She and her colleagues agreed to help.

Hope for 'a clean slate'

Lawyers and students at the clinic went through court records for Washingtons open cases, added up what she owed and tracked down outstanding warrants. They requested new hearings, negotiated with prosecutors and pleaded with judges, who have the power to waive or reduce peoples traffic debts.

With their help, Washington closed four cases and got a fine reduced and a warrant cleared in a fifth, Hanan said.

It is almost impossible to do that as a single person without a lawyer, Hanan said.

Still, Washington has three open cases, including two that triggered bench warrants. Washington said she didnt know that she had been at risk of arrest until this week, when the clinic stepped in and persuaded a judge to put her on a payment plan and clear the warrants.

Washington said her event-planning business has been successful enough that she now can afford to keep her insurance, license, registration and tags up to date. That means she is very close to having a clean slate, she said.

The decriminalization bill would help her maintain that clean slate, she said.

The bill is under consideration by the state Assemblys Ways and Means Committee, which on Monday heard testimony roughly evenly split between supporters and opponents. The opposition included representatives of cities who said their agencies would lose too much in fines and fees from bench warrants

Supporters say they are confident that the bill will pass, but they are running out of time: The bill still needs to be approved by the full state Assembly, and then the state Senate before the legislative session closes at the end of May.

Washington wonders what other ways the courts will try to punish people who dont pay their fines and fees. Nevada already suspends thousands of peoples licenses every year for failure to pay.

The bill solves one part of the problem because you dont have to have the warrant, Washington said. But I cant believe they wont just ask for something else.
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong Airlines is preparing to cut hundreds of more jobs and temporarily carry only cargo on its passenger planes under its latest pandemic-survival plan, the Post has learned. The new blueprint drawn up by the embattled all-Airbus airline calls for grounding its entire fleet of A320s with only eight A330 jets flying in the interim and prioritising cargo over passengers, according to two sources familiar with the plan. Once positioned to challenge Cathay Pacific Airways, the airline has long
The UK's announcement on Friday that Spain was not on its green list of 'safe' countries to travel to from 17 May, has been met with concern among the tourism industry on the Costa del Sol, keen to recover its most important international customers.

Among the main European holiday destinations popular with British travellers, only Portugal and Gibraltar were included on the list of countries that do not require travellers to quarantine on return to the UK.

Spain, including the Canary and Balearic islands, remains on the amber list which means that passengers arriving in the UK from this country will still have to spend ten days in quarantine, with the option of shortening the isolation time by paying for an extra Covid test on the fifth day.

The Costa del Sol will now have to wait until the lists are reviewed in June to find out when British visitors could start filling the hotels and beaches again.

The industry's aim is for Spain to join the UK's green list as soon as possible, although the president of the Costa del Sol's hoteliers association Aehcos, Jose Luque, said he believed this objective could be reached by the end of June.

"It's bad news that we are not on this first list, but this should encourage us to increase the vaccination rate and reduce infection," he said, adding that the figures being considered are the percentage of the country's population that has already been vaccinated, the coronavirus infection rate and the levels of new variants.

Spain as a whole has to make a "joint effort" to get British tourism back, he said. "The UK has made it clear that it is not differentiating between regions and that's unfair because the figures it is considering are for the whole of Spain, despite Malaga being in a better situation," he added.

Industry representatives on the Costa del Sol have also expressed fears that Spain will lose a significant number of British tourists to Portugal, which is on the first green list for foreign holidays from the UK.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Friday that he expected that more traditional holiday destinations, such as France and Spain, would be put on the green list as the summer progresses.

The full green list:

Portugal

Israel

Singapore

Australia

New Zealand

Brunei

Iceland

Gibraltar

Falkland Islands

Faroe Islands

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

St Helena, Tristan de Cunha, Ascension Island
TOWSON, Md. (AP)  Maryland's governor on Saturday posthumously pardoned 34 victims of racial lynching in the state dating between 1854 and 1933, saying they were denied legal due process against the allegations they faced.

It was a first-of-its-kind pardon by a governor of a U.S. state.

Gov. Larry Hogan signed the order at an event honoring Howard Cooper, a 15-year-old who was dragged from a jailhouse and hanged from a tree by a mob of white men in 1885 before his attorneys could file an appeal of a rape conviction that an all-white jury reached within minutes.

My hope is that this action will at least in some way help to right these horrific wrongs and perhaps bring a measure of peace to the memories of these individuals and to their descendants and their loved ones," Hogan said.

Hogan and other state officials attended a ceremony in Towson, Maryland, next to the former jailhouse where Cooper was held. A historic marker was unveiled at the site in a partnership with the Baltimore County Coalition of the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project, the Equal Justice Initiative and Baltimore County.

House Speaker Adrienne Jones, the state's first Black and first female House speaker, described it as an important day when the governor, Attorney General Brian Frosh and Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski  all white men  came together to say that this was wrong .. in order to move forward into the next chapter."

Memorializing the site where Howard Cooper was lynched gives us the opportunity to courageously confront the injustices of our past," Jones said.

Earlier this year, the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project and students at Loch Raven Technical Academy petitioned Hogan to issue the pardon for Cooper. After receiving the request, the Republican governor directed his chief legal counsel to review all of the available documentation of racial lynchings in Maryland.

The sign unveiled Saturday said Cooper's body was left hanging from a sycamore tree so angry white residents and local train passengers could see his corpse.

Later, pieces of the rope were given away as souvenirs, the sign says. Howard's mother, Henrietta, collected her child's remains and buried him in an unmarked grave in Ruxton. No one was ever held accountable for her son's lynching."

The ceremony is part of a continuing effort by the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project, a group of 13 county chapters that is working to document the history of lynching in the state.

In 2019, a marker in Annapolis, the state capital, commemorated the five known Black men who were hanged or fatally shot without trial in Maryland's Anne Arundel County.

The Equal Justice Initiative has documented more than 6,500 racial lynchings in the country.

Will Schwarz, who is president of the memorial project, described the posthumous pardons as a powerful moment in acknowledging the truth  a critical step toward reconciliation. He said the history of racial terror lynching in the United States has been ignored for so long that most people dont know the scale of the problem.

We have a responsibility to try and dismantle that machine of white supremacy and this is a big piece of it, acknowledging the violation of civil rights and of due process that were a part of these awful lynchings," Schwarz said.

There have been 40 documented lynching cases in Maryland, Schwarz said. In some of those cases, the victims were not yet arrested, so they were not part of the legal system and not eligible for the posthumous clemency approved Saturday by Hogan.

Two years ago, state lawmakers created the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which is the first of its kind in the nation. The commission was formed to research lynchings and include its findings in a report.
The EU Foundation has paid a 40,000 lari bail to release the leader of the main opposition party in Georgia, the United National Movement, Nika Melia, the EU Delegation to Georgia informed.

"Today, GEL 40,000 were paid to release Mr. Nika Melia from pre-trial detention. We sincerely thank two independent organizations that agreed to support this process: the European Fund for Democracy, which allocated the money, and the Georgian Young Lawyers Association, which submitted the money to the authorities, the statement reads.
A few months before, it was officially announced that Vaibhav and Vani Bhojan will be pairing once again (after Lock Up) for a new Tamil film under the direction of Radhamohan, who is known for his feel-good emotional dramas like Mozhi, Abhiyum Naanum, Azhagiya Theeye, Brindhavanam, and more. The additional update was that the film has been made as a direct OTT film and it will release directly on Zee 5 streaming platform. The announcement made the film buffs look forward to the project. The title of this new film has now been officially revealed and it is Malaysia to Amnesia. Yes! The Vaibhav - Vani Bhojan starrer, directed by Radhamohan, is called Malaysia to Amnesia and the title very much tells that the film is going to be high on the fun quotient.

Apart from Vaibhav and Vani Bhojan, the film also features MS Bhaskar and Karunakaran in crucial roles. The film will have music composed by Premgi Amaren. On the technical side, the film has cinematography handled by Mahesh Muthuswamy, art direction by Kathir, and editing by Praveen KL. Along with the title revelation, the makers have announced that the first look poster of Malaysia to Amnesia will be unveiled tomorrow (May 9). The first look will probably give us a better idea of the movie's storyline and characters.

From the title, it looks like the film's story has an interesting connection with amnesia. The shooting of the film is already completed and the makers are currently busy with the post-production works. If things go as per plan, we can expect Malaysia to Amnesia to release on Zee 5 platform in the next few weeks. Director Radhamohan's films are known to have a strong emotional connect with the viewers and let us see if Malaysia to Amnesia makes that connect. For now, check out the official title announcement tweet of Malaysia to Amnesia (starring Vaibhav and Vani Bhojan) here:
The Anglican diocese of Sydney has elected its first person of colour Archbishop, Kanishka Raffel, at a time of significant division in the broader church over the blessing of same-sex couples.

The vote on Thursday night was an emphatic win for the 56-year-old, who was born in the United Kingdom to Sri Lankan parents and emigrated to Australia at age seven.

Just six months later his father died from a heart attack. The young Kanishka was raised by a single mother migrant lady in a place where we had no family.

Anglican Archbishop-elect Kanishka de Silva Raffel, pictured at St Andrews Cathedral, will be consecrated later this month. Credit:James Brickwood

Archbishop-elect Raffel is unusual in another way: he was raised Buddhist. It was only while at the University of Sydney studying arts and law that he engaged with Christian friends about their faith, read the Gospel of John and converted religion.
The national capital has received three out of the 21 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants from and is likely to get the remaining later this month, officials said on Saturday.

The three PSA plants donated by have been installed at Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra Hospital in Narela, Ambedkar Hospital and Sanjay Gandhi Hospital.

"The Union Health Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs are monitoring it. They are expected to reach us during this month," Ashish Kundra, prinicpal secretary, Transport and OSD (Health) said at an online briefing.

Of the total supplied to presently, an average of 29 per cent is supplied by the Railways and an average of 71 per cent is via roadways, Kundra said.

An average of 507.5 MT of oxygen is supplied to on a daily basis, he said.

Ten SOS calls were received on May 7 and but they have reduced, the official said.

He pointed out that the central government hospitals consume about 9.39 per cent of the total allocated oxygen, government hospitals consume 20.20 per cent and private hospitals consume 50.20 per cent.

The remaining 15.67 per cent is reserved for emergency SOS calls while 3.03 per cent quota is given to districts for providing the facility to citizens, he said.

"A fair distribution and allocation strategy is being prepared for the optimal utilization of the given oxygen. GPS tracking system is helping to monitor the real time time locations of the tankers for the seamless supply of oxygen in Delhi.

"A network team has been formed which is giving real time information from different parts of the country on the oxygen management system. District Magistrates are tracking through their teams whether the oxygen is reaching the earmarked hospitals and institutions on a timely basis," he said.

The national capital is ramping up the capacities in terms of transportation of liquid oxygen across the city, the government had earlier said.

"The supply chain of oxygen has become more efficient through the railway movement. All the DMs are tracking each and every re-filler and making sure that it reaches the destination which is earmarked," he said.

Kundra said there are officers deployed at plants in West Bengal, Odisha, etc and they get real time information about when the tanker starts its journey.

"Real time monitoring of oxygen tankers is being done by the team formed by the government to mitigate the challenges and obstacles in the supply chain management of the oxygen in the national capital," he said.

The Delhi government has also deputed a team of officers to each of the oxygen plant locations, which makes sure that there are no glitches and any administrative obstacles in the oxygen supply to Delhi, he added.

Kundra said citizens can log on to delhi.gov.in to access cylinders donation sheet and can also book cylinder refilling at https://oxygen.jantasamvad.org.

More than 1,100 cylinders were distributed on May 7 for home isolation patients, he said.

The senior official also cautioned against black marketing of oxygen cylinders or medicines and said the government has zero-tolerance for black marketers.

The government has set up 174 hunger relief centres, he said, adding that this initiative will make sure that the poor and needy are being given food on a daily basis.

In the last one week, close to nine lakh meals have been distributed for the needy in the city, 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.)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during a working trip to Luhansk region honored the memory of those killed during the Second World War, the press service of the head of state reports.

"During a working trip to Luhansk region, President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Memorial Complex "Ukraine to the Liberators" in the village of Milove, where 2,814 soldiers are buried in a common grave. On the occasion of the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation and on the eve of Victory over Nazism in World War II, the head of state laid flowers to the Eternal Flame and honored those who died in the battles for their native land," the report says.

The memory of the victims was also honored by head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, his deputies and ambassadors of the G7 countries and the European Union, who arrived in Luhansk region together with the president.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-09 01:51:14|Editor: huaxia

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KHARTOUM, May 8 (Xinhua) -- President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi, also the current chairperson of the African Union, presented a new initiative on Saturday regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue.

The initiative was announced by Tshisekedi during his talks with Chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan in Khartoum, capital of Sudan.

"The initiative is under study by the authorities concerned," Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi said after the talks, without giving further details.

"Sudan stands with Ethiopia's rights to develop its capabilities, benefit from the waters of the Blue Nile and develop its resources, without prejudice to the rights of others, especially the rights of Sudan and Egypt," Al-Mahdi noted.

"If the parties want to reap joint benefits from the dam project, there should be a legally binding agreement for all parties," she added.

Tshisekedi arrived in Khartoum earlier in the day for an official one-day visit to Sudan.

From April 3 to April 5, as the rotating chair of the African Union, the DRC hosted the latest round of talks over the GERD with the participation of Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia.

Sudan proposed a mediation quartet of the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and the African Union. Ethiopia, however, announced its rejection to this formula.

In February, Ethiopia said it would carry on with the second-phase 13.5-billion-cubic-meter filling of the GERD in June. The volume of the first-phase filling last year was 4.9 billion cubic meters.

Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia have been in talks for years over the technical and legal issues related to the filling and operation of the GERD.

Ethiopia, which started building the GERD in 2011, expects to produce more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity from the dam project, while Egypt and Sudan, downstream Nile Basin countries that rely on the river for its freshwater, are concerned that the dam might affect their share of the water resources. Enditem
WASHINGTON (AP)  The anticipation for the U.S. jobs report for April, released Friday morning, was high.

Most experts agreed that after a yearlong pandemic, tens of millions of layoffs and widespread disease and death, a likely second straight month of nearly 1 million added jobs would send a clear signal: The economy was bounding back toward full health after a devastating recession.

Instead, the report was a clunker. To nearly everyone's surprise, employers added a comparatively paltry 266,000 jobs, down drastically from a gain of 770,000 in March, which itself was revised down from an initially much higher figure of 916,000.

Once the shock wore off, economists grappled with a host of questions, starting with: What happened last month  and why? What did the tepid hiring gain say about the state of the job market and the economy? And is there really a labor shortage?

___

Q. SO WHY WAS THE JOB GAIN SO LOW?

A. The broadest explanation is that any time an economy has to recover from a severe shock, it isn't likely to proceed smoothly. But the pandemic may be causing a broader reshaping of the economy as companies, workers and customers adapt to a new normal. Month-to-month job gains will be choppy. In fact, the swiftness and strength of the recovery so far are themselves part of the cause.

Consumer confidence has surged, and many companies report soaring demand as Americans unleash pent-up desires to travel, eat out, and shop. Sales of new cars and homes are still rising. Yet because the economy is rebounding faster than almost anyone thought it would, many companies were caught flat-footed. Surging consumer demand has caused widespread shortages of parts and raw materials, including lumber, semiconductor chips and even chicken wings.

Now, workers themselves can be added to the list of shortages. Companies are advertising more jobs than they were before the pandemic, when the unemployment rate was a 50-year low of 3.5%. So they clearly want to add workers. Yet hiring stumbled in April because many employers couldn't attract as many as they needed.

___

Q. WHY ARENT EMPLOYERS ABLE TO HIRE MORE EASILY?

A. Several things: Millions of people avoided looking for a job in April because they feared becoming infected by the coronavirus, according to a government survey. About 2 million women have stopped looking for work since the pandemic, likely because of disruptions in schooling and child care. In April, all the net job growth went to men; women as a group lost jobs. In addition, construction companies and factories have been left short of parts because of clogged supply chains and have had to slow production. Hiring weakened in both sectors in April.

And some businesses complain that a $300-a-week federal unemployment benefit, provided in President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion rescue package, has meant that many unemployed people can receive more income from unemployment aid than from their former jobs.

Jan Riggins, who manages two Express staffing offices in Fort Worth, Texas, said that some job seekers have turned down offers that paid less than they were receiving from benefits. She said health concerns are also a factor, noting that the open jobs that allow working from home, such as taking customer service calls, have been quickly filled.

___

Q. WILL ALL THESE ISSUES CONTINUE TO HOLD DOWN HIRING IN THE COMING MONTHS?

A. It's possible. But most economists say they think April's slowdown will prove temporary. Daniel Zhao, senior economist at Glassdoor, an employment website, notes that Google searches for jobs had declined from mid-March and only rebounded in late April  after the government had compiled the jobs data for last month.

The average workweek rose last month, evidence that companies are asking their employees to work more and will likely need to add workers soon.

And the number of first-time applications for unemployment aid has dropped steadily in the past month, a sign that layoffs are slowing. More people are returning to the job market to look for work again: About 750,000 people have rejoined the workforce in the past two months. All of that should help employers fill more jobs.

___

Q. ARE UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE REALLY AVOIDING JOBS FOR THE EXTRA $300 A WEEK IN FEDERAL JOBLESS AID?

This is a contentious question. One academic research paper has found that for every 10% increase in unemployment benefits, job applications decline by nearly 4%. Yet last spring, when the federal jobless benefit was $600  twice as large  nearly 7.7 million people returned to work.

Many of the unemployed say the extra benefit does help them take more time to seek better jobs than they had before the downturn. That impulse can create a problem for business owners and executives, who often want to hire immediately. To them, the surge in customer demand emerging from the pandemic represents an opportunity to win new clients or increase market share.

On Friday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen downplayed the effect of the additional jobless aid on the willingness of the unemployed to seek work. She said at a news conference that in states that provide higher unemployment payments, the data shows the unemployed are actually more likely to find work than in states that provide lower benefits.

___

Q. IF COMPANIES CAN'T FIND MORE WORKERS, WHY NOT OFFER HIGHER PAY?

A. There are signs that more employers are doing just that. Friday's jobs report showed that average hourly pay rose 0.7% in April to $30.17. For a single month, that's a solid gain. Walmart, Amazon and Costco have all broadly raised their hourly wages in recent months. Still, not all companies are willing to do so. Not yet anyway.

___

Q. ARE OTHER FACTORS HOLDING DOWN JOB GROWTH?

A. Many small businesses closed in the pandemic, particularly in downtowns that emptied out as white-collar workers fled to work from home. Kristen Broady, an economist at the Brookings Institution, noted that some of those companies have announced that they will continue to allow their employees to work from home, at least for part of the week. That trend will likely hurt downtown coffee shops, dry cleaners, gyms, and restaurants.

When you think about those people," Broady said, their work circumstances may never go back to pre-COVID.

And Caren Merrick, CEO of VA Ready, a Virginia-based job training program, said that many employers appear too picky about whom they hire.

Her organization trains laid-off workers, most from the restaurant and hotel industries, for jobs in health care, manufacturing, and information technology. Some of the trainees who earn certifications are told by employers that they lack experience. Those companies could do more to find workers, she said, such as creating apprenticeships or dropping requirements for college degrees.

Some companies have barriers themselves that prevent them from hiring the people that they need," Merrick said. They need to make a greater effort.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 20:10:13|Editor: huaxia

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KUNMING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Police in southwest China's Yunnan Province busted a drug-trafficking case, seizing nearly 17 kg of drugs.

Police in the city of Pu'er had recently noticed a vehicle with suspicious movements and established a task force to investigate the car, local authorities said.

On the evening of April 30, the task force stopped the vehicle and seized 30 bags of methamphetamine weighing 16.97 kg in a suitcase.

Further investigation of the case is underway. Enditem
WASHINGTON (AP)  The operator of a major pipeline system that transports fuel across the East Coast said Saturday it had been victimized by a ransomware attack and had halted all pipeline operations to deal with the threat. The attack is unlikely to affect gasoline supply and prices unless it leads to a prolonged shutdown of the pipeline, experts said.

Colonial Pipeline did not say what was demanded or who made the demand. Ransomware attacks are typically carried out by criminal hackers who scramble data, paralyzing victim networks, and demand a large payment to decrypt it.

The attack on the company, which says it delivers roughly 45% of fuel consumed on the East Coast, underscores again the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to damaging cyberattacks that threaten to impede operations. It presents a new challenge for an administration still dealing with its response to major hacks from months ago, including a massive breach of government agencies and corporations for which the U.S. sanctioned Russia last month.

In this case, Colonial Pipeline said the ransomware attack Friday affected some of its information technology systems and that the company moved proactively to take certain systems offline, halting pipeline operations. In an earlier statement, it said it was taking steps to understand and resolve this issue with an eye toward returning to normal operations.

The Alpharetta, Georgia-based company transports gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and home heating oil from refineries located on the Gulf Coast through pipelines running from Texas to New Jersey. Its pipeline system spans more than 5,500 miles, transporting more than 100 million gallon a day.

The White House said President Joe Biden was briefed Saturday morning and the federal government was working with the company to assess the implications of the attack, restore operations and avoid disruptions to the supply. The government is planning for various scenarios and working with state and local authorities on measures to mitigate any potential supply issues.

The private cybersecurity firm FireEye said it's been hired to manage the incident response investigation.

Oil analyst Andy Lipow said the impact of the attack on fuel supplies and prices depends on how long the pipeline is down. An outage of one day or two would be minimal, he said, but an outage of five or six days could cause shortages and price hikes, particularly in an area stretching from central Alabama to the Washington, D.C., region.

Lipow said a key concern about a lengthy delay would be the supply of jet fuel needed to keep major airports operating, like those in Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina.

A leading expert in industrial control systems, Dragos CEO Robert Lee, said systems such as those that directly manage the pipelines operation have been increasingly connected to computer networks in the past decade.

But critical infrastructure companies in the energy and electricity industries also tend to have invested more in cybersecurity than other sectors. If Colonials shutdown was mostly precautionary  and it detected the ransomware attack early and was well-prepared  the impact may not be great, Lee said.

While there have long been fears about U.S. adversaries disrupting American energy suppliers, ransomware attacks by criminal syndicates are much more common and have been soaring lately. The Justice Department has a new task force dedicated to countering ransomware attacks.

The attack underscores the threat that ransomware poses to organizations regardless of size or sector, said Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director of the cybersecurity division at the federal Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency.

We encourage every organization to take action to strengthen their cybersecurity posture to reduce their exposure to these types of threats, Goldstein said in a statement.

Ransomware scrambles a victim organizations data with encryption. The criminals leave instructions on infected computers for how to negotiate ransom payments and, once paid, provide software decryption keys.

The attacks, mostly by criminal syndicates operating out of Russia and other safe havens, reached epidemic proportions last year, costing hospitals, medical researchers private businesses, state and local governments and schools tens of billions of dollars. Biden administration officials are warning of a national security threat, especially after criminals began stealing data before scrambling victim networks and saying they will expose it online unless a ransom is paid.

Average ransoms paid in the United States jumped nearly threefold to more than $310,000 last year. The average downtime for victims of ransomware attacks is 21 days, according to the firm Coveware, which helps victims respond.

U.S. law enforcement officials say some of these criminals have worked with Russias security services and that the Kremlin benefits by damaging adversaries economies. These operations also potentially provide cover for intelligence-gathering.

Ransomware is the most common disruptive event that organizations are seeing right now that would cause them to shut down to prevent the spread, said Dave White, president of cybersecurity firm Axio.

Mike Chapple, teaching professor of IT, analytics and operations at the University of Notre Dames Mendoza College of Business and a former computer scientist with the National Security Agency, said systems that control pipelines should not be connected to the internet and vulnerable to cyber intrusions.

The attacks were extremely sophisticated and they were able to defeat some pretty sophisticated security controls, or the right degree of security controls werent in place, Chapple said.

Brian Bethune, a professor of applied economics at Boston College, also said the impact on consumer prices should be short-lived as long as the shutdown does not last for more than a week or two. But it is an indication of how vulnerable our infrastructure is to these kinds of cyberattacks, he said.

Bethune noted the shutdown is occurring at a time when energy prices have already been rising as the economy reopens further as pandemic restrictions are lifted. According to the AAA auto club, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has increased by 4 cents since Monday to $2.94.

Anne Neuberger, the Biden administrations deputy national security adviser for cybersecurity and emerging technology, said in an interview with The Associated Press in April that the government was undertaking a new effort to help electric utilities, water districts and other critical industries protect against potentially damaging cyberattacks. She said the goal was to ensure that control systems serving 50,000 or more Americans have the core technology to detect and block malicious cyber activity.

Since then, the White House has announced a 100-day initiative aimed at protecting the countrys electricity system from cyberattacks by encouraging owners and operators of power plants and electric utilities to improve their capabilities for identifying cyber threats to their networks. It includes concrete milestones for them to put technologies into use so they can spot and respond to intrusions in real time.

___

Suderman reported from Richmond, Virginia. Associated Press writers Frank Bajak in Boston and Martin Crutsinger and Michael Balsamo in Washington contributed to this report.
ITV has been urged to axe John Barrowman as a judge on Dancing On Ice after he admitted to repeatedly exposing himself on Doctor Who and Torchwood's sets.

Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke told The Sun on Sunday that the ice-skating competition is a 'family show' and so the actor, 54, should not be a part of it.

On Friday, Barrowman apologised for exposing himself repeatedly while filming the two sci-fi shows but insisted it was just 'tomfoolery', as the show's architect Russell T Davies denied knowing anything about inappropriate behaviour on set.

Reaction: ITV has been urged to axe John Barrowman from Dancing On Ice after the actor admitted he repeatedly exposed himself on Doctor Who set, it was revealed on Friday

Shelbrooke claimed: 'Inappropriate behaviour like this is not acceptable no matter what the circumstances. ITV and the BBC have a responsibility with the standards they set.

'Dancing On Ice is a family show and ITV shouldn't be willing to indulge this behaviour in any way.

'It's incumbent on broadcasters to show they are not condoning such behaviour in any way.'

Apology: On Friday, Barrowman apologised for exposing himself repeatedly while filming Doctor Who and Torchwood (pictured) but insisted it was just 'tomfoolery'

Mark Williams-Thomas, an investigative journalist who exposed Jimmy Saville as a paedophile, told the publication that it would be 'interesting' to see how channels reacted to Barrowman's admission.

He made the comment whilst referring to how Barrowman's co-star Noel Clarke, 45, had been dropped by multiple networks and BAFTA after he was accused of being a 'sexual predator' by 20 women.

MailOnline has contacted Barrowman's representatives and ITV spokespeople for further comment.

Claim: Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke said the ice-skating competition is a 'family show' and so the actor (pictured with Ashley Banjo, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean) should not be a part of it

On Friday, Barrowman told the Guardian his 'high-spirited behaviour' was 'only ever intended in good humour' to entertain colleagues on set and backstage - and not sexual harassment.

'With the benefit of hindsight, I understand that upset may have been caused by my exuberant behaviour and I have apologised for this previously,' he said. 'Since my apology in November 2008, my understanding and behaviour have also changed.'

Clarke was filmed making jokes about Barrowman, who played Captain Jack Harkness on both programmes, showing people his penis 'every five seconds' and 'hitting it on everything'.

Explanation: On Friday, Barrowman said his 'high-spirited behaviour' was 'only ever intended in good humour' to entertain colleagues on set and backstage - and not sexual harassment

Last month, a video of Clarke emerged showing him on stage during a Doctor Who Q&A with fans where he joked about Barrowman's alleged proclivity for getting his penis out on set.

Barrowman had apologised publicly after a similar incident on BBC Switch.

Clarke's two female co-stars Annette Badland and Camille Coduri are seen as he uses microphone as a prop phallus, hitting them on their legs and even resting it on Camille's shoulders, with viewers saying they were 'squirming while watching'.

Discussion: John added, 'With the benefit of hindsight, I understand that upset may have been caused by my exuberant behaviour and I have apologised for this previously'

He said: 'For the record, any men out there, do not try that at work. You will be fired and possibly go to jail.'

Clarke  who is accused of inappropriate behaviour towards 20 women over 14 years  was at the centre of further allegations he sexually harassed or touched others on BBC hit Doctor Who on Friday.

The broadcaster appeared to be broadsided by the new reports today and said it would investigate specific claims made but was 'shocked' to hear of them.

Allegations: Last month, Barrowman's co-star Noel Clarke (pictured in 2017) was accused of inappropriate behaviour over 14 years and of being a 'sexual predator' by 20 women

Clarke is said to have told one costume assistant, who had long hair, working on series one of the rebooted sci-fi show he 'liked girls with long hair' so he could hold onto it when in a specific sexual position.

Another female runner and driver on the show alleges Clarke touched her inappropriately and repeatedly asked her to go to his hotel for sex.

She told the Guardian she pleaded to the assistant director: 'I can't drive him anymore. I don't want to be on my own with him.'

Clarke denies any allegations of sexual misconduct, criminal wrongdoing or sexually inappropriate behaviour, including the latest accusations.

He was stripped of a BAFTA award he was given last month after the claims became public.

Doctor Who was where Clarke became a household name, playing the vehicle technician Mickey Smith from 2005 to 2010.

A statement from the BBC said: 'The BBC is against all forms of inappropriate behaviour and we're shocked to hear of these allegations.

Accusations: Clarke was at the centre of further allegations he sexually harassed or touched others on BBC hit Doctor Who on Friday (pictured on show with David Tennant and Billie Piper)

'To be absolutely clear, we will investigate any specific allegations made by individuals to the BBC - and if anyone has been subjected to or witnessed inappropriate behaviour of any kind we would encourage them to raise it with us directly.

'We have a zero-tolerance approach and robust processes are in place - which are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect best practice - to ensure any complaints or concerns are handled with the utmost seriousness and care.'

The allegations against Clarke which were made public in the Guardian include that he secretly filmed a naked audition of actor Jahannah James and that he showed sexually explicit images of women to colleagues - both claims he denies.
Sister Byrne: Cultural battles aren't waged between left versus right, but 'the devil and Our Lord'

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Addressing an international pro-life conference last week, a Catholic nun who spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention stressed that the political and cultural battles engulfing the United States are the result of a battle between the devil, who is real, and Our Lord.

Sister Deirdre Byrne, who gave a pro-life speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention, spoke at the 50th annual conference for the pro-life group Heartbeat International.

The 2021 Heartbeat International Virtual Conference took place from April 27-30 in Columbus, Ohio. The conference was designed for ministry leaders, staff, board members, and volunteers of life-affirming pregnancy help centers, medical clinics, maternity homes, and nonprofit adoption agencies, as well as professionals in the area of medicine, counseling, social work and education.

During her speech, Byrne urged Catholics and the pro-lifers gathered in-person and online to be battle-ready to act as soldiers for Christ in this dark time, where every day, things seem to be ramping up about things that are against the family and faith. She maintained that this battle we face is not a battle between Republicans and the Democrats.

Its not conservatives or liberals, or left versus right, Byrne added. This is a battle between the devil, who is real, and Our Lord.

Byrne, a member of the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and a retired U.S. Army colonel who works as a surgeon at a Washington, D.C., medical clinic managed by her order, stressed the importance of praying for pro-abortion politicians, including President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

We have to pray for all these people, these politicians who are wanting to make the abortion pill over the counter so people will be able to take it like bubble gum or Tylenol, she continued.

Biden and Pelosi, both Roman Catholics, have been criticized for their public support for abortion, which contradicts the teachings of their faith. Many priests and bishops have suggested that Catholic politicians advocacy on behalf of such a grave evil should disqualify them from receiving communion. Byrne, however, maintained that it was important to pray for such politicians because their soul is in a mortal state.

In her address at the Heartbeat International Conference, Byrne discussed her work administering abortion pill reversals, which she described as an incredible blessing.

Abortion pill reversals enable women who have already taken mifepristone, the first of two drugs administered as part of a chemical abortion, to reverse the process. Mifepristone blocks the natural pregnancy hormone progesterone, while the second drug in a chemical abortion, misopristol, is ingested 24 to 48 hours later and induces contractions and a miscarriage.

Byrne also reflected on her service in the Army and as a missionary, recalling how it was horrible to see mans inhumanity [toward] man" manifest itself in international conflicts. Referring to abortion as the greatest inhumanity, she lamented that people dont even think about it anymore; its become a natural thing.

Yet Byrne said she remains optimistic about the final outcome of the battle between Satan and God because we know that God is in charge and that Hes far greater than the devil.

It is He thats going to make things better, she proclaimed. And so we just have to be there, prayer warriors, and be battle-ready.

Heartbeat International identifies itself as the first network of pro-life pregnancy resource centers founded in the U.S. that has since become the most expansive network in the world.

The organization manages over 2,800 pregnancy help locations including pregnancy help medical clinics [with ultrasound], resource centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies in more than 60 countries around the world to provide alternatives to abortion.

Heartbeat Internationals ministries include Option Line, a hotline designed to assist women who are desperate for answers in an unexpected pregnancy, and the Abortion Pill Reversal Network, a hotline that helps women seeking an abortion pill reversal. The organization also operates a news website and a podcast highlighting issues of importance to the pregnancy help community.

During her RNC speech last summer, Byrne described preborn children as the largest marginalized group in the world. She also praised Trump at the time for being the most pro-life president that this nation has ever had while criticizing the then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris as the most anti-life presidential ticket ever.
No one wants to get into debt. Families dont plan on a financial crisis upending their lives. Yet, life is not always fair, people dont always make good decisions, investments go sour, and unexpected expenses crop up. When someone finds themselves in crisis, they need help; options to get out of trouble. Thats what debt settlement companies do for people in financial crisis.

But that help is now in jeopardy.

Legislation pending at the North Carolina General Assembly would eliminate this option for North Carolinians. House Bill 76 would outlaw a federally regulated business, thereby prohibiting debt settlement or adjustment with certain companies. It would be out of step with the free-market-oriented approach to governance weve seen from North Carolina legislators over the past decade, and it would have negative, unintended consequences for households across the state.

Debt settlement companies work with clients experiencing significant financial difficulty and who are unable to satisfy their debt obligations or are unable to negotiate a settlement with unsecured creditors. These clients cannot qualify or afford other options like consumer credit counseling or proceed with bankruptcy claims. The debt settlement industry is highly regulated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and is required to adhere to all FTC consumer protection guidelines. There is no fee charged to consumers, and they can withdraw from their arrangement with the company at any time, for any reason.

A Harvard Kennedy School study from this year reveals that 74 percent of individuals settle at least one account in the first 36 months after enrolling in a debt settlement program, with an average debt write-down of 32 percent. The study concludes that debt settlement programs benefit many financially distressed individuals, especially those not filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection.

According to the American Fair Credit Council, more than 68,000 North Carolinians used debt settlement services in 2020. People are putting their lives together and getting back on their feet. As we come out of the pandemic and over a year of economic devastation, of businesses shut down, investments lost, and record numbers of people out of work, the financial and mental impact is going to be devastating.

People who are experiencing financial hardships need options now more than ever.

Not only does House Bill 76 outlaw the debt settlement industry, but it also declares it an unfair trade practice and makes it a crime. A crime with possible jail time and a $1,000 penalty.

If lawmakers are uneasy with debt settlement companies, they should consider regulating the industry in a way that is consistent with federal regulations while allowing people the freedom to have options that best fit their particular needs, no matter how difficult those needs may be.

Needing to work with a debt settlement company to negotiate debts isnt ideal. No one wants to be in such a position in the first place. But when there is a need, and a legitimate business can help fill that need, the government ought not to outlaw it.

Becki Gray is Senior Vice President at the John Locke Foundation and Patrick Gleason is Vice President of State Affairs at Americans for Tax Reform.
BUCARAMANGA, Colombia (AP)  Thousands of Colombians have protested across the country against a government they feel has long ignored their needs, allowed corruption to run rampant and is so out of touch that it proposed tax increases during the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite virus lockdown orders, protesters have turned out in more than half of Colombias municipalities since last week for mostly peaceful protest against the administration of President Ivan Duque. But violence during some demonstrations has resulted in 26 people dead, including a police officer, and more than 800 people injured, according to government figures.

Human rights organizations have denounced numerous police abuses and give a higher death toll, while the international community is calling for dialogue.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE PROTESTING?

The protests started on April 28 over proposed tax increases on public services, fuel, wages and pensions, but it has morphed into a general demand for the government to pay longstanding debts to the most vulnerable in society, such as Indigenous and Afro Latino people. Even though the administration withdrew the tax reform, protests have continued and grown as reports emerged of police violence, deaths and disappearances.

Activists see a link between the current protests and demonstrations in November 2019 over a host of issues: earlier tax increases, the murder of social leaders, official corruption, inequality and compliance with a peace agreement that led to the 2016 demobilization of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

The discontent expressed in 2019 festered throughout the coronavirus pandemic as people saw their livelihoods disappear, their friends and family members die of COVID-19 and the government struggle to respond. Their anger has now spilled again onto the streets.

Protesters have at times erected roadblocks that officials say have led to food shortages, prevented vaccine deliveries and blocked ambulances.

HOW HAS THE GOVERNMENT RESPONDED?

Defense Minister Diego Molano said security forces have tried to protect those who are peacefully demonstrating as well as those who chose to stay home.

The military has sometimes joined police since Duque on May 1 signed off on armed forces' involvement until the acts of serious alteration of public order cease. That allows mayors to request the armys presence in urban areas  a move questioned by human rights observers.

International (human rights) standards require limiting as much as possible the use of the (military) to control internal disturbances. The soldiers are trained for armed conflict, not for citizen security, said Jose Miguel Vivanco, director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch.

Duque on Thursday invited union leaders to talks. How far the dialogue can go is unclear, however, as public frustration with his government predates the now-withdrawn tax reform.

WHY HAVE SOME PROTESTS TURNED VIOLENT?

The government contends that rebel groups have infiltrated protests and drug-trafficking enterprises are subsidizing demonstrations. Duque has even classified the actions as low-intensity terrorism.

However, leaders of the demonstrations say security forces have been exceedingly violent and the government is stigmatizing protesters.

The epicenter of the demonstrations as well as the violence has been the southwestern city of Cali, where movements of peasants and Indigenous and Afro Latino people converge. In Cali, there is a historical accumulation of social discontent, anger and rebellion, said sociologist Rosembert Ariza at the National University of Colombia.

It is a politically cultured city, and it may sound contradictory, but the exercise of violence is nothing but the response to the violence they are receiving.

At least 500 people have been arrested in the protests, according to officials.

WHAT IS THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION?

International observers have called on Duques government to respect human rights and guarantee peoples right to protest.

Martha Hurtado, spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the organization is deeply alarmed because it received information that in Cali the police opened fire on protesters protesting the tax reform, killing and wounding several people."

The Colombian agency responsible for monitoring human rights compliance reported Thursday that 26 people were killed in protests, including a police officer. The agency did not specify the number of deaths in which police have been involved. Previously, the agency alleged police involvement in a dozen.

Meanwhile, the mayor's office in Bogota, Colombias capital, reported that protesters tried to burn alive 10 police officers on Tuesday.

___

Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City.
Twins Eve and Jess Gale flaunted their sizzling curves when they enjoyed a night out in London on Saturday.

The Love Island stars, 22, both slipped into thigh-skimming outfits as they arrived at a rooftop bar in the capital, posing up a storm for photographers before heading into the venue.

Eve looked typically stylish in a brown satin shirt, teaming the chic piece with a chocolate-hued camisole.

Wow: Twins Eve and Jess Gale, 22, flaunted their famous curves when they enjoyed a night out in London on Saturday

The TV personality added height to her frame with a pair of open-toe heels and carried her belongings in a designer clutch.

Jess, meanwhile, sizzled in a skin-tight grey bodycon dress.

The blonde bombshell was also toting a designer handbag, and wore a delicate anklet on her left leg.

Both siblings wore a full face of glam for their night on the town and let their blonde hair cascade in loose waves past their shoulders.

Stylish: Eve looked typically stylish in a brown satin shirt, teaming the chic piece with a chocolate-hued camisole

Sizzling: Jess sizzled in a grey body-con dress and the twins also sported a matching white pedicure

Gorgeous: Both siblings wore a full face of glam for their night on the town and let their blonde hair cascade in loose waves past their shoulders

In March, Eve told fans that she was pining for sunnier climes as she shared a throwback swimsuit snap, before slipping into tiny hot pants.

The blonde beauty flaunted her ample cleavage and underboob in a skimpy orange swimsuit. She captioned the snap: 'Oh to be this tanned again #June2020.'

Eve and Jess recently returned to the UK following their 'work' trip to the UAE.

Taking cues: Like her sister, Eve was also toting a designer handbag, and wore a delicate anklet on her left leg

Standing tall: Eve added height to her frame with a pair of open-toe heels and carried her belongings in a designer clutch

The TV twins were just two of many celebrities who jetted to Dubai throughout the pandemic.

They joined many other Love Islanders including Joanna Chimonides, Hayley Hughes and Francesca Allen.

After Dubai joined UK's travel ban list, celebrities then began flocking to Mexico's bars and beaches as it established itself as the next COVID getaway destination.

Always together: The glamorous siblings often enjoy nights out together and always step out in style

Gorgeous: Eve told fans that she was pining for sunnier climes as she shared a throwback swimsuit snap, before slipping into tiny hot pants

Many stars insisted their trips were for 'work purposes' after criticism from Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Several influencers were forced to hit back at fans after they were criticised for jetting off on holiday during the global pandemic.

Jess and Eve rose to fame on the first ever series of winter Love Island back in 2020.

While Eve was booted off after less than a week, Jess made it to the final with Ched Uzor - with the pair going their separate ways shortly afterwards.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  New Hampshire's high school Career and Technical Education centers will have more flexibility in hiring under a bill signed by Gov. Chris Sununu.

The new law, which takes effect July 5, will allow people to to apply to teach at one of the roughly three dozen centers around the state without a bachelor's degree for one year. Lawmakers say it will give the centers flexibility when an emergency or sudden need arises to hire individuals with knowledge and skills but don't have bachelor's degrees.
The seeds of Sir Keir Starmers humiliation on Thursday were sown nine years ago on a cold February evening in a House of Commons bar, when Labour MP Eric Joyce punched two Tory politicians.

By starting the blood-soaked confrontation, the former Labour MP for Falkirk set off a chain of events that could lead to a knock-out blow for his party as a viable electoral force.

In the 2012 incident, Joyce, a former Army major, shouted that there were too many f****** Tories in here before hitting a Tory councillor, splitting his lip, and headbutting Conservative MP Stuart Andrew, who was left with a bloody nose and concussion, which needed hospital treatment.

After punching a Labour whip in the face, Joyce  who was said to have glazed eyes and a look like nobody was at home  bellowed You cant touch me, Im an MP as eight police officers tried to restrain him.

The photo issued by Metropolitan Police of former MP Eric Joyce after the confrontation in a House of Commons bar

Joyce was banned from Westminster pubs for three years, fined 3,000, ordered to pay 1,400 in compensation and given a years community service and an electronic tag.

The contest to select his successor in Falkirk became mired in claims that the hard-Left was trying to fix the process, with the Unite union accused of recruiting more than 100 members in the constituency in a bid to ensure its preferred candidate won.

Unite was backing trade unionist Karie Murphy, who was close to its general secretary, Len McCluskey. Murphy eventually withdrew from the race and an SNP candidate won the ensuing 2015 Election.

Labours then leader Ed Miliband was so enraged by the Battle of Falkirk that he tried to break the power of the unions. He ditched the electoral college system for electing Labour leaders, introducing one member, one vote instead, while cutting the price of joining the party from 52 to 3.

Milibands rule change meant that anyone who paid to become a Labour member could vote on the leadership.

After the party lost the 2015 Election, it was flooded with hard-Left members intending to select Milibands replacement. Between May 2015 and July 2016, the number of full members increased from 190,000 to 515,000, with the additional 325,000 being overwhelmingly from the Left of the party. The result was a shock win for Jeremy Corbyn, the 100-1 outsider, in September 2015. An estimated 84 per cent of the new 3 members voted for him.

Corbyns victory put the party on course for its annihilation in the 2019 General Election  Labours worst performance since 1935.

By then, Ms Murphy had taken a job in Corbyns office and played a key role in the disastrous Election campaign.

Sir Keirs advisers say that Thursdays shattering performance is a direct result of the lasting damage inflicted by Mr Corbyns weak leadership, socialist economics, confused Brexit position and failure to tackle the scourge of antisemitism in the party.

Ironically, Unite was subsequently cleared by Labour of any wrongdoing in the Falkirk selection.

In the aftermath then leader Ed Miliband was so enraged by the Battle of Falkirk he tried to break the power of the unions

Labour could also have been spared the calamitous consequences of Eric Joyces actions if Ed Miliband had not prevailed over his brother David in the 2010 Labour leadership election by just 50.7 per cent to 49.3 per cent.

Joyce, now 59, himself expressed regret at the political consequences of his brawl, saying: Falkirk precipitated the rule change and the rule change was catastrophic. Ed signed off on entryism.

In a sordid twist to the tale, Joyce was handed a suspended sentence last August after admitting possessing a 51-second film depicting seven children aged between 12 months and seven years being sexually abused.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that the former Shadow Northern Ireland Minister had made more than 2,000 uses of a type of software, which was indicative of downloading or looking at images of child abuse.

Officers had gathered the evidence after raiding the home he shared with his then-partner, the Sunday Times writer India Knight, and seizing computer hard drives.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - After a 1960s Supreme Court decision established the principle of one person, one vote, civil rights attorney Louis Stokes asked the nations highest court to declare that Clevelands congressional districts unfairly divided its African American community to dilute Black political power.

When justices ruled in Stokes favor, Ohios legislature created the states only majority minority congressional district, and Stokes went on to represent it for 15 terms.

Since then, Ohio has lost congressional seats after every census, as its share of the nations population declined. When Ohio redraws its congressional maps later this year to divide the state among 15 districts instead of the 24 that existed when Stokes went to the Supreme Court, the district that made him Ohios first Black Congress member will likely lose its African American majority for the first time.

When the district was initially configured to encompass much of Clevelands East Side and its close-in suburbs, African Americans accounted for 65 percent of its population. By the time Stokes retired after 30 years in office, it was 58 percent Black, according to statistics in the Almanac of American Politics. When Stokes successor, former Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Stephanie Tubbs Jones died in 2008, it was 55.5 percent Black, the publication indicates.

The current district, which expanded to include Akrons African-American neighborhoods after the 2010 census showed it couldnt remain majority minority if it was confined to Cuyahoga County, is less than 53 percent Black, census statistics say. It was represented by former Warrensville Heights Mayor Marcia Fudge until the Senate confirmed her as President Joe Bidens Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in March.

Thirteen Democrats and two Republicans are campaigning to succeed her in the strongly Democratic seat. A primary election will be held on Aug. 3, and the general election is Nov. 2. Most candidates for the seat are African American.

It will be several months before the Census Bureau gives Ohio map makers the local-level population data they need to configure the new districts, but requirements in the congressional map-drawing process that Ohio voters approved in 2018 would return the district entirely to Cuyahoga County, which is now is 30.5 percent Black.

The new map drawing rules require that efforts be made to wholly contain a single district within Cuyahoga County and say that Cleveland, which is 48.8 percent black, can no longer be split among multiple districts. This means white neighborhoods on Clevelands West Side that are now represented by Toledo Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur will likely be drawn into the historically Black district instead of the the Akron neighborhoods that were added a decade ago to boost its minority ratio. Although such a district would still maintain a high ratio of African American voters, those constraints make it difficult to create a district with a share of Black voters greater than 50 percent.

Local politicians and redistricting experts predict the district will likely be represented by African Americans for the foreseeable future, even if if they are no longer a numerical majority. They note Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty was elected to represent a Columbus congressional district created after the 2010 Census, even though her district is around 35 percent African American.

Map of Ohio's 11th Congressional district

Common Cause Ohio Executive Director Catherine Turcer, who campaigned for the redistricting changes, says theres still a need for majority minority districts in many parts of the country, but population changes in Northeast Ohio mean there may not be enough voting age African Americans in the region to create one. She said the district will most likely become an opportunity district like Beattys with a 30 to 40 percent proportion of African American voters that would provide ample opportunities for Black representation.

Turcer said any district thats created will be scrutinized to ensure it complies with the Voting Rights Act, a 1960s law intended to undo the long history of discrimination that Black communities faced in political life, as well as U.S. Supreme Court decisions that govern treatment for minority voters and candidates.

People all over Ohio need to be putting pressure on the map makers as we go through this process to make sure that we have fair districts, said Turcer. That includes making sure there are opportunity districts for African Americans.

Yurij Rudensky, a redistricting attorney at New York University law schools Brennan Center for Justice, says Voting Rights Act requirements overrride state laws. Because granular redistricting data wont be released to states until September, Rudensky says its way too early to tell whether Ohio would be legally required to draw a Voting Rights Act congressional district.

He says that law requires that if a community of color is sufficiently large, a district should be drawn that would give it a chance to elect its candidate. Districts dont have to be majority Black, Latino or Asian to meet that threshold, he said. Forty-five percent Black districts where Black candidates perform well and get votes from white voters would qualify, Rudensky says. Detailed census and election data must be examined.

It is a fact intensive and complex inquiry, he said.

Retired longtime Ohio state legislator Ray Miller, a Democrat who lives in Beattys congressional district and publishes the Columbus African American news journal, said he doesnt think black candidates need majority minority districts to win. He argues that Stokes would have been able to win a congressional seat anywhere in Ohio that had at least 35 percent African Americans. Miller says the House and Senate districts he represented over 24 years in the Ohio legislature never had more than that ratio of African Americans, and contends African Americans who want the greatest possible number of Black voters in congressional districts are selling themselves short.

Racism in American can cause you to doubt yourself and wonder Can I pull this off? Will white people really vote for me? he said, recalling how he won over the largely white community of Whitehall when it was put in his district by showing up at its community events and meeting people. If you walk in with a mindset that you are less than, you will not perform at your highest level.

Candidates vying for Fudges seat have different views about the importance of it continuing to be a majority minority district. Democratic former Ohio Senator and Bernie Sanders campaign chair Nina Turner recalls how excited community elders were when Stokes was elected, and observes it took a majority minority district for that to happen. She says the districts history is vitally important to the African American community and argues the political gains by Stokes and his brother, Carl, who made history when he became the first Black mayor of a major American city in Cleveland in 1967, are the breadcrumbs that led us to having the first African American president.

All the great gains in this country, when it comes to Black political power, the roadmap starts in Cleveland, Ohio, said Turner. And we must not forget that. We cant take it for granted. We cannot let it slip away without a fight.

While she believes African Americans could win the district even if it isnt majority minority, she says it remains to be seen if having fewer than 50 percent Black voters in the district would disenfranchise African Americans in any way. She says there absolutely could be lawsuits over how the new district is composed, and urges vigilance in our efforts to ensure that African Americans and other people of color get elected.

I do not want to go back to a time where we dont recognize the diversity that people bring to the table, whether its their race and ethnicity, their life experience, how they identify, all of that makes the democracy more robust, says Turner. When the opportunities and options are narrow, that makes democracy less robust and less able to take into account the various needs of people from different walks of life.

Another Democratic candidate for the seat, Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Shontel Brown of Warrensville Heights, says shell push for it to remain majority minority. She thinks it could keep that status by including minorities who have moved from Cleveland into suburbs in Cuyahoga County, although she observes the district she currently represents is 30 percent black, so she has not needed an African American majority to be elected.

Brown, who chairs Cuyahoga Countys Democratic Party, says the regions elected representatives need to fight population decline that leads to congressional seat losses by providing infrastructure and investments that will keep people in the area and bring back some of those who left.

The fact that racial and social justice issues are at the forefront of national discourse now, given the pandemic and controversies over police killings of minorities, really just speaks to the need to continue to have those voices at the table to be able to address issues that are disparately impacting our communities so that we can address them in a way that shapes policy to create a more equitable society, says Brown.

A Republican candidate for the seat, Cleveland businesswoman Laverne Jones Gore, who unsuccessfully ran against Fudge last year, says that living in a majority minority district hasnt benefited its residents, given its high rates of unemployment, crime and poverty. She hypothesized that the easy re-election incumbents often enjoy in majority minority districts has made them not work as hard to get elected, and said it would be good to stir the pot a bit.

She said African Americans migrated to Cleveland from the South for jobs in the citys steel mills as the economy transitioned from agriculture to industry, and are now moving elsewhere as technology provides people with flexibility to work many of todays jobs from wherever they want.

In America, we can be what we want to be and live where we want to live, says Gore. If Blacks are moving out and not accepting the opportunities available in this community, perhaps we should look at majority minority districts as an impairment ... Maybe some of the elected leadership takes us for granted. I say, if were not getting anything out of it, why should we be put in a corral and be told this is who you vote for when we have decided as a people we can live anywhere we want?

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New Delhi:

An atypical study led by a group of scientists from the Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere has discovered one of the oldest living species of the frilled shark swimming off the coast of Portugal.

Researchers believe that the rare male fish dates back 80 million years to the 'age of the dinosaurs'.

The group of scientists caught the frilled shark at a depth of 700 metres while working on a project to minimise unwanted catches in commercial fishing. The prehistoric predator was measured 1.5 metres long and has a long, snake-like body and around 300 teeth.

Talking about their latest findings Professor Margarida Castro, a researcher from the University of the Algarve said, "The shark gets its name from the frilled arrangement of its 300 teeth which allows it to trap squid, fish and other sharks in sudden lunges," reported Sic Noticias.

Also Read: NASA calls off its latest rocket launch due to unexpected stray plane

According to researchers, having extra grills, eyes on the side of heads and spineless backfins are some of the specialities of this oldest group of sharks.

Shark species found last year in Russia Earlier, in 2016 Roman Fedortsov, a fisherman caught another shark species in Russia. Fedortsov took to micro-blogging site Twitter to share his findings with the world.

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Rep. Randy Bridges Legislative Update

By Representative Randy Bridges

PADUCAH - Why do Kentuckians wait while states like New York and California move forward with reopening plans? All eyes are on legal challenge to reopening, emergency powers legislation.As states across our nation announce plans to shed pandemic-related requirements, I have received a number of phone calls, emails, and messages from folks who want to know why Kentucky has not. Some folks even ask why the legislation we passed to require our state to reopen has not taken effect. Sadly, the answer is pretty simple  the Governor is suing to prevent it.It is no surprise that the Governor dislikes the bills since he vetoed them in January. However, it is frustrating he would refuse to accept the will of the people even after those vetoes were overwhelmingly overridden by the legislature in February. Instead of faithfully enforcing the laws, he chose to tie the measures up in court. The Kentucky Supreme Court will wait until June 10  two months after it accepted the case and four months after the suits were filed - to hear the Governors lawsuit and another filed by Kentucky businesses that challenges his unprecedented exercise of power. So, as neighboring states and places like California and New York dial back their requirements, Kentuckians wait as all eyes are on the seven elected members of the Kentucky Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Governor last fall, but we used that ruling to guide the development of these bills to ensure what we passed could withstand a court challenge. I sincerely hope they remember their job is to interpret the laws and whose job it is to make new laws - and rule in favor of our constitution and therefore the will of the people who elect them.The Supreme Court will consider HB 1, legislation that provides direction to help businesses, schools, nonprofits, and other organizations remain safely open throughout the rest of this pandemic. We also made permanent changes to how our state approaches emergencies. We limited executive orders issued during a state of emergency to 30 days unless extended by the legislature and required the attorney general's permission to suspend a statute during a state of emergency (SB 1). In addition, we passed SB 2 to prevent the executive branch - including unelected appointees - from using the regulatory process to make laws.Both SB 1 and SB 2 provide the ability to respond quickly to an emergency while preventing a governor from overstepping his or her authority. Whether or not you agree with how the current governor handled this pandemic, our Kentucky Constitution grants each branch of government separate, limited powers. The legislative branch enacts laws and crafts a budget, the executive branch implements the laws, and the judicial branch interprets them. Our government works best when no branch overreaches into anothers area.Before I conclude, I want to share some good news. First, even though the Kentucky Supreme Court will be considering HB 1, there are a few other bills we passed that relate to executive branch oversight. HB 3 enables Kentuckians who file suit challenging the constitutionality of a statute, executive order, administrative regulation, or cabinet order to do so in the county of their residence. Previously, any such challenge had to be filed in Franklin County, no matter how far away the plaintiff lived. Under the new law, citizens across the state will have a greater voice in who decides these cases. If the individual filing suit is not a Kentucky resident, then the case would be filed in Franklin Circuit Court.HB 5 requires all executive branch reorganizations and board reorganizations to be approved by the General Assembly before changes are made. Legislative oversight will prevent expensive and unnecessary reorganizations that create long-term administrative problems. And HB 6 refines the role of the newly renamed Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee to better reflect its role and provide more oversight over state government functions.And the other bit of good news I have to share is that one of the top three credit rating agencies announced last week that Kentuckys financial outlook would change from a negative rating to a stable rating. Credit ratings are important because they measure our states financial well-being, but also because they are used to determine how much it costs us to borrow money for major projects that require financing. I know this sounds a lot like how our individual credit scores play into how much we pay to buy a house or car. The announcement from Fitch Ratings is a sign that the conservative policies we passed this session  particularly the budget and our investment of federal COVID-relief funds - are right for our Commonwealth. Frankly, this upgrade is also a clear sign that government works best when it uses its authority appropriately.Of course, our work is far from done. While stable is good news, we still have to navigate a dangerous economy as too many of our friends and neighbors remain unemployed while others struggle to keep their businesses open, and we see rising costs in everything from food to lumber and building products. We must be realistic and act carefully in the weeks and months to come.Thanks for taking the time to read this weeks update. I can be reached through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181 or by email at Randy.Bridges@lrc.ky.gov. If you would like more information about any of these bills or legislative actions, you can also visit the Legislative Research Commission website at legislature.ky.gov.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 13:45:10|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. federal grand jury in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has indicted Derek Chauvin and three other former Minneapolis police officers on charges of violating George Floyd's civil rights during the arrest that led to the black man's death last year, according to an indictment unsealed and released Friday by the Department of Justice.

Three of the former officers -- Chauvin, 45; Tou Thao, 35; and J. Alexander Kueng, 27 -- were each charged with two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, according to the indictment. The fourth officer, Thomas Lane, 38, was charged one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.

Chauvin's actions violated Mr. Floyd's constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer and "resulted in bodily injury to, and the death of, George Floyd," according to the indictment.

In video shot by a bystander and local traffic cameras, Thao was seen standing between onlookers and fellow officers as they pinned Floyd to the pavement on May 25, 2020. Lane and Kueng were also spotted on top of Floyd as Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for an extended period of time.

A 12-member Minneapolis jury last month convicted Chauvin of second- and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter, after hearing evidence that he put his knee on Floyd's neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds.

Chauvin's sentencing is set for June 25. He has filed for a retrial.

Experts say Chauvin will likely face no more than 30 years in prison. Any federal sentence would be served at the same time as a state sentence.

In a separate two-count indictment, Chauvin was also charged with violating the civil rights of a boy, then 14, on Sept. 4, 2017.

"Chauvin, without legal justification, held the teenager by the throat and struck the teenager multiple times in the head with a flashlight," according to the separate indictment.

Thao, Kueng and Lane will stand trial on Aug. 23. Enditem
RAMIRO VALDEZ has been a frequent guest columnist in the Denton Record-Chronicle and is a retired area counselor. He welcomes feedback and suggestions via letters to the editor or emailed to rambam.valdez@gmail.com.
NEW YORK (AP)  There was a time, not long ago, when Elise Stefanik would not say Donald Trump's name.

He was simply my party's presidential nominee, she would say. The pragmatic New York congresswoman was far more focused on welcoming a new generation of voters to what she hoped would be a more inclusive Republican Party.

Today, Stefanik is one of Trump's fiercest defenders in the House of Representatives, where her loyalty to the former president  and the support he returned  has carried the 36-year-old to the brink of becoming one of the most powerful women in Congress. She is widely expected to become the third-ranking House Republican in the coming days once Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., is stripped of her leadership post because of her vocal criticism of Trump.

Stefanik's rise is linked to her commitment to bringing more Republican women to Congress, an effort that helped make the House GOP's 2021 first-term class one of the most diverse in history. But those close to Stefanik suggest there is one moment above all that solidified her political transformation and rise in Republican politics  and that moment had little to do with diversity.

It was a Thursday night in November 2019, and Trump's first impeachment inquiry was raging on Capitol Hill. Stefanik had emerged as a leading Trump defender in committee hearings, but on that night, she brought her message to Fox News' Sean Hannity for the first time.

After attacking the Democrats' case for impeachment, she asked Fox viewers to send money to a website designed to protect her from a growing wave of political attacks.

Within 15 minutes, she had raised $250,000, aides later tweeted. Several hundred thousand more flowed into her campaign by the next morning. Her team had never seen anything like it, according to people with direct knowledge of her operation who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose private discussions.

The snowball grew the next day when Trump went on Fox and Friends and praised Stefanik. It grew still more weeks later when Trump singled her out during a White House event as he crowed about beating impeachment.

In total, Stefanik raised more than $13 million over that cycle, almost twice as much as the combined fundraising totals from her previous three elections. She raised an additional $2 million for Republican candidates and assembled what her office now describes as one of the five strongest donor email lists among 212 House Republicans.

She never wavered in supporting Trump again.

Even as staff privately encouraged her to moderate her message in the following weeks, Stefanik leaned harder into Trumpism. Her team began regularly insulting critics and reporters on social media. Her transformation was complete when Stefanik, a former White House aide under President George W. Bush and admirer of former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., voted against certifying the 2020 election results even after a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Stefanik's evolution is the story of the modern Republican Party, which has come to believe that the path to power and fundraising success runs through Trump, whether party members like him or not. A few Republicans have resisted his influence, including Cheney, but the vast majority has fallen in line even as Trump continues to spread the same disinformation about the 2020 election that inspired the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Trump has been our strongest supporter of any president when it comes to standing up for the Constitution, Stefanik said this past week on former Trump aide Steve Bannon's War Room podcast.

In the same interview, she again cast doubt about the integrity of the 2020 election, even though allegations about widespread voter fraud have been discredited by senior Trump administration officials and dozens of judges across the country.

Those who have worked closely with Stefanik describe her as a hardworking, smart and disciplined messenger, tenacious in her pursuit of energizing Republican voters and framing the terms of the debate.

She became a policy aide in the Bush White House after graduating from Harvard University in 2006. By the time the 2012 presidential election arrived, she was a well-regarded political operative with strong ties to the Republican establishment. She joined former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlentys short-lived presidential campaign before going to work for Mitt Romney, the partys presidential nominee against the Democratic incumbent, Barack Obama.

After the election, Stefanik moved from Washington to her parents home in upstate New York with an eye on the U.S. House seat left open by Democrat Bill Owens' retirement. In what was widely considered a swing district, the 30-year-old Stefanik won the race and became the youngest woman, at that time, ever elected to Congress.

She found success with a moderate message focused on bringing a new generation of voters to the Republican Party.

Jeff Graham, the former mayor of Watertown, New York, remembers meeting the fresh-faced Stefanik a year before the election. He quickly became a supporter.

At first I said, Who the hell is she? I went on Google, couldnt find a lot about her, he said. Even though she was young, she had a rich background -- being in the Bush White House and being pals with Paul Ryan."

In her early years in Congress, Stefanik earned a reputation as a studious moderate who stayed close to her district, a massive rural expanse of upstate New York bordered by Vermont to the east and Canada to the north. She paid especially close attention to Fort Drum.

She put politics aside, said Carl Zeilman, chairman of the Saratoga County Republican Committee. She knows how to roll up her sleeves and get things done.

Facing her first reelection test in 2016, she was reluctant to embrace Trump. She initially backed Ohio Gov. John Kasich's presidential bid.

The decision to support the Ohio moderate was in line with her voting record. Stefanik has a lifetime rating of 48% from the conservative Heritage Action for America and 35% from Club for Growth, among the lowest grades for House Republicans.

In the late spring of 2016, when Trump emerged as the GOPs presumed presidential nominee, local press noted that she refused to say Trumps name, promising only to support my partys nominee in the fall.

Stefanik became a more vocal Trump supporter as the election approached, but she regularly reminded voters that she disagreed with him at times. She described his remarks captured on video about sexually assaulting women as offensive and just wrong.

She warmed to Trump further after he took office. She also started a political action committee, Elevate PAC, designed to bring more Republican women to Congress. She was widely praised for the effort last fall, when 18 of the 30 women she endorsed won.

One was Rep. Ashley Hinson, an Iowa Republican who says she was in constant communication with Stefanik throughout her election. Beyond offering strategic guidance and moral support, Stefanik helped connect Hinson with her network of donors and political contacts in Washington.

It was an important and very pivotal year for the GOP in terms of telling the story that we were a party of women, minorities and veterans, Hinson said. And Elise had a great hand in that.

Trump was impressed, too.

While Cheney's conservative ratings are far superior to Stefanik's, Trump this past week called Cheney a warmongering fool who has no business in Republican Party Leadership.

Elise Stefanik is a far superior choice, and she has my COMPLETE and TOTAL Endorsement for GOP Conference Chair, he said in a written statement. Elise is a tough and smart communicator!

Back in upstate New York, longtime supporters have noticed Stefanik's evolution.

Graham, the former Watertown mayor, acknowledged that Stefanik has become more Trumpian, but like many other Republicans in the rural district, he's generally pleased with the trajectory of her career.

Our members of Congress up here have not had much time on the national stage," Graham said. Were proud of most of it.

___

Associated Press writer Alan Fram in Washington contributed to this report.
Pakistan's Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif was on Saturday barred from flying to the UK by the country's top investigation agency though a top court here allowed him to seek medical treatment abroad, his party spokesperson said.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said Shahbaz was not allowed to leave the country after the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) allegedly placed his name on a 'person-not-in-list'.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday granted Shahbaz a "conditional permission" to travel to the UK for medical treatment from May 8 to July 3. He was all set to join his "self-exiled" elder brother and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in London.

However, Shahbaz, 69, was reportedly not allowed to fly from the Lahore airport to the United Kingdom via Qatar on Saturday morning after the FIA allegedly placed his name on "another list", preventing him from leaving the country, Aurangzeb said.

"When Shahbaz Sharif came to the airport today, FIA officials stopped him and said he could not travel because there was another list, a 'person-not-in-list'," she said, adding that according to the FIA, the system had not been updated yet after the court order.

Aurangzeb said that two FIA officials were present in court when the LHC issued an order allowing Shahbaz to travel abroad. The court order also mentioned the flight number the PML-N president would take to fly to Qatar.

She alleged that Shahbaz has been stopped from travelling to London on the 'direct order' of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently in Saudi Arabia for a three-day visit.

"This is contempt of court and we will use all legal options against this illegal act of Imran Khan and company," she said.

FIA immigration officials reportedly offloaded the Opposition leader from a flight to Doha after his name was found to be present on the blacklist, which prevents him from leaving the country. After being denied permission to travel, Shahbaz returned to his residence in Model Town, the Express Tribune reported.

Speaking to an immigration official at the airport, PML-N leaders informed that Shahbaz has been granted conditional permission to travel abroad for medical treatment by the LHC, to which the official responded that he was barred from leaving the country until the clearance on the immigration system is updated.

According to FIA immigration officials, his name has not yet been removed from the blacklist by the Interior Ministry.

No clearance was issued in the system, he (Shahbaz Sharif) will be allowed to board the plane once the name is cleared, the official maintained.

Shahbaz was scheduled to leave Lahore for Doha on Saturday morning, after which he was to leave for London after a 10-day quarantine in Qatar.

Earlier on Thursday Shahbaz had challenged the placement of his name on a travel blacklist and sought one-time permission to go abroad for medical treatment.

I have been a cancer patient and got treated in New York and London. I could not get treatment for more than seven months as I was in jail," he said, adding in light of the medical test report conducted in jail, there was a need for immediate treatment. The Khan government reacted strongly to the courts decision to grant permission to Shahbaz to travel abroad.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Chaudhry said that the FIA director general held the authority to add or remove a person's name from the blacklist.

"Shahbaz's lawyers have not submitted any request to the DG FIA to remove (Shahbaz's name) from the blacklist as per the court's decision. The record cannot be changed on the basis of verbal talks," Chaudhry said.

On April 23, 2021, Shahbaz Sharif walked free from Lahores Kot Lakhpat jail after about eight months behind bars in the money laundering and assets beyond means reference filed by the country's anti-graft body.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had alleged that Shahbazs family had assets of around PKR16.5 million till 1990, which increased to over PKR7 billion in 2018 which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Nawaz Sharif has been in London since November 2019 on "medical grounds".

The Khan government has declared Sharif an absconder and cancelled his passport.

Sharif left the country after the court granted him bail in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case in which he was undergoing seven years imprisonment in Kot Lakhpat jail Lahore.

He was also granted four-week bail on medical grounds to have his treatment abroad. The government declared him an absconder after he failed to justify prolonging his stay in London.
Barbara Windsor was once threatened to be killed by the Kray twins while filming a movie in the East End of London in the Sixties.

The actress, who passed away in December, aged 83, was shooting scenes for her 1963 film Sparrows Cant Sing when the notorious London gangsters showed up.

According to a new BritBox documentary, Secrets Of The Krays, which is released on Thursday, Ronnie and Reggie Kray threatened to kill the movie's cast and crew as they didn't have their 'permission to shoot' the film.

Life threat: Dame Barbara Windsor was once threatened to be killed by the Kray twins while filming a movie in the Sixties (Reggie Kray, right, at a film premiere with Barbara and her husband Ronnie Knight around 1969)

According to assistant director Peter Medak, 82, as reported by The Sun, they showed up in a fleet of black limousines on the first day of filming as about about five or six men in dark suits stepped out of one.

He said: 'These two guys [Ronnie and Reggie Kray] came over and said to me, "Who gave you permission to shoot here? Because nobody asked us."

'I said, "Obviously the police, because we have permission for filming in all the streets of the East End". And they said, 'Nobody asked us and you could get into big trouble.

'I said, "Like what?" and they said, "Like getting killed".'

Crime: According to a new documentary Ronnie and Reggie Kray threatened to kill the movie's cast and crew as they didn't have their 'permission to shoot' in the East End (pictured in 1964)

However, after the producers struck a deal with the Kray twins, the gangsters befriended the cast, including Barbara Windsor, and gave them all free drinks.

Peter revealed that they shot scenes from the movie at the Kentucky Club, one of the many nightclubs the Krays opened, and the twins 'loved being around on the set'.

Barbara stars as Maggie in the film, the wife of a sailor who comes home after two years at sea to discover she is now shacked up with a married bus driver and a toddler.

The actress, who passed away in December, aged 83, was shooting scenes for her 1963 film Sparrows Cant Sing (pictured on set) when the notorious London gangsters showed up

The Carry On star was laid to rest at Golders Green crematorium in January 2021, following her death from Alzheimer's disease in December last year.

Barbara's friends and family attended the private service in London, with a mourners restricted to 30 people amid ongoing coronavirus restrictions.

Famed for her infectious laugh and baring all in the Carry On films, the Shoreditch-born actress known as 'Babs' boasted a 66-year career in showbiz, first appearing on stage aged 13 before retiring four years ago aged 79.

As dementia took its toll, 4ft 10ins Dame Barbara was forced to stop playing fearsome landlady Peggy Mitchell on EastEnders.
Congresswoman Cori Bush has been mocked for referring to mothers as 'birthing people', in her speech before Congress on Thursday.

She drew condemnation from many, including Fox News' Tucker Carlson, who mocked her by saying 'mother has been banned' because the term is 'too sexist'.

The representative for Missouri told the harrowing story of how she was ignored by doctors when she told them of the extreme pain she was in, early in her pregnancy with both her children.

She said her concerns were dismissed, and both her children - her son Zion, now 21, and daughter Angel, now 20 - were born extremely premature.

Cori Bush, representative for Missouri, spoke before a House committee on Thursday

Bush with her father, her son Zion, 21, and daughter Angel, 20

'I sit before you today as a single mom, as a nurse, as an activist, congresswoman, and I am committed to doing the absolute most to protect black mothers, to protect black babies, to protect black birthing people, and to save lives.'

'Every day, Black birthing people and our babies die because our doctors dont believe our pain,' she tweeted later on Thursday.

'My children almost became a statistic. I almost became a statistic. I testified about my experience today.

'Hear us. Believe us. Because for so long, nobody has.'

Bush's terminology was immediately seized on.

Nancy Mace, a South Carolina congresswoman, tweeted: 'Birthing people - you mean women or moms?

'The left is so woke they're stripping from women the one thing that only we can do.'

Steve Cortes, a former Trump advisor, questioned whether Mother's Day will get a new title.

'"Birthing people." This upcoming Sunday is no longer Mothers Day, its Birthing Peoples Day,' he said.

Carlson ridiculed her on Friday night, saying it was 'dehumanizing'.

Tucker Carlson on Friday night mocked Bush for her terminology

He said she was 'referring to black birthing people - in other words, mothers.'

Carlson continued: 'That happened in a House committee hearing on birthing, while examining America's black maternal health crisis.

'Because everything is about race now.'

'Well, it's almost mother's day. We have to change the name because mother has been banned. Too sexist. Fortunately, some members of congress have a new name for mothers', Carlson said.

The hearing was held to address what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe as 'wide racial/ethnic gaps' in maternal mortality.

Non-Hispanic black women die in childbirth at a rate of 37.1 per 100,000 live births, compared to 14.7 with non-Hispanic white women, and 11.8 with Hispanic women.

Carlson said: 'As you can imagine, some people thought this language of birthing people was in fact kind of dehumanizing, reducing people to their biological function, though that, of course, would be par for the course for Cori Bush and her friends.'

Even some of Bush's supporters objected to the terminology.

'I'm all about inclusivity, but being afraid to use the term 'woman' like it's a four letter word is going too far,' said one.

'Please do not EVER refer to me as a "birthing person",' said another.

'I am currently pregnant with my first son and I will be referred to as a pregnant WOMAN and his MOTHER. That is all.'

Journalist Emily Zanotti noted: 'The law for "birthing people" is called ... The Mommies Act.'

Bush was supported by pro-choice group NARAL, which tweeted: 'When we talk about birthing people, we're being inclusive. It's that simple.

'We use gender neutral language when talking about pregnancy, because it's not just cis-gender women that can get pregnant and give birth.

'Reproductive freedom is for *every* body.'

Bush herself was unrepentant.

'I testified in front of Congress about nearly losing both of my children during childbirth because doctors didnt believe my pain,' she said.

'Republicans got more upset about me using gender-inclusive language in my testimony than my babies nearly dying.

'Racism and transphobia in America.'
Thirty-five-year-old Tran Thi Hoan has overcome the physical disabilities brought about by her mothers exposure to Agent Orange and now thrives as a technician at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City where she happily shares her love for life with those around her.

Hoans parents had no trouble picking out her name when she was born. Hoan, Vietnamese for joy, was the perfect fit for a daughter they hoped would thrive despite being born with only one arm and no legs.

And she did thrive, growing up to become a successful entrepreneur, an IT technician at Ho Chi Minh Citys Tu Du Obstetric and Gynecological Hospital, and a well-known orator who travels the country to give speeches in support of those impacted by Agent Orange.

Finding strength

Agent Orange has shattered Hoans family. The deadly chemical caused the deaths of two of her siblings - her younger brother from a hernia of his abdominal wall as a baby and her older sister from cancer. Of her two living siblings, one suffers from a severe disease.

Hoan was raised at the Hoa Binh Peace Village  a center sponsored by the Tu Du Obstetric and Gynecological Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City which is dedicated to helping victims of Agent Orange.

Growing up in the village gave Hoan the opportunity to attend school and eventually finish college. But of course, finishing college meant it was time to say goodbye to her parents and, for the first time, lead an independent life.

Everybody was afraid at first, but she proved to be stronger than most able-bodied people, said Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, a doctor at the Peace Village.

According to Hoan, that strength is derived from the people who cared for her at the village  the Catholic sisters and teachers who supported her, a mother named Ngoc Phuong, a grandma named Hai Chung, and an old Australian couple who showered her with unconditional love.

Fueled by gratitude

Despite having just one arm, Hoan is thankful for the life she was given and uses that gratitude as inspiration for the speeches she has delivered in the U.S., Australia, and South Africa to spread awareness of and garner support for victims of Agent Orange.

Her activism is proudly highlighted in Ho Chi Minh Citys War Remnants Museum, where a copy of a letter she wrote to U.S. President Barack Obama describing a speech she gave regarding Agent Orange is displayed.

This simple piece of paper is merely a small representation of the massive efforts shes put in to helping others who have suffered Agent Orange.

Overcoming obstacles

Though Hoan is thankful for her upbringing, growing up as a woman with a disability wasnt easy.

I was away from my family for the first time. I spent a lot of time crying, she said.

I also fell down a lot when they first gave me prosthetic artificial legs. I had bruises all over and was often made fun of by other students at school because I was the only disabled student. It was my parents' encouragement that kept me going.

In fact, it was her parents love that inspired her to finish school and spread her wings behind the confines of the Peace Village.

Hoan embarked on life as an independent woman, navigating the world as a disabled person.

Some things were a struggle  finding accommodation, purchasing furniture, managing finances, and cooking  but soon she overcame those difficulties and began to thrive.

Even setbacks, like not being accepted to medical school because of her disability, were merely small barriers in her path to success, forcing her to make the decision to switch to information technology and eventually secure a job at Tu Du Hospital.

I always have to love myself and I must never give up hope, she said.

Hoan (center) amongst her friends. Photo: Le Van / Tuoi Tre

An independent life

Hoan currently lives in Cat Lai Ward, Thu Duc District, about 12 kilometers from her workplace in a large house where the tenants all live like one big family with a common space used for eating and chatting together.

Her favorite meal to cook is banh xeo  a crispy Vietnamese pancake made with shrimp and bean sprout which she can prepare singlehandedly.

You have to see how she cuts the veggies and blends the flour, said Hue, one of Hoans housemates.

She never allows any one of us because she thinks were not skilled enough.

Hoans house isnt the most handicap-accessible place in the world. Most of her belongings are kept in a loft area accessible only by a flight of stairs.

Ive climbed these stairs for six years. Im better than Tarzan, she said.

When I first came here, I was even able to push a huge metal wardrobe up the stairs.

Now, Hoans biggest obstacle is no longer her disability or the stairs, its caring for her parents.

In March, her mother was hospitalized and her father has been undergoing chemotherapy for liver cancer at the University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City.

To help pay for her parents medical fees, Hoan sells fruit and mushrooms online, shipping each order herself on a three-wheeled motorbike.

She was disabled from birth and we were all worried about her, her father said.

But she turned out to be the least of our worries. Now she takes care of us.

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NEW YORK (AP)  Investigators looking into sexual harassment allegations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo interviewed county officials about his vaccine czar calling them to assess their support for the embattled governor.

The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that investigators with the state attorney generals office interviewed at least three Democratic county executives who say Larry Schwartz called to gauge their loyalty to the governor and whether they would urge him to resign.

One county executive was disturbed by the call and complained to the state attorney generals office, according to reports published in March in The New York Times and The Washington Post. The executive, who hasn't been named, feared the countys vaccine supply could suffer if the executive did not indicate support for Cuomo, the Post reported.

Another county executive, Mark Poloncarz of Erie County, told the Journal he spoke with investigators on March 30 and told them that he didnt feel Schwartz was trying to pressure him.

Investigators also spoke with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. He has said publicly that he told Schwartz he favored an independent investigation into Cuomo's conduct and that Schwartz did not talk about vaccines during their conversation.

The New York Times previously reported investigators interest in the calls.

Schwartz has acknowledged making calls to county executives but said he did nothing wrong and denied discussing vaccines during those conversations.

The state attorney generals office declined comment. Cuomo's office referred to a statement that Beth Garvey, acting counsel to the governor, issued on the matter in March. In it, she said that allegations Schwartz acted unethically or against the interests of New Yorkers was patently false.

Larrys conversations did not bring up vaccine distribution -- he would never link political support to public health decisions," Garvey said. "Distorting Larrys role or intentions for headlines maligns a decades long public servant who has done nothing but volunteer around the clock since March (2020) to help New York get through the COVID pandemic.

Schwartz, an executive at a company that runs restaurants and other services at major airports, resigned from his volunteer czar position last week ahead of a change in state rules that would've barred him from lobbying governors office for two years if he stayed on.

Schwartz served as secretary to the governor from 2011 until 2015 and remains a member of the board of directors at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that runs public transit in the New York City area.

Attorney General Letitia James, an independently elected Democrat, hired former Acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim and employment discrimination attorney Anne Clark in March to lead an investigation into allegations that Cuomo sexually harassed or behaved inappropriately toward several women, including former staffers.

The three-term governor has denied touching any women inappropriately and rejected calls for his resignation from fellow Democrats, including New Yorks two U.S. senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. He has asked New Yorkers to await the results of James probe.

James' office also is investigating whether Cuomo broke the law by having members of his staff help write and promote his book about leadership during the pandemic. James office confirmed last month that it received a referral letter from Comptroller Tom DiNapoli regarding the book but declined further comment, citing an ongoing investigation.
Academics / Advising

Screaming Eagles Orientation - Virtual

Come learn more about resources at USI as you begin your academic journey with us!

Screaming Eagles Orientation will be provided virtually using the Zoom platform. These virtual orientations will last around 90 minutes and will provide a great opportunity for new students to meet staff, faculty, current and other new students; to ask questions; and to learn about resources available to help them be successful at USI.

We offer a separate Virtual Parent and Family Orientation session at the same time. This session will focus on meeting staff and faculty and answering parent and family members' questions.

Students will need to make a reservation for these session in myUSI. Students just need to look for the Screaming Eagles Orientation app. When students are making their reservation, they will have the opportunity to sign up parents and family members for their own virtual orientation session.

The Zoom links for these programs will be sent in the confirmation.

More information and additional resources are available at USI.edu/orientation.
We spend so much time dressing our nails. We shine, buff and have them treated with oils and lotions. People spend over 600 million dollars yearly on polish and other art to make their nails look pristine. There are stickers, at-home gel manicures and 3D effects that are added to make them pop. However, they may look fabulous, but underneath all the shine there could be potential problems lurking. The status of your fingernails could indicate a bigger issue going in your body. It could possibly indicate disease and other ailments that you have missed. By checking for these abnormalities early on you could catch diseases and other illnesses early on before it becomes unmanageable.

"Some signs to consider regarding your nails are nail pitting, which is associated with psoriasis or Reiter's syndrome."

The American Academy of Dermatology explained that our nails mirror our general health. When there are changes in the nail like cracking or discoloration, it may signal problems that affect our well-being. It could mean there are kidney diseases, heart and lung conditions, anemia and diabetes. Some signs to consider regarding your nails are nail pitting, which is associated with psoriasis or Reiter's syndrome. Any swelling or discoloration could be a sign of diabetes. The health of your nails indicates your nutrition levels, iron deficiencies and premature aging. Texture and color play a part and is a way the body communicates about your health status. Look at it as a suggestion to see your physician. Most likely it is nothing severe, but it is worth checking out for a peace of mind. Here are what your nails are alerting you to.

Pale Nails

Anemia may be associated with pale or gray nails. Anemia is a treatable disorder that happens when a person has a low red blood count. The condition happens when the blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin. Anemia resulting from low levels of iron can lead to inadequate oxygen in the blood, which causes the skin and tissues to become pale," Shilpi Agarwal, M.D explained to Shape magazine. People can become lethargic since the organs are not receiving what they need to run optimally. Anemia is the most common blood conditions reported in the U.S. and it impacts an estimated 3 million people. You can take an iron supplement and start eating more foods with iron like red meat, leafy greens, beans, tofu and whole grains.

Yellow Nails

Nails when they age become more yellow or it could be from using nail polish for a long stretch of time. Smoking could also be a culprit. However, if they become frail and develop an infection from fungus, a bigger problem might be the cause. Nail fungus although a common condition, begins with a yellow spot at the tip of the fingernail and toenail. Chronic bronchitis, diabetes, thyroid disease or lung diseases could be a factor.

Brittle Nails

Author Dr. Mercola said that lifestyle also plays a role when it comes to brittle nails. If your hands are always in water or if you use polish remover frequently the nail can become brittle and lifted. However, brittle nails could indicate hypothyroidism or a fungal infection. "Mounting research shows that 10 percent to 40 percent of people living in the United States have suboptimal thyroid function," he said. There could also be a deficiency of vitamin A and vitamin B.

White Nails

Muehrcke's lines are spots or streaks that may extend across the nails and do not leave when the nail grows out. Causes of this can be from chemotherapy, kidney disease, liver disease or a lack of nutrients. A lack of albumin may also produce white nails. Low levels of this protein are made by the liver and if it is low it may cause these white lines to appear. Another reason for the lines is that swelling pushes against the "blood vessels that run underneath the nail, causing color changes," WebMD reported. If you suspect that there could be something serious, see you doctor and ask for a blood test.

Clubbed Nails

When your fingertips become larger and the nail becomes curved, it is called "clubbing." Clubbing is due to low oxygen in the blood, heart disease, liver disease or lung disease. These conditions could be causing the clubbing and it needs to be treated, so ask your doctor to run tests so you are armed with information. If you are diagnosed with a serious malady you can get a head start before it becomes chronic.

Horizontal Ridged Nails

Horizontal ridges can be caused by a high fever or injury that the body went through. "It can be from psoriasis, uncontrolled diabetes, circulatory disease, or severe zinc deficiency," Mercola shared. There is another line to watch for and that is Mees' lines. This is characterized by a discoloration that develops across the nails. It can be a consequence of Hodgkins disease, carbon monoxide poisoning, malaria or arsenic poisoning.

Pitted Nails

Nail pitting may look like small depressions in the nail. It is common with people who suffer from psoriasis. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that causes the skin to become red and scaly. Psoriasis may also develop on the scalp, on the elbows, on the knees, on the hands and on the feet. The condition can be treated with medicated ointments and creams. Nail pitting may also be caused by Reiter's syndrome. This is also called a "reactive arthritis." This happens when the body reacts to an infection in the body.

Spoon Nails

Spoon nails look like they have scoops and peel upwards. Medically it is referred as a growth disorder in the nail and is medically known as koilonychia. It can be caused by anemia or caused by heart disease.

If you believe that your nails are showing significant signs of being brittle, yellow, dented, pitted, or discolored--go to the doctor and get a lab workup. It might not be anything severe, but you will have more knowledge and a peace of mind that you investigated it further. You can't put a price on your health or your peace of mind.
1. Yes. Its important to keep my child as safe as possible. We plan to take advantage.

2. Yes. With the school district dropping its mask mandate, its a necessary step.

3. No. Local COVID cases are dropping. There is no good reason to vaccinate my child.

4. No. There hasnt been enough data on vaccinated children. I think Ill hold off.

5. Unsure. I havent decided yet whether to take part in the vaccine clinics.

Vote

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on the COVID-19 situation in the state.

Modi has been interacting with chief ministers over telephone for the last couple of days to take stock of the pandemic situation in their states.

Maharashtra has been the worst-affected state during the second wave of the COVID-19 infections. Though some of its cities, including Mumbai, have seen consistent improvement, the situation in many parts of the state remains of concern.

The state recorded over 54,000 new cases of COVID-19 in a day, according to the the latest update.

Also read: Delhi still facing COVID-19 vaccine shortage; needs 3 crore doses, says Arvind Kejriwal
A man who made a career chauffeuring our elected officials has lifted the lid on what Australian politicians really get up to when they think no one is watching.

The long-serving former ministerial driver told the Daily Telegraph about alleged secret love affairs, late night hook-ups, boozy functions and the extraordinary demands made by his powerful clientele.

While those in the industry are normally known for their discretion, a work dispute between the NSW government and the long-suffering drivers has triggered the ex-staffer to speak out.

The tight circle of ministerial drivers allegedly knew about Premier Gladys Berejiklian and her relationship with disgraced ex-MP Daryl Maguire

A long-serving former ministerial driver lifted the lid on the secret love affairs, late night hook-ups, boozy functions and the extraordinary demands made by their powerful clientele. Pictured: An armoured ministerial car

Among the most shocking encounters was when a now retired minister opened the car door after a heavy night on the drink and began urinating the side door pocket.

Mid-way through he told the chauffeur he'd be 'back in 30 minutes' because he needed to say his goodbyes to others at the function.

The secret lives of NSW politicians was thrust into the spotlight at the end of last year when it was revealed Premier Gladys Berejiklian had a romantic relationship with disgraced ex-MP Daryl Maguire.

But before their relationship was ever made public, the tight circle of ministerial drivers had put two and two together and were not surprised when the revelations came out.

The driver said at least two other ministers are also prone to secret late-night hook-ups.

Two drivers were told to take two different ministers to the same city apartment complex before returning the following morning to drop them off at Parliament House.

But while drivers see their fair share of boozing and steamy romances, there are also ministers that are overly demanding.

One minister told his driver to take him back to Sydney from a Bathurst hotel at 2.30am because he was irritated by 'a loud drip'.

Another minister ordered his driver to head out of Sydney because he forgot his tie. When he returned he told the driver to turn around and go back again to pick up his wife.

Sometimes ministers even decide to keep the car and send the driver packing in the middle of the night.

One driver was forced to hitch-hike home after ferrying a politician's country getaway.

Among the most shocking encounters was when a now retired minister opened the car door after a heavy night on the drink and began urinating the side door pocket. Pictured: NSW Parliament House

With nowhere to stay he asked if he could spend the night at the local police station before getting on with his two day trip home.

But despite all the horror stories, the retired driver said: 'Some of them are the most wonderful people, making sure you have a pillow under your head and a plate of food.'

Ministerial drivers are increasingly worried because NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet are currently in the midst of restructuring and many drivers fear the shake up could cost them their job or leave them worse off.

'It's making an Uber for pollies  drivers will be left with worse conditions, under resourced and pulling longer hours to keep up with the workload,'' Union general secretary Steward Little said.

'Last I checked there weren't any fewer politicians, so to halve the drivers workforce with a phony redundancy saddles the remaining team with an enormous workforce,' he said.
Volunteers who keep Victorias collection of vintage trains in working order could be moved on from the rail yard in Melbournes west that theyve called home for decades.

Three groups of unpaid workers have been maintaining the historic rolling stock at the 133-year-old Newport Railway Workshops, which is owned by the Victorian government and protected on the state heritage register.

Joe Kellett, chairman of Steamrail Victoria, at the Newport workshops on Saturday. Credit:Justin McManus

But the workshop site is owned by VicTrack who manage the states rail assets and say they need to take it over to meet the increasing demand for train services.

The site is bordered by the Williamstown and Werribee rail lines and the Williamstown Cemetery so if VicTrack takes up more space, the volunteers days in Newport would be numbered.
According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in the first four months of 2021, Vietnamese companies have shown their interest in outward investment in 10 sectors.

A recent significant jump in Vietnams investment abroad, raising direct funds, and mergers and acquisitions are slated to help local companies quench the thirst for high-quality capital, improving their international status, and expanding their customer bases.

Vietnams overseas companies have been gaining momentum in moving international capital, investing across a broad spectrum of sectors ranging from natural resources and manufacturing to telecommunications and many others.

Fresh data from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) reveals that in the first four months of 2021, Vietnams total newly- and additionally-granted overseas investment capital reached $545.9 million, up nearly eight-fold on-year.

Some 18 projects were granted new investment registration certificates, with the total registered capital of $142.8 million, an increase of 2.7 times on-year. Furthermore, there were nine projects with adjusted investment capital of $403.2 million, up 25.5 times on-year.

The countrys largest dairy producer Vinamilk was in February granted a certificate of offshore investment by the MPI to establish a joint venture in the Philippines with the initial fund of $6 million.

Vinamilk and its partner will hold 50 per cent of the joint venture which will import and distribute the groups dairy products in the Philippines market.

The company has reported stellar financials in recent times thanks to the upbeat performance of its overseas subsidiaries. Angkormilk enjoyed a 20-per-cent increase in 2020, while its joint venture with Kido Food, Vibev, is capitalising on Vinamilks export network of 30 countries and territories.

Leading the way

In another case, Military Bank (MB), one of Vietnams major lenders, is leveraging its tremendous potential and financial might to increase its foothold in the Southeast Asian market, especially Cambodia, where last month it converted its branch into a wholly-owned bank.

In addition, MB plans to transfer 36-49 per cent of its subsidiarys charter capital to a foreign strategic partner. The bank believes that its customers will benefit as they are well-served by a professional multinational financial group with a wide range of services, especially in money transfer, investment activities, and supporting cross-border business transactions.

We firmly believe that the establishment of MBs subsidiary in Cambodia will significantly increase the banks footprint there, as well as enhance our financial capacity, said CEO Luu Trung Thai.

The banking arm will lay a concrete foundation for us to explore vast potential of the Cambodian market, especially in the insurance and securities sectors. Along with IT infrastructure and digital banking services, MB is ramping up efforts to become the leading digital bank in Cambodia by 2025 and be among the top lenders in the micro finance sector of this country, Thai added.

When it comes to telecommunications in Laos, people often think of Unitel  a Star Telecom brand, which is a joint venture between Viettel Group and a Lao company. Unitel now garners more than 3.3 million subscribers, and accounts for 56 per cent of the telecoms market share in Laos.

Viettel Global JSC  the overseas subsidiary of Viettel  has just announced its 2020 consolidated results with net revenue from operating activities of approximately VND19 trillion ($826 million) and pre-tax profit of approximately VND1.201 trillion ($52.2 million).

Viettels major growth driver is its solid business in foreign markets, including significant contributions from Mytel in Myanmar and Natcom in Haiti.

Viettel Global is one of the most exemplary cases of Vietnamese business overseas, with its affiliates dominating their respective markets. Last year, the company earned VND9.14 trillion ($397.4 million) in revenue from Southeast Asia and VND3.2 trillion ($139.13 million) from Latin America, separately.

In February, Asian media was in a stir over the rumoured takeover deal between Vingroup and LG Electronics, the fourth-biggest chaebol in South Korea. Vingroup has emerged as the most potential bidder to acquire LG Electronics smartphone production line as an important milestone for the Vietnamese group to penetrate the United States. However, LG Electronics discussions to sell its mobile phone factories to Vingroup fell through as the Vietnamese leading private conglomerates bid did not match expectations.

Satisfying the rules

On the same note, last month, VinFast - the automobile arm of Vingroup - and Bamboo Airways revealed fundraising activity plans that involved possible listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

According to Bloomberg, VinFast could be valued at around $50 billion after a successful initial public offering (IPO), while Bamboo Airways aims to raise up to $200 million in an overseas IPO in the third quarter of this year. The FLC Group airline subsidiary expects to secure market capitalisation of up to $4 billion.

On the other hand, challenges still colour the landscape, because not all Vietnamese corporations can satisfy the strict regulations of international stock exchanges.

Kent Wong, partner and head of Capital Markets at VCI Legal, shared some of the issues which could pose challenges for a Vietnamese company hoping to attain an IPO overseas. Overseas exchanges require a high level of transparency, corporate governance, and strong internal controls, and most Vietnamese companies are not ready for this, Wong told VIR.

Furthermore, the lack of resources to ensure regulatory compliance with rules and regulations after listing on the overseas stock exchange is also a major issue hampering the IPO process. Compliance with the overseas exchange rules would mean the disclosure of information which materially affects the companys share price, and including internal company information, such as the appointment of officers, acquisition of assets, winding up or judicial proceedings, he added.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in the first four months of 2021, Vietnamese companies have shown their interest in outward investment in 10 sectors. Science and high technology took the lead with eight new projects and two adjusted ventures, with the total newly- and additionally-registered investment capital of $270.8 million, accounting for 19.6 per cent of the total investment. Wholesale and retail ranked second, with the total investment capital of $147.8 million and making up 27.1 per cent. Following were agro-forestry-fisheries; administrative activities; and support services. There were 15 countries and territories receiving investment from Vietnam. The United States was the leading nation, with two new investment and two capital adjustment projects, with the total registered investment capital of $302.3 million, accounting for 55.4 per cent of the total investment. Cambodia came second with the investment capital of $89.1 million, making up 16.3 per cent of the total. Followed were France, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands, with the total investment capital reaching $32 million. As of April 20, Vietnam had over 1,400 valid offshore investment projects with the total investment capital of $21.8 billion. Mining projects made up for 36 per cent of the total, while agro-forestry-fisheries accounted for 15.4 per cent. Laos, Cambodia, and Russia were the most popular investment destinations from Vietnam, with 23.1 per cent, 13 per cent, and 12.7 per cent respectively.

VIR

Eye-catching deals in a year of disruptions Although share contributions and purchases have gone into a relative lull in recent times, there have still been numerous outstanding deals stealing the limelight in the market.
MONROE  Police are investigating after a vial of white powder, later identified as cocaine, was found in a classroom at an elementary school Friday morning, the superintendent said.

A staff member discovered the vial in a third-grade classroom at Monroe Elementary School around 11 a.m., Superintendent Joseph Kobza wrote in an email to parents and staff.

We immediately contacted the Monroe Police Department. Presumptive testing revealed that the substance was cocaine, Kobza wrote.

Kobza said the issue was turned over to police who began an investigation, which included a K-9 search of the classroom while the students were outside.

In an email to Hearst Connecticut Media, Kobza said the incident is still an active investigation with the Monroe Police Department. No action has been taken against staff members, and because schools do not know where the substance came from it would be inappropriate to speculate, he said.

A spokesman for the Monroe Police Department said he had no further information.

In his letter to the community, Kobza said the schools will partner with the police department to resolve the issue. The families of the students who were in the classroom have all been contacted.

The entire school was searched by police K-9 to ensure the safety of all students and staff, Kobza said. That search did not turn up anything.

Kobza said any other information that develops will be shared with the community, and asked that anyone with information to speak with police investigators.

We also ask that you take caution if you decide to share any of this information with your children. We do not believe that any students (even the students in the classroom) have any knowledge of todays incident, he wrote. If you feel you need to talk to your child about this, please reach out to the school counselor for suggestions.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Monroe police at 203-261-3622.
Newly appointed Ambassador of Italy presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President

Armenia Prosecutor General holds consultation with law-enforcement officers of Syunik Province

Armenia acting Deputy PM receives Masdar representatives

Biden, Erdogan to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh during meeting on the sidelines of NATO summit

Armenia Ombudsman: Azerbaijani soldiers are busy stealing cattle of Armenian residents

Armenia opposition party leader terminates election campaign, calls on canceling snap elections

Maldives foreign minister elected UN General Assembly president

Armenia acting PM: Captives will forgive us for staying in Baku prisons for another month or two months

Armenia 2nd President: "Property for debt" deal is a de facto $100,000,000 investment made by Russia

Robert Kocharyan: If Armenia wants to be respected, it needs to have its Armed Forces

Baku sentences 13 Armenian POWs

Armenia acting PM holding march in Armavir town with a large number of security officers

Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of 2 more servicemen found and removed from Jrakan (Jabrayil)

Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party leader: War showed that Russia is only country that supported Armenians

Snap elections campaign kicks off in Armenia, treason case against Armenia exposed, Jun 7 digest

Vladimir Putin, Charles Michel discuss situation in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia MFA confirms that all deputy FMs have resigned

Karabakh emergency situations service: Cluster munition found in park near house in Stepanakert

Levon Ter-Petrosyan says upcoming elections will be most embarrassing and most dangerous ones in Armenia's history

Armenia 1st President says why he felt sorry for Nikol Pashinyan

Levon Ter-Petrosyan: Armenia doesn't have allies with regard to Karabakh issue

Armenia Ombudsman sends task force to Syunik Province for fact-finding to develop concept paper on buffer zone

"I have the honor" bloc of Armenia: We must kill the enemy first if it came to kill us

Jerusalem Joint Commission to provide funding for reconstruction of kindergarten in village of Karabakh

Acting PM on Armenian casualties in Artsakh war: Official death toll is close to 3,700

Armenia 2nd President makes call ahead of snap parliamentary elections

Dollar holds steady in Armenia

3 citizens apprehended during Armenia acting PM's campaign meeting in Armavir Province

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Asymmetric confederation was built with Karabakh

Armenia opposition party leader: Clashes can be prevented, if we garner majority of votes of 40% of undecided voters

Police forcefully apprehend woman who spoke out against Armenia acting PM in Etchmiadzin

ARARAT Nairi brandy won a gold medal in Tokyo Whisky and Spirits Competition

Armenia's Pashinyan grants himself a leave, to be substituted by acting Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan

Armenia opposition "I Have the Honor" bloc to officially launch election campaign today at 6 p.m.

Robert Kocharyan: Leading negotiations over other issues unacceptable so long as captives are in captivity

Search for remains of war casualties continues in Artsakh

Armenia, Georgia to restore railway communication starting from June 15

Armenia acting premier to ex-authorities: 75-80% of weapons were acquired during our rule

"Armenia" bloc holds rally in Kajaran town

Armenia acting PM Pashinyan is in Armavir Province

Armenia 2nd President: We need to find out why there is no Foreign Economic Zone with Iran

MOD: Azerbaijan army tried to carry out engineering works at Armenia Gegharkunik Province village section

2nd President Kocharyan: Armenia has not closed off anything

Over 24,000 hectares of forests burn in Arizona

Zakharova: Russia is ready for dialogue with NATO

Armenia former President Kocharyan: Officials should be prosecuted for lying

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Smart use of Syunik's geographical location will turn challenges into advantages

Some women tell Armenia acting PM they're employees of schools in Etchmiadzin during meeting in Gai village

Armenia acting PM's bodyguards chase citizen who chanted "Nikol traitor!"

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US says it does not want to be in arms race with any country

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Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - A COVID-19 vaccine produced in China has been given the green light for global rollout, potentially paving the way for its use in underserved countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday
New Delhi:

Actor-turned politician and BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha on Sunday said people have become mute spectators to the incidents that take place every day.

His comments came during at media session in Noida.

Sinha said, "Now it seems that we all have become silent. There is silence in the current atmosphere of the country."

"When I go to Pakistan, children there ask me to repeat my famous dialogue 'Khaamosh'," the BJP MP asserted.

The actor was in conversation with former journalist and writer Bharti Pradhan about his biography "Anything but Khaamosh".

Talking about the book, Sinha said, "I gave the first copy of my book to President Ramnath Kovind. (But) couldn't give it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it didn't come out by the time I last met him." (with PTI Inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The fate of a proposal that would essentially double the amount of water diverted from the Greater Bridgeport system to southwestern Connecticut now rests in the hands of the state.

Environmental groups and residents from the Fairfield area spent two public hearings this past week objecting to a permit now before the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, citing negative impacts on residents and the watershed.

The project is part of Aquarions long-range plan to meet water needs in southwestern Fairfield County. If approved, it would divert up to 14.2 million gallons a day from the Greater Bridgeport System to the Southwest Regional Pipeline. The current allowed amount is 7.26 million gallons a day.

DEEP already issued a Notice of Tentative Determination to Approve, limiting the annual daily average to 12.56 million gallons a day. The notice prompted two petitions and fueled comment at the public hearings.

Critics objected to the proposal, saying they were concerned the diversion would negatively impact residents and the watershed, especially along the Mill River and Cricker Brook. They urged the state to reduce the amount of water allowed and shorten the 25-year permit duration, giving more chance for review as time went on to determine the impacts and need.

Officials from the communities the diversion would serve  Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan and Stamford  said the water was needed as drought conditions become more likely. They also said their communities were cutting water use by increasing conservation efforts, something that both those in the Greater Bridgeport System and Aquarion said need to be key components of the proposal.

Its important water be used wisely, especially if its coming that distance, said Peter Galant of Tighe and Bond, which prepared the application for and serves as a consultant for Aquarion.

Janice Deshais, the DEEP hearing officer for the permit, is now considering the proposal. She held a public comment hearing on Tuesday and an evidentiary hearing Thursday that collected testimony from Aquarion, DEEP and other interested parties, which include several Fairfield groups, especially the Fairfield Conservation Commission.

Written comments can be submitted until May 15 to deep.adjudications@ct.gov.

Deshais said she expects to issue a decision in several months. She will hold another hearing this summer on alternatives if she finds that the diversion will have adverse environmental impacts.

My ultimate decision, which would include my findings on alternatives, would be several months after that hearing and any post-hearing process, she said.

The Greater Bridgeport System is made up of 12 towns: Bridgeport, Wilton, New Canaan, Darien, Stamford, Fairfield, Easton, Weston, Redding, Greenwich, Westport and Norwalk.

Galant said the four southwestern towns need more water.

Theres not enough supply from the local supplies to meet the demand and the demands are projected to increase, though not significantly, he said.

He said Aquarion also looked at other water sources, including purchasing water from New York and increasing the existing reservoirs that serve the Southwest Regional Pipeline, but said increasing water from the Greater Bridgeport System was the only feasible option.

Kate OMahoney, with the Mill River Wetland Committee in Fairfield, said Aquarion has been diverting 5 million daily gallons of water from the Greenwich system to New York as part of an old agreement and questioned if that should still be in effect, considering the increased need there and that DEEP discourages trans-state diversions.

Those in the Greater Bridgeport System said they recognized the need for more water for the southwestern corner, but questioned if it needed to nearly double the amount its already getting.

That seems like a significant increase, said state Sen. Tony Hwang, R-28. He instead proposed 10 million gallons and adding a five-year review process to see how much is actually needed.

Doug Hoskins, who approved the initial permit for DEEP, said adding the lower average daily cap essentially meant Aquarion couldnt divert the maximum allowed amount every day. He also said the permit has wording that allows the department to modify the allowed amount based on droughts or adverse effects to the environment, public health or safety.

We dont issue the permit and call it a day, he said.

Environmentalists and some officials argued that Aquarion determined water need based on state Department of Transportation estimates and not the population estimates Milone and MacBroom have done for the region. They also said only Stamfords numbers increased among the four southwestern towns.

Critics also said they worried the application didnt take into consideration the number of people who moved to Greater Bridgeport during the pandemic and how those needs might be increasing. They asked that gauges be activated along the reservoir system to monitor water flow and ensure the diversion wasnt lowering water levels too much and in turn harming the wildlife there.

Several endangered or threatened species are found along the waterways, including the eastern box turtle, the wood turtle, bald eagles and the toothcup plant. Theres also a wildlife management area for brook trout.

We have to be careful with any impacts to these species, said Patrick Comins, executive director for the Connecticut Audubon Society.

Galant said the diversion wont impact the flows of Cricker Brook or Mill River and so gauges arent needed.

Opponents of the permit also said the total water supply for the Greater Bridgeport System was based on a contaminated well field being cleaned up and coming back online, which they worried would affect the water quality.

OMahoney of the Mill River Wetland Committee said Greenwichs water use is three times the rest of the state and attributed the amount as being directly connected to outdoor water use.

Both Darien First Selectwoman Jayme Stevenson and Ted Jankowski, Stamfords public safety health and welfare director, said their communities are committed to water conservation efforts, but said that approving the permit was critical.

Stevenson said leaders in all four southwestern communities have worked with Aquarion on restrictions, including only allowing outside irrigation two days a week. Darien is also teaching water conservation in the schools and educating the community at large.

Drought resiliency will only be achieved with increased supply and sustained conservation efforts, Stevenson said.

Jankowski said droughts are becoming more frequent, and while Stamford understands the need and supports conservation efforts, the additional water gives Aquarion more flexibility.

While opponents of the proposal said they appreciated the commitment to conservation, they suggested holding off on permitting the whole amount to further encourage residents to conserve water.

Whats the incentive to do the conservation efforts when the water is readily available? Hwang asked.

kkoerting@newstimes.com
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Joined by the less-heralded but equally important Andrea Van de Kamp, Broad set out to prove that the project could be completed. He dragged the citys billionaire class into the business of supporting downtown and Los Angeles itself. When he was finished, the city had its greatest building. More importantly, it had regained the confidence that big things could actually get done here. Frank Gehrys masterpiece is also a monument to Broads determination to make Los Angeles work again.

While Newtons account, and others, focused on Broads civic successes, they only mentioned his failures in passing, the most important being his years-long efforts to transform public education.

Broad was an ardent supporter of education reforms such as charter schools, which he saw as an antidote to the overly bureaucratic and politicized, rigid and underperforming traditional model, exemplified by Los Angeles Unified. At one point, he suggested that LA Unified be completely replaced by charter schools governed by parents.

Broads assault on the educational status quo put him at odds with United Teachers Los Angeles and the California Teachers Association. They battled in elections for seats on the LA Unified board and in other arenas, including the Legislature, over the unions efforts to curb the expansion of charter schools, which are largely non-union.
on Saturday approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in Sri Lanka, as the island nation battles a third wave of the virus, while suffering a restricted supply of vaccines from neighboring India.

Dr. Sudharshani Fernandopulle, the minister overseeing the fight against the epidemic, said in a statement the government would order 5 million doses of the vaccine.

is seeking to secure other vaccines as the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, has suspended the delivery of AstraZeneca's Covishield vaccine due to spiraling infections in India.

is the first country in South Asia to approve the vaccine. It has also approved Russia's Sputnik and China's Sinopharm vaccines for emergency use.

The island nation reported 1,914 new cases and 19 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to federal health data, and its total number of active cases is higher than any point since the pandemic began. Infections surged after crowded celebrations for traditional New Year last month.

(Reporting by Waruna Karunatilake in Colombo; Writing by Alasdair Pal)
A prison rapper who was part of a County Lines gang that waved cash and zombie knives in drill rap videos appeared in a Channel 4 documentary as a child.

Halil Karagozlu, 20, was jailed for six and half years in May 2019 after it was found the WEZ gang - led by his brother Ahmet - had sold more than 400,000 of drugs.

Karagozlu later recorded drill raps on illegal mobile phones under the name Baby while at HMP Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution in Rochester, Kent, the Mirror reported.

Within them, he raps about his enemies running from his 'dagger', adding: 'Inject my blade and release my anger.'

But it has now been revealed that Karagozlu appeared in Channel 4 documentary Educating the East End in 2014.

Halil Karagozlu (above), 20, was jailed for six and half years in May 2019 after it was found the WEZ gang - led by his brother Ahmet - had sold more than 400,000 of drugs

The popular fly-on-the-wall programme captured his experience as a Year 8 pupil at Frederick Bremer School in Walthamstow, east London.

As a 13-year-old, Karagozlu was restrained by teachers and sent home from class after being disruptive and lashing out at fellow pupils.

In footage from the show, he tells interviewers he wants to steer clear of the 'wrong path' and follow in the footsteps of his grandfather Ahmet - who was a detective in Cyprus.

'I'm not sure which side to go after, criminal or police  I would probably choose police though,' he said.

Karagozlu once appeared in Channel 4 documentary Educating the East End in 2014

However, he now shares rap videos about running from the police, which his grandfather said he will 'have it out with him' over.

Ahmet added: 'He did swear so many times that he's not going to embarrass me anymore. I spent half of my life fighting against this kind of people.'

Karagozlu and his brother Ahmet were part of the WEZ gang, which is part of the larger DM Crew gang. It is said they are affiliated with the notorious Mali Boys.

The group, jailed for a total of 43 years in May 2019, had sent children as young as 13 to force their way into addicts' homes and sell drugs.
An Australian permanent resident has died in Covid-ravaged India after contracting the virus, authorities have confirmed.

The father-of-two, 59, died on Wednesday in New Delhi but Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she was unable to comment further on the circumstances of his death.

The man's daughter, Sonali Ralhan, who lives in Sydney, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday saying her family was 'abandoned' by its own country.

'I write to you with so much anger brewing inside me,' she wrote.

An Australian permanent resident has died in Covid-ravaged India after contracting the virus, authorities have confirmed (pictured relatives in PPE carry dead body at a crematorium in Moradabad, India)

'I am an Australian citizen and highly disappointed to be one today.

'What nation disowns their own citizens? [It] is a matter of wonder for the entire world.'

She said her father had been an Australian permanent resident for 10 years and her mother, who is an Australian citizen along with Ms Ralhan and her brother, was still in India.

Her father planned to apply for Australian citizenship, but due to frequent business trips to India, where he runs a hotel, he had not been in the country long enough.

'Now all I have left is my mother, who has been abandoned by her own government in India [with] no way to come back to her children,' Ms Ralhan said.

'We all want to cry our hearts out, but we are saving them for when we are all together again.'

She said her mother contracted the virus as well and when she asked government officials in India for help, all they did was occasionally call her mum to check in on her.

Ms Ralhan is now hoping her mother will be brought home so she and her family can 'gather the broken pieces of our souls together'.

The caring daughter made a series of increasingly desperate posts on Facebook groups asking for plasma donations and oxygen cylinders to help her father.

Health workers are seen attending to a patient in ICU at an Indian hospital in Moradabad

She told SBS News her parents travelled to India at the end of last year and hadn't managed to return home to Australia.

Her father, who managed a hotel in New Delhi, died just three days after the government put a ban on Australians returning home from India.

Ms Ralhan said she and her family had to source medical equipment to help her father in his dying days.

'Each and every oxygen cylinder was paid by us, which was a constant battle. Even finding one oxygen cylinder in Delhi right now is a miracle,' she told the publication.

The Sydney woman said she had contacted Australian embassy officials in India weeks ago asking for her parents to be brought home.

Ms Payne said the Department of Foreign Affairs was providing support and assistance to the man's family.

'Let me extend my sympathy, and that of the government, to the family of this person and to so many families that we know are dealing with what is an extraordinary challenge, with infection rates surging,' she told 2GB on Friday.

'There are very many families dealing with this challenge.'

More than 350,000 Covid cases were recorded in India on Wednesday alone. Pictured: a banquet hall temporarily converted into a coronavirus ward in New Delhi

Labor senator Penny Wong said the man's death was 'tragic and foreseeable', blaming the government's failure to bring Australians home from India.

'If he had a plan to get Australians home, we would not have nearly 10,000 Australians stranded in India,' she said.

'We wouldn't have had Australians stranded overseas and we would not have 173 kids unaccompanied minors, who are Australian citizens or permanent resident who are stuck in India.'

Australia's High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell was asked by a senate committee hearing on Friday if he knew of any Australians who had died waiting to leave the South Asian country.

'The department is aware and providing consular assistance, in accordance with its charter, to the family of an Australian permanent resident who reportedly has died in India,' he said.

'I'm advised, owing to our privacy obligations, we won't be providing any further comment.'

He added that India's nightly reported infection rate was in the hundreds of thousands of cases - greater than Canberra's population - and that he doubted anyone could say with certainty Australians were not among the fatalities.

Mr Morrison has announced Australians stuck in India are a priority for repatriation flights which will commence next week.

However, those who fail a pre-flight coronavirus test will be banned from boarding when rescue planes restart from May 15.

Mr Morrison on Friday said the India travel ban would end on schedule, following a fierce backlash against the harsh measures.

'The pause that we put in place for travelers coming back from India is working,' he told reporters in Newcastle.

India and nearby Nepal (pictured is Kathmandu) are battling a devastating third wave of coronavirus

India's Covid-19 crisis spiked out of control this week with daily deaths exceeding 3,000. Pictured: relatives wearing PPE perform the last rites before cremation of relative who died

Three repatriation flights - each carrying 150 people - will land in the Northern Territory and Australians on board will quarantine at the Howard Springs facility in Darwin.

The remote accommodation has been expanded from a capacity of 850 people up to 2000.

'Rapid antigen testing is a requirement and a negative test to get on a flight to Australia. I'm sure that's what all Australians would expect,' Mr Morrison said.

The new measures for all resuming flights from India into the Northern Territory, will require passengers to return both a negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test and a negative Rapid Antigen test before boarding.

The Federal Government will use the Howard Springs quarantine facility (pictured) in the NT to exclusively house Australian travellers fleeing Covid-ravaged India

Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner said these measures help Australians return home from India safely, while ensuring the case load at Howard Springs remains manageable.

'The Territory always stands ready to help our fellow Australians and we were there to help those first Aussies home from Wuhan at the start of this pandemic,' Chief Minister Gunner said.

'There is a humanitarian crisis in India and we have the gold standard facility with the health care heroes the country needs at our Centre for National Resilience to help get Australians home safely.'

The federal government has also confirmed NSW, Queensland and Victoria will also begin allowing direct flights from India next week.

While South Australia is considering the move 'favourably'.
Jinger Duggar has remembered the heart-wrenching phone call she received informing her of her grandmother Mary Duggar's drowning.

In her book, Hope We Hold: Finding Peace in the Promises of God, Jinger recalled feeling 'sick' after learning her grandmother had passed after falling into a family pool.

The Counting On star, 27, revealed she broke down into tears in the arms of her husband Jeremy Vuolo after her mother Michelle Duggar broke the news to her over the phone, according to excerpts obtained by People.

'My legs had already given way beneath me': Jinger Duggar has recalled the heartbreaking phone call she received informing her of her beloved grandmother Mary Duggar's drowning

'My hand shook as I held my phone to my face. My legs had already given way beneath me, and I could feel the carpet of my friend's living room digging into my knees. I heard my mom's words, but they didn't make sense. They couldn't be true. There had to be some mistake,' she wrote.

Jinger said knowing her grandmother had passed as a result of the tragic accident made her 'sick.'

'She hadn't died of natural causes or passed away peacefully in her sleep. Grandma Duggar drowned in her backyard pool,' Jinger wrote. 'The thought of my beloved grandma dying in such a tragic way made me sick. I couldn't even speak the words as Jeremy consoled me and asked what had happened.'

Jinger was consoled by her husband Jeremy, who held her as she cried and shared a comforting message with her.

Heartbreaking: Jinger felt 'sick' knowing her grandmother passed in the tragic accident

Happier times: Jinger and her husband Jeremy Vuolo with Mary

Candid: Jinger reflecting on the painful loss in her newly released book, The Hope We Hold: Finding Peace in the Promises Of God

'Grandma Duggar loved God,' Jinger recalled her husband whispering to her. 'She's with the Lord now. She's being ushered into glory. That's infinitely better than being here.'

Mary died June 9, 2019 at age 78 after falling and drowning in a family pool.

Jinger's new book comes amid the release of her brother Josh Duggar, who is currently awaiting trial on federal child pornography charges.

Josh said nothing as he was released from the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas and will now spend the next two months in home detention with family friends.

LaCount Reber and his wife Maria agreed to house the father-of-six despite authorities revealing this week that he kept a sickening trove of 200 child porn images on his computer.

Making memories: Jinger enjoyed a family moment with her parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, Mary, and her husband

Josh, best known for being a part of his family's reality show, 19 Kids and Counting, won't be allowed to return home to his pregnant wife Anna and their six children. Duggar will be allowed to see his kids - as long as his wife is present.

He will be electronically monitored and must remain with the Rebers at their home until his trial on July 6 trial for possession of child pornography, which he denies.

Josh spent seven nights in jail following his arrest before being released from custody at around 2:30pm local time, emerging from the detention center entrance in an untucked shirt, jeans and sneakers, his face covered with a mask.

Clean-cut Christian couple Maria and Lacount had told the court Wednesday they do not know Josh well but are good friends with his father. They assured the judge there was no WiFi at their home, only a dial-up connection.

Jinger, who goes by her married name Vuolo on social media, spoke out against her brother Josh after he was arrested and charged.

'We are disturbed to hear of the charges against Josh. While this case must go through the legal system, we want to make it clear that we absolutely condemn any form of child abuse and fully support the authorities and judicial process in their pursuit of justice,' her message read.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on the COVID-19 situation in the state.

Modi has been interacting with chief ministers over telephone for the last couple of days to take stock of the pandemic situation in their states.

Maharashtra has been the worst-affected state during the second wave of the COVID-19 infections. Though some of its cities, including Mumbai, have seen consistent improvement, the situation in many parts of the state remains of concern.

The state recorded over 54,000 new cases of COVID-19 in a day, according to the the latest update.

(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.)
Dispersal is an important process governing the persistence of wild animal populations. Upon reaching sexual maturity, individuals usually disperse from their natal home range to search for suitable habitat and mates for reproduction. As such, dispersal promotes gene flow among populations, allows rescuing small and isolated populations, and enables the colonization of unoccupied habitats. In human-dominated landscapes, however, dispersing animals find it increasingly difficult to cross densely populated areas that separate suitable habitats. For this reason, the identification and preservation of wildlife corridors has become of utmost importance for conservation authorities worldwide.

In southern Africa, the governments of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe have agreed to preserve an unprecedented network of wildlife corridors, connecting up to 35 already-existing national parks, game reserves and other protected areas. The Kavango-Zambezi Conservation Area (KAZA) spans roughly 520,000 square kilometers, making it the world's largest terrestrial conservation area. But do the boundaries of the KAZA match the dispersal behavior of the species it seeks to protect? Researchers at the University of Zurich sought to answer this question by studying the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), the most endangered and most mobile species in the KAZA.

Critically endangered large predator

African wild dogs currently number around 6,000 free-ranging individuals acrossa few remaining populations in southern and eastern Africa. Wild dogs live in packs of up to 30 individuals that are led by one dominant couple. After reaching sexual maturity, wild dogs disperse in an attempt to find potential mates and suitable territory to settle. Similar to wolves, wild dogs can cover hundreds of kilometers during this journey.

"We wanted to find out how and where dispersing wild dogs move and investigate whether the different populations within the Kavango-Zambezi Conservation Area are able to connect with each other," says David Hofmann, first author of the study and PhD student at the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies. For this purpose, the UZH research team put GPS collars on several wild dogs and used the tracking data to find out which habitats dispersers prefer to cross and ultimately to predict which areas contain suitable wildlife corridors.

Very few corridors outside the conservation area

The results suggest that most of the identified wildlife corridors are located within the KAZA, with northern Botswana appearing to act as a central hub for dispersing individuals. Another important corridor connects national parks in Angola and Zambia. "While the corridor still runs through areas that are largely unprotected, the KAZA initiative does intend to place these zones under protection," says Hofmann. "There's still potential for expansion though as several suitable dispersal routes remain currently uncovered by the KAZA."

Not all areas are equally suitable for establishing wildlife corridors. In some countries, dispersers encounter little obstacles during dispersal, whereas in countries such as Zambia and Zimbabwe, high population densities and associated activities hinder animal movements. The researchers have thus urged that these country-specific differences have to be taken into consideration when implementing the KAZA initiative.

Lions and elephants also stand to benefit

The statistical methods and movement data employed in this study will not only be of use to decision-makers involved with the KAZA initiative, but can also be used to create new protected areas or to modify existing zones. The researchers' findings emphasize that the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area largely meets the needs of dispersing African wild dogs, thereby making an important contribution to conserving this endangered species in southern Africa. "Ultimately, expanding the network of wildlife corridors doesn't just help African wild dogs. Other species that live in the same ecosystem such as lions, elephants and cheetahs are also likely to benefit," says Hofmann.

###

Literature:

David D. Hofmann, Dominik M. Behr, John W. McNutt, Arpat Ozgul, Gabriele Cozzi. Bound within boundaries: Do protected areas cover movement corridors of their most mobile, protected species? Journal of Applied Ecology. 7 May 2021. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13868

About the KAZA initiative
The Congress Working Committee will meet on Monday to assess the party's losses in the state elections amid demands from leaders for serious introspection over its poor performance at the hustings, sources said. Polls were held in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The Congress has lost most elections since the last Lok Sabha polls and though it has managed to win in Tamil Nadu, it was with the support of its bigger ally and regional player DMK. The Congress lost in elections in Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Haryana in 2019 and in Delhi and Bihar in 2020.

It only won in Jharkhand along with its ally JMM. The Congress fared poorly and failed to wrest back power in Kerala and Assam and was nearly decimated in West Bengal. It also lost Puducherry.

The deliberations would help the Congress prepare ahead for the next round of assembly elections in crucial Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi while chairing a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party said the party's performance in the just-concluded assembly elections was very disappointing and party MPs must draw appropriate lessons from this setback in the spirit of humility and honesty.

"Most unfortunately, our own performance in all the states was very disappointing and if I may say, unexpectedly so," she said while concluding her speech at the meeting. "The CWC is meeting shortly to review the results but it goes without saying that we as a party collective must draw appropriate lessons from this setback in a spirit of humility and honesty," Mrs Gandhi said.

Also read: Police not to arrest accused unless necessary: SC on overcrowding in prisons during COVID-19 wave
LONDON (AP)  The Scottish National Party won its fourth straight parliamentary election on Saturday and insisted it will push on with another referendum on Scotland's independence from the U.K. even though it failed by one seat to secure a majority.

Final results of Thursday's election showed the SNP winning 64 of the 129 seats in the Edinburgh-based Scottish Parliament. The result extends the party's dominance of Scottish politics since it first won power in 2007.

Other results from Super Thursday's array of elections across Britain emerged Saturday, including the Labour Party's victory in the Welsh parliamentary election. Labour's Sadiq Khan was also reelected mayor of London.

The election with the biggest implications was the Scottish election, as it could pave the way to the break-up of the United Kingdom. The devolved government has an array of powers but many economic and security matters remain within the orbit of the British government in London.

Though the SNP won the vast majority of constituencies, it failed to get the 65 seats it would need to have a majority as Scotland allocates some by a form of proportional representation. Though falling short, the SNP will be easily able to govern for the five-year parliamentary term with the eight members of the Scottish Greens, who also back Scottish independence.

SNP leader and Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said her immediate priority would be steering Scotland through the coronavirus pandemic and that the legitimacy of an independence referendum remains, SNP majority or not.

This is now a matter of fundamental democratic principle, Sturgeon said. It is the will of the country.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the leader of the Conservative Party, would have the ultimate authority whether or not to permit another referendum on Scotland gaining independence. Johnson appears intent on resisting another vote, setting up the possibility of renewed tensions between his government and Sturgeons devolved administration.

The prime minister wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper published Saturday that another referendum would be irresponsible and reckless in the current context as Britain emerges from the pandemic.

He has consistently argued that the issue was settled in a September 2014 referendum, when 55% of Scottish voters favored remaining part of the U.K. Proponents of another vote say the situation has changed fundamentally because of Brexit, with Scotland taken out of the European Union against its will. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 52% of the U.K. voted to leave the EU while 62% of Scots voted to remain.

Sturgeon said it would be wrong for Johnson to stand in the way of a referendum and that the timing is a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

There's been growing talk that the whole issue may end up going to court, but Sturgeon said the outrageous nature of any attempt by the British government to thwart the democratic will of Scotland would only fuel the desire for independence.

I couldn't think of a more powerful argument for independence than that, she said.

The Scotland results have been the main focus since an array of local and regional elections took place Thursday across Britain, in which around 50 million voters were eligible to vote.

In Wales, the concluded vote count showed Labour doing better than expected as it extended its 22 years in control of the Welsh government despite also falling one seat short of a majority. Mark Drakeford, who will remain first minister, said the party will be radical and ambitious.

Ballots continue to be counted from local elections in England, which already have been particularly good for Johnsons Conservative Party, notably its victory in a special election in the post-industrial town of Hartlepool for a parliamentary seat that Labour had held since 1974.

That win extended the partys grip on parts of England that had been Labour strongholds for decades, if not a century. Many seats that have flipped from red to blue voted heavily for Brexit. The speedy rollout of coronavirus vaccines also appears to have given the Conservatives a boost even though the U.K. has recorded Europe's highest COVID-related death toll at 127,500.

For Labour's new leader, Keir Starmer, the Hartlepool result was a huge disappointment and has led to another bout of soul-searching in a party that in 2019 suffered its worst general election performance since 1935.

Starmer said he would soon set out a strategy of how it can reconnect with traditional voters. He hasnt given details though is thought to be considering a rejig of his top team, starting off with removing his deputy, Angela Rayner, from her roles of party chair and campaign coordinator.

Though Labour is clearly losing ground in its traditional heartlands, its support held up in other parts of England, such as the big cities.

In London, Sadiq Khan won a second term in elections delayed by a year because of the pandemic. He secured 55.2% of the vote once second preference votes were counted, beating his Conservative rival Shaun Bailey got 44.8%. Khan's winning margin was down slightly on last time.

The party also won other mayoral races, including Steve Rotherham in the Liverpool City Region, Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester and Dan Norris in the West of England region, which includes the city of Bristol.

The Conservatives' Andy Street, meanwhile, was reelected as mayor of the West Midlands, which includes the city of Birmingham.
EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio -- East Cleveland police are investigating after an unidentified man was discovered dead on the side of the road early Saturday.

The man, who has not yet been identified, was found about 5 a.m. on Forest Hill Avenue near Superior Road, East Cleveland police Chief Scott Gardner said.

Paramedics arrived and pronounced him dead.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is assisting with the investigation.

Anyone who was in the area of Forest Hills Avenue and has any information is asked to call East Cleveland police detectives at 216-681-2162.

Read more crime stories on cleveland.com:

Former priest plans to plead guilty to stealing nearly $300,000 from 3 Northeast Ohio parishes, filing says

25 years of deaths: A look back at child slayings among families known to Cuyahoga Countys child-welfare agency

Deaths of two boys sparked Tim McCormacks bold action, plea to reform child welfare agency decades ago

North Ridgeville volunteer coach charged with sexual battery involving student, police say

Man charged in shooting death of East Cleveland auto shop employee, police say
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 40-year-old man is dead after being struck by a car early Friday, police say.

Officials have not yet identified the man who died in the crash that happened about 1:30 a.m. on East 93rd Street just south of Saxe Avenue, Cleveland police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

A 2014 Toyota Camry, being driven by a 40-year-old woman, was driving south on East 93rd Street when she struck the man who was sitting in the southbound lanes of East 93rd Street, police said.

The man suffered severe trauma and died at the scene, Ciaccia said.

Police did not say if the woman stopped after the crash or if she faces charges.

Read more stories on cleveland.com:

Tawny Kitaen dead at 59, previously married to ex-Cleveland Indians pitcher

Grand jury indicts woman in deadly beating of man at East Cleveland automotive shop

After hotel shooting, Beachwood Council discusses adding license plate readers, better communications

Crocker Park installs curbside pickup zones

Man found dead on side of East Cleveland street, police say
That doesnt prove co-education is better, says Fitzsimmons, but rather suggests that stereotypes are too ingrained at co-ed schools. Confidence is related to self-efficacy, and our belief in our ability to succeed at something. That can be influenced by a world view we pick up well before high school - that boys are better at maths than girls, for example - which is unwittingly reinforced by subject offerings and subtle social pressures in co-ed schools. There are still schools where girls will do one thing and boys another, Fitzsimmons says. The research we did showed clearly that those stereotypes are established prior to high school. While it sounds well and good to say everyone has a choice [of subjects], if stereotypes are so rife, its really no choice at all. Girls are self-selecting out of STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths]. There are intervention programs in primary school to redirect girls to subjects such as engineering. Year 5 or 6 students might be interested for a while, but theyll often lose heart because their friends are not. Girls often drop out of sport at around this age, for a similar reason. You could call it peer pressure, but its more subtle than that, says Fitzsimmons. You see broadly your gender doing one thing, and you go, OK, maybe thats what I should be doing. He found that both boys and girls at the elite schools which participated in his research considered leadership to be a male domain. The principals of girls schools are highly aware of such stereotypes, and how they play out in the workplace, so actively promote STEM subjects and leadership, Fitzsimmons says. I dont know if some of the elite boys schools are [addressing] that. Theyre prime minister factories - its your god-given right to be a leader. When schools go co-ed, is it to work on their culture or is it because they need gods police? Paulina Skerman, Santa Sabina principal

Paulina Skerman, the principal of Santa Sabina in Strathfield, has taught in boys, girls and co-ed schools, and is a firm proponent of a single-sex secondary education for young women. What it offers young women is hugely advantageous for life, she says. Theres no limitations, no stereotypes, so girls excel. They can start to take chances in an environment where they dont need to be judged, they dont feel like theyre competing, and theres the whole non-distraction without the boyfriend-girlfriend thing. I dont know if its the same for boys. I think the research suggests girls are a good influence on the boys. When schools go co-ed, is it to work on their culture or is it because they need gods police? Christine Del Gallo, the principal of Mackellar Girls High School and acting head of the Secondary Principals Council, is also a staunch advocate of single-sex education for girls. Theres a fair bit of research that shows many boys and girls learn best in different ways, she says. Boys tend to be more physically active and are more competitive in their learning, whereas girls often function best with co-operative learning, group work, discussion, and they can focus longer on a particular thing. There are advantages to co-education too, Del Gallo she says, such as reflecting the outside community. It does give you more opportunity to engage with the opposite sex, but to be honest I think thats about all, she says. Girls can just be who they are in a single-sex school without having boys put them down. Ross Tarlinton, the headmaster of boys St Josephs College in Hunters Hill, says single-sex education gives boys the same ability as girls to step outside gender stereotypes without fear of censure from their peers. The exceptional engagement we have here in the performing arts is amazing, he says. So much of this is about what families want and what they see is of value to their child, which is not necessarily the same with every kid.

Ross Tarlinton, the headmaster of boys St Josephs College in Hunters Hill, says single-sex education gives boys the same ability as girls to step outside gender stereotypes without fear of censure from their peers. Credit:James Brickwood Like other boys schools, St Josephs is also conscious of fighting against so-called toxic masculinity, or a stereotype of masculinity as strength, lack of emotion and dominance that can entrap boys and be diminishing and sometimes dangerous for the women with whom they interact. If you have a singular view that theres only one way to manliness - or femininity - then you have a problem, says Tarlinton. Our view here is that there are different ways of and to manliness. However, Iris Nastasi, principal of co-ed Rosebank College in Five Dock, believes boys and girls should learn about each other, with each other. I think schools have a unique opportunity to be very proactive in a very safe environment and educate both boys and girls together, Nastasi says. If they do not, the boys can become these mythical creatures they meet on the bus or who show up for two hours on a Friday night, no one really understands them, they are heroes; and girls end up as mystical creatures. In a co-ed school, they dont get on with each other all the time; theyre pains to each other for a period of time but by the time they get into years 11 and 12 they have good, solid relationships. They work with each other  its very normal, she says.

Nastasi acknowledges a problem with girls confidence in maths, but they have that before they come here. [In enrolment interviews] the majority of girls tell me theyre not good at maths, and their parents say, yes, shes not good at maths. Loading Its the job of the principal and teachers to watch out for stereotype traps and address them. If you value communication, then you need boys and girls to be able to communicate in all sorts of settings, says Nastasi, who has also taught at a girls school. Often single-sex schools will address these issues, but have to be more creative in how they do this. Despite all his research on gender equality and confidence, Fitzsimmons doesnt know if sex segregation in schooling offers an answer to helping students, especially girls, escape the subtle tyranny of stereotypes. Maybe its somewhere in between [single-sex and co-ed], he says. Single-sex classes in co-ed schools? When you look at what causes that confidence differential, you could do it in a co-ed environment and segregate the classroom. Thats known as parallel education, a model used by Pittwater House in Sydney.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has affirmed Vietnams strong commitments to multilateralism, international solidarity and joint efforts for peace and development in the world.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (Photo: VNA)

Addressing a ministerial-level online open discussion of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on May 7, Son said that multilateral cooperation plays a key role amid the current global challenges, including arms race, terrorism, trans-national crime, climate change and COVID-19 pandemic.

He recalled the UNSCs commitments in promoting multilateralism, abiding by the UN Charter and building international order basing on international law as stated in the UNSC Presidents Statement in January 2020 when Vietnam held the rotating Presidency.

Son called on the international community to promote the culture of complying with the UN Charter and international law, opposing power politics and the use of force in international relations.

He underlined the need to continue strengthening collaboration between the UN and regional organisations, while highlighting the central role and efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in dealing with regional and international issues.

The minister also encouraged multilateral institutions, including the UNSC, to work harder to reform towards increasing transparency, democracy, efficiency and the representation of member countries.

On the occasion, he recalled that Vietnams Dien Bien Phu Victory on May 7, 1954 played an important role in promoting the movement of struggling for peace, independence, national liberation and anti-imperialism, helping to facilitate democratisation in the international system with the UN being the centre and Vietnam being a member.



At the session, President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir stressed the crucial role of multilateralism in the settlement of peace and security issues in the world.

He showed deep concern about the situation in hotspots such as Myanmar and Syria, while calling for the enhancement of international cooperation in coping with global challenges such as conflicts, hunger and poverty, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants reaffirmed their support to multilateralism and the UN-centred international system, calling all parties to uphold the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law. They also highlighted their commitments in promoting multilateral cooperation in the settlement of common matters./. VNA
Carter Mecher had only ever wanted to be a doctor. He'd grown up in a big, working-class family in Chicago where his toolmaker father had encouraged him to tackle problems with the same confidence that he shaped steel.

Carter's mind would lock into a problem in the same way it did when he was fixing a car engine. That was when he was at his best.

An inability to pay attention to anything except that which you find totally riveting might not sound the most promising trait in a medical student. But almost by process of elimination, it led Carter to his calling: critical care.

From the moment he walked into an intensive care unit, he sensed it was where he was meant to be.

If you didn't allow yourself to become numb, the place kept you alive to the complexity of life, and its sanctity.

In October 2005, the US government wanted someone who could think 'outside the box' to join a small team devoted to pandemic planning. To staff at the Department of Veterans' Affairs, one name came to mind: their colleague Carter Mecher.

From the moment he walked into an intensive care unit, he sensed it was where he was meant to be. (Stock image)

He was surprised by the call from the White House, and even more surprised by what they wanted him to do.

Carter had learned a lot about infectious disease by treating it in various intensive care units. Yet he knew nothing about pandemics.

'But it was the White House calling,' he said. 'I figured, 'Yeah, yeah, what the hell.' '

The pandemic planning team had been set up in the wake of President George W. Bush's 2005 summer holiday reading  The Great Influenza, a book by historian John Barry about the 1918 flu pandemic.

Bush was determined that America would be better prepared next time there was a major virus outbreak. He demanded to see his government's sketchy pandemic plan  and immediately dismissed it as 'bulls**t'.

After commissioning a report by Rajeev Venkayya, a young doctor in the Department of Homeland Security, Bush went to Congress and got $7.1 billion to spend on pandemic preparedness.

RAJEEV said: 'The US took this on as a national priority before anyone else. We invented pandemic planning.'

Rajeev, Carter and five others set up their base in Washington.

The solution would be a layering of multiple strategies  like the way you lay slices of Swiss cheese on a sandwich, so that the holes don't align.

Carter had no formal training in epidemiology, but he had a nose for data, an ability to squeeze meaning from it and a gift for quickly figuring out what to do in a crisis.

He was always the first to identify, and make sense of, a new infectious outbreak.

When not in Washington, his emails were typed from a desk just off his bedroom. Quite possibly in his underpants.

For more than a decade, these seven doctors came together behind the scenes each time the world faced a biological threat.

In flurries of phone calls and emails, they sought to figure out what was going on and decide what each of the group might do to save lives.

'Most of our calls start with: 'Carter, what are you thinking?' said Duane Caneva, who, in January last year, was chief medical officer of the US Department of Homeland Security. 'He's like a savant on all this stuff.'

WOLVERETTE: Dr Charity Dean, California's deputy head of public health

Sure enough, it was Carter who first mentioned the existence of coronavirus in Wuhan in an email to colleague Richard Hatchett on January 9 last year.

Just days later, their colleague James Lawler, a Navy doctor who ran the Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska, wrote to the others, asking: 'Is it likely that the virus outbreak was much larger than what we are seeing?'

The team had a nickname  the Wolverines, after the resistance group in the 1980s dystopian Cold War film Red Dawn, in which the Soviets successfully invade the US.

With the Wolverine approach, you don't worry about finding the perfect answer. There might never be a perfect answer.

To this day, no one knows how many people in Wuhan were infected on January 18, 2020. But the calculation made by the Wolverines was more or less correct.

And, most crucially, it allowed them to be able to act.

The next day, the first American tested positive for Covid-19, a man who had flown from Wuhan to Seattle. 'It's one person coming in from China, we have it under control,' said President Donald Trump. 'It's going to be just fine.'

Fast-forward to February this year and 450,000 Americans are dead from Covid-19. With four per cent of the world population, the US has suffered 20 per cent of coronavirus deaths.

The Lancet said that if the Covid death rate suffered in the US had tracked the average of other G7 nations, 180,000 Americans would still be alive.

So what went wrong?

During the Obama administration, the biodefence team had been dissolved because a false sense of confidence had been created with the containment of an outbreak of swine flu in 2009.

Yet the Wolverines kept in touch. Indeed, Carter Mecher and Richard Hatchett never really stopped working together.

With Trump's election as president, his national security adviser, John Bolton, believed that the only serious threat to the American way of life was from other nation states.

The Bush and Obama administrations' concern with natural disasters or disease was banished.

'In a world of limited resources, you have to pick and choose,' an anonymous White House source told The Washington Post.

For three years, the Trump administration got lucky. And then their luck ran out.

The US had some of the best scientists in the world  but it had ignored them.

Meanwhile, from his desk at home in Georgia, Carter Mecher collected information, cutting and pasting Chinese reports into Google Translate to make sense of them.

From newspaper obituaries, he gleaned that people were dying much earlier than the Beijing government had admitted. Furthermore, the Chinese had reported only a handful of cases but were behaving as if there had been many more.

'Reading tea leaves, I see that China is building a 1,000-bed quarantine hospital in Wuhan  in five days. They also called in the military to assist Reminds me of the military called in to Chernobyl,' he said.

All the Wolverines chipped in. Carter accepted that no one would have a full, clear picture of the speed at which Covid might spread until it was too late, and he set out to generate as many partial, fuzzy ones as he could.

His approach was a peculiar combination of analysis and analogies  'the equivalent of deductive wormholes that take me very quickly from A to B'.

In effect, he was asking which known virus did Covid most closely resemble? The obvious answer was its closest genetic relative, the SARS bug of 2003.

Carter worked all night on a spreadsheet that showed Covid spreading much more quickly than SARS and eliciting very different behaviour from the Chinese government than in 2003  with Wuhan being quarantined on January 23, 2020.

On January 24, America had its second case, a woman who had also travelled from Wuhan. A day later, China reported 2,298 cases  up from 446 four days earlier.

'Epidemics don't behave like this,' Carter wrote to his fellow Wolverines. The newly infected did not quintuple in five days.

He noted that another giant 1,300-bed hospital had been built in Wuhan. The death of a prominent doctor in the city suggested even people in protective gear could be infected.

Carter found another article, about a Chinese man identified as the source of the infection in several others who had himself experienced no symptoms. If true, cases were going undetected. Warning lights were flashing that explained why the Chinese government was acting so quickly.

What Carter couldn't understand was why the US government lacked the same urgency. He quickly realised he had to widen his model beyond SARS, and that the new virus would infect, and kill, vastly more people than SARS.

'Yesterday [January 26] we had 2,700 cases and 80 deaths,' wrote Carter. 'Let's assume the real number of cases is 18 to 40 times greater, or 48,600 to 108,000.'

Assuming the disease takes two weeks to kill, he calculated how many cases there would have been two weeks earlier. This allowed him to crudely estimate the fatality rate at 0.3 to 1.5 per cent.

Carter was under no illusion he was engaged in scholarship. He was simply trying to learn enough to make informed judgments, such as whether, in his role as medical adviser to the Department of Veterans' Affairs, to prepare the nation's largest hospital system for an onslaught.

Other Wolverines had decisions to make, too.

Matt Hepburn, who'd spent the previous decade working on vaccine development at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, needed the group's collective wisdom to decide whether to go all-in for a coronavirus cure.

Richard Hatchett had moved to London in 2017 to run the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) which was funded by European governments, the Gates Foundation and others.

Richard had the power to direct hundreds of millions of dollars to companies with new ideas about how to make vaccines more quickly. He noted that the free market had no interest in funding these companies in their early stages.

Matt Hepburn's unit inside the US Department of Defense had provided some funding for most of these firms but now CEPI was able to help them speed their vaccines through trials.

They'd identified the Boston outfit Moderna, a British-Swedish one called AstraZeneca, and several others as promising candidates. The sooner CEPI's money went out the door, the sooner any pandemic would end.

Four days earlier, just after Carter generated his first view of the virus, CEPI had made a grant to Moderna to cover costs of the first two stages of clinical trials.

'I was getting a hell of a lot of heat inside CEPI,' recalled Richard, who was under pressure for the money not to be wasted.

Carter believed the team's decisions should be approached in the way an intensive care unit doctor treats a patient clinging to life. The over-riding principle being: if you are wrong, which decision will cause you the greatest regret?

His rough-and-ready calculations suggested that, unchecked, Covid-19 would kill between 900,000 and 1.8 million Americans. 'I'm certainly no public health expert,' advised Carter, 'but no matter how I look at this, it looks bad.'

Richard agreed and never looked back. CEPI gave more than $1 billion to various vaccine manufacturers.

Under the pandemic plan that the Wolverines had drawn up 14 years previously, such an outbreak would be ranked a 'Category 5' event and require the federal government to implement a full suite of measures: isolate the ill, cancel all public gatherings, encourage working from home, enforce social distancing and close schools.

But so far as Carter could tell, the Trump administration wasn't even keeping track of the virus.

He tried to get messages to Trump, but no one in the White House wanted to hear the word 'pandemic'. 'We were going nuts,' he said.

In desperation, each Wolverine sought to identify and contact people with influence.

Rajeev Venkayya had been at medical school with the director of the Ohio Department of Health. Other Wolverines knew the governors of Maryland and Nebraska. Matt Hepburn knew people at the top of the Department of Defense.

They all knew Bob Kadlec, head of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, who had named them the Wolverines during the Bush administration.

The aim was to find at least one state to take the lead and roll out an aggressive response to the virus, introduce the social interventions outlined in the pandemic plan and create a domino effect.

They targeted Dr Charity Dean, California's deputy head of public health. Wolverine Duane Caneva told her that he was part of a small, almost secret group of doctors, working without the White House's permission to co-ordinate a national pandemic response.

He needed her help to get a message to the governor of the US's most populous state so that it might take the lead for the country, as the White House clearly was not going to.

Charity devoured the string of emails Duane had forwarded 'like a starving person'.

The Wolverines had picked the right woman.

Charity had also been following events in Wuhan and she, too, had made rough calculations from limited information, plotting the likely spread of the disease on the whiteboard in her office.

'The numbers seemed nuts to me,' she said.

By June, if the US government did nothing, 20 million Californians would be infected, two million hospitalised, 100,000 dead. However, her boss didn't want to know, and even banned her from using the word 'pandemic'.

Nevertheless, she sent out a preparedness survey to California's hospitals, looked into the capacity of morgues and thought about the need to establish mass graves.

Reading the email chain she had been sent, one Wolverine stood out. 'They clearly thought this guy Carter was the guru,' she said.

She read echoes of her own thoughts and, just weeks before, she'd printed out his paper on social distancing and stuck it in a binder  her 'nerd bible'.

This contained ammunition for the argument she was being forbidden from making: that the virus had arrived, that it might lead to a pandemic and that if she wanted to prevent a lot of people from dying, she had better start working now. Three days later, Duane asked Charity to join them on a conference call.

'As soon as Carter started talking, I knew I had found my person,' she said.

Two-thirds of the way into the call, Charity figured out why she had been invited. If she made the right moves in California, the state might be used to steer the entire country's response.

She realised, too, that the federal response to Americans returning from China was inept. Many had passed through airports in California without being tested. Now nobody knew where they were.

'We liked her right away,' Carter said. 'She's a spitfire.' Another began to refer to her as 'Wolverette'.

By some mechanism that Charity never fully understood, the things she said on these calls had real effects.

During one call in mid-February, she railed about the idiocy of the requirement that only Americans in intensive care with a history of travel to China would qualify for a Covid test when the disease was already spreading inside the US.

A week later, Carter noted that official policy had been changed, adding: 'Good job, Charity.'

At one point she asked Wolverine James Lawler: 'Who exactly is in charge of this pandemic?'

'Nobody,' he replied. 'But if you want to know who is sort of in charge, it's sort of us.'

The 'sort of' was telling. For every day brought fresh evidence of America's leaders' unwillingness to act. Every moment could be measured in lives lost. What puzzled Carter most was how people who should have known better downplayed the risk.

Stanford University medical professor John Ioannidis became a sensation on US cable news by claiming the virus posed no real threat and that no more than 10,000 Americans would die. The professor condemned social distancing as a hysterical over-reaction.

Meanwhile, Charity, who knew the story would only end with a vaccine or herd immunity, had found an important audience.

In early March, she was laying out her ideas during a joint call about what every state should do, when a new voice came on the line.

It was Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security and a member of Trump's coronavirus taskforce. He said: 'Charity, you need to push these things through. You're the only one who can do this.'

She was taken aback by his insistence. 'He wasn't pleading with me to do the right thing. He was yelling at me. He was basically implying that the White House is not going to do the right thing. The White House is not going to protect the country. So California needs to take the lead.'

That was the moment she learned that the White House was listening in on the Wolverines' calls  and also the moment when she realised just how lost and desperate the people at the top were.

Technology entrepreneur Todd Park told Charity that he had noticed a pattern that he'd first identified in the private sector: in any large organisation, the solution to any crisis was usually found not in the officially important people at the top but in some obscure employee six layers down from the people in charge.

A system was groping towards a solution, but the solution required someone in it to be brave, and the system didn't reward bravery.

In late March 2020, Charity made a note in her journal: 'One million excess deaths by May 31, 2021.' Nothing had happened to change her view in June.

Then she had a list of unanswered questions. Maybe the biggest was: Why doesn't the United States have the institutions it needs to save itself?

Last November, Carter Mecher's father tested positive for Covid and after a spell in hospital he arranged for him to return home with a supply of oxygen. 'I don't want him to die alone,' he wrote.

But as his father rallied, his mother contracted Covid. Carter wrote: 'It is hard to fathom all the pain the virus has brought. It is truly a demon from Hell.

I think deep down inside we all sensed this  it was why we tried to get leaders to take early aggressive action to minimise the pain that we knew would come.'

Eighteen days later, his mother died. Carter sat down and wrote a long letter to his family. His theme was gratitude, for the lives they had shared, but his words were suffused with other emotions.

'Over the past several days, I felt like a balloon that lost all its air,' he wrote at the end. 'But I know that with a little time. I will reinflate.'

He was like the surgeon, famously described by a writer, who had inside himself a small cemetery where he buried his failures and, from time to time, went to pray.

And so he went to pray.

Abridged and edited extract from The Premonition: A Pandemic Story, by Michael Lewis, published by Allen Lane at 25. To order a copy for 22.25, including free UK delivery, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193 before May 23.
RED BLUFF, Calif.  A Red Bluff police officer stopped by a home on Walbridge Street early Saturday morning where first responders were treating a man who was having breathing issues. The officer ended up calling in the departments Investigations Unit when the incident was discovered to be an attempted murder.

Shortly before 2:00 a.m. on Saturday morning dispatch received the call. According to police responders used CPR on the man who had not been breathing. He was taken to the local hospital where he is in critical condition.

The 39-year-old man was struck on the head with an unknown object during a fight outside the home, said police later Saturday morning.

Because of the victims condition he was unable to provide officers with information about any suspect. Police did say they discovered evidence at the scene that they are working with in their investigation.

Police consider this to be an isolated incident. They do not believe the general public is in any danger.

If you have information on this assault, which is being considered an attempted murder by the Red Bluff Police Department, please call and talk to an investigator at (530) 527-3131.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 09:29:22|Editor: huaxia

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LISBON, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Social Summit of the European Union (EU) on Friday generated the Porto Social Commitment, an agreement guaranteeing mechanisms for the member states to fulfill the objectives of the European social pillar in the next decade.

"With unemployment and greater inequalities due to the pandemic, it is important to channel resources where they are most needed to strengthen our economies and to focus our political efforts on equal opportunities, job creation, entrepreneurship and poverty reduction, and exclusion," said the commitment.

The document aims to mobilize the necessary financial resources for investments and reforms to solve the economic and social crisis, strengthening competitiveness based on sustainable growth "with jobs and social justice."

Key points include public policies that value technological and digital values in small- and medium-sized businesses, the pursuit of gender equality and the protection of children at risk of poverty, the elderly, people with disabilities, migrants, homeless people or belonging to minority groups should be the target of anti-discrimination.

The Porto Social Commitment was signed by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, and representatives of social players.

In the closing speech of the summit, Costa said "for the first time" "a joint commitment" was reached by the social commitments.

The agreement, he said, is tripartite because it brings together an understanding between the President of the European Parliament, the President of the European Commission, and the social partners.

European Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, described the summit as a "revolutionary moment" for the social area in the European Union.

The European Commission's Executive Vice President, Valdis Dombrovskis, welcomed the "very good result" of the summit which will now allow "to start working to adopt social policies and guarantee an inclusive economic recovery" in the EU.

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said that the European Union should "consolidate and strengthen the great climatic and digital transformations" with "economic development, innovation, and prosperity," but also protect "the most vulnerable."

French President Emmanuel Macron said that "more money is needed" and so are "joint decisions for the great historical transformations."

The summit defined the action plan of the European pillar of social rights with three major targets for 2030: to have 78 percent of the population employed, 60 percent of workers with vocational training, and to lift 15 million people out of poverty and social exclusion. Enditem
By Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian oil minister on Friday thanked and other Middle Eastern oil producers for supplying liquid medical (LMO) to help the country in its battle with the COVID-19 crisis.

In a series of tweets, Pradhan also welcomed offers by Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar to supply containers for the next six months and for an assurance of a steady commercial supply of LMO to India.

"Deeply appreciate the initial gesture of goodwill with complimentary LMO supplies particularly from UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia," Pradhan said.

Pradhan's tweets came a day after Indian state refiners reversed steep cuts in Saudi oil imports for May at the directions from oil ministry, and placed orders for regular purchases in June.

Indian state refiners buy about 15 million barrels of Saudi oil in a months from Saudi Aramco. India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, imports more than 80% of its oil needs and relies heavily on the Middle East.

Relations between Riyadh and New Delhi were under strain earlier this year after Pradhan blamed cuts by and other oil producers for driving up crude prices.

India urged refiners to diversify crude sources to cut reliance on the Middle East and directed them to reduce intake of Saudi oil. The refiners cut purchases by more than a third in May.

An Indian oil industry source said the federal oil ministry has not asked refiners to cut Saudi oil imports after Riyadh supplied liquid medical and cryogenic tanks as India's healthcare system struggles to cope with a huge surge in cases of COVID-19.

"Saudi extended the help immediately to make amends ... so they tried for rapprochement," this source added.

India's oil minister Friday also said he held talks with and other Gulf counties about supplies of liquid medical and thanked them for receiving emergency supplies.

"Had close consultations during the last week with my counterparts from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar on ways to increase import of LMO into India," Pradhan tweeted on Friday.

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma, editing by Louise Heavens and Jane Merriman)

(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.)
Nat'l Day of Prayer to focus on praying for nations physical, mental and spiritual health: Pray.com co-founder

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Following the tumultuous year of 2020, the annual National Day of Prayer event will focus on praying for the restoration of the nations physical, mental and spiritual health.

Pray.com co-founder Matt Potter explained in a Tuesday phone interview with The Christian Post that given the COVID-19 pandemic that swept and destabilized the entire world last year and this year, prayer for such things is especially necessary. The live-streamed event will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday. This year marks the 70th National Day of Prayer event.

I believe that this year, the power of prayer in our daily lives for the mental, spiritual, and physical health of America is needed more than ever, Potter said.

The Bible says wherever two or three are gathered He is there. We believe the same, and we believe that that can also happen online as we connect through prayer. Lots of people are suffering during this time. We just believe that prayer right now is needed more than ever. People have been cooped up in their homes because of COVID-19 for so long ... prayer is just needed so much. And prayer can change things.

Among the featured leaders and pastors participating in the event include Pastors Ed Young, Samuel Rodriguez and Mark Driscoll, and artists Lecrae and Brook Ligertwood.

Amid the escalating coronavirus pandemic last year, Pray.com hosted a livestream for the National Day of Prayer that received approximately 1 million views. This year the site is partnering with Sirius XM, which has provided a Pray.com platform for the event. It will also be streamed on Direct TV and cross-posted over Facebook pages, reaching millions.

Praying for and with one another creates a unifying effect at a time when our country needs it the most, Potter continued, noting that on his website, they have explored many studies explaining the benefits of prayer.

Praying with and for other people helps strengthen human bonds, the research shows, he said.

And were excited for the opportunity for the National Day of Prayer event to help with the positive impact of prayer.

The National Day of Prayer speakers will share the power of prayer regarding how it can bring about change and the importance of incorporating it into daily life.

What burns in my heart is unity and creating unity within our country, Potter added, noting he is grateful that both past and current presidential administrations are backing the event.

President Joe Biden has signed the National Day of Prayer national proclamation, and former Vice President Mike Pence will appear on Pray.coms NDOP livestream, Potter continued.

Having bipartisan leadership and leaders from different political parties come together to promote the power of prayer and pray for our nation on the national day of Prayer really is a true statement on how prayer can transcend politics and bring us together and unify us as a country, he said.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory telegram to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

The head of state noted that the traditions of friendship and support of the peoples of Azerbaijan and Russia, who with honour withstood the years of trials in the Great Patriotic War, serve as a reliable foundation for further strengthening the strategic partnership and multifaceted interaction between the two countries, TASS reports.

Ilham Aliyev wished "happiness, prosperity and success" to the veterans of the Great Patriotic War, as well as to the entire friendly people of Russia.

"May 9 occupies a special place in the glorious chronicle of our peoples, as a symbol of unparalleled courage, heroism and dedication. The unyielding strength of spirit, fortitude and solidarity shown on the battlefields and in the rear, determined the outcome of the bloodiest and most destructive war in the history of mankind, having played a key role in crushing fascism," Ilham Aliyev emphasized.
NEW YORK, May 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a national securities firm rated Top 50 in the 2018-2020 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report and headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corp. ("MNR" or the "Company") (MNR) relating to its proposed acquisition by Equity Commonwealth. Under the terms of the agreement, MNR shareholders will receive 0.67 shares of Equity common stock per share they own.

The investigation focuses on whether Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corp. 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: https://www.monteverdelaw.com/case/monmouth-real-estate-investment-corp. 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 2018-2020 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 2017-2020 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, over the years the firm has recovered or secured over a dozen cash common funds for shareholders in mergers & acquisitions class action cases.

If you owned common stock in the Company 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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Attorney Advertising. (C) 2021 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

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A DAY care centre for dogs created in memory of Charlie Ilsley will open next month.

Charlies Dog Place is being set -up by the family of the 13-year-old boy who died in December after losing a long fight against cancer.

The centre has been created by converting the garage at his familys home in Buckingham Drive, Emmer Green.

Charlies mother Toni and sister Jess will work together on the new business, offering day care, boarding and dog walks. The centre will open on June 1.

Mrs Ilsley said her son had two dogs, Ernie, a shih tzu bichon frise cross, and Eric, a lhasa apso, and wanted to work with dogs when he was older.

He told her this when they were in Mexico for his cancer treatment the week before he died and stayed at a ranch that had rescued a dog, which then had 11 puppies.

Mrs Ilsley said: It was on the Wednesday before we flew home that we were at the ranch and he had all these puppies in his arms.

His diagnosis and treatment had left him unable to balance.

He had often said to me that he worried about what he would do when he got older. He looked up at me and said he wanted to work with dogs. That was three days before he died so we have decided to do it for him and to carry on his name and memory.

The two things that he loved most were his dogs and gaming. He would take his Xbox wherever we went and he couldnt always take the dogs but he would never stop talking about them. They were his best friends.

He loved them and they were always on the bed with him. He felt like they were his brothers.

Charlie, who had beaten cancer twice before it returned, travelled to Mexico with his family for cutting-edge immunotherapy treatment.

He died at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, surrounded by his family, having been taken there directly from Heathrow Airport on their return.

He was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which an accumulation of fluid occurs within the brain. The walls at Charlies Dog Place will be adorned with drawings of dogs by local children along with letters sent by well-wishers and photographs of Charlie and his certificates.

The teenager attended Highdown School in Emmer Green and his mother has offered to take on vulnerable students and offer work experience opportunities.

Mrs Ilsley said: I wanted it to be in his name because I know he would have wanted to look after dogs. If he was alive, he would have wanted to keep every dog that came in.

My aim is to keep his name alive. When you lose a child, you worry that they will be forgotten and that is the thing that hurts the most.

You are going through this battle and he is always in the news and then all of a sudden he is dead. He is still on my mind 24/7  everyone else has got a life now but it is with me every day.

I dont want him to be forgotten. I know he is looking down on us and he would love what we are doing.

Charlie had fought the disease since 2015, when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and was twice given the all-clear after treatment.

After his first diagnosis, he underwent a 10-hour operation and had 31 sessions of radiotherapy, followed by chemotherapy.

Initially, his family sought to raise 200,000 to pay for proton therapy treatment, which uses beams to irradiate diseased tissue. He spent two years in remission but two tumours were found on his spine in early 2018.

He was given the all-clear in August 2019, having undergone specialist radiotherapy treatment and chemotherapy in Turkey.

His family had to raise money to pay for this, as well as the flights, as radiotherapy was not available at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where he had been treated previously.

Two months later, the family took Charlie on a dream holiday to Orlando, which was made possible by the childrens charity Rays of Sunshine.

While in America, Charlie swam with dolphins, stingrays and tropical fish. He also went horse riding and visited Universal Studios.

In November last year, his family were told the disease had returned after a lumbar puncture showed cancer cells in his spinal fluid.

He flew to Germany for more immunotherapy treatment and, at the beginning of last year, the NHS agreed to treat Charlie.

Doctors inserted an Ommaya reservoir under his scalp so that chemotherapy drugs could be delivered directly to his spine but the treatments failed.

Mrs Ilsley searched for alternatives, including clinical trials in America, but was told her son was not eligible.

He then underwent three weeks of a new form of immunotherapy, known as CAR-T cell treatment, in Mexico City.

A scan in the same month showed no new growth of the disease and the following month his family was told it was stable and had not grown since March.

Another scan then showed there was a tiny area of cancer in his brain and he underwent more treatment in Mexico.

Mrs Ilsley said she has already received lots of interest from dog owners.

For more information, visit charliesdogplace.co.uk
What's happening?

A great investment expert is finally stepping down  at some stage. Warren Buffett has been the longest lasting investment guru I can ever recall. With his nickname The Sage of Omaha, he has developed a great reputation as a canny investor for the longer term.

This has not been on the basis of a media profile and fancy promotion, but on the most convincing method of all  by his huge success in managing his investment company, Berkshire Hathaway.

Essentially, it is just a holding company he acquired in 1965. With his friend and business partner Charlie Munger, he went about building a longer term investment business, which by any measure has been brilliant.

The Sage of Omaha: Warren Buffett love to cast himself as just a 'good old Joe' from mid-America

Why Does It Matter?

Buffett, or more to the point his method and behaviour, should be an education for us all and especially those with inflated egos about their prowess. In my view, seemingly brilliant managers are usually just shooting stars and will have a brief flash of glory, only to fade into obscurity.

Achieving success over decades is another matter. Just as an illustration, in 1980 you could have bought Berkshire Hathaway stock for just $275, but by 1995 shares were at $32,500. Not bad, but he was just getting going, By this week, a share was valued at $421,420.

What Should I Do?

Well, we can learn from his experience and his words. He does love to cast himself as just a 'good old Joe' from mid-America with his Coke and burgers, and wonderful homespun quotes, but do not be fooled.

His investment acumen has been sharp and effective. His views about private investors are straightforward. Trying to pick stocks is too risky  for most a mug's game  and do not treat the market as a casino. He is a big fan of low-cost investment tracker funds, usually referred to as ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds). These are usually very cheap and in fact were invented to show up the real cost of expensive Wall Street (and London) fund managers who charged a lot more and frequently could not beat their target index!

Oh, and one other thing  time. Investing involves a longer-term view, as opposed to punting or day trading  that, frankly, is why we have horse racing!

Any Suggestions?

So what should we learn and do with his experience and advice? Well, for me, the most obvious thing to do would be to buy an ETF on the S&P 500 in the USA (Vanguard S&P 500 ETF)  the most important index in the world's largest economy, and leave it alone for several decades.

Or, of course, you could buy a share in Berkshire Hathaway itself, if you have over $400,000 at your disposal.

Justin Urquhart Stewart co-founded fund manager 7IM and is chairman of investment platform Regionally.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has signed deals with three Chinese biopharmaceutical companies for the production of over 260 million doses of its Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus in the past weeks, according to statements published on the website of the RDIF.

The first contract was signed with China's Shenzhen Yuanxing Gene-tech Co., Ltd. on March 29 for the production of over 60 million doses of the Sputnik V jab that is scheduled to start this month, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Another agreement was reached on April 1 with a subsidiary of a key leader in the pharmaceutical field, the Tibet Rhodiola Pharmaceutical Holding, namely TopRidge Pharma, for the production of over 100 million doses per year.

The most recent agreement was reached on April 19 with a subsidiary of a major Chinese biopharmaceutical producer Hualan Biological Engineering Inc. for the production of over 100 million doses.

The three deals together amount to a production of over 260 million doses of the jab, which will facilitate supply and could be sufficient to fully vaccinate over 130 million people worldwide, according to the RDIF.

Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the RDIF, said cooperation with would significantly "help increase production capacities," adding that the country is one of Russia's key partners in this field.

" is one of the major production hubs for Sputnik V and we are ready for increasing the scope of partnership with local producers to meet the rising demand for the Russian vaccine," he added.

--IANS

int/rs

(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.)
Zoe Greenberg in The New York Times:

When Nina Totenberg was a young reporter hustling for bylines in the 1960s, she pitched a story about how college women were procuring the birth control pill. Nina, are you a virgin? her male editor responded. I cant let you do this. Such were the obstacles that Totenberg and the women journalists of her generation faced, largely relegated to the frivolous womens pages and denied the chance to cover so-called hard news. But as Lisa Napolis Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie chronicles, just as some women journalists were suing Newsweek and The New York Times over gender discrimination, in the 1970s, an upstart nonprofit called National Public Radio arrived on the scene offering new opportunities.

NPR, unlike its well-resourced competitors, was eager to hire sharp, inventive, low-wage workers who couldnt find jobs anywhere else  in other words, women. That decision launched the star-bright careers of Napolis subjects: Susan Stamberg, Linda Wertheimer, Totenberg and Cokie Roberts, and they in turn helped transform NPR from the nations largest unlicensed Montessori school, as an early study described it, to the vaunted institution it is today. (Finally allowed to do the stories she wanted, Totenberg became an iconic Supreme Court reporter.) Napoli, herself a reporter for print and radio who has written three other books, illuminates the terrifying, thrilling energy of NPR as start-up: Not a day would go by without a tape reel being hurled like a Frisbee into the control room at the last minute, or breaking during playback, and it was never quite clear whod show up for work or whether thered be enough stories to fill the time.

The book is a lesson in how the fringe project of one generation becomes the mainstream of the next.

More here.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-09 06:30:08|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The envoys of the Middle East Quartet from the European Union, Russia, the United States, and the United Nations on Saturday expressed "deep concern" over the daily clashes and violence in East Jerusalem, in particular Friday's confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli security forces.

The envoys, through a joint press statement, said they are "closely monitoring" the situation in East Jerusalem, including in the Old City and Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

"We are alarmed by the provocative statements made by some political groups, as well as the launching of rockets and the resumption of incendiary balloons from Gaza towards Israel, and attacks on Palestinian farmland in the West Bank," said the statement.

The envoys noted with serious concern the possible evictions of Palestinian families from homes they have lived in for generations in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods in East Jerusalem and voiced opposition to unilateral actions, which would only escalate the already tense environment.

"We call upon Israeli authorities to exercise restraint and to avoid measures that would further escalate the situation during this period of Muslim Holy Days. We call on all sides to uphold and respect the status quo at the holy sites. All leaders have a responsibility to act against extremists and to speak out against all acts of violence and incitement," said the statement.

In this context, the Quartet envoys reiterated their commitment to a negotiated two state solution, according to the statement. Enditem
Kolkata, May 8 (UNI) West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday summoned state Chief Secretary to comprehensively apprise him on law and order regarding post-poll violence.

Taking to his tweeter handle, Mr Dhankhar said, Chief Secretary @MamataOfficialhas been called upon to see me today before 7 PM as ACS Home @HomeBengal failed to impart status report on law and order regarding post poll violence. He even did not forward reports of DGP @WBPolice and CP @KolkataPolice sent to him on May 3.

The governor said the State is facing worst post election violence where people are being made to pay with their lives and freedom only for having exercised right to vote in democracy and state apparatus has virtually abandoned lawful obligations. No input to the constitutional head makes mockery of constitution and rule of law.

While State faces worst post election violence- people being made to pay with their lives and freedom only for having exercised right to vote in democracy, Chief Secretary@MamataOfficial comes up with alibi for not briefing Governor. Directed him to comply by 7 PM today, he said.

Mr Dhankhar said CS stance is shocking to reflect the least and unexpected of a member of service to which he belongs

CS stance is shocking and least unexpected from a senior member @IASassociation

. The Steel Frame that governance distanced from Constitutional prescriptions and rule of law imperils democracy, he said.

Mr Dhankhar said CS be directed to comply and desist from unconstitutional and undemocratic stand.

The governor said, There can be no sane takers for the response of CS (as conveyed to ACS to Governor) that since the matter is before HC it will be inappropriate for CS to brief the Governor. As per CS the stand is as per CM directive.

Non responsive and defiant conduct of ACS Home HS Dwivedi to my directive to impart a status report on law and order and the steps taken to contain horrifying post poll violence cannot be countenanced, Mr Dhankhar said.

His sitting on reports of DGP and CP Kolkata and not forwarding the same to me is too serious dereliction of duty to be overlooked. This is aggravating given the worrisome and alarming situation in state as a consequence of post poll retributive violence, he said.

Several incidents of violence that allegedly left many BJP workers dead and injured have been reported in West Bengal since the results for the 292-member state Assembly were announced.

At least six people were killed in the violence in different parts of the state, according to police.

Meanwhile, a four-member MHA team led by Govind Mohan, IAS, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, on Friday called on State Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar at Raj Bhawan here to assess reports of widespread post-poll violence in the state.

The members of the team held a meeting with senior officials of the State government at the State Secretariat Nabanna Buildings

Earlier, Earlier, MHA has sought a detailed report on the violence by the Bengal administration and cited that they have not received any update yet.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that TMC-backed goons have killed a number of its workers, attacked its women members, vandalised houses, looted shops of its members, and ransacked its offices.

Claiming that at least 14 BJP workers were killed and nearly one lakh people fled their homes in post-poll violence in West Bengal, party president J P Nadda alleged on Wednesday that the chief minister's silence speaks of her involvement.

However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rejected the charges, saying violence and clashes were taking place in those areas where the BJP candidates emerged victorious in the election.

She had asked people on Sunday to show restraint and not indulge in any kind of violence.

Ms Banerjee on Thursday accused some Union ministers of trying to instigate riots in the state after the BJPs defeat in the Assembly election on the pretext of visiting saffron party workers injured in the post-poll violence.

She also asked the BJP not to create unrest and accept the fact that it had lost the election. Speaking at Nabanna, the state secretariat, she said, Political rallies have been banned due to the Covid-19 pandemic here, so I dont know why some Central ministers are unnecessarily visiting villages and trying to provoke riots.

I request them not to worsen the situation through their provocation. I ask the BJP to show restraint, accept the mandate. This is happening as they havent been able to accept the peoples verdict, the chief minister added.

Taking cognizance of the situation, Ms Banerjee on Wednesday transferred 30 top officers, including DGP P Nirajnayan, in her first action after being sworn in again as Chief Minister, warning that violence of any kind will not be tolerated.

UNI BM AND
The Moonshot Museum will be located in the Pittsburgh headquarters of Astrobotic. Its main attraction will be a spacious clean room with clear windows through which visitors can see the lunar landers and rovers being built and tested to fly to the Moon. Guests will be able to see exhibitions, training activities, curated tours, and will have the opportunity to witness spaceflight up close and learn about space industry.The company also announces that educational workshops will be available online and on-site to recreate actual space missions and promote engineering career awareness in the Pittsburgh area and around the world. Various programs seek to inspire people to explore careers in space in fields ranging from science and engineering to business, medicine, law, policy, and the humanities and arts.The museum will be open to the public next summer and its welcoming space, science, and education enthusiasts to volunteer to help run future museum programs. Astrobotic has several projects as well scheduled to launch in the near future. Its Peregrine lunar lander is set up to touch down on the lunar surface later this year. This will be the first American spacecraft to land on the Moon in the last 49 years. For its first mission, the lander will carry 14 payloads as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.Astrobotic is also planning to carry on the Griffin lunar lander NASAs VIPER rover to the Moons South Pole in 2023 to search for water. This will bring NASA a step closer to developing a sustainable, long-term presence on the Moon as part of the agencys Artemis program.
A debate about whether generous unemployment cash is fueling a worker shortage is raging, with today's disappointing jobs report caught in the middle.

Why it matters: States blaming benefits for keeping would-be employees home are starting to implement policies to counteract the supposed effect.

What's happening: South Carolina and Montana said they will nix the federal unemployment benefits, citing worker shortages. Georgia and Wisconsin may follow, Politico reports.

Residents there will no longer get an extra $300 in benefits. Pandemic-era programs that offered unemployment to those typically ineligible (gig workers, for one) would also go away.

Maine, Florida and Arizona will require proof that unemployment applicants looked for work in order to get benefits  a requirement waived when the pandemic hit.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today threw its weight behind ending the extra $300 benefit.

The other side: "The move to cut off benefits is reflecting the assumption that 1) jobs are available but unfilled and 2) the only reason why a worker wouldnt take one is because they have an unemployment benefit," says RAND economist Kathryn Edwards.

"Assuming No. 2 seems very problematic during a pandemic because the pandemic has created a lot of barriers to working," like the lack of child care and the safety concerns that are also keeping people at home.

Biden administration view: "If the unemployment bonus was slowing down hiring, one would expect lower job growth in states and sectors where unemployment insurance is particularly high. In fact, what one sees is the exact opposite," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told reporters today.

Driving the news: The April jobs report put some data behind the worker shortage anecdotes  or none at all, depending on whom you ask.

The bottom line: States are weighing in on the debate that's dividing economists and businesses.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-07 22:12:31|Editor: huaxia

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"Always the truth," says French writer Maxime Vivas in a virtual encounter with young people from China's Xinjiang, as he encourages them to keep telling the true story of Xinjiang to the world.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
The cement major reported 45.2% drop in consolidated net profit to Rs 1775.23 crore in Q4 FY21 as against Rs 3240.23 crore in Q4 FY20.

Net sales during the quarter increased 32.7% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 14405.61 crore. Profit before tax in Q4 FY21 stood at Rs 2638.98 crore, up 80.8% from Rs 1459.43 crore in Q4 FY20. Current tax outgo increased 93.9% to Rs 478.20 crore in Q4 FY21 over Q4 FY20.

The cement major recorded 5.1% fall in consolidated net profit to Rs 5463.10 crore on 5.4% rise in net sales to Rs 44725.80 crore in the year ended 31 March 2021 over the year ended 31 March 2021.

The company's board has recommended a dividend of Rs 37 per share for the year ended March 2021.

The company said that its recovery from the Covid-19 led disruption of the economy during FY21 has been rapid.

The 'overheads control programme', prudent working capital management and control on cash flows were the main drivers, aided by quick revival of demand and supply side restoration. All of these have resulted in your Company's superlative performance, even during such trying times. It achieved an effective capacity utilisation of 93 % during the quarter.

UltraTech has reduced net debt / EBITDA ratio to 0.55x from 1.72x as on 31 March, 2020. The loan repayments have been made through free cash flows that the company has generated during the year, despite the challenging circumstances and severe business interruptions during Q1FY21.

The company successfully raised $400 million, corresponding to approximately Rs 2,900 crore by way of issuance of unconditional, unsubordinated and unsecured USD denominated notes due 16th February 2031 at 2.80% per annum, payable semi-annually on 16th August and 16th February of each year, commencing from 16th August, 2021 as per applicable laws. The Bonds are listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading.

The cement maker's board had earlier sanctioned capacity expansion plans of 19.5 million tons through a mix of brown field and green field expansion covering 5 integrated cement plants and 12 grinding units. The additional capacity is being created in the fast-growing markets of the east, central and north regions of the country. Most of the orders for equipment have been placed and civil work has also commenced at these locations. Commercial production from these capacities is expected to go on stream in a phased manner, during FY22 and FY23.

Upon completion of the latest round of expansion, the company's capacity will grow to 136.25 mtpa, reinforcing its position as the third largest cement company in the world, outside of China.

Going forward, UltraTech's capital and financial resources remain fully protected and its liquidity position is adequately covered. Most importantly, it continues to remain committed to all its business associates.

While rural and semi-urban housing continue to drive growth, pick-up in government led infrastructure aided incremental cement demand. Pent-up urban demand is also expected to improve.

The company is closely monitoring the impact of the second wave of the pandemic on its operations. With its focus on operational efficiencies and cost control, UltraTech is better prepared for any resulting slowdown in the economy.

UltraTech is the largest manufacturer of grey cement, ready mix concrete (RMC) and white cement in India. The company's business operations span UAE, Bahrain, Sri Lanka and India.

The scrip rose 1.23% to end at Rs 6484.80 on Friday.

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YouTube/A. Charles Peruto

On first look, the campaign website for Charles Peruto Jr., a bombastic Republican attorney running to oust progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, seems fairly standard, similar to those of many conservative candidates.

There is the section on issues like the opioid crisis and Black Lives Matter. There is one listing endorsements from various cops and judges. And a page titled Enough Is Enough! in which he says hes running for one simple reason: public safety.

But then, there is a section, titled The Girl in my Bathtub, in which he has to explain the death of a woman at his mansion in 2013.

There shouldnt have to be a section for this on anyone's campaign site, the candidate begins on the page, first reported by Raw Story, but because some people will not let this go away, I must address it.

Pandemic Chaos Led Wife to Kill Estranged Hubbys New GF: Defense

Peruto, who has spent 40 years in criminal defense law, has local name recognition for his record of representing high-profile defendants, including a slew of alleged mob bosses like Joey Merlino and Nicodemo Scarfo, and his dad, Chuck Peruto Sr.whom Philadelphia Magazine described as one of the most esteemed lawyers in Philadelphia history.

But in recent years, Peruto has become more notorious for another reason: In 2013, a woman named Julia Law was found dead in his mansion in Philadelphia's Center City neighborhood. A maintenance man discovered her body, naked and facedown in a full bathtub of water. At the time, Peruto had been with family on the Jersey Shore, according to a report from the time by NBC 10.

The 26-year-old had been a paralegal in Perutos law office, where they struck up a romantic relationship. This was something of a pattern for the 66-year-old lawyer. As news of Laws death broke, Peruto received a series of angry calls from a woman named Genna Squadroni. She was his 25-year-old recent ex-girlfriend of three years, Philadelphia Magazine reported, who had also worked in Perutos officeshe had hired Law herself.

Story continues

On his campaign website, Peruto describes the incident in a conversational tone: In 2013, I was dating a girl for about 6 weeks, and didn't really know her, he writes. I learned more about her after she died by reading an investigative article done by Philadelphia Magazine, written by Lisa DePaulo, which opened my eyes.

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The description clashes somewhat with the message Peruto shared on Facebook shortly after Laws death. Its very hard to find someone who really matches you on all eight cylinders, he wrote at the time, in a post cited by NBC 10. I found my soulmate hippy, and can never replace her. We worked and played, and never got enough life...Earth lost the best one ever. Happy birthday baby.

But on his website, Peruto concerns himself primarily with clearing his name of any accusations of wrongdoing. He points to a Medical Examiner's report, which found Laws Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) had been .45 percent when she diedfor reference, in Pennsylvania, a BAC of over 0.08 percent is considered over the legal driving limit.

The cause of death was alcohol intoxication, but because she was found in my tub, everyone, including myself, assumed she drowned, he wrote. So many empty vodka bottles were found, it looked like there was a party in my house, but inspection of the security video of people entering and leaving showed only her.

Peruto goes on to describe how hed driven back to Philadelphia upon hearing the news, citing phone records that confirmed his location along the way. He gave a full statement to homicide detectives and surrendered his phone for a search. The long story short is that I was not her only boyfriend, but it was my apartment where she expired, he wrote. If it was another boyfriend's apartment, you would have never heard of the case.

At the time, then-District Attorney Seth Williams, whom Peruto described as a bitter enemy and who later resigned over federal bribery charges, brought the case before a grand jury to investigate the fatality. But the investigation ended without any evidence of criminal conduct.

The renewed scrutiny of Laws death is just the latest twist in what has been an eventful and bitter race for Philadelphias District Attorney. Larry Krasner, the current DA, won the seat in 2017 on a platform of progressive criminal justice reform. After taking office in 2018, he dramatically changed the DAs Office, firing 31 prosecutors from the former regime.

Within his first two months, Krasner announced that he would no longer pursue criminal charges for marijuana possession or cash bail for defendants accused of non-violent or misdemeanor crimestwo features of the justice system that overwhelmingly target Black and brown people.

Krasners reformist approach to the office and aggressive pursuit of police misconduct has angered right-wing and centrist Democrats in the city, who responded by endorsing alternate candidates in the upcoming election.

Krasner faces a primary challenge from Democrat Carlos Vega, one of the prosecutors he fired, who was endorsed by Protect Our Police, the pro-cop PAC largely funded by the Fraternal Order of Police.

On Wednesday, during a televised debate between the two, Krasner pointed to Vegas track record in the DAs office, having worked to re-try a man named Anthony Wright for rape and murder charges, in spite of exonerating DNA evidence that pointed to another man. The debate was heated, with Krasner calling some of Vegas comments a lasagna of lies, and Vega telling the incumbent he was Krasners worst nightmare, in an off-mic interaction.

Following Krasners election, a series of progressive candidates won District Attorney elections in major cities across the country, from George Gascon in Los Angeles to Kim Foxx in Chicago, to San Franciscos Chesa Boudin.

The right-wing Peruto is unlikely to prevail in deep-blue Philadelphia but the Democratic primary on May 18 could signal the long-term viability of reformers in top prosecutor seats.

An earlier version of this article misstated endorsements for Carlos Vega. The local Democratic City Committee declined to endorse Krasner, but did not endorse Vega.

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Members of a Chinese medical unit of the 19th batch of Chinese peacekeeping forces to Lebanon and Dr. Antoine Farhoud (Right, 2nd), principle of a branch in Lebanon Red Cross Society, pose for a group photo at a handover ceremony on May 6, 2021.

The medical unit donated medical supplies to the Lebanese Red Cross for the third time on Thursday. The supplies included 1,000 disposable medical masks and 100 disposable protective suits. (Photo/China News Service)

Representatives of the medical unit in Chinese peacekeeping forces and Dr. Antoine Farhoud sign documents to confirm the donation, May 6, 2021. (Photo/China News Service)

[ Editor: WPY ]
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-09 04:35:47|Editor: huaxia

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RIGA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Latvian President Egils Levits and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday signed a joint declaration on Ukraine's further integration with the European Union (EU), the Latvian president's spokeswoman Justine Deicmane informed.

In the declaration, Latvia pledged support to Ukraine on its path to EU membership as soon as it meets the qualification requirements for starting accession talks with the bloc. The two countries also commit to work together to help Ukraine integrate with the EU and carry out the planned reforms, which will enable Ukraine to apply for EU membership.

In the online meeting with Zelensky, Levits affirmed Latvia's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and said that Latvia is ready to share its reform management experience with Ukraine.

Levits voiced hope that Ukraine will complete all the necessary reforms and become a fully-fledged EU member in this decade.

The Latvian president also expressed understanding of Ukraine's aspirations to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as well to strengthen European security.

Zelensky thanked Levits for Latvia's consistent support to Ukraine and for the commitment to help Ukraine's EU accession. Enditem
Food Giveaway in Metropolis Today

By West Kentucky Star Staff

METROPOLIS - Grace Church in Metropolis will be giving away boxes of food on Saturday, May 8.The event will take place at 818 W. 10th Street in Metropolis from 10 am until 3 pm.Each box will contain a gallon of milk, protein, vegetables, and cheese.The food is available to everyone, not just Metropolis residents.
As soon as a Covid patient arrives in an ambulance, he or she will be taken into the triage and put on oxygen and provided appropriate treatment.  Representational image/PTI

Hyderabad: Emergency construction of a triage unit at Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (Tims) is almost complete and a similar temporary unit will also be built in the next few days at the Gandhi Hospital.

These units will attend to Covid-19 patients instead of making them wait in ambulances, till the time a bed becomes available for admission into these hospitals.

We have added 200 more oxygen beds at Tims and also will add more such beds at Gandhi. As soon as a Covid patient arrives in an ambulance, he or she will be taken into the triage and put on oxygen and provided appropriate treatment. Depending on their conditions, once beds are available, they will be admitted to the hospital, Director of Medical Education Dr K. Ramesh Reddy told reporters on Friday evening. These triage units will be located close to the entry of the hospitals, he said. He also said Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, who visited Gandhi Hospital and spent a few hours there on Friday reviewing the hospitals needs and discussing setting up the triage units in big government hospitals in the state, directed officials to set up temporary sheds to create additional space on the hospitals premises where more beds can be placed for treating Covid-19 patients.

Dr Ramesh Reddy said similar facilities would also be set up urgently at all district and area hospitals across the state as an additional 3,000 beds are being readied for Covid-19 patients needing hospital care. Government hospitals in the state would soon have a total of about 15,000 ICU oxygen beds, he added.
European Commission approved on a new Covid vaccine contract with Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, paving the way for as many as 1.8 billion doses for 2021-2023, President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday.

The contract is for a guaranteed 900 million shots, with an option for a further 900 million.

The new agreement includes clauses to allow the donation and reselling of doses, according to a diplomatic memo seen by Bloomberg. It also foresees monthly delivery schedules and sanctions for potential delays.

The commission is also in talks with Moderna Inc., Novavax Inc. and Valneva SE for additional shots. Meanwhile, deliveries of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine remain sparse as investigations continue into contaminated batches at a US plant.

Still, von der Leyen said last week that she expects enough doses of all vaccines to inocul ate the bulk of the blocs population to be available by July.

Saturdays contract announcement comes after the commission chief said shes open to discussing President Joe Bidens proposal to waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines.

Von der Leyen said at a conference of European Union leaders on Friday that vaccine manufacturers in the bloc have exported about half of the shots theyve produced, some 200 million in total, and urged the U.S. to match that effort.
SKY/NOW, DISNEY+, BRITBOX & ACORN TV

I Hate Suzie

Watching Billie Piper in this intense and very adult black comedy, its amazing to recall that when she began her career as what used to be called a teenybopper pop star, it was assumed shed be a here-today-gone-tomorrow phenomenon.

In fact, she has repeatedly shown her talents as a brilliant actress, and she does so again here. Piper plays Suzie, a former child star whose career is upended when sexually explicit photos of her with a man who is definitely not her husband pop up online.

Watching Billie Piper (above) in this intense and very adult black comedy, its amazing to recall that when she began her career it was assumed shed be here-today-gone-tomorrow

With her carefully manufactured image shattered, Suzies life begins to spiral out of control and it looks as though shes heading for a nervous breakdown. Piper has been nominated for a best actress Bafta for her performance, and Leila Farzad, who plays her friend and manager Naomi, is up for best supporting actress. Sky/NOW, available now

An Affair To Remember

Weepie from 1957, regarded as one of the most romantic movies of all time. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr star as a playboy and a woman who fall in love while travelling from Europe to New York on an ocean liner despite being in relationships already (think Brief Encounter afloat).

Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr (above) star as a playboy and a woman who fall in love while travelling from Europe to New York on an ocean liner despite being in relationships already

At the end of the trip they agree to meet at the top of the Empire State Building in six months time, but the planned tryst goes wrong. Yes, 1993s Sleepless In Seattle was heavily indebted to this film and even contains scenes from it. Disney+, from Friday

English National Opera Collection

If youre looking for a cultural fix, then youre in the right place. The streaming service is adding ENOs productions of Carmen, La Traviata, The Barber Of Seville, The Mikado, The Pirates Of Penzance and Benvenuto Cellini to its Centre Stage collection. BritBox, from Thursday

Hidden

Four-part conspiracy thriller from 2011 starring a gruff Philip Glenister as Harry Venn, a dodgy solicitor, and Thekla Reuten as a mysterious lawyer who wants him to find someone.

Four-part conspiracy thriller from 2011 starring a gruff Philip Glenister as Harry Venn, a dodgy solicitor, and Thekla Reuten (above, with Glenister) as a mysterious lawyer

Its a bit Chandler-esque, with Venn a Marlowe-type character. Whats the link between the case he is being drawn into, the death of his brother and wider political unrest around forming a coalition government?

All will be explained. Acorn TV, from Monday

Secrets Of The Krays

Are there any secrets left about the Krays? It seems that everyone who ever knew them has either written a book or taken part in a documentary. This three-parter does a good job of telling the story of East End gangster twins Ronnie and Reggie, who ruled London in the 1960s and mixed with celebrities and politicians.

This three-parter does a good job of telling the story of East End gangster twins Ronnie and Reggie (above), who ruled London in the 1960s and mixed with celebrities and politicians

Unlike some other works, it doesnt glamorise them. Are we talking here about clever people? asks Chris Lambrianou, a member of the Krays firm. No were not. What they were good at, says another associate, was violence. BritBox, from Thursday

9-1-1

Procedural drama about first responders and the life-or-death crises they are called out to deal with on a daily basis  a baby has been flushed down a toilet; a snake is crushing its owner; theres a tsunami!

This fast-paced  bordering on frenetic  and emotionally charged show sometimes tips over into melodrama but is a big hit with viewers. Angela Bassett plays an LAPD cop; Peter Krause, her partner, is a firefighter and, from Series 2, Jennifer Love Hewitt is a dispatcher, an operator who takes emergency calls. Disney+, available now

THE TEN HOTTEST SHOWS TO WATCH THIS WEEK ON NOW TV Harassed family man Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini, above) 1 The Sopranos Harassed family man and troubled Mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) is one of the great TV creations. More than 20 years after it launched, this show is as compelling, shocking and funny as when it first aired. 2 The Affair Dominic West and Ruth Wilson star in an involving relationship drama in which we often see the same events from the varied perspectives of different characters. 3 Six Feet Under Long-running, beloved TV sagas often have a problem with the final episode but this show, about the Fisher family who run a funeral home, sets the benchmark for last chapters. 4 The Wire Uses the format of a tough, gritty cop show, set in Baltimore, to examine the wider ills of society and introduces us to some indelible characters on both sides of the law, played by the likes of Idris Elba and Wendell Pierce. 5 Dexter Wildly implausible but hugely enjoyable crime drama about the eponymous serial killer (Michael C. Hall), who only kills other serial killers. Oh, and he works for law enforcement as a blood-spatter expert. 6 Chernobyl Performances, cinematography, sound design everything in this nerve-jangling, five-episode dramatisation of the horrific nuclear accident at the Ukrainian power plant is perfect. 7 Britannia Ancient Britain is stuffed to the gills with drug-addled druids, power-crazed Romans and feuding Brits in Jez Butterworths bonkers and frequently laugh-out-loud funny drama. 8 Succession Very black comedy about the awful, dysfunctional, super-rich Roy family, headed by terrifying media mogul Logan Roy (Brian Cox). 9 30 Rock Brilliant long-running satirical sitcom about a TV sketch show, inspired by creator and star Tina Feys experiences on Saturday Night Live. 10 Extras One of the joys of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchants hilarious comedy about the life of a background artist is the guest stars playing versions of themselves, including Kate Winslet, Sir Ian McKellen and David Bowie. Advertisement

NETFLIX

The Woman In The Window

Originally due out in October 2019 but delayed by re-editing, Covid-19 and its acquisition by Netflix, at last we discover what Joe Wrights film of A. J. Finns psychological thriller is all about.

Sounding a lot like Hitchcocks Rear Window and with Amy Adams in the central role, its the story of Anna Fox (Adams), who suffers from agoraphobia and depression and, unable to leave her New York apartment, starts to spy on her new neighbours.

Sounding a lot like Hitchcocks Rear Window and with Amy Adams in the central role, its the story of Anna Fox (Adams, above) who starts to spy on her new neighbours

One evening she witnesses a terrifying attack, but nobody seems to believe her. Gary Oldman, Julianne Moore and Anthony Mackie lend their support. From Friday

The Mitchells vs The Machines

Delightful and bang on the money, this computer-animated sci-fi comedy featuring the vocal talents of Olivia Colman, Conan OBrien, Maya Rudolph and Abbi Jacobson, among others.

It follows the dysfunctional Mitchell family (above) who, while on a road trip, find themselves caught up in a robot uprising

It follows the dysfunctional Mitchell family who, while on a road trip, find themselves caught up in a robot uprising. Theres something here for all ages. Available now

And Tomorrow The Entire World

Concerned about the rise of Right-wing extremism in her town, law student Luisa (Mala Emde) joins an earnest anti-fascist group but finds the well-meaning Leftists increasingly divided over how to deal with the enemy.

Should they be peaceful protesters, or do they need to fight fire with fire? Non-violent resistance to Nazis? Thats total bulls***, says the anti-Nazis charismatic leader, Alfa (Noah Saavedra), to whom Luisa is increasingly drawn.

The director of this German film, Julia von Heinz, was partly inspired by her own experiences as a member of an anti-Nazi group in the 1990s. Available now

Ferry

Eagerly awaited feature- length prequel to the Belgian/Dutch crime drama series Undercover that sees Frank Lammers reprise his role as drug lord Ferry Bouman.

Eagerly awaited feature- length prequel to the Belgian/Dutch crime drama series Undercover that sees Frank Lammers (above) reprise his role as drug lord Ferry Bouman

However, the story takes place in 2006, before Ferry built his empire, and sees him reunited with his estranged family in his native Brabant while hunting down those responsible for attacking his mentors son. From Friday

Halston

Producer Ryan Murphy (Pose, Ratched) has another glossy drama in this five-part series about the rise (after designing the pillbox hat Jackie Kennedy wore at her husbands inauguration) and fall of the fashion designer Halston.

Halston was a hard-partying denizen of New Yorks Studio 54 in the 1970s with such glitterati as Liza Minnelli (played by Krysta Rodriguez, above) and Andy Warhol

He was a hard-partying denizen of New Yorks Studio 54 in the 1970s with such glitterati as Liza Minnelli (played by Krysta Rodriguez) and Andy Warhol, and died of an Aids-related condition in 1990.

Ewan McGregor, controversially for some, plays the central gay role. From Friday

Why is there such a buzz about..? Fatma (Netflix) Never seen any Turkish TV? This absorbing thriller about an unlikely serial killer is a good place to start. It begins innocuously enough, as we follow the meek, mild-mannered Fatma (Burcu Biricik) on a series of cleaning jobs around Istanbul. With her dowdy dress and babushka, she doesnt look like she could hurt a fly. Somethings clearly not right, though. She has a haunted look about her and all she talks about is her husband, Zafar, a lowly gangland stooge who has just been released from prison and promptly disappeared. Has he abandoned her? Or worse? Fatma is determined to find out the truth. Meek, mild-mannered Fatma (Burcu Biricik, above) Her search takes her into the Istanbul underworld and a confrontation with a thug shes been told might know of Zafars whereabouts. And its here that Fatma crosses a line. Halfway through episode one she has killed her first gangster (shot in the chest with a stolen gun), and by the time the credits roll shes done away with another (pushed under a train). And it doesnt stop there. As Fatmas life begins to unravel, and her search for Zafar becomes more desperate, the death toll steadily rises. Shes no longer just a murderer, she has become a serial killer. But there is something of the vigilante about her killings  none of the victims is a good guy  and in flashback we learn of the childhood trauma that drives her vengeance today. The ingenious, multi-layered plot is worthy of any hit Netflix drama and the twists and turns will keep you gripped all the way to its satisfying denouement. Nick Bagot Advertisement

STARZPLAY, AMAZON & BBC iPLAYER

Men In Kilts

Youll probably know Graham McTavish and Sam Heughan as Outlanders Dougal/Buck MacKenzie and Jamie Fraser. The pair are best pals off-screen, even writing a book together, Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, And A Scottish Adventure Like No Other, which became a surprise New York Times bestseller last year.

Youll probably know Graham McTavish and Sam Heughan (above) as Outlanders Dougal/Buck MacKenzie and Jamie Fraser. The pair are best pals off-screen, even writing a book together

Now the staunchly patriotic duo are taking to the road for an eight-part series, celebrating the sights and sounds of their native Scotland. Among the highlights are whisky-tasting, folk dancing and an attempt to wrangle a flock of wild sheep. Starzplay, from Sunday

The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was the name given to a network of people who helped enslaved African-Americans flee the South. (This adaptation stars Thuso Mbedu, above)

Ten-part adaptation, directed by Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins, of the Colson Whitehead novel. The Underground Railroad was the name given to a network of people who helped enslaved African-Americans flee the South, but here its imagined as a real railway helping escapee Cora (Thuso Mbedu). Amazon, from Friday

A Round With Alliss With Terry Wogan

Sadly, Peter Alliss and Terry Wogan are no longer with us, but this cosy, amusing chat between the two friends reminds us what a comforting presence on our screens they were. The only thing wrong is that it isnt long enough. BBC iPlayer, until Wednesday
Vehicles cross the 27th Street bridge in Glenwood Springs Friday afternoon. The bridge serves as one of the few connections across the Roaring Fork River. City officials say another connection is needed in the event of an emergency.
NEW YORK (AP)  Three innocent bystanders including a 4-year-old girl who was toy shopping were shot in New York City's busy Times Square on Saturday afternoon when someone opened fire during a dispute between several men, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said. All the victims were expected to recover.

The shooting happened shortly before 5 p.m. near the intersection of West 44th Street and Seventh Avenue, police said. The suspects were still at large.

Shea said during an evening news conference that police have one person of interest they're seeking to question. The police department posted video of the man walking away from the scene on its Twitter page.

We have ... from numerous witnesses that a dispute occurred on the street involving at least two to four people, Shea said. It is during this dispute that at least one person pulls out a gun.

The 4-year-old girl, from Brooklyn, was expected to undergo surgery for a gunshot wound to her leg, Shea said. A 23-year-old woman from Rhode Island who was sightseeing was shot in the leg, and a 43-year-old woman from New Jersey was shot in the foot, he said. None of them is related to the others.

Surveillance videos posted on social media by the fire department show people running away from the scene after the shooting. What appear to be three gun shots are heard on audio from the videos.

Shea said an officer heard four to five shots and officers found three shell casings, appearing to be .25-caliber, at the scene.

Mayor Bill de Blasio called the shooting senseless violence and vowed the suspects will be brought to justice.

The flood of illegal guns into our city must stop," he said in a Twitter post.

Shea said city police officers have been seizing guns at an alarming rate over the past two years and he said bad policies were to blame. He declined to elaborate.

How many more kids do we need to be shot before we realize that bad policies have consequences and we need action and we need policies regarding laws that have consequences, Shea said.

City police officials previously have blamed bail reforms that went into effect last year for putting offenders back on the streets, but theres little evidence people freed from jail are behind the new crimes.
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Highlights The Press Information Bureau has recently busted a conspiracy theory that was being spread about the second wave of COVID-19.

In the message, a man can be heard saying that because of 5G testing people are dying in states like UP, Maharashtra.

The COAI has cautioned users about the same and urged them to not believe in any such rumours.

The Press Information Bureau has recently busted a conspiracy theory that was being spread about the second wave of COVID-19. An audio message claiming that the 5G testing is the reason behind the sudden surge in COVID cases in India has been doing the rounds. In the message, a man can be heard saying that because of 5G testing people are dying in states like UP, Maharashtra and Bihar. This is not the first time rumour mongers have tried to blame 5G behind the COVID-19, back in 2020, a few 5G towers were dismantled in the UK because of the fake claims.

The Press Information Bureau Fact Check team had shared the audio message on its official Twitter handle. "In an audio message, it is being claimed that 5g network is being tested in the states, due to which people are dying. This claim is fake. Please do not spread confusion by sharing such fake messages", PIB tweeted. Earlier, a post claiming that the radiation from the 5G towers is causing breathing troubles among users. Some regional newspapers had also carried the news without verifying the facts.

This prompted the Cellular Operators Association of India to address the rumours about the 5G testing in India and its connection with COVID-19 cases. The COAI has cautioned users about the same and urged them to not believe in any such rumours.

"We would like to clarify that these rumours are absolutely false. We urge people not to fall for such baseless misinformation. Several countries in the world have already rolled out 5G networks and people are using these services safely" said Lt. Gen. Dr S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI, said in a statement to Mint.

"Even the World Health Organisation has clarified that there is no correlation between 5G technology and covid-19. We have shared our concerns with the Department of Telecommunications and have apprised them of the situation. I appeal fellow citizens to beware of these fake messages. Together we can fight this menace of misinformation," he added.

COAI has also clarified that no 5G towers have been installed in India hence all the claims are absolutely fake.

Earlier, WHO had confirmed that 'viruses cannot travel on radio waves / mobile networks.' So 5G can never be the cause behind the deaths due to COVID-19 or a surge in cases.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  Kansas City, Missouri, police are investigating after a man was found shot to death outside an apartment.

The shooting happened just after midnight Saturday near 88th and Crystal Avenue. Arriving officers found the victim with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.


Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (file photo) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that the state administration has geared up for mass vaccination across the capital and it would need around 80,000 to 85,000 vaccine doses per day. Addressing a press conference, the chief minister said, around 300 centres have been set up for vaccination in the city with an aim to complete vaccination drive in the next three months, if Delhi gets adequate supplies from the Centre.



"At present, around 100 vaccination centres are operational in Delhi and around 200 more centres will come up in the next few days. Delhi would need around 3 crore vaccines in next three months to cater to more than 2 crore population of the national capital," Kejriwal said.



Delhi has so far received around 40 lakh vaccines and it would need around 2.60 crore more in the next three months. "As of today around 1 lakh people are getting jabs per day in Delhi. We can increase this number up to 3 lakh per day. We have increased our vaccination sites and many more to be set up soon," the chief minister said.



The Centre has already been alerted that India will witness the third wave of Covid and therefore the Delhi Government wants to vaccinate all its citizens within next three months. "We will request the Centre to provide adequate vaccines to Delhi. Delhi government wants to vaccinate all eligible people before the next wave of pandemic," Kejriwal added.












Several viewpoints were shared by experts on this issue at a seminar titled "Reshaping Global Finance and Vietnam's Strategy", which was held in coordination with Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics (UEH) and Saigon Investment Newspaper during the last week of April.

Location of Ho Chi Minh City

The idea of making a regional and international financial center in Ho Chi Minh City dates back almost twenty years. In August 2020, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City forwarded a petition to the Government for supporting the goal of developing a regional and international financial center in Ho Chi Minh City. In a document to the 13th Party Congress on a socio-economic development strategy for the period 2021 to 2030, the contents clearly called for promoting the development of Ho Chi Minh City into an International Financial Market.

Dr. Tran Du Lich, an economist who has many years experience as advisor to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, said that no other place in Vietnam is more suitably located for the creation of an international financial market than Ho Chi Minh City. If this City cannot develop this project, then nowhere else can it be created. If Da Nang and Van Don want to become financial markets, they should only be offshore financial markets, similar to Hong Kong or Singapore. These are financial centers that do business offshore, in other words as parasite financial centers, because they do not live on their own economy but depend on global economy. Da Nang wants to develop such a model because the City is oriented towards financial technology products, and not traditional markets.

However, to become an International Financial Center, Ho Chi Minh City still has much work ahead. Specifically, these works must be done in three phases. The first phase from 2021 to 2025 must be the construction phase, which will confirm the role of the national financial market. The reason is that until now, the scale of the financial market in Ho Chi Minh City has been very large, but now it is gradually decreasing. In other words, the amount of money pouring into Ho Chi Minh City is huge but now getting proportionately smaller and smaller. So, first of all, Ho Chi Minh City must regain its position and affirm its role as a national financial market.

During the next phase from 2026 to 2030, Ho Chi Minh City must increase its role as a regional financial market. In a period of ten to fifteen years, an international financial market will begin to shape up. Hence, in order to become an International Financial Market, Ho Chi Minh City must be associated with two more conditions, which are capital account liberalization and currency conversion. However, it will take a long time to meet these two conditions.

In addition, an important point for the success of an International Financial Market is that it is always worth while for international investors and financial experts. Ho Chi Minh City must pay attention to this issue if she wants to become an International Financial Market in the future. Dr. Tran Du Lich also emphasized that the Party Resolution has raised the issue of promoting the development of Ho Chi Minh City into a financial market, but in order to implement it, it is necessary to have a strong program that must be seen as a major national issue.

Consensus is key

Many experts believe that setting up a financial market is a national issue, not just a matter for Ho Chi Minh City to tackle alone. Dr. Truong Van Phuoc, a member of the Economic Advisory Group of the Prime Minister, also shares that if Vietnam is determined to establish a financial market, there is no need to mention the divergence of several stages to implement.

There is a view that this financial center must have a skyscraper in Thu Thiem urban area, similar to Manhattan in New York City, but in reality, if ministries, especially the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank of Vietnam, do not unite, there will be no International Financial Center to start with. The reason is that any International Financial Market is an institution for capital and money markets, which are under the control of these two organizations.

Dr. Phuoc also suggested it be named as the Financial Center of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, because Ho Chi Minh City cannot build a financial center without the support and go ahead of the Ministry of Finance. It is also necessary to view that the financial market located in Ho Chi Minh City serves the entire country and offers adequate financial services, only then institutions will be changed.

Prof. Dr. Tran Ngoc Tho, a member of the National Monetary Policy Advisory Council, said that our current institutions have not kept up with new innovations quickly enough. If you want to have a financial center in Ho Chi Minh City, you must make mobile goals. Our aim is that by 2045 Vietnam will become an industrialized country, but it is a hard and fixed goal. In today's digital world, in order to achieve fixed goals, there must be a set of regulations, which are moving targets, and regulations that are constantly changing to suit the evolving global economy.

In order to develop an International Financial Market in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, the City must begin to adopt financial technology products (fintech) and drop use of traditional products. Dr. Tran Du Lich agrees with this suggestion, but according to him, from experience of Shanghai, if Ho Chi Minh City is allowed to conduct a controlled testing mechanism on global financial technology products or sandbox, it is possible to implement the formation of international financial markets. Specifically, it must follow the rules for applying real new products and services in the application process. If there is a problem that may affect national security, the new state management agency has to issue regulations to adjust.

If we have to put the regulations before being implemented in the form of waiting for the State Bank of Vietnam and the Ministry of Finance to introduce a new management framework, we will never have a sandbox. In China, all national financial institutions had their headquarters in Beijing, but the largest operations headquarters are still in Shanghai. This is a point Vietnam needs to pay attention to.

Yen Lam
Strong winds and rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of the thousands of people who took part in this year's Darkness into Light this morning.

Pieta House described the weather for the event as "challenging for a challenging year".

Thousands of people around the country got up at sunrise at around 5am this morning to raise funds for the suicide prevention charity.

More than 6m has been raised from this year's events.

For the second year, Covid restrictions meant that events were unable to take place at designated Darkness into Light venues.

Instead, participants walked, ran, swam or hiked on their own or in their social bubble.

Kevin McNamara, Emma Casey and Ted the Dog, Caherdavin, Limerick City

Pieta House spokesperson, Tom McEvoy is thrilled with the support.

"We have seen thousands of people, albeit social distancing, taking part in one sunrise together - darkness into light.

"It has been a huge success and we have received a lot of support funding-wise and we have registered at least 140,000 people who took part in this year's event."

Last night, 1.1 million was raised for the charity on the Late Late Show.

Mags Kirby, Siobhan Kirby and David Tierney.

Speaking ahead of the event this morning, Pieta CEO Elaine Austin thanked all those who took part in the event and/or donated.

"Today as a united people right across Ireland and the world, you are putting your arms around all of us who have lost a loved one to suicide," said Ms Austin.

"You are giving us time to remember, a time to heal and a time to hope. You are helping all of us who are struggling not to lose heart, to hold on and find a way out of the darkness.

"You are shining a light on the shadow of stigma and making it easier for all of us to speak up, to talk about how we are feeling and to ask for help."

The number of calls and texts to Pieta Houses helpline related to suicide, self-harm, and bereavement rose by 25% at the beginning of the third wave of Covid-19, when compared to the same period 12 months earlier.

The suicide awareness charity also believes the pandemic burden will have far-reaching implications throughout 2021.

Speaking ahead of its annual fundraising event Darkness into Light tomorrow, the charity said it delivered more than 52,000 hours of therapy and answered over 70,000 calls and texts for help through its 24/7 crisis helpline in 2020.

If you or a loved one are struggling with your mental health, you can contact Pieta

on freephone 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a spotlight on not just the role of governments but also of societies, companies and individuals in creating better outcomes for all, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said on Saturday.

Birla was speaking at the 56th convocation of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), which was organised virtually.

"The pandemic and the past 12 months have again shone a spotlight on not just the role of governments, but also of societies, companies and individuals in creating better outcomes for all of us," Birla said in his address as the chief guest of the event.

Birla, who is also the chairperson of the board of governors of IIMA, one of the country's premier B-schools, urged students to not think "unidimensionally" but also add "empathy and humility" to their thinking.

"The reality is that you can't build businesses with spreadsheets. The most detailed business plans this year unravelled in the face of factory workers falling sick," he said.

Supply chains came undone, as migrant labourers, who were silently powering them, retreated to their communities, he said, urging the graduating class not to get unidimensional in their thinking.

"I don't see IQ and EQ as binary qualities, but rather as complementary traits that make a personality wholesome," he said.

Expressing confidence that the collective human spirit will triumph over the pandemic, Birla said, "Hidden behind the stories of loss and valour, agony and awe, ruin and revival, is the power of the human spirit. A collective spirit that has enabled us to wrestle with this pandemic for over a year now."



Birla further said that with companies and consumers embracing digitisation, the pandemic also encouraged innovation.

The country's start-up ecosystem added 10 unicorns in our months of 2021, whose mix represents everything from interest in financial services to business enablers and need for human connectivity, he said.

Birla said the graduating class of 2021 is in a unique position, having had the ability to take a student's dispassionate look at a world in turmoil to step into it and leave their mark "as a young leader whose intellectual appreciation of business problems is balanced by a compassionate understanding of the people involved".

In his address, IIMA Director Errol D'Souza said this has been the most eventful year for the institute.

The PGP batch of 2002 had also experienced a similar turn of events, with the 2001 earthquake and the 2002 riots. It had engulfed the city in the middle of the placement season and many recruiters were reluctant to come to the city for interviews, he said.

As many as 605 students graduated this year, including 405 of the flagship two-year post-graduate programme in management and 140 of the one-year post-graduate programme in Management for Executives (MBA-PGPX), the institute said in a statement.
The month of May marks a significant time in the liturgical calendar with Marian processions typically taking place.

Delving through The Echo archives reveals a plethora of old photographs from May processions in areas such as Shanbally, Ballinlough and Dillon's Cross over the years.

Clodagh Doyle, who has been working with the Irish Folklife Collection of the National Museum of Ireland since 1995 and is now based at Turlough Park, notes the history of this tradition, which she says extends back to medieval times.

May procession from St Joseph's Church to the grotto at Harrington's Square, Dillon's Cross, 1956.

"Since medieval times in Ireland, there has been a strong association with the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary during the month of May.

"Much of the traditions associated with May have been incorporated into the Marian processions found throughout the country.

"Children and adults collected flowers for crowning Our Lady in town processions.

May procession at Clogheen church, 1949.

"They also used them to decorate grottoes, shrines and church altars.

"It was and still is very common to have a home altar either in the kitchen or outside in the farmyard.

"Sometimes the flowers picked for this altar were made into crosses.

"The maintenance of these altars and their replenishment with fresh flowers continued on from May 1, throughout the month."

May procession at Shanbally, 1955.

In a letter to the editor published in The Echo in May 1973 one unnamed Ballinlough resident stated that the tradition of the May procession in Ballinlough extends back to 1946.

"Here in Ballinlough in 1946 May Procession began.

"The children who received First Holy Communion and any other suitably attired senior girls or boys walked in procession around our church, and Our Lady was crowned by that years first communicant  the boys generally wore their school colours (Our Lady of Lourdes) and long white pants.

May procession at Clogheen church, 1949.

"The present principal of Our Lady of Lourdes went to great pains teaching the children 'Oh Mary We Crown Thee' and some other suitable hymns, also bringing them to practise walking in procession during the week in Our Lady of Lourdes Church."

While the popularity of the procession has waned in more recent years, processions still take place in many areas of Cork.

In a recent post on social media, Fianna Fail county councillor Sheila O'Callaghan said she hopes the processions will return in post Covid times.

"'May Sunday' was a highlight growing up in Glanmire, congregating at 'Springhill Church' and walking with cousins, school pals and family in the procession all the way to The Grotto.

May procession at the shrine in Shanbally, 1955.

"A statue of Our Lady would be garnished with flowers and placed in windows around the parish.

"Hope these traditions will return in post Covid times."
Wang Yi, Lavrov, and Blinken Exchange Views at UN Zoom Meet

May 7, 2021 (EIRNS)China, which is the chair of the UN Security Council this month, organized a meeting today, on the issue of global cooperation and multilateralism. The Zoom forum entitled

Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Upholding Multilateralism and the United Nations-Centered International System was attended by the foreign ministers of Russia, the United States, Mexico, Vietnam, Niger, Tunisia, Kenya, Ireland, Norway, Estonia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the deputy foreign ministers of India, Britain and France. While there were many countries addressing the meeting, this was the first time that the Russian and the U.S. foreign ministers would meet in a multilateral context, and the first exchange between Wang Yi and Blinken since Anchorage.

As the chair of the meeting, Wang Yi spoke before the others. He underlined the need to commit to multilateralism and to reject all zero-sum games. There must be dialogue and cooperation based on equality for all, he said. He also attacked the extensive use of sanctions by nations to deal unilaterally with problems that should be dealt with in the multilateral arena. He emphasized the notion of peace through development and stressed that the UN should be especially mindful of the situation facing the developing countries.

Antony Blinken spoke after several other speakers and addressed the role of the United States in the creation of the UN, quoting Harry Truman several times, but not Franklin Roosevelt. Blinken said that the U.S. was committed to multilateralism and had shown great restraint after World War II in spite of being the most powerful country in the world. He said the system since then had been one of the most peaceful periods of the world. He said that adherence to international laws of all types was key, not only to the UN Charter, but to maritime law and rulings by courts, no doubt implying the ruling of the International Court on the South China Sea, which has never been accepted by China.

Blinken also said that human rights must remain at the heart of the UN and that countries cannot be allowed to redraw borders or target countries with disinformation. He went on that it was not enough to defend the rules-based system, but that the system must be improved, for instance with regard to trade discrimination. He called for non-traditional partnerships between different groups in countries.

Next spoke Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who was able to confront the indirect U.S. attacks on Russia. He said it was necessary to strengthen the international system and that the world was at a turning point. Even before COVID-19, international governance was being tested. He also stressed the importance of international law. Not all countries are honestly working together. The Western countries are trying to roll back the multipolar world, he said, trying to implement their rules against the accepted international rules. One example was the call for a summit of democracies which he characterized as new club based on interests, with a clearly ideological nature. He also criticized a French-German proposal for an Alliance for Multilateralism, which would be based on the European Union as the cornerstone of the multilateral international system. He also attacked the moves to create narrow partnerships. In this regard, he mentioned the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace, and the Information and Democracy Partnership, which unite a few dozen countries. This also reveals the Wests true attitude toward multilateralism and the UN, which they do not regard as a universal format for developing solutions acceptable to everyone, but in the context of their claims to superiority over everyone else, who must accept what is required of them, Lavrov said.

Lavrov also referred to the recent critical statements on Russia and China issued by the G7 foreign ministers meeting as an example of that policy, a policy which he said British and the Americans are pushing.

Lavrov reiterated President Putins call for a meeting of the Permanent Five of the UN Security Council. He said also that Russia supported a defense of human rights,  starting with the most important onethe right to life.

In wrapping up the meeting, Wang Yi said that the attendance showed that all members of the Security Council attach great importance to the principle of multilateralism with all of the speakers emphasizing the necessity of defending the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. He reaffirmed the urgency of the UN to play a greater role in international affairs, an important marker in mobilizing the international community against the oligarchism of the Anglo-American crowd.
London: I still remember the moment I was driven through one of Indias most rural and poor states to the place where I was born.

The visit was frightening because as I watched women simultaneously tending to their goats and young children in the fields, it was obvious that my birth country would have never given me what Australia and adoption did: opportunity and a fair go at whatever I wanted to achieve.

And all I ever wanted was to be a journalist. Australia made that dream my reality. I grew up grateful and unquestioningly Australian.

Latika Bourke at the beach in Mollymook, on the NSW South Coast. Courtesy of Latika Bourke

As I wrote in my book From India with Love, the day I became a citizen was a strange one. I was hauled out of class in primary school to go to the mayors office to be naturalised.

The experience was nonsensical because I felt Australian to my shoelaces and didnt understand why I needed to formalise what was already so true inside.

Journalist Latika Bourke, eight months old, in a photo taken for her adoption and travel papers. Supplied

As India does not allow dual citizenship, the experience of being asked if Id ever relinquished my Indian one when I first travelled there in 2012 seemed just as farcical. How could I give up what I had never been?

Ironically, it was living abroad that made me understand what it meant to be Australian in a way I had not experienced at home. Being around other cultures made me see with clarity what made ours so great - our egalitarianism, sense of fairness and hard work, can-do approach to life, self-deprecating nature, easygoing mentality and yes, even our mateship.

As I dragged my British friends to every Australian-style cafe for proper coffee in London, I realised Id become a de facto ambassador, regularly pouring mates Australian wine, encouraging people to visit, and seeking out examples of Australians doing wild and wonderful things in one of the worlds biggest cities to champion their success. Living away from Australia made me patriotic.

But Australias treatment of its own during the pandemic has forced a confronting reflection about what it means to be a citizen. In our time of crisis, when we were most exposed and circumstances demanded to see our real character, what did we do?

We locked ourselves in and out, and threatened some citizens with jail and fines if they tried to flee the equivalent of a health war-zone in India.

Most heartbreaking has been the failure of Australias political leaders, except for NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, to appeal to our better selves in the way we treat each other.

Australia has done so well to protect life; no expat wants to infect our friends and family. We dont need handouts, loans or even repatriation flights. All we want is a safe, reliable and affordable pathway home.

People watch burning funeral pyres of their relatives who died of COVID-19 in a ground that has been converted into a crematorium in New Delhi, India. AP

But that seems to be beyond Australias capability and after a year, as the India flight ban shows, things are getting worse, not better.

Expats have been told they are akin to biological terrorists, that they betrayed Australia by leaving, that they dont pay tax and arent real citizens anymore. They are told they should have come home last year if they ever wanted to enter the country again.

Many Australians overseas, who dont have the privilege I have to raise this treatment in the national media, feel helpless and scared to fight the tide of venom they encounter when their only crime has been to be abroad at the time the pandemic struck.

Latika Bourke on her first trip back to India since her adoption. Graham Matthews

It is true that ugly elements of social media have amplified this debate but it has infiltrated our psyche and dominates the political response to the issue.

The mentality we applied to asylum seekers has been transposed directly onto citizens. It is horrifying to see the ease with which leaders propose sending Australians to Christmas Island to quarantine at a detention centre so awful it is meant to serve as a deterrent for asylum seekers.

This year I am eligible to begin the process of seeking British citizenship. It was not something I intended to do but if the UK does grant me that document, I will hold it close to my heart with the same gratitude I hold for Australia for giving me a life I would never have had otherwise but this time for the security of knowing that this country will not just give me a home but will never try to lock me out of it.

I have shed many tears over the past 12 months asking myself why, in its pursuit of stopping COVID-19 deaths, did Australia allow itself to lose its humanity. The gulf between this question and the answer remains too wide for me to broach. Perhaps I will never understand it.

But the sense of loss is enormous. How can you ever stop feeling Australian even when your country has cast you adrift, abandoned you and made it very clear that you are not welcome?

There will come a day when COVID-19 will fade into the general pool of bugs we try to avoid but occasionally pick up. But for some, the scarring of what that disease taught us about what it means to be Australian will be everlasting.

Latika Bourke is a London-based international reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Mike Pompeo tells Regent grads of growing threat to religious freedom: Dont compromise your beliefs

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Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned graduates of Regent University not to compromise their beliefs, even when there's a disconnect between being a good Christian and a good American.

Pompeo gave the commencement address at the Virginia Beach, Virginia-based campus Shaw Chapel to a virtual audience of approximately 2,400 graduates, reportedly the largest graduating class in Regents history.

During his remarks, Pompeo told the graduates that he believed religious liberty, especially for followers of Christ, was increasingly under attack in the United States from our government.

More and more, being a good follower of Christ is becoming less synonymous with being a good American, even though you know the history. The founding of our country is deeply rooted in Judeo-Christian values, Pompeo said.

You will need the strength of Christ in you to achieve your goals and to live in a country where you can exercise your right to worship your God as you see fit.

Theres a growing threat right here, right in our backyard, he added. No society can retain its legitimacy or a virtuous character without religious freedom.

I worry that far beyond the battle lines of defense, economic or trade policy, that the battle to stop the divorce of America from its founding values is much more important.

Pompeo argued against trying to find a middle ground with those hostile to conservative Christianity or to split the difference with ideological enemies.

Theres no country that denies religious freedom, that can ever rightly claim to be good in some other way, he continued, saying Christians in the U.S. must exercise their religious liberty with enormous vigor.

We must defend it here at home  The effort to undermine our right to practice our faith is at the very pointy end of their atheistic spear.

While virtual, the ceremony included some in-person proceedings, including singing the national anthem, the presentation of the colors by U.S. Navy reservists, a balloon drop, and founder and chancellor Pat Robertson giving a charge to the class.

There will be times when you will be based; there will be times when it looks like your life is not worth anything. There will be times when you look like a failure, Robertson said. I want to charge you right now with the words of the Apostle Paul, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The other thing Paul said is: I know how to abound.

So whether it is abased, or whether it's abounding, however your life takes you, I want you, as my charge to you today, I want to tell you that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

Last month, Pompeo told The Christian Post in an interview that he believed the Biden administration was not prioritizing religious freedom issues, stressing that they had disowned that work.

For four years, the Trump administration and the State Department, when I was leading it, placed a real premium on working around the world to promote religious freedom, Pompeo told CP.

We think its important as an independent right, but we also know that where religious freedom is expanded, countries are often more prosperous and the people there are often more secure from their government.
Boris Johnson has set himself on course for a constitutional clash with Nicola Sturgeon if she pushes ahead with plans for a second Scottish independence referendum - which the PM has called 'irresponsible and reckless'.

Counting continues in the Scottish parliamentary contest, with the SNP leader's hopes of achieving a majority on a knife edge, after a poll predicted the party could miss out by just one seat.

But it is still highly likely the SNP will win its fourth term in power at Holyrood, and Ms Sturgeon said 'when the time is right' she will offer Scots 'the choice of a better future' in a second independence referendum.

Mr Johnson has insisted he would not support another independence vote, saying a referendum would be 'irresponsible and reckless' in the 'current context' following the pandemic.

Pressed on what he would do if Ms Sturgeon pushed ahead with a referendum without Westminster's consent, he told the Daily Telegraph: 'Well, as I say, I think that there's no case now for such a thing... I don't think it's what the times call for at all.'

Ms Sturgeon countered, telling Channel 4: 'If this was in almost any other democracy in the world it would be an absurd discussion.

'If people in Scotland vote for a pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament, no politician has got the right to stand in the way of that.'

After 48 of the 73 constituency results in Scotland were declared on Friday, the SNP had 39 seats, Liberal Democrats four, Conservatives three and Labour two

Miss Sturgeon's hopes of winning an overall majority for the SNP at Holyrood election are hanging in the balance - despite her party making gains from its rivals.

Boris Johnson has insisted he would not support another independence vote, saying a referendum would be 'irresponsible and reckless' in the 'current context' following the pandemic

The SNP leader's hopes of achieving a majority on a knife edge, after a poll predicted the party could miss out by just one seat

The SNP picked up key seats in Edinburgh Central - where former SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson replaced the one time Scottish Tory boss Ruth Davidson - as well as as in Ayr and East Lothian.

But under Holyrood's proportional representation system, those successes could see it lose seats on the regional list ballot.

With 47 constituency results declared today, the SNP have won 38 seats, with the Liberal Democrats on four, the Conservatives with three and Labour two.

Meanwhile, Labour's Jackie Baillie held on to her Dumbarton constituency - which had been the most marginal seat in all of Scotland and a top target for the SNP.

Ms Baillie had a majority of just 109 from the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, but increased that 1,483.

With some constituencies still to be counted on Saturday, when the crucial regional list results will also be declared, Ms Sturgeon said it was 'not impossible'.

An SNP majority would be a major blow for Boris Johnson and pile pressure on him to grant a second Scottish independence referendum  which could lead to the break-up of the UK.

A final opinion poll by Ipsos MORI for STV News projected that the SNP could take 68 seats. But 12 per cent of the 1,502 people asked said they could still change their vote ahead of polls opening on Thursday.

Opposition party leaders (Conservative Douglas Ross pictured) were confident that they had managed to mobilise the pro-Union vote to stave off the threat of separation from the rest of the UK

Ipsos MORI Scotland managing director Emily Gray said a majority for the SNP 'hangs in the balance'. She added: 'The election result may come down to how the parties perform in a small number of key marginal seats, as well as in the regional vote, which is likely to prove particularly important in determining which party is in second place.

'With a relatively high percentage of voters still saying they've not definitely decided, all the parties still have something to play for.' The poll had the Tories and Labour both losing seats, dropping to 27 and 19 respectively, while the Greens were forecast to jump to 11 seats and the Lib Dems to lose one, ending on four.

Wales is a bright spot in dismal night for Labour Wales was last night set to be one of Labour's few successes in the elections with the party likely to keep control of the Welsh Parliament. The party appeared to have exceeded expectations as counting continued, with just one of its seats  the Vale of Clwyd  falling to the Welsh Conservatives. Labour also said it was confident of unseating former Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood in Rhondda. At the start of the campaign, polling suggested Labour was facing its worst ever result in Wales, and was at risk of winning as few as 22 of the Welsh Parliament's 60 seats, a loss of seven from 2016. But last night, confirmed results and indications suggested Labour would end up only just short of an outright majority. Advertisement

Two other polls were published earlier on Wednesday, with one predicting the SNP would drop to 59 seats.

After the Lib Dems held their safe seat of Orkney the nationalists took the next 11 seats, including the previously Labour constituency of East Lothian.

The SNP also held 10 of their own seats, but some with markedly reduced majorities: Banffshire & Buchan Coast saw a 10.3 per cent swing to the Tories, and in Aberdeen Donside it was 6.2 per cent.

In Clydebank & Milngavie the SNP held the seat but with a 5.8 per cent swing to Labour. It was the first blood in an election in which polls suggest Nicola Sturgeon could miss out on an SNP majority at Holyrood by just a single seat.

She is almost certain to remain in power in a coalition, but the failure would dent her call for a new independence referendum.

Scottish Labour's Daniel Johnson won the first seat of the election for his party, holding Edinburgh Southern. He won 20,760 votes to SNP candidate Catriona MacDonald's 16,738.

But former SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson won the Edinburgh Central constituency in the Holyrood election formerly held by ex-Scottish Conservative chief Ruth Davidson.

Mr Robertson reversed a Conservative majority of 810 held by the former Tory leader, winning 16,276 votes. The Tory candidate, Scott Douglas, won 11,544 votes - giving the SNP a majority of 4,732.

In Ayr, the SNP's Siobhian Brown defeated the incumbent John Scott, who had held the seat since 2000, by 18,881 votes to 18,711. Ms Brown reversed a majority of just 750 votes, winning by 170.

Left: Scottish First Minister & SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon arrives on the counting floor at the Scottish Election 2021 Glasgow count. Right: ALBA party leader Alex Salmond talks on his phone as votes are being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections

ALBA party leader Alex Salmond on his phone as votes are being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the P&J Live/TECA, Aberdeen

Scottish Labour won 4,766 votes in the seat, while the Liberal Democrats took just 808, with a turnout of 68% of the electorate.

Speaking before she retained her Glasgow Southside seat, Ms Sturgeon said: 'A majority has always been a very, very long shot - the Holyrood system is a proportional representation system, in 2011 we effectively broke that system.

'It would be good to do but I have never taken that for granted, that has always been on a knife edge - a small number of votes in a small number of seats - so we'll wait and see how the votes will pan out over today and tomorrow.'

Salmond: This election was 'perhaps too early to make breakthrough we were looking for' Alex Salmond has said this election was 'perhaps too early to make the breakthrough we were looking for'. Asked by the BBC about his Alba Party's prospects, the former Scotland first minister said 'whether we will make it tomorrow, I don't think so on the results we've seen'. 'I think probably we will take out of this election the arguments we have been putting forward will be proven to be correct. Firstly that independence should be front and centre of election campaigns if we want to persuade people to vote for it. 'And, secondly, it looks like, though it is not certain, that the SNP will be poised on an overall majority but there won't be the backing in terms of the enthusiasm for getting on with the independence referendum. 'Crucially, it seems perhaps a million, perhaps even more than a million, SNP votes on the regional list are going to elect perhaps one, perhaps two MSPs on that section of the ballot paper across Scotland. What a waste.' Advertisement

The SNP leader has now said she hoped and expected that Boris Johnson would not block another independence referendum.

'When we get to that point we will take the action, introduce the legislation that would be necessary for an independence referendum, and if Boris Johnson wants to stop that he would have to go to court,' she told Channel 4 News.

'I hope and expect that wouldn't happen because actually Boris Johnson is not exempt from the rules of democracy.'

She added: 'If this was in almost any other democracy in the world it would be an absurd discussion.

'If people in Scotland vote for a pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament, no politician has got the right to stand in the way of that.'

As the process of counting Scottish parliamentary votes began, experts predicted that the First Minister's chances of wielding enough power to demand a second independence referendum hang in the balance.

Professor Sir John Curtice, Scotland's leading pollster, told the BBC this afternoon: 'They don't need a dramatic increase in their support, two or three points up, two or three points down for their opponents would be enough.

'But so far at the moment the SNP vote is running about a couple of points down on what it was in 2016 .... At the moment at least there aren't signs of the consistent progress on the kind of scale that the SNP need that would translate into an overall majority.'

Ms Sturgeon is looking for an overall SNP majority of 65 seats or more to boost her argument that a fresh vote should be held, despite the overwhelming No vote in 2014.

Although she will be able to govern in a coalition with the pro-independence Greens if the SNP get fewer than 65 seats, it would dramatically weaken her argument that there is huge support for her plan.

Opposition party leaders were confident that they had managed to mobilise the pro-Union vote to stave off the threat of separation from the rest of the UK.

Despite the pandemic and treacherous weather in some areas, turnout for 'the most important election since devolution' was said to be strong.

Last night, pro-Union parties said their vote was holding up in key areas, with the hope they could thwart Miss Sturgeon's bid to get a parliamentary majority.

Votes in some 46 of the 73 constituency seats will be counted from about 9am today, with the first results expected from noon.

ALBA party leader Alex Salmond watches votes being counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections being counted in Aberdeen this morning

It is anticipated all 46 should be declared by Friday evening.

Then, from about 9am on Saturday, the remaining 27 constituency seats will be counted, after which the regional seats will be allocated.

Humza Yousaf, Scotland's Justice Secretary and a candidate for the Glasgow Pollok constituency, said there has been high turnout at many polling stations in his constituency and around the country.

Saying the SNP were feeling buoyant, Mr Yousaf said: 'There is people who will take a high turnout as a positive sign for them, but I suspect every party will say that.'

Sturgeon blasts 'racist and fascist' Britain First leader at polling station Nicola Sturgeon branded the former deputy leader of Britain First a 'racist and fascist' after an extraordinary confrontation outside a polling station on election day. Jayda Fransen, who is standing as an independent in Glasgow Southside, the same constituency contested by Ms Sturgeon, confronted the SNP leader on Thursday. Ms Fransen, who is from London and has convictions for religiously aggravated harassment, told Ms Sturgeon: 'What are you sorry for? Mass immigration, Marxism? I'm not a fascist. I've been on the ground speaking to locals who say you are an absolute disgrace.' After a back and forth, Ms Sturgeon said: 'You are a fascist, you are a racist and the southside of Glasgow will reject you.' The First Minister also added: 'We'll see what the locals' view is later on.' In Glasgow Southside, Ms Sturgeon is expected to win comfortably, despite going up against Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. Ex-Britain First deputy Ms Fransen is not expected to challenge. Advertisement

He added: 'I think the SNP's going to have a good night, but I think other parties also I can see there's an uptick in their vote too.

'So really it's going to come down to the wire in some seats I suspect.'

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a staggered tallying up of ballots for the 2021 Holyrood election, with all results expected to be declared by Saturday evening.

Normally, counting begins immediately after the polls close at 10pm and continues overnight, with results confirmed in the early hours.

But the need for social distancing among count staff has meant votes will be tallied from Friday.

This year's election, while conducted under the constraints of coronavirus rules, is also considered to be one of the most important since the Scottish Parliament opened in 1999.

With the SNP set for another five years in government, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will no doubt ramp up the pressure on Westminster to grant the powers for another vote on Scottish independence.

Her opponents in the Tory, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties have stressed the importance of focusing on Scotland's recovery from coronavirus instead

But the SNP leader and her party have said no referendum will be held until after the immediate health crisis is over, and they insist powers gained through independence would actually improve the recovery in Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon has said another pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament, including the Greens and Alba Party seats, should be enough to let Scots vote again on whether they want to leave the UK.

On Thursday, two voters in Glasgow North West said they were temporarily turned away from a polling station because a ballot box was 'too full'.

Nadeem Basharat, 37, said he and his partner Joanne Basharat, 34, went to Jordanhill Parish Church polling station at around 8.30pm and were told they could not cast their vote at the time.

He said he was told ballot box 52 was too full and he was told to 'come back by 10pm', by a steward who was 'quite vague'.

He told the PA news agency: 'We went home and waited and got there for about 9.30pm and managed to get in, ballot box 52 was still pretty full, like it had just been pushed down and not a new box.

'It looked like there were people there who didn't manage to vote first time around.'

A spokesman for Glasgow's returning officer said: 'The sheer size of the regional paper meant some ballot boxes became full. We were able to deliver replacement boxes, but in this case some voters were asked to wait outside before voting.

'The presiding officer is confident that all voters who were asked to wait were ultimately able to vote.'
Savoy firefighters train this year on the use of large-diameter hoses. The department is poised to receive money for a new utility pickup truck in next years budget, if approved at town meeting.
Amie Goodwin went into her fifth labor last week, days before Mothers Day, with every reason to feel anxious.

Her fourth child, Romeo, was born very unwell in 2019 and spent five months in intensive care before passing away, an event that traumatised Ms Goodwin significantly. Friday would have been his second birthday.

Amie Goodwin, with partner David and baby Kingston, was cared for under the Royal Womens Hospitals Indigenous midwifery program, Baggarrook. Credit:Justin McManus

Ms Goodwin, an Indigenous woman who lives in Bendigo, says having been referred for this pregnancy to the Royal Womens Hospitals Baggarrook midwifery program made all the difference to her sense of wellbeing.

Under Baggarrook  which means woman in the Woiwurrung language  cultural traditions and practices are respected and care is given by Indigenous midwives or others with sufficient cultural education.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Graduation is a big deal for any senior.

For the class of 2021, being able to walk the stage in person is a particularly momentous occasion, marking the end of high school during a pandemic and, hopefully, a shift to a more normal life.

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But, for 17-year-old Agustin Leon-Saenz, graduation means even more.

This is a very special opportunity for me to represent my community on such a big stage, he said.   Im a first-generation Latino immigrant from Ecuador, Im in the bilingual seal program at my high school and Im definitely very proud to represent my community.

The anticipated valedictorian of Albuquerque High School is planning to stand before his peers on May 14 and give a speech about resiliency, community and hope.

Coming to the United States permanently from Quito when he was 6 years old, Leon-Saenz has had resiliency braided into his story from a young age, starting with him learning English, combating racism and, most recently, getting into Harvard on a full ride.

I was very scared, not knowing what my future was going to be, he said about leaving Ecuador. Unfortunately, in those first few years  I endured some racism and xenophobia, and that took a toll on me.

He remembers an elementary teacher in Florida screaming at him to go back to Mexico.

In the first few years in the United States, I definitely struggled with questions about my background and the way people viewed me, he said.

As he gets ready to move his tassel and then go off to Harvard, he views his successes as a way to reclaim his own narrative and prove wrong anyone who tried to pigeon-hole him based on his background.

Reflecting on how far hes come is emotional for the 17-year-old. When he left Ecuador, he felt like he was losing a part of his culture.

But I would tell 6-year-old Agustin, first of all, Im so proud of him, he said, the words catching in his throat. Me personally, and then together with my family, we definitely had to do a lot to be able to immigrate.

His parents initially moved the family to Florida and theyve been in Albuquerque for about eight years.

One of the biggest goals that they had in mind was to give (us) all the opportunities that I didnt necessarily have in Ecuador that my family and my brother have here, especially with my education, he said.

On top of the emotional toll of coming to a new country, he had to overcome language barriers, as well and take English as a second language classes in elementary school.

I actually didnt know any English, he said. English is my second language and Spanish is my native first language.

But the early years of his life were also formative in such positive ways as when his fourth grade teacher told him that she envisioned him at Harvard one day.

All these years, Ive kept that in mind and the words of my teacher inspired me to dream big, he said.

Nearly a decade later, hes made that dream a reality.

Leon-Saenz found out on April 6 that he had been accepted into Harvard College. Hell be getting a full ride between scholarships and financial aid.

He was at home doing homework when he got an email that an update had been posted to his admission portal.

He said it was surreal to log on and read the words every college hopeful wants to see: Congratulations and Welcome to Harvard College.

He sat in disbelief for a couple of seconds before running out of the room to tell his parents.

My mom said it made all the sacrifices worth it, Leon-Saenz said.

He sees getting into Harvard as a testament to his hard work, but also to his parents.

I am forever grateful and in debt to them for literally everything they have done to give me the best life opportunities possible, he said. Their sacrifices are actually one of the main motivations I have today to succeed.

Leaving home will be the hardest part of the transition to college for Leon-Saenz because he is so close to his family  not to mention leaving Albuquerques sunshine and green chile. He even considered staying in New Mexico for school so that he could be close to his parents and little brother.

Im definitely going to miss them a lot, he said.

But hes excited to learn from world-renowned educators and make friends from a student body thats from across the nation.

As far as the workload, hes prepared to juggle multiple plates. He said hes taking seven AP classes this year, and has a laundry list of extracurriculars and clubs.

He isnt certain what he will study yet, but hes eyeing environmental engineering with the goal of making social justice impacts through his work.

On May 14, walking the line will represent a sort of culmination of Leon-Saenzs perseverance and his familys journey. He was nervous that in-person graduations werent going to happen this year because of the coronavirus.

When I received the news that it was going to be in person, I definitely became very excited, Leon-Saenz said.

Last years seniors had to go without traditional graduations, replaced with video and drive-through celebrations.

Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Scott Elder said he is simply delighted that students will get face-to-face ceremonies, albeit with COVID-safe practices, such as outdoor venues, masks, social distancing and limited guests. The majority of APS ceremonies will take place next week.

Kids will walk that line, and the parents and family members that are able to be there will be there, and these kids are going to graduate, which is the most important thing, Elder said.

Like Leon-Saenz, Elder said principals and students he has spoken with are relieved and excited. For the current graduating class, it is important to congratulate them on their persistence, he said.

Thats what Leon-Saenz will also try to get across in his speech. As a class, weve survived  and even thrived  through a pandemic in so many ways, he said.
LaKeith Stanfield has issued an apology for moderating a Clubhouse chat room discussion that quickly became anti-Semitic.

According to The Daily Beast, the 29-year-old actor, who has frequently used the app in the past, became involved with an online conversation centered around the teachings of Louis Farrakhan before it was turned towards racist rhetoric.

The media outlet also confirmed that, despite the comments made in the chat room, which was hosted on Wednesday night, the performer did not make any comments that could be considered anti-Semitic.

In hot water: LaKeith Stanfield has apologized for serving as a moderator of a Clubhouse discussion about the teachings of Louis Farrakhan that quickly turned anti-Semitic; he is pictured in February of 2020

On Friday afternoon, Stanfield shared a statement with People and to his Instagram account to explain how he did not enter the conversation with the intention of making or condoning racist comments.

'Yesterday I entered an online chat room on Clubhouse about the teachings of Louis Farrakhan. When the room's participants noticed me, I was quickly made a moderator of this room,' he wrote.

The 87-year-old religious leader is well-known for his history as the head of the Nation Of Islam and for his heavily documented anti-Semitic and bigoted viewpoints.

The Judas And The Black Messiah actor went on to note that he regretted not leaving or ending the conversation once users began making racist comments.

Letting everyone know: On Friday, the Academy Award-winning actor took to his Instagram account to offer a public apology for his role in the discussion

Making it clear: In his apology, Stanfield wrote that he condemned 'hate speech and discriminatory views of every kind' and that he wanted to 'unconditionally apologize' for his role as the discussion's moderator

'At some point during the dialogue the discussion took a very negative turn when several users made abhorrent anti-Semitic statements and at that point, I should have either shut down the discussion or removed myself from it entirely.'

According to the media outlet, some of the topics that were brought up in the chat room included the justification of remarks that compared Jewish people to termites and how Adolf Hitler could be portrayed in a positive light.

The Academy Award-winning actor then remarked that he did not hold anti-Semitic or racist viewpoints in any capacity and expressed his regret for being involved in the discussion.

He wrote, 'I condemn hate speech and discriminatory views of every kind. I unconditionally apologize for what went on in that chat room, and for allowing my presence there to give a platform to hate speech.

Controversial figure: Louis Farrakhan is well known for his position as the leader of the Nation Of Islam and for his heavily documented anti-Semitic and bigoted viewpoints; he is seen in 2019

'I am not an anti-Semite nor do I condone any of the beliefs discussed in that chat room,' the performer added.

Twitter user Kareem Rifai spoke to The Daily Beast and related that a Jewish user that was involved in the chat room reached out to the actor to express her concerns regarding the conversation, although he apparently brushed her off.

Specifically, he recalled that Stanfield 'told her, "This is probably an emotional kind of room for you, tensions are running high, and I understand this is a very heated room." Then he just kind of danced around it not really saying anything.'

Frequent user: Stanfield has been active on the Clubhouse app and has moderated several other discussions in the past

On Thursday, the actor appeared to address his role as the chat room's moderator during a discussion held by several Jewish educators and expressed that the discussion had been 'derailed' by the anti-Semitic commentary.

He went on to note that he would be much more careful in his future on Clubhouse and would remain vigilant for all forms of hate speech, which was well-received by those present.

The media outlet also noted that the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel had reached out to Stanfield and offered to have a private conversation to educate him about anti-Semitism.
One another major attack hit an Iraqi base housing US troops. Here it is to be noted that a drone attack hit US troops , no casualties has been reported. As per the Iraqi military and the US-led coalition attach has no damage and causality.

For your information let us share that the attack on the Ain Al-Asad air base was the fourth targeting US troops in Iraq in less than a week, as an armed campaign blamed on pro-Iranian groups intensifies. coalition spokesman Colonel Wayne Marotto said "Each attack... undermines the authority of Iraqi institutions, the rule of law and Iraqi national sovereignty,". "No injuries reported. A hangar was damaged," he said in a tweet.

However, here it is to be noted that a same attack was reported in April, a drone packed with explosives hit the coalition's Iraq headquarters in the military part of the airport in the Kurdish regional capital Arbil. In the meantime, there has been no let-up in rocket and other attacks carried out by the coalition's foes .

US-based biotechnology company Novavax vaccine effective in new strain

Manchester City vs Chelsea, Premier League: Live streaming in star sports network

Meet Prabal Pratap Singh Tomar a deserving Champion of Change Award.

India's welfare is critically important to the United States: Kamala Harris
A fierce fire took place in a small alley in Ho Chi Minh City on late afternoon of Friday, killing eight trapped people, including several children, probably due to smoke suffocation, local fire police reported the same day.

The flame broke out at about 5:00 pm in the house at 47/58/2 Lac Long Quan Street, Ward 1, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City.

The fire then developed rapidly and covered the 126-square-meter house, with the red flames rippled and the columns of smoke rising tens of meters high.

The house has a ground floor, an entresol and an upper floor.

A scene inside the house consumed by the fire. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre

Several fire police units of the city were mobilized to the scene and they put down the blaze at over 6:00 pm.

The house is located deep in a narrow alley, about 300 meters from the main road, making it difficult for the firefighters to approach the scene, the fire police said.

Colonel Huynh Quang Tam, head of the fire prevention agency under the Ho Chi Minh City Public Security Department, and his deputy, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Do Van Khang, came to the scene to direct the firefighting team.

I heard many loud explosions and screams of people from the house at around 5:00 pm, 48-year-old Nguyen Huu Sang, who lived next to the fired house, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Many local people attempted to find a way to save the trapped people, but they failed due to the very fierce flame, Sang added.

This image shows the flame breaking out at a house in a deep alley on Lac Long Quan Street, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City on late afternoon of May 7, 2021. Photo: M.H. / Tuoi Tre

Before the fire, a tutoress arrived at the house to teach the children there, a man named Trung, the uncle of the houses owner, said.

Five out of the dead bodies were later transferred to the An Binh Funeral House in District 5 and the others were brought to the Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, in the same district, said Dr. Pham Quoc Dung, director of the District 11 Hospital, which had sent two ambulances and four medical staffs to the scene.

The Emergency Center 115 also sent an ambulance to the fire area after receiving a request from the District 11 Hospital.

On Saturday morning, the city police said the investigation of the fire cause is underway.

This supplied photo shows rescuers seeking victims at the fire scene.

The houses owner is 44-year-old Nguyen Thi Le T., who lived there together with her brother-in-law Ho Dinh T., 43, who produced and traded in brick-polishing material made from candle wax and kerosene at the house, reported police.

This establishment does not have a license, police said.

Nguyen Thanh Tuu, 40, the only person who escaped the fire, narrated that before the incident, he was carrying a barrel of such polishing material when he accidentally spilled it on the floor.

The material then flowed to a candle wax cooking oven nearby and caught fire, Tuu said.

Vehicles of agencies concerned are seen outside the fire area. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

In addition to a main entrance, the house has a side door, which was tightly closed at the time of the fire, police reported.

The investigation is being continued.

On the late evening of Friday, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent their condolences to the families of the victims of the fire.

The two leaders requested local authorities to give supports to the families of the dead victims and investigate the cause of the fire.

A traffic police officer regulates traffic in the alley where the fire occurs. Photo: M.H. / Tuoi Tre

They also ordered relevent agencies to inspect the compliance with fire safety regulations in residential areas, especially densely populated ones, and take all necessary measures to ensure the effectiveness of fire and explosion prevention and protect life and properties of people.

The Prime Minister also directed local police to strictly punish any violations of fire safety regulations.

Below is the list of the eight victims, reportedly to die of smoke suffocation: 1. Nguyen Thi Le T., 44 years old 2. Ho Dinh T., 43, brother-in-law of Nguyen Thi Le T. 3. Le Kim T., 18, daughter of Nguyen Thi Le T. 4. Le Ngan T., 13, son of Nguyen Thi Le T. 5. Le Tan T., 9, son of Nguyen Thi Le T. 6. Ho Dinh N., 9, son of Ho Dinh T. 7. Nguyen Tan D., 15, a visitor. 8. A tutoress, not yet identified so far.

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Weve had some positive news in New Mexico on the COVID front in recent weeks. Cases, deaths and hospitalizations, while persistent, seem to have plateaued. Vaccinations are proceeding at a good clip. Many of the more vulnerable already have received shots and efforts are turning to the reluctant or hard to reach.

Against this backdrop here, and progress nationally, its not too early for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to send a clear message on an incredibly important topic: Barring an unexpected and significant surge in COVID-19 cases, New Mexico K-12 schools will be open in August for the fall semester. Fully open. Monday through Friday, with attendance required for in-person learning. No asking teachers to juggle in-person and online. And no two-week shutdowns reverting to remote learning if four students in a high school of more than a thousand test positive in a two-week period. For those who arent ready, there are the e-academies and home schooling.

Opening our schools is critical. Despite the best efforts by school districts and teachers, far too many New Mexico students received subpar education in the last year. At APS alone, an estimated 4,000 students are simply gone.

Second, while millions of Americans have returned to work, mothers of young children lag far behind. Many schools and daycare centers have not returned to normal operations. When they are open for a few hours a day, or a few days a week, or on alternating weeks, its very difficult for parents to return to full-time jobs. And parenting still falls disproportionately on women. The New York Times, which reported this story earlier this week, does not understate when it says that whether schools return to near-normal this fall may well be the biggest issue of gender equality in 2021.

By announcing now that schools will reopen, the governor is giving parents and teachers time to prepare  and seek out alternatives if that is what they choose.

Its not enough to sort-of open, Emily Oster, an economist at Brown University told the Times. We are going to need to figure how to make it possible to open normally. The evidence weighs heavily that schools can safely do so.

Teachers and school personnel have the opportunity to get vaccinated. There is a good chance that, by August, children 12 and over will, too. Pfizer is seeking emergency authorization now for this group and may have permission to use it on even younger children in the fall.

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That potential availability is good news, but no reason to wait. The level of protection for teachers and other school workers is high, and, as the Times reports, this coronavirus rarely harms children. For them, the death rate resembles that of a normal flu, while symptoms, such as long Covid, are rare. Does it present a small health risk to children? Yes, but no greater than others that society has faced. The Times notes a child who is driven to school almost certainly faces a bigger risk from that car trip than from the virus.

Under the current system, 59 New Mexico schools were on the state watchlist earlier this week for two or more COVID Rapid Responses over 14 days  even if cases were contracted off campus. An abundance of caution? At minimum. But we know more now and, going forward, the state needs to consider the science, along with the well-being of students and working parents.

Having the governor send the important message that in-person school is back this fall will provide hope and optimism for students and parents, and set a clear expectation for education officials and school districts.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
Fifty years ago this week the federal governments experiment with termination was crushed at the ballot box on the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington state.

Termination was a policy that was designed to end the U.S. governments role in Indian affairs. It would have abrogated treaties, eliminated federal funding, and freed the Indians from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. And as a bonus, the wealth generated by millions of acres of land and the reward from rich natural resources would be up for grabs.

One side wanted to kick out the BIA and sell at least some of the reservation for a lot of money. The other side wanted to support the tribal government, and to get more financial help from the federal government.

That was the debate Colville voters had to resolve on May 8, 1971.

THE ROOTS OF TERMINATION

Virtually all federal Indian policy can be analyzed in terms of the tension between assimilation and separatism, wrote Charles Wilkinson and Eric Bigs in a 1977 Indian Law Review article.

The two legal scholars concluded that termination was an outgrowth of 150 years of Indian policy preceding the termination movement, and was simply the farthest extension of the fundamental theory underlying Indian policy throughout most of those years."

"Indeed, the termination movements sponsors may have been motivated by sincere concern for the welfare of the Indian people. Nevertheless, most observers have concluded that termination has failed.

More than 100 tribes were terminated following the enactment of House Concurrent Resolution 108 on Aug. 1, 1953.

That resolution declared a congressional policy as rapidly as possible to make the Indians within the territorial limits of the United States subject to the same laws and entitled to the same privileges and responsibilities as are applicable to other citizens of the United States, and to grant them all the rights and prerogatives pertaining to American citizenship.

The first tribes chosen for this experiment were the Flathead Tribe of Montana, the Klamath Tribe of Oregon, the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin, the Potawatomi Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, and those members of the Chippewa Tribe who are on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota.

A law that gave states criminal and civil jurisdiction over citizens of some tribal nations, Public Law 280, was also enacted and remains in effect today. Another program recruited Native American workers to leave their reservation homes in exchange for jobs in cities, often placing these workers in seasonal jobs such as agriculture or at railroads.

The Colville Tribe had been on the termination list beginning in 1956 when legislation was enacted that put the governing body in an untenable position: To gain title to its own land, the tribe would have to submit a plan to terminate within five years.

Though most Colvilles were reported to be against termination at that time, groups favoring a sale of the reservation and distribution of assets to members moved to take over the council in 1963, the American Indian Press Association reported. By 1965 they had full control of the council, and Sen. Henry M. Jackson, D-Wash., introduced legislation for them in each session of the Congress.

And in Washington the tide was beginning to turn.

In March 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson sent a message to Congress on Indians that proposed a national goal to end the "old debate about termination of Indian programs and stresses self-determination; a goal that erases old attitudes of paternalism and promotes partnership self-help.

Yet only a month later, the president signed into law a bill that terminated the Tiwa Indians of Ysleta, Texas, and the law specifically declared that the responsibility if any for the tribal community was now up to Texas. The United States was done.

And that was supposed to happen at Colville, too.

CONSIDERING THE COSTS

Colville Chairman Rodney Cawston told Indian Country Today that he remembers as a child the parents arguing about termination.

I think that was the thing that really brought my attention to it as a child and hearing their discussions back and forth  if we terminate what would happen? If we dont terminate what would happen?  Because if we do terminate, were going to lose all of our reservation lands. We will no longer have a home or children will no longer have the hunting and the fishing and gathering that we are enjoying here today.

He said the end of tribal government would mean there would have been no mechanism in place for solving community problems.

Even as a child, he said, he recalled thinking that the loss of reservation lands would be too costly. Well, if I cant go out hunting, and if I cant go out fishing, why would I want any amount of money?

I was really happy that it was voted down, he recalled, because Indian people have already lost so much.

But Cawston also said he understood the motivation for those that supported termination. He said people wanted greater autonomy over their own land.

We are rich in natural resources here and so everything was being extracted off our reservation, especially the timber, which was really damaging the water and the forest itself.

CEREMONY OF TEARS

In a lot of ways the 12 bands that make up the Colville Confederated Reservation had already gone through multiple terminations. Only 20 years after the reservation was created, Congress took away the north half of the reservation and opened it up to settlement. The government was supposed to pay for that land, but for some 14 years failed to complete its end of the bargain.

Then in 1916 President Woodrow Wilson approved a proclamation that opened more lands for settlement within the Diminished Colville Indian Reservation. The North Half of the reservation was never forgotten. And when the land went unused, the tribe asked for that land back. Congress said yes, but the price was the five-year termination plan.

Another practical termination was the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River that blocked salmon from reaching the tribal homelands.

I remember a lot of our people talking about that, how devastating that was for us as a people, because we were of a salmon culture, Cawston said. One of the largest fishing sites in the Northwest was Kettle Falls, which is right near our reservation. And to have just all of that taken away from us by the federal government and without any consideration of us as Indian people, that that took away our culture or our religious systems, a lot of our ceremonial events.

I used to hear our elders talk about how people gathered at what they call the Ceremony of Tears, which was the last time the fish came up the Columbia, and they knew that life was going to change for them forever, he said. So this was still fairly recent  and they just couldnt see where the federal government was making decisions in the best interest of our tribe of our people.

More than 1,000 people traveled to Kettle Falls in June 1940 for the three-day Ceremony of Tears.

COMPETING CAMPAIGNS

But a lot of the election in 1971 was focused more on the routine. Then-Chairman Narcisse Nicolson Jr. supported termination because he said it was time for the Colville people to end their relationship with Washington. He said the case was clear because with only a relatively few exceptions, the tribal families of today are self-supporting.

He added, Lack of employment, to the degree that it exists, is largely due to character faults which cannot be cured by paternalism.

But Lucy Covington, Frank George, Paschal Sherman, and the anti-termination candidates had a different message. They campaigned saying sovereignty was the ultimate solution to any tribal problem.

Covington worked with author Vine Deloria and Chuck Trimble to produce a newspaper called Our Heritage, that made the case against termination.

Covington said it was critical to quiet what she called the "present fever and fervor for termination.

Deloria would later go on to write about termination in Custer Died for Your Sins.

The Congressional policy of termination  was not conceived as a policy of murder, he wrote. Rather it was thought that it would provide that elusive answer to the Indian problem. And when it proved to be no answer at all, Congress continued its policy, having found a new weapon in the ancient battle for Indian land.

Deloria attacked the morality of the termination legislation. He wrote: Can you imagine Henry Jackson, sponsor of the bill, walking into the offices of white businessmen in Everett, Washington, and asking them to sell him their property, with values to be determined six months after the sale? Or what happens if the land owners under the law are declared incompetent. They would then be judged too incompetent to handle their own money, but competent enough to vote to sell their reservation. Is it any wonder that Indians distrust white men?

A NEW ERA

The vote on May 8 was not close.

Terminationist Chairman Narcisse Nicholson was rejected by the local Omak district voters who gave him 109 votes against his anti-terminationist opponents Charles Quintasket, who received 228 local votes and Barbara Marchand who received 220, reported the American Indian Press Association. The election sweep, the wire service said, meant the new tribal council was poised to develop new programs to take advantage of all available federal projects for the reservation which had previously been turned down by the terminationists.

No other tribe anywhere in the United States had to deal with the termination policy again. The battle was over.

In July when the new council took office, Mel Tonasket, then 30 years old, was elected as chairman. The council swiftly passed a resolution condemning termination. Other resolutions called for more federal support, closed a reservation lake to outsiders, and voted to take back law enforcement powers that had been ceded to the state of Washington under Public Law 280.

The new council claimed the inherent power of a government through an affirmation of tribal sovereignty.

The shift of policy, while debated in Washington, D.C., took root in the communities of Nespelem, Omak and even Seattle.

Sen. Jackson, a longtime supporter of termination, removed one of the policys architects, Senate staffer James Gamble, and replaced him with Forrest Gerard, Blackfeet. The era of self-determination was now the policy in Washington and in tribal communities across the country.

LASTING LEGACY

There are also stories to tell.

The Colville Tribe did so when it named its business center for Lucy Covington in 2015. The tribe tells that story in a resolution that honors her. This is extraordinary because the council is honoring dissent from within.

The resolution said the council would not support her trips to Washington to lobby against termination so Covington & George Friedlander sold their own livestock; cattle, and precious bloodline horses descending from Chief Moses to fund her travels to Washington, D.C., in efforts to protect ancestral lands. Covingtons passion to utilize every effort to save the Colville Indian Reservation landed National recognition for her devotion to protect all tribal lands and rights.

Eastern Washington University awarded Covington an honorary doctorate in 2015 on what would have been her 105th birthday. Her niece, Barb Aripa, accepted the award on behalf of Covingtons family and the tribal community. I accept this on behalf of the people of the Colville Tribes, the tribes she fought for all her life until the day she died, she said at the ceremony. She fought so hard for everything, for the people. Not only for our tribe, but all the tribes of the United States.

Another story comes from Laurie Arnold, an associate professor at Gonzaga University, and a Colville citizen. Shes the author of Bartering with the Bones of Their Dead: The Colville Confederated Tribes and Termination. She said the topic was so divisive that people really dont talk about it. The feelings persisted, and I think thats part of the reason that I never heard people talk about this when I was growing up.

The Colville termination story is important to tell because no community is a monolith. Yet one unifying theme for people who sought termination was ironically the restoration of a lost land base, she said, because one of the legacies of termination is that 818,000 acres of the North Half of the reservation were restored to tribal access.

Another legacy might be the story itself. Arnolds book tells her tribes story. This she sees as a turn toward community centered and informed narratives about termination.

When I was in graduate school and I told people, I was writing about policy, they said, Oh, why would you? Its just white guys do that. Why would you do that? And I said, Well, who better to tell these stories?

Outsiders might write about how a commission created policies. But they are not writing about the experiences of it, she said. If I had a final word, it would be a plug for more Native students, writing about their communities, more Native scholars, Native people writing about their communities. Its the best way to create these, you know, these infinities of stories that we have.

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Information from: Indian Country Today, https://indiancountrytoday.com/
TORONTO, May 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the fifth straight year, Romet Limited has been honoured as one of Canadas Best Managed Companies. This prestigious recognition is given to Canadian businesses that demonstrated remarkable leadership during a time when many companies across the country and around the world struggled to balance business needs and those of their employees.



We are thrilled to be recognized as one of Canadas Best Managed Companies for the fifth year in a row, said Brent Collver, Romets Chief Executive Officer. Our continued success can be credited to the incredible team we have here at Romet, constantly looking for new and innovative ways to support our customers and their needs, no matter their complexity.

To qualify for Canadas Best Managed Companies awards, companies must demonstrate leadership in four areas - purpose and strategy, culture and commitment, capabilities and innovation, and governance and financials. This year, companies had the added challenge of meeting the qualification goals, while at the same time keeping their businesses and customers insulated from the challenges posed by the global pandemic.

Romet invested in new product/service technologies to position the company to accelerate through the global pandemic and support its utility customers in achieving aggressive goals to build resilient, safe, and connected grids. Through innovative use of technology and a strong supportive workforce, Romet has been able to keep its customers supported without impact, all the while ensuring its teams remain safe and healthy.

For more information on Canadas Best Managed Companies, visit www.bestmanagedcompanies.ca

About Romet

Romet provides end-to-end measurement solutions to natural gas utilities across the globe by providing best-in-class technologies to meet our customers' needs now and 20 years from now. Our technological platforms are designed to seamlessly provide customer-centric measurement solutions at any level of your business.

Our mission is centered on customer satisfaction through responsive deliveries, technical support, and customer service that is matched with rugged and reliable products, manufactured with uncompromising quality, accuracy, and safety requirements. We will continue developing innovative technologies within the natural gas industry, promoting efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective energy solutions.

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Romet Limited

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-07 23:57:17|Editor: huaxia

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ISLAMABAD, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan embarked on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia Friday evening to enhance bilateral relations and cooperation, said a statement from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Pakistani foreign ministry said earlier that during the visit, the prime minister's consultations with the Saudi leadership will cover all areas of bilateral cooperation including economic, trade, investment, energy and job opportunities for the Pakistani workforce.

Ahead of the prime minister's arrival, Pakistani Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa had already reached Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and had meetings with the civil and military leadership.

Pakistani army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement on Friday that the army chief had a meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Both sides discussed matters of mutual interest, regional security situation including recent developments in the Afghan peace process, bilateral defense, security, collaboration for regional peace and connectivity, according to the statement. Enditem
Telangana:

A group of students from a private school at Chaitanyapuri held demonstrations on the school premises against what they termed as 'long school hours'.

The protesting students of high school, who held the protest on Saturday, accused the school authorities of running classes from 6.30 am to 6.30 pm and raised slogans- 'we want justice'.

"Our school classes are held from 6.30 am to 6.30 pm while in other schools, the classes are conducted from 8 am to4.30 pm. After school hours, we again go to tuitions and there is homework also," a student is seen saying in a video circulated in media.

"By the time we go to sleep it is around 10.30 pm to 11 pm and again next morning we have to get up at 5.30 am to attend school at 6.30 am. We are deprived of sleep...parents also need to understand," the student said.

Also Read: Class 10 student bids suicide in Hyderabad after teacher scolds her

Asked about their demands, other protesting students said they wanted immediate change in timings of school classes. City-based child rights NGO 'Balala Hakkula Sangham' accused the school management of subjecting the schoolchildren to stress.

The NGO's honorary president Achyuta Rao alleged that the school authorities are violating all the norms and moreover giving heavy homework to students.

"The students told us that they are hardly getting any sleep after studying 13 to 14 hours and again their parents are sending them to tuitions," Rao said.

He further said they have brought the matter to the notice of Ranga Reddy District Collector, seeking action against the school for "violating norms".

Also Read: Lucknow: 28-year-old shot dead inside house

Meanwhile, a school official refuted the allegations and said they conduct classes from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm and the students are given 30 minutes break in between and the students are asked to do the homework within the school timings.

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The Embassy of Azerbaijan to Latvia strictly denounced the decision of the Latvian parliament on the events of 1915, Trend reports citing the embassy.

The Embassy of Azerbaijan strictly denounces the Latvian Saeima's biased declaration of the consequences of the WWI as an "Armenian genocide" while ignoring the human tragedy of Turks, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Jews and other ethnicities in a move to politicize historic events, the embassy said.
OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP)  A Mississippi community college says it's broken the Guinness World Record for the largest-ever jambalaya.

WXXV25-TV reports that Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College worked to make the dish as part of a May 1 fundraiser in Ocean Springs for campus food pantries.

Event Coordinator Carin Platt told WXXV25 before the event that the college was planning to make around 3,700 pounds of jambalaya. That amount would be enough to beat the current record of 3,371 pounds set by the Jambalaya Festival Association in Gonzales, Louisiana in 2009.

Its going to be a lot," Platt told the television station. "It includes 900 pounds of sausage, 900 pounds of ham, more than 620 pounds of rice."

This week, Platt said the college had succeeded in its goal, raising more than $3,200 for food pantries in the process. Over 2,000 people in need were fed during the event.

Now, all the school needs to do is file paperwork with Guinness World Records.

The Largest Jambalaya event is the second event of its kind held by the college. The first was Largest Pulled Pork BBQ in 2018.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's food pantries provide frozen items, dry and canned goods, and personal hygiene products for students in need. They also have pop-up food pantries located around campus with snacks.

Platt said food insecurity is much more prevalent on college campuses than most realize.

We dont want our students to be worried about where their next meal is coming from and want to make sure that they have what they need to succeed in college, she told WXXV25.

Event sponsors included The Pelican, MGCCC Food Pantries, Smithfield Foods, Southern Event & Party, Justin Wilsons Southern Products, Lynchburg Landing, and System Scales Corporation Mobile.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 8) The Philippines is expecting the arrival of some 193,000 doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX facility on Monday.

This was confirmed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque in a press briefing on Saturday.

Duque said the incoming Pfizer vaccines will likely be distributed in Metro Manila and other "major cities" which can handle the product's storage requirements of -70 to 80C.

"The Pfizer vaccines will be distributed maybe in the NCR, in Metro Cebu, in Metro Davao City, and the other major cities that can handle the required temperature," Duque noted.

Since the shipment will be another donation from the COVAX, Duque stressed the government will likewise be following the priority framework for vaccine recipients  with individuals under the A1-A3 priority group seen to get the first jabs.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said a total of 1.3 million doses of the vaccines developed by the American firm may arrive in the country this month. He previously said the initial shipment of 193,000 doses was scheduled to be delivered on Tuesday, May 11.

The Philippines was initially supposed to receive a first batch of 117,000 Pfizer doses through COVAX in February, but the delivery was hampered due to the absence of an indemnification deal between the parties.

COVAX  a global initiative led by the World Health Organization, vaccine alliance Gavi, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations that seeks member countries' equitable access to vaccines  earlier in the day also sent the country over two million additional doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. This was the third shipment the global facility delivered to the Philippines.

The country needs to inoculate at least 70 million Filipinos to achieve herd immunity. Latest government data showed over 2 million were already administered since the start of the coronavirus vaccine rollout in March.
As the final minutes of the meeting concluding Vietnams Month of Presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) clocked in,

the country could be proud of reaching a new milestone in its diplomacy by successfully assuming the role of UNSC Chair for the second time, as part of its stint as a non-permanent member of the council in 2020-2021.

An overview of a UNSC session

The country has successfully played a leading role at the UNSC - the UNs most important body responsible for maintaining world peace and security.

Vietnams achievements were fulfilled amid the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising conflicts, and a serious political crisis in Myanmar, which like Vietnam is a member of ASEAN.

Vietnam picks right highlights during month of its UNSC presidency

Ambassador Olof Skoog, Head of the EU Delegation to the UN, Ambassador Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the UN, and Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ireland's Permanent Representative to the UN, highly valued a debate on cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations proposed by Vietnam.

Vietnamese Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh delivers a message online at the session (Photo: VNA)

Skoog hailed the major topics that Vietnam picked for April as the UNSC President, especially those related to cooperation between the UN and regional organisations, reconciliation diplomacy and confidence-building measures.

According to him, at present, the situation is tense in many parts of the world, but the UNSC unfortunately has not been able to issue a resolution on every issue. Therefore, Vietnam's emphasis on trust building is a very good approach to seek support from other countries in promoting the councils agendas.

Vietnams successes at the UNSC are not easy in the context of on-going COVID-19 outbreaks and increasing intense conflicts across the world, and political instability in Myanmar  a member country of ASEAN.

Three high-level discussions initiated and chaired by Vietnam - the High-level Open Debate on "Cooperation between the UN and regional organisations in enhancing confidence-building and dialogue in conflict prevention and resolution, the open debate on Mine action and sustaining peace: Stronger partnerships for better delivery, and the in-person and online debate on Protection of Objects Indispensable to the Survival of the Civilian Population - have been hailed by the international community.

At the first debate, chaired by State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on April 19, Vietnam expressed its strong commitment as a country that always strives to build trust and dialogue, act as a bridge to seek peaceful solutions to conflicts around the world via the UN Charter, international law, and closer joint work between the UN, organisations and multilateral mechanisms.

As the only ASEAN representative at the UNSC, Vietnam upheld the spirit of the bloc, prompting UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to recognise the importance of Southeast Asia in reconciliation diplomacy, conflict prevention, and the building of international peace.

Participants at a UNSC discussion (Photo: VNA)

Achievements in partnerships between the UN and regional organisations can be seen in various areas, from reconciliation, anti-terrorism, and the maintenance of peace to the protection of human rights, climate change response, and COVID-19 prevention.

The UN Secretary General hailed Vietnams initiative to lift ties between the UN and regional organisations to new heights and to further uphold a spirit of multilateralism.

He also committed to supporting Vietnams proposal to trust building and dialogue on conflict prevention, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Vietnams contributions highly valued by international friends

Heads of permanent delegations to the UN and international organisations all expressed their support achievements made by Vietnam, affirming that the countrys contributions left positive impressions on the UNSC in particular and the international community in general.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and leaders of UNSC member countries highly evaluated Vietnams initiative to organise the High-level Open Debate on "Cooperation between the UN and regional organisations in enhancing confidence-building and dialogue in conflict prevention and resolution" - the most important highlight in April chaired by Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Many comments said that Vietnam's proposal to host this important event was timely and practical, in the context that protracted conflicts around the world could not be resolved because one of the leading reason is the lack of trust among parties and the inability to establish dialogues.

Skoog said it was a very good debate, adding that the EU side is very strong supportive of the UN.

The UN needs support as it cannot do everything everywhere by itself, he said, highlighting the important role by regional organisations in conflict prevention and resolution since they have trust and confidence among parties of conflict.

He stated that in the context of increasing tense situation in many parts of the world, Vietnam's emphasis on trust building is a very good approach to seek support from other countries in promoting the councils agendas.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Permanent Observer of the African Union (AU) to the UN, appreciated Vietnam's promotion of discussions on strengthening dialogue and conflict settlement through peaceful means, putting people at the centre, prioritizing humanitarian policies and intensifying relationships with regional organisations. She stressed that all of these contents are very consistent with the priorities of the AU, an alliance that always wants to tighten its cooperation with other regional organisations, especially ASEAN.

Regarding the High-level Open Debate on Protection of Objects Indispensable to the Survival of the Civilian Population, Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ireland's Permanent Representative to the UN, said the debate focused on issues closely related to human life and Vietnam has created its own imprint with the results of this session.

Ireland appreciated all three key topics that Vietnam brought to the discussion in April, she said, adding that her countrys attendance at all three high-level sessions chaired by Vietnam, showing that Ireland attaches great importance to Vietnam's Presidency of the UNSC as well as issues of substantial importance that Vietnam chose to put on table.

For the debate on Mine action and sustaining peace: Stronger partnerships for better delivery, Ilene Cohn, Officer-in-Charge of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), stressed that Vietnam put forward the issue at the right point of time.

She noted that with Vietnams experience in dealing with post-war bombs and landmines, Vietnam can partly help the international community to deal with the problem which remains a major threat to people around the globe.

Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti, head of the Indian Mission to the UN, also highly valued Vietnams active and increasingly important role in the UN Security Council during the month it chaired the council.

The diplomat pointed out that the Indian Mission and Vietnam cooperated very closely at the UNSC, helping to bring stability to many regions and the councils achievements.

An overview of a UNSC session reviewing the activities of the council under the presidency of Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

Apart from working closely with the Vietnamese Mission to the UN in drafting the presidential statement and resolution, India looks forward to working with Vietnam in the coming months at the UNSC.

For his part, Ambassador Anouparb Vongnorkeo, head of the Lao Mission to the UN, stressed that Vietnam is playing an increasingly important role in the UN, especially in the UNSC.

He said he believes that the topics under the table are not only relevant, but will really contribute to promoting the implementation of programmes and activities to strengthen cooperation between the UN and regional organisations, and helping the UNSC approve timely resolutions to maintain global peace and security, especially in Asia.

The international community has evaluated what have been done by Vietnam during the month it served as President of the UNSC proves that Vietnam always actively contributed to all activities of the UN.

This further affirms that Vietnam confidently promotes its role and successfully fulfil its responsibility as a non-permanent member of the UNSC.

Vietnam has contributed to improving its position and ASEANs prestige in the international arena.

Successfully taking over the presidency month of the UNSC is also a more vivid demonstration of the effective implementation of the foreign policy outlined in the resolution of the out-going 13th Party Congress./. VNA
Hector Luis Palma Salazar during his arrest in 2016. Secretarias de Estado / Secretarias de Estado

The imminent release of one of the most senior figures of Mexicos Sinaloa cartel is resurrecting the prospect of a wave of revenge, including over the historic murder of his wife and children. Hector Luis Palma Salazar, also known as El Guero Palma, may soon be free to walk the streets once again after an unexpected court decision acquitted him of organized crime charges. Palma is still being held in custody pending a 40-day investigation, but should he be released after that time, many key figures from his past will be living in fear. Jailed since 1995, El Guero worked by El Chapos side in the 1990s, sharing the same personal vendettas and eventually doing jail time with Mexicos most infamous drug lord.

At 80 years old, El Guero still has the capacity to shock. The government immediately alerted the countrys 32 state prosecutors offices after learning of his acquittal on May 1, and also asked the foreign ministry to check if Palma was still wanted for outstanding crimes abroad. The authorities are desperate to avoid a repeat of the case of Rafael Caro Quintero, another drug lord released in 2013 after a controversial court ruling who is still wanted for the 1985 murder of a US Drugs Enforcement Agency (DEA) agent. The founder of the Guadalajara cartel in the 1980s had been in prison for 28 years and still had more than a decade left to serve. He has caused mayhem ever since his release.

In Palmas case, some of his unfinished business is deeply personal. In the 1990s, when the Guadalajara cartel was waning in power and the then-new Sinaloa empire was on the rise, other criminal groups were jostling for space in a crowded field. The Arellano-Felix brothers, bosses of the rival Tijuana cartel, were trying to gain control of the western border and decided to plant a hitman in the tight circle of power that ran the Sinaloa cartel. The hitman gained the confidence of Palmas wife, Guadalupe Leija Serrano, and became her lover. Eventually, he murdered her and sent her head to her husband in a refrigerated box.

That was not the end of it. A week later, El Guero received another macabre message in the form of a videotape of his two children, Nataly, 4, and Hector, 5, being thrown off a 150-meter tall bridge in Venezuela. They are all buried in a huge complex at the Jardines de Humaya cemetery in Culiacan, Sinaloa, depicted as angels on a fresco with toys and dolls left around their tombs in tribute.

The Sinaloan response to the murders was also swift and savage. The hitman, a Venezuelan named Rafael Clavel Moreno, was murdered, as were his three children and three other Venezuelan accomplices found dismembered in a ditch. The Tijuana cartels lawyer and four of the Arellano family members were also killed. The vendetta lasted at least five years, and it is still unclear how many lives were lost, or if the score was ever settled.

The threat of a new vendetta

The Tijuana cartel is now considered virtually extinct following the death and/or incarceration of its members. But an unexpected new twist could resurrect the old rivalry, as Eduardo Arellano, one of the brothers who founded the clan, could also soon be back on the streets. He has been in jail in the United States since 2013, but El Doctor, as he is known, has managed to reduce his sentence and will be released this summer after cooperating with the DEA.

Palmas journey through the prison system began in 1995 when he was on his way to a wedding in Guadalajara and the plane he was travelling in crashed. He was wounded but took refuge in a house in Zapopan, close to Guadalajara, under the protection of a commander in the Mexican Federal Judicial Police. He was arrested while convalescing in bed and spent five years in Puente Grande prison, in Mexicos Jalisco state. His old comrade from his young days as a carjacker in Culiacan was also doing time: El Chapo. Palma was then extradited to the United States, where he stayed until his release for good behavior in 2016.

His release after nine years in the high-security Atwater prison in California rang the same kind of alarm bells as his most recent chance for freedom. When he crossed the border into Mexico, army and naval officers were waiting for him. He was wanted for the murder of a deputy police commander and his escort who were under Palmas control but switched sides to support the Tijuana cartel. On May 18, 1995, in the town of Trigomil, their bodies were found inside their white Chevrolet pickup truck, their faces pulverized by more than 20 bullets.

Despite his good behavior during his long years in prison, psychological tests declassified by the US authorities after his release in 2016 portray El Guero as someone with low social empathy and high criminal capacity. He never spoke of the grisly murder of his wife and children, the documents show. If his release is confirmed, the old capo will have the chance to demonstrate whether he has left the past behind him, or whether he has been biding his time for further revenge.
In a big relief for China, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday finally granted the conditional approval to its Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use, a move that could help Beijing step up its vaccine diplomacy amid the surge in coronavirus vaccines in several countries.

China has approved about five of its vaccines for emergency use and especially using Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines for both at home and abroad. The Sinopharm vaccine was authorised by 45 countries and jurisdictions for use in adults, with 65 million doses administered, according to official media reports. But many countries hesitated using the vaccine as it has not secured recognition from the WHO.

While WHO has listed the Pfizer/BioNTech, Astrazeneca-SK Bio, Serum Institute of India, Janssen vaccines for emergency use, the Chinese vaccine got delayed recognition due to data related issues.

China was eagerly awaiting the global health body's nod for it to aggressively push the vaccine among different countries. A press release issued by WHO in Geneva on Friday listed the Sinopharm Coivd-19 vaccine for emergency use, a first for a Chinese vaccine, giving the green light for this vaccine to be rolled out globally.

The Sinopharm vaccine is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG). The two jab vaccine is an inactivated vaccine called SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell). Its easy storage requirements make it highly suitable for low-resource settings, the WHO press release said.

It is also the first vaccine that will carry a vaccine vial monitor, a small sticker on the vaccine vials that change colour as the vaccine is exposed to heat, letting health workers know whether the vaccine can be safely used, it said. Sinopharm vaccine efficacy for symptomatic and hospitalised disease was estimated to be 79 per cent, all age groups combined, the WHO said.

The efficacy is, however, below the efficacy rates of other WHO vaccines which are in the range of 90 per cent. However, the WHO has okayed Sinopharm usage from 18 years and above, clarifying lingering doubts about its usage for people above 59 years.

China itself listed the vaccine for people in the age group of 18 to 59 years which raised doubts about its efficacy in senior citizens. Clarifying this issue, WHO said, "Few older adults (over 60 years) were enrolled in clinical trials, so efficacy could not be estimated in this age group. Nevertheless, WHO is not recommending an upper age limit for the vaccine because preliminary data and supportive immunogenicity data suggest the vaccine is likely to have a protective effect in older persons."

"There is no theoretical reason to believe that the vaccine has a different safety profile in older and younger populations," it said. "The addition of this vaccine has the potential to rapidly accelerate Covid-19 vaccine access for countries seeking to protect health workers and populations at risk," said Dr Mariangela Simao, WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Health Products.

"We urge the manufacturer to participate in the COVAX facility and contribute to the goal of more equitable vaccine distribution," he said.

China has committed to provide 10 million vaccines to the UN-backed COVAX facility to be distributed among the developing countries. But it could not deliver it as it required WHO approval for its vaccines. COVAX aims to send vaccines for free to 92 lower-income countries and to help another 99 countries and territories procure them.

Also read: COVID-19 surge: US urges citizens in India to return home through available flights

Also read: Moderna hikes 2021 COVID-19 vaccine sales forecast to $19.2 bn
Sacramento: Californias population fell by more than 182,000 last year, the first yearly loss ever recorded for the most populous American state.

The drop halted a growth streak dating to its founding in 1850 on the heels of a gold rush that prompted a flood of people to seek their fortune in the West.

The figures released on Friday (Saturday AEST) followed last weeks announcement from the US Census Bureau that California would lose a congressional seat for the first time because it grew more slowly than other states over the past decade. Still, Californias population of just under 39.5 million and soon-to-be 52-member congressional delegation remain by far the largest.

Shoppers on Market Street in San Francisco. The population of California has dropped for the first time in history. Credit:Bloomberg

Californias population has surged and slowed in the decades since its founding, with notable increases following World War II and the tech boom of the 1980s and 90s that put Silicon Valley on the map.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 15:34:29|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Saturday warned that Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority should stop its political manipulation of Hong Kong affairs and not go further down the blind alley of disturbing Hong Kong to seek "Taiwan independence."

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to DPP authority's slandering against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's recent legislative plan to combat disinformation.

The DPP authority's irresponsible remarks on the legitimate practice of the HKSAR government were a typical trick of a thief shouting to catch the thief, said Zhu.

Facts have shown that the DPP authority itself has long manipulated the media and certain netizens, attacked those who have different views from DPP, suppressed public opinions and fabricated lies to deceive the public, Zhu said.

They meddled in Hong Kong affairs under the guise of democracy and freedom, which was in essence aimed at disrupting Hong Kong to seek "Taiwan independence," she said. Enditem
Israeli police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades towards rock-hurling Palestinian youth at Jerusalems Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday amid growing anger over the potential eviction of Palestinians from homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers, Reuters reported.

At least 178 Palestinians and six officers were injured in the night-time clashes at Islam's third-holiest site and around East Jerusalem, Palestinian medics and Israeli police said, as thousands of Palestinians faced off with several hundred Israeli police in riot gear.

Tension has mounted in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with nightly clashes in East Jerusalems Sheikh Jarraha neighborhood where numerous Palestinian families face eviction in a long-running legal case.

Calls for calm and restraint poured in on Friday from the United States and the United Nations, with others including the European Union and Jordan voicing alarm at the possible evictions.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians packed into the hilltop compound surrounding the mosque earlier on Friday for prayers. Many stayed on to protest against the evictions in the city at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But following the evening meal that breaks the Ramadan fast, clashes broke out at Al-Aqsa with smaller scuffles near Sheikh Jarrah, which sits near the walled Old City's famous Damascus Gate.

Police used water cannon mounted on armored vehicles to disperse several hundred protesters gathered near the homes of families facing potential eviction.

Israel's Supreme Court will hold a hearing on the Sheikh Jarrah evictions on Monday, the same day that Israel marks Jerusalem Dayits annual celebration of its capture of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war.

The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said 88 of the Palestinians injured were taken to hospital after being hit with rubber-coated metal bullets.

A police spokeswoman said Palestinians had thrown rocks, fireworks and other objects towards officers, with some of the six injured requiring medical treatment.

Violence has also increased in the occupied West Bank, where two Palestinian gunmen were killed and a third critically injured on Friday after they opened fire at an Israeli base, police said. After that incident, Israels military said it would send additional combat troops to the West Bank.

Israel's foreign ministry said on Friday that Palestinians were "presenting a real-estate dispute between private parties as a nationalist cause, in order to incite violence in Jerusalem." Palestinians rejected the allegation.




Good. Bye.



Idk y but even Scarlett Johansson is cracking me up lol

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OMG SAME. Legit cackling rn.



I could not have expected less from out Trans Asian Tree Queen.

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Well, naturally her, too. Doesn't everyone know she's a w.o.c.*?





*w.o.c. in this case defined as "white-over-compensating"

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Why wouldnt see? As a pan-asian women of very slight oigmentation her voice is important! /s

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"Treat People Better" says, uh...Amazon?

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Something about splinters and entire forests in eyes, I guess.

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What I came here to say

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They are very generous to Amazon so i wonder if this might actually lead to meaningful change. I mean it doesn't hurt.

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Thinking about it what have they really awarded to netflix. Did they like orange is the new black and house of cards back in the day?

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yes. also because the golden globes are tv and movie they've awarded/nominated a bunch of netflix shows in both categories. Roma won in 2019



edit - also the crown, the queens gambit, trial of the chicago seven



Edited at 2021-05-08 06:46 pm (UTC)

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I honestly had no idea they were legit award contenders. Thanks for teaching me!

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Place your bets for how long HFPA hold out.

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lmao this is rich of both of them to take a grand stand now



with that said, it's still funny that the emily in paris golden globe noms of all things are looking like the beginning of the end for the hfpa

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yas ScarJo, fight for those tree rights

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The Asian and Trans "jokes" regarding her are kind of.....idk...insensitive to actual Asian and trans people imo



But omg the tree jokes are amazing. Shes such an idiot.

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Hmm I wonder why theyre actually going against HFPA? I dont believe its entirely altruistic lol.

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amazon doesn't do anything without the bottom line in mind so im not giving them any cookies for this tbh

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no more Paris trips

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wasn't one of HFPA's recent scandals the fact that it's members were basically treated to an all-expense vacation on the set of Emily in Paris? So where do you really stand, Netflix? Are you just mad you paid all that money and got no wins off your undeserved nominations?

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I mean, I enjoyed that trashy show but it definitely didn't deserve noms.

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Apparently the show was originally meant to be aired on the Paramount network and wasnt sold to Netflix until 2020 which was after season one had already completed filming. So Viacom/Paramount were the ones who paid for the big HFPA trip which happened during production of season one

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lol this tracks for viacom

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The kind of performance that would have Meryl Streep quaking in her boots, I'm sure.

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https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-05-02/golden-globes-hollywood-foreign-press-association-turmoil-what-went-wrong



Publicists reflected on the advice theyd given clients about dealing with HFPA members over the years. Every client is warned as you walk into the room, theyre going to insult you, Cindi Berger, chairman of R&CPMK, told The Times. Theyre going to say things that are really hurtful. Theyll ask a personal question in the most inappropriate way. Our clients have endured racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia. We can no longer just shake our heads in disbelief.



One publicist recounted the time their client, a mature male actor, was asked during an HFPA news conference, At your age do you still have sex? I dont think Ill ever forget that.





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Wasn't it also an HFPA member that asked the Regina King question?

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I know that Netflix and especially Amazon suck as companies, but I hope this is the beginning of the end for the GG.

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this is so funny...

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This is our chance! Let's start the ONTDFPA.

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We'll definitely do more research.







.. Some of us will do more research.

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Watch buzzfeed stealing this ahah

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Where can I apply?

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Advertisement

At a little before 9.30pm on Sunday, May 16, 1943, the first of 19 Lancaster bombers took off from RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire in one of the most daring missions of World War II: to bomb dams and power plants in Germanys industrial heartland.

Codenamed Operation Chastise, the audacious night-time raid would be carried out by the 133 men of the RAFs 617 Squadron  the famous Dambusters  formed only two months before.

It would involve flying just 60 ft above reservoirs to drop specially developed bouncing bombs. These would skim across the surface of the water before sinking, exploding and bursting the dams.

Taking the plunge: Ladybower reservoirs photogenic giant bell-mouth spillway

The crews would carry out the mission in aircraft fitted with a revolutionary altimeter, made of two spotlights. It was angled so the beams converged at exactly 60 ft below the aircraft so that correct height was maintained.

However, practice would be vital if the mission was to succeed. Which is how a spectacular stretch of the Peak District National Park came to play a part in this celebrated piece of wartime history.

It is home to three Gothic-style dams, which span the River Derwent and form the Ladybower, Derwent and Howden Reservoirs.

The Derwent Dams and their reservoirs were built in the early 20th century to supply water to Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, Nottingham, and Leicester. And as they closely resembled German dams, they also proved the perfect place for the Dambusters to practise low-level flights. And today, thanks to bike and hiking trails which run by the water and into the wooded hillsides and valleys  there is space for all.

Mind you, although its midweek when we visit, the main car park at Fairholmes, off the A57 Snake Pass between Sheffield and Glossop, still thrums with activity while ducks drowse in the shade of overhanging trees, stirring only to be fed by excitable children.

Walkers, like us, enjoy a coffee from the refreshment kiosk before setting off on a keen march along the water banks or into the hills.

Three Gothic-style dams span the River Derwent. Pictured is the Derwent Dam with its dramatic cascading water

Here and there, information boards detail the genesis of the dams, built by a 1,000-strong workforce who lived in a temporary town of corrugated iron huts, known as Birchinlee or Tin Town.

To complete the project, villages were flooded  though some features were spared, like the 17th-century Packhorse Bridge, rebuilt at the head of Howden Reservoir.

Knowing the back story makes our first heart-stopping glimpse of the castellated dam all the more powerful. Huge, majestic, implacable, it towers over the water.

The dams and their reservoirs were built in the early 20th century to supply water to Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, Nottingham, and Leicester

The success of the Dambuster raid is still debated. Its impact on German industrial production was slight. However, it was an important morale-booster for war-weary Brits  even if it came at huge price. Of 133 aircrew, 53 were killed and three became PoWs.

Clearing away our picnic, we continue our walk and say a silent prayer of thanks for the brave men who once flew above.
As the news broke Friday of a federal grand jurys indictment of the four ex-Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyds arrest and death  on charges accusing them of willfully violating Floyds civil liberties  some Southeast Texas community leaders saw the announcement as the next step in a long, arduous walk toward potential systemic reform.

Derek Chauvin, who was recently convicted of the murder of Floyd, Thomas Lane, Alexander Keung and Tou Thao were named in Fridays indictment alleging failure to provide Floyd with medical care, among other charges.

Chauvin, specifically, is charged with unreasonable seizure and unreasonable force by a police officer. Thao and Kueng are also charged with unreasonable seizure  alleging the two did not intervene as Chauvin had his knee on Floyds neck.

How could you sit there and watch someone die over an (allegedly) counterfeit $20 bill, said Bobbie Patterson, founder and president of 100 Plus Black Women Beaumont Coalition. I think they should all pay the price.

But for many local community leaders like Patterson and the Rev. Michael Cooper, president of the NAACPs Beaumont chapter, the indictment of the four officers has taken a long time, nearly a year after Floyds death, and they feel the most effective way to make the necessary reforms is through state-level policy.

Cooper said there are currently not enough laws in place to keep police accountable and keep them from acting with impunity. Cooper more recently, joined with a group of Texas Democrats who made a stop in Beaumont before heading to Austin to launch a lobbying effort for Texas George Floyd Act.

If it wasnt a high-profile case, they wouldve gotten away with it. Chauvin had different issues and write-ups before then, Cooper said. This is why we are pushing hard for the George Floyd Act. See something, say something would take care of whats going on.

The legislation, spearheaded by members of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, looks to end the use of chokeholds and require officers to intervene if excessive force is being used. A provision in the bill would address qualified immunity, which is a protection for police officers from civil lawsuits, and allow some state civil lawsuits.

The bill is currently stalled as Texas Republicans grapple with the qualified immunity provision.

Activists seeking change see a grueling path to systemic police and criminal justice reform, and Patterson said the same can be said for Fridays indictment: Its part of a lengthy and often messy criminal justice process. She said shes waiting to see how it will play out in court before she makes any statements about justice or accountability.

jorge.ramos@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/byjorgeramos
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-09 04:49:42|Editor: huaxia

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RABAT, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Morocco announced on Saturday that it has foiled an illegal immigration attempt across the Mediterranean and arrested 19 people.

During the operation, the police arrested in the coast of the northern city of El Hoceima one person for alleged involvement in human trafficking and migrant smuggling and seized two boasts, official news agency MAP said.

On Friday, the police arrested eight would-be immigrants and one individual in the northern city of Nador for alleged links with a criminal network active in the organization of illegal immigration.

A Moroccan navy unit operating in the Mediterranean on Friday night thwarted a drug trafficking operation and seized 3 tonnes of cannabis off the coast of Nador, MAP reported. Enditem
India and the (EU) on Saturday announced their decision to resume negotiations for a balanced and comprehensive trade agreement after a gap of eight years and unveiled an ambitious connectivity partnership, during a virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders of 27 member nations of the bloc.

In his remarks, Modi invited the EU to support a proposal by India and South Africa to waive patents on COVID-19 vaccines so that there can be equitable vaccine access for the entire world, officials said.

However, there was no concrete decision on the matter from the EU side, according to EU officials.

The meeting, participated by leaders of EU member states as well as the top leadership of the EU, also decided to launch negotiations on two other key agreements on investment protection and geographical indications.

Secretary(West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup said the two sides agreed to resume negotiations for a balanced and comprehensive free trade and investment agreements and that talks on both the pacts will be pursued on parallel tracks with an intention to achieve early conclusion of both of them.

The negotiations for the ambitious free trade agreement, launched in 2007, were suspended in 2013 amidst difference on crucial issues, including tariff rules and market access.

"It is a watershed moment in the India-EU Strategic Partnership. It is a culmination of India's efforts to enhance its ties with the EU and its member states in recent years," Swarup said at a media briefing on overall outcome of the meeting.

On patent waiver for coronavirus vaccines, Swarup said EU's support will ensure scaling up the vaccine production.

"Prime Minister also requested the EU's support for our joint proposal with South Africa for a TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) waiver on vaccine production-related patents. The US has also supported the proposal a couple of days ago," he said.

"The EU's support at WTO for this waiver will ensure that we can scale up the vaccine production for equitable and global access and save lives," he added.

He said India will be watching the evolving EU position on the matter.

The joint statement said both sides supported universal, safe, equitable and affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics and treatments, and the strengthening of health systems.

"Our collaboration is essential to stopping the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring a sustainable and inclusive recovery in a more digital and greener world," Modi tweeted.

The statement also said that both sides recognised the importance of strengthening the specific mechanisms for the promotion of human rights and the role of national human rights institutions, civil society actors and journalists.

"We welcomed the resumption of the Human Rights Dialogue, which nurtured a constructive engagement between both sides, and look forward to the next meeting in 2022. We agreed to intensify cooperation in international human rights fora, in particular the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council," it said.

On the connectivity partnership, Swarup said it reflected the ambition of both sides to build on their synergies and pursue sustainable joint projects in third countries, most notably in the Africa, Central Asia and Indo-Pacific region.

He said the leaders underlined their commitment to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific and discussed the new avenues of cooperation in the region.

Ahead of the summit, Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa, in a joint op-ed piece in Politico, said the EU-India trade agreement would send a powerful signal to the world in support of the benefits of international trade cooperation.

In a series of tweets, Modi said, "I thank the leaders of EU and its Member States for their continued commitment to strengthening relationship with India. I also thank my friend Prime Minister @antoniocostapm for this initiative and according high priority to India during Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council."



"Taking forward the commitment to transform India-EU relationship for global good, I had a virtual interaction with all leaders of EU Member States and Presidents @CharlesMichel @eucopresident and @vonderleyen for India-EU Leaders' Meeting," the Prime minister tweeted.

On trade, the joint statement said the High-Level Dialogue on Trade and Investment has been tasked to ensure progress on market access issues and supervise negotiations, as well as keep progress on cooperation on regulatory aspects and resilient value chains under review.

"We confirmed the potential and need for swift engagement in areas where both sides shared interest to deepen economic cooperation. To this end, we agreed to create a joint working group to intensify regulatory cooperation on goods and services, including but not limited to the green and digital technologies," it said.

"We also agreed to set up a joint working group on resilient supply chains, building inter alia on the experience we have gained from the COVID-19 pandemic," it said.

The statement said the EU invited India to join the Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency.

Referring to the connectivity partnership, the statement said it upholds international law, conforms with international norms and affirms the shared values of democracy, freedom, rule of law and respect for international commitments.

Swarup said the partnership outlined a shared desire to promote a transparent, viable, inclusive, sustainable, comprehensive, and rules-based connectivity.

"It will enable private and public investments in connectivity projects as well as leverage public funds to spur private investments in sustainable projects, through a variety of tools such as Infrastructure Investment Trusts, green bonds, Debt Funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, and Export Credits," he said.

The statement said both sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and underlined that it is crucial that perpetrators of violence and terrorism are brought to justice.

Emphasising the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism and terror financing in a comprehensive and sustained manner, the two sides welcomed the imminent conclusion of the Working Arrangement between Europol and India's Central Bureau of Investigation, which will support coordination and synergies in preventing and fighting terrorism and organised crime, it added.

The two sides also emphasised their commitment to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific space, underpinned by respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, democracy, and rule of law, transparency, freedom of navigation and overflight.

"In this context, we welcomed the development by the EU of its Strategy for cooperation with the Indo-Pacific and agreed to strengthen our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, including in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and in relevant regional fora," the statement said.

"We recognised the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) unity and centrality and committed to increasing cooperation and exchanges in the ASEAN-led framework such as the ASEAN Regional Forum," it said.

It said the EU also appreciated India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, which intends to promote international coordination and cooperation in the region.

(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 diminishing Congress has further ignited a chatter, though feebly, about the revival of the idea of a Federal Front after the results of the Assembly elections were clear on May 3. Except Assam, the BJP fared poorly in West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Same was the case for Congress too while the stocks of regional leaders like Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and DMK boss in Tamil Nadu MK Stalin skyrocketed. In Kerala, CPI(M)s Pinarayi Vijayan too created history by bucking the trend to return to power, in what was seen as double-whammy for Congress where it hoped to win. The results once again questioned the pole position of Congress as the main Opposition party.

The run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections witnessed hectic discussion and speculation about a united Opposition coalition taking on the incumbent Narendra Modi government. A pan-national coalition was impossible as several Opposition parties were restricted to their own states. Then came the idea of fighting it in states together first and then coming together at national level. The idea was to allow the leading party in the state, which can take on the BJP, to lead the coalition but it also did not work everywhere. In Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party, BSP and RLD came together but Congress did not join over seat sharing while in West Bengal, CPI(M) tried its best to have an electoral understanding with the Congress, which also failed. The bonhomie witnessed previously vanished as the parties approached the Lok Sabha poll dates.

Read | Very disappointed with Congress performance in state polls: Sonia Gandhi

A resounding victory in Bengal has once again catapulted Mamata to the prime position among the non-Congress leaders despite she losing Nandigram, where she contested, to Trinamool turncoat Suvendu Adhikari. It has also increased the stakes of Stalin, who had, in 2019, projected Rahul Gandhi as Prime Ministerial candidate of the Opposition and may not initially look for a national role. The results of the latest edition of Assembly polls have also ignited fresh enthusiasm in the Opposition parties. The new found aggression could be seen when JMM Chief Minister Hemant Soren tweets about Prime Minister Modi speaking to him over the phone. But Soren was terse in his comments as he said that Modi did not speak about the work to be done.

While the Opposition camp is cheerful about the results, they are very cautious about once again mooting a Federal Front at this juncture. CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury says the idea of a Federal Front crops up now and then. It was there before the 2019 polls also. The point is when the BJP is aggressively destroying the secular democratic Constitutional order and livelihood of people, all anti-BJP forces should join hands. This is all the more necessary given the devastation being caused by the Covid-19 pandemic upsurge that has been compounded by the Centres inaction and permission to super-spreader events. The results prove the point that there is a need for a broad-based unity, he told DH recently.

Trinamool Congress Derek OBrien too says they are not talking of any Federal Front at the moment as right now our focus is to deal with the Covid-19 situation. OBrien then refers to crisis-ridden Congress, a party which he describes as one of the important constituents of the non-BJP front, and said it needs time to sort out their internal issues. So far, political analysts say Congress has not shown an indication of revival and the latest results have added to its woes. Not many parties are inclined to accept Congress leadership but would want it to take a step back and allow a regional leader to assume the pole position.

Also Read | Assembly election results a wake-up call for Modi govt, says Yechury

One of the biggest challenges for such a Front will be the leadership question, especially with Congress decreasing footprint in the country. The 1989 and 1996 experiment of United Front saw some semblance of victory, thanks to towering leaders of Janata Dal and the Left, especially the then CPI(M) General Secretaries EMS Namboodiripad (till 1992) and Harkishen Singh Surjeet (between 1992 and 2005), who managed to settle the leadership question, albeit for a smaller period before the experiment collapsed. Along with the Congress, the Lefts power to persuade has diminished with its declining electoral fortunes though Yechury continues to be listened to by top Opposition politicians. The UPA experiment in 2004 was successful compared to the United Front with Congress support from outside.

If there was Surjeet steering the Opposition coalition, one cannot see a towering leader at present who can stitch a rainbow coalition now. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar is the lone leader who could act as a glue but competing interests of regional parties may play spoilsport.

No outside support

Opposition leaders point out that for a Federal Front to succeed, it would need Congress to be inside the government and not give outside support. They refer to the fate of governments of Chandrasekhar, H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral after Congress, which was giving outside support and then pulling the rug from their feet. At the same time, one of the issues confronting such a grouping is that there will be no single party, which commands a support of around 150 MPs. For the United Front governments, Congress was there with more than 100 seats to give them space to keep the BJP away, at least for some time.

Another point will be which all parties will be part of such a grouping. After the 2019 polls, Mayawati-led BSP had announced that it would not align with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party. Both the parties had fought the 2019 polls together but could not pull it off. Naveen Patnaik-led BJD, Y S Jaganmohan Reddys YSR Congress and K Chandrasekhar Raos TRS have so far been keeping away from such a formulation, especially after 2014 after Modi assumed power. It is to be seen whether they would be enthused to join an umbrella anti-BJP coalition ahead of 2024 polls. A senior Opposition leader said that state-level coalition is an excellent option and parties could come together at national level post elections. However, this line of thought has an inherent lacunae, with Modi changing the electoral fight presidential style and people looking for a face.

It is to be seen how the Opposition unity evolves ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Many feel that the latest results have created a euphoria but that is temporary. None of the regional leaders have an electoral appeal outside while the Congress is yet to settle its leadership question. For the Opposition, it is a tough road ahead. Perhaps, an electoral victory in Uttar Pradesh next year could catapult the Opposition from the present despair and give an impetus to fight the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls.
A Los Angeles jail inmate is facing hate crime charges over a sickening attack on a female Asian American custody worker when she tried to hand him toilet paper.

Arnulfo Meza, 29, attacked the 54-year-old woman, who has not been named, without warning on Wednesday at the Los Angeles County sheriffs Inmate Reception Center.

Shocking surveillance footage shows Meza raining punches on his helpless victim before casually walking toward a gurney where he allowed other jail workers to restrain him.

Meza's left hand had been freed from his waist chain after he asked to use the restroom, a county Sheriff's Department statement said.

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A Los Angeles jail inmate is facing hate crime charges over a sickening attack on a female Asian American custody worker when she tried to hand him toilet paper (above)

Arnulfo Meza, 29, attacked the 54-year-old woman, who has not been named on Wednesday at the Los Angeles County sheriffs Inmate Reception Center. Surveillance footage shows the officer getting toilet paper for the inmate

Surveillance video shows the custody assistant gathering toilet paper and walking over to hand it to Meza.

The 29-year-old appears to go to talk it from her with his right hand before he suddenly punches her in the face with his left hand.

Meza violently punches her two more times in the face, knocking her to the floor on her back where she crashes into a medical equipment stand.

He then punches her twice more before calmly walking away in the direction of a gurney.

Another inmate lying on a gurney close is seen sitting up to see what is going on.

The woman manages to scramble to her feet and grabs her radio to call for help.

Sheriff's employees flood in moments later and restrain the man, who sits down on the end of the gurney.

He doesn't resist as three staffers restrain him on the gurney.

The custody assistant was taken to a hospital with face and head injuries and was in stable condition, the Sheriff's Department said.

She goes to hand Meza the toilet paper (left) and he starts raining punches on her with his free left hand (right)

Meza violently punches her two more times in the face, knocking her to the floor on her back where she crashes into a medical equipment stand. He then punches her twice more

Meza was taken to a high-security area and could face charges of assault and committing a hate crime, the Sheriff's Department said.

It is not clear what Meza was initially in the jail for.

Information on a Sheriff's Department jail website said he had been arrested Monday night in suburban El Monte on suspicion of committing a felony.

No further details were given.

The attack comes as the US grapples with a surge in anti-Asian violence.

Incidents of random attacks on Asian Americans have increased since COVID-19 started ravaging America.

He then calmly walks away in the direction of a gurney as his victim manages to scramble to her feet and grabs her radio to call for help

Sheriff's employees flood in moments later and restrain the man, who sits down on the end of the gurney. He doesn't resist as three staffers restrain him on the gurney

The virus first surfaced in China and former President Donald Trump repeatedly blamed the nation and referred to it as the 'China virus'.

Some attackers have shouted anti-Asian slurs but other assaults haven't been directly identified as hate crimes.

Two Asian American women were stabbed in an unprovoked attack in broad daylight this week in San Francisco.

Patrick Thompson, 54, allegedly launched the brutal attack on the women aged 65 and 85 on Tuesday afternoon on Market Street as they waited for the bus.

A large piece of the military-style blade had to be surgically removed from the elder of the two ladies, Chui Fong Eng, after it broke off in her chest.

Two Asian American women were stabbed in an unprovoked attack in broad daylight this week in San Francisco. Patrick Thompson, 54, (above) was arrested

The younger woman, who was not identified, was stabbed through the lungs, the district attorney said.

The women were rushed to San Francisco General Hospital but are both expected to survive after undergoing surgery on Tuesday evening.

Thompson was arrested around two hours after the attack and charged with attempted murder on Wednesday.

Also this week, two sisters employed at a liquor store in Baltimore were attacked by a man with a piece of cinder block, police said.

At least four Asian Americans were hurt last week in separate New York City attacks, including a woman who was struck in the head with a hammer, authorities said.
DENVER (AP)  Some residents in the Denver neighborhood of Park Hill are suing a nonprofit, a church and its pastor, and the city of Denver in an effort to prevent a legal homeless encampment from opening.

The complaint filed Thursday in Denver District Court argues the site poses a danger to children, does not meet city requirements and does not address the impact it will have on the neighborhood," The Denver Post reported.
But the SNP was kept at bay by the Conservative incumbent, Alexander Burnett

Win would have given Sturgeon firm moral mandate to hold repeat of the indyref

Aberdeenshire West is the constituency that takes in the Queens Highland home

In the face of a Nationalist tsunami sweeping Scotland, one tiny pocket of the nation managed to thwart the SNPs bid to seal an overall majority and put a dent in its bid for separation.

Aberdeenshire West  the constituency that takes in the Queens Highland home of Balmoral  had been a key target for Nicola Sturgeon and a win would have given her a firm moral mandate to hold a repeat of the 2014 independence referendum.

But voters just outside the Granite City threw their weight behind the union with the SNP kept at bay in second place by the Conservative incumbent, Alexander Burnett, who even managed to increase his vote share.

Tactical voting by pro-Union supporters played a part, with many Labour and Liberal Democrat voters temporarily lending their vote to the Conservatives who stood the best chance against the separatists.

Crown connection: The Queens Balmoral summer holiday home, pictured above, lies within the constituency, which had been a key target for Nicola Sturgeon

Last night, Mr Burnett, who saw his share of the vote go up 9.1 per cent, said he was absolutely delighted at the resounding support for his party in the constituency, which was the only seat in the whole of the north east of Scotland that the SNP failed to win.

He said: If we have the mantle or title that stopped the SNP getting a majority, I am happy to take that.

I am under no illusions that some of the people who voted for me are not always people who vote Conservative and Im very grateful and appreciative to Liberal Democrats and Labour who lent me their vote this time.

The constituency takes in Royal Deeside in the south, including the Balmoral estate, widely thought to be the Queens favourite residence.

While famously never entering into political debate, the monarch said in 2014 ahead of the Scottish independence referendum that she hoped people will think very carefully about the future.

The areas rich Royal heritage boosts its tourism, while the local oil and gas industry has helped make it one of the most affluent areas in the country.

One key issue was thought to be Brexit, with the impact on food exports from the largely agricultural area thought to be an influence on how people might vote. But the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on tourism, concerns about the oil and gas industry in a post-Covid recovery and views on independence also all played a part.

Mr Burnett, a Banchory-based property developer and business owner, was up against Fergus Mutch, the SNPs former head of communications, who lives in Braemar.

A map showing the results in Scotland. Many Labour and Liberal Democrat voters temporarily lent their vote to the Conservatives who stood the best chance against the separatists

The law graduate previously worked as a parliamentary assistant to Alex Salmond when he was Scotlands First Minister. In the end, Mr Burnett polled 19,709 votes to Mr Mutchs 16,319.

Tactical voting in Galloway and West Dumfries is also thought to have played a part in incumbent Finlay Carson not only seeing off a challenge by the SNPs Emma Harper but increasing his majority.

His win now completes a Tory blue frontline along the border between Scotland and England, while much of the rest of the country is SNP yellow.

Ms Sturgeon was hoping to reach the 65-seat majority mark to give her a stronger mandate to hold a repeat of the 2014 independence referendum, despite Boris Johnson saying now is not the time.

She is certain to remain First Minister, possibly pursuing a coalition with the pro-independence Greens, setting up a constitutional battle for Scotlands future.

Ms Sturgeon upped the ante last night, by warning that any legal attempts to block a new referendum would fly in the face of Scottish democracy. She has vowed to push ahead with plans for a Scottish referendum, while the PM insisted he would not back the irresponsible move that could break up the union.

Any attempt by Scottish politicians unilaterally to try to hold a referendum would lead to a Supreme Court battle between Holyrood and Westminster.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 20:20:58|Editor: huaxia

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LISBON, May 8 (Xinhua) -- President of the European Council Charles Michel said Saturday that waiving COVID-19 vaccine patents is not a "magic bullet" to solve jab shortages, but the European Union (EU) is ready to talk "as soon as a concrete proposal is put on the table."

Michel made the remarks upon arrival at a two-day EU summit in Porto, Portugal's second-largest city, after the United States on Wednesday agreed to support waiving intellectual property (IP) restrictions on COVID-19 vaccines at the World Trade Organization.

Michel revealed that patent rights to COVID-19 vaccines were the main topic discussed at the official dinner of European leaders on Friday night. He said the EU's heads of government and state "agreed that it is necessary to do everything possible to increase vaccine production worldwide."

"In Europe, we have made the decision to make vaccine exports possible, and we encourage all partners to facilitate their export," said Michel.

Striking a similar tone, French President Emmanuel Macron said that "the current priority is not the patents" of vaccines, but to convince Anglo-Saxon countries to "end the export ban."

"Today, there is not a single factory in the world that cannot produce doses (of vaccines) for poor countries because of patents. The priority today is not patents, it is production," he told reporters before joining the Porto Social Summit, which opened on Friday and is hosted by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Macron recalled that, of the total vaccines that were produced in the EU, around 50 percent were exported, while in the United States and the United Kingdom "100 percent of what was produced was consumed by the domestic market." Enditem
Christian crowdfunding site raises over $15K to support son of slain Maryland police officer

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A Christian crowdfunding site has helped raise over $15,000 to support a trust account for the son of a slain Maryland police officer who was assaulted and killed while responding to an early morning call of a fight in progress.

Last week, a fundraiser on the Christian crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo was established after Cpl. Keith Heacook of the Delmar Police Department was ambushed by a career criminal on April 25. Heacook, a 22-year veteran of the department, was responding ALONE to a known drug house for a fight in progress.

Three days later, Heacook died of his injuries.

According to the fundraiser, a local law firm was retained to start the trust account in which local realtor Pam Price and local auctioneer Doug Marshall will serve as trustees. Delmar is a town on the border of Delaware in Marylands rural Eastern Shore.

All proceeds from the fundraiser will go to Heacooks 12-year-old son, Matthew.

According to a report from CBS Baltimore, the 54-year-old Keith Heacook was attacked by Randon D. Wilkerson, 30, of Salisbury, Maryland, after responding to the house call shortly after 5 a.m.

A witness claimed that Wilkerson slammed his foot repeatedly on Heacooks head while he was unconscious.

Wilkerson now faces charges of attempted murder, burglary, assault, possession of a deadly weapon while committing a felony and terroristic threatening. Wilkerson reportedly also attacked an elderly couple who lived across the street from the home where the officer was attacked.

As of Thursday afternoon, the fundraiser has raised $15,275, accounting for 61% of the $25,000 fundraising goal.

In an interview with The Christian Post, the founders of GiveSendGo explained why this particular fundraiser has special significance.

Co-founder Heather Wilson noted to CP that Heacooks murder came at a time when the American people are hearing lots of negative things about police officers.

She stressed that GiveSendGo supports police officers and finds value in their work.

So obviously, there's good and bad, but we believe probably most police officers are good people wanting to do good things, she said.

Wilson spoke with Marshall shortly after he set up the campaign.

Wilson said she was particularly moved by a procession this past Sunday from Baltimore to Delmar.

Although she did not attend the event, pictures were posted on her social media accounts.

They brought his body back down to Delmar where he was from, and they lined the streets from Baltimore to Delmar with police officers and ambulances and fire trucks and civilians, she recalled. It was so moving.

Wilson, who lives in Maryland, explained that the overwhelming feeling down here is that people are saddened that it hasnt gotten more media.

She maintained that if it had been the other way around, where he went and ended up defending himself and shooting the guy, it probably would have brought the mob down here.

Theyre really upset that this isnt getting more media coverage, she added. Wilson also lamented that President Joe Biden, who is from nearby Delaware, has yet to weigh in on the killing.

Wilson sees the crowdfunding campaign as an example of how the platform can provide hope when people are feeling hopeless and sad. She said the platform points them to  the hope we have in Jesus during times like these.

Watching the money be raised does  help, and it allows people to feel like they have a part, she said.

Co-founder Jacob Wells described GiveSendGo as a platform that is built around the idea of sharing hope for hopeless situations. He maintained that the website is about far more than crowdfunding.

As a platform ourselves, we call campaign owners, we have a prayer team that prays with ... campaign owners and is just able to recognize ... the financial aspect of what a crowdfunding platform does, he said.

Wells also touted the pray now button on the crowdfunding website that enables people to show that theyre supporting a cause by focusing on who Jesus is and what hes done for us.

At GiveSendGo, every crowdfunding campaign is manually reviewed by one of the co-founders, Wells asserted.

Wilson added that the purpose of the manual review is to make sure the person whos supposed to be getting the money is the one whos getting the money before it gets enabled.

The co-founders told CP that there are currently about 500 active crowdfunding campaigns on GiveSendGo, and an average of about 30 to 40 new campaigns are created daily.

GiveSendGo has received criticism in recent months because the platform was used to raise funds for the legal defense of people who attended the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, D.C., which resulted in deadly rioting at the U.S. Capitol.

In an April op-ed, Wells and Wilson defended the site against allegations that it is being used as a political pawn.

First, we do not condone the use of violence for political gain, and we unequivocally condemn those who threatened the lives of our elected leaders and the police officers who were simply doing their jobs, they wrote.

Nor does our site exist solely for the accused rioters to raise legal funds for their defense. Contrary to what some have implied, GiveSendGo isnt only online to serve as a haven for accused insurrectionists. While it is true that GiveSendGo is being used by those who have been charged in the attack, those people are Constitutionally entitled to a defense whether we like it or not. More to the point, those campaigns are only a fraction of what our site is about.

We believe Gods purpose for our site was never to be a political pawn. As with all things, Gods purpose is far greater, they continued. We started GiveSendGo with the belief that even though money is a necessity in this life, it does not fill the God-shaped hole people have. We wanted a platform that would offer people a place to fundraise for the things that are important to them, all the while sharing the Hope we know is found in Jesus.
The mayors of Gaucin and Casares in Malaga province and San Martin del Tesorillo and Jimena de la Frontera, in Cadiz, have expressed their joint concern over plans to create "massive" photovoltaic parks in their municipalities. They are calling on the authorities to regulate such projects.

Pedro Godino, the mayor of Gaucin, says his council has received six applications from different companies so far. "We all agree that we are not against renewable energy, but these projects are enormous. This needs to be done in a regulated, sustainable and controlled way to protect our environment and heritage," he says.

These mayors have agreed to create a working group and have asked for a meeting with the Junta de Andalucia to discuss the matter further.

Ecologistas en Accion contabiliza 25 proyectos, tambien de parques eolicos, en la comarca de Ronda y su entorno

The Silvema Ecologistas en Accion association says it is aware of 25 projects for solar panel and wind energy parks in the area around Ronda, including Canete La Real, Almargen, Teba and Cuevas del Becerro, as well as those mentioned earlier. Local people have formed protest groups, created petitions and organised demonstrations.

The situation also affects other places in Malaga province, such as Coin and Antequera. According to Silvema, there are currently 53 projects of this type on the table."There is no regulation and no restriction from the Junta de Andalucia or the government in Madrid," they say, and this is likely to lead to speculation.

They are also concerned at the sheer size of some of these projects and their effects on the countryside, and say some of the companies behind them are dividing their applications into smaller sections in an attempt to get around environmental restrictions.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 05:16:54|Editor: huaxia

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (on the screens) speaks at a UNGA informal dialogue at the UN headquarters in New York, on May 7, 2021. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday held an informal dialogue with the incumbent United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, also the sole candidate for the position of the next UN secretary-general. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday held an informal dialogue with the incumbent United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, also the sole candidate for the position of the next UN secretary-general.

Guterres presented his vision statement and answered questions from member states and civil society, Brenden Varma, spokesperson for the UNGA President Volkan Bozkir, said at a regular press briefing.

In 2015, the General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution that set out a new, transparent, open and inclusive process to select and appoint a secretary-general, which involves presenting a vision statement.

According to Varma, the UNGA president "is committed to ensuring that the selection and appointment process for the position of the secretary-general remains guided by the principles of transparency and inclusivity."

Varma confirmed that, as of now, in addition to the one official candidate, there are seven applicants whose names have been forwarded by the UNGA president to his Security Council counterpart.

Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister who has been UN secretary-general since January 2017, is seeking a second five-year term in office, beginning Jan. 1, 2022.

UN officials confirmed on Jan. 11 that on Jan. 8, Guterres told the five permanent members of the Security Council of his decision. He also spoke to the UNGA president Bozkir.

On Jan. 11, Guterres notified Bozkir by letter of his intentions as well as the president of the Security Council for the month of January, Tarek Ladeb, Tunisia's ambassador to the UN.

Article 97 of the UN Charter states that "the secretary-general shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council." As a result, the selection is subject to the veto of any of the five permanent members of the Security Council. Enditem
Trinidad and Tobago can see a reduction in the number of people dying from Covid-19 on a daily basis if the drugAzithromycinis immediately stopped, says Dr Ravi Ramjanak.

Ramjanak is a consultant in obstetrics gynaecology and pelvic reconstructive surgery.

It is my view based on the pharmacodynamics of Azithromycin that the death rate will fall if we stop using this drug in Covid-positive cases. Azithromycin has no effect on viruses, yeasts and fungi, said Ramjanak in an interview with the Sunday Express last week.
A truck driver charged with two counts of dangerous driving after allegedly mowing down four pedestrians and a delivery driver at a busy intersection - leaving one fighting for life - has been granted bail.

Frank Rogers, 64, allegedly failed to stop to help the injured pedestrians and drove on for 23km after the crash near the intersection of City Road and Power Street at Southbank in Melbourne about 7pm Thursday night.

Magistrate David Starvaggi granted bail on Saturday on the condition Mr Rogers does not drive a truck or any vehicle more than 4.5 tonnes or that is towing a trailer, reports the ABC.

Frank Rogers (pictured), 64, was bailed on Saturday after his truck hit a group of pedestrians in Melbourne on Thursday

A man cradling a woman in his arms is seen speaking to paramedics at the scene on Thursday night, which left five people in hospital

The driver of the truck has been released on bail (pictured: paramedics are seen swarming the scene on Thursday night)

He said the accused also had no previous driving offences, a stable address, and had volunteered to give up his passport, contributing to a low bail risk.

The court heard he had driven on that particular street because he was transporting chemicals which are not allowed in tunnels and had traveled the route for a decade.

CCTV played to the court taken from the side of the truck showed the trailers of the b-double wedging the four pedestrians and a food delivery driver between them before flinging them to the ground.

The truck driver told the court he noticed a 'bump' but assumed it was the rear axel hitting the kerb - though police said the movement of the truck cabin in the footage indicated the truck had collided with something larger, reports the Herald Sun.

Police told the court cutting the corner of the intersection was a 'reckless' act in the large truck.

His defence lawyer argued locals had said the intersection was known to be dangerous and in need of improvement.

However, prosecutors and police said the condition of the intersection was not the problem.

'The intersection is not the danger, the danger is not driving appropriately,' Detective Senior Constable Ben Oliver said.

Images from the scene (pictured on Thursday night) show total devastation, with a traffic light smashed to the ground and bicycles abandoned as Melburnians fled the horror

Police do not allege the truck driver deliberately hit any pedestrians.

Three men and one woman are in stable conditions while one man remains in the ICU following surgery.

His employeer K&S Group said he 'maintains he was unaware of the incident'.

'Our thoughts are with the people and families of those involved,' K&S CEO Paul Sarant said on Friday.

The company said in addition to the police investigation it was undertaking an internal workplace health and safety investigation into the incident.

'We're advised the driver maintains he was unaware of the incident'.

'He has been working for the company for nearly 10 years and was on his way to the depot in a company truck at the end of his shift.'

Pictured: The Southbank intersection where the truck allegedly smashed into the pedestrians and a traffic light
Donations are pouring in for two Idaho middle school employees who are being hailed as "heroes" after a sixth grade girl opened fire in the hallway Thursday.

Three people  an adult and two students  were injured at Rigby Middle School, Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson said. The victims were shot in their limbs and are expected to survive.

The rampage only stopped when a female teacher took the handgun from the shooter and "held her until law enforcement apprehended her," Anderson said. The teacher has been identified in a community Facebook group, multiple GoFundMe campaigns and local media as Krista Gneiting, an eighth-grade math teacher.

Dean Turnblom, Gneiting's father, told Fox News that Gneiting said she felt like she had an "angel on my shoulder" as she offered reassuring words to the shooter before gently disarming the girl.

"She is a pretty tough character," Turnblom told Fox News of his daughter. "She was scared to death during it, but she is not a wimpy little gal. She is a tough turkey."

Gneiting addressed the incident a Facebook post: "My heart is touched by all the incredible outpouring of love I've received," she wrote. "All of the staff at Rigby did their part and kept our wonderful children safe! Thank you! I love you all and we will get through this together."

People embrace outside after a shooting at Rigby Middle School in Rigby, Idaho on Thursday, May 6, 2021. Authorities say a shooting at the eastern Idaho middle school has injured two students and a custodian, and a female student has been taken into custody.

Gneiting's husband, Alan, confirmed to USA TODAY that the post was authentic but declined to talk more about his wife's experience. He said the couple has been advised not to speak publicly about the incident until the investigation is complete and plan to release a statement then.

"Both of us dont like the spotlight and, you know, were kind of reclusive that way," he said Friday. "She will give a statement to somebody, but its going to be once they close that investigation and once she feels a little more comfortable."

Another GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $20,000 for Jim Wilson who is identified as "a very loved Rigby Middle School custodian."

Story continues

Wilson's family issued a written statement to USA TODAY late Friday: "We would like to take the time to thank the first responders for their quick response, Mrs. Gneiting for her bravery and fast actions, and the school staff for following their training."

"We are hoping that everyone is able to come together to heal mentally and emotionally from this tragic event. Right now we are declining any further comments, to give those who need it time to heal and find some peace," the statement says.

Fundraisers have also been started for the two students who were injured in the attack. Police and school officials did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on Gneiting and Wilson's actions.

Authorities are still investigating how the sixth-grader from the nearby city of Idaho Falls got the gun and what motivated her to carry out the attack.

Jefferson School District Superintendent Chad Martin said schools would be closed district-wide Friday to give students time to be with their families. Counselors would be available starting Friday.

People embrace after a school shooting at Rigby Middle School in Rigby, Idaho on Thursday, May 6, 2021. Authorities say a shooting at the eastern Idaho middle school has injured two students and a custodian, and a female student has been taken into custody.

This is the worst nightmare a school district could ever face. We prepare for it," Martin said, but you're never truly prepared.

Jefferson County Prosecutor Mark Taylor said decisions about criminal charges wouldn't be made until the investigation is complete but that they might include three counts of attempted murder.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Follow N'dea Yancey-Bragg and Joel Shannon on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg and @JoelShannon91

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rigby Middle School shooting in Idaho: Teacher, janitor called 'heroes'
"What we will do is take our time. We will analyze in detail the law that has been passed at insistence; the Executive Branch will give its opinion on the case at the appropriate moment," he announced.





In this sense, the Head of State pointed out that his administration is evaluating calmly and without haste the measures that could be adopted against the regulation.





When asked if the Executive Branch would file a claim of unconstitutionality before the Constitutional Court , the top official insisted that his administration continues to analyze calmly a sensitive issue like this one.





The statesman said the convenience is being assessed as well as what negative effects it (the withdrawal of part of the funds) could have "because anyone knows that if a quantity of money is withdrawn in a short time, some kind of disturbance can occur in what is financial stability."





The top official recalled that the Executive Branch upon vetoing the bill approved by Congress proposed a series of modifications, but that only two of the three proposals were accepted by the Legislative Branch.









However, the Peruvian leader pointed out that there are three or five Congress members who instead of being parliamentarians seem to be "blackmailers" as they propose to file an impeachment motion if the Executive Branch does not do what this group wants.





"Please, that is not a way to do politics and less so in Peru, especially at a critical moment like the one we are in," he remarked.





Mr. Sagasti also recalled that when he was a Congressman, he had proposed a comprehensive reform of the pension system, which should consist of: a change in the current system, as well as labor and tax reforms.
The NATO Summit, which will take place in Brussels on June 14, will be held without the participation of the Ukrainian side as a partner country, but its agenda includes the issue of Ukraine's possible obtaining the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP), Deputy Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva has said.

"The current NATO summit on June 14 will be held without the participation of the alliance's partner countries, which include Ukraine, among others. Only member countries will take part in this summit. The main thing for us is the content of the summit on June 14. Here we can be sure that the topic of Ukraine will definitely be discussed, "Zhovkva said.

He stressed that "the closest partners of NATO, namely the United States, Canada, Germany, France and Poland, assured about the discussion of Ukrainian topics at the NATO summit."

Zhovkva added that the decisions of the summit, including on Ukraine, will be recorded in a general final document.

"Work on such a document continues. We continue negotiations with our partners to ensure that Ukraine's interests are taken into account in the final decision of the alliance," he said.

Zhovkva noted "the alliance decided to hold a meeting of the NATO North Atlantic Council on June 14 at the level of the heads of state and government of the alliance member states."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 30)  After being barred from entering the country for over a month, some foreign nationals can again come starting May 1, subject to conditions, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Friday.

The entry ban on most foreigners, which was imposed on March 22 due to rising COVID-19 cases, is set to end April 30. All travelers from India and those who went to India preceding their arrival to the Philippines are barred from entering the country until May 14 as a safeguard against virus spread that may be caused by the massive surge in COVID-19 cases in the South Asian country.

In February, the Bureau of Immigration released an advisory which contains the list of foreigners qualified to enter the Philippines based on IATF Resolutions No. 97 and 98.

Here is the list:

1. 9(e) visa holders for diplomats accredited to the Philippines

2. foreign airline crew

3. 9(c) visa holders for foreign seafarers

4. 9(d) visa holders for treaty traders

5. visa holders under Section 13 of Commonwealth Act of 613

6. Foreign nationals who have entered the country before June 30, 1992

7. Legal residence visa holders or those who entered the Philippines before January 1, 1984

8. Native Born visa holders

9. Temporary Resident Visa holders

10. Chinese nationals who are married to Philippine citizens

11. Foreign spouses of Filipino nationals

12. Foreign parents of minor Filipino children and of Filipino children with special needs, regardless of age

13. Foreign minor children or children with special needs of Filipino nationals

14. Those with Recognition Certificate (RC) or Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003 certificate

15. Those with visas issued under Executive Order 226, including Special Investor Resident Visa

16. Foreign executives from multinational companies

17. 47(a)(2) visa holders

18. Those with visas issued by Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Authority of the Freeport of Bataan, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, and Clark Development Corporation

19. Those from non-visa required countries, who are qualified under the Balikbayan Privilege, including former Filipino citizens

20. 9(g) visa holders who left the Philippines on December 17, 2020, or later

21. Holders of 9(a) visas and Special Resident and Retirees Visas, but they need to present an entry exemption document to the BI upon arrival

Other requirements

Authorized foreigners shall follow some conditions to enter the county. These include having valid visas at the time of entry, pre-booked quarantine accommodation for at least six nights in an accredited quarantine hotel or facility, and COVID-19 testing six days after arrival. They are also subject to the maximum capacity of inbound passengers at the port and date of entry, Roque said.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. earlier announced that incoming international flights would be allowed to carry only up to 1,500 passengers per day to control the further spread of COVID-19.
BRIDGEPORT  The president of the citys police union has appealed for the communitys support as the investigation continues into last weekends incident between officers and a man they were trying to take into custody.

Video posted on social media of the incident shows Sgt. Sean Lynch holding the suspect, Kevin Thomas, in an apparent headlock outside a patrol car.

The incident has prompted a Bridgeport Police Department investigation into all of the officers involved.

The officers involved in an arrest Sunday, which resulted in news coverage and generated social media activity, had to deal with extreme circumstances, Local 1159 President Sgt. Brad Seely said. Regardless of the situation, we all know that we are responsible for those we take into custody; a responsibility we do not take lightly. The officers initially utilized great restraint, compassion, and respect for this individual who was shown to be in crisis. We hope he receives the support and the help he needs.

Thomas, 34, of Goddard Avenue, was charged with interfering with police, assault on a public safety officer, second-degree breach of peace and fourth-degree larceny.

Thomas has since been arrested twice more on Tuesday and Thursday, according to the city, on domestic and threatening charges, respectively.

In a written statement obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media, Lynch said he is well aware of the optics and perception of the incident.

There were numerous bystanders attempting to inflame the situation yelling to get off him and off his neck, he wrote in the statement.

Lynch said he is also aware of the dangers of placing someone in a chokehold, which is why it had been banned by police departments. Lynch said he was affected by the pepper spray, which he said blew back in his face when he tried to deploy it on Thomas.

This scenario was not at that level. I was blind and in distress and pain from the spray and very concerned about being bit, he stated. The angry crowd was a concern but there was no angst toward Thomas. Due to the biting concern, I controlled his head only allowing him my shirt and body armor to bite until I could transition and push him back into the car with my right hand.

In Seelys statement, he pointed out how several of the bystanders helped to deescalate the situation. In the video, a woman can be repeatedly heard trying to convince Thomas to get into the police cruiser.

As always, we count on the support of our community, Seely said. I ask the community to stand by our union members as the department investigates this matter. We will continue to look for ways we can better build police and community relations within our city."
SUV

The same goes for other Toyota 4x4 models, with the 4Runner being the most obvious example. Unlike the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, it's not so much how capable these vehicles are out of the box that impresses, but rather their reliability coupled with how easy it is to modify them.If you spend a lot of time on U.S. trails, the only model you're more tired of coming across than the 4Runner is the Wrangler we talked about earlier. Sure, just like in any other car-related activity, brand affinity and loyalty have a role to play in people's choice, but when it comes to off-roading, if a vehicle isn't good, you're not going to use it for long no matter the logo.That's because the further away you get from civilization, the more important it is to know you can rely on your machine to get you through whatever's thrown at it and bring you back home safely in the end. That's one big reason why big Toyotas enjoy such popularity among adventure enthusiasts - that, and the fact they're pretty damn good at tackling the rough stuff.Speed, on the other hand, is definitely not one of their strongest suits, and you'll find no Toyotaowner who isn't ready to admit that. Still, even among the slowest, one Toyota 4x4 is bound to be the least slow, so the question is: which is it?The guys at the Fast Lane Car got three of them together - an old (how else?) FJ Cruiser, a new 4Runner and, since the latter also has a truck version, a newish Tacoma as well. Despite the age difference, the 4Runner and the FJ Cruiser share pretty much the same powertrain: a 4.0-liter V6 coupled to a five-speed automatic. The newer 4Runner does make 10 horsepower extra (270 for the Tacoma compared to the FJ Cruiser's 260 hp), but we'd be surprised if the more modern requirements - as well as the larger size - didn't add a few pounds to its total weight as well.The Tacoma, on the other hand, has a 3.5-liter V6 and a six-speed automatic transmission, all garnished by the highest horsepower output of the trio: an earth-shattering 274 hp. The truck should also be the lightest - or at least as light as the FJ Cruiser - so it's definitely shaping up as the main contender for the "least slow" crown. However, after watching the video, we can't escape the feeling that a 200-pound sandbag thrown into the truck's bed would have worked wonders for the Tacoma's traction and, therefore, its performance in the race.
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Britain's daily coronavirus deaths fell by nearly 30 per cent today, as the number of people who have received a second dose soared past 17million.

There were 2,047 positive tests across the country, the Department of Health announced, up 7.3 per cent on last Saturday's number (1,907).

Officials also recorded just five lab-confirmed deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid swab, 28.6 per cent less than the number recorded a week ago.

The latest figures show that nearly 35.2million Britons have been given at least one dose of Covid vaccine, after another 119,349 first injections were administered yesterday.

The NHS also dished out a further 449,716 second doses, bringing the total number of people fully vaccinated against the disease to 17.2million.

Some 66.8 per cent of adults have had a first jab, while nearly a third have had their second.

It comes surge testing began in the former mill town of Bolton today, which has been identified as a hotspot for the Indian Covid variant.

British health chiefs yesterday announced India's mutant coronavirus strain is now officially a 'variant of concern'.

Public Health England say the variant  linked to an explosion of cases in India  is 'at least' as infectious as the current dominant Kent strain.

Cases of the variant, scientifically called B.1.617.2, have more than doubled in a week. It has now been spotted 520 times, with hotspots in Bolton and London.

Health officials are confident vaccines currently being used should still work against the variant but are carrying out urgent tests to be certain.

Scientists have grouped the Indian variant into three separate sub-strains, with type 2 quickly spreading in the UK. It has been found in schools, care homes and places of worship, it was reported yesterday.

The other two are genetically similar strains  B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.3  and aren't currently considered variants of concern. But PHE said their status will be kept 'under constant review'.

Despite being more infectious, health chiefs don't believe the variant is deadlier than original coronavirus strains.

The move to make the Indian variant one 'of concern' means officials can now put in place tougher measures to contain the strain, including ordering door-to-door tests and boosting contact tracing. All residents living in areas where the variant is spreading in the community will be asked to get a test, even if they don't have symptoms.

The Department of Health has announced it will start surge testing in Bolton in the BL3 postcode and has asked residents to book a test online or on the phone so they can go for one at a site or have one delivered to them at home. Surge testing in London has not yet been announced.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday said that tracking of the Indian variant will be 'absolutely ruthless'.

Celebrating the Tories delivering a hammer blow to the Labour's Red Wall in the local elections, Mr Johnson told reporters: 'What we're doing there is making sure that we are absolutely ruthless in the surge testing, in the door-to-door tracking of any contacts.

'At the moment we're looking carefully at the way the Indian variant seems to function, we don't see any evidence that it is resistant to the vaccines or in any way more dangerous.'

Public Health England has divided the Indian variant into three sub-types because they aren't identical. Type 1 and Type 3 both have a mutation called E484Q but Type 2 is missing this, despite still clearly being a descendant of the original Indian strain. It is not yet clear what separates Type 1 and 3

But an expert has warned the Prime Minister's roadmap out of lockdown might be delayed because of outbreaks of the variant.

Dr Duncan Robinson, policy and strategy analytics academic at Loughborough University, yesterdaysaid a 'political decision' may be taken to slow down easing restrictions because the strain could disproportionately affect areas where there are outbreaks.

But speaking in Hartlepool yesterday, Mr Johnson also said he 'can't see any reason' to delay the remaining steps along the out of lockdown.

Early research suggests both the AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Covishield in India, and the Pfizer jab, still work against the variant.

Cases HALVE in a month to 46,000, R rate falls slightly and is still below one, and fewer than 1,000 patients are now in hospital for the first time since September England's coronavirus cases have halved in a month, the R rate is still below one, and the number of people in hospital has dropped below 1,000 for the first time since September, promising data revealed today. Just 46,000 people had coronavirus in England on any given day last week, or one in 1,180 people, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figure was around 112,000 towards the start of April  and is down 15 per cent last Friday's estimate. No10's top scientists said the reproduction rate  which tracks the spread of the virus  was between 0.8 and 1.0, meaning the outbreak is still shrinking. This was down from 0.8 to 1.1 in the previous seven-day period. Meanwhile, NHS figures show the number of infected patients in hospitals across England has dropped into three figures for the first time since the second wave spiralled out of control nine months ago. Daily admissions are now below 100. The data follows on from promising statistics from Public Health England and a symptom-tracking app yesterday, which showed the easing of restrictions on April 12 has not triggered any spike in the disease. Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure to speed up his roadmap out of lockdown, with businesses and MPs warning that they risk suffering another lost summer if there are further delays. But the Prime Minister has refused to budge from plans to re-allow holidays and indoor hospitality from May 17, despite promising he would be led by 'data not dates'. Advertisement

Speaking at the Downing Street press conference tonight Jenny Harries, the head of the UK Health Protection Agency, said: 'Yes we should be concerned. Our overall positivity rates have dropped dramatically but in some areas there are some variants of concern.

'Particularly the Indian one, which has risen quite sharply in the last week or two. So in those areas, we really do want people to be extra cautious.'

She said that while scientists had determined the variant was more transmissible, they still need to monitor its affect on vaccine effectiveness and disease severity.

Ms Harries added: 'While were watching that, were taking a whole host of steps to ensure areas where we have seen that we have enhanced contact tracing, were going in with messaging, working with local communities, with local directors of public health, to make sure people are really aware of the potential risk.

'Were encouraging people to continue working from home. All the things we know work.

'Socialising outdoors, even if the situation and the rules change [across the country]. Its really important that people continue to do that.

'This is likely to be a bit of a pattern as we move forward. So we need the public to do everything they have been doing in sticking to the rules but in those particular areas, being particularly careful. And we will be continuing to monitor it.'

Dr Susan Hopkins, PHE's Covid strategic response director, said: 'The way to limit the spread of all variants is the same and although we are all enjoying slightly more freedom, the virus is still with us.

'Keep your distance, wash your hands regularly and thoroughly, cover your nose and mouth when inside and keep buildings well ventilated and meet people from other households outside.

'If you are told to get a test, if you have any symptoms at all or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, please make sure you get tested too.'

She said the decision to upgrade B.1.617.2 to a 'variant of concern' was because data shows it is more transmissible.

But PHE said there is currently no proof that any of the variants are deadlier or render the vaccines currently deployed any less effective.

Urgent laboratory tests are being carried out to 'better understand the impact of the mutations on the behaviour of the virus', the agency said.

It also revealed the majority of the cases being detected were in just two areas  the North West (mainly Bolton) and London.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: 'Working in partnership with Bolton Council, NHS Test and Trace is providing additional testing and genomic sequencing in targeted areas within the BL3 postcode in Bolton.

'Everybody who resides or works in these postcodes is strongly encouraged to take a COVID-19 PCR test, whether they are showing symptoms or not.

'Enhanced contact tracing will be used for individuals testing positive with a variant of concern. In these instances, contact tracers will look back over an extended period in order to determine the route of transmission.

'By using PCR testing, positive results can be sent for genomic sequencing at specialist laboratories, helping us to identify variant of concern cases and their spread.

'People with symptoms should book a free test online or by phone so they can get tested at a testing site or have a testing kit sent to them at home. Those without symptoms should visit the local authority website for more information.'

Boris Johnson (pictured celebrating the Tories' by-election win on Jacksons Wharf with Hartlepool MP Jill Mortimer this morning) has pledged 'absolutely ruthless' tracking of India's mutant Covid strain after health chief today officially declared it a 'variant of concern'

Data modelled by Professor Christina Pagel suggested the variants now account for 10 per cent of Covid cases in London, and between 5 and 7 per cent of cases in the South East and East Midlands

APRIL 17: In the most recent data, the variant  now split into three recognisable strains  has been found in dozens of areas and accounted for 2.4 per cent of all positive tests sampled

Data on April 3 (left) show how just a handful of boroughs had spotted cases of the Indian variants. By a week later (right) the variant had spread to more areas and started to take off in London

Reflecting on the strain's upgrade to 'variant of concern' on Twitter, Dr Robinson said: 'A *political* decision will be made. Risk of Roadmap Step 3 is clear.

'It would be prudent to delay the reopening to see how outbreaks spread or do not spread in the weeks ahead. Otherwise deprived, ethnic, urban communities may suffer disproportionately.'

But the Prime Minister yesterday said: 'I think its been very important for our country that were able to get through Covid as fast as we can. I think weve got to always bear in mind that this thing isnt over.

'I think the epidemiology is very encouraging at the moment but weve got to continue to be cautious, and we will continue with the cautious but irreversible steps of the road map. I cant see any reason now to delay any of the steps that weve got ahead of us, but thats going to be our programme.'
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The Tories last night looked set to hammer Labour in elections for Police and Crime Commissioners, with early results showing a raft of Conservative victories in Opposition heartlands.

At least 20 PCC results were announced out of a total of 39, with 16 victories for Tory candidates against four for Labour. It was the third election for PCCs since the positions were created in 2011.

Tory candidate Angelique Foster won the formerly safe PCC post in Derbyshire from Labour, with a commanding majority of more than 32,000 votes.

The Tories last night looked set to hammer Labour in elections for Police and Crime Commissioners, with early results showing a raft of Conservative victories in Opposition heartlands

Tory candidate Angelique Foster won the formerly safe PCC post in Derbyshire from Labour with a commanding majority of more than 32,000 votes

In neighbouring Leicestershire, Tory Rupert Matthews became PCC after winning 135,566 votes to the 102,211 for Ross Wilmot, who stood for Labour after Lord Willy Bach stepped down having served a single term.

In Nottinghamshire, Tory Caroline Henry became PCC after toppling Labour incumbent Paddy Tipping, a former MP and deputy leader of the Commons. Ms Henry gained 138,658 votes against 131,302 for Mr Tipping.

Similar wins followed in the Humber, another traditional Labour PCC stronghold. Tory candidate Jonathan Evison, the current mayor of North Lincolnshire, defeated Labour incumbent Keith Hunter by almost 4,000 votes.

In neighbouring Leicestershire, Tory Rupert Matthews became PCC after winning 135,566 votes to the 102,211 for Ross Wilmot

Similar wins followed in the Humber, another traditional Labour PCC stronghold. Tory candidate Jonathan Evison, the current mayor of North Lincolnshire, defeated Labour incumbent Keith Hunter by almost 4,000 votes.

Labour retained the post in Merseyside, with Emily Spurrell beating her Tory rival with 57 per cent of the vote.

Labour also retained the West Midlands and Northumbria posts.

Other Conservative wins included the Avon and Somerset PCC, with Mark Shelford, a former Army officer, beating his Labour rival, Kerry Barker.

It is seen as significant because Bristol, the region's largest city, was recently the scene of fierce clashes between police and 'Kill the Bill' demonstrators, protesting against the Police, Crime, Sentencing And Courts Bill.

Police and Crime Commissioners were introduced to replace local police authorities.

Their role is to appoint chief constables, as well as determine forces' budgets and priorities.

Some cities, however, such as London and Manchester, do not have Police and Crime Commissioners as elected mayors include the role in their responsibilities.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 8)  National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab will hold a virtual concert next month to fund support for two farm schools in Batangas.

Featuring an Original Pilipino Music repertoire, Cayabyab said "Musika Para sa Kinabukasan" aims to raise money for the Dagatan and Balete Family Farm Schools - two institutions that cater to farmers' children.

Bernie Villegas, one of the organizers of the event and an advocate of farm schools, said the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need to take food security seriously amid the rising prices of agricultural products such as pork and pepper.

"Gusto natin i-increase 'yung [We want to increase the] number of skilled agribusiness technicians through the farm schools," Villegas said.

The concert will be held on June 5. Tickets are at P500 each at KTX.PH.
15 more locally-transmitted Covid-19 patients recorded on Saturday morning

15 more Covid-19 patients have been recorded in the community in Hanoi and Bac Ninh Province, raising the total number of Covid-19 patients in the country to 3,152, the Ministry of Health reported on Saturday morning.









Health workers take samples for Covid-19 testing





According to the ministry's report, 14 of the newly-confirmed patients aged between 15-72 are from the northern province of Bac Ninh's Thuan Thanh District. They all had come into close contact with some previously-announced Covid-19 patients in the area.

These patients are now being treated at the Bac Ninh Provincial General Hospital.



The other patient is a 14-year-old boy from Hanoi's Thuong Tin District. He is also related to a new virus outbreak in the area. The boy is now being treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 3,152, including 1,746 locally-transmitted cases.



As of 6 am on May 8, a total of 2,560 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital. There have been 35 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases.





At present, over 42, 000 people who had close contact with Covid-19 patients or returned from virus-hit areas are being monitored at hospitals, quarantine facilities, and at home.

On May 7, 54,130 more people were given Covid-19 vaccine in Vietnam, raising the total number of vaccinated people in the country to 800,000 who are mostly health workers and people participating in Covid-19 prevention activities.




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.


Philip Morris International, the U.S. tobacco giant that makes Marlboro and Lark brand cigarettes, plans to stop selling cigarettes in Japan within 10 years, Nikkei has learned.

Revisions to the Health Promotion Law that went into effect last year prohibits smoking cigarettes in restaurants. In response, the company is turning its focus to "heat-not-burn" tobacco products, in which it holds a 70% share of the Japanese market.

Jacek Olczak, who took over as CEO of the tobacco company on May 5, revealed the plan in an online interview with Nikkei. Olczak said Japan will become a smoke-free society within 10 years. Philip Morris expects to gradually pull out of rolled tobacco products elsewhere over the next 10 to 15 years, and Olczak said he wants the transition to happen first in Japan.

Heated products let the user to inhale vapor generated by a heating element that does not release secondhand smoke. According to the tobacco industry, heated products also produce fewer harmful substances than conventional cigarettes.

In 2016, Philip Morris began selling its Iquos heat-not-burn product nationwide in Japan. The company held a 70% share of Japan's market for such products in 2019, according to Euromonitor International, a British market research specialist. That is far higher than rivals Japan Tobacco, with 10%, and British American Tobacco, with 20%.

Smokeless tobacco, which includes heat-not-burn and liquid e-cigarettes, made up 11% of Philip Morris' total shipments of 704.6 billion cigarettes. That is up three percentage points from 2019. The global market for rolled cigarettes has shrunk by just under 10% over the past four years.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 17:05:02|Editor: huaxia

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MANILA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported on Saturday 6,979 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,094,849.

The death toll climbed to 18,269 after 170 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.

The Philippines, which has an about 110-million population, has tested over 11 million people since the outbreak in January 2020.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire expressed concern over the low number of samples received by laboratories resulting in the decrease in new COVID-19 cases. Enditem
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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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday requested the Centre to enhance the medical oxygen allocation to Tamil Nadu to 500 metric tonnes.

The chief minister, who had a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, assured the PM that Tamil Nadu would stand by the Centre in the fight against

The Prime Minister assured Stalin that he would consider his request immediately, an official release here said.

The Prime Minister, the release further said, asked the Tamil Nadu government to continue testing for the virus on a massive scale and focus on monitoring the mild patients at home.

Stalin also sought the centre's cooperation in containing the spread of the infection in Tamil Nadu.

In his first official communication to Modi after taking over as CM on Friday, Stalin had flagged the "severe crisis" over availability of medical oxygen and sought the PM's intervention to ensure supplies and make available containers and trains to transport the life saving gas to the state.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 22:35:20|Editor: huaxia

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-- The world needs genuine multilateralism, and all countries should refrain from pursuing unilateralism and hegemonism, and should not use multilateralism as a pretext to form small circles or stir up ideological confrontation, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said.

-- China has shown its "great willingness to guide efforts towards a new paradigm in the international arena, where cooperative work is the only path towards a prosperous global future," said Gonzalo Tordini, director of International Relations at the Arturo Jauretche National University in Greater Buenos Aires.

-- "In an effort to revive the multilateral and cooperative spirit of the world, President Xi is trying to push the world to come together, and major countries help each other especially in the midst of this challenging pandemic," said Mueen Batlay, director of the Institute of Management Sciences at Hamdard University in Pakistan.





BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The world needs genuine multilateralism, and all countries should refrain from pursuing unilateralism and hegemonism, and should not use multilateralism as a pretext to form small circles or stir up ideological confrontation, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said.

The vision resonated with the wider public with scholars and experts worldwide holding that true multilateralism should prevail over unilateral interests and narrow regional groupings, and play a due role in promoting global cooperation and solidarity, especially in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.





GENUINE MULTILATERALISM

During a phone conversation with United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, Xi noted that pursuing multilateralism is inseparable from the UN's mission, international law and cooperation among countries, and multilateralism has received an increasing amount of support.

"I think the Chinese president is telling the world how China perceives and practices true multilateralism," said Islam Ayadi, assistant professor of political science at the Arab American University in Palestine.

"China believes that true multilateralism means abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, safeguarding the international system with the UN at its core, and promoting the democratization of international relations," she told Xinhua.

"Building small circles in the name of multilateralism is in fact fake multilateralism," she said, adding that such a move is actually returning to unilateralism in nature.

President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir stressed on Friday that "strong and effective multilateralism, based on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international law and justice are the foundations for security, stability, peace and prosperity."

"Multilateralism plays a crucial role in fostering dialogue and trust, managing security challenges, such as terrorism and weapons proliferation. And it provides a framework for states to resolve disputes peacefully and without coercion," he said, adding that the multilateral system benefits all, from small states to the largest ones.

Similarly, Tatiana Valovaya, director-general of the UN Office at Geneva, pointed out that to make multilateralism trustworthy, all the members within the multilateral system should be given an equal voice.

"We need (to) give a voice to all the members of the multilateral system. All member states should have an equal voice, and we have to listen to everybody," he said.

"It's very important to strengthen multilateralism for this point of view, to make it inclusive, to make it integrated, to make it networking, and working with member states exactly in strengthening this multilateral approach," the official added.

"It is necessary to avoid isolationism and unilateralism. Global solidarity and South-South cooperation are key, not only to confront current challenges that require a multilateral response, but also to prevent future global problems," said Gonzalo Tordini, director of International Relations at the Arturo Jauretche National University in Greater Buenos Aires.

China has shown its "great willingness to guide efforts towards a new paradigm in the international arena, where cooperative work is the only path towards a prosperous global future," he added.





COOPERATION ON FIGHTING COVID-19

"In an effort to revive the multilateral and cooperative spirit of the world, President Xi is trying to push the world to come together, and major countries help each other especially in the midst of this challenging pandemic," said Mueen Batlay, director of the Institute of Management Sciences at Hamdard University in Pakistan.

A worker transports Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 28, 2021. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

"President Xi wants a world of cooperation and mutual respect which can fight against any global challenge together," he said, adding that Xi has forged a path towards this through China's efforts to promote international cooperation by helping others against COVID-19.

"I firmly believe that the world of cooperation will surely prevail over petty efforts of adversarial politics and narrow regional groupings," he said. "The time has come for the multilateral, cooperative and supportive spirit that President Xi calls for in international relations."

"The world is wounded, exhausted and economically impoverished. It needs the healing hand of cooperation, not confrontation and political manipulation," the scholar said.

A health worker prepares a dose of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination campaign in Palestine's West Bank city of Nablus, April 4, 2021. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)

"If we are to have a chance of dealing with challenges such as the pandemic, climate change and poverty, President Xi's offer of friendship and partnership must be accepted. The future belongs to the unifiers, not the dividers," he added.

The global health and economic crisis generated by COVID-19 has highlighted the need for greater international cooperation and multilateralism, Tordini said.

"China has been one of the main promoters of international cooperation in recent years, and its willingness to work collaboratively with other countries has been especially clear during the pandemic," he said, adding that the pandemic did not interrupt collaboration, but intensified it.





CLIMATE CHANGE

As humankind has abused its environment and seen the consequences brought by climate change and COVID-19, multilateralism must prevail over unilateral interests, said Jose Ignacio Martinez Cortes, a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

"Today we see that if we follow a unilateral path of not tackling climate change over the next two generations, then we will have lands devastated by the phenomenon of droughts or floods," he said. "Therefore, multilateralism must prevail beyond unilateral interest."

He added that countries are now faced with two major challenges: climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet the United States always wants to "put its interests above multilateralism," and that could lead to "confrontation and wasting time in" addressing these two issues.

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 24, 2021 shows a molten-salt solar thermal power plant in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Ma Xiping)

"If we continue to follow Washington's path, we will be moving through unilateralism and nationalism, and of course the hegemony of Washington. If we go along with what China proposes around the UN proposal, we can multilaterally confront these two (challenging) situations that we are undergoing," he said.

In this regard, the United States has shown an unfortunate willingness at times to deal with global challenges using small, closed groupings and small cliques, said Sourabh Gupta, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Institute for China-America Studies.

"It did so in the area of global public health by prioritizing the Quad framework -- and not the UN or the World Health Organization -- as the primary means for vaccine dissemination in the Indo-Pacific and other developing nations," he added.

"Global challenges require global solutions and global stewardship. Hopefully, it will bear this principle in mind in the context of exercising a co-leadership role to tackle the global climate challenge, going forward," Gupta said.

Photo taken on Dec. 3, 2020 shows a production line of new-energy vehicles in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)

As the largest developing country in the world, China has increased its contributions to achieving the highest reduction in CO2 emissions in the world and will achieve carbon neutrality from carbon peaking in the shortest time in the world's history, said Ayadi.

China has already pledged to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, which is a much shorter time span than those proposed by many developed countries.

"This demonstrates China's commitment to making more contributions to tackling global climate change and building up its image as a responsible major country," she said. 
The Takoradi Technical University has established a cyber-security centre to train students in cyber and technological skills to help reduce the risks of data loss, theft and sabotage.



Cyber-related crimes are on the rise in recent times and it is envisaged that the Centre would train many people to help unravel the myth behind cyber-crime, digital forensics and other cyber-related issues, which confront the nation today.



Reverend Professor John Frank Eshun, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, said the centre would offer prospective students Certificates and Diplomas in cyber programmes.



The centre is also opened to the security agencies, banks and the public to ensure its sustenance.



The VC assured partners of the maximum care to ensure that the equipment were well maintained.



The state-of-the-art Centre would serve as an employment avenue for the teaming graduates looking to start their enterprises.



Mr David Davor, Assistant Project Manager of Cybersecurity Ghana, said the centre was poised to offer solutions to cyber-related crime and fraud in the country.



Ms Matilda Kafui, a Cyber-security Ambassador, said the establishment of cyber-security clubs was to help students develop interest, learn computing skills and create employment.

Source: GNA









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Archaeologists discover rare 2,000-y-o oil lamp in Jerusalems City of David on Pilgrimage Road

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The Israel Antiquities Authority announced the discovery of a rare oil lamp, with its wick still preserved, from under the foundation of a building erected on Jerusalems famed Pilgrimage Road soon after the destruction of the Second Temple almost 2,000 years ago.

The IAA researchers believe the bronze lamp, shaped like a grotesque face cut in half and estimated to be from the late first century or the early second century CE, was put in the foundation of the building in Jerusalems City of David for good fortune, The Times of Israel reported.

This half of a lamp, and in fact half a face, which was discovered in the City of David, is a very rare object, with only a few discovered in the whole world, and is the first of its kind to be discovered in Jerusalem, Yuval Baruch of the IAA was quoted as saying.

It is possible that the importance of the building, and the need to bless its activity with luck by burying a foundation deposit, was due to its proximity to the Siloam Pool, which was also used in the Roman period as the central source of water within the city, IAA archaeologist Ari Levy told The Jerusalem Post.

Speaking to Haaretz, Levy explained, Foundation deposits, in general, go back to the dim reaches of antiquity. It was accepted in construction in general, to bring luck and symbolic defense of the building  and to cast fear and awe on attackers. Its significance was highly symbolic, not functional.

Haaretz said the lamp featured a goaty male half-face complete with (half a) satyrs beard and a horned forehead.

Only one other such lamp has ever been found in an archaeological context  and that was in Budapest, according to Levy.

Experts believe that Pilgrimage Road, where the building had been erected, is the path ancient Jews walked to reach the Temple Mount three times a year  in the festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot.

The street was built during the period of Governor Pontius Pilates, Levy said. It was inaugurated around the year 30 CE and it was used for about 40 years until the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE.

Baruch added: Decorated bronze oil lamps were discovered throughout the Roman Empire. For the most part, such oil lamps stood on stylish candelabras or were hung on a chain. Collections around the world contain thousands of these bronze lamps, many of which were made in intricate shapes, indicating the artistic freedom that Roman metal artists possessed.
We all know a bigot when we meet one, or at least we think we do. The reactionary old gent, set in his ways. The stubborn old woman, distrustful of everything and everyone different.

But in recent years the face of bigotry has started to get a lot younger and, oddly, a lot more socially and politically liberal.

You know the type: Remain voters who refuse to accept the result of the Referendum; militant cyclists screaming abuse at motorists; Corbynistas; Extinction Rebellion; the trans lobby; certain elements of Black Lives Matter.

Corbynistas, pictured, are among those who are intolerant of those who do not agree with them

Those who follow Extinction Rebellion are one of the groups who have an evangelical belief that those who oppose them are morally wrong

These sorts of people are not content to allow the rest of us to rub alongside with our slightly opposing views. They want us to join their cause. They are determined  in fact they insist  that we embrace their ideology and rewire our hearts and minds accordingly

People and organisations who would consider themselves and their causes highly socially progressive, but whose methods are precisely the opposite and, in many instances, brutally ruthless.

These types approach their mission with an evangelism that stems not so much from a desire to improve the world around them but from the absolute certainty of the superiority of their convictions and the unshakeable belief that anyone who dares to question them is an inferior human being. That their opponents are not just wrong, but also wicked and must be destroyed.

These sorts of people are not content to allow the rest of us to rub alongside with our slightly opposing views. They want us to join their cause. They are determined  in fact they insist  that we embrace their ideology and rewire our hearts and minds accordingly.

And if we dont  either because were just not sure theyre as right as they think they are, or because we have an opposing view or even because (whisper it) we dont really care all that much, they will use their proselytising zeal to bring us to our knees. In the case of BLM, quite literally. The great irony about these people is that they dont see themselves as bigots at all; it is everyone else who is prejudiced for not agreeing with them.

The even greater irony is that the majority consider themselves to be supremely kind, tolerant individuals  even though when it comes to opposing views theyre about as understanding as Anna Wintour might be when the intern brings her the wrong kind of coffee.

The latest example of such modern bigotry is the case of the school chaplain who was fired for preaching a sermon about how important it is that everyone should respect each others ideologies, however much they might disagree with them.

Speaking in the context of a recent visit to his school by an organisation called Educate and Celebrate, whose aim is to make society a more welcome place for everybody by providing LGBT+ inclusion training for staff and pupils, the Reverend Bernard Randall said that while he accepted the facts put forward by the speaker, there were nonetheless certain ideological aspects of her lecture  such as, for example, the belief that a persons gender is independent of any biological factor  which pupils were entitled to question. You should no more be told you have to accept LGBT ideology than you should be told you must be in favour of Brexit, or must be Muslim, he said, adding: You are perfectly at liberty to hear ideas out, and then think, No, not for me. 

The great irony, is that these groups, like some of those involved in the BLM movement, don't see themselves as bigots at all

For this he was reported to the Governments anti-terrorism programme, Prevent, by the schools safeguarding lead.

Because he had dared to challenge the dogma being presented in no uncertain terms to pupils as fact  as all these things are these days  he was accused of being a potential terrorist.

The irony is breathtaking. Because it is not people like Mr Randall who are the terrorists here.

Its those who, under the banner of kindness and inclusivity, shut down anyone who disagrees with them. They are the true bullies and bigots in society today.

Cry foul play at filthy dog owner

As I walked my dogs in my local park in the rain yesterday morning, once again I found myself clearing up other animals mess. A little eccentric, perhaps, but I pride myself on being a responsible dog owner, even if others dont.

Especially since, with the explosion in pandemic pups, its a problem thats only getting worse. If were not careful, councils will start banning dogs from more and more public spaces, and quite honestly who can blame them?

So next time you catch an owner deliberately turning a blind eye to their dogs doings, give them a piece of my mind, will you?

Meanwhile, maybe the task force being set up by the Government to tackle the rise in pet thefts can also turn its attention to this other sort of foul play.

Why this photo fills me with sadness...

I think theres something really sad about this picture of little Archie Mountbatten-Windsor on his second birthday.

Its the fact that hes standing all alone with his back to the camera in a colourless, isolated landscape.

Wheres the fun, where are his cousins, wheres Colin the Caterpillar, wheres Granny and Grandpa with their piles of presents and whiskery kisses?

Theyve even managed to make the bunch of balloons hes holding seem utterly joyless. Poor little chap.

I think theres something really sad about this picture of little Archie Mountbatten-Windsor on his second birthday

Many have been left scratching their heads as to why Wallpapergate had little or no effect on Boriss polls performance.

My theory is that his behaviour actually makes him more relatable, not less.

Spending beyond your means and borrowing to pay for it is a familiar pattern.

Messy relationships, love affairs, fallibility: its how humans actually live.

What matters is getting the big stuff right and, broadly speaking, he has.

If you want further proof, look at Starmer.

Smug, squeaky-clean, holier-than-thou  and as electable as wet lettuce.

Im sure Laurel Hubbard, the 43-year-old trans weightlifter from New Zealand, is a perfectly lovely person.

But it seems to me hugely unfair that she should be allowed to compete against biological women at this years Tokyo Olympics.

Weightlifting is all about strength, and theres no doubt that someone born male and who has matured into a man, which Hubbard did (she transitioned in her 30s) has a natural advantage in this respect.

Some gender characteristics, such as muscle mass, are simply irreversible.

However sensitive the Olympic committee may  quite rightly  be to the rights of trans people, that is a truth that cannot be changed.

If you want a sweet little bit of poetry (as opposed to another attempt to exploit her Royal status by the Duchess of Sussex), may I recommend Pam Ayress The Last Hedgehog?

First published a few years ago, its a delightful elegy to that most beloved inhabitant of the British countryside, the common hedgehog.

As this is the end of Hedgehog Awareness Week, and as these spiky little critters still face terminal decline, its a much better use of your money.
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Keir Starmer sacked Angela Rayner as Labour Party chairwoman and campaigns co-ordinator tonight over Thursday's dismal election fiasco, in a move that looked certain to plunge the party into a new civil war.

The Ashton-under-Lyne MP appeared to pay the price for overseeing the election debacle but was removed by the leadership the day after Sir Keir said he would personally take the blame for a series of reverses on Thursday.

Anneliese Dodds is expected to be the next high-profile victim of the reshuffle this week, with Rachael Reeves, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, the favourite to replace her, according to The Sunday Times.

In a sign of the bitter war at the heart of the party, opponents leaked details of Ms Rayner's use of first class rail tickets to the Sunday Times - with her allies hitting back to claim she only did so for safety reasons after the murder of Sarah Everard.

Ms Rayner is a survivor from the Corbyn era and is also deputy leader, an elected position Sir Keir cannot remove her from. But he does have the power to remove her from her other roles.

However, the defenestration of the party's most senior woman - who represents a Northern seat - from a key role is likely to spark a backlash from all sides of the party.

Andy Burnham piled more pressure on Sir Keir, saying he 'can't support' Angela Rayner's firing

One usually supportive Labour MP said: 'Not the best idea. She has been useless in the campaigning role, but then so has his own office.'

And a frustrated moderate MP said: 'His office is full of political incompetents who act like they are in an edition of the West Wing without any political antenna. They make no attempt to connect with the PLP and think elected politicians are an inconvenience.'

Meanwhile from the left of the party former shadow chancellor John McDonnell piled in. 'Keir Starmer said yesterday that he took full responsibility for the election result in Hartlepool & other losses. Instead today hes scapegoating everyone apart from himself. This isnt leadership its a cowardly avoidance of responsibility,' he tweeted.

Speaking on Friday, leader Sir Keir said he was 'bitterly disappointed' with the results and vowed to take responsibility and to fix Labour's election woes.

A source said today: 'Keir said he was taking full responsibility for the result of the elections and he said we need to change. That means changing how we run our campaigns in future. Angela will continue to play a senior role in Keir's team.'

It came as former Cabinet minister Andy Burnham piled more pressure on Sir Keir, by blasting the party for being too 'London-centric', while adding in a tweet: 'I can't support this.'

The former health secretary, who quit as an MP after losing the leadership to Jeremy Corbyn, also hinted that he would be prepared to have another tilt at the top job after being overwhelmingly returned as Greater Manchester mayor.

Keir Starmer sacked Angela Rayner (centre, pictured with unsuccessful West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Liam Byrne, right) as Labour Party chairwoman and campaigns co-ordinator tonight over Thursday's dismal election fiasco, in a move that looked certain to plunge the party into a new civil war

The Manchester MP was removed by the leadership the day after Sir Keir said he would personally take the blame for a series of reverses on Thursday that included losing in Hartlepool for the first time in half a century

Anneliese Dodds is expected to be the next high-profile victim of the reshuffle this week, with Rachael Reeves, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, the favourite to replace her

Mr Burnham, who has been dubbed 'King of the North' after taking on Boris Johnson over Covid regulations last year, won a second term as mayor with an increased share of the vote, on an increased turnout, from 2017.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer leaves his North London home today following the poor results for Labour in the elections

How Tories could win 36 more Labour seats The collapse in support for the Brexit Party may allow the Conservatives to snatch dozens more Red Wall seats. Boris Johnson's historic by-election victory in Hartlepool came after thousands of Nigel Farage's old voters switched sides. At the last election in 2019, Labour managed to cling on to the constituency with 15,464 votes as Leavers were split between the Tories and Brexit Party  which picked up 11,869 and 10,603 votes respectively. But this time support for Mr Farage's party  now renamed Reform UK  dwindled to just 368 votes, allowing Mr Johnson's candidate to clean up with a majority of 6,940 A Daily Mail analysis has found there are a further 36 Labour seats across the country where the party's lead over the Tories in 2019 was smaller than the number who voted for the Brexit Party. Alarm bells will be sounding in Labour HQ about if these are the next bricks in the Red Wall to fall. In Barnsley East in South Yorkshire, Labour's Stephanie Peacock has a majority of 3,217. However, there were 11,112 Brexit Party voters who could help the Tories snatch the seat at the next election. Labour former Cabinet minister Yvette Cooper beat the Tories with a wafer-thin majority of 1,276 in Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford in West Yorkshire last time round. But she faces the danger that the 8,032 people who voted for the Brexit Party could switch to the Tories and unseat her. Five serving shadow Cabinet ministers are among the Labour MPs with seats on the list of 36. Former party leader Ed Miliband has a majority of 2,370 in Doncaster North in South Yorkshire but the Tories will be looking to win over some of the 8,294 Brexit Party voters. Other frontbenchers at risk are Labour's defence spokesman John Healey, Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds, work and pensions spokesman Jonathan Reynolds and shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Bridget Phillipson. Advertisement

Mr Burnham, who has been dubbed 'King of the North' after taking on Boris Johnson over Covid regulations last year, won a second term as mayor with an increased share of the vote, on an increased turnout, from 2017.

It left him the most senior and successful elected Labour Party politician outside the parliamentary leadership of the party.

His success came amid a torrid set of Super Thursday election results for Labour, including losing the Hartlepool by-election to the Conservatives.

In an interview with Sky, Mr Burnham suggested he would entertain becoming leader of the Labour Party 'in the distant future', adding: 'If the party were ever to feel it needed me, well I'm here and they should get in touch.'

He added: 'I have tried twice to be the leader and it has never worked, so I'm not under any illusions that it has never worked for me in the past.

'I feel I am in the best job in the world and we have a massive job ahead of us but I'm here to help the Labour Party if they need it - but they need to change, let's be really clear about this.

'They have lost an emotional connection with parts of the country that is going to take a lot of work to get back, so I think the party has to do a lot of soul-searching about these results and understand why we have done well in Wales, places like Greater Manchester, and it really needs to then buy in to English devolution and build from the bottom up - that's what these results are telling them.'

As Mayor of Greater Manchester Mr Burnham has built his own successful brand. But his success is widely seen as coming through his high profile, as a former Labour government minister - and his distance from the Labour Party.

Despite first becoming MP for Leigh in 2001 and serving as a government minister during 17 years of New Labour, he has railed against the poor-relation status of the North and taken to regularly bashing the Westminster establishment.

He also served in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet, which has led to an often-heard criticism within Labour ranks - that Mr Burnham, having served in Tony Blair's pro-EU, globalising Labour Party and Mr Corbyn's socialist, red-in-tooth-and-claw version, he is a weather-vane who goes with the flow to ensure his own electoral success.

Mr Burnham left Westminster to become Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017 and crucially was removed from his party's decision to back a second referendum on the Brexit vote, the cause of anger among northern Leave voters.

It came as the Labour Party today blamed the coronavirus pandemic for 'restricting' the opportunities' for its politicians to campaign across Britain after the Conservatives racked up a string of stunning poll victories in the local elections.

Labour was thrashed in the Hartlepool by-election, with Jill Mortimer securing a majority of almost 7,000, while Tory Ben Houchen won a second term as mayor of Tees Valley with a whopping 73 per cent share of the vote.

And the Conservatives gained control of a series of councils, including Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Dudley, Harlow and Nuneaton and Bedworth  reversing the mid-term slump often suffered by governing parties.

With the Tories also winning seats across the West Midlands, senior figures were increasingly confident that the region's mayor Andy Street will secure a second term in office when returns there are announced today.

Also this morning, Labour's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds told breakfast TV that the pandemic had 'restricted the opportunities' for the party leader Sir Keir to 'set out his vision' for the country.

He told Times Radio: 'Keir has been in a situation over the past year where, in the national interest by the way, he has been providing that constructive opposition to the pandemic. And that was absolutely right.

'At a point of national crisis, yes of course you criticise the Government when it was appropriate to do so but it was also appropriate to do things like support the Government on the furlough scheme or supporting the Government on its public health messaging and not, for party political reasons, trying to create confusion around that.

'What that has also meant is that it's restricted the opportunities for Keir to set out his vision.'

Mr Thomas-Symonds said he disagreed with former Labour frontbencher Khalid Mahmood MP's comments about the party being 'captured' by the 'London-based bourgeoisie', pointing to election successes in Wales.

'We did that because we had a set of priorities that spoke to the priorities here of the people - we have to now transfer that across into England,' he added.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Jacksons Wharf in Hartlepool, County Durham, yesterday following MP Jill Mortimer's victory

Labour supporters at the P&J in Aberdeen yesterday as ballot papers are counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections

Polling station staff count votes for the Hartlepool parliamentary by-election at the Mill House Leisure Centre yesterday

Landslide re-election for Red Wall-busting mayor The man credited with punching the first brick out of Labour's Red Wall was re-elected as Tees Valley mayor yesterday  after winning 73 per cent of the vote. Ben Houchen secured 121,964 votes compared with 45,641 for Labour's Jessie Joe Jacobs, the only other candidate, on a turnout of 34 per cent. Mr Houchen's close ties with Boris Johnson have been seen as instrumental in securing 'freeport' status for the region and the new northern outpost of the Treasury in Darlington. He was also hailed for his success in turning around Teesside airport  a central part of his 2017 election campaign in which he vowed to renationalise the ailing hub as part of a ten-year rescue plan. Yesterday Mr Houchen, 34, said: 'We've made a fantastic start and I am confident the things we have put in place will bring benefits for everyone across our region, but there is still a long way to go.' Advertisement

Mr Thomas-Symonds said there would be a policy review in a bid to reconnect with voters,and that in places like Hartlepool and its traditional heartlands elsewhere, people 'do not now see Labour as answering' their concerns.

He added: 'That's now what we have to reflect on and why we have to change. Keir has started that process of change over the past 12 months, he's led very courageously on things like tackling anti-Semitism in the Labour Party - now it is a question of moving on, having that review of our policies, economically setting out the difference that we will not go back to the insecure economy of the past and reimagine our economy.

'And also make sure we are changing our party so that our party is connected in communities up and down the country - that is the challenge and we are determined to do it.'

The shadow cabinet member defended Labour's criticisms of so-called 'sleaze' in Government and said the party 'absolutely have to hold the Conservatives to account' when it came to alleged 'cronyism' when handing out contracts and the Prime Minister's spending on his Downing Street flat renovations.

Also today, Environment Secretary George Eustice said Brexit and the success of the vaccine rollout had helped the Conservatives to win votes off Labour.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'When it comes to the really big breakthrough in the Hartlepool by-election and the election of Ben Houchen as well (as Tees Valley Mayor), I think really it is a case of parts of this country feel they have elected Labour for a very long time, they feel taken for granted.

'I think the Brexit decision and the wrangling over that in recent years has focused minds in that they have questioned whether the Labour Party was really in touch with their priorities. And of course the rollout of the vaccine has been successful and I think people feel positive and that they can see a way out of this terrible pandemic we have been enduring.'

Put to him that 'crises favour incumbents', Mr Eustice replied: 'I'm not sure that is the way I would view it.'

Now, Ministers have predicted that Boris Johnson could rule longer than Margaret Thatcher as results showed the Tories could take 36 more Westminster seats from Labour at the next General Election.

They believe there has been a permanent shift in the UK's political identity and claimed Mr Johnson - who has been the premier since July 2019 - could outlast Margaret Thatcher's 11 years in Downing Street, The Times reports.

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They believe the Tories must establish an advantage by winning the 'culture wars' and challenging 'woke' views. Meanwhile sources told the Guardian Sir Keir is now considering moving Labour out of London to reconnect with 'Red Wall' voters.

It comes as Mr Johnson set himself on course for a constitutional clash with Nicola Sturgeon if she pushes ahead with plans for a second Scottish independence referendum - which the PM has called 'irresponsible and reckless'.

Also today, Scotland's Deputy First Minister John Swinney told BBC Breakfast: 'It's very clear that the Scottish National Party is going to be the largest party at the Scottish Parliament by a very significant margin.

'We don't know whether we will have a majority yet, that will become clearer in the course of today I would imagine, and that's an astonishing achievement for us given the fact that we are now about to embark on our fourth consecutive term in government after 14 years and three terms of leading the people of Scotland.

'I think we've had a tremendous success in the election yesterday, we will see what comes in the course of today but the signals are very good indeed and obviously we will then turn our minds to the arrangements post election.'

Asked whether the SNP will continue arguing they have a mandate for a second independence referendum if they win more than 65 seats, he said it will come down to the make-up of the Scottish Parliament and whether there is a majority of candidates who have been elected on a programme to deliver a referendum on independence

He said: 'I think what matters on the question you asked me about a mandate for a referendum is what is the position of those who are elected to the parliament and will there be an overall majority of members elected committed to the hosting of an independence referendum, and I'm very confident that will be the case.'

Scottish Tory finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said the party has been affected by people voting tactically for other pro-union parties but is confident the Scottish Conservatives will hang on to second place in the Scottish Parliament.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the count for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Glasgow Emirates Arena yesterday

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford is elected as Cardiff West MS after counting at the Cardiff House of Sport yesterday

He told BBC Good Morning Scotland: 'The early indications are that we have polled very strongly in terms of the regional vote and I would expect that will mean we will come back very close to where we were in 2016 in terms of the number of seats, maybe slightly down, maybe slightly up.'

Now senior MPs claim the Left's mantle after major success in the polls Senior Tories called the Conservatives the 'true workers' party' last night after a series of astonishing electoral gains. Jill Mortimer took Labour's Hartlepool stronghold  securing only the fifth by-election win by a governing party since the Second World War. In a second stunning Tory victory in the North East, Ben Houchen secured a second term as Tees Valley mayor. He grabbed 73 per cent of the vote  up from 39.5 per cent four years ago. The prospects for a hat-trick of successes were rising last night, as the party made gains across the West Midlands, where Andy Street is also bidding for a second term as mayor. Boris Johnson, who made a whirlwind visit to Hartlepool yesterday, hailed the result as a 'mandate for delivery' on his pledge to 'level up' opportunity across the country. In a sign of the town's remarkable political transformation, well-wishers erected a 30ft inflatable of Mr Johnson outside the counting centre. On his arrival, the Prime Minister gestured at the inflatable and joked: 'Who's that fat bloke over there?' In the biggest round of local elections for decades, the Conservatives defied the odds to make gains in bellwether seats and traditional Labour areas. Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Dudley and Nuneaton and Bedworth all fell to the Tories, having previously been under no overall control. They also gained Harlow in Essex directly from Labour after seven seats changed hands. Harlow MP Robert Halfon said the result was a sign that the Tories had now usurped Labour as the 'true workers' party'. The former Tory minister added: 'There has been lots of talk about a vaccine bounce, but it is not just stick a needle in someone's arm and they will vote Tory  it's much more than that. 'Labour has become very metropolitan and its whole campaign has just been negative mudslinging. We have been focusing on people's priorities like the NHS, skills, keeping fuel duty down and recruiting more police. We are the true workers' party now. And the Boris brand works  he is liked by people in a way that Labour do not understand.' Fellow Tory MP Neil O'Brien, who was appointed last week as the Prime Minister's 'levelling up' adviser, said there was a chance to 'use this incredible moment to change the country for the better'. Mr Houchen, who has become a galvanising figure for Tory support across the North East, said his thumping win in what was once a rock-solid Labour area was down to a record of delivery following 'years and years of neglect'. He added: 'Governments of both colours have failed to invest in this region and this Government under Boris Johnson has invested hugely  people are seeing tangible benefits on the ground.' Simon Clarke, Tory MP for Middlesbrough South, said political allegiances that saw some communities vote Labour for decades were now shifting. 'People in the North East have stopped voting Labour 'because my parents did',' he said. 'They are looking at the two parties clear-sightedly, on the basis of what they offer  and they aren't going to go back for being taken for granted.' In Hartlepool, Mrs Mortimer gained 15,529 votes  more than half the total cast. She said the result  overturning a Labour majority of more than 3,500 at the 2019 general election  was 'truly historic'. The Tory surge also saw the party pick up a smattering of seats in some of the most solidly Labour areas. In Sheffield, the party won its first seat on the city council since 2008. In nearby north Derbyshire, the Tories won for the first time in Clay Cross. Elections expert Professor Sir John Curtice said early results showed 'Leave and working-class areas are moving more strongly to the Conservatives than are Remain and more middle class places'. Advertisement

Asked whether he is confident the party will hold on to second place he said: 'Oh yes, I don't think there's any doubt of that at all after what I've seen so far.

'Our regional list vote may well even be up on where it was in 2016, and that should translate into seats.'

Meanwhile Mr Eustice said it was the 'wrong time' to hold a second independence referendum in Scotland, with chances of an SNP majority in Holyrood on a knife edge.

The Environment Secretary told BBC Breakfast: 'There was a referendum that took place just a little over five years ago - that was described as a 'once in a generation' opportunity to debate these issues and they did.

'And I think now, as we try and come out of the pandemic and get economic recovery going, it is the wrong time to have yet another divisive referendum and yet another bout of constitutional argument on a matter such as this.'

Put to him that Brexit had a been a 'fundamental change in British politics' since the 2014 border poll, Mr Eustice replied: 'The important thing is that now we have left the European Union - and yes, that was quite a divisive debate, there is no getting away from that.

'But it does mean that in whole swathes of policy areas, particularly the ones I deal with on the environment, animal welfare, agriculture and fisheries policy, there is now more power going to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland than they have ever had before.

'Areas of policy that have been occupied and an EU competence over the last 40, 50 years are now policies that these devolved administrations will be able to exercise judgment on and I think that is going to be really important.'

Asked whether the Government would fight any bid for a second Scottish referendum in the courts, Cabinet minister Mr Eustice said: 'Look, I'm not a lawyer - lawyers will look at these things and I think it is getting ahead of ourselves.

'We'll have to see how the results pan out later today. There is a question at the moment over whether the SNP will get a majority or not - we'll have to wait and see until the results come through.

'The UK Government's position is very clear on this. We don't think there is a case for another referendum, particularly now as we try and chart a way out of the pandemic and get our economy going again.

'But we will obviously deal with whatever we have to deal with once these elections are settled and once the new Scottish administration decides what it wants to do.'

Mr Eustice also further with his arguments against granting the SNP a second independence referendum in Scotland, calling the idea 'irresponsible'. The Environment Secretary told Times Radio: 'We think this is a complete distraction.

'It would be irresponsible to have another divisive referendum and another bout of constitutional debate at a time when we are charting our way out of this pandemic and when we've got to really focus on economic recovery.

'We think it's completely the wrong thing to be doing. We had a referendum just a little over five years ago and that settled the issue.'

Labour conceded the results were a 'shattering' blow to Sir Keir, who last night admitted his party had 'lost the trust of working people'.

The dismal results triggered a fresh wave of Labour infighting, with the Left hitting back at claims by Lord Mandelson that the party was suffering the effects of 'Long Corbyn' syndrome.

Khalid Mahmood dealt a fresh blow to Sir Keir last night by announcing he was quitting Labour's front bench.

The former defence spokesman said the party had been 'effectively captured' by a 'London-based bourgeoisie, with the support of brigades of woke social media warriors'.

Labour sources warned that low turnout and voter 'complacency' could even cost Sadiq Khan a second term as London mayor  a contest he had been expected to win by a landslide.

But senior Tories remained on alert for results from the Scottish Parliament elections, with Nicola Sturgeon insisting a majority for the SNP would give her a 'mandate' to hold a second independence referendum.

On a victory tour of Hartlepool yesterday, the Prime Minister acknowledged that the success of the vaccine programme had played its part in the results, but said it was now up to ministers to deliver for voters on his pledge to 'level up' opportunity.

He said Brexit had allowed the Government to deliver the vaccine rollout 'faster than other European countries'.

Liberal Democrats and Greens enjoy resurgence The Liberal Democrats and Greens put in a strong performance last night as they picked up a string of Labour and Conservative council seats. The Lib Dems made gains across the country, including in at least one Brexit stronghold. This will be welcome news to leader Sir Ed Davey after the party's poor performance in the last general election, when then leader Jo Swinson lost her seat. The smaller parties were forecast to take more seats today. The Lib Dems deprived the Tories of overall control of Cambridgeshire County Council, winning five seats. In Brexit-voting Sunderland, they took four from Labour, while in Sheffield they and the Greens helped deprive Labour of overall control. In Stockport, the Lib Dems became the largest party, with a one-seat advantage over Labour. They will probably form a minority administration. The party also made gains in Hull and were also expecting to take seats in Liverpool from Labour, and in Kent and Lincolnshire from the Tories. Sir Ed said: 'In great swathes of the country the Lib Dems are the only party who can beat the Conservatives.' The Green Party made good progress, winning at least 40 new seats. There were nine councils where Green candidates won seats for the first time, including Stockport, Northumberland, Hastings, County Durham and Derbyshire. Advertisement

Asked about the future, he replied: 'Number one is continuing the vaccine rollout, making sure that we go from jabs, jabs, jabs, to jobs, jobs, jobs, make sure that we have a strong economic recovery.'

The results came as:

Blairite former Labour minister Lord Adonis joined calls for Sir Keir to resign, saying he was a 'transitional figure' who lacked 'political skills at the highest level';

Dominic Cummings hit out at both Labour and the Conservatives, saying that neither was focused on being a 'serious government';

In a glimmer of hope for Labour, Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford suggested the party could become the first to ever gain an outright majority in the Welsh Assembly;

Sir Keir was sharpening his axe for a major reshuffle in which both his Shadow Chancellor and Shadow Home Secretary could get the chop;

In a rare reversal, the Conservatives lost control of Cambridgeshire County Council as the Liberal Democrats gained a handful of seats;

Miss Sturgeon insisted that an SNP majority remained a 'very, very long shot', despite early gains;

In a blow to the Tories, the SNP gained the Edinburgh Central seat previously held by former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson;

Mr Johnson dropped the strongest hint yet that the next easing of Covid restrictions would go ahead on May 17, allowing indoor socialising and stays away from home.

Thursday's polls were the biggest test of electoral opinion since the 2019 election, with 48million people able to vote in local, regional and devolved elections.

Both main parties admitted being surprised by the scale of the Tory surge, following a campaign in which normal election canvassing was heavily restricted by Covid regulations. Counting was also delayed by health and safety restrictions imposed because of the pandemic.

But, as the results rolled in, it became clear that Mr Johnson had confounded the conventional wisdom that voters use local elections to punish the sitting government.

Mr Johnson said delivering on his pledge to 'Get Brexit Done' had been vital in boosting Tory support in Leave-voting areas in the North and Midlands.

He said the results gave him a 'mandate' to deliver on the rest of his programme, but studiously avoided any sense of triumphalism.

The scale of the changes in key areas was laid bare in charts produced by Election Maps UK

Mr Johnson said people 'can see we did get Brexit done... and I think what people want us to do now is to get on with delivering on everything else'.

In an upbeat assessment he said upgraded economic growth forecasts from the Bank of England suggested there was a 'prospect of a really strong rebound in the second half of the year'.

A lack of Labour wins to celebrate meant that Sir Keir was forced to deliver his response to the election from his office in London.

The Labour leader appeared rattled by the scale of the setback, but insisted the party was not facing an 'existential crisis'. He promised to do 'whatever is necessary' to rebuild voter trust following a 'bitterly disappointing' defeat in Hartlepool.

Lord Mandelson, who once held Hartlepool for Labour, said Jeremy Corbyn still cast a 'long shadow' over the party.

The architect of New Labour said the pandemic had also played a key role, with voters more interested in vaccines and the release from lockdown than day-to-day policies.

Richard Burgon, a former Labour frontbencher, claimed Mr Corbyn would have won in Hartlepool, and urged Sir Keir to move further to the Left.

'We are going backwards in areas we need to be winning,' he added. 'Labour's leadership needs to urgently change direction.'
'Historic night': Saddleback Church ordains first female pastors

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Saddleback Church, the California-based megachurch headed by Pastor Rick Warren, announced that they ordained their first three female pastors, despite being affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, which prohibits female ordination.

In an announcement posted to their Facebook page on Friday, Saddleback said that they had a historic night on Thursday when they ordained their first three female pastors.

We ordained our first three women pastors, Liz Puffer, Cynthia Petty, and Katie Edwards, Saddleback Chuch said in the post. We commissioned three new elders, Anthony Miller, Jeremiah Goley, and Jason Williams! And we appointed Pastor Johnny Baker as the new global leader of Celebrate Recovery!

As of Saturday afternoon, the Facebook post garnered around 575 likes and over 360 loves, but it has also garnered some critical comments from those opposed to female ordination.

The Christian Post called Saddleback Church on Saturday afternoon for comment and to confirm whether the church will continue to be part of the Southern Baptist denomination. The church was closed at the time, however.

Owen Strachan, a theology professor at Grace Bible Theological Seminary, posted a comment labeling the ordination as an example of unbiblical developments, adding that the time to leave is NOW.

Now is the time to leave and find a sound congregation. Do not delay. There is no spirit of competition in what I write here; what Saddleback is doing grieves me, and I have no doubt grieves many in the congregation, posted Strachan, himself getting more than 140 likes and loves as of Saturday afternoon.

Churches that affirm women pastors are opposing the Word of God, and opposing the Word of God means opposing God himself, Strachan added.

To justify his stance, Strachan cited 1 Timothy 2:9-15, which includes the verse in which Paul writes: I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.

In recent years, there has been much controversy over the SBC's stance against the ordination of female pastors, with some churches and individuals leaving the denomination over the position.

In 2020, before the lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some SBC pastors demanded that Hosanna Wong, teaching pastor at EastLake Church in Chula Vista, California, should not be a featured guest of the SBC Pastors' Conference.
A French pilot has filed a legal complaint after being subjected to a traumatic hazing ritual in which he was tied to a target and had fighter jets open fire around him.

The unnamed man had just been posted to an airbase in the south of the island of Corsica in March 2019 when he was grabbed by colleagues and tied up with adhesive tape.

After having a bag put over his head, the recruit in his 30s was then transported to a live-fire target range, tied to a target, and then heard fighter jets open fire and drop munitions around him for 20 minutes, according to French media.

The man's lawyer, Frederic Berna, said he had lodged a legal complaint over the incident at a court in the city of Marseille.

Fighter jets opened fire and dropped munitions around the recruit for 20 minutes during the ordeal

They could eventually lead to charges of deliberately endangering someone's life and aggravated violence.

Video and pictures of the hooded and motionless victim, in which the perpetrators are said to be clearly visible, has been handed over to prosecutors.

The revelations come just months after the conviction of three French soldiers over a brutal initiation ceremony at the country's most prestigious military academy.

The men were found guilty of manslaughter in January over the death of a young recruit who drowned at the Saint-Cyr academy in 2012.

The 24-year-old victim had been asked to swim through swampy water in the middle of the night, weighed down by equipment, to the sound of Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries'.

Asked about the allegations in Corsica, a spokesman for the French air force told AFP that an investigation had been launched once the chief-of-staff learned about the incident in May 2019.

The unnamed man had just been posted to an airbase in the south of the island of Corsica (pictured) in March 2019 when the hazing happened

'Strong sanctions' had been decided against the perpetrators, the spokesman said, without specifying the punishment or the ranks of those implicated.

'The air force condemns any activity that could cause phyical or psychological damage to its personnel,' he added.

Bullying and humiliating initiation ceremonies, known as hazing, are common in armed forces around the world and have been linked to mental health problems, suicides and sometimes murder.

A Russian soldier was handed a 24-year prison term in January this earlier after gunning down eight of his colleagues in 2019 who he said had made his life 'hell'.
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Nine News 6pm Adelaide has claimed its first weekly win over Seven News in 13 years (and 15 years in survey).

Nine averaged 104,000 viewers for the 6pm bulletin over Sevens 101,000 -their first week in nearly 600 weeks. It also claimed the 25-54 demo.

Nine News: 6pm / 6:30pm

Mon 121,000 / 112,000

Tue 107,000 / 93,000

Wed 114,000 / 96,000

Thu 88,000 / 73,000

Fri 91,000 / 86,000

Total: 521,000 / 460,000

Average 104,000 / 92,000

Seven News: 6pm / 6:30pm

Mon 112,000 / 105,000

Tue 106,000 / 101,000

Wed 92,000 / 94,000

Thu 98,000 / 92,000

Fri 96,000 / 85,000

Total 504,000 / 477,000

Average 101,000 / 95,000

If both half hour blocks were added together then both average 196,000 viewers -but thats not the standard networks use since they deliberately coded separately.

It follows 10 News First axing local newsreaders and relocating its presentation to Melbourne, and Seven News temporarily moving an afternoon bulletin to Melbourne during COVID restrictions -it was later restored. Seven also cut its Adelaide-based publicist in late 2019.

Nine also shifted Hot Seat to 4pm, allowing for a local 5pm bulletin presented by Will McDonald. Seven runs The Chase in the same slot.

Nines Afternoon News: 5  6pm

Mon: 51,000

Tues: 44,000

Wed: 45,000

Thu: 48,000

Fri: 47,000

The Chase: 5pm / 5:30pm

Mon: 24,000 / 49,000

Tues: 39,000 / 64,000

Wed: 28,000 / 51,000

Thu: 24,000 / 42,000

Fri: 24,000 / 49,000

10 News First 5  6pm

Mon: 26,000

Tues: 24,000

Wed: 26,000

Thu: 29,000

Fri: 18,000

Nine News Adelaide News Director, Jeremy Pudney said: The 9 News Adelaide team is honoured that more and more South Australians are turning to us for their nightly news.

Unlike some of our competitors we have never wavered in our commitment to live and local news  and I think South Australians have seen that for themselves.

While ratings are an important part of what we do, our focus will remain on delivering the very latest news to our viewers, nightly at 6pm.

Update: Director, 7NEWS Adelaide, Chris Salter said, 7NEWS Adelaide produces more local and live news than any other network in South Australia.

Our commitment to Adelaide has never been stronger across the entire day and especially at 6pm which we are still leading across the hour.

Related
Police are investigating if any laws were broken after an anti-Semitic TikTok video was posted by a group of middle school students in Iowa.

The video - titled 'Hitler Gang' - was reported to the Grinnell Police Department by a concerned resident around 7:50am on Wednesday morning.

It was posted to multiple social media platforms.

The TikTok shows male students walking through a school hallway 'in a goose-step style manner with their right arms extended and palms down,' according to police. It's not clear if it was filmed at their own school.

Police are investigating a TikTok video created by middle school students called 'Hitler Gang'

The video appeared to show students marching and acting in mannerisms reminiscent of Nazis

The video was also posted with a number of derogatory and homophobic hashtags

The mannerisms are similar to the way Nazis typically marched.

The video was also posted with several hashtags that were racist and derogatory, including '#DONTBEAJEW,' '#IHATEJEWS,' and '#IHATEGAYPEOPLE.'

The Des Moines Register reports Ori Zaret, 14, was a direct recipient of the video on Tuesday morning and may have been targeted due to his Jewish faith and transgender identity.

'There aren't that many Jews in Grinnell to begin with, let alone LGBTQ Jews,' father Elliott Zaret told the newspaper.

'That's why it seems so much more specifically targeted towards Ori.'

'Now I'm kind of scared to go to school,' Ori, who is an eighth grade student at Grinnell Middle School, told KCCI this week. 'I don't really remember doing much of anything to them. So, it's kind of confuses me.'

After Ori told his parents - who moved to Grinnell in January - about the video, they turned to staff members at Grinnell-Newberg Community School District.

'These kids need to know this is not what our community finds acceptable,' Zoe Zaret said. 'This is not what our country finds acceptable.'

'We were not going to stand for this one bit,' Elliot Zaret added.

The students involved in the video were punished by the school district, although it's not clear what discipline they received.

The district's anti-bullying policy states that suspension and expulsion are options for harassing incidents.

Ori Zaret, 14, was a direct recipient of the video on Tuesday morning

Ori is pictured with their parents, who reported the video to the school

'When incidences like this happen, you know, it's not going to be tolerated,' said Grinnell-Newburg Superintendent Janet Stutz (pictured)

'When incidences like this happen, you know, it's not going to be tolerated,' said Grinnell-Newburg Superintendent Janet Stutz.

Stutz added to the Des Moines Register, 'This family is new to our community. This is not how we welcome our new families.'

The Grinnell Police Department is continuing to investigate the incident.

'The Grinnell Police Department is investigating this incident vigorously and we are committed to ensuring our students are safe and secure while attending school, and in their community,' the police said in a release.

Additionally, the school staff is working on an 'action plan' to address the incident with students.

Stutz advised teachers to 'take the moment in your class to say, 'Hey, if this is going on in my room, this is not allowed.' Take the time to have a teachable moment.'

It's not clear if the video was shot at Grinnell Middle School (pictured)

Previously, Ori had also reported students for making anti-black comments, but teachers claimed they couldn't do anything without proof.

Ori has also had previous run-ins with the same students who were responsible for the video.

It appears the TikTok has since been removed.
PHOENIX  An elected Arizona utility regulator has shared discredited conspiracy theories while trying to persuade energy and power providers not to require their employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Arizona Republic reports that Arizona Corporation Commission member Jim OConnor said during an interview that the government and the news media are covering up the shots causing numerous deaths and people becoming human vegetables, but theres no evidence of such problems.

OConnor, a Republican, was elected last November to his statewide office as one of five commission members. He served as a presidential elector for then-GOP nominee Donald Trump during his successful campaign in 2016.

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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

 India's surge hits southern states, prompts more lockdowns

 EU says US patent waiver proposal isn't a magic bullet

 As US reopens, campuses tighten restrictions for virus

 Spain takes vaccine to the rural housebound

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Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

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HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

ISLAMABAD  Pakistan on Saturday received its first supply of COVID-19 vaccines through the U.N.-backed COVAX initiative, over 1.2 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

The prime ministers special aide on health, Dr. Faisal Sultan, asked people over age 40 to register for shots and said the Pakistani government would soon be able to expand its immunization program to other age groups.

A statement issued by Pakistans National Command and Operations Center said that 1,238,400 vaccine doses arrived in the first COVAX allocation while another batch of 1,236,000 was expected to arrive in a few days.

The delivery of first consignment of vaccine is the product of an unprecedented global partnership to ensure no country is left behind in the global race to fight the coronavirus, said Alexa Reynolds, the senior manager for Pakistan from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, one of the partners in the COVAX initiative.

Pakistan is in the middle of a third wave of virus infections, which authorities say is worse than the previous two. The country reported 120 deaths and 4,105 new confirmed cases on Saturday ahead of a planned weeklong closure of all businesses and transportation.

Since last year, Pakistan has reported 18,797 deaths from COVID-19 among 854,240 confirmed cases.

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ROME  The Italian Health Ministry has set out guidelines for visiting people in nursing homes in the latest sign of reopening in the onetime epicenter of COVID-19 in Europe.

Health Minister Roberto Speranza signed a decree Saturday setting out a plan that, among other things, requires visitors to either be fully vaccinated, have proof of having had COVID-19 and recovered, or a negative test result in the past 48 hours. Other measures are specific to individual facilities to ensure distancing and proper hygiene.

As in other countries, Italian nursing homes and long-term residential facilities were devastated by the pandemic, especially during the first wave of infections last spring.

The total death toll isnt known, since so many COVID-19-suspected deaths dont feature into the official count because residents werent tested. Italys Superior Institute of Health reported in June that at least 9,154 people died in nursing homes from February-May, but that survey was based on partial responses to a voluntary survey of a quarter of Italys estimated 4,600 nursing homes. Along with health care workers, nursing home residents were the first group of Italians to be vaccinated.

Italy has largely reopened after its wintertime lockdown, even though it is continuing to add around 10,000 confirmed infections and around 250-300 deaths per day. The 224 deaths reported Saturday brought Italys confirmed toll to 122,694, second only to Britain in Europe and the sixth highest in the world.

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MADISON, Wisc.  U.S. states asked the federal government this week to withhold staggering amounts of COVID-19 vaccine amid plummeting demand for the shots, contributing to a growing U.S. stockpile of doses.

From South Carolina to Washington, states are requesting the Biden administration send them only a fraction of whats been allocated to them. The turned-down vaccines amount to hundreds of thousands of doses this week alone, providing a stark illustration of the problem of vaccine hesitancy in the U.S.

More than 150 million Americans  about 57% of the adult population  have received at least one dose of vaccine, but government leaders from the Biden administration down to the city and county level are doing everything they can to persuade the rest of the country to get inoculated.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Friday that the federal government has dedicated $250 million for community organizations to promote vaccinations, make appointments and provide transportation.

The Biden administration announced this week that if states dont order all the vaccine theyve been allotted, the administration will shift the surplus to meet demand in other states.

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka  Sri Lankan health authorities on Saturday began using the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine to inoculate people against COVID-19 as the positive cases surge across the country.

China in March donated 600,000 doses of the vaccine to Sri Lanka. But until Saturday, the vaccine was given only to Chinese citizens living in Sri Lanka. So far, about 2,500 Chinese nationals have been given the both doses of Sinopharm.

Sri Lanka is facing a shortage of 600,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in order to complete the 2nd round of the vaccine program.

Sri Lanka has so far given approval for three vaccines  Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sputnik V and Chinas Sinopharm.

Sri Lanka has so far received 1,264,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and 15,000 doses of Sputnik V.

The number of COVID patients is rapidly rising across the country over the last two weeks.

Sri Lankas total number of positive cases reached 121,338 on Saturday with 764 fatalities.

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ISTANBUL  Produce markets were allowed to open Saturday across Turkey as the countrys strictest lockdown continues amid an economic downturn with double-digit inflation.

The markets, or bazaars, are integral to Turkish food culture. Producers bring their fruits and vegetables to nearly every neighborhood on set days of the week.

The full lockdown that began in late April and is set to last until May 17 has curtailed this tradition and limited it to Saturdays in designated marketplaces.

Idris Taka, a vendor selling vegetables at an open-air market in Istanbul on Saturday, says he has taken a financial hit. We could work four to five days a week and now we can work one day out of 17 days, he said.

Critics have said the Turkish governments measures to fight a surge in cases have been inconsistent and impractical. Residents have been ordered to stay at home, but millions of people are exempt from the lockdown and continue to work in factories, hospitals, agriculture and tourism, among other sectors. Foreign tourists are also exempt.

Prices continued climbing in April with year-to-year inflation hovering above 17%.

Grocery stores and supermarkets are open but are not allowed to sell nonessential times, including alcohol, electronics, clothing or stationery. They can sell food and hygiene products.

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ISLAMABAD  Pakistan has reported 120 deaths and 4,105 new cases of COVID-19 in a single day ahead of a planned closure of all business and transport for a week starting Saturday.

Before the start of the long closure, thousands in every city and town across the country thronged to markets and malls to shop for Eid, which Muslims celebrate at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Many did not wear face masks.

Traders associations say they intend to defy the planned closure. The commissioner of the capital, Islamabad, earlier said the administration will strictly implement the government plan.

Prime Minister Imran Khans aide on health, Dr. Faisal Sultan, advised people to stay home and avoid rushing to markets.

Pakistan is currently in the middle of a third wave which authorities say is worse than the previous ones.

Since last year, Pakistan has reported 18,797 deaths from COVID-19 among 854,240 cases.

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STOCKHOLM  The Swedish military says some 200 conscripts have been sent home from a major military exercise involving thousands of soldiers in southern and central Sweden due to a suspected outbreak of coronavirus infections.

The Sydfront 21 drill with over 3,500 participants from 13 different units of the Swedish Armed Forces is the first major military exercise in the Scandinavian nation since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exercise leader Maj. Ake Palm told Swedish broadcaster TV4 Saturday that the military made the decision to send some of the soldiers home after several conscripts with cold-like symptoms either tested positive or were suspected to have been infected with coronavirus.

Alf Johansson, head of the exercises communications, told the Swedish news agency TT that the affected unit had 200 soldiers and 8 positive coronavirus cases have been confirmed so far. He defended arranging the drill in the middle of the pandemic by saying that the military hasnt burdened civilian health care.

This is a very important exercise for the army to train together so that we can maintain our ability to defend Sweden, Johansson told TT.

Sweden, a nation of 10 million, has recorded just over 1 million coronavirus cases, with 14,173 deaths by Friday.

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HARTFORD, Conn.  Of the more than 1.4 million Connecticut residents who are now fully vaccinated, 242 later became infected with COVID-19, according to data released Friday from the state Department of Public Health.

Among the 242 so-called vaccine breakthrough cases, 109 people had no symptoms of the disease. DPH reported three deaths among vaccinated individuals who were confirmed to have had underlying medical conditions. They were between the ages of 55-64, 65-74, and 75 years and older.

Nationally, there have been 132 vaccine breakthrough deaths, DPH said.

The main takeaway is that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective and cases of infection after a person is fully vaccinated are very rare, Dr. Deidre Gifford, the states acting public health commissioner, said in a statement. Cases of COVID-19 in fully vaccinated individuals in Connecticut is less than 0.1%, according to the DPH data.

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HELENA, Mont. -- Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced that Montana will share COVID-19 vaccines with Canadian truck drivers from neighboring Alberta.

According to a memorandum of understanding signed Friday about 2,000 truck drivers from Alberta who transport goods from Canada to the U.S. will be eligible to be vaccinated at a highway rest stop near Conrad.

The vaccines will be available between May 10 and May 23. A similar program to vaccinate truck drivers from Canada began in North Dakota last month.

The Blackfeet tribe in northern Montana has given around 1,000 vaccines to their relatives and neighbors across the border.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif.  The owner of a Northern California bar was arrested on suspicion of selling made-to-order fake COVID-19 vaccination cards to several undercover state agents for $20 each in what officials said Friday is the first such foiled operation they are aware of nationwide.

The plainclothes agents from Californias Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control were told to write their names and birthdates on Post-it notes. They say bar employees cut the cards, filled out the identifying information and bogus vaccination dates, then laminated the finished product.

Vaccination cards are being used in some places as a pass for people to attend large gatherings. The European Union is considering allowing in tourists who can prove they have been vaccinated.

Acting on an an anonymous tip from the San Joaquin County Sheriffs office, four undercover agents went to Old Corner Saloon in the town of Clements several times in April and bought four fake laminated vaccination cards, officials said.

They returned to the small-town bar this week and arrested the bars owner. Agents say they found another two completed cards and 30 additional blank cards along with a laminator and cutting device.

It wasnt immediately known if the bar owner, Todd Anderson, has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. No one answered the phone at the bar Friday.

___

DENVER, Colo. -- A former Amazon warehouse worker has filed a complaint with the Colorado officials against Amazon over its COVID-19 policies and allegations that her firing was retaliatory.

Linda Rodriguez alleges Amazon fired her in 2020 because she raised concerns about the companys COVID-19 policies that she said put workers at risk. Her complaint was sent Thursday to the states labor department.

An Amazon spokesperson in response to the complaint says Rodriguez was fired for timecard fraud that the company says was confirmed by time records and video footage. Amazon said the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed Rodriguez withdrew a complaint filed with the agency.
Pay Dirt is Slates new advice column examining money and relationships. Every week, columnists Elizabeth Spiers and Athena Valentine will tackle your thorny financial questions. Have a money question? Send it to Athena and Elizabeth here. (Its anonymous!)

Dear Pay Dirt,

My grandmother has been harassing me nonstop about having children for years, and now that I have a steady boyfriend, shes been ramping up the comments, begging, crying, and even talking to my boyfriend, saying, I need to carry on the family line. Im 36 and have known for many years I dont want children, and this has been exacerbated by the fact that we have extensive medical problems on both sides that I dont wish to pass on. Shes now threatening to pull financial help that she very occasionally provides if I dont have a child ASAP. Im now at the point where Im considering forging a doctors letter saying Im barren to get her off my case, even if it means losing the small amount of help I get from her. Is it ethically wrong?

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Grandmas Blackmail

Dear Grandmas Blackmail,

You and I are about the same age, so I feel comfortable saying that our grandmas are from a different era. (If I didnt know better, I would suspect your grandma is from Game of Thrones, and shes trying to ensure Cersei doesnt steal the North from you.) But her age and upbringing dont excuse her behavior or make it any less frustrating for you.

While I wouldnt say a doctors note is ethically wrong, it does give off getting-out-of-middle-school-gym-class vibes, and no one wants to return to middle school. Plus, its almost always better to be honest and straightforward while establishing boundaries than to rely on lies, even small ones. The next time Grandma brings up children, calmly explain to her that you are not in a place to have them. Thank her for her past financial support and share that if she feels she can no longer continue, you understand entirely. Then tell her you will not be offering any more details on this matter nor discussing it any further, and change the subject. If she presses on, walk away, hang up, or whatever you need to do to be clear its no longer a topic for discussion. Rinse and repeat as needed.

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Family dynamics are tricky, though, and establishing boundaries can be emotionally fraught. If you think you need additional support, do not be afraid to reach out to your boyfriend, a trusted friend, or a professional. Good luck!

Dear Pay Dirt,

My recently widowed father is spending a lot more money than I think he used to. I always thought he was frugal, but now it seems like he is doing a lot of retail therapy. New packages every day, etc. Whats the approach here? Im not interested in inheritance, but I do want him to be able to take care of himself financially, and he is likely to be alive at least another 20 years. I also dont actually know how much money he has. Are there financial structures I can encourage him toward starting? He has good health care but also moved into a big house that has a mortgage (but no stairs).

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Retail Coping

Dear Retail Coping,

I want to start by saying I am very sorry for your and your fathers loss. Its definitely possible your dad is using retail therapy as a coping mechanism. Death can remind us that our time is short, so he may be spending on things he always wishes he had bought. He might also be taking up a new hobby that requires equipment to stay busy or redecorating the houseboth things that help people move on.

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I think you should plan to have two separate conversations with your father, but one may lead into another. First, ask him about his newfound spending habits. Something kind and open-ended like: Seems like youve been keeping the delivery man busy. Where are the good sales? Approaching this conversation with a nonjudgmental attitude should help him to speak freely and give you the information you need to figure out if he needs help.

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Then ask him about his finances. Start with the house: I know you moved into this house recently. Are you liking it? Is there anything I should know about it if you need my help one day? Then follow up with his retirement accounts: Are you good on retirement? Have you checked in with a financial planner lately? I know loss is hard, and your plans may have changed, so I wanted to check in with you on finances. You can ask if hed be willing to share account information or locations of other important documents with you in case of emergency. If youre unsure whether he has a will and power of attorney, you can ask him about that as well and offer to arrange a meeting with an estate attorney if he doesnt.

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I would also prepare yourself if he chooses not to discuss things with you. Hes an adult, and hes entitled to keep that information private if he chooses. If he decides mums the word, you can still talk to an estate lawyer or a financial planner to see if there is anything you can do without him in case he needs your assistance one day.

Get the Pay Dirt Newsletter Money advice from Athena and Elizabeth, delivered weekly. 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.

Dear Pay Dirt,

My boyfriend earns approximately 25 percent more than I do. (Were gay guys, if that matters.)

Weve always split restaurant checks and other things like that, and sometimes he buys bigger-ticket items, like a hotel during travel, and doesnt ask for money. Now were planning to move in together after a few years, and he wants to split the rent and bills evenly. He feels wary about adjusting rent and bills based on our incomes for not very complicated reasonssplitting it just feels fair to him.

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I know this is not hugely relevant to who should pay what, but in this arrangement, my rent will increase by 50 to 60 percent, and his will decrease by about 30 percent, because he already lives alone and I dont, and I also am paying off more debts, so my monthly bills are higher (almost done!). This isnt a deal-breaker for me exactly, but 1) can you give me a very declarative and personal ruling about what is fair in situations like this, and 2) how should I frame the discussion with him beyond the very basic communication weve done so far?

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Half and Half

Dear Half and Half,

I cannot give you a declarative ruling, because every relationship has its own unique set of circumstances. It sounds like you would be losing a lot of financial ground by moving in with him, which isnt fair to you, nor does it make financial sense. Youre heading in the right direction with your debt (congrats!), and a significant rent increase would change that, so its worth having a conversation with him about it.

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Start by sharing all the financial progress youve been making. Let him know youd love to move forward with him, but a significant increase in living expenses would be hard for you. Explain that while it is your debt, its essential for your own future and your future as a couple to pay it off sooner, and a higher share of rent would mean slower progress. Then ask him if he would be willing to pay a bit more now, then reassess again in the future, once your debts are taken care of and you have more flexibility. He may say no, and if he does, thats OK. Its up to you to decide whats best for you financially and for your relationship. Maybe that includes moving forward anyway. Maybe that includes delaying the move. (Relationships have no rule that states you must move in together by a certain date.) Having a healthy relationship with a wealthier significant other while maintaining a healthy relationship with your own money can be challenging, but it can be done. Keep an open line of communication and stay flexible, but know your limits.

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Dear Pay Dirt,

I work for my aunt and uncles business, mainly doing bookkeeping and clerical work. Their company is a highly technical field, and it can be hard to find people who have the right training for it. In April 2020, right as things began shutting down, one of our employees, Mark, just stopped showing up to work. No call, no email, no notice.

He didnt answer anyones messages and refused to return certain equipment that belonged to the company that was in his possession. It was a nightmare for us, we had to find very expensive subcontractors at the last minute, and everyone was working 16-hour days, several days in a row, just to make up for Marks absence.

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We later found out that this is not the first time he just stopped showing up for work. Now we got a notice saying he had filed for unemployment and that we had laid him off due to COVID, which is not true at all.

This business is very much essential and stayed open throughout. Its also mostly solo work, so there also isnt that much of a danger during the pandemic. Im more at risk working in the office. My aunt and uncle are determined to fight his request for unemployment, but Im uneasy about it. He may actually need financial help. Is it ethical to contest his unemployment?

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Not Really Unemployed

Dear Not Really Employed,

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Mark sounds like a dud. No-call no-shows are juvenile and unprofessional. Even giving Mark the benefit of a doubt, such as having personal issues he wished not share with your aunt and uncle, its still no excuse for quitting without notice, let alone refusing to return expensive equipment.

I think you should contest his unemployment claim without guilt. Hes lying about being falsely laid off, and thats unethicalespecially when so many others have legitimately lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Many still need their unemployment yet cant access it due to state backlogs. Plus, every time an employee files for unemployment, it hurts your aunt and unclemore claims mean more company revenue they have to contribute to taxes that cover unemployment insurance. Your aunt and uncle are in the right, and the best thing you can do is make sure they have all of the tools needed to contest his claim.

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Athena

Read the first Pay Dirt column here.

More Advice From Slate

I have two grown children, Thing 1, 25, and Thing 2, 20. T1 has always been an excellent artist and it was apparent from a young age that she would be one professionally. So when she was in college (where she had a part-time campus designer job) during the summers, we allowed her not to work in a formal job, as she occupied herself learning Photoshop, learning how to make websites, working on her online comic, and doing commissions. The final year, she tried to find a summer internship but was unsuccessful. Today, she has a savings account full of money and has her own apartment.

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T2 is an average student whose main occupation is playing D&D and video games. We gave him a car and give him $200 a month for gas and expenses. He also has a small inheritance of about $4,000 in his savings. He is now facing his second summer break and we are insisting that he get a jobpreferably an internship in his field. And he is having a fit about it. He calls out that we didnt force T1 to get a job and says we are being unfair. He complains he cant find one. He insists he will not work full time or maybe wont work at all. I have told him that if he doesnt, he will get no money from us.

Please tell me Im being reasonable. Hes been so depressed and volatile in recent yearsand lazy. I believe that in addition to gaining valuable experience, making connections, and making some money, working will help him gain confidence and lessen his depression.
Marysville, CA (95901)

Today

Mostly clear. Low 52F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 52F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  The National Nuclear Security Administration wanted to acquire the entirety of Santa Fes 64-acre Midtown property and partner with the city and other contractors with the redevelopment of the St. Michaels Drive corridor, according to a proposal submitted to the city in October 2019.

The Department of Energy/NNSA proposal was not picked by a committee selected to vet the responses, but the firm that was chosen has since backed out.

NNSA now says it is no longer interested in the former campus of the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, which closed in 2018.

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................................................................

At this time there are no plans to acquire the Santa Fe Midtown Campus and we have not been approached by the City of Santa Fe to discuss acquisition, said a statement from the NNSAs Los Alamos Field Office.

The city has refused to release the responses it received from a Request for Expressions of Interest to serve as master developer of the property, which is now largely vacant.

The Department of Energy/NNSA proposal was obtained by the Los Alamos Study Group through a Freedom of Information Act request and shared with the Journal.

Now we know at least one of the reasons why the city wanted to keep this so secret, Greg Mello, executive director of Los Alamos Study Group said.

The campus would have been utilized by Los Alamos National Laboratory, which lab director Thom Mason said is running out of room and is looking for additional space within a 50-mile radius of Los Alamos. In the past few months, LANL signed 10-year leases with three properties in Santa Fe to house close to 600 employees.

LANL is ramping up its national security mission to produce as many as 30 plutonium pits, the core of nuclear warheads, per year by 2025.

While LANL does research and development in a broad range of scientific fields, about 78% of LANLs current $3.7 billion budget is dedicated to weapons production.

Last month, the NNSA approved the project definition phase and conceptual design for Los Alamos Plutonium Pit Production Project. The cost estimate ranges from $2.7 billion to $3.9 billion and the work is scheduled to be completed in five years. But critics say the entire cost will be many times more than that.

The DOE/NNSA proposed that it would develop the Midtown property in two phases.

In Phase I, we would acquire the entirety of the Midtown Property and repurpose suitable square footage in phases to meet needs for administrative offices, training, and engineering space while preserving the culture of Santa Fe and recognizing the history of the Site, it says, adding that roads to accommodate additional traffic would be improved.

Phase II would involve acquiring additional real estate for development with contractors and future partners.

Additionally, the DOE/NNSA proposed working with the city to develop the Midtown LINC, or Local INnovation Corridor, along a more than 2-mile stretch of St. Michaels Drive between Cerrillos Road and St. Francis Drive.

It says that the long-term vision for the property would be an open campus environment.

There will be no radiological or high hazard activities performed at the Midtown Property, it says. Instead, we intend to create an environment where the operators of all our DOE/NNSA facilities across the country can collaborate.

The proposal said that funding for developing the Midtown campus and LINC would come through congressional appropriations.

The city says it hasnt released the proposals because it is bound by the state procurement code, which provides that bidder proposals be kept private until a contract is awarded. But Santa Fe is not required to follow the procurement code, as it is not a statute imposed by the city.

The city selected Dallas-based KDC Real Estate Development and Investments/Cienda Partners to lead the redevelopment project in May 2020, but the company and city agreed to sever the relationship in January. The city could now revisit some of the master developer proposals, take over development of the property itself, or potentially sell it off.

Rich Brown, the citys economic development director, said the sale of the property is still an option but it would require a resolution by the mayor and City Council.

He said it remains unclear exactly what will happen to the property, which is being rezoned to accommodate redevelopment.

Brown confirmed that there have been no discussions with NNSA about the property since it submitted its proposal.
SAN JOSE, Calif., April 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cogniac Corporation (Cogniac), a San Jose, California-based provider of enterprise-class Artificial Intelligence (AI) image and video analysis, has partnered with Doosan Bobcat North America (Bobcat). Bobcat, a global compact equipment leader, is implementing Cogniacs proprietary visual data processing platform within the manufacturing warehouse kitting inspection process. This move will increase operational efficiencies, boost productivity and reduce material handling times, all part of Bobcats commitment to quality and drive for innovation.

Were excited about this partnership as it demonstrates the efficacy of the Cogniac systems, said Chuck Myers, CEO of Cogniac. Our technology is designed to be additive to the manufacturing processes, offering companies the ability to increase the safety and standards of their products. Bobcat was a great choice for a partnership because they are pushing to innovate and adopt technology as a core pillar of their growth strategy.



Companies are often already collecting useful visual data, making the Cogniac technology virtually plug-and-play. Cogniacs Visual Operations Intelligence Platform offers customers the ability to process, in real time, large amounts of visual data collected for inspection, flagging them to a human operator for review. The system also allows for more strategic distribution of employees to projects requiring the human touch which maximizes workforce productivity. Cogniac has built their platform to be a no-code solution designed for non-technical users and eminently user-friendly to allow for quick adoption and integration into existing workflows.



Bobcat leverages visual data in their warehouse to inspect bulk materials and parts for any potential inconsistencies to create precise kits to be used for downstream manufacturing processes. Ensuring a high level of accuracy on the assembly line is a key factor in work efficiency and commitment to quality at Bobcat. The company is committed to adopting the next evolution in advancing manufacturing technology to make operations smarter and eliminate production downtime.



Cogniac has produced a world class technology platform, said Russ Honeyman, vice president of Quality Management at Doosan Bobcat North America. Given our long history of innovation and focus on technology at Bobcat, the Cogniac system provides significant benefits for us, leading to higher efficiencies and optimized quality control in our processes.



The partnership currently serves the Bobcat operations and warehouse in Otsego, Minnesota.



About Cogniac Corporation

Cogniac offers the most advanced enterprise Visual Operations Intelligence Platform. Cogniac enables businesses to realize superhuman levels of accuracy and efficiency in complex environments, from manufacturing to industrial, government to marine. Cogniacs technology maximizes the value of the newest and most abundant form of data  visual data. By deploying Convolutional Neural Networks and Hyper Parameter Optimization, Cogniacs platform achieves process performance optimization with very little technical knowledge required from human subject matter experts. For more information, visit Cogniac.ai

About Doosan Bobcat North America



Doosan Bobcat North America, headquartered in West Fargo, North Dakota, is a leading global manufacturer of construction, agriculture, landscaping and grounds maintenance equipment, attachments and services. The company is committed to empowering people to accomplish more. Doosan Bobcat North America is home to world-renowned brands, including Bobcat compact equipment, Doosan portable power products, Ryan and Steiner grounds maintenance equipment and Geith attachments. Doosan Bobcat North America is a tradename of Clark Equipment Company.

About Bobcat Company

Bobcat Company is a worldwide leader in the manufacturing and distribution of compact equipment. Headquartered in West Fargo, North Dakota, Bobcat offers a complete line of compact equipment including: skid-steer, mini track and compact track loaders; excavators; VersaHANDLER telescopic tool carriers; utility vehicles; Toolcat utility work machines; compact tractors; small articulated loaders; zero-turn mowers; attachments and implements. As a global brand with a worldwide network of dealers and distributors, Bobcat is the industrys original innovator, beginning in 1958 with the first compact machine and predecessor to the skid-steer loader. Bobcat continues to lead the industry by offering quality product solutions and technologies to empower people to accomplish more. For more information, visit Bobcat.com



Cogniac Press Contact:

Jordan Schmidt

Gateway Group

Jordan@gatewayir.com

949-386-6332



Doosan Bobcat North America PR Contact:

Adrienne Olson

Sr. Manager Public Relations and Corporate Communication

adrienne.olson@doosan.com

701-371-5579
KYODO NEWS - May 8, 2021 - 23:04 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

Japan's daily COVID-19 cases topped 7,000 for the first time since mid-January on Saturday, a day after the government's decision to expand the ongoing state of emergency beyond Tokyo and the greater Osaka region, amid growing fears over spreading variants of the coronavirus.

While some people expressed weariness about having to put up with longer restrictions, 15 of the country's 47 prefectures saw record numbers of more coronavirus infections including Aichi and Fukuoka that will be placed under the emergency from Wednesday.

Tokyo, which is set to host the Olympics in less than three months, meanwhile, reported 1,121 new cases, the highest daily level since Jan. 22 when the second state of emergency was still in place.

Across Japan, the daily total reached 7,246, most since Jan. 9 as the fourth wave of infections rages on in wider areas, which are not yet under the state of emergency or its quasi version entailing some lighter restrictions.

Few travelers were seen in Tokyo following the government's decision on Friday to extend the third emergency, which was initially slated to end Tuesday, to May 31.

Related coverage:

Japan's extended virus emergency to lead to 1 tril. yen economic loss

Japan logs record daily coronavirus deaths at 148

A woman in her 50s who works at a coronavirus testing center said, "People are moving around so I don't think the number of infections will decrease despite the extension of emergency."

Of the 15 prefectures, Aichi and Fukuoka confirmed 575 and 519 cases, respectively. Hokkaido reported 403 cases.

"Everyone is wearing face masks and yet more contagious coronavirus variants are on the rise. The state of emergency cannot be helped," said a 76-year-old man in the southwestern city of Fukuoka.

The man added, "It's not right to hold the Olympics in this situation."

At JR Nagoya Station in Aichi Prefecture, a 47-year-old man who was heading to Osaka Prefecture, where 1,021 more cases were reported Saturday, for work said people around him and he himself no longer feel the "sense of crisis" they used to when it comes to dealing with COVID-19.

"I don't have much hope that the (latest) emergency will be effective," he said.

Under the emergency, tougher measures have been taken since late April in an attempt to curb surging infections, such as asking dining establishments to stop serving alcohol, big shopping facilities to close and big events to be held without spectators.

With the latest decision, the government said some restrictions could be eased, including allowing department stores to open until 8 p.m. and organizers to stage concerts with a limited number of people. But each prefectural governor has been given the authority to decide on the kind of steps to be taken to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

On Friday, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike and Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said they will continue to ask large commercial facilities with more than 1,000 square meters of floor space to remain closed, saying the situation had not improved enough to let down their guard.

In Tokyo, amusement parks including Yomiuriland, however, decided to resume operations with a cap of 5,000 visitors from Thursday as requested by the metropolitan government.
(CNN)  In the southwestern Indian state of Goa, one in every two people tested is positive for Covid-19.

That makes it the state with the highest positivity rate nationwide, as the virus rips through the country. And that's just among the people getting tested -- meaning the rate of infection among the untested population may be higher.

On Friday, the state hit a new record high positivity rate of 51.4%, said Goa Health Minister Vishwajit P. Rane -- suggesting a total lockdown may be needed to contain the spread of the virus. About 690,360 tests had been done in the state as of Friday, according to the state's Press Information Bureau.

"That is the need of the hour," he said, adding the state's chief minister was "seriously considering" a lockdown. "We have had issues of oxygen supply and other issues. We need to bring the positivity rate down. That's the only way forward."

India's second wave hit its major cities and populous states hard. Cases in the capital, New Delhi, began climbing in late March, accelerating rapidly in April -- and as the virus spread from state to state, other parts of the country began to see their own surge in cases, sometimes weeks after the central hotspots.

A tourist destination known for its beaches, Goa is home to about 1.5 million people -- a figure which is likely to have increased since the last census in 2011. The state saw its uptick begin in early April, as Delhi was already struggling -- but infections rose exponentially over the past two weeks. Goa recorded more than 3,800 cases on Thursday, its highest daily figure so far.

The spike has raised alarm among authorities as they prepared for the type of calamity unfolding in other states. Schools, bars, gyms, cinemas, and other public spaces are closed, and political and social gatherings are banned. The government has encouraged people to work from home, and imposed restrictions on capacity and opening hours on restaurants and shops.

The state's health system "is already overloaded," Rane said.

"We're doing everything possible," he added. "We've enhanced our testing facilities so that we don't have to wait for someone to show symptoms to test."

The state is also in the process of procuring equipment to conduct genome sequencing, to determine which strain of the virus was traveling in the community, and whether variants might be spreading.

"We also find that the infection rate of this strain is very high and this is creating a lot of problems," he said.

Second wave complacency

The surge in Goa, and the second wave generally, is linked to loose Covid rules during the winter, experts say.

India's first wave peaked in September, and cases began falling toward the end of the year. By the start of this year, many states had relaxed their measures, inter-state travel had resumed, and people were largely going about their daily lives.

The country's complacency -- and a sense the worst of the pandemic was over -- meant the second wave hit much harder because authorities and public health systems were completely unprepared. But the problem may have been even more pronounced in popular travel spots like Goa.

"There were no restrictions of any kind (from December to February), and that is something we should have looked into at that point of time," said Rane. "Goa was one of the most favored destinations and people used to come. And at that point of time, we found that people were not following the (guidelines) and protocols."

The looser rules and winter downswing in cases coincided with Diwali -- the Hindu festival of lights and one of the country's biggest annual celebrations -- as people traveled to Goa from across India.

"Everybody was taking things for granted," Rane said. "No one was following social distancing. Masks are something that you cannot do away with." The rise in tourism, especially during the festival period, gave rise to potential "super spreader events," he said.

Now the state is paying the price, he said, as authorities rush to respond to the rise in cases.

State and federal authorities have constructed new Covid treatment centers and ICU facilities, including one with a 20,000-liter oxygen tank. They are looking to bring in interns from the state's medical college to help in health care facilities. The examination hall at the college, located in the town of Bambolim, has been converted into a Covid ward holding 150 beds and medical oxygen.

Aid from other states and countries has begun trickling in. On Friday, the Goa Customs agency released images of the "first consignment of oxygen concentrators" arriving in the state, as well as boxes of Covid vaccines and testing kits.

Dozens of countries began sending medical supplies to India in late April -- but the government offered little transparency as to the supplies' whereabouts or distribution plan until this week, as local media and foreign donors began questioning where the aid was going.

Authorities responded to the criticism this week, denying any delay in distribution. The government "continues to effectively allocate Covid-19 supplies received from the global community to states and (union territories)," said the Ministry of Health in a statement on Thursday.

It's not clear which day distribution began. However, the ministry acknowledged it had taken seven days -- from April 26 to May 2 -- to draw up guidelines on how to allocate and deliver the aid.

This story was first published on CNN.com In this Indian state, one in every two people tested is positive for Covid
Shen Yueyue, President of the All-China Women's Federation, speaks at a symposium when she inspects the China Medical Women's Association on April 14. [China Women's News/Tian Shanlei]

Shen Yueyue, President of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), attended a symposium when she inspected the China Medical Women's Association (CMWA) on April 14. Shen stressed further studying and implementing the spirit of the important speeches delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping.

She urged the CMWA to give full play to its role of uniting and guiding women medical workers to promote the great spirit of combating COVID-19 epidemic, to uphold medical ethics, to strive to advance the Healthy China initiative, to do more for people's health and the well-being of every family, to continue being "most admirable people in the new era," and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with outstanding achievements.

Representatives of the CMWA shared their feelings and understandings of General Secretary Xi's important speeches and their work in the battle against COVID-19. They also vowed to provide efficient, high-quality healthcare services for the people.

Shen Yueyue, President of the All-China Women's Federation, participates in the symposium when she inspects the CMWA on April 14. [China Women's News/Tian Shanlei]

Shen also urged breakthroughs in technologies and scientific and technological innovation as well as ensuring the delivery of comprehensive lifecycle health services for the people.

During the meeting, the participants discussed some topics related to women and family well-being, including charity project of women's health, prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, psychological health and breast cancer prevention.

Shen urged women medical workers to popularize health knowledge, promote healthy and green lifestyle, and guide women to monitor the health of their family members.

Shen stressed providing medical services, including mother and baby care, middle-aged and elderly chronic disease prevention and treatment, free screening of breast cancer and cervical cancer, and psychological counseling of different groups of women, in villages and communities, in a bid to consolidate the results of poverty alleviation through improving health care.

Shen underlined that the ACWF will, as always, support and build platforms for the work of the CMWA, cooperate with the CMWA to facilitate the development of women medical workers, and encourage them to pool wisdom and efforts into the socialist health undertakings with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Huang Xiaowei, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, also participated in the inspection tour and presided over the symposium.

Shen Yueyue (R), President of the All-China Women's Federation, presents the medal of the National March 8th Red-banner Collective to the CMWA during her inspection tour on April 14. [China Women's News/Tian Shanlei]

Huang Xiaowei (R), Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group and Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, awards the certificate of the National March 8th Red-banner Collective to the CMWA during the inspection tour on April 14. [China Women's News/Tian Shanlei]

(Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China)
Britain yesterday passed another vaccine milestone with more than two-thirds of adults now given a Covid-19 jab.

According to the latest figures, 35,188,981 people  the equivalent of 66.8 per cent of the adult population  have had their first dose of vaccine. Of those, 17,214,436, comprising 32.7 per cent of adults, have had their second shot.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted: The vaccine is saving lives so when its your turn, come forward & get the jab.

More than 35 million people have received their first Covid-19 vaccination since the first patients were inoculated in December 2020

Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted: The vaccine is saving lives so when its your turn, come forward & get the jab.

The milestone came as just five deaths and 101 new hospitalisations were reported, down a quarter on figures last Saturday.

Despite the loosening of lockdown restrictions, there were 2,047 positive tests in the previous 24 hour period, down five per cent week- on-week. The success of Britains vaccination programme contrasts with Germany, where 39 per cent of adults have had their first jab, and France, where it is just 33 per cent.

The raft of positive news came as

Health Secretary Matt Hancock was accused of wrecking half-term holidays by opposing the opening up of more overseas destinations. The first review of countries on the so-called green list will start in the week of May 31;

The Mail on Sunday launched a campaign for patients to get more face-to-face consultations with GPs;

Surge testing began in Bolton after it was identified as a hotspot for an Indian strain of the virus.

The number of positive tests, hospital admissions and deaths have all fallen in the past week

Despite the progress in the battle against Covid-19, Boris Johnsons former adviser Dominic Cummings launched a fresh attack on his handling of the crisis. Promoting a book by US statistician Julia Galef, Mr Cummings suggested that if the 20 most influential people dealing with Covid in the Government had read her book The Scout Mindset, then 10s of 1000s who died cd still be alive.

The book encourages people to act like a scout who surveys the land, seeking accuracy and understanding rather than like soldiers who protect beliefs aggressively and ignore any evidence that we might be wrong.
Text messages reveal the fear a student felt after a sixth grade girl at Rigby Middle School in Idaho pulled a gun from her backpack and opened fire.

The shooting began around 9am on Thursday and caused teachers and students to flee for their lives. The alleged shooter wounded two students and a janitor who were hit in their extremities and were expected to survive.

Math teacher Krista Turnblom Gneiting, 45, subdued the girl until cops arrived and took her into custody. She has been praised for her heroic act.

Authorities say the motive for the attack and where the girl got the gun are both unclear and are being investigated.

The text message exchange, which appears to be between a student at the adjacent Rigby High School and an adult believed to be their mother, were posted online by East Idaho News reporter Nate Eaton.

The exchange, between a student at the adjacent Rigby High School and an adult believed to be their mother, were posted by reporter Nate Eaton

People embrace after a school shooting at Rigby Middle School in Rigby, Idaho on Thursday

Students embrace after a school shooting at Rigby Middle School in Rigby, Idaho on Thursday

People embrace after a school shooting at Rigby Middle School in Rigby, Idaho on Thursday

'Hey, we just went into lockdown. Not sure if it's a drill. It doesn't sound like it,' the student wrote at 9.17am on Thursday.

The student added: 'It's not. Just text me.'

'Are you ok?' the mom asked.

The student responded: 'We're just moving tables.'

The mom then asked the student if the lockdown was a drill, and the student told her it was not.

'People voices sounds off too on the voice call thing,' the student said.

The concerned mom then reminded the student of lessons how to survive a school shooting event.

'Keep quiet as best you can. 1. Run 2. Hide 3. Fight,' the mom said. 'You remember what I told you about running zig zag right?'

The student responded back: 'Yes. We're not sure still though, might be a drill. It just didn't sound like it.'

The mom then told the student that 'it's not a drill.'

'This is real,' the mom said. 'Do exactly what you are told. Is there a teacher near you?'

'Yeah,' the student said.

The mom then asked the student what classroom they were in during the lockdown.

Math teacher Krista Turnblom Gneiting, 45, subdued the girl until cops arrived and took her into custody

'My first hour,' the student responded, as the mom pushed back for more details.

'I don't know, first floor near the ag building,' the student said.

The mom then said: 'I need to know exactly where you are.'

'It's in the math hallway I think: 1623,' the student responded.

The mom then said: 'I am coming to get you.'

'Don't do anything we're out of lockdown. I don't want you near the school,' the student said.

'I know  I'm just going to be near,' the concerned mom said.

The student then asked the mom if she had called the cops.

'I can't just sit at home. The person is in custody,' the mom said.

The student then responded, assuming that the shooting had been a male: 'They got him?'

The mom told the child that the suspect had been taken into custody as the student asked if it had been a shooter.

'I'm not 100% sure but it sounds like it,' the mom said.

Custodian Jim Wilson was one of the people shot at Rigby Middle School in Idaho

Two people walk together near the scene of a shooting at an eastern Idaho middle school

People embrace after a school shooting at Rigby Middle School in Rigby, Idaho on Thursday

The student then tells the mother that they believed the shooting happened at Rigby Middle School, which is adjacent to the high school where the student was locked down.

'Yes, I'm here. Let me know when you are out of lockdown,' the mom said.

The student responded: 'Okay it might be for a while. Do you see anything?'

'Lots of cops,' the mom said.

The student simply responded: 'Okay.'

The mother then told the student that she was near a flag pole to pick up them up.

The student continued to question the mother for more details she knew about the shooting.

Eventually, the mother said: 'I called your dad to let him know you are safe. He gets the alerts from the school so he'll be worried.'

'Okay,' the student said.

The mother said that three people had been injured and that all the middle school students were being taken to the high school.

'Parents are running, trying to find their kids,' the mom said.

Read the text message exchange Advertisement

One of the injured students was shot once in an extremity and may require surgery, according to Dr Michael Lemon, the hospital's trauma medical director.

The other student was shot twice and hit in two limbs.

'The fact the injuries are as insignificant as they are - they could be so much worse, so we feel absolutely blessed,' Lemon said.

Police were called to the school around 9:15am after students and staffers heard gunfire.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded, and students were evacuated to a nearby high school to be reunited with their parents.

Emotional mothers and fathers were seen hugging and embracing their children as they were reunited.

Rigby Middle School has about 1,500 students in sixth through eighth grades, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

'I am praying for the lives and safety of those involved in today's tragic events,' Idaho Gov Brad Little said in a prepared statement.

'Thank you to our law enforcement agencies and school leaders for their efforts in responding to the incident.'

Prosecutor Mark Taylor told Local News 8 that the shooter could be charged with three counts of attempted murder, depending on the results of the investigation.

The attack appears to be Idaho's second school shooting. In 1999, a student at a high school in Notus fired a shotgun several times.

No one was struck by the gunfire, but one student was injured by ricocheting debris from the first shell.

In 1989, a student at Rigby Junior High pulled a gun, threatened a teacher and students, and took a 14-year-old girl hostage, according to Deseret News.

Police safely rescued the hostage from a nearby church about an hour later and took the teen into custody. No one was shot in that incident.
EDITORIAL: Worth a Shot: If attempts to change the message can persuade anti-vaxxers to get the vaccine, thats a message worth repeating
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Three of Michigan's 15 public universities have announced COVID-19 vaccine mandates, while others are evaluating plans or implementing other strategies to increase immunizations among students.

The University of Michigans Dearborn campus will require everyone on campus to provide proof of vaccination or weekly negative tests. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Oakland University both will require vaccines for students who want to live on campus.

But hundreds of UofM instructors on the Ann Arbor campus have signed a petition that seeks a campus-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate and calls the schools current vaccine plan nonsensical.

That petition, which began circulating Thursday and has been signed by more than 800 professors, lecturers and other instructors, notes that students who live in private housing or students who commute to the Ann Arbor campus are just as likely to spread the virus.

Student government representative Carla Voigt said that a safe return in the fall is possible, but the university must educate and advocate for vaccines. She said the university has a good start by opening up a vaccination clinic in The Big House.

People of color, specifically Black Americans, have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 economically, in case counts and now in slower rates of getting the vaccine. UofM students are not exempt from these challenges, said student body President Nithya Arun, and student government is responding with a proposed People of Color Impact Task Force.

A study created by the student government earlier this year asked 8,000 students about their COVID-19 plans and needs. Of the 1,027 responses, about 20% of Black-identifying participants said they were not going to get the vaccine, compared to about 3% of white-identifying students.

The easiest and safest way for schools to have a regular fall semester is by getting as many students vaccinated as possible, said Bob Murphy, chief policy officer of the Michigan Association of State Universities.

I think some universities will continue to evaluate whether a mandate is needed, but I think they would all prefer that students go out and take care of themselves and their community members by getting the vaccine of their own decision, Murphy said.

Wayne State University offered students a $10 credit to their student account that can be used for Grubhub orders if they send in proof of vaccination.

Mannat K. Bedi, Wayne State Student Senate director of community affairs, said that even without a vaccine mandate, students getting an instant reward for something that already benefited them made the program effective.

Me personally, I will always go to certain campus events because its fun, but also theres prizes and things, Bedi said. Other schools should do it because its definitely motivating students to get the vaccine.

Wayne State also implemented a flu vaccine mandate in the fall to give the campus a better shot at fighting off the serious mixture of the COVID-19 pandemic and a flu outbreak. Of the faculty, staff and students who came to campus, 94% provided proof of immunization, said university spokesman Matt Lockwood.

Michigan State University hasn't made a final decision on vaccines and is evaluating different ways to entice students to get a vaccine, spokesman Dan Olsen said. The university has operated a clinic out of the campus Pavilion, which has provided the university community and public nearly 5,000 doses.

Olsen said the university is evaluating data from the National Norms Center at MSU, which conducted surveys surrounding students' perceptions of vaccines and returning to school to learn what drives student vaccination rates.

The National College Health Assessment, which the center administers every few years to poll students' health habits and behaviors, looked at COVID-19 vaccines and found 81% of MSU students out of 905 respondents said they wanted the COVID-19 vaccine in March.

When the same group was asked in April what getting back to normal meant to them, the top three responses in order were: Attending in-person classes; interacting with others without COVID-19 safety precautions; and attending sporting events.

The center's Executive Director Dennis Martell said the results were a bit surprising.

We underestimate the students desire to get back to normal," Martell said. "They want to get back to in-person classes, being able to socialize and attending events on campus."

Of the 12% that said in March that they were unsure about getting a vaccine, those who indicated on the survey that it would be OK for the center to reach out to them will be offered a $5 Starbucks credit for proof of vaccination. Martell said the university will keep monitor whether the incentive has an impact on the group and may consider implementing a similar program for other students.

Martell said what's really driving vaccinations at MSU is a desire among students to reconnect with each other.

Its about those people who really want to have experience to be in the classroom, Martell said. I will never say that the Spartan spirit is better than any other university, but theres a real Spartan spirit of together we will."



Anna Liz Nichols is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
The Centre has asked social media platforms to curb misinformation and fake news relating to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. India is currently dealing with an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases that have pushed the country's healthcare infrastructure to its limits.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT has sent an advisory to social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram, asking them to "initiate awareness campaigns" amongst their user base urging them not to circulate "any false news or misinformation," which may create "panic among the public and disturb the public order", the Economic Times reported.

The Ministry has asked the social media platforms to take immediate action to remove fake news and misinformation and promote authentic information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. The platforms have been asked to issue warnings to preparators who misuse these online spaces to spread misinformation.

In its advisory, the IT Ministry stated that social media platforms are intermediaries as defined in the Information Technology Act, 2000 and are therefore required to follow due diligence, as written in the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. These rules were notified under section 79 of the Information Technology Act in February of this year.

"They (social media platforms) must inform their users not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, update or share any information that may affect public order and unlawful in any way," the IT Ministry's advisory noted, according to the daily.

Earlier, social media firms had stated that they are intermediaries and do not read every single message that passes through their platforms. Hence, it would be difficult for social media platforms to comply with such government orders, the firms have argued.

Social media platforms have taken steps in the past to curb misinformation. Several of them have inbuilt mechanisms that direct users to authentic information on topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

"No company is anyway knowingly allowing fake news, but what we think the government means is that if companies see such misinformation circulating on their platforms, then they should stop it," an executive at a social media firm told the daily.

Also read: COVID-triggered 'black fungus' cases reported in Delhi; what's this 'dangerous' fungal infection?
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  A bomb exploded near a girls' school in a majority Shiite district of west Kabul on Saturday, killing at least 30 people, many of them young pupils between 11 and 15 years old. The Taliban condemned the attack and denied any responsibility.

Ambulances evacuated the wounded as relatives and residents screamed at authorities near the scene of the blast at Syed Al-Shahda school, in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said. The death toll was expected to rise further.

The bombing, apparently aimed to cause maximum civilian carnage, adds to fears that violence in the war-wrecked country could escalate as the U.S. and NATO end nearly 20 years of military engagement.

Residents in the area said the explosion was deafening. One, Naser Rahimi, told The Associated Press he heard three separate explosions, although there was no official confirmation of multiple blasts. Rahimi also said he believed that the sheer power of the explosion meant the death toll would almost certainly climb.

Rahimi said the explosion went off as the girls were streaming out of the school at around 4:30 p.m. local time. Authorities were investigating the attack but have yet to confirm any details.

One of the students fleeing the school recalled the attack. the screaming of the girls, the blood.

I was with my classmate, we were leaving the school, when suddenly an explosion happened,  said 15-year-old Zahra, whose arm had been broken by a piece of shrapnel.

Ten minutes later there was another explosion and just a couple of minutes later another explosion, she said. "Everyone was yelling and there was blood everywhere, and I couldnt see anything clearly. Her friend died.

While no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing, the Afghan Islamic State affiliate has targeted the Shiite neighborhood before.

The radical Sunni Muslim group has declared war on Afghanistan's minority Shiite Muslims. Washington blamed IS for a vicious attack last year in a maternity hospital in the same area that killed pregnant women and newborn babies.

In Dasht-e-Barchi, angry crowds attacked the ambulances and even beat health workers as they tried to evacuate the wounded, Health Ministry spokesman Ghulam Dastigar Nazari said. He implored residents to cooperate and allow ambulances free access to the site.

Images circulating on social media purportedly showed bloodied school backpacks and books strewn across the street in front if the school, and smoke rising above the neighborhood.

At one nearby hospital, Associated Press journalists saw at least 20 dead bodies lined up in hallways and rooms, with dozens of wounded people and families of victims pressing through the facility.

Outside the Muhammad Ali Jinnah Hospital, dozens of people lined up to donate blood, while family members checked casualty posted lists on the walls.

Both Arian and Nazari said that at least 50 people were also wounded, and that the casualty toll could rise. The attack occurred just as the fasting day came to an end.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters in a message that only the Islamic State group could be responsible for such a heinous crime. Mujahid also accused Afghanistan's intelligence agency of being complicit with IS, although he offered no evidence.

The Taliban and the Afghan government have traded accusations over a series of targeted killings of civil society workers, journalists and Afghan professionals. While IS has taken responsibility for some of those killings, many have gone unclaimed.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani issued a statement condemning the attack, blaming the Taliban even as they denied it. He offered no proof.

IS has previously claimed attacks against minority Shiites in the same area, last year claiming two brutal attacks on education facilities that killed 50 people, most of them students.

Even as the IS has been degraded in Afghanistan, according to government and US officials, it has stepped-up its attacks particularly against Shiite Muslims and women workers.

Earlier the group took responsibility for the targeted killing of three women media personnel in eastern Afghanistan.

The attack comes days after the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 American troops officially began leaving the country. They will be out by Sept. 11 at the latest. The pullout comes amid a resurgent Taliban, who control or hold sway over half of Afghanistan.

The top U.S. military officer said Sunday that Afghan government forces face an uncertain future and possibly some bad possible outcomes against Taliban insurgents as the withdrawal accelerates in the coming weeks.

_____

Associated Press photographer Rahmat Gul and video journalist Ahmad Seir in Kabul, Afghanistan and Kathy Gannon in Islamabad, Pakistan contributed to this report.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-07 22:54:41|Editor: huaxia

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People walk into the venue of the first China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, May 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Hongfa)

HAIKOU, May 7 (Xinhua) -- As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage and the world economy drags on, the first China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) marks a major step by China to further open its market and bolster the global economy.

The four-day event opened on Thursday in the southern island province of Hainan. It is the first-ever expo focusing on quality consumer goods held by China at the national level.

Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido was the first cosmetics company to sign up for the expo. It also participated in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) held in Shanghai in 2019 and 2020, attracted by the world's most promising consumer market.

Shiseido China CEO Kentaro Fujiwara said the CICPE has created a global platform for international investors to display and trade consumer products. He said it has injected new impetus into global consumption growth, showing China's consistent efforts to share its market opportunities with the rest of the world.

"We are very optimistic about the favorable investment environment in China and confident in the prospects of the Chinese market. We will introduce more new brands, products and technologies into China," he said.

Shiseido is one of the 648 foreign enterprises showcasing over 1,300 brands to consumers at the expo. Covering 80,000 square meters, including 60,000 square meters of international exhibition space, it is expected to be the largest exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Foreign enterprises and brands account for the majority of the exhibitors, which once again proves China's firm determination to promote higher-level opening-up," said Wang Bingnan, China's vice minister of commerce. "It also demonstrates that foreign enterprises are optimistic about the Chinese market and full of confidence in China's economic development."

People walk into the venue of the first China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, May 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Hongfa)

Switzerland, as the event's guest country of honor, has an exhibition area of approximately 1,100 square meters for 40 well-known luxury goods and high-end consumer goods enterprises.

The expo marks another big step forward in the construction of the Hainan free trade port (FTP) and the acceleration of China's integration into the global economic system, said Swiss Ambassador to China Bernardino Regazzoni.

China in 2018 proposed the establishment of a free trade zone in Hainan and began construction of the Hainan FTP last year. On April 8, China released a guideline in support of easing market access in the Hainan FTP. That was one among many efforts to build the province into a globally influential, high-level free trade port by the middle of the century.

"The expo is an ideal platform for global high-end brands to enter both Hainan and the whole Chinese market," said Sung Hae Lee, chief representative of the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, which organized the attendance of 50 small and medium-sized firms in the fields of cosmetics, daily necessities and food and healthcare products at the expo.

"We hope the Hainan FTP will become an important gateway for China's opening-up and play a key role in promoting the innovation-driven, high-quality development," said Wang, China's vice minister of commerce.

According to data released by the Ministry of Commerce, the total value of China's imported consumer goods reached nearly 1.6 trillion yuan (about 244.3 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020, accounting for 11 percent of total imports. In the first quarter of this year, China's imports of consumer goods increased by 18.1 percent year on year.

"The potential of the Chinese consumer market will encourage global brands to enhance innovation and increase investment in China, injecting great vitality into the recovery of the global consumer market and economic development," said Yann Bozec, president of Tapestry Asia Pacific, which is also participating in the expo with its latest products. 
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Israeli police have fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at rock-hurling Palestinian youths during protests over West Bank settlements.

Clashes grew increasingly violent outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday amid Palestinians' growing anger over potentially being evicted from their homes to make way for Jewish settlers.

At least 178 Palestinians and six Israeli officers were injured in the night-time clashes at Islam's third-holiest site and around East Jerusalem, Palestinian medics and Israeli police said, as thousands faced off against several hundred Israeli police in riot gear.

Tension has mounted in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with nightly clashes in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah - a neighbourhood where numerous Palestinian families face eviction in a long-running legal case.

Calls for calm and restraint poured in on Friday from the United States and the United Nations, with others including the European Union and Jordan voicing alarm at the possible evictions.

Clashes grew increasingly violent outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday amid Palestinians' growing anger over potentially being evicted from their homes to make way for Jewish settlers. Pictured, an injured Israeli police officer

At least 178 Palestinians and six officers were injured in the night-time clashes at Islam's third-holiest site and around East Jerusalem, Palestinian medics and Israeli police said, as thousands faced off against several hundred Israeli police in riot gear. Pictured, an injured Palestinian protestor

Tension has mounted in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with nightly clashes in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah - a neighbourhood where numerous Palestinian families face eviction in a long-running legal case. Pictured, police fire stun grenades at the crowd

Calls for calm and restraint poured in on Friday from the United States and the United Nations, with others including the European Union and Jordan voicing alarm at the possible evictions. Pictured Israeli police

Tens of thousands of Palestinians packed into the hilltop compound surrounding the mosque earlier on Friday for prayers. Many stayed on to protest against the evictions in the city at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But following the evening meal that breaks the Ramadan fast, clashes broke out at Al-Aqsa with smaller scuffles near Sheikh Jarrah, which sits near the walled Old City's famous Damascus Gate.

Police used water cannon mounted on armoured vehicles to disperse several hundred protesters gathered near the homes of families facing potential eviction.

'If we don't stand with this group of people here, (evictions) will (come) to my house, her house, his house and to every Palestinian who lives here,' said protester Bashar Mahmoud, 23, from the nearby Palestinian neighbourhood of Issawiya.

An Aqsa official appealed for calm on the compound through the mosque's loudspeakers. 'Police must immediately stop firing stun grenades at worshippers, and the youth must calm down and be quiet!'

Israeli police intervene in Muslim worshippers with stun grenades and plastic bullets in Haram al-Sharif area of Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday

Tens of thousands of Palestinians packed into the hilltop compound surrounding the mosque earlier on Friday for prayers. Many stayed on to protest against the evictions in the city at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Crowds of Palestinian protesters gathered outside the mosque to celebrate Ramadan

Police used water cannon mounted on armoured vehicles to disperse several hundred protesters gathered near the homes of families facing potential eviction. Pictured Israeli police

Israeli police duck behind a wall for cover as they tackled the mounting tensions

There were scenes of chaos outside the mosque as tensions flared once again between Israeli police and Palestinians

Israeli police are pictured lined up outside the mosque after successfully dispersing the crowd

Israel's Supreme Court will hold a hearing on the Sheikh Jarrah evictions on Monday, the same day that Israel marks Jerusalem Day - its annual celebration of its capture of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war.

The Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service said 88 of the Palestinians injured were taken to hospital after being hit with rubber-coated metal bullets.

One of the injured lost an eye, two suffered serious head wounds and two had their jaws fractured, the Red Crescent said. The rest of the injuries were minor, it added.

A police spokeswoman said Palestinians had thrown rocks, fireworks and other objects towards officers, with some of the six injured requiring medical treatment.

'We will respond with a heavy hand to any violent disturbance, rioting or harm to our officers, and will work to find those responsible and bring them to justice,' the spokeswoman said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he 'held (Israel) responsible for the dangerous developments and sinful attacks taking place in the holy city' and called on the U.N. Security Council to hold an urgent session on the issue.

Violence has also increased in the occupied West Bank, where two Palestinian gunmen were killed and a third critically injured on Friday after they opened fire at an Israeli base, police said. After that incident, Israel's military said it would send additional combat troops to the West Bank.

Sheikh Jarrah's residents are overwhelmingly Palestinian, but the neighbourhood also contains a site revered by religious Jews as the tomb of an ancient high priest, Simon the Just.

The number of injured rose to 178 in Israeli attacks at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Damascus gate of the Old City and Sheikh Jarrah district in East Jerusalem on late Friday. Pictured, Israeli police

Stun grenades were set off as part of efforts to disperse the angry crowd on Friday

Israeli police intervened to try to disperse crowds angry about residents facing the possibility of eviction

Palestinians ducked for cover as they were pelted with stun grenades on Friday

The spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said the evictions, 'if ordered and implemented, would violate Israel's obligations under international law' on East Jerusalem territory it captured and occupied, along with the West Bank, from neighbouring Jordan in 1967.

'We call on Israel to immediately halt all forced evictions, including those in Sheikh Jarrah, and to cease any activity that would further contribute to a coercive environment and lead to a risk of forcible transfer,' spokesman Rupert Colville said on Friday.

Washington was 'deeply concerned about the heightened tensions in Jerusalem,' said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jalina Porter.

'As we head into a sensitive period in the days ahead, it will be critical for all sides to ensure calm and act responsibly to deescalate tensions and avoid violent confrontation,' Porter said.

The European Union, Jordan and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council have expressed alarm at the potential evictions.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Jordan had given the Palestinian Authority documents that he said showed the Sheikh Jarrah Palestinians were the 'legitimate owners' of their homes.

Israel's 'provocative steps in occupied Jerusalem and violation of Palestinian rights, including the rights of the people of Sheikh Jarrah in their homes, is playing with fire,' Safadi said in a foreign ministry statement on Twitter.

Israel's foreign ministry said on Friday that Palestinians were 'presenting a real-estate dispute between private parties as a nationalist cause, in order to incite violence in Jerusalem.' Palestinians rejected the allegation.
At the height of the French Terror, Maximillian Robespierre recommended that in the name of equality all church steeples be demolished. The reason? They towered over other buildings and thus signified conflict with the principles of equality.

For the Left, destruction is always the means for achieving equality. The inexorable logic of leveling differentiations, be they institutional or in nature itself, has now reached the level of insanity.

Todays revolutionaries have taken the principle of destruction of hierarchies, including religious hierarchies, even further than the most ardent advocates of the Terror. In the name of liberty, equality, and fraternity, they have pronounced Nature itself, including the biological distinction between men and women, as inherently unjust.

As the collective Laboria Cuboniks posted on Twitter, If nature is unjust, change nature.

The annihilation of Nature itself, including the abolition of gender is a goal: XF is vehemently anti-naturalist. Essentialist naturalism reeks of theology -- the sooner it is exorcised, the better.

The view of nature as unjust is a succinct description of the neo-gnostic, secularist ideology that is foundational to the transgender wing currently driving the LGBTQ+ movement.

The neo-gnostics see the material world, including the binary of male and female as inherently evil and oppressive. Sexual identity as given at birth can be reformulated by individual and collective will. The human being can be transformed by pharmaceutical and technological means, with the result that the human being is transhuman.

As Mareile Pfannebecker wrote in an extensive review of Helen Hesters Xenofemminism, todays most radical feminism requires regeneration, not rebirth, and the possibilities for our reconstitution include the utopian dream of the hope for a monstrous world without gender.

Modern trans feminists must combat the unwillingness to share and change the shape of womanhood, and thus to the defense of an essentialist gender identity category The overall goal to overcome gender as a system of domination is translated into an offer of creative bodily autonomy.

The goal: A fully automated luxury communist gender proliferation that includes self-determined healthcare for all impregnatables and access to the tools for changing gendered embodiment for all who want them the demand for womens rights also means the right for everyone to be a woman, or not, or anything else. [Italics mine.]

Laboria Cuboniks adds that every human being has the right to speak as no one in particular. Admittedly, such a goal is an arduous assertion of freedom against an order that seemed immutable the old order of 'sex'.

In sum, Xenofeminism is gender-abolitionist Gender abolitionism' is shorthand for the ambition to construct a society where traits currently assembled under the rubric of gender, no longer furnish a grid for the asymmetric operation of power

Nature will and must yield to technological manipulation. Admittedly, the project of untangling what ought to be from what is, of dissociating freedom from fact, will from knowledge, is, indeed, an infinite task. But In the name of feminism, 'Nature' shall no longer be a refuge of injustice, or a basis for any political justification whatsoever!

O, brave new world in which one is neither male nor female!

But echoing Eric Voegelins remarks about the unchangeability of Nature, Benjamin Wilker writes in The New Gnosticism:

Being divided into male and female is not a punishment from which we escape, but a privilege, an intended gift of the Creator that defines, for each person, the very depths of his or her being.

Wilker adds that the new Gnosticism puts forth a non-Christian plan of salvation:

Human beings themselves perform the function of the redeeming deity; their increasing technical power saves humanity from the ill effects, the suffering, and the limitations of the human flesh; the scientist himself becomes the savior who reveals scientific knowledge -- gnosis -- that allows us to escape from the evils of the material world into a paradise of our own making the natural distinction of male and female is one more natural limitation that the new Gnostic seeks to remove.

Seldom has a movement been more destructive to the very idea of what it means to be human than the LGBTQ+ religious/political movements. Such are essentially anti-human in their desire to remove gender altogether.

The consequences of the trans movement are unfolding before our eyes as girls are reduced to the status described by Aldous Huxley in Brave New World, in which women become freemartins intentionally sterilized by the injection of male hormones, thus becoming infertile. Meanwhile, young men are being castrated, essentially becoming eunuchs. Some fifty clinics in America are dedicated to the project of eliminating gender via pharmaceutical and surgical means.

All this could be dismissed as a temporary craze if it were not for the fact the trans movement has gone mainstream and has become a cornerstone of Americas domestic and foreign policies. Such is the ascendancy of the trans madness that the former Bruce Jenner, who now goes by the name Caitlin, is being put forth by some Republicans as a viable candidate for the governor of California.

As for the Christian view of the human being as created male and female in the image of God?

Christian churches are now warned that more than the elimination of steeples is in the offing. The goal of the LGBTQ+ movement, as now led by the trans movement, is the elimination of male and female and thus also Jesus Christ, the Son of Man.

The current ideas of the LGBTQ+ movement are a return to the gnostic idea that Christ could not have had a human body. His humanity is become irrelevant, as the trans movement repudiates the relevance of human flesh or regards its current forms as male and female abhorrent and intrinsically unjust. The Christ of history disappears. In place of the Son of Man who came to seek and to save those who are lost is the being redeemed by pharmaceutical and technological means.

In sum, hatred of and the passion to eliminate the distinction of male and female is hatred of the Christian proclamation that the Word could become flesh, die and resurrect as the Redeemer of mankind.

A strong word of warning for the Church: It is quite clear the reason for the rapid spread of neo-gnostic ideas throughout all institutions, including the churches, is that the passion of its adherents is too often far greater than the passion of the Church for the gospel of Christ.

The Church needs passionately committed leaders who understand and stand up against the Gnosticism of the trans movement. Pastors and priests must stand up like Athanasius and be counted among those who believe in the creed named after him:

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirt of the virgin Mary and was made man and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

Amen.

Fay Voshell holds a M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, which awarded her the prize for excellence in systematic theology. A contributor to American Thinker for a decade, her thoughts also have appeared in many online magazines. She may be reached at fvoshell@yahoo.com.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
She often sends temperatures soaring with sizzling social media snaps.

And Eve Gale didn't disappoint as she posed up a storm and flaunted her side boob in a very skimpy pink bodysuit.

The Love Island star, 21, took to Instagram on Saturday to model the Fashion Nova one piece as she posed in a mirror selfie.

Stunning: Eve Gale, 21, showed off some serious sidebook in a very skimpy top worn with tiny denim shorts on Instagram on Saturday

She showed off her assets in the backless halterneck number which was cut away at the sides tied to protect her modesty.

Eve put her lithe legs on display as she paired it with some white denim shorts with slash details across peachy derriere.

The TV personality wore her golden stresses in a chic curled ponytail and left her fringe hanging at the side of her face.

Pose: The Love Island star showed off her assets in the backless halterneck number which was cut away at the sides and a pair of slashed white denim shorts

Turning up the heat: Appearing to be pining for warmer climates, Eve penned: 'Holiday ready @fashionnova'

Appearing to be pining for warmer climates, Eve penned: 'Holiday ready @fashionnova fashionnovapartner'. (sic)

No stranger to putting on a sizzling display, Eve turned up the heat again on Friday when she modelled her new lingerie set in two racy snaps.

Leaving little to the imagination, she slipped into a lavender-hued bra and matching thong while posing.

Perched on the edge of her bed, Eve wore a full face of glam for the impromptu shoot.

Wow: Eve turned up the heat again on Friday when she modelled her new lilac lingerie set in two racy snaps shared on Instagram

With her long blonde hair cascading past her shoulders, the sun-kissed TV personality tucked her right leg beneath her body as she looked back over her shoulder at the camera.

Eve and her twin sister and fellow Love Island star Jess recently returned to the UK following their 'work' trip to the UAE.

The TV twins were just two of many celebrities who jetted to Dubai throughout the pandemic.

They joined many other Love Islanders including Joanna Chimonides, Hayley Hughes and Francesca Allen.

Sizzling: Leaving little to the imagination, she slipped into a lavender-hued bra and matching thong while posing for her followers

After Dubai joined UK's travel ban list, celebrities then began flocking to Mexico's bars and beaches as it established itself as the next COVID getaway destination.

Many stars insisted their trips were for 'work purposes' after criticism from Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Several influencers were forced to hit back at fans after they were criticised for jetting off on holiday during the global pandemic.

Jess and Eve rose to fame on the first ever series of winter Love Island back in 2020.

While Eve was booted off after less than a week, Jess made it to the final with Ched Uzor - with the pair going their separate ways shortly afterwards.
Flagging the issue of shortage of COVID vaccines to innoculate the beneficiaries of the age group of 18-44 years in Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the second dose of vaccine is also pending for those of 45 years and above.

"We have less number of vaccines for the age group of 18-44 years. The second dose of vaccine is also pending for those of 45 years and above. We want to give priority to the second dose vaccination of those above 45 years of age," Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar told mediapersons.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that if the Centre does not provide the vaccine doses then the state will transfer the doses allotted for the age group of 18-44 years to that of 45 years and above.

"Almost 4 lakh people of 45 years and above are waiting for their second dose. There is no supply of Covaxin and if we do not get the supply, we have to transfer vaccines allotted to 18-44 years to 45 years and above age group," Tope told mediapersons.

reported 54,022 new COVID cases and 898 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the State health department. As many as 37,386 people recovered from the disease in the state in the said period.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In San Antonio, Texas, USA, a federal jury convicted Mehrdad Ansari, a 39-year-old Iranian citizen and a resident of the United Arab Emirates and Germany, for scheming to obtain military sensitive parts for Iran in violation of the Iranian Trade Embargo. The Western District of Texas of the U.S. Attorneys Office of the U.S. Department of Justice informed this in a statement released on Friday.

As per this statement, these parts had dual-use military and civilian capability and could be used in such systems as nuclear weapons, missile guidance and development, secure tactical radio communications, offensive electronic warfare, military electronic countermeasures (radio jamming), and radar warning and surveillance systems.

The jury convicted Ansari of one count of conspiracy to violate the Iranian Transaction Regulations (ITR), one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of the Treasury and two counts of aiding and abetting the making of false statements. Evidence presented during trial revealed that Ansari attempted to transship cargo obtained from the U.S. by co-defendants Taiwanese citizen Susan Yip, aka Susan Yeh, and Iranian citizen Mehrdad Foomanie, aka Frank Foomanie, using Ansaris companies, Gulf Gate Sea Cargo L.L.C. and Global Merchant L.L.C., located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

From October 9, 2007, to June 15, 2011, primarily Yip and Foomanie obtained or attempted to obtain from companies worldwide over 105,000 parts valued at approximately $2,630,800 involving more than 1,250 transactions. The defendants conducted 599 transactions with 63 different U.S. companies in which they obtained or attempted to obtain parts from U.S. companies without notifying the U.S. companies these parts were being shipped to Iran or getting the required U.S. government license to ship these parts to Iran.

At no time did Yip, Foomanie or Ansari, individually or through any of their companies, ever apply for or receive either a required U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) license or Department of Commerce export license to ship any item listed in this indictment to the Republic of Iran.

Iranian Transaction Regulations prohibit, among other things, the exportation, re-exportation, sale or supply, directly or indirectly, to Iran or the Government of Iran, of any goods, technology or services from the U.S. or by a U.S. person. The embargo also prohibits any transaction by any U.S. person or within the U.S. that evades or avoids, or has the purpose of evading or avoiding, any prohibition set forth in the Executive Orders.

Ansari faces up to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to violate Iranian Trade Regulations; up to five years for conspiracy to commit wire fraud; up to five years for conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of the Treasury; and up to five years on each count of aiding and abetting the making of false statements. Sentencing is scheduled for September 1, 2021.

In October 2012, Yip was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to violate the ITR by acting as a broker and conduit for Foomanie to buy items in the U.S. and have them unlawfully shipped to Iran. Mehrdad Foomanie remains a fugitive.
Being an entrepreneur means that you fully embrace ambiguity and are comfortable with risks. One of such enthusiast beings who is always ready to take up the challenge and face risk is Entrepreneur Ferrat Destine. Ferrat is a multi-talented personality who was born and brought in Port au Prince, Haiti. Back in Haiti, he was popularly known as the Project man who has successfully initiated a series of remarkable projects. He is also a service provider and the CEO of Impress Service LLC. Ferrat is a visionary who is passionate about expanding his services in other states.

Ferrat completed his primary studies at Saint Louis de Gonzague and secondary education at the Grand College L'humanisme. He graduated in information system and technology from the Union County College. The multitalented entrepreneur has initiated valuable projects which includes: Qui etes vous?", a platform where students meet Haitian artists of all genres and "Haiti, un nouveau regard", a series of debates and broadcast among young people from different universities on national television in Haiti. Ferrat's achievements are diverse. With the support of Sogebank he published the first Haitian photo novel "Les Dessous Inavoues".

Aside from being a dedicated professional, Ferrat is also a family man, a friend and a counselor. He is interested in helping individuals and understand themselves and improve all aspects of their lives. Ferrat believes that individual ought to act to make the difference. The hardworking personality had a lot in his plat from a young age. Ferrat supported his family as a student, and it was tough for him to do that alongside working full time. His constant efforts and skills later payed off. Working as a service provider Ferrat enjoys the the privilege of solving specific problems for his customers. When asked about his proudest moment the young entrepreneur explains that his business gave him the opportunity to assist the most vulnerable people during the pandemic.

Ferrat is a progressive manager who goes above and beyond to satisfy his clients. His goal is to make his company the top-notch service provider in the industry by delivering top-quality services to customers across the United States. He also admits that such an exposure and growth will prove a lofty opportunity to serve which he will never misuse. His goal has always been to share and build creatively and with his enormous capabilities Ferrat will undoubtedly do the impossible. You can follow Ferrat Destine on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn

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The Special Rapporteur on Child Protection has said Ireland has the potential to become a "world leader" in assisting the needs of those who have suffered sexual abuse by using facility dogs to help them in the criminal justice system.

Last year, Children At Risk in Ireland (CARI) advertised for the part-time position of Court Accompaniment Officer and Secondary Dog Handler as part of its two-year pilot research project to assess the impact of a facility dog in mitigating trauma for children in the Irish Justice System.

Eve Farrelly, CARI executive director, told the Irish Examiner at the time that it was "groundbreaking stuff" and that it would mean specially trained dogs would be able to stay in the video link room with a child while they give evidence, as well as other support functions.

Now, in a guest blog on the website of another support organisation, One In Four, Professor Conor OMahony of the School of Law at University College Cork said researchers in the college will be involved in assessing the effectiveness of facility dogs in mitigating the risk of re-traumatisation for people who have experienced sexual abuse.

Prof. O'Mahony, who delivered his first report as government-appointed Rapporteur last December, said the use of facility dogs was already occurring in America, such as through the Courthouse Dogs Foundation in Seattle, Washington, where specially trained dogs accompany sexual abuse survivors during their police interview, forensic examination and courtroom testimony.

Professor Conor OMahony, Government of Ireland Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, has kindly agreed to write our guest blog this week on mitigating re-traumatisation in sexual abuse cases with the use of specially trained dogs @ConorUCCLaw @cari_ie https://t.co/dqJ3KGn0Rx  One in Four (@oneinfourirish) May 6, 2021

"In addition to the risk of re-traumatisation, children who have suffered the trauma of sexual abuse typically struggle to share details of their experiences with others and are likely to mistrust adults, which can hinder communication," he said.

"Facility dogs can help to overcome both the risk of re-traumatisation and the barriers to effective communication. The presence of a facility dog accompanying the child leads to decreased biological stress indicators.

"The dog provides comfort and assists a child witness to remain calm so that they can cognitively process and respond to the questions. The animal can provide a bridge between a child and a social worker during questioning about a traumatic event. This increased sense of comfort leads to higher levels of social interaction and a safer environment for disclosures to take place.

Dogs can help make the experience of forensic interviews less stressful not only for the child, but also the interviewer, judge, jury, clerks, prosecutors and defence counsel, witnesses and observers.

He said Victim Support Europe is leading a facility dogs project, funded by the EUs Justice Programme (2014-2020), in Belgium, France and Italy and researchers at the School of Law in UCC will work to assess the effectiveness of facility dogs.

He referred to the Barnahaus/Onehouse centre in Galway, the country's first multi-agency specialist centre for victims of child sexual abuse, and said while facility dogs have not yet been introduced in Ireland, now is "the perfect opportunity to do so".

"While the Barnahus model is internationally recognised as best practice in the field, no country has yet combined the benefits of the Barnahus model with the use of facility dogs.

"Ireland has an opportunity to become a world leader in meeting the needs of people who have experienced sexual abuse by incorporating facility dogs into the Barnahus/Onehouse project and documenting the resulting synergies."
Judge Colleen McMahon ripped into the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where Jeffrey Epstein killed himself

A furious judge has blasted the U.S. Justice Department as 'morons' for the 'inhuman' conditions at federal jails in New York City - which she says make it impossible to give a fair sentence to convicted people.

Manhattan Federal Judge Colleen McMahon made her comments at an April 29 sentencing hearing for Tiffany Days, 40, who was convicted of drug dealing in the Bronx borough of New York City, the New York Daily News revealed.

Days' lawyer had filed a letter with the court before her sentencing noting the conditions she allegedly endured at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan - the same jail where Jeffrey Epstein killed himself in 2019.

Judge McMahon ripped into the prison officials after Days' letter - also blasting the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn where Epstein's accused madam Ghislaine Maxwell is currently being held.

The furious judge, second left, has blasted the U.S. Justice Department as 'morons' for the 'inhuman' conditions at federal jails in New York City

McMahon made her comments at an April 29 sentencing hearing for Tiffany Days, 40, who was jailed at the same facility where Epstein was when he killed himself

Judge McMahon also ripped into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn where Epstein's accused madam Ghislaine Maxwell is currently being held

The Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan has faced a litany of scandals and turnover of wardens since Epstein's death

'The single thing in the five years that I was chief judge of this court that made me the craziest was my complete and utter inability to do anything meaningful about the conditions at the MCC,' McMahon said in the hearing.

'Especially at the MCC and the MDC, two federal correctional facilities located in the City of New York that are run by morons, which wardens cycle (through) repeatedly, never staying for longer than a few months or even a year.'

According to the New York Post, McMahon also said: 'There is no continuity, there is no leadership, there is no ability to get anything done. They lurch from crisis to crisis, from the gun smuggling to Jeffrey Epstein, none of which is the fault of Ms. Days or any of the other inmates I have sentenced or will sentence.'

'It is the finding of this Court that the conditions to which she was subjected are as disgusting, inhuman as anything I've heard about any Colombian prison, but more so because we're supposed to be better than that,' she added.

In her letter, Days claims she had to wear used menstrual items because they were not provided to her on a consistent basis. She alleged that she was also not allowed to shower and was served expired food.

Days also claimed she shared her cell with rodents and that her cell repeatedly flooded with backed-up feces, the letter reads.

Days had been placed in isolation for more than 75 days, not as a form of punishment, but because officials believed she had COVID-19 and because of a headline-making lockdown when a gun was found to have been smuggled into the jail, it reads.

'Ms. Days has been in the [Special Housing Unit] so much that she now has permanent mental damage: she is literally afraid of closed environments,' the letter reads.

'Every time a guard comes to her cell she literally begins to shake for fear that she is going to be placed in the SHU.'

A view shows the inside of a contact visiting area inside the Special Housing Unit at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn

A view shows the inside of a recreational cell inside the Special Housing Unit at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn

Judge McMahon sentenced Days to the mandatory minimum of five years in prison while calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland and top Bureau of Prisons officials to do something about the 'disgusting and inhuman' conditions at the two prisons.

'I wish that the Attorney General, whoever, head of the Bureau of Prisons and the leader of the Congress, would have heard that presentation,' McMahon said.

In sentencing documents, the court recommended that the Bureau of Prisons imprison Days in a facility in or close to the New York City - 'but NOT the MCC or MDC' - to facilitate family visitation.

Since Epstein's suicide, the MCC has faced a number of scandals.

Two correctional officers who were working the night Epstein hanged himself have pleaded not guilty to sleeping at work and browsing the internet. Correctional officers were also charged in federal court with making false records and conspiring to make false records and to defraud the United States in relation to Epstein's death.

Photos of Jeffrey Epstein's dead body, his cell and the noose as shown on CBS 60 Minutes

Corrections officers who were on duty at the time of Epstein's death have pleaded not guilty to their charges

Lamine NDiaye was the interim warden when Epstein died, after which he was replaced by Marti Licon-Vitale, 54, who quit in January after just a year on the job.

Under Licon-Vitale, the jail faced scandals including the gun smuggling incident, an inmate death, and a scandal in which an another inmate, whose lawyer said has the mental capacity of a child, was kept in a holding cell for 24 hours while waiting for a competency evaluation - violating prison system regulations, the Associated Press reported.

Eric Williams was named the new interim warden after Licon-Vitale left.

NDiaye has now been moved to a leadership position at another federal correctional facility, WNBC reported in February.

Conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center, where Maxwell is currently being held, are not much better as that jail has faced its own share of scandals.

Protesters attend a rally at Metropolitan Detention Center demanding that heat is restored for the inmates in the Brooklyn borough of New York City in 2019

Inmates were left without heat while temperatures plummeted to around 2 degrees

Protesters were heard chanting 'Y'all Freeze, We Freeze' while standing outside of the jail in solidarity

In January 2019, a power failure left inmates freezing in their cells while temperatures plummeted to about 2 degrees.

Protesters at the time were heard chanting 'Y'all freeze, We Freeze' while standing outside the prison in solidarity - while prisoners rattled at the bars of their windows in a bid for help amid the freezing temperatures.

Maxwell has been in engaged in a legal battle with MDC administrators over conditions in the jail - after she claimed in a filing made by her lawyer that she was forced to drink dirty tap water and that a guard 'physically abused' her during a pat-down search while awaiting trial.

Defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim had written in a letter to U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan that, because of conditions at the prison, Maxwell 'is withering to a shell of her former selflosing weight, losing hair, and losing her ability to concentrate.'

Jail staff shot back that British socialite 'frequently did not flush her toilet after using it, which caused the cell to smell', prosecutors said in a letter filed in federal court.

The document also revealed that Maxwell has been given the coronavirus vaccination while in custody and that she is 'physically healthy' after she complained last month that she has been held in 'detrimental' conditions.
Employees of Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) say they have were blindsided with a 33 1/3 per cent pay cut in their salaries.

While some workers were under the impression the cut was supposed to occur next fortnight, many were unprepared for managements move.

One employee told the Express yesterday while talk was being bandied about a few days ago with regard to the pay cut, she thought more notice would have been given to staff since globally theres a pandemic. I am hurt and disappointed.
A former reality TV star who became addicted to drugs and was busted with a vile collection of child pornography containing material of the 'utmost depravity' has been jailed.

Matt Goyder, 30, was sentenced to two years jail in the District Court of Western Australia over his possession of 4118 images and videos showing the sexual abuse of children and babies.

WA District Court Judge Karen Shepherd said the material Goyder possessed showed 'high levels of perversion and debauchery'.

Convicted pedophile Matt Goyder shot to fame in 2016 after finding love with ex-Zoo Weekly model April Vaughan on the Channel 9 show. He spiralled when it ended, sliding into a haze of meth and steroids before suffering a heart attack and brain injury - then being caught trying to distribute child sexual abuse material of 'the utmost depravity'

Matt Goyder spent 13 months in a Perth rehabilitation program

Judge Shepherd paused several times while reading out the abuse inflicted on the children, one of whom she believed to be younger than six months, The West Australian reported.

The WA District Court heard most of the images involved 'penetrative activity between a child and another child or an adult'.

Goyder sat covering his face with his hands during proceedings.

He was arrested in February 2020 after being caught in a police sting when he tried to send videos to an undercover officer from the WA Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team using WhatsApp.

Officers raided the property where Goyder was staying in East Perth and seized several mobile phones and electronic devices.

Goyder, a helicopter pilot, pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing the material in May 2020.

The court heard grim details of Goyder's dramatic decline since appearing on Channel 9's Farmer Wants a Wife in 2016.

He was apparently dumped by his 'wife' Zoo model April Vaughan before the show finale and turned to methamphetamine to cope, the court was told.

Former reality television show contestant Matt Goyder confessed to possessing and distributing child sex abuse material online

He became a Lifeline ambassador after he spoke out about his battles with anxiety, depression and PTSD.

But in 2019 Goyder overdosed on meth and also took steroids, which led to a cardiac arrest.

He was rushed to hospital but suffered a hypoxic brain injury after being deprived of oxygen.

The court heard instead of abstaining, Goyder returned to drug-taking which fuelled his increasing risk-taking behaviour.

Judge Shepherd said the sentence she handed down took into account Goyder's early guilty plea, his remorse and his mental health issues, the fact he had no criminal record and his efforts with rehabilitation.

He spent 13 months at Shalom House, a faith-based facility in Perth.

After he faced the Perth Magistrates Court in 2020, a trembling Goyder told reporters: 'I am seeking help to address my issues, including my substance abuse.'
Yokozuna Hakuho, who holds the all-time record of 44 top-division titles, pulled out of the upcoming Summer Sumo Grand Tournament on Friday and will miss a sixth straight basho, the equal third-longest injury absence by a grand champion in sumo history.

Hakuho will rank behind Kisenosato, who failed to complete eight straight grand tournaments for the longest absence for a yokozuna since the current six-tournament system was introduced in 1958, and Takanohana, who holds the second-longest such streak with seven consecutive tournament withdrawals.

He joins Kashiwado, Kitanoumi, and Musashimaru who all missed six tournaments during their yokozuna careers.

The 15-day competition opens Sunday at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Hakuho underwent knee surgery in March and had mapped out a plan to skip the summer meet and return to the dohyo at the Nagoya basho in July. There, the 36-year-old Mongolia-born wrestler will be expected to either perform at a high level or face a call to retire.
In the article Pregnant women prioritized Dr Henry stated that vaccines are approved by Health Canada. This is interesting. Health Canada has only authorized vaccines for emergency use (Vaccines for COVID-19: Authorized Vaccines) and they are currently in phase three clinical trials. They are not approved. I'm not sure how it's possible for the PHO of a province of over 5m people to fail to identify the critical difference between authorized and approved, but here is Bankrupt Bonnie once again demonstrating her lack of credibility. For hardworking taxpayers, is the best leadership BC can offer?

In KGH nurses 'burning out' we are informed of the load placed on our hard working front line healthcare staff, complete with before/after photo of Kathryn, a KGH nurse. This is awful, reflecting the visible impact the pandemic has placed on people. Kathryn, if you're reading this, thank you.

It doesn't tell the invisible story or the hidden damage of health restrictions. It doesn't show the invisible horror of mental health issues, depression, suicide, suicidal ideation, anxiety, loneliness, and other issues caused not by a virus, but by PHO orders that are destroying society and our communities. It is a war waged on humanity by unelected health tyrants.

Dr. Justine Amaro in Ontario stated Ive literally sat with an elderly person who has begged me to please provide them with medical assistance in dying, because they would rather die than continue living in an isolated way. We are being broken and our seniors and loved ones are giving up hope. Purely because of health tyranny. Henry, Dix and co are destroying us and breaking the spirit of the human soul. Seniors who survived world wars are losing the will to live.

Perhaps, in light of this abject inhuman cruelty and sustained breaches of the Charter, we should turn matters over to the lawyers so they can proceed with Nuremburg-2 Human Rights trials. Rocco Galati is the Canadian lawyer leading our part of this global legal movement. Godspeed, Rocco....our great hope.

It begs the question, after 14 months passing by to plan for contingencies, why are our front line workers so overburdened? Why is there no flex capacity and why is a province of over 5m people being held to ransom and people's lives destroyed for an ICU load of 170 people? Our nurses and doctors deserve better support. Bankrupt Bonnie seems to have done nothing, apart from write a book, to plan for any contingency. And why, after one outbreak at Cottonwoods, is there no other option for KGH to offload patients to free up critical care services? The lack of foresight and contingency planning at the highest level, by well paid public servants, is truly atrocious. Sheer negligence.

Talking about being held to ransom, our compatriots just to the east had the lowest ICU numbers in 2020 since 2015 (FOI request by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms) but the public are told that hospitals are overflowing and at breaking point. Are we really in a terrible pandemic, or a casedemic? Let the facts speak for themselves.

And on the subject of very well paid and accountable health sector employees, I find it incredible that one of Interior Health's most eminent people refuses to answer direct correspondence relating to a serious public health risk. If the science is accurate, and we can trust experts and senior figureheads, why do we need to resort to FOI requests to obtain the truth? I will refrain from identifying the public health official refusing to answer direct correspondence, but I do expect better dialogue and accurate statements in their future public commentary.

Just how much truth can we handle? On 5th May 2021 Dr Fauci stated it is highly improbable a vaccinated person can become infected with COVID-19. At the same time the Seychelles, with the highest vaccination rate in the world at 62%, reports 35% of current cases are people already at least partially vaccinated. The numbers don't stack up and people are rightly asking tough questions. Mumbling Fauci couldn't explain why Texas and Florida were fully open for business, as cases drop. It seems, nobody can.

The truth is out there, somewhere. But it doesn't seem very forthcoming. Perhaps Bankrupt Bonnie could ask Florida Governor DeSantis for guidance in how to lead us out of this endless dystopian misery. That would take a different type of leadership. A kind that wants to take us out of this misery, open up our economy, free us from the wrath of health tyranny, and end this miserable torpor.

Perhaps we need new leadership. Or the truth?

Ricky Daytona, West Kelowna
The federal government will more than double funding for domestic violence prevention to at least $680 million, while also unveiling $354 million in new money for womens health programs in Tuesdays budget.

The womens healthcare package will increase funding for cervical and breast cancer screening, mental health and eating disorder programs and genetic screening of embryos.

Greg Hunt has put together a womens health package worth $354 million for Tuesdays federal budget. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Details of the domestic violence package are being tightly held until budget night on Tuesday but The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age have confirmed the current funding package of $340 million over three years will receive a massive boost.

Some of the funding for domestic violence programs will be allocated over two years and other measures will be allocated for up to four years but the overall spending, each year, will be more than double the current spending.
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese officials held talks with a new U.S. envoy to the Horn of Africa on Saturday aimed at resolving a dispute over Ethiopia's giant hydropower dam on the Blue Nile.

Talks between Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam fell apart in April, and an invitation by Sudan for a prime minister-level summit went unanswered.

Ethiopia is pinning its hopes of economic development and power generation on the dam, which Egypt fears will imperil its water supply. Sudan is also concerned about the impact on its own water flows.

Sudan and Ethiopia are also in the midst of a border dispute over the al-Fashqa region, which Sudan says is part of its internationally recognised border but which Ethiopian farmers have settled for decades.

The new U.S. envoy is veteran diplomat Jeffrey Feltman, who has been tasked with tackling both issues as well as fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

Feltman "showed a deep understanding of Sudan's position, and stressed the importance of carrying on negotiations under the umbrella of the African Union with the involvement of the international community," Sudan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Earlier this week, Feltman met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who emphasized that the Ethiopian dam was "an existential issue for Egypt, which will not allow its water interests to be harmed," the presidency said in a statement.

"We'll see whether we succeed or not," said Dina Mufti, spokesman for Ethiopia's foreign ministry when asked on Saturday about Feltman's upcoming visit, adding that his country would engage him on the relevant topics.

The last round of failed talks were held in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which currently holds the African Union chairmanship, and whose president also met with Sudan's sovereign council head on Saturday in Khartoum.

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Additional reporting by Nairobi Newsroom; Writing by Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Christina Fincher)
Merryman House Donation Drive Today

By West Kentucky Star Staff

WESTERN KENTUCKY - In partnership with First Lady Britainy Beshear, Kroger, and the Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Kroger stores across Kentucky will accept donations to support domestic violence shelters.Today from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., Kroger shoppers are invited to shop for what they need and share an item at the door for the Merryman House Domestic Violence Center."We are continually amazed at how generously our community responds to the needs of others," said Director of Community Engagement, Kayla Myers. "After the success of this event in years past, we can't wait to see how the community will show up for survivors this year!"Volunteers will be onsite at Paducah Kroger locations to share the program's shopping list. You can also access the list via the Shop & Share QR code displayed on signs at the stores.Over the past 11 years, more than $5 million in goods and monetary donations have been raised for Kentucky's 15 domestic violence shelter programs that make up the KCADV.You can learn more about the Merryman House Domestic Crisis Center at the link below.On the Net:
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 7)  Since taking office, President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly blamed the Aquino administration for the loss of Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) to China and for allowing Beijing's reclamation activities in the West Philippine Sea up until now.

But for former Philippine envoy to the United Nations Lauro Baja, more than a blame game, the government should instead move forward and exhaust all possible remedies to enforce the United Nations-backed arbitral ruling that upheld the Philippines' victory before it's too late.

"We should not go back. We should at most learn some lessons from that and move forward on how to enforce the arbitral tribunal," Baja told CNN Philippines' The Source on Friday.

Baja said the government could have also made some concrete measures after Duterte already affirmed the arbitral ruling before the United Nations General Assembly last year. He also expressed disappointment with Duterte's recent statement that the arbitral win is a mere "piece of paper" that can be thrown in a "waste basket."

"Its unfortunate that the President said that the ruling is a mere scrap of paper. Its true, its a scrap of paper but its a scrap of a paper which must be welcomed, treasured, protected and enforced," he said. "To say that it should be thrown in a waste basket, its just mouthing Chinas line of diplomatizing."

In 2016, the arbitral tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea largely ruled in favor of the Philippines in its case against China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea. It invalidated Beijing's "historic rights" claim to nearly the entire waterway and recognized Philippine sovereign rights in areas within its exclusive economic zone and continental shelf that China contests. Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling.

Scarborough Shoal  which lies 124 nautical miles west of Zambales province and within the Philippines 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone  is in the West Philippine Sea.

China now controls the shoal after Philippine ships facing Chinese vessels pulled out from the area in 2012. But the tribunal held that Filipino fishermen had traditional fishing rights in the area, and China should not interfere with those rights.

READ: West Philippine Sea 101: Scarborough Shoal

Duterte had accused retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario of having a hand in the withdrawal of Philippine ships from Scarborough Shoal following a standoff with China. Carpio denied this and dared Duterte to resign if he's proven to be lying.

Del Rosario said the United States brokered an agreement with China and the Philippines in 2012 to settle the impasse, which involves pulling out all ships from the area. China, however, "deceitfully breached" the deal, he added.

The President has nurtured friendly ties with China, and has previously said there was no way the Philippines could reclaim areas occupied by Beijing in the West Philippine Sea "without bloodshed."

He also denied making a campaign promise to ride a jetski to plant the Philippine flag on man-made islands occupied by China.
Dominic West is reportedly concerned that Lily James might decide to speak out about their trip to Rome.

In October, co-stars Lily, 32, and married Dominic, 51, were caught enjoying what appeared to be a racy weekend, leading to his wife Catherine FitzGerald assuring the public they were fine - but banning him from working or talking with the actress.

And a source has now told The Sun that The Pursuit Of Love star is worried that his co-star's side of the story 'could be very different from what he told his wife'.

Claims: Dominic West is reportedly concerned that Lily James might decide to speak out about their trip to Rome, with a source alleging that 'her version of events could be very different to the one he told his wife' (Dominic is pictured with his wife Catherine in October 2020)

The source claimed: 'There is concern about what she is going to say about her side of the story.

'She's remained tight-lipped but her version of events could be very different to the one he told his wife.

'Lily is clearly hurt about being hung out to dry publicly, so it's likely she will set the record straight at some point.'

MailOnline has contacted Dominic West and Lily James' representatives for further comment.

Eye-catching: The married actor sparked worldwide attention when he was pictured on a cosy weekend in Rome with his co-star after they grew close during filming

The source also reflected on Lily's breakup with ex Matt Smith, saying she threw herself into work and filming the upcoming novel adaption.

They continued that Lily and Dominic became 'firm friends' on set and that despite being warned about him being a 'flirt', Lily was 'smitten' ahead of their Rome trip.

While in the Italian city the duo were spotted putting on a very cosy display as they explored Rome and enjoyed lunch with their mutual agent Angharad Wood.

Following the snaps emerging, Dominic put on a public display of unity with his wife Catherine, with the couple releasing a statement about their marriage.

Under orders: Catherine is said to have banned Dominic from speaking with Lily as part of a peace deal struck between the couple (Dominic and Catherine are pictured in 2015)

It read: 'Our marriage is strong and we're very much still together.'

Catherine is also said to have banned Dominic from speaking with the actress as part of a peace deal struck between the couple.

Dominic finally won forgiveness for the infamous photographs that showed him flirting outrageously with Lily while on the secret trip.

However, the Mail On Sunday was recently told there are some strict new rules to guide Dominic's future behaviour.

'He has promised never to see, speak or work with Lily again,' said a friend. Also, there are to be no joint promotional interviews for the forthcoming TV adaptation of Nancy Mitford's novel The Pursuit Of Love.

Ex: The source also reflected on Lily's breakup with ex Matt Smith, who she dated on and off for five years, saying she threw herself into work (Lily pictured with Matt in 2017)

This, apparently, has caused surprise among BBC bosses who hope the series will be a ratings triumph, having scheduled it to be screened in the primetime Sunday 9pm slot occupied by Line Of Duty prior to Sunday's finale.

It is thought that despite initial protestations, the BBC has agreed to the Wests' request.

Since the public scandal, Lily has found love with Queens of the Stone Age rocker Michael Shuman, 35, and has been pictured meeting his parents in the states.

She recently declined to discuss the media storm about Rome in an interview with The Guardian - but admitted there is in fact much to discuss, saying: 'Ach, I'm not really willing to talk about that. There is a lot to say, but not now, I'm afraid.'

Period role: In the new racy drama series based on Nancy Mitford's novel The Pursuit Of Love, Dominic plays the role of Uncle Matthew

Adventurous: Lily plays Linda Radlett, a woman desperate to find love and happiness through marriage in the miniseries which starts on Sunday

Elsewhere last week, Lily gushed over her upcoming drama The Pursuit Of Love, in another promotional interview without co-star Dominic.

The Downton Abbey alum spoke on a Q&A panel for the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival alongside director Emily Mortimer and co-stars Andrew Scott and Emily Beecham about the upcoming drama.

Emily's novel adaptation follows the story of Linda Radlett - played by Lily - and her hunt to find love and marriage, while Dominic plays her Uncle Matthew.

The period drama focuses on two best friends - Linda and Emily's character Fanny - in the interwar years navigating their way in very different styles.

Friendship: The drama focuses on two best friends - Linda (Lily James) and Emily's (Emily Beecham) character Fanny - in the interwar years navigating their way in very different styles

Speaking about bringing the story to life, Lily said the idea for the series came about eight years ago: 'It's been years, this idea that came about from my agents...

'We'd talk about it at dinners and there was this impulse to create this story now on screen with just how intoxicating and precious and wonderful the story and the characters are.'

The production was filmed between July and October last year, with Lily and Dominic's Italy trip taking place shortly after filming on the period drama wrapped.

It is believed that part of Dominic and Catherine's agreement is that he won't do any promo with Lily for the series, in a bid to save their marriage - which BBC bosses have apparently reluctantly agreed to.

It was also revealed earlier in the week that Dominic was issued a stern warning by his own mother-in-law Olda before leaving to film The Pursuit Of Love.

He admitted his wife Catherine's mother told him he couldn't 'mess up' the part as she was a lifelong fan of the book.

Speaking about his character, Dominic told The Daily Star: 'His attitude to life is so not what most people think today in regards to political opinions; how to raise children, the role of women in society they are all so backwards.

'My mother in law very sternly told me how much she loved the books and told me not to mess it up.'

The Pursuit of Love starts on Sunday 9th May at 9.00pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. All three episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer as a boxset
While Saturdays Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra virtual concert officially will conclude Garrett Allmans 40th anniversary season, it wont entirely be over and done with.

Pianist Stephen Beus had been scheduled to perform Rachmaninoffs Piano Concerto No. 2 as a guest soloist for this concert before the pandemic shutdown forced the symphony to cancel its live performances. Allman now is working to get Beus scheduled for next season  if live performances are allowed to happen.

That will be determined largely by Illinois College, because we prefer (performing in) Rammelkamp Chapel and we will abide by their policy, Allman said. So far thats been no ones allowed on campus except faculty, students, staff. Were fully in agreement with them, so we will need to abide by their policies come September.

The symphony also is considering the possibility of that policy allowing live performances but with fewer than the approximately 50 musicians it usually has.

If we need to do live with reduced forces, well have to do smaller ensembles and a smaller audience, Allman said.

A live outdoor concert, like Jacksonville Main Streets summer concert series on the downtown square or Pilot Club of Jacksonvilles Concerts in the Park at the Community Park bandstand, really isnt a consideration, Allman said.

Its kind of dependent on the weather, for one thing, he said. Acoustically, you need to have a shell if the audience is going to hear much, have that amplification. Generally, without a lot of acoustical help, band music works out better than orchestral. String instruments dont carry well outside.

While the Boston Pops Orchestra famously performs an outdoor Fourth of July concert on the Charles River Esplanade in Boston and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has an outdoor summer series at the Ravinia Park pavilion in Highland Park, those really are not outdoors, Allman said, noting that the Ravinia pavilion is fully covered by a roof to help with acoustics, even though the sides are open, and the Boston Pops concert takes place at the Hatch Memorial Shell, which fully covers the orchestra and also aids acoustics.

Its an odd feeling, Allman said of what went into planning the current season and trying to get a grasp on next season. This whole past year has been totally out of our control.
LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- A 23-year-old suspect wanted by Lakewood police in the killing of a 44-year-old man turned himself in Saturday, police say.

Bruce Ford of Cleveland turned himself in at 6 p.m. with his attorney, Lakewood police said Saturday evening.

Police took him immediately into custody. He was taken to Solon City Jail without bond pending his first court appearance. An officer would not say why he was being taken to Solon jail.

Ford is accused of aggravated murder in the death of Lakewood resident Shontell Rose. Wilmarie Ford, 22, of Cleveland also is charged with Roses shooting death.

Wilmarie Ford is being held in Cuyahoga County Jail pending her court appearance May 27, Lakewood Municipal Court records say.

The incident happened just after midnight at Roses Elmwood Avenue home near Madison Avenue, police said.

Both of the Fords roles in the altercation remain under investigation, though, both appear to have known Rose.

Police have yet to return a call seeking comment on the relationship between the Fords.

Police went to Roses home after receiving a call about a disturbance that had taken place several hours before Rose was found dead, police said.

Police say there was an altercation. What the altercation was about is under investigation, police said.

Read more crime stories on cleveland.com:

Woman charged with aggravated murder in shooting death of Lakewood man, police say

One in custody after man found fatally shot in Lakewood apartment, police say

Maple Heights police investigating after two men killed in daytime shooting

Grand jury indicts woman in deadly beating of man at East Cleveland automotive shop

Man found dead on side of East Cleveland street, police say
Jersey fishermen today started giving away their lobster hauls for free as the dispute over fishing rights with France escalated.

France issued a legal notice to British fishermen last night that they were no longer welcome into French ports after one Jersey boat was threatened with violence and turned back.

Fishermen at St Helier Port, which was blockaded by French rivals this week, said they had been left in a vicious cycle due to the dispute.

Gary Maranet, 33, skipper of a 26-foot boat, began emptying his lobster pots and giving the expensive fish away to the public.

He said: Jersey fishermen like me are stuck and in a dead end.

We are running out of bait and if we had supplies there would be no point in fishing as the export to France where most of the fish ends up has been virtually stopped.

I have got lobster pots full of fish and they wont live much longer as they have started eating each other I am giving them away free.

Jersey fishermen today started giving away their lobster hauls for free as the dispute over fishing rights with France escalated. Fishermen Toby Greatbatch (pictured) spoke to Mailonline today after French fishing boats blocked St Helier harbour in Jersey this week

He pulled a lobster pot out of the water onto his boat and said: There is around 200 worth of lobster here and they are going to perish. I am giving my lobster away for free.

The prices have also dropped from wholesalers who have stopped buying them as they cant be taken to France.

Before it was the French guys stopping our boats berthing and off-loading, but now there is an official ban. We are all stuck.

Another fisherman Wayne Auger, 46, said: Nobody really knows how this is going to end.

The French want to fish on our waters and had this amnesty from our government after Brexit.

But we can pay sums like 60,000 for a licence and they pay nothing to fish alongside us.

Many of us are running out of bait for the lobster pots and wont be fishing because we cant sell the fish to France and the local need isnt that big.

Pictured: Phil Morant (left) and Wayne Auger, spoke to the Mail Online today, saying Fisherman are unsure how the saga will end, but that they are running out of supplies for fishing

Those fishermen who off-loaded their supplies of lobster and other top quality fish at slashed prices to Jersey stores saw their income slashed by around 25 per cent.

They were being paid around 15-a-kilo and local fish stores were selling them for around 20-a-kilo.

Before the blockade and the row over fishing rights, restaurants would pay around 25 for a kilo of lobster but prices were slashed as Jersey tried to clear a glut of fish stock.

Some fishermen warned they faced going out of business if the ban was prolonged.

Fish supplies, which would normally be served up for the French palate, have piled up at the Jersey port.

One fisherman Steph Nole, 52, who has been based in the port for more than 30 years, said his future was threatened due to the impasse.

Mr Nole has not taken his 24-foot boat Contender on the water since last weekend and today sold his lobster and crab to a local business at the port for re-sale to the public.

One fisherman Steph Nole, 52 (pictured), who has been based in the port for more than 30 years, told the Mail Online on Friday his future was threatened due to the impasse

He was given 15 per kilo of lobster which is around a quarter less than usual.

It is a terrible situation that everyone is in and the government needs to sort it out quickly.

I have got a mortgage and have paid 30,000 for a fishing licence and pay 500-a-month for bait. If I cannot sell the fish there is no point in catching them.

There is also the cost of diesel. But there is little chance of me making any money from fishing right now.

I normally fish most days. But many fishermen like me are not taking their boats out as there is a glut of fish being held up and they cannot sell.

My last fish was last weekend and I have sold the crab and lobster for 200 today and they will be taken into a shop and sold to the public whereas normally a fish exporter would take them and sell them onto France.

But the French are not letting our boats dock there and offload and when they blocked our port , it became even more difficult.

I can understand why the French are upset as after Brexit they were allowed an amnesty to carry on fishing and now that agreement or treaty has ended, they are in uproar.

They like fishing in our waters as we are so close to them. I have nothing against them personally. But I cant afford for this situation to go on much longer and it could be put people like me out of business.

This needs to be sorted out very quickly by all the various authorities involved. We dont want any more blocking of Jersey port.

Pictured: Fishing trawlers in Jersey. France issued a legal notice to British fishermen last night that they were no longer welcome into French ports after one Jersey boat was threatened with violence and turned back

Tommy Radiguet, head chef at the upmarket Samphire restaurant in Jersey said:  We havent had lobster on the menu for a while as it has been expensive.

But with the price dropping, I can see it being restored to our menu and I expect to pay 25 per cent less than the usual 25 a kilo.

We always try and support Jersey fishermen and give our guests the best fish.

The standoff came after some French boats were refused licences to fish in Jersey's waters under post-Brexit rules.

Fisherman Toby Greatbatch, 31, who runs a shop as well as operates a boat, said: Lots of British boats have stopped fishing because of the state we are in with the French.

I have decided it isnt worth fishing. I am buying fish from the other guys for now and selling it in my shop to the public this weekend.

Pictured: Samphire restaurant, in Jersey today after French fishing boats blocked St Helier harbour in Jersey

Tommy Radiguet, head chef at the upmarket Samphire restaurant in Jersey said:  We havent had lobster on the menu for a while as it has been expensive

He said the Jersey fisherman did not have any beef with the French fishing boats which blocked Jersey port this week.

I am sure if we were in their situation, we would have done the same. Unfortunately Brexit has caused all these problems. It is not anybodys fault as far as fishermen are concerned. The government needs to find a solution pretty quick.

Fisherman Andrew Walsh, 26, added: I hope the problem is over soon It mustnt be allowed to go on for even a few days. Peoples livelihoods are at stake

There were rumours that French fishermen might turn their attention to the English Channel at Calais and attempt a blockade there as well as counter-claim that British boats might head them off near Calais.

But John Stanford, 34, said: That would be so ridiculous on both sides. That would just harm the fishing business even more as well as the cargo ships. I dont see it happening at all. I hope it doesnt come to that.

As disclosed by Mail Online, one British fisherman did attempt to deliver an order to the French port of Carteret but was bullied and threatened and forced to turn back yesterday with his 4000 order of Cuttlefish.

Fisherman Andrew Walsh, 26, told the Mail Online: I hope the problem is over soon It mustnt be allowed to go on for even a few days. Peoples livelihoods are at stake

Instead of dumping the load at sea as was expected, he returned to Jersey last night and gave the load away to locals after posting a Facebook message inviting people to help themselves.

Jason Bonhomme told Jersey residents: Hi People. I am on my way back from France after being refused to land If anyone wants some cuttlefish free before it spoils400 kilo going free. Bring bags and buckets as it would be a shame to see it spoil.

Shellfish exporters Aqua-Mar which is based on Victoria Pier has full tanks with about 40,000 of lobster and brown and spider crab which was meant to reach St Malo in Brittany.

The staff said they expected stock to perish and be wasted because of the delays and were examining the possibility of re-routing stocks to parts of Europe via England.

Jersey remained quiet today after the French boats which blocked St Helier retreated following the arrival of two Navy gunships to patrol the area and the island maintained its French supply of electricity despite French minister Annick Girardin warning Paris could cut off power.

The Prime Minister and President Macron are understood to be speaking in the next few days to try to solve the dispute and calm the troubled waters on both sides.

A fisherman in Jersey cleans lobster on Friday. Fishermen at St Helier Port, which was blockaded by French rivals this week, said they had been left in a vicious cycle due to the dispute between Britain and France

President of Jersey Fishermen's Association Don Thompson said there had been 'some pretty extreme threats' from the French.

'Our expectations were that things probably weren't going to get out of hand, but on the other hand if you consider a Government-level threat to sever electricity ties that would have meant hospitals being shut down,' he said.

'In other parts of the world if something like that happened to Iran or Russia or other countries, other states, that would be considered almost an act of war.'

Mr Thompson added: 'The real hardship genuinely is on this side and I'm seeing my colleagues going out of business, fishermen that have done nothing else all their life, made a commitment to the industry since they were very young, having to sell their boats and walk away from the industry.'

He called for a 'show of good faith from France' in what is a 'highly political' situation affected by the repercussions of the Brexit referendum.

'Jersey people didn't even vote, didn't even have the right to vote in Brexit. Everything that's happened here in the way that we've become a third world state is entirely by default and it's really unfortunate that we seem to be coming under the spotlight and being accused of using the Brexit scenario to our advantage when actually the opposite is true.'

The first physical standoff ensued when a flotilla of tiny French fishing vessels took to Jersey where the Royal Navy ships met them.

Pictured: Fishing vessels at sea off the coast of Jersey, Thursday, May 6, 2021. French fishermen angry over loss of access to waters off their coast gathered their boats in protest off the English Channel island of Jersey. Britain sent two warships to police the protests

Pictured: The HMS Tamar patrolling the waters outside of the port at St Hellier, Jersey after it was blockaded by French fishing boats on Thursday

HMS Tamar and HMS Severn returned to the mainland after the retreat by the French vessels.

The dispute worsened today when France officially banned Jersey fishermen from off-loading their catch at its ports of Carteret, Granville and Dielette.

Officials in Le Manche have told the Government that boats from Jersey will no longer be allowed to off-load their fish in the region until the dispute is sorted.

Jersey External Relations Minister Ian Gorst said:  We regret this action and dont believe it is compliant with the terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

'For that reason we will refer the notice of this decision immediately to the European Commission.'
Line Of Duty's Martin Compston shared a picture of himself and co-star Vicky McClure dressed as Wham on their JOINT birthday on Saturday.

Writing, 'Have a Wham birthday,' Martin wore a Choose Love T-shirt as he dressed up as the late George Michael and Vicky wore double denim as Andrew Ridgeley.

Best known for playing Steve Arnott and Kate Fleming on the hit BBC show, Vicky, 38, also paid tribute to her good pal who turned 37 on their special day.

Gotta have Faith in AC-12: Line Of Duty's Martin Compston shared a throwback picture of himself and co-star Vicky McClure dressed as Wham as they celebrated their JOINT birthday on Saturday

Choose Love: Wham's George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley performing in 1984

Sharing a behind the scenes snap of them on the Jonathan Ross show recently, Vicky, who plays Kate Fleming, wrote: 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY @mrmartincompston.

'Sharing my birthday with one of my best mates in the world is nearly as special as getting a promotion before you!!!

'Love ya mate! Have a great day dancing in the rain!! Xxx.'

Season five saw Kate being promoted over Steve to DI.

Best pals: Sharing a behind the scenes snap of them on the Jonathan Ross show recently, Vicky, who plays Kate Fleming, wrote: 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY @mrmartincompston'

Wham, bam, thank you ma'am: The pair star as Kate Fleming and Steve Arnott on Line Of Duty (pictured)

Meanwhile, their Line Of Duty co-star Tommy Jessop, who played one-time Gail Vella murder suspect Terry Boyle, took to Twitter to wish them a happy birthday.

He wrote: 'I actually hear that it's @Vicky_McClure and @martin_compston's birthday today apparently. So I want to wish you two people a happy birthday and many happy returns from me. In the words of a certain person called Sir Bruce Forsyth. Keeeeeeep Dancing & smiling. Love From Tommy.

Both stars responded with Martin replying: 'Cheers Tommy!', while Vicky echoed: 'Thanks Tommy!!'

Birthday wishes: Meanwhile, their Line Of Duty co-star Tommy Jessop, who played one-time Gail Vella murder suspect Terry Boyle, took to Twitter to wish them a happy birthday

Appreciative: Both stars responded with Martin replying: 'Cheers Tommy!', while Vicky echoed: 'Thanks Tommy!!'

Birthday wishes: Meanwhile, Martin's wife Tianna Flynn shared a loved-up snap of the couple as she wished him all the best on his special day

Meanwhile, Martin's wife Tianna Flynn shared a loved-up snap of the couple as she wished him all the best on his special day.

The day before, Vicky offered a glimpse of her life behind the cameras as she enjoyed a celebratory drink with actor Otto Farrant.

She took to Instagram to post a selfie taken outside at the end of filming series two of the Alex Rider TV series.

The monochrome snap showed Vicky, who portrays Mrs Jones in the Amazon Prime Video show, beaming a grin as she sat opposite Otto, 24, who plays the lead role.

Celebrations: The day before, Vicky grinned alongside Otto Farrant as they enjoyed an al fresco drink after finishing filming for the second season of Alex Rider on Friday

'That's a wrap': The 37-year-old described co-star Otto Farrant as a #true pro super hero' as she celebrated the end of filming

With weather proving temperamental, the pair opted to wrap up warm to beat the chill, with Vicky wearing a high-collared coat.

Otto was also wrapped up in a thick jacket, featuring a tartan design on the front and black panels across the shoulders.

The Alex Rider TV series, shown on Amazon Prime Video, has been adapted from the series of novels by Anthony Horowitz.

Vicky portrays the character known as Mrs Jones, who is the handler for teenage spy Alex Rider.

Kate, is that you? Vicky portrays a character known as Mrs Jones, who is the handler for teenage spy Alex Rider, in the Amazon Prime series (pictured during the first season)

On screen: The Alex Rider TV series, shown on Amazon Prime Video, has been adapted from the series of novels by Anthony Horowitz (Vicky is pictured in her role of Mrs Jones)

The behind-the-scenes snap comes after Vicky also shared a brief video of herself with Line of Duty co-stars Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar as they engaged in a singalong while out of character, on Sunday.

The trio sang in the shady underpass used for clandestine meetings in the show

The graffiti-strewn subway, situated in Belfast, has become something of an iconic landmark among fans, with AC12 meeting there numerous times since the show relocated to Northern Ireland in 2014.

Banter: The behind-the-scenes snap comes after Vicky also shared a brief video of herself with Line of Duty co-stars Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar as they had a singalong on Sunday

Farewell: Ahead of Line Of Duty's sixth and potentially final series on Sunday, DS Steve Arnott, DI Kate Fleming and Superintendent Ted Hastings were back at the underpass for one last visit

Captioning the playful clip, which ends with the three stars bursting into laughter, she wrote: 'Best friends!'

On the same day, Vicky ramped up the Line of Duty posts as she uploaded a picture from the set of the show.

She shared moving tributes to the show's die-hard fans as they counted down the hours until the long-awaited series six finale was broadcast.

End of an era: Vicky and Martin Compston shared moving tributes to the show's fans as they counted down the hours until series six's finale was broadcast

Line Of Duty finale: How the viewing figures compare 2021 Line Of Duty finale, May 2 (BBC One) 12.8 million Prince Philip's funeral, April 17 (ITV & BBC One) 13.6 million Harry and Meghan with Oprah Winfrey, March 8 (ITV) 11.7 million 2020 Boris Johnson lockdown announcement, March 23 (BBC One) 14.5 million Queen's address to the nation, April 5 (BBC One) 14 million Boris Johnson's second address to the nation, May 10 (BBC One) 18.7 million I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!, November 15 (ITV) 12.1 million 2019 Gavin And Stacey Christmas special (BBC One) 17.1 million viewers 2012 Closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games (BBC One) 24.5 million 2010 The X Factor (ITV) 17.7 million 1995 Princess Diana interview with Martin Bashir (BBC One) 23 million 1966 The 1966 World Cup final (BBC and ITV joint broadcast) 32.3 million viewers Advertisement

Vicky shared an image alongside Martin and their co-star Adrian Dunbar, who plays Superintendant Hastings on the show, and a snap of their knitted counterparts.

She wrote: 'Happy Line Of Duty day! Please excuse the slightly over emotional post but it's been quite a surreal time!

'The audience support has been unreal, the creativity of merchandise, the artwork, ground-breaking viewing figures and the hype!!

'It's not lose on me how lucky I am to be a part of Line Of Duty, not just because of the success of the show, but the lifelong friendships we've all gained.

'We have such a talented and caring crew, a huge part of its success is down to them. Our amazing guest star Kelly MacDonald! Shalom, Perry, Anna, Tommy, Rose, Greg, Anneika, Nigel, Ace, Liza, Amy to name just a few of the incredible cast in series six!

'Belfast, our LOD home. Thanks for Craic as always. Honestly, I can't thank you all enough for your love & dedication to the show.

'Raising my brew to you Jed Mercurio! The epitome of honesty & integrity. @MrMartinCompston & Adrian I love you's 29! Now... let's wrap this up.'

It comes as Line Of Duty fans across the nation were left 'fuming' as the nail-biting series finale drew to a close on Sunday and the mysterious antagonist 'H' was finally unmasked.

Seasoned fans took to social media in their droves to share their frustrations as officers from the police anti-corruption unit AC-12 discovered the identity of the elusive 'fourth man', who had been colluding with the organised crime group (OCG), was none other than DSU Ian Buckells.

It saw the words 'fuming', 'disappointing' and 'underwhelming' all trend on social media in the aftermath of the show.

And the disbelief it could be him was compounded by the way he was only caught because of his repeated mis-spelling of the word 'definitely' - hardly the blunder of a hardened criminal mastermind.

Emotional: Vicky, who plays DI Kate Fleming, fuelled fans' concerns that the series could be coming to an end in a lengthy Twitter post on Sunday

The detective - widely thought until Sunday to have been just a bungling stooge - was first introduced to viewers in series one as the SIO in the case of murdered businesswoman Jackie Laverty by then Chief Superintendent Derek Hilton.

He later went on to become Detective Chief Inspector in series four before being promoted once more to Detective Superintendent in this final series.

Sharing their disappointment on the revelation, one disgruntled Line of Duty fan wrote on Twitter: 'Can't believe I watched six seasons of line of Duty for Ian Buckells, the most pointless character to be the fourth man. Fuming.'

All over: It comes as Line Of Duty fans across the nation were left 'fuming' as the nail-biting series finale drew to a close on Sunday and the mysterious antagonist 'H' was finally unmasked

While another viewer added: 'I'm fuming, can't believe I waited this long for Ian Buckells to run the roost.'

And while the finale tied up many unresolved storylines, there were still some gaping plot holes and storylines left unanswered.

The sixth series of the Jed Mercurio creation also saw DI Steve Arnott, played by actor Martin, finally called in for a meeting with Occupational Health, who noted that while he had not broken the law through his excessive painkiller use, he would have to surrender his firearms licence.

Really?! Seasoned fans took to social media in their droves to share their frustrations as AC-12 discovered the identity of the elusive 'fourth man' was none other than DSU Ian Buckells

Oh dear: The disbelief it could be him was compounded by the way he was only caught because of his repeated mis-spelling of the word 'definitely' - hardly the blunder of a hardened criminal mastermind

However, the 60-minute episode's end failed to offer any resolution on whether the team of DI Steve Arnott, DI Kate Fleming and Superintendent Ted Hastings would return, ending on the revelation that the team has 'never been weaker.'

The mystery surrounding the identity of 'H' has been up for speculation since his character was first mentioned at the end of series three, which aired in 2016, and detectives at the anti-corruption unit discovered there were four officers working within the force who had links to the underground criminal network.

Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio defended the BBC police drama after droves of fans slammed the 'disappointing' series six finale.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, the writer, 55, responded to critics in an impassioned post and said that it is 'impossible' to satisfy all viewers' expectations.

It is over? The 60-minute episode's end failed to offer any resolution on whether the team of DI Steve Arnott, DI Kate Fleming and Superintendent Ted Hastings would return, ending on the revelation that the team has 'never been weaker'

An eye-watering 12.8million viewers tuned in to watch Line Of Duty's sixth season conclude on Sunday night with a 56.2% share - recording the network's highest ever overnight rating, yet some disappointed fans were left with unanswered questions.

Responding to the fan backlash over the finale, Jed admitted that the episode 'divided social media opinion' yet he found a 'a far less extreme picture' when taking in the audience research.

He tweeted: '1. No one disputes the Line of Duty finale divided social media opinion but the audience research so far shows a far less extreme picture.

'We knew a "down" ending would rate less favourably with some viewers, however all 7 episodes varied by under 10% on average viewer score...'

Hitting back: Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio defended the police drama after droves of fans slammed the 'disappointing' series six finale on Sunday night (pictured 2019)

'Impossible': Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, the writer, 55, responded to critics in an impassioned post and said that it is 'impossible' to satisfy all viewers' expectations (Line Of Duty stars Vicky McClure, Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar pictured in show still)

Jed continued: '2. The research determines the episode ratings based on randomly polling viewers, rather than sites like imdb where scores can be skewed by users strongly motivated to register their immediate anger/adulation 

'3. 1000 random viewers submitted scores from 1-10 which have been used to calculate the Appreciation Index (AI) as a score out of 100. The AI for the "down" finale was only 7 points below the next lowest in Season 6 (Ep 1) '

Jed concluded with: '4/4 These figures wont stop the debate, of course, nor should they - thats still all part of the experience of shared TV viewing. Thanks again for watching.'

Anticipated: Given the show's record-breaking viewership, fans hoped that the finale would answer all their burning questions, including the identity of the elusive 'H'

Despite the backlash, Sunday's season finale proved to be a ratings hit for the BBC, with 12.8 million viewers tuning in for the broadcast.

The huge and impressive numbers comfortably beating Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, which drew 11.4 viewers when it aired in March.

BBC bosses are yet to confirm whether the show will return, despite an average of 13 millions viewers tuning in for the latest series, which faced multiple delays due to the Covid pandemic.
Before he became an NCIS special agent or captained a starship, Scott Bakula traveled from inside one persons body and mind to another on Quantum Leap.

Save for a bit of time on stage, the 66-year-old actor has spent his entire career starring in television shows and movies including drama, sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy.

Hes obviously versatile. He plays the piano and can belt it out vocally with the best of them.

Scott Bakulas career before Quantum Leap

Scott Bakula | D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra

Born in St. Louis on October 9, 1954, Bakulas interest in music came early. He wrote songs and started a rock band in the fourth grade, according to IMDb. He later sang with the St. Louis Symphony.

Following in his fathers footsteps, Bakula began studying law at the University of Kansas but left in his sophomore year deciding he would rather focus on acting. He moved to New York to perform in Shenandoah in 1976.

In 1978, Bakula received his first credited television role as John for one episode of the TV series On Our Own. A few more guest appearances followed until he was cast as Hunt Stevenson in Gung Ho a short-lived series of nine episodes in 1987.

From 1986-1988, Bakula appeared in Designing Women as Dr. Ted Shively. He made a couple of guest appearances on Matlock in 1987. The following year he was cast as Barnett M. Bud Lutz, Jr. in Eisenhower & Lutz. That show survived for 13 episodes. Afterward, he was cast in Quantum Leap.

The premise of Quantum Leap and Bakulas part in the show

Quantum Leap 1989  1993, Dean Stockwell as Admiral Al Calavicci and Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett. pic.twitter.com/idLHOteDIe  TV and Film Stars (@TVandFilmStars) October 13, 2018

RELATED: Why some NCIS: New Orleans Fans Want Scott Bakula to Return to This Depressing Job

Quantum Leap was the creation of Donald P. Bellisario, who formerly created Magnum P.I. and later, NCIS. The name of the show stems from a book Bellisario was reading applying quantum physics to viewing the stars, according to Mental Floss. And the quantum leap is a physical thing that happens that you cant explain, Bellisario said. That was it. He had his title.

Bakula portrayed Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist, who invents a time machine. Thing is, he got stuck in it. In each episode, he spent time in someone elses body while trying to rewrite history and make the world a better place. Dr. Becketts time travel was limited though. He could only travel within his own lifespan.

Actor Dean Stockwell portrayed Admiral Al Calavicci, assisting Beckett through his work each episode. Bakulas daughter, Chelsy Bakula, made a guest appearance in one episode Memphis Melody in 1993. She was eight or nine at the time and has no other acting credits.

What Bakula would do if the show and his character were real

Since the end of the show in 1993, Bakula has gone on to play many additional TV roles. He appeared as Peter Hunt in Murphy Brown, as Mr. Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Steve Bartowski on Chuck, and Trip Western on Desperate Housewives.

His Sci-Fi fans know him as Captain Jonathan Archer from Star Trek Enterprise which aired from 2001-2005. Most recently he has starred as Dwayne Pride, first appearing on NCIS and following with the spinoff show, NCIS: New Orleans, currently in its final season.

Bakula has said he likes fantasy. Ive always been the kind of kid who likes to dream about other things I could be and exotic situations I could be in. I dont know what makes you that kind of person. Some people probably dont have time for fantasy. I probably have too much time for it.

If he were able to leap back through time travel, Bakula has said he would like to change the courses of each World War so as not to have had so many losses. He also would like to change the outcome from 9/11.

You know, it would be fun to go back to the days of yore and the courts of such and such, but I always tend to think more about the huge world events that have happened and if there was some way we could have prevented these big disasters.
A solider sprays disinfectant at the K Hospital in Hanoi, May 7 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh.

The Health Ministry on Saturday night confirmed 65 new domestic Covid-19 infections in 13 provinces and cities, raising the tally during the fourth coronavirus wave to 241.

Hanoi took the lead with 22, followed by northern province of Bac Ninh (17), Da Nang (8), Vinh Phuc Province (7) and Hung Yen Province (3), both in the north.

Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Quang Nam provinces and Hue reported one case each.

Among 22 confirmed cases in Hanoi, 14 are patients, and family members of patients at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, which has been put under lockdown after the frontline hospital in the Covid-19 fight became a coronavirus hotspot.

The remaining cases in Hanoi had come in contact with previously confirmed Covid-19 patients or are linked to the outbreaks at K Hospital in Tan Trieu District and Thuan Thanh District of Bac Ninh Province.

The new cases in Da Nang City are those having previously contacted with confirmed Covid-19 patients.

In Vinh Phuc Province, the new cases are linked to a group of Chinese experts found infected with the coronavirus after returning to China.

In other localities, most of the patients had also come into contact with previously confirmed Covid-19 cases or are linked outbreaks.

Since April 27, Vietnam has recorded 241 Covid-19 community transmissions of the new coronavirus with various clusters in 21 cities and provinces, mostly in northern and central regions. Previously, the country had been clean for over a month.
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Fourth stimulus check: What are Biden's economic proposals according to the unemployment report?

Fourth stimulus check: What are Biden's economic proposals according to the unemployment report?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the April jobs report and it sounded alarms of a slowing economic recovery. With the country eager to return to normalcy, the Dow Jones had expected that over more than one million jobs would be added. In the end, that number was only 266,000.

The April jobs numbers leave the national unemployment rate of 6.1% unchanged and have many policymakers and economists concerned that the economic recovery could last much longer than expected. The report highlights that increases in hiring in the hospitality sector offset losses employment declines in temporary help services and in couriers and messengers. Across age, racial, and gender demographics, no groups saw significant decreases in unemployment.

Additionally, the number of people who have lost their jobs permanently increased, showing that the need for unemployment benefit extensions may need to be taken up again by Congress if the numbers do not improve in the Spring and early Summer.

For more on how Biden responded to the April jobs numbers and the prospect of a fourth stimulus payment, read our full coverage by Maite Knorr-Evans.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP)  A jury has convicted a Colorado Springs man in a 2018 double-slaying in which a woman and man were shot and left in a burning car in a scheme to steal marijuana.

The panel on Friday found Nashid Rayon Rivers guilty of first-degree murder in the killings of Serena Garcia and Marcus Denton on the citys southwest side, The Gazette reported.

Garcia was 21 and lived in Parker. Denton was 20 and was from Atchison, Kansas.

Rivers also was convicted of aggravated robbery, tampering with human bodies and other counts. Fourth Judicial District Judge Frances Johnson imposed an automatic penalty of life in prison without parole.

Im innocent, Rivers told the judge in a profanity-laced tirade after the verdict.

Jurors returned their verdict after more than two days of deliberation, after a trial that lasted about two weeks.

According to prosecutors, Rivers and Marquis Hazard conspired to lure Denton to a drug deal at which Rivers would kill him and take his marijuana, and Hazard would be the getaway driver.

Garcia was essentially a bystander who had driven to pick up Denton after he crashed his vehicle on a snowy road, prosecutors said. At the meet-up Rivers ambushed Denton and Garcia from inside their car, shooting them in the head, testimony showed.

Rivers then used gasoline to set fire to the car but accidentally burned himself, causing him to flee without the marijuana. Hazard, 22, and his girlfriend, Shailynn Ryles, 21, returned to the scene to collect the pot, authorities said.

Hazard is also charged with first-degree murder under the complicity theory, accused of helping to plot and cover up the robbery. His trial is scheduled for September. Ryles, a key witness against Rivers, has pleaded guilty to accessory to murder under a deal that will result in probation.

Attorneys for Rivers tried to convince the panel that Hazard was the mastermind and shooter, but prosecutors cited evidence that the defendant wielded the gun, including that the murder weapon was found in Rivers' home.
China's move to indefinitely suspend its economic accord with was meant as a warning shot for Canberra and other middle powers in the age of intense US- rivalry, meaning that the former country was running out of patience, say observers.

China's National Development and Reform Commission said on Thursday it would "indefinitely suspend" all activities under the China- Strategic Economic Dialogue, a forum launched in 2014 and last convened in 2017, reported South Morning Post (SCMP).

The Chinese agency said that the decision was made because of Australia's "Cold War mindset and ideological discrimination" that had disrupted cooperation.

This decision comes a few weeks after scrapped the controversial Belt and Road (BRI) agreement with citing the deal as against its national interest.

China has yet to move on to its nuclear option, that is to cut the iron ore trade, but observers have said that Beijing was making clear that it was running out of patience, SCMP reported.

These moves are likely to further exacerbate Sino-Australian tensions, which started after Canberra demanded an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19 last year.

"Unlike other countries that have conflicts with China, Australia's motives are ideological, and they think they can separate economic cooperation from ideological confrontation," said Xie Maosong, a senior research at the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Meanwhile, suggestions from officials in Canberra that Australia could be involved in a joint response to war over Taiwan has further heightened tensions.

Iron ore, a vital component in the production of steel and key to China's infrastructure spending spree to shore up the post-pandemic economic recovery, remains the only import that is still keeping the bilateral trade afloat.

Song Luzheng, an relations researcher at Fudan University, said the latest move showed that Beijing was running out of economic options to punish Australia.

"Halting the economic and strategic dialogue means that bilateral conflicts have reached an irreconcilable point. China is nearing the end of its inventory of economic cards, and the next steps are to move to using the diplomatic cards," Song said, while highlighting the possibility of more extreme responses.

China's state-dominated steel sector is concerned about surging prices, urging the government to help with market "malfunctions" and improve policies in the futures market, reported SCMP.

Beijing's top diplomat, who is in Canberra currently, had blamed Australia for deteriorating ties between the nations, accusing it of economic coercion and "provocations" in a wide-ranging speech that painted Beijing as a victim.

Canberra has been locked in an ongoing trade war with Beijing for several months as China has slapped sanctions on various Australian products.

(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| 2021-05-08 17:44:44|Editor: huaxia

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KATHMANDU, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Nepal is preparing to take delivery of oxygen cylinders from China early next week as the Himalayan country faces an acute shortage of oxygen due to growing needs of COVID-19 patients, Nepali government officials said Saturday.

The Nepal Airlines is scheduled to send a plane to China next Monday to take back the oxygen cylinders donated by China, said the officials.

"If the schedule is not changed mid-way, our plane will fly to China on May 10 and return ... the next day," Tanka Nidhi Dahal, director with the airlines, told Xinhua.

The shipment is part of the cylinders to be provided by China in grant under an agreement between the two sides, said officials from Nepal's Finance and Health Ministries.

At a recent video conference of the foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on COVID-19, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced that China would provide Nepal with a new batch of anti-epidemic supplies.

At present, the batch of supplies is almost complete and will be sent to the Nepali side as soon as possible, while local governments and sectors of Chinese society are also actively donating needed supplies to Nepal, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Friday.

The Nepali government plans to distribute the China-made oxygen cylinders in government-run hospitals, which are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients as the second wave of the epidemic is sickening more and more people, said Nepali Health Ministry officials. Enditem
Philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter donated an astounding 250,000 to the Daily Mail's Remember Me campaign yesterday  taking the total raised soaring above 1million.

The retail entrepreneur said he and his family were 'honoured' to support the national memorial to the victims of the Covid pandemic at St Paul's.

The Hunter family's generous donation means that more than 610,000 has been raised in just seven days since the Mail launched the campaign last weekend.

Combined with the funds already collected by the cathedral itself, more than 1million has been pledged towards the 2.3million needed to build the memorial.

Sir Tom, 60, said his family wanted to donate to commemorate the thousands killed by the virus.

Sir Tom Hunter and his family donated 250,000 to the Daily Mail's Remember Me campaign yesterday

He said: 'This has been the biggest single death toll from one cause in my lifetime. It's an appalling tragedy that  worse still  often targeted the most vulnerable in our society.'

'It is only right and proper that we commemorate their loss with this special memorial, which we are honoured to support.'

Sir Tom, who was knighted in 2005 for services to philanthropy and to entrepreneurship in Scotland, previously gave 500,000 to the Mail Force drive for laptops for school pupils during lockdown.

And he donated another 100,000 to the charity's appeal to provide supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the NHS when the virus took hold in Britain last year.

Sir Tom, who is married to Marion and has three adult children, set up the Hunter Foundation in 1998, which has raised more than 80million for charity.

He also set up the Kiltwalk fundraising platform which holds events across Scotland that charities can take part in. All funds raised are topped up by 50 per cent from the Hunter Foundation.

The 250,000 donation from the Hunter family came as letters continued to flood in from Mail readers supporting the cause.

Letters processed so far have raised just under 40,000 while some 4,000 people have donated more than 135,000 including Gift Aid online.

Philanthropist Sir Michael Hintze gave 100,000 this week and Lord Sugar also pledged a six-figure sum.

The first 5,000 supporters to donate 25 or more to the campaign online using the 'Limited Edition Candle from the Daily Mail' button will receive a free candle.

Rev Canon Jonathan Brewster, who is Canon Treasurer at St Paul's, said: 'We are immensely grateful to readers of the Daily Mail for their generous support to enable us to build a physical memorial for all who have died as a result of Covid-19 in the UK.

The retail entrepreneur said he and his family were 'honoured' to support the national memorial to the victims of the Covid pandemic. Pictured: A Daily Mail memorial candle

'The hundreds of letters have been heartening to read and we at St Paul's want to stand in solidarity with the many people of all faiths and none who are grieving the death of family and friends.

The memorial will feature a grand oak portico engraved with the words Remember Me and a chapel inside will display screens showing a virtual book of remembrance.

The Remember Me book was launched in May last year and bears the names and photos of more than 8,600 victims so far, submitted by their families and friends.

Each person's story is dealt with individually by moderators from the St Paul's Remember Me team, who offer support to the bereaved as they complete their entry in the book.

It is hoped the memorial inside the cathedral will become an important site of pilgrimage and solace for generations to come. It would be the first major addition to the landmark in 150 years.

Lord Sugar's pledge of a six-figure donation on Thursday came as he wrote in the Mail about his grief over the deaths of his brother and sister from Covid.

I nearly died from Covid and now I want to remember the fallen, says author MICHAEL ROSEN

There have been times during this pandemic when I've wondered how we will talk about it in ten, 20 or 30 years' time. There will of course be clips from radio, TV and film for programme makers and historians to draw on. I'm in a good few of them!

But will there be a place where people can go and reflect on lost relatives, somewhere quiet, respectful and is somehow linked to other tragedies? Will people need this? I believe they will.

I could imagine people who are now in their 40s, say, but at this point in the future in their 70s, standing in front of the planned memorial in St Paul's Cathedral with their grandchildren, remembering the arrival of the new virus on our shores and what we called 'lockdowns'.

When some people caught it, they were very ill and some of those sick people died and yes, 'your great uncle' or 'your grandmother'  'you've seen pictures of them, dear, they died from it'.

There have been times during this pandemic when I've wondered how we will talk about it in ten, 20 or 30 years' time. Pictured: Author Michael Rosen

When there's a special place for these kinds of conversations, people cluster and share stories of what happened in their families too.

I know this from visiting the Shoah Memorial  the Holocaust museum in Paris  to commemorate the deportation and deaths of my father's uncle and aunt. As we stood by the wall of names, we talked to people who, like us, lost relatives.

That memorial gave us a public space to come to terms with both the small-scale personal aspect and the immensity of the tragedy. That's what memorial places can do.

I was so nearly one of those names that will be logged in the online memorial books at the cathedral. In March last year, I caught Covid-19 and was in intensive care for 47 days or so. In my ward, 42 per cent of the people died. I was told this by the consultant on the ward, Professor Hugh Montgomery.

Every time I think of it, I struggle to take it in. I wonder, who were they? I don't know them because I was in a coma. All I have is that figure in my head and the thought that those people were alongside me in the ward, getting the same treatment, the same care, the same devotion, but it didn't work out for them.

Then I think of my family and imagine them hearing that I had died. My wife Emma called in every day to hear how I was doing: the secondary infection, the 'yoyo-ing' blood pressure, the blood clots on my lungs, my dilated eye that could have signified that I was brain dead, as 'the prof' put it.

This gets me thinking of the pain and grief of the families of that 42 per cent. They aren't a number. They are real people with networks of loved ones who will never be the same again, touched by the loss of someone close to them.

I've appeared in ITV's 2020: The Story of Us, a landmark documentary that tells the story of coronavirus in Britain through the experience of people immersed in its impact, both personally and professionally.

I feature alongside intensive care nurses, who find at the peak of the pandemic that they couldn't cope with what the prof calls the 'carnage' in the wards. The loss of life is too much for them.

And I've written in my book  Many Different Kinds of Love: A Story of Life, Death and the NHS  about my experience how, when I came out of hospital, one of the first newspaper articles I read was about the drivers we lost, who drove their buses through March, unprotected in the first part of April 2020 as the public breathed on them.

There are times when I find all of this overwhelming. I can't and shouldn't take it all on. I have to deal with getting myself well. And yet, there's a part of me that feels that I owe it to those who didn't make it through.

Sometimes, they feel to me like they were comrades on the front in a war. If I analyse these feelings, I can see that one of the reasons they can overwhelm me is that I haven't been part of a national moment of mourning, nor have I been to the new Covid wall of hearts memorial at the River Thames.

And I'll be frank, I don't want any such moment or place hosted by this Government. For me  argue with me if you like  they are too much implicated in negligence and oversight during the pandemic.

So, yes, let's have a solemn place, acknowledged by many (most?) as a place of national commemoration for all those who died  directly or indirectly  of Covid. Let it be spoken about by people from bereaved families first. Let religious leaders of all faiths be represented.

Let those without faith be represented too. This is about mourning and thinking about what we have lost, and only then can we move on.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 23:20:29|Editor: huaxia

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Lucia Pasqualini (L), consul general of Italy in Guangzhou, attends the launch ceremony of the first Hainan Design Week in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, May 8, 2021. China's southern resort island Hainan will hold the first Hainan Design Week in November, featuring Italy as the first partner country, according to a launch ceremony of the event held Saturday. With a theme on the creative economy and business of design, the event aims to lure enterprises and talent, build brands, and boost consumption, the organizer said. (Xinhua/Ren Yaoting)

HAIKOU, May 8 (Xinhua) -- China's southern resort island Hainan will hold the first Hainan Design Week in November, featuring Italy as the first partner country, according to a launch ceremony of the event held Saturday.

With a theme on the creative economy and business of design, the event aims to lure enterprises and talent, build brands, and boost consumption, the organizer said.

The launch ceremony of the event took place during the first China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), which kicked off Thursday in Haikou, the capital city of Hainan. The four-day expo is expected to attract more than 200,000 visitors.

Lucia Pasqualini, consul general of Italy in Guangzhou, said the CICPE is a great success, and it is meaningful to launch Hainan Design Week at the expo.

"I believe that Hainan Design Week will give Italian enterprises a platform to build a better business environment with Hainan," she added. Enditem
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has constituted a 12-member National Task Force of top medical experts to formulate a methodology for allocation of oxygen to states and union territories for saving lives of COVID-19 patients and to facilitate a public health response to the pandemic.

The top court named a sub-group for carrying out the audit exercise for Delhi's health infrastructure and allocation of oxygen and said that it shall consists of Randeep Guleria of AIIMS, Sandeep Budhiraja of Max Healthcare and two IAS officers not below the rank of Joint Secretary -- one each from the Centre and the Delhi government.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and M R Shah said that the Union Cabinet Secretary will be the convenor of the national task force and may nominate an officer not below the rank of Additional Secretary to depute for him, when necessary.

The top court said in its order passed on May 6 uploaded on Saturday that the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be ex-officio member of the task force.

The bench said that other members of the task force will include Bhabatosh Biswas, former Vice Chancellor, West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata; Devender Singh Rana, Chairperson, Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi; Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairperson and Executive Director, Narayana Healthcare, Bengaluru; Gagandeep Kang, Professor, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu; and JV Peter, Director, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

The remaining five members are Naresh Trehan, Chairperson and Managing Director, Medanta Hospital and Heart Institute, Gurugram; Rahul Pandit, Director, Critical Care Medicine and ICU, Fortis Hospital, Mulund (Mumbai, Maharashtra) and Kalyan (Maharashtra); and Dr Saumitra Rawat, Chairman & Head, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology and Liver Transplant, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi; Shiv Kumar Sarin of Institute of Liver and Biliary Science (ILBS), Delhi; and Zarir F Udwadia of Hinduja Hospital, Breach Candy Hospital Mumbai.

The top court said, We expect that the leading experts in the country shall associate with the work of the Task Force both as members and resource persons as this will facilitate a meeting of minds and the formulation of scientific strategies to deal with an unprecedented human crisis.

"The establishment of this Task Force will enable the decision makers to have inputs which go beyond finding ad-hoc solutions to the present problems. The likely future course of the pandemic must be taken into contemplation at the present time, the bench said.

It added that this will ensure that projected future requirements can be scientifically mapped in the present and may be modulated in the light of experiences gained.

The establishment of the Task Force will provide the Union Government with inputs and strategies for meeting the challenges of the pandemic on a transparent and professional basis, in the present and in future, the bench said.

The top court made 12-point terms of reference which include assessing and making recommendations for the entire country based on the need for, availability and distribution of medical oxygen and to facilitate auditing by sub-groups within each State and UT.

It said that the sub-groups will do audit to determine whether the supplies allocated by the Centre reach the concerned State/UT, the efficacy of the distribution networks in distributing supplies meant for hospitals, health care institutions and others and whether the available stocks are being distributed on the basis of an effective, transparent and professional mechanism.

The top court said that the Task Force will constitute sub-groups/committees of each State/UT for auditing and it will comprise of an officer of the State/UT Government not below the rank of Secretary to the State Government, an officer of the Centre not below the rank of Additional/Joint Secretary and two medical doctors in the State/UT concerned including at least one with administrative experience of managing the medical facilities of a hospital and a representative from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).

The bench clarified that the purpose of the audit is not to scrutinise the decisions made in good faith by doctors while treating their patients but to ensure accountability in respect of the supplies of oxygen provided to every State/UT.

The purpose is to ensure that the supplies which have been allocated are reaching their destination; that they are being made available through the distribution network to the hospitals or, as the case may be, the end users efficiently and on a transparent basis; and to identify bottlenecks or issues in regard to the utilisation of oxygen, the bench said on audit by sub-groups.

It said that the Centre shall continue with the present practice of making allocations of oxygen until the Task Force has submitted its recommendations in regard to proposed modalities.

The Union Government shall on receipt of the recommendations of the Task Force take an appropriate decision in regard to the allocation of oxygen and on all other recommendations.

The bench said that the Task Force shall also submit its recommendations from time to time to this Court and requested it to commence work immediately, taking up the pressing issue of determining the modalities for oxygen expeditiously within a week. The tenure of the Task Force shall be six months initially, it said.
In this July 29, 2020, file photo, a health worker disinfects arriving Vietnamese COVID-19 patients at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, Vietnam. After over a month with no local infections, Vietnam has recorded 176 confirmed coronavirus cases from several outbreaks that have spread to 19 provinces during the past 10 days, the Health Ministry said Friday, May 7, 2021. (Bui Cuong Quyet/VNA via AP, File)

After over a month with no local infections, Vietnam has recorded 176 confirmed coronavirus cases from several outbreaks that have spread to 19 provinces during the past 10 days, the Health Ministry said.

The National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi, which has been at the front line treating COVID-19 patients, has been sealed off after a doctor, two nurses and more than 20 patients tested positive earlier the week.

Meanwhile, the city's K hospital, which is designated to treat cancer patients, also closed Friday after 11 cases of COVID-19 were found.

"The situation is alarming because we are having multiple outbreaks scattered across the country with unclear sources of transmission and multiple variants of the virus," Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said during a government meeting broadcast on national television VTV on Friday evening.

In the 19 provinces and cities with COVID-19 cases, schools have been closed and classes moved online.

In Hanoi, authorities urged people to refrain from gathering while city parks and food stalls were closed. In southern Ho Chi Minh City, gatherings of more than 30 people were banned starting this weekend. The city has also closed bars, clubs, gyms and buffet restaurants.

Meanwhile, a 35-year-old nurse died of a sever allergic reaction after receiving a shot of AstraZeneca on Friday evening, the Health Ministry said.

According to the ministry, over 700,000 people including health workers, contact tracing officials, police and army officers have been inoculated with the AstraZeneca shots, the only vaccine in use in Vietnam.

Since the start of the pandemic, Vietnam has recorded 3,137 confirmed cases with 35 deaths.

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.
Twins Jess and Eve Gale looked typically stylish on Friday when they enjoyed a girls' night out in London with fellow Love Island stars Rebeca Gormley and Eva Zapico.

Slipping into thigh-skimming outfits, the siblings, 22, both added height to their frame in nude-hued boots and wore their bouncy blonde hair in loose curls.

Eve stunned in a skin-tight bodycon dress, while Jess opted for a chic suit jacket and matching shorts.

Painting the town red: Jess and Eve Gale looked typically stylish on Friday when they enjoyed a girls' night out in London with fellow Love Island stars Rebeca Gormley and Eva Zapico

Both sisters held their phones in their hands and kept their belongings safe in stylish handbags.

Brunette beauty Rebecca, 22, looked typically stylish in jeans and a faux-fur coat, while Bromley-born Eva, 21, teamed ripped jeans with trainers.

The TV personalities wore a full face of glam as they stepped out in the capital, and took time out from their evening to pose for photographers.

Hours earlier, Eve turned up the heat when she modelled her new lingerie set in two racy snaps shared on Instagram.

Gorgeous: Eve stunned in a skin-tight bodycon dress and carried her belongings in a chain shoulder bag

Leaving little to the imagination, she slipped into a lavender-hued bra and matching thong while posing for her followers.

Perched on the edge of her bed, Eve wore a full face of glam for the impromptu shoot.

With her long blonde hair cascading past her shoulders, the sun-kissed TV personality tucked her right leg beneath her body as she looked back over her shoulder at the camera in the first photo shared on social media.

Wow: Slipping into thigh-skimming outfits, Eve and Jess both added height to their frame in nude-hued boots and their bouncy blonde hair in loose curls

Matching: Jess opted for a chic suit jacket and matching shorts and posed up a storm with her former co-stars

In the second, Eve - whose chic underwear set came complete with a garter - looked into the lens face-on and flashed fans a pout.

In March, Eve told fans that she was pining for sunnier climes as she shared a throwback swimsuit snap, before slipping into tiny hot pants.

The blonde beauty flaunted her ample cleavage and underboob in a skimpy orange swimsuit. She captioned the snap: 'Oh to be this tanned again #June2020.'

Stylish: Brunette beauty Rebecca, 22, (left) looked typically stylish in jeans and a faux-fur coat, while Bromley-born Eva, 21, teamed ripped jeans with trainers

High spirits: The TV personalities wore a full face of glam as they stepped out in the capital, and took time out from their evening to pose for photographers

Eve and Jess recently returned to the UK following their 'work' trip to the UAE.

The TV twins were just two of many celebrities who jetted to Dubai throughout the pandemic.

They joined many other Love Islanders including Joanna Chimonides, Hayley Hughes and Francesca Allen.

Wow: Earlier on Friday, Eve turned up the heat when she modelled her new lilac lingerie set in two racy snaps shared on Instagram

Gorgeous: Eve told fans that she was pining for sunnier climes as she shared a throwback swimsuit snap, before slipping into tiny hot pants

After Dubai joined UK's travel ban list, celebrities then began flocking to Mexico's bars and beaches as it established itself as the next COVID getaway destination.

Many stars insisted their trips were for 'work purposes' after criticism from Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Several influencers were forced to hit back at fans after they were criticised for jetting off on holiday during the global pandemic.

Jess and Eve rose to fame on the first ever series of winter Love Island back in 2020.

While Eve was booted off after less than a week, Jess made it to the final with Ched Uzor - with the pair going their separate ways shortly afterwards.
Students are headed back to class amid the coronavirus pandemic, and to keep you posted on whats unfolding throughout U.S. schools  K-12 as well as colleges  Yahoo Life is running a weekly wrap-up featuring news bites, interviews and updates on the ever-unfolding situation.

Experts say a Pfizer EUA for younger kids may make school safer in the fall  if they are vaccinated

Pfizer is expected to be granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) next week for the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in kids ages 12 to 15, making this the youngest group to be eligible for inoculation. Experts say vaccine uptake in this age group can help make schools safer in the fall, but it's not mandatory for school safety.

"I dont think that we need to have that EUA in order to have all schools operating as close to normal as possible," infectious disease expert Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, tells Yahoo Life. "Vaccinating this group makes it easier, though, and makes it easier to have extracurricular activities. It also removes one more roadblock."

Polls have shown that parents are hesitant to vaccinate their kids against COVID-19. One from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that three in 10 plan to get their children given the shots immediately, while a little more than 25 percent say they want to wait and see how the vaccine does in children before inoculating their own.

An April Yahoo/YouGov poll also had similar results. The survey of 1,606 U.S. adults found that 39 percent of parents say they will have their children vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as theyre eligible. But 37 percent say they will not get their kids vaccinated; 24 percent say they're unsure if they will.

Dr. Richard Watkins, an infectious disease specialist and a professor of internal medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University, says the vaccine will only make an impact if families actually use it. "We need to strongly encourage parents to get their kids vaccinated," he says. "Despite kids being at lower risk, some do get sick and die from COVID-19."

Story continues

Emory University's president writes letter of recommendation for the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021

Emory University president Gregory Fenves took out an ad in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Atlanta Journal-Constitution to recommend the school's graduating classes of 2020 and 2021 to employers. The letter was later shared on the Emory website.

"If you are looking to recruit employees who are resilient, dynamic, empathetic, forward-thinking, creative, and driven, then I recommend you consider our thousands of graduates who completed their Emory degrees under extraordinary circumstances," Fenves wrote, noting that students "spent years completing rigorous academic and professional programs that are ranked among the finest in the world."

The COVID-19 pandemic did not slow them down, he said. "When a global pandemic forced them to leave campus last year, they balanced coursework with family responsibilities, adapted to online learning, and reconfigured their lives," Fenves wrote. "They did not waver. Instead, they pulled together  not only to continue thriving in their education, but to support one another and maintain their community and shared purpose in spite of everything they faced."

After saying he "couldn't be prouder" of the students, Fenves ended on this note: "I know you are looking for talented, high-performing employees, innovative leaders, team members and team builders, and thats exactly who our Emory graduates are. They have my highest recommendation."

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"Ive been asked to write many letters of recommendations during my career, but I only say yes to the requests that come from those who I know have gone above and beyond in their professions and academic careers," Fenves told Yahoo Life. "This is the only time in my life where it seemed clear that this level of accomplishment and dedication applied to an entire class of graduates. These students are amazing."

Fenves says it's been "really fun" to see alumni and students share the letter. "I hope they appreciate the gesture and know how much I admire all they have done over the past year," he says.

Two Missouri school districts distribute stipend to teachers for pandemic work

Administrators in two Missouri school districts have given teachers and staff a special stipend to thank them for their work during the pandemic. Employees of Pierce City Schools and Monett R-1 School District were given a one-time COVID-19 relief stipend of either $1,000 for full-time employees or $500 for part-time staffers.

"They deserve it," Pierce City Schools superintendent Kelli Alumbaugh tells Yahoo Life, noting that the district started school "on time" and for in-person learning in August. Still, she says, "due to COVID and the ever-changing state of things, it has been a challenging year."

But Alumbaugh says her staff, from custodians to college algebra teachers, has been "always ready and willing to take on anything that may come our way."

"It's always exciting when you find a $20 bill in the pocket of your winter coat after a hot summer, so this stipend is kind of like that  it's something they weren't expecting, and it is more than deserved."

Alumbaugh says staff members have been "very appreciative and thankful," and she's had fun hearing how they plan to spend the extra money. "Some are putting it in savings, and some are using it to help them check something off their bucket list," she says.

Alumbaugh stresses the importance of understanding how willing educators have been to adapt during the pandemic. "Teachers and school staff are always going to show up and do whatever it takes to educate our students. They are always going to put students' needs before their own," she says. "Not just now, but teachers and staff always need to be supported. Their jobs are hard, yet rewarding. This profession isn't chosen for the money ... but to make a difference."

Some Georgia students are no longer required to wear masks at school

Students who attend Georgia's Evans County School System now have the option to not wear masks at school. The district made the announcement on Facebook, noting that it would "resume normal operations for [the] remainder of the school year."

The district has not seen any cases of COVID-19 among students or employees since March 25. "Based upon the continued trend of extremely low cases," ECSS lifted all "mandates and restrictions" as of May 3, the post reads. "We will continue to recommend that masks be worn, recommend that social distancing be practiced, and we will continue to stress the importance of good hygiene." Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting efforts will also continue, the post reads, but "other than the recommendations, all school operations will resume under normal conditions." The post adds that the district is "prepared to move immediately back into our protocols should we experience an uptick in cases."

Evans County School System superintendent Martin Waters did not respond to Yahoo Life's request for comment.

"We'll probably see more of this at other schools going forward," Johns Hopkins's Adalja says. "But it's premature until we get more control of community transmission."

Evans County has seen few cases of COVID-19 recently, with just one reported case of the virus on May 6, according to the New York Times' coronavirus tracker.

Still, Adalja says, there is a risk of outbreak when students and staff aren't masked. "There will be disruptions due to the virus, and that is an issue," he says.

Northeast Ohio's Watkins agrees. "Now is not the time to relax measures that seem to be working to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, such as mask wearing," he says. "This is a big mistake. Once we see strong evidence that the pandemic is getting better, which might happen as early as this summer, then mask wearing can be relaxed."

Schools in Florida will not be affected by Gov. DeSantis's move to lift local COVID-19 emergency orders

Florida's Department of Education has issued guidance to schools after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an order this week ending all local COVID-19 restrictions in the state. The executive order "only impacts city and county governments, and does NOT impact school districts and individual schools," the guidance says.

Prior to DeSantis's order, which goes into effect July 1, the state's commissioner of education, Richard Corcoran, sent a letter to district superintendents that recommended they change their policies to make masks voluntary for the 2021-2022 school year. "The data shows us that districts' face-covering policies do not impact the spread of the virus," the letter, which is dated April 14, reads. "Face coverings are a personal decision and certainly families and individuals should maintain their ability to make a decision that is unique to their circumstances. Broad sweeping mandatory face-covering policies serve no remaining good at this point in our schools."

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that masks be worn in schools.

The letter also said that "mandatory face-covering policies inhibit peer-to-peer learning in our classrooms and they may also unintentionally create a barrier for students and families who would otherwise choose in-person instruction if such a policy were not in place." As a result, Corcoran wrote, he wants school districts to "revise" their face mask policy for the coming school year.

But a Florida Department of Education spokesperson told Yahoo Life that it's "up to each individual school district" whether to follow Corcoran's advice.

James Norton, superintendent of Florida's Gulf District Schools in Port St. Joe, tells Yahoo Life that his district will not be requiring masks next year. "We very much value the guidance of the governor and commissioner," he says. "As such, we plan to live without the requirement for masks and federal government overreach."

Norton says his district has "done our best to use common sense with regard to issues of the day."

"We do take the threat that COVID poses very seriously," he continues. "But we also take seriously the threat that a lot of other things may pose. Personally, and I think most in my district support, I think personal choice and liberty trump harsh requirements that mask mandates impose."

Sharon Michalik, director of communications for Bay District Schools in Panama City, Fla., says, "Currently our district plans to review mask policies for this year and next year at next Tuesday's school board meeting."

Yahoo Life reached out to a dozen other school districts across the state but did not immediately receive responses with regard to plans to change mask policies for the 2021-2022 school year. Florida reported 4,504 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday.

Watkins calls Corcoran's recommendation "premature," adding that "schools need to be flexible and may need to adjust their plans based on the current circumstances."

Adalja says the safety of unmasking in school will depend on how many students are vaccinated and what the rate of community transmission is. "If cases are prevalent in the community, there's going to be some risk that the virus will disrupt school activities," he says. "But we have to wait and see what transmission and vaccine uptake looks like in the fall to make those types of decisions."

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Boris Johnson has wished happy birthday to Sir David Attenborough as the great naturalist turned 95 today.

The Prime Minister joined politicians, broadcasters and thousands of fans in congratulating Sir David and celebrating his work as an environmentalist.

Mr Johnson's wishes come ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which was launched by the Prime Minister and Sir David last February.

The conference, which is to be held in Glasgow, was delayed because of the Covid pandemic and has been rescheduled for November this year.

Boris Johnson has wished happy birthday to Sir David Attenborough (pictured together at the Science Museum in London for the launch of the UK-hosted COP26 UN Climate Summit in February last year) as the great nationalist turned 95 today

Pictured: Sir David sits with mountain gorillas on location for his documentary Life On Earth in Rwanda in 1979

Writing on Twitter this morning, Mr Johnson said: 'I'd like to wish Sir David Attenborough a very happy 95th birthday.

'His championing of the need to protect our planet has inspired millions.

'The work continues at COP26 this year, where we'll urge the world to take action to preserve our environment for future generations.'

He was joined in sending his warm wishes to the naturalist by fellow Conservatives Alok Sharma and Zak Goldsmith.

The former employment minister and president of COP26 Mr Sharma wrote: 'Happy birthday to one of my childhood heroes, Sir David Attenborough.

'Thank you for continuing to inspire us all.'

And minister of state for pacific and the environment Zac Goldsmith said: 'Happy birthday Sir David Attenborough  a man for whom the term National Treasure was invented.

'We are all indebted to you  even those who don't yet realise it!'
YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan handed over the Order of Motherland, which was posthumously awarded to Major-General Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, to his son, Hayk Ter-Tadevosyan, the PMs Office told Armenpress.

Dear Mr. Ter-Tadevosyan, I attach great importance to todays occasion and regret that I am handing over this highest title not to the Komandos personally, but to you, and I also regret that we are handing over this award posthumously. Nevertheless, I think that this a tribute, a very important tribute not only to Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, but also to all our compatriots who dedicated themselves for the Artsakh liberation fight and the defense of the Homeland in general.

Moreover, I want to state once again that as we have been convinced the awards and tributes to the Armed Forces and commanders relate to the entire people, because the Army, the society are one unity and individuals make their heroic deeds relying first of all on the nation, the state, the people, their history, spirit, goals and dreams, Pashinyan said.

On behalf of his family Hayk Ter-Tadevosyan thanked the caretaker PM for the award. This highest title, which was bestowed to my father, will become one of the symbols of our future victories. Its a great symbol for our youth, he said.

On May 8 President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian, based on the proposal of caretaker Prime Minister, signed a decree on posthumously awarding Major-General, Hero of Artsakh Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan with the Order of Motherland for his exclusive services provided to the creation, development of the Armenian Armed Forces, the protection and security of the Homeland.

The Order of Motherland is awarded for exceptional services of nationwide importance rendered to the Republic of Armenia in the spheres of the defense of the state and strengthening of law and order, as well as for creation of significant national values. Person awarded with the Order of Motherland is considered a National Hero of Armenia.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
MEXICO CITY (AP)  The U.N. Human Rights agency on Saturday condemned the killing this week of an online journalist in Mexicos northern border state of Sonora.

Benjamin Morales Hernandez ran an online community news site called Noticias Xonoidag. On the site he covered local community events in the border town of Sonoyta, and sometimes reported on police and crime.
Read what is in the news today:

COVID-19 Updates

-- Vietnam recorded 15 new community cases of COVID-19 in Hanoi and northern Bac Ninh Province on Saturday morning, raising the national tally to 3,152 infections with 2,560 recoveries and 35 virus-related deaths.

-- Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long emphasized at a national meeting on COVID-19 control on Friday afternoon that the fourth wave of community transmissions Vietnam is grappling with is more complicated than the three previous waves due to concurrent emergence of multiple outbreaks, many transmission sources and variants and requires more drastic responses.

Society

-- The President Office on Friday night sent condolences to the family of the victims of the deadly fire that broke out at a house in District 11, Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon of the same day, trapping and killing eight people.

-- The management board of the Central Office for South Vietnam in southern Tay Ninh Province has stopped receiving visitors to the famous historic revolutionary relic site after several ancient giant trees there were knock down by gusts and blocked the entrances.

-- A court in central Thua Thien - Hue Province on Friday sentenced a man from northern Hai Phong City to life in prison for carrying 30,000 drug pills on a Hanoi-bound train from Ho Chi Minh City in 2019.

-- Many Vietnamese organizations and individuals have sent a lot of financial support, food, and disease prevention equipment through the Embassy of Vietnam in Cambodia and the Association of Vietnamese descent in Cambodia to support Vietnamese and Khmer people living in the host country.

-- The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has asked local authorities and police to investigate a case where a video circulated on social media on May 4 showed an 11-year-old boy allegedly being violently beaten by his own father, with his hands bleeding and his face swelling in Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City.

-- The Criminal Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, in collaboration with the police in southern Binh Duong Province and north-central Nghe An Province, has arrested two men who stole a motorcycle at a dentists and stabbed him to his death in Binh Duong on May 4.

Business

-- Bamboo Airways announced on Friday evening that it has been officially granted slots to directly fly to San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport in California in the U.S., starting September 1 this year.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
People with kidney disease are 70 per cent more likely to develop dementia, a major study has found.

Swedish researchers tracked 300,000 over-65s for five years, analysing results of a blood test measuring kidney function.

The scientists found a clear relationship between diminishing kidney function and cognitive decline.

When the kidneys are unable to clear waste products from the blood, the tiny blood vessels that supply the heart and brain may be affected.

People with kidney disease are 70 per cent more likely to develop dementia, a major study has found (file photo)

Experts have previously suggested that this may be the reason behind the link, although it is not yet conclusive.

The studys authors, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, say: Our analysis suggests that as many as ten per cent of dementia cases could potentially be attributed to chronic kidney disease.

Back pain? Try robo-physio!

Back pain sufferers who cant get to see a physiotherapist due to Covid safety restrictions can now use a robot alternative.

BackHug, (99 a month, mybackhug.com) looks like a massage chair and is embedded with 28 human-sized fingers that apply pressure to problem areas, like a real-life physio does.

When its paired with a smartphone app via Bluetooth, patients can choose from 2,000 treatments  composed by a physiotherapist  and adjust strength and pressure. Users report up to 50 per cent pain loss.

BackHug, pictured above (99 a month, mybackhug.com), looks like a massage chair and is embedded with 28 human-sized fingers that apply pressure to problem areas

If you have mild Covid-19 infection, you wont suffer the long-term heart problems seen in those who are hospitalised, according to a British Heart Foundation study.

Experts have identified lasting damage  caused by a lack of oxygen from failing lungs, and inflammation  in the hearts of up to half of those hospitalised with Covid-19, and there was concern that those with milder disease would suffer the same.

But now doctors at Barts Health NHS Trust say there is no evidence of a risk, after studying scans of healthcare workers six months after infection.

No difference in size of heart muscle or blood-pumping ability was found between those who had had a mild infection and healthy controls.

If you have mild Covid-19 infection, you wont suffer the long-term heart problems seen in those who are hospitalised, according to a British Heart Foundation study (file photo)

The UKs most popular fertility apps are sharing users intimate data, according to a new analysis.

Millions of women use smartphone apps to track their monthly cycles, helping them spot when they are fertile. Many of the apps ask for personal information.

But, having analysed the policies of seven of the most widely used apps, researchers found many are sharing the information, often selling data to third party firms.

Dr Teresa Almeida, co-author of the study from Umea University in Sweden, said: A more careful approach to how technology is designed and developed is needed.
Port Louis, Mauritius (PANA)  Announcing the success of Mauritius in containing the Covid-19 virus thanks to strict health measures, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said, in the short-term, fiscal consolidation will be necessary to stabilise the country's public debt
A Georgia woman died from injuries suffered in a three-vehicle wreck on Interstate 65 near Montgomery Friday afternoon, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.

Lolita Thomas, 49, of Columbus, was a passenger in a 2013 Jeep Wrangler driven by Meco-Takia Waverly, 37, also of Columbus.

The Wrangler struck the rear of a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado driven by a 17-year-old from Pace, Fla. The Wrangler then ran into the grassy median, causing the injuries to Thomas, who was not wearing a seat belt, according to ALEA. She was taken to a Montgomery hospital where she died of her injuries.

The Silverado that was struck from behind by the Wrangler crashed into another vehicle, a 2021 Toyota Rav-4. The wreck happened about 1:25 p.m.

ALEA is investigating.
A man who travelled from India and who tested positive for Covid-19 in Western Australia has been taken to hospital after falling ill.

The man, in his 30s and who was in hotel quarantine, was on Saturday rushed to Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth, where he was reported to be in a stable condition.

WA reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday.

The state is monitoring 22 active cases.

There have been more than one million of these Covid-19 tests conducted in WA since early last year.
Many of us have heard prayer cloth testimonies, usually on television or the internet. People have testified to being healed of disease, delivered from addiction, walking again after being injured from an accident and other amazing miracles after using a prayer cloth. Just hearing peoples testimonies about the power of the healing cloth draws many to want to learn more about them and wondering if getting one can give them relief to their sickness or ailment. Many people think that the ministers who talk about these clothes and their miracle powers are scam artists, but is there merit to using them? Are they biblical? Does God say anything about using them? The best place to turn to for that answer is scripture.

You may not know that several biblical accounts serve as a foundation for the modern practice of using a prayer cloth to receive answers to prayer. One of those accounts is in Matthew 9:20-22, which tells the story of a woman who has suffered severe bleeding for 12 years. The woman touches the hem of Jesus cloak, trusting and believing that her contact with his garment would heal her. Jesus tells her in verse 22, Your faith has made you well. In another account in Matthew 14:24-36, the people of Gennesaret believed something similar. All who were sick wanted to touch the hem of Jesus garment, and they were all healed.

There is also another passage in Acts 19:11-12 that talks about handkerchiefs that Paul had. These were carried to the sick in the hope that people would be healed of evil spirits and diseases. While none of these stories refer to Jesus clothing or Pauls handkerchief as a prayer cloth, we can draw the general foundation from these passages.

Modern-day use of prayer cloths has been tied to the Mormon church and the Pentecostal church. There are times when the cloths have the sweat of those who pray over it on the cloth. They also may be anointed with oil. Prayer cloths can be given to those you care about as a reminder that you are praying over them. Sometimes, groups of people will pray for a person holding onto the cloth. Some believe that the sweat and the il will create a transfer that will allow Gods miracle power to enter the recipient of the prayers.

In recent decades, prayer cloths have shifted in their application and have been used to take advantage of believers. They have become a fund-raising method used by prosperity gospel televangelists. These are the infomercials youve likely woken up to in the middle of the night. The program will encourage viewers to call in, and send their name, address and a short prayer request to a 1-800 number. Following submitting this information, you receive instructions on what should be done with the prayer cloth like write your name on it or put it under your pillow, along with a hefty donation to the ministry. It is particularly problematic when they are used exclusively for financial gain.

Ultimately, there isnt anything wrong with sharing a reminder to family, friends and loved ones that you are praying for them. However, the fact that prayer cloths have turned into a blatant money scheme by some televangelists is sad and troubling. The Bible tells us, Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed, they will exploit you with false words (Second Peter 2:2-3). Scripture never says that prayer or spiritual favors can be paid for. Sending a donation to a ministry doesnt guarantee answered prayer.

One of the best ways to pray for a miracle is by asking God for healing directly. We can call on God for miracle power. There are tons of accounts in the Bible testifying the miracle power of God. He is always doing the miraculous in the world each day. Begin by asking Jesus directly for healing. The only way we can do this is through prayer. Since we see the countless examples in scripture of Jesus doing miracle work, we know that these same things can happen in our lives as well. Miracle power happens when we put our full and total trust in Gods power. It always requires that we have faith. If we want to understand the miraculous, we have to remember that we are miraculous being, and God has a bigger plan for our lives.

If you are ready to have miracles take place in your life, you need to call on God. You also have to stay persistent about every situation you face in life. We are able to see the miraculous happening in our lives when we know that God is working on it. The more trust you place in Gods power, the greater you will see the miracles taking place around you.

If you are going to use a prayer cloth, you should be doing it in a way that glorifies God. A reminder of this is in 1 Corinthians 10:31, which says, So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. We are also instructed in Colossians 2:17, Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. We must always be clear that God, not the prayer cloth, is the true source of healing. When we are praying, we should be focusing on him, not on objects. All miraculous power should be attributed to God alone. We should also look at Jesus as our sole healer. When we give the prayer cloth more trust than we do God, we are not doing what the Bible instructs us to do. If a ministry is offering prayer cloth for money-making purposes, you should be cautious. This does not glorify God in any way.
The logo of FE Credit is seen in a company's office. Photo courtesy of FE Credit.

FE Credit, Vietnam's largest consumer finance company, is now worth more than a mid-sized bank, after a decade of operation.

Vietnam Prosperity Joint-Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank), its parent company, announced last Wednesday it was selling a 49 percent stake in the non-bank lender to Japans Sumitomo Mitsui Finance Group (SMFG) for $1.4 billion.

It was Vietnams first M&A deal in the financial sector worth over $1 billion.

Based on the price, FE Credit is valued at around $2.8 billion, slightly higher than VIBs valuation of $2.65 billion and much higher than mid-sized banks such as SHB, which is valued at $2.2 billion, HDBank ($2 billion), OCB ($1.15 billion), and LienVietPostBank ($1 billion).

Founded as the consumer finance division of VPBank in 2010, FE credit became an independent legal entity in 2015.

Within a short period it became a leading revenue driver for VPBank, growing at breakneck speed though not without controversy.

Before 2010, when it still went by its old name, Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Non-State Enterprises of Vietnam, VPBank was one of the smaller lenders in the country.

It changed its name to Vietnam Prosperity Bank in the second half of 2010 while also launching the consumer credit division to focus on segments the market had neglected such as small and medium enterprises and household businesses.

It sought to target high risk-high reward segments that traditional banks had been reluctant to enter.

CEO Nguyen Duc Vinhs mantra has been that bad debts are inevitable in lending, and it is more important for banks to accept and manage this risk.

This was panned by analysts, especially since the banking industry had just experienced the 2008 financial crisis with bad debts being the biggest problem.

However, VPBanks gamble seems to have paid off handsomely given the subsequent performance of FE Credit.

Lending was mostly to enable shopping. After three years of trying to figure out its direction, FE Credit settled on unsecured cash loans, a segment many banks ignored because of the risks involved.

But it was a good choice for FE Credit because there was a lot of pent-up demand. The borrowers are mostly people who do not meet the requirements for mortgage loans and are ignored by lenders because of the high risks, and so often have to turn to loan sharks for finance.

By meeting this niche demand, FE Credit quickly became a major revenue driver for VPBank, whose post-tax profits hit VND1 trillion ($43.44 million) for the first time in 2013 and rose six-fold by 2017, with FE Credit accounting for 40 percent.

However, the success of FE Credit has not been without controversies.

People have complained that they are indebted to FE Credit as a result of others forging their documents to obtain loans or that their phone number appeared on the list of persons related to a borrower without their consent or knowledge or they were harassed by third-party debt collectors.

In 2018 the Vietnam Competition and Consumer Protection Authority said over 100 consumers filed complaints that FE Credit had called them up for debt repayment though they had not borrowed.

It also said there were allegations that DeAura, a beauty products vendor and business partner of FE Credit, had scammed consumers into buying expensive products financed by the lender.

FE Credit, understandably for a consumer finance company, has always had a high bad debts ratio, making VPBanks among the highest in the banking industry.

In 2018-19, despite its heightened focus on debt recovery, FE Credit's bad debts ratio was still nearly 6 percent.

Although FE Credits quantity over quality philosophy is the reason VPBank's total operating income has always been the highest among commercial banks, it also means its operating costs and provisions for credit risks also top the industry.

FE Credit's growth has slowed in the past two years, but it was considered essential to standardize its operating model, restructure products and focus more on technology to build a stronger foundation.

But it remains the runaway leader in the consumer credit market with a market share of over 50 percent at the end of 2020.

The stake sale to SMFG also makes sense, according to analysts.

Vinh told shareholders at the annual general meeting earlier this year: "Selling 49 percent of FE Credit to SMFG does not mean that VPBank will give up its goose that lays the golden eggs. With more strategic partners, FE Credit can reap greater value."

Ngo Chi Dung, VPBank's chairman, said two options had been considered: a public listing of FE Credit and a private placement.

"To take FE Credit public, the only question would be the price, an option more profitable to VPBank in absolute terms since several Vietnamese and foreign consultants estimated the IPO to be worth $4 billion."

However, after meeting with investors, the bank decided to bring SMFG on board as a partner.

According to FiinGroup, a provider of financial data and analysis, FE will benefit in the long term from M&A transactions.

Firstly, it said it is cheaper to raise money from SMFG, and it is highly likely that FE Credit would take advantage of the opportunity to raise funds or restructure existing funding.

This would help bring down FE's cost of capital, net interest margin and profitability without having to pursue overly risky products or customer segments, it said in a report.

FE Credit would also benefit from SMFGs experience in risk management and new product development in the consumer finance sector as it already operates consumer finance companies in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand, pieces which would become useful for FE Credits long-term strategy, it added.

Vinh said: "VPBank's share in FE Credit may be reduced in relative terms, but its absolute value will be much higher in future. FE Credit is still an important component in VPBank's profits."

FE Credit has 20,000 outlets and 13,000 employees. It reported pre-tax profits of VND3.87 trillion ($168 million) last year, down 16 percent from 2019.
Awaiting its Olympic debut in Tokyo this summer, skateboarding has become increasingly popular in Japan as an outdoor activity one can enjoy while social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, but the sport's surge has not been without trouble.

Cases of skateboarders riding in public spaces without permission or damaging cultural assets have become frequent across Japan, with many of the incidents caused by novices who may be unaware of the rules.

Along with this, certain areas, particularly near stations and major business and shopping districts, have seen more and more young skateboarders gathering at night and getting into scrapes with pedestrians or causing noise disturbances.

Authorities are aiming to promote public awareness about the sport and crack down on those who flout the rules.

In central Japan's Aichi Prefecture, a recorded announcement on the second-level pedestrian concourse of JR Toyohashi Station repeatedly warns people against skateboarding and other prohibited activities, with the message reinforced with explicit "No skateboarding" signs.

"We've clearly responded to more calls regarding skateboarding since around last year," said Chikara Ishikawa, the deputy chief of Toyohashi police station.

His officers attended to 27 skateboard incidents between January and March. In January, four youngsters were written up for violating traffic laws after repeatedly ignoring warnings about riding on a public road.

The law specifically prohibits roller skating or similar conduct on roads with frequent traffic, but the police said the ambiguity of the word "frequent" makes it difficult to charge violators because of its broad interpretation.

Boarders have also been involved in damaging cultural property on public land, where entry is prohibited for purposes other than what is intended.

For example, planking was damaged on the iconic five-arched wooden Kintai Bridge -- a national site of scenic beauty -- in Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, in January.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 18:32:00|Editor: huaxia

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by Xinhua writers Chen Wenxian, Chen Zhanjie

VALLETTA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- With the speedy rollout of vaccinations, Europe has witnessed an improved COVID-19 pandemic situation and called for reopening its tourism sector.

The Digital Green Certificate, introduced by the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), and expected to be implemented from June, will help ease restrictions on non-essential travels to the EU.

Industry insiders and observers said that those measures will give a boost to the gloomy tourism sector though there is a long way to go before the sector reaches the pre-pandemic levels.

EAGER TO REOPEN

Earlier this month, ministers of tourism from the Group of 20, comprising 19 countries and the EU, pledged support for "safe international mobility initiatives" as a way to help relaunch the world's tourism industry.

The Portuguese presidency of the EU urged member states to "act without delay" to save European tourism from the COVID-19 crisis by speeding up a digital health passport scheme.

The European Commission also called on its member states to grant entry to travelers fully vaccinated and those coming from countries with low infection rates.

At the end of April, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a four-stage plan to allow foreign tourists back to France with a "health pass" by June 9.

Greece, whose tourism accounts for about one-fifth of its GDP and employment, announced the reopening of its tourism on May 14.

The EU aims to vaccinate 70 percent of its adults by July, and some European countries plan to stimulate the recovery of tourism by injecting large amounts of money into the sector.

The Spanish government presented a "recovery, transformation and resilience plan (2021-2023)" to the EU on April 29, which will allocate about 3.4 billion euros (4.1 billion U.S. dollars) to the tourism sector in the coming three years.

In the Mediterranean island country of Malta, the government is planning to welcome tourists from June 1. It will also inject 20 million euros (24.3 million dollars) through an aid package to kickstart the tourism industry.

HEAVY LOSSES

The tourism sector has been fragmented and damaged seriously by the pandemic. According to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), global tourist arrivals dropped by 73 percent in 2020, with a loss of nearly 62 million travel-and tourist-related jobs.

WTTC's figures also indicated that the travel and tourism industries suffered a loss of 4.5 trillion dollars by the end of 2020, with its contribution to the GDP dropping by 49.1 percent year-on-year.

France received some 90 million foreign tourists in a normal year, but lost two-thirds of tourist arrivals in 2020. The tourism revenue plunged to 89 billion euros (108.3 billion dollars), down by 41 percent from a year earlier.

Half of the country's hotels stayed open with occupancy rates below 20 percent, compared with an average of 75 percent in previous years, Corinne Menegaux, director of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, told Xinhua.

Spain's tourism industry suffered a loss of around 76.6 billion euros (93.2 billion dollars), with visitor arrivals falling by around 68.3 million between January 2020 and January 2021, according to data released by the Spanish Statistical Office.

In Italy, the pandemic caused a loss of at least 70 billion euros (85.1 billion dollars) in the tourism industry last year, and the damage is likely to continue this year, according to Marina Lalli, president of Federturismo, the arm of the Italian industrial association Confindustria.

Portuguese hotels' revenues fell by 74 percent year-on-year to 1.1 billion euros (1.3 billion dollars), with the numbers of domestic and foreign tourists slumping by 71 percent year-on-year between the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 and February this year, according to data released by the National Statistics Institute.

"The COVID-19 crisis put the sector under strong economic pressure and had a particularly serious impact on small- and medium-sized companies," Portugal's Secretary of State for European Affairs Ana Paula Zacarias said.

Business owners in Etar, famous for producing handicrafts in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, are worried about their business due to the sharp decline in tourist arrivals.

"The number of tourists has not recovered to the level before the pandemic, and sales are even worse -- sometimes only a few pieces are sold each day," Kirisov, the operator of a wood products workshop, told Xinhua.

LONG WAY TO RECOVERY

Experts estimated that it would take at least two more years to bring European tourism back to its pre-pandemic levels.

France may have to wait at least two years before tourism and leisure businesses recover from a global standstill triggered by the pandemic, Menegaux said, adding that "it is difficult to know when the sector will find its dynamism again."

Britain's national tourism agency VisitBritain forecasts that some European markets may see signs of recovery starting in May, but it does not expect inbound tourism to return to, or even get close to, normal levels by the end of 2021.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said the country would reopen to international tourists later this month, but industry analysts said the tourism sector would not fully recover before 2023.

"The pandemic won't be over until it is under control everywhere. That is one of the reasons why the tourism sector's recovery will take so long," Gianfranco Lorenzo, head of research at the Center for Touristic Studies in Florence, Italy, told Xinhua.

Nevertheless, many people across Europe have expressed confidence in the future of the tourism industry.

The rollout of vaccines and the certificate have restored confidence among holidaymakers, Didrik von Seth, director general of the Association of Swedish Travel Agents and Tour Operators, told Xinhua.

"It's been disastrous, but now there's a budding optimism," he said, voicing his expectation for a massive demand in the summer of 2022.

Insiders of Spain's tourism industry are looking to China, a strategic market that is expected to be the lever in reviving tourism in Spain when the pandemic ends, said Rafael Cascales Sisniega, president of the Spain China Tourism Association (ATEC).

"We are looking towards the rest of 2021 as being a good period for tourism to Malta," said Anthony Zahra, president of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, adding that Malta is waiting for large crowds of tourists from China.

Martin, a silver jewelry storeowner in Etar, is also optimistic about the future.

"Things are getting better and life is recovering. I trust my business will be as good as before," he said. Enditem

(Xinhua reporters Wen Xinnian in Lisbon, Yu Shuaishuai in Athens, Liu Fang in Paris, Feng Junwei in Madrid, Patrick Ekstrand and Fu Yiming in Stockholm, Chen Jing in Copenhagen, Sun Yifei and Lin Hao in Sofia, Sun Xiaoling in London also contributed to the story.)
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP)  One female soldier stationed at Fort Bragg has been charged with murder in the shooting death of another soldier, according to police in North Carolina.

Fayetteville police announced the arrest of Tiara Nicole Vinson, 26, on Saturday. Vinson is charged in connection with the death of 22-year-old Kelia Horton, who police said was found shot outside a Fayetteville home Friday afternoon.
Scientists have discovered that a key protein may be the secret to treating prostate cancer patients with miracle immunotherapy drugs.

Clinical trials have now begun  with the goal of unleashing cancer-killing white blood cells to attack the tumour.

Immunotherapies have had stunning results against some types of the disease.

But, so far, they have failed to work against prostate cancer and scientists have not been able to work out why.

Clinical trials have now begun  with the goal of unleashing cancer-killing white blood cells to attack the tumour. Prostate cancer cells are seen above

Now, researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and the Royal Marsden Hospital in London say they have got the answer  and it is a protein called CD38.

The cancer hijacks white blood cells called B-cells and manipulates them to make CD38.

Research suggests it then deprives other cancer-killing white blood cells of the energy they need to attack the tumour.

This means that drugs that target CD38 could unleash the power of the immune system on the cancer cells.

Crucially, such medicines already exist and trials are underway.

The cancer hijacks white blood cells called B-cells and manipulates them to make CD38. Research suggests it then deprives other cancer-killing white blood cells of the energy they need to attack the tumour

Given to 24 men with advanced prostate cancer, isatuximab  an immunotherapy used to treat blood cancer  re-energised the cancer-killing white blood cells, a conference heard last month.

Researcher Professor Johann de Bono said: Theres a lot of evidence that prostate cancer causes what we call immune tolerance  that the cancer suppresses the body from attacking it with its immune cells.

Our findings suggest that we can target immune cells displaying CD38 proteins to awaken the immune system.

Samples from more than 200 men with advanced prostate cancer revealed that those whose tumours had a lot of CD38 protein were twice as likely to die in the next ten to 15 years.

The research, published in the journal European Urology, also found that the cancer became harder to treat as levels of the protein rose.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men  with 48,500 cases a year and almost 12,000 needless deaths. The Daily Mail has long campaigned for greater awareness, treatment and diagnosis of the disease.

Professor Paul Workman, of the ICR, said: Studies like this are critical in helping us understand how prostate cancer interacts with the bodys immune defences and could help pave the way for more effective treatments.
Last month, an announcement from two major Irish retailers was met with widespread praise for their stance on sustainability. Brown Thomas and Arnotts removed all plastic-based cosmetic glitter products for sale across their beauty halls and websites as part of their Positive Change sustainability programme.

It highlights the Irish publics appetite for a more sustainable and planet-friendly shopping experience. While it seems a small thing, Brown Thomas and Arnotts point out that when glitter is washed away, it can enter our water systems, contribute to ocean pollution and damage our ecosystems.

Diana Geraghty, head of sustainability for Brown Thomas and Arnotts, said the move is the brands way of helping customers make sustainable choices.

We're trying to be really proactive and help our customers make sustainable lifestyle choices and changes, she says.

Sometimes it's difficult to know what's the first step: What can I do to make a tangible sustainable change? We're helping the customer to make a more sustainable choice. We're also highlighting examples of where microplastic might exist where people may have thought it didn't before.

Its not the first time Brown Thomas and Arnotts have taken such a stance.

We removed single-use plastics across the board in 2019 and we're part of Repaks Plastic Pledge. We banned microbeads back in 2016. Weve made it easier for the customer to identify sustainable products on our websites. It's about making sustainability more user-friendly for our customers.

In addition, the brands recently began selling second-hand items.

The Circular Room has just launched on Arnotts.ie offering the very best in pre-loved accessories and highlights Arnotts continued commitment to driving a sustainable approach to fashion. Picture: Conor McCabe Photography.

For the first time, we're selling pre-loved bags online. Our in-store Circular Room has a broader range of pre-loved products and we're also bringing in furniture into that area. We're also looking at our fashion and how we can allow customers to be stylish and up to date but also reduce unnecessary consumption.

One of the brands that can be found in Brown Thomas and Arnotts is the Max Benjamin line of home fragrances. Director Orla Van den Bergh runs Max Benjamin with her brothers, Mark and David, in Wicklow and says they are always striving to make their products more sustainable.

Sustainability is part of all our new product development, it's the first line of our criteria. It's at the forefront, Van den Bergh says.

True Lavender candle refill from Max Benjamin

The brand is known for its luxurious candles and it is the first Irish company to introduce candle refills.

We started by creating refill options for our current offerings to change a product from a single-use product into a multi-use product. You can be sustainable if you use your vessel multiple times. Our packaging is fully recyclable and our fibreglass vessels are recyclable in the clear glass bin.

"That was a conscious change for us.

Orla, Mark and David Van den Bergh of Max Benjamin

Van den Bergh says the brand will go one step further in its efforts with an upcoming range of products.

We're focusing on 100% natural and breaking into the wellness space. We'll be bringing out a new range and it's 100% natural and absolutely gorgeous.

From the items we use at home to the products we use on our skin, there is always room for improvement, says Nicola Connolly, founder of Nunaia. Connolly brings over a decade of hands-on experience in South America to her brand and ensures it is as eco-friendly as possible.

We are probably one of the most sustainable Irish brands on the market at the moment, she says.

Nunaia founder Nicola Connolly

My career was in sustainability. I worked in South America for 12 years with indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest and the Galapagos Islands and helped them to build sustainable businesses with nature.

Connolly says Nunaia, which is manufactured in Co Tipperary, uses all-natural ingredients and is among the highest organic certified products in Europe.

We operate with a soil-to-skin ethos. We use 100% natural ingredients. We are Ecocert and Cosmos organic certified, we actually have the highest organic certified products in Ireland and one of the highest in Europe.

Its not just the product thats eco-friendly  even Nunaias packaging is nourishing.

Ground & Glow Ritual set by Nunaia Beauty on mycelium packaging

Sustainability goes into everything we do and that includes our packaging. We have just started moving over to mycelium packaging. It's grown from mushrooms. It contains lots of nutrients so it actually nourishes your soil.

She is critical of the greenwashing she has seen, where brands falsely claim to be organic or earth-friendly.

You can say your product is natural or organic or sustainable but there's no regulation around the use of the term. Don't be fooled by the words natural and organic. Read what's on the label and look for the certification logos.

Managing director of Codex Beauty Labs Europe, Tracey Ryan says consumers can make an impact through their personal use of products.

Tracey Ryan, Codex Beauty Labs Master Formulator and MD of Codex Beauty Labs Europe

Use bar soap instead of liquid soap, the Cork native suggests.

We carried out a carbon footprint report on our bar soap versus liquid soap and found that the consumer gets more uses out of bar soap  up to 80 uses. You can use our bar soaps for handwashing but they also double up as a body wash.

Ingredients in the brands Bia Collection are ethically sourced from Ireland, while the Antu range is ethically sourced in Chile.

Simplify your routine, and look for multifunctional products in order to cut down on purchasing lots of individual products, Ryan adds.

Be mindful of how much product you use. With quality skincare products a little bit goes a long way. Follow the instructions on the packaging for guidance on how much to use.

Another way brands are being sustainable is by creating a core range of practical, multi-tasking products.

We want them to be flexible, practical, unisex. Theyre for everyone in the family and they're multitasking products, says John Murray, head of sustainability at Modern Botany in West Cork. The brand is known for its natural skincare, but they have also created a refillable natural antiperspirant deodorant.

Modern Botany deodorant products

We wanted to create a unique, innovative, natural deodorant that also works as an antiperspirant. We did a lot of research into that to make it 100% natural, to make it aluminium-free. To our surprise, that product took off in Ireland but it really took off in the UK.

Modern Botany uses the science behind plants to create its products and Murray says they have seen a huge consumer appetite for natural, sustainable cosmetics.

With all the cosmetic companies rising up in Ireland and around the world, people are looking for natural alternatives. It's becoming a way of living, he says.

After setting up Modern Botany in 2016 in Schull with Dr Simon Jackson, Murray says a piece of West Cork will be in some upcoming products.

In our new products, we're going to introduce seaweed for the first time. Its incredibly nourishing for the skin and really hydrating. We've been foraging it from the seashore after high winds. There's no impact on the environment whatsoever.

Modern Botany products

In addition, they have also begun growing some of their main ingredients to reduce their carbon footprint and seeds are available from their online shop.

We've grown Roman chamomile, German chamomile, calendula [marigolds, to you and I] and flaxseed, an old Irish plant thats great for anti-ageing and deep moisturising your skin and is very underutilised. The more growing we do, the fewer carbon emissions and CO2 in the atmosphere.

In nearby Bandon, Mark Clifford says SOMEGA is changing the way we take supplements.

We really look at sustainability, recyclability, and waste reduction when we design the products from the start, he says.

One of the things that come up for us a lot is single-use sachets. From a sustainability point of view, we just wouldn't incorporate them into our product or packaging because of the damage they do to the environment. From a design point of view, sustainability is at the very core, not as an afterthought.

Mark Clifford and Dr. Paula Gaynor of SOMEGA

Clifford says he and co-founder Dr Paula Gaynor have seen a growing demand from customers for sustainable products and packaging and thinks customers and companies can inspire change.

There's a push and pull, and we see consumers themselves are pulling but we need to push too. The more companies that don't use single-use plastics, the more there's a bigger market for technology companies to develop alternatives.

He says SOMEGA stays true to its sustainable instincts and it helps him to sleep better at night.

Were a small company, but in whatever we do we just want to be true to the ethos we have and that our customers have as well. None of us want to feel like we're polluters of our environment.

SOMEGA products

Clifford believes if more companies pull away from single-use plastics, the bigger the impact on the worlds poorest communities.

We are connected globally in so many ways. Whatever little we do here has a ripple effect on the communities that are affected worst by pollution, he says.

Single-use plastics are the main problem. We need to do better ourselves and governments around the world have a place to push that agenda as well.
India was the top country of origin for vehicle imports into South Africa despite the lengthy Covid-19 lockdowns and overall declines in vehicle sales in 2020, according to the latest 2021 auto report.

The Automotive Export Manual report released here on Friday by the Automotive Industry Export Council said that India has been established by several global brands as a production hub for entry-level and small vehicles, and most of the vehicles imported from India fell into these categories.

Volkswagens Polo Vivo was the only vehicle in these segments that was manufactured locally in South Africa in 2020.

The 87,953 units imported from India accounted for 43.2 per cent of total passenger cars and light commercial vehicles imported by South Africa.

Nine of the top 10 selling vehicles in 2020 were South African-built passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. An interesting phenomenon is that South African motorists are more inclined to rather drive bakkies (pickups), which have both commercial and leisure vehicle applications, than passenger cars.

This was good news for Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra SA, the local subsidiary of the Indian automotive manufacturer.

The Mahindra Pik Up has been the fastest growing range of bakkies in the past three years.

There is a strong and growing bond between India and South Africa. Not only is trade between the two countries strong, but South Africa is a perfect springboard for Indian products into the rest of the continent.

This is especially true for our range of Pik Up models, which is assembled locally and exported to countries in the Southern African Development Community," Gupta told PTI.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, South African vehicle exports declined by a massive 115,804 units to 271,288 units in 2020, from the record 387,092 vehicles exported in 2019, with the export value declining by R26.8 billion from the R148.0 billion in 2019 to R121.2 billion in 2020.

Despite this, the report remained optimistic about the automotive industry for the current year, dependent on the actions of governments in response to the pandemic as well as the vaccine and how it is rolled out.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
The union governments flagship programmethe Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojanalaunched in 2016 and revamped in 2020 for providing crop insurance to farmersneeds fundamental and structural changes for its effective implementation. The need of the hour is a more forceful and impactful state involvement in the scheme.

As the entire economy has been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown since 2020, it is perhaps only the agriculture sector that has shown a silver lining by registering a positive growth of 3.4% at constant prices in 202021, while all the other sectors have caved in. The share of agriculture in gross domestic product (GDP) has reached almost 20% for the first time in the last 17 years (GOI 202021). Despite adversities, natural as well as human-made, the performance of agriculture sector has been remarkable and it once again underlines its important place in Indian economy. This is not only because it ensures supply of foodgrains, thereby, ensuring food security to the expansive populace, but also because it is a major source of employment, especially, during the pandemic and the consequent lockdowns, which forced most of the unskilled/semi-skilled labourers to reverse-migrate from cities to villages.

This further underlines the dire necessity that the state should own up the responsibility of the agriculture sector and provide it necessary focus and investment, which has been long overdue. However, the state, on the other hand, seems to be increasingly pushing the sector towards private hands as seen recently through the three controversial farm acts. The union governments flagship programme for providing crop insurance to farmers in distress, that is, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), originally launched in 2016 and revamped in February 2020, also seems to point in the same direction.
LAS VEGAS, May 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via InvestorWire  Asia Broadband Inc. (OTC: AABB) (AABB or the Company) is pleased to announce that the Company has achieved substantial progress to date on the planned development path of its proprietary cryptocurrency exchange (the Exchange). Subsequent to the recent launch of the Companys AABBG gold-backed token, created with developer Core State Holdings, Corp. (CSHC), AABBs own proprietary cryptocurrency Exchange version of AABB Wallet has been under development. The Exchange will allow AABB Wallet users to complete quick two-way exchanges of their AABB Gold tokens for major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin. The proprietary Exchange will also add tremendously to transaction fee revenues and allow for the price appreciation of AABBG, influenced by market demand and the limited supply of tokens released into circulation.



Concurrent with the Exchange development, the Company has begun implementing an international marketing campaign aimed at proliferating brand exposure, increasing token sales and AABB Wallet transactions, and amplifying public and investment community awareness of the Company. AABBs primary goal for the token is to make it a worldwide standard of exchange that is secured and trusted with gold backing, and the Company aims to achieve this by progressively expanding token circulation to the primary sales markets of North America and Europe and to expand globally to other predominant and high-growth market areas.

Early this week, AABB confirmed with its transfer agent that the 1 for 45 restricted common share dividend for shareholders of record, dated May 3, 2021, had begun distribution with the Depository Trust Company and shareholders brokerage firms. It was also confirmed that all shareholders that own registered share certificates with the Companys transfer agent were sent the dividend share certificates directly by mail this week.

In other news, the Company is pleased to announce its new management team, which has been recently transitioning into the key roles of AABBs operations to rapidly advance the growth of the mining and cryptocurrency business segments. Please visit the Companys website About section for further details. The mandate and critical success focuses of AABBs new management are to move the Company into gold production this year and to complete the development of its proprietary cryptocurrency Exchange in the coming months. Accordingly, and due to the overwhelming public inquiries directed to AABBs audit firm, the Company has decided to disengage with Turner, Stone and Company. AABB intends to refocus and move forward with the planned audit at a later date, when operational milestones have been achieved, to allow dedication of the necessary resources to complete the audit expeditiously.

About Asia Broadband

Asia Broadband Inc. (OTC: AABB) is a resource company focused on the production, supply and sale of precious and base metals, primarily to Asian markets. The Company utilizes its specific geographic expertise, experience and extensive industry contacts to facilitate its innovative distribution process from the production and supply of precious and base metals in Mexico to client sales networks in Asia. This vertical integration approach to sales transactions is the unique strength of AABB that differentiates the Company and creates distinctive value for shareholders. The Company has recently released its freshly minted mine-to-token gold-backed cryptocurrency AABB Gold token (AABBG) and strives to become a worldwide standard of exchange that is secured and trusted with gold backing, an outstanding quality relative to other cryptocurrencies.

Contact the Company at:



InvestorBrandNetwork

General Email: ir@asiabroadbandinc.com Token Support : www.AABBGoldToken.com/support/ Company Website: www.asiabroadbandinc.com Token Website: www.AABBGoldToken.com Phone: 702-866-9054

Forward-Looking Statements are contained in this press release within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the Asia Broadband Inc.s (the Company) expected current beliefs about the Companys business, which are subject to uncertainty and change. The operations and results of the Company could materially differ from what is expressed or implied by the statements made above when industry, regulatory, market and competitive circumstances change. Further information about these risks can be found in the annual and quarterly disclosures the Company has published on the OTC Markets website. The Company is under no obligation to update or alter its forward-looking statements as future circumstances, events and information may change.

Corporate Communications:

InvestorBrandNetwork (IBN)

Los Angeles, California

www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com

310.299.1717 Office

Editor@InvestorBrandNetwork.com
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 7) The Philippines is expecting the arrival of at least seven million COVID-19 vaccine doses this month, Malacanang said on Friday.

"Nagagalak po ako na itong buwan ng Mayo ay hindi po bababa sa pitong milyon ang darating na bakuna," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a televised announcement.

[Translation: We're happy because this month of May, there will be at least seven million vaccines arriving in the country.]

Earlier in the day, the country received a bulk shipment of 1.5 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine. This is the seventh batch of vaccine deliveries from the Chinese manufacturer.

Apart from this, Roque confirmed the government is also expecting the arrival this Saturday of two million doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by British-Swedish AstraZeneca.

This particular shipment will be the third batch of vaccines coming from the COVAX facility  a global initiative led by the World Health Organization, vaccine alliance Gavi, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations that seeks member countries' equitable access to the vaccines.

RELATED: Pfizer, AstraZeneca vaccines under COVAX expected to arrive in May

Early last month, Health authorities issued an order to suspend the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine after European drug regulators found a link between the coronavirus shot and a few cases of unusual blood clots with low platelet count.

The Department of Health then announced on April 19 that it has approved the Food and Drug Administration's recommendation to lift the order.

In its latest statement, the DOH explained the Vaccine-Induced Thrombosis and Thrombocytopenia (VITT) "is a very rare condition of blood clots associated with low platelet counts that can occur 4 to 28 days after receiving a viral vector vaccine such as AstraZeneca."

It further emphasized there are no known risk factors for the condition and the benefits of receiving the coronavirus shot still outweigh the risks.

The department also issued updated guidelines in the management of side effects after inoculation. These include strengthened post-vaccination surveillance in all implementing sites to spot possible adverse events following immunization, and training of on-site health workers on the detection and handling of possible symptoms of VITT and refer these cases to the appropriate facility.

The government needs to inoculate at least 70 million Filipinos to achieve herd immunity. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the government targets to administer enough shots to achieve herd immunity in Metro Manila and nearby provinces by November.
Facebook bans LifeSiteNews after reporting deaths from US gov't vaccine database

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A nonprofit pro-life news website has been permanently booted from Facebook after the social media giant accused it of publishing false information about COVID-19 that could contribute to physical harm over an article citing United States government information on people who died after receiving the vaccine.

LifeSiteNews reported Tuesday that its Facebook account appears to have been permanently unpublished for violating the social media platforms community standards on misinformation that could cause physical harm.

The social media platform says that it removes pages that post content that discourages vaccinations. In justifying the ban, Facebook cited an April 9 article with the headline COVID vaccines can be deadly for some.

That particular article highlighted an open letter that Dr. Hooman Noorchashm sent to the Food & Drug Administration and Pfizer warning about the dangers of administering COVID-19 vaccines to people who have or have had the disease.

The doctor argued that those who have or recently had the disease have viral antigens present in the endothelial lining of blood vessels and other tissues. If such antigens are present, the doctor argues that immune response will be triggered by the vaccination and target the tissues, inflaming and damaging them. He argued that a result could be the formation of blood clots that might result in significant complications.

His immunological hypothesis appeared to be bolstered by recent data showing that the side effects from the vaccine were three times more likely to be seen in those who previously had the virus.

The Telegraph reported Sunday that the figures came from King's College ZOE app, which has logged details from over 700,000 vaccinations and found those with a prior infection were far more likely to report side effects than people who have not had the virus.

The LifeSiteNews article lists the information of several anecdotal cases of middle-aged and elderly people whose deaths were tabulated in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) as contracting the coronavirus and dying soon after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

However, the LifeSiteNews article doesnt specify if the vaccine caused the deaths in question.

The report also mentioned that local news reporting shows other cases of people who earlier contracted the virus and died after receiving the vaccine. One example was a 36-year-old who died from multi-system inflammatory syndrome. One doctor cited in an article linked to by LifeSiteNews cautioned against tying the 36-year-old's death to the vaccination, calling such an observation preliminary.

We are working with the CDC to see how vaccines can play in all directions, Dr. Stephen Threlkeld told WREG Memphis. We dont have any data to suggest the vaccine has any effect in either direction.

The Christian Post reached out to Facebook for comment on the action taken against LifeSiteNews. A Facebook spokesperson confirmed that it removed the page for "violating our COVID-19 policies.

Facebooks COVID-19 and Vaccine Policy states that the platform seeks to protect people from harmful content and new types of abuse related to COVID-19 and vaccines.

Based on input from experts in health communication and related fields, Facebook says that it is also taking additional steps amid the pandemic to reduce the distribution of content that does not violate our policies but may present misleading or sensationalized information about vaccines in a way that would be likely to discourage vaccinations 

In a lengthy segment about how some Americans have died after receiving the COVID shot on his Fox News show Wednesday, Tucker Carlson observed how differently the public officials and the press are treating this vaccine rollout and the risks associated with it versus previous public health responses.

He noted that in 1976, the U.S. government vaccinated 45 million people with a swine flu vaccine, and 53 people reportedly died after receiving that shot. That program was stopped because of it as authorities deemed it too risky, he said.

Contrast that with what is happening now, Carlson said. This time, our health authorities have reserved their energy for anyone who dares to question vaccines. LifeSiteNews, a nonprofit news organization, just found itself permanently banned from Facebook. Why? Because it reported government numbers from the VAERS database.

Carlson further added that popular podcaster Joe Rogan was criticized in the media for asking whether young, healthy people should receive the COVID vaccine.

If American citizens are going to be forced to take this vaccine or any other medicine, they have an absolute right to know what the effects of it might be. And they have an absolute right to ask that question without being silenced or censored or mocked or given the finger, Carlson said. No amount of happy talk or coercion or appeals to false patriotism can change that.

The Facebook ban is not the first time LifeSiteNews has been banned from a major social media platform because of its content on COVID vaccines.

Earlier this year, video streaming platform YouTube closed LifeSiteNews channel on similar grounds.

Despite disagreeing with LifeSiteNews' presentation of the science and ethics surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines, National Catholic Bioethics Center bioethicist Edward Furton slammed the move.

YouTube is not staffed by scientists, but by engineers and technicians who understand little to nothing about scientific matters, he said in a February interview with Catholic News Agency.

Far worse, they favor a liberal ideology that supports abortion not only here at home but throughout the world. They believe that there is a universal right to kill the unborn. Such a view revokes their claim to moral superiority over others.

Censorship by big tech is one of the greatest threats to the principles of democracy that we have seen in decades, he added. This is done solely for the purpose of controlling information and preventing the free discussion of ideas among their fellow citizens.

A leaked video from July 2020, months before the U.S. government approved a COVID-19 vaccine, shows Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressing concern about the safety of COVID vaccines.

But I do just want to make sure that I share some caution on this [vaccine] because we just don't know the long-term side effects of basically modifying people's DNA and RNA, he said, according to journalist Sharyl Attkisson. [B]asically the ability to produce those antibodies and whether that causes other mutations or other risks downstream. So, there's work on both paths of vaccine development.
President Biden is leaning toward nominating Mark Gitenstein to be his ambassador to the European Union and Julie Smith as his envoy to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Driving the news: Some Biden advisers want to have the EU and NATO ambassadors announced ahead of Bidens first foreign trip as president, when he heads to the United Kingdom for the G-7 and then Brussels for a NATO summit in June.

While the president began reviewing names of potential ambassadors in March, officials have stressed he's taking his time on making final decisions.

Gitenstein, an international lawyer and President Obama's first ambassador to Romania, now serves as a senior counsel at Mayer Brown. He was also on the board of directors of The Biden Foundation, which dissolved at the end of last year.

Smith, a German speaker who was one of Biden's deputy national security advisers while he was vice president, is currently a senior adviser at the State Department.

Biden officials say that final decisions have not been made.

Why it matters: While the EU and NATO will play key roles in Bidens effort to restore relationships with European allies, contentious issues loom.

The new president wants to work in concert with the EU on confronting China, but many European countries look at China as a massive market  instead of a strategic competitor.

The Biden administration also will continue to demand NATO allies spend at least 2% of the GDP on their defense budgets, as they pledged to do by 2024 during a 2014 summit in Wales.

When president, Donald Trump angered some allies by pushing them to meet that commitment.

The intrigue: Biden hasnt revoked Trumps tariffs on EU steel and aluminum, and the European Unions retaliatory 25% tariffs on American whiskey remain in place, potentially doubling in June.

In March, officials on both sides of the Atlantic did move to reduce tensions from a long-running subsidy dispute over Boeing and Airbus, with both sides announcing a suspension in tariffs on billions of dollars in goods.

By the numbers: Biden has only announced 10 ambassadors, of the roughly 190 open positions, including Linda Thomas-Greenfield as his UN ambassador, who is also a member of his Cabinet, and nine career diplomats for open positions, mostly in Africa.

Overall, for his Cabinet and sub-cabinet, Biden has had 36 of his political appointees confirmed by the Senate.

That number is well ahead of President Trump's 25 confirmations after his first 100 days in office, according to the Washington Post and the Partnership for Public Service.

Biden's numbers are well below the 68 confirmed appointees that Obama had at his 100-day mark.

Editor's note: This article has been corrected to reflect that the Biden Foundation has been dissolved.
Beshear: KY Economy Showing Record Momentum

By The Associated Press

FRANKFORT -By Governor Andy BeshearThis week the string of positive economic news continued in the commonwealth. Kentucky's sales tax receipts from April hit $486.5 million and our vehicle usage tax receipts hit over $64 million. These are the highest ever reported in the history of the commonwealth and they are generated solely from economic activity.Fitch Ratings  one of the nation's Big 3 credit rating agencies  also boosted its view of Kentucky's financial outlook because of our "solid economic recovery" and fiscal management, which included delivering two balanced budgets and building the state's largest-ever rainy day fund balance despite the pressures posed by the pandemic.These successes would stand out at any time, but they're particularly notable as some partisan politicians claim I need to "reopen Kentucky."Our economy is heating up. We are doing it right  safely and sustainably.Galatians 6:9 states: "So let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest."That's why we're picking up economic momentum without putting our people at risk. We are lifting more restrictions each month as we get more folks vaccinated, open our schools and protect our neighbors from this virus that has already killed more than 6,500 Kentuckians.Fitch Ratings noted Kentucky's employment recovery through March is running ahead of the national pace. The report also indicated significant progress in addressing the state's pension contribution shortfalls and making full actuarial contributions for all systems.Last month, Site Selection magazine  an industry publication  validated our hard work, ranking Kentucky at the very top of the South Central region and third nationally for 2020 economic development projects.Even during the pandemic, we announced 270 economic development projects that will create more than 8,000 new jobs. The average pay for those jobs is one of the highest in years. We supported our rural communities with more than $124 million in investment, for 160 projects that are helping to diversify regional economies. And we continue to announce more jobs throughout the commonwealth.We are also preparing to create more than 14,500 new jobs through a bipartisan agreement between my administration and lawmakers this year. Nearly $1.3 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds will be used to boost the state's economy by expanding broadband, delivering clean drinking water and building new schools.But you wouldn't know this if you listened to partisan politicians worried more about the next election than saving lives. This isn't the time for politics.From the beginning of this pandemic, I've promised Kentuckians I would put politics aside and always strive to do the right thing for our people  whether it was popular or not.Here's the truth: in managing the pandemic we have fewer deaths per capita than just about every state in our country. Our cases are lower in many ways than just about every state in the country. We are leading nearly every one of our neighboring states in getting people vaccinated. Our economy is taking off better than just about every state in the country and we just held the largest sporting event since the pandemic started. And ever since vaccinations reached a high enough level, we have been beginning to safely ease restrictions. All segments of our economy have been open for months and most are almost completely open.On March 1, after about 700,000 Kentuckians had been vaccinated, we increased capacity to 60% in most sectors. Two weeks later, we announced child care facilities could return to traditional classroom group sizes.The first week of April, all Kentuckians 16 and older became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, and we continue to ease more restrictions.When more than 1.6 million Kentuckians had been vaccinated, we shortened and simplified the Healthy at Work minimum requirements list. When more than 1.7 million Kentuckians had been vaccinated, we lifted the statewide mask mandate for outdoor events or venues with 1,000 people or fewer.And Thursday, after more than 1.8 million Kentuckians had rolled up their sleeves to get the COVID-19 vaccine, I announced that starting May 28, all events  indoor and outdoor  with under 1,000 people, as well as businesses that cater to fewer than 1,000 people, can open to 75% capacity.This includes retail, hair salons, bars, restaurants, movie theaters, gyms. It includes wedding and memorial service venues, as well as other event spaces like concert halls.In addition, starting on May 28, indoor and outdoor events with more than 1,000 people can be held at 60% capacity.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now projecting a sharp decline in COVID-19 cases by July. I'm hoping and expecting we will be fully done with all capacity restrictions by that time.We have come so far but we do have to finish our work and protect the people around us, especially our kids, who are not yet eligible for the vaccine if they're under 16.So, Kentuckians: know our state is open, our economy is beginning to roar and others are taking notice. All while we have sacrificed to make sure more of our loved ones survive this deadly pandemic.As Team Kentucky, let's do what it takes to end it.We're going to win. We're going to get back to our lives. We're going to process the grief we've been through. But then buckle up, because our economy is ready to soar.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
As Liz Truss stands in Ian Flemings old quarters in Whitehall, surveying the sweeping view across Horse Guards and Downing Street, her stance seems to say: The World Is Not Enough.

The International Trade Secretary has moved in to Room 39 in the Old Admiralty Building, where James Bonds creator commanded a unit of Naval intelligence commandos during the Second World War  and met the real-life inspirations for Bond, M and Q.

Now the imposing building, which was also home to Winston Churchill during the First World War, is becoming the centre of operations for Ms Trusss trade negotiations, with 2,000 specialist civil servants joining her as she ramps up the pace of her global deal-making.

Since Brexit, she has signed agreements covering 67 countries and the European Union, worth a total of 900 billion, with mega-deals about to be struck with India, Australia and the main Asian Pacific countries.

Liz Truss now regularly tops popularity polls of Ministers voted for by party members, testimony to her apparent political indestructability

Despite being routinely tipped for the sack during years of reshuffle speculation  and mocked for her robotic party conference speeches and self-promoting social media activity  Ms Truss now regularly tops popularity polls of Ministers voted for by party members, as she reaps the benefits of being so closely identified with Britains independent, free-trading future.

It is testimony to her apparent political indestructability  a quality she shares with Boris Johnson.

The 45-year-old is a popular figure in Westminster, offsetting her ambition with playfulness and an impatience with wokery and political correctness. During a discussion about sexism in politics, I ask her how she reacts if a man wolf-whistles her in the street. It depends who it is, she replies disarmingly.

Her background as a Leeds-born, comprehensive-educated Tory from a Left-wing, CND-marching family makes her the perfect Minister to address the shattering collapse of Labours vote in the North in Thursdays local elections and the Hartlepool by-election.

Twisting the knife into Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Ms Truss professes to be concerned that the party has become so weak that it no longer fulfils the constitutional necessity of a strong opposition.

Fundamentally, people are completely fed up with the Labour Party, she says. They are fed up with the pessimism which often comes across as, I dont really like Britain very much.

I grew up in the North of England and at the time it seemed natural that there would be a Labour council, most seats would have Labour MPs  that is what people did.

Its been a long time coming but even in the 2000s under Tony Blair, support was shifting away from Labour, particularly in rural parts of the North.

So, we started to gain seats in the 2005 election and the 2010 election and, of course, I think thats been accelerated by the Brexit referendum, but also by Boriss personal attitude and positivity.

What is the appeal to disadvantaged, left-behind areas of a privileged Old Etonian Prime Minister who has faced endless headlines over buying 850 rolls of wallpaper for his Downing Street flat?

You can see from the walkabouts that he did in Hartlepool and the response from the public, they just really like what hes doing, she says, dismissing Wallpapergate as a Westminster village issue.

He has that appeal to talk to everybody across the country and connect with them on a human level and that is what people have responded to in this election.

She adds: On the doorsteps, from people I was speaking to, their focus was on how we are doing in terms of a vaccine rollout, how were doing on recovering from Covid, what are the future prospects for their town or their child.

That is what people are focused on. Were opening up the economy but things have changed. We use technology much more than we did a year ago, weve got better ways of communicating, people are working differently, they are working more flexibly.

When asked how she reacts if a man wolf-whistles her in the street Liz answered It depends who it is'

What the Prime Minister has done is shown that we can bring new investment to the North... there is a positive alternative.

She also tries to draw a line under Dominic Cummingss role in causing political trouble for Mr Johnson over the decorations. She says the former No 10 aide delivered many things for the Conservative Party; he did a great job at the Department for Education when he was working for Michael Gove, he did a great job of helping us deliver Brexit  but the world has moved on.

Ms Truss, who was promoted to the Cabinet in 2014 as Environment Secretary within only four years of entering the Commons as the MP for South West Norfolk, has also served as Justice Secretary and Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

She still fizzes with enthusiasm for her job: aides claim that the number of deals signed make her one of the most prolific trade secretaries in history, of any country.

She is keen to stress the link between post-Brexit, post-Covid trading opportunities and Boriss levelling up agenda to spread the prosperity around the country.

Recently I visited a gin producer in Yorkshire and they had a whole load of crates of gin destined for Australia, and they understand that when we get that trade deal with Australia they will no longer be paying tariffs on that gin.

They understand that what that trade deal will deliver is more opportunities for their business.

Likewise, I visited a Yorkshire beef farm and again they are looking at exporting to the US market.

By 2030, two-thirds of the worlds middle class is going to be in Asia, and we sell the kinds of goods  whether its high-end cars, whether its whisky, whether its computer games  those people want to buy.

The trade barriers have been high and we are now getting those barriers removed. The businesses and enterprises around Britain really understand that.

She is less keen to dwell on the trade talks with Washington, which have been disrupted by the transition from Donald Trump to Joe Biden in the White House.

Her mood darkens when she discusses last weekends series finale of Line Of Duty, which rshe thought was 'terrible'

After five negotiating rounds, Ms Trusss opposite number Katherine Tai is reviewing the current state of the deal. Her negotiating team are expecting more clarity when President Biden comes to the UK for the G7 in June.

The rollout of vaccines round the globe mean Ms Truss will be doing less negotiating by Zoom, and hopping on more planes  to the chagrin of some of her family.

I have very demanding children and everywhere I go there has to be a present, says Ms Truss, who has two daughters, aged 12 and 14, with husband Hugh. If I come back without a present, Im pretty much not let in the house.

Theres been a lot of airport chocolate from Geneva.

She believes that boom times are just around the corner, with Britain on the brink of a new Roaring Twenties.

We have seen some fantastic economic forecasts. I think the way that British business has adjusted to Covid has been incredible, she says. In many areas, EU trade policy was defensive and not focused on opportunities, and I think we are able to be more and more nimble.

The British, the Union Jack is one of the most recognised symbols in the world, it is a sign of quality.

We know that it commands a premium in markets like the United States and Asia and I think we have been held back by being part of a bloc which sometimes looks at the downsides rather than the upsides.

Does Ms Truss think the EUs bitterness over Brexit and the success of the UKs vaccine rollout is the reason for disruptions to trade over issues such as the export of British shellfish to EU countries and the import of fashion items?

I think that it was always the case that the EU didnt want us to leave, that was clear, she says. We now need to move to a grown-up relationship where we are trading partners in the same way that we are trading partners with the United States and were trading partners with Japan, and thats the type of relationship we want to move to.

I think its in the EUs interest to have that mindset.

Ms Truss adds: We were very clear that when Brexit took place there would be additional processes that businesses had to undertake. We were told there would be desperate scenes at Channel ports and it would all be a disaster.

Those tales of Armageddon havent happened.

She indicates that she is unlikely to take a holiday in an EU country, given the uncertainty over her Governments traffic-light list of travel restrictions.

I dont know yet, but Im busy interviewing with you rather than booking my flight to Portugal at the moment, arent I? So, Ive probably missed out on that.

Wolf-whistling aside, Ms Truss, who doubles as Minister for Women and Equalities, criticises media coverage of Mr Johnsons fiancee Carrie Symonds, which has sometimes portrayed her as an interfering presence in No 10.

Ms Truss says: I am a great supporter of the free press, so I dont ever say that the press shouldnt print things.

However, I would like to see women treated equally in the media as men. I prefer to see people treated on their merits rather than targeted because they are a particular gender.

I think politics has changed dramatically over the past few years. There are many more women in the House of Commons, theres a different atmosphere in politics and I think also theres a different generation in politics.

I think one great thing about the Conservative Party now is its much more widely drawn from across the country, weve got a much wider range of people from different professional backgrounds.

Its not identikit, were not all London lawyers, which you might say there are quite a lot of those in the Labour Party.

Ms Trusss ebullient mood only darkens when she discusses last weekends series finale of her favourite television programme, Line Of Duty, which revealed bumbling Ian Buckles to be the sinister mastermind H.

I thought it was terrible, to be honest, she says. I was expecting something a lot more seismic.
Bugatti has released the world's most expensive pool table which will allow superyacht owners to play while at sea.

The 217,000 'self-levelling' table uses sophisticated computer technology to ensure the playing surface remains stable even on the choppiest of seas.

Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Emir of Abu Dhabi, is thought to have expressed an interest in buying one for his 400million 590ft (180 metre) yacht Azzam  the world's largest yacht.

The French firm will only make 30 limited edition models, which are expected to sell out within days of their release in the coming weeks.

French-based firm Bugatti has released the world's most expensive pool table which will allow superyacht owners to play while at sea

Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Emir of Abu Dhabi, is thought to have expressed an interest in buying one for his 400million 590ft (180 metre) yacht Azzam (pictured in Germany)

The 217,000 'self-levelling' table uses sophisticated computer technology to ensure the playing surface remains stable even on the choppiest of seas

London-based yacht broker Chris Cecil-Wright told the Daily Telegraph the table would be an ideal 'toy' for the super rich.

He said: 'This is a lovely toy, perfect for people who are so immensely wealthy that if they can imagine something for their boat, whatever it is, then its possible.

'If you can imagine it you can make it possible.'

The table is being made by Spanish carbon fibre specialist company IXO for Bugatti's lifestyle collection.

The French firm will only make 30 limited edition models, which are expected to sell out within days of their release in the coming weeks

Its frame is made out of titanium and aluminium and the table meets the standards used by professionals in competitions.

The table uses a gyroscopic sensor to level the playing surface and adjust for movements on sea.

Bugatti said: 'Each leg can move to compensate for the movement of a ship and remain perfectly level.

'The system can adjust in just five milliseconds, and the movement is completed in total silence with vibration-free adjustment.'

Each table comes with super-light carbon fibre pool cues (pictured) and a 13in (33cm) touch screen built in to keep track of scores

The table uses a gyroscopic sensor to level the playing surface and adjust for movements on sea

Each table comes with super-light carbon fibre pool cues and a 13in (33cm) touch screen built in to keep track of scores.

Deliveries will begin in June and buyers will receive pictures of their table as it is made before it arrives.

Pedro Sanchez, general manager at IXO, said the company has taken every effort to make the table 'extraordinary'.

He said: 'When we started developing the Bugatti Pool Table project, we knew we had to be different and excel in all areas in order to be extraordinary. Nothing has been spared.'
Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked the head of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon for coming to Moscow to celebrate Victory Day, stressing that this is a common holiday for the peoples of the two countries.

"I am very glad to see you. This time you came in connection with Victory Day. This is our common holiday. Thank you very much for taking the time and coming. I know that during the Great Patriotic War, almost a third of all Tajiks who went to war did not return home and died, RIA Novosti quotes Putin as saying.
West on Friday registered its highest single-day spike of 19,216 COVID-19 cases, which pushed the tally to 9,54,282, the health department said.

The toll breached the 12000-mark, as 112 more people succumbed to the infection, taking the total number of fatalities to 12,076, the department said in its bulletin.

Thirty-three deaths were recorded in North 24 Parganas, and 28 in Kolkata.

Of the 112 fatalities, 56 were due to the comorbidities where COVID-19 was incidental.

The city accounted for 3,915 fresh cases, and North 24 Parganas for 3,957 infections.

Accordingly, the number of active cases in the state climbed to 1,24,098.

At least 17,780 people recuperated in in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 8,18,108. The discharge rate stands at 85.73 per cent.

As many as 1,08,42,269 samples have been tested in the state, including 64,551 since Thursday, the bulletin added.

Meanwhile, the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department wrote to all private COVID vaccination facilities, informing them that the state will no longer provide vaccines to them, in view of the Union health ministry's policy that sought to prioritise beneficiaries of second doses.

People visiting the centres for second dose might be guided to government-run medical establishments, the department said.

A source at the health department said the government has given its nod to Peerless Hospital here for trial of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In HBOs Mare of Easttown, Kate Winslet plays a small-town detective investigating the brutal murder of a young woman. Mare Sheehan is prickly and difficult, and her chaotic personal life adds another layer of complexity to the story. (Mare seems to have a personal connection to pretty much every suspect in the case.)

Episode 4 of the seven-episode series airs May 9. With four more episodes to go until the killer is (presumably) revealed, you might be looking for a similar show to stream while you wait for the next installment. Here are 10 other gritty, female-led dramas similar to Mare of Easttown that you can binge right now.

Happy Valley

Mare of Easttown has earned plenty of comparisons  not always favorable  to Happy Valley, an acclaimed U.K. show about a female police officer in a working-class town beset by drugs and poverty. (Sound familiar?) Sarah Lancashire plays Catherine Cawood, a police sergeant in West Yorkshire who lives with her grandson and recovering addict sister. Her life is upended when the man who raped her daughter is released from prison. Two seasons available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video.

Top of the Lake

In this unsettling, gripping crime drama created by Oscar-winner Jane Campion, Elisabeth Moss plays Robin Griffin, a detective who returns to her small hometown in New Zealand to care for her ill mother. Once there, she begins investigating the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old girl. The crime stirs up secrets and forces Robin to reckon with her own troubled past. Top of the Lake Season 1 was followed by the less-successful (though still intriguing) Top of the Lake: China Girl. Two seasons streaming on Hulu.

Broadchurch

New-in-town detective Alec Hardy (David Tennant) teams up with local cop Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) to investigate the murder of an 11-year-old boy. As the two try to find the murderer, they discover a web of secrets and lies in the picturesque seaside town of Broadchurch. Three seasons streaming on Netflix.

The Killing

Sarah Linden (Mirielle Enos), a single mom and homicide detective in Seattle, and her partner, Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman) work to solve the murder of a teenage girl, Rosie Larsen. The investigation uncovers secrets about the Larsen family and also exposes the dark side of local politics. Four seasons streaming for free on IMDbTV.

The Forest

In this French miniseries, a teen girl, Jennifer Lenoir (Isis Guillaume) disappears from a small town near the forest of Ardennes. A local cop, Virginie Musso (Suzanne Clement), begins investigating, only to discover that the crime hits much closer to home than she first realized. Meanwhile, a high school teacher with a complicated past (Alexia Barlier) has her own mysterious ties to the woods where Jennifer vanished. Streaming on Netflix.

Hightown

Hightown | Starz

RELATED: Monica Raymund Wanted Her New Role Because Its so Different From Gabby on Chicago Fire

Jackie Quinones (Monica Raymund) is a hard-partying Fishery Service Agent on Cape Cod. When she discovers the body of a young woman on the beach, the resulting investigation reveals links between organized crime and the opioid epidemic thats ravaging the popular tourist town. Meanwhile, Jackie must reckon with her own addictions. Eight episodes streaming on Starz.

Deep Water

Tori Lustigman (Yael Stone), Sydney detective, is assigned to investigate the murder of a gay man in Bondi Beach. Soon, she discovers the crime may be linked to her brothers disappearance years earlier. A real series of unsolved murders of gay men in the 1980s and 1990s inspired this four-episode Australian miniseries. Streaming on Netflix.

Sharp Objects

In this miniseries based on a novel by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, Amy Adams plays an alcoholic reporter who returns to her small hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri, to investigate the murder of two teen girls. She also has to confront her difficult relationship with her socialite mother Adora (Patricia Clarkson) and her half-sister Amma (Eliza Scanlen). Streaming on HBO.

The Fall

Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan star in this Belfast-set crime drama. Anderson plays Stella Gibson, a London detective sent to Northern Ireland to investigate a series of murders. Dornan is Paul Spector, an unassuming family man with a dark secret. Three seasons streaming for free on Tubi.

Marcella

Marcella | ITV

Anna Friel plays a former London detective dealing with a messy personal life. Her husband is leaving her, she suffers from frequent blackouts, and shes prone to outbursts of rage. Things get even more complicated when she returns to the police force to investigate a murder that bears a striking resemblance to an unsolved crime from a decade earlier. Three seasons streaming on Netflix.

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PHOENIX (AP)  An elected Arizona utility regulator has shared discredited conspiracy theories while trying to persuade energy and power providers not to require their employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Arizona Corporation Commission member Jim O'Connor said during an interview that the government and the news media are covering up the shots causing numerous deaths and people becoming human vegetables," but there's no evidence of such problems, the Arizona Republic reported Saturday.

OConnor, a Republican, was elected last November to his statewide office as one of five commission members. He served as a presidential elector for then-GOP nominee Donald Trump during his successful campaign in 2016.

OConnor said one source of his information was Ryan Cole, an Idaho physician who has made false and controversial statements about COVID-19.

The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania debunked several of Coles claims about COVID-19 vaccines on its website.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that the vaccines are safe. Besides mild side effects such as soreness and fever, the only serious side effects so far are very rare blood clots associated with one of the three vaccines and even rarer allergic reactions.

Commission records indicate that O'Connor's office sent a video by Cole and a statement from O'Connor to at least four major utilities and a trade group for water utilities, asking top officials to view the video before encouraging' another employee to submit to this experimental vaccine," the Republic reported.

OConnor told the Republic he was concerned that Arizona utilities would mandate vaccine and that he was concerned about the health and safety of utility workers.

If people are willing to individually choose to get the shot, God bless them, he said. For those who arent, I dont want people to lose a job, lose income.

In March, during a commission meeting with utilities about preparing for summers peak demand on the power grid, OConnor asked officials from companies including Arizona Public Service Co., the Salt River Project, Southwest Gas Corp. and Tucson Electric Power whether they were mandating COVID-19 vaccines.

None of the major utilities mandates the shots but all encouraged workers to get them.

CEO Mike Hummel of the SRP, a water and power district that is not regulated by the commission, said he did speak with O'Connor about vaccines after being contacted by O'Connor.

We continue to see vaccines as a way out of this, Hummel said. What weve done is try to make information available to employees."

The Republic reported that OConnors outreach to utility executives discouraging the vaccine was first reported by the Yellow Sheet Report, a subscriber-based newsletter that is a sister publication of the Arizona Capitol Times.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP)  A new Zulu king was named in South Africa amid scenes of chaos after members of the royal family questioned Prince Misuzulu Zulu's claim to the title following his father's death, and bodyguards suddenly whisked him away from the public announcement at a palace.

The controversy over the next king, a largely ceremonial role but one with great significance for South Africa and its 12 million Zulu people, has arisen after the death in March of King Goodwill Zwelithini, who had reigned since 1968.

Zwelithini apparently named one of his six wives, Queen Mantfombi Shiyiwe Dlamini Zulu, as the regent of the Zulu kingdom in his will, but she died after holding the title for only a month, throwing the royal succession into turmoil.

The commotion broke out Friday night at the reading of Queen Mantfombi's will and hours after a memorial service for her. The queen's will named 46-year-old Prince Misuzulu, her eldest son with King Zwelithini, as the heir and next king.

But another prince objected and interrupted the announcement at the KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. Two princesses also have questioned whether the late king's will gave Queen Mantfombi the right to nominate a successor upon her death.

King Zwelithini reportedly had 28 children with his different wives, and Queen Mantfombi was not his first wife. A dispute over succession had been brewing since the late king's death, fascinating many South Africans with their very own royal scandal.

Significant to the dispute is the fate of the kings assets and the vast amounts of land traditionally owned by the Zulu people and now held in a trust. Estimates say the trust controls nearly 30% of the land in KwaZulu-Natal province, or around 28,000 square kilometers (10,810 square miles). The king is the sole trustee.

Earlier on Friday, Prince Misuzulu, who wore a traditional leopard-skin headband reserved for royalty and chiefs, called for unity among the Zulu royals at his mother's memorial service.

We have no doubt we will unite as a family," he said in a message read out by his younger sister, Princess Ntandoyesizwe Zulu. Let us emulate the king by being peaceful.

The Zulu king has no political or even constitutional position, but his traditional authority is recognized in KwaZulu-Natal, where he is said to reign but not rule. More than that, the king holds an important role in bridging the gap between traditional customs and modern democracy in South Africa, where Zulus are the largest ethnic group among the country's 60 million people.

Forbes put King Zwelithini's net worth at nearly $20 million, while the Zulu royal household is given an annual budget of around $5 million by the South African government.

King Zwelithini, who had diabetes, reportedly died from a COVID-19-related illness at the age of 72.
Bolton has been revealed as the UK hotspot for the new Covid 19 strain detected in India which has been escalated to a 'variant of concern'.

Urgent measures to contain the variant are in the works in the town including surge testing and a strengthened vaccination campaign urging people to get the jab.

Areas within the BL3 postcode in Bolton, Greater Manchester, registered a small number of cases of the variant, leading to widespread testing.

There are 520 confirmed cases of the strain in the country, up from 202 the previous week.

Surge testing is increased testing (including door-to-door testing in some areas) and enhanced contact tracing in specific locations.

It involves testing of people who do not have any symptoms of coronavirus.

Surge testing centres with Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests have been set up in venues including a Hindu temple in addition to a large Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) site.

As well as being the hotspot for the new strain, Bolton has recorded the second highest Covid infection rate in the country with cases continuing to rise, below only Hyndburn in Lancashire.

Weekly data shows that Bolton had the second highest Covid-19 case rate in England for the seven days to May 3 up to 89 cases per 100,000 people, up 78 per cent on the previous week.

Compared to the average in the country which sits at 20.6 cases per 100,000 people for the same period.

The former mill town of Bolton has been revealed as the UK hotspot for the new Covid 19 strain detected in India which has been escalated to a 'variant of concern'

Areas within the BL3 postcode in Bolton, Greater Manchester, registered a small number of cases of the variant, leading to widespread testing

One area, Rumworth South, has seen cases skyrocket by 500 percent, with an infection rate of 359.3 per 100,000 people.

Public health officers will be going door-to-door to explain the emergency situation unfolding in Bolton.

The Department of Health said a 'small number' of cases of the variant first identified in South Africa (B.1.351) and a cluster of cases of the B.1.617.2 variant first identified in India had been found.

It comes as Public Health England (PHE) upgraded the Indian variant to a 'variant of concern'.

The majority of Indian variant cases are in the North West, predominantly Bolton, and London, where there has also been increased transmission.

Bolton Council's Director of Public Health, Dr Helen Lowey, said: 'There is no evidence these variants cause more severe illness, there is some evidence that the Indian variant spreads more easily than other Covid-19 variants so it is the one that we want to stop and contain.

No10's top scientists calculated the R rate had fallen compared to last week, when it was between 0.8 and 1.1 across England. But they said the measure was becoming less reliable because of low numbers of cases, deaths and hospitalisations

Public Health England has divided the Indian variant in three sub-types because they aren't identical. Type 1 and Type 3 both have a mutation called E484Q but Type 2 is missing this, despite still clearly being a descendant of the original Indian strain. It is not yet clear what separates Type 1 and 3

'We are working closely with our partners across the community to identify people who have the virus, to increase the numbers of our eligible residents having the vaccine and to remind us all that Covid has not gone away.

'These measures are designed to bring the virus under control, but there are basic things we can all do to stop Covid spreading.

'Wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering, maintain social distancing, keep areas well ventilated and take up the vaccine when it is offered.'

Dr Helen Wall, Senior Responsible Officer of the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme in Bolton, said:

'It is proven that vaccination has a significant impact on the spread and severity of the virus, so we will be taking steps to provide additional capacity in these areas.

'We have a good track record of vaccination and a high level of confidence in the programme already in Bolton and we aim to build on that with some targeted vaccination work to try and nip this in the bud to protect everyone in Bolton.

'We are so close to getting things back to normal; let's keep up the momentum and stop this virus from spreading further.'

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE INDIA VARIANTS? Real name: B.1.617  now divided into B.1.617.1; B.1.617.2; B.1.617.3 When and where was it discovered? The variant was first reported by the Indian government in February 2021. But the first cases appear to date back to October 2020. Its presence in the UK was first announced by Public Health England on April 15. There have since been at least 400 cases spotted in genetic lab testing. What mutations does it have? It has 13 mutations that separate it from the original Covid virus that emerged in China  but the two main ones are named E484Q and L452R. Scientists suspect these two alterations can help it to transmit faster and to get past immune cells made in response to older variants. PHE officials said it has split into three distinct virus types, with types 1 and 3 both having the E484Q mutation but type 2 missing the change, despite having all the other hallmarks of the variant. Is it more infectious and can it evade vaccines? The L452R mutation is also found on the Californian variant (B.1.429), even though the two evolved independently. It is thought to make the American strain 20 per cent more infectious than the original Wuhan version  even with the extra 20 per cent it is likely slower than the Kent variant. The E484Q mutation is very similar to the one found in the South African and Brazil variants known as E484K, which can help the virus evade antibodies. The South African variant is thought to make vaccines about 30 per cent less effective at stopping infections, but it's not clear what effect it has on severe illness. Professor Sharon Peacock, of PHE, claimed there was 'limited' evidence of E484Q's effect on immunity and vaccines. Lab studies have suggested it may be able to escape some antibodies, but to what degree remains uncertain. Early research suggests both the AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Covishield in India, and the Pfizer jab, still work against the variant, as well as India's own jab, Covaxin. A paper published by SAGE last week suggested two doses of the Pfizer vaccine is good enough to protect against all known variants. How deadly is it? Scientists still don't know for sure. But they are fairly certain it won't be more deadly than the current variants in circulation in Britain. This is because there is no evolutionary benefit to Covid becoming more deadly. The virus's sole goal is to spread as much as it can, so it needs people to be alive and mix with others for as long as possible to achieve this. And, if other variants are anything to go by, the Indian strain should not be more lethal. There is still no conclusive evidence to show dominant versions like the Kent and South African variants are more deadly than the original Covid strain - even though they are highly transmissible. Doctors in India claim there has been a sudden spike in Covid admissions among people under 45, who have traditionally been less vulnerable to the disease. There have been anecdotal reports from medics that young people make up two third of new patients in Delhi. In the southern IT hub of Bangalore, under-40s made up 58 percent of infections in early April, up from 46 percent last year. There is still no proof younger people are more badly affected by the new strain. Should we be worried? Scientists are unsure exactly how transmissible or vaccine-resistant the Indian variant is because it hasn't been studied thoroughly. The fact it appears to have increased infectivity should not pose an immediate threat to the UK's situation because the current dominant Kent version appears equally or more transmissible. It will take a variant far more infectious strain than that to knock it off the top spot. However, if the Indian version proves to be effective at slipping past vaccine-gained immunity, then its prevalence could rise in Britain as the immunisation programme squashes the Kent variant. Why has B.1.617.2 been designated as a variant of concern? Scientists believe this variant can spread more quickly than two other related variants seen in India. It is thought to be at least as transmissible as the variant detected in Kent last year, known as B117, which is now dominant in the UK. Dr Susan Hopkins, Covid-19 strategic response director at PHE, said: 'We are monitoring all of these variants extremely closely and have taken the decision to classify this as a variant of concern because the indications are that this VOC-21APR-02 is a more transmissible variant.' PHE said there is currently 'insufficient evidence' to indicate that any of the variants recently detected in India cause more severe disease or make the vaccines available any less effective. How many cases have been detected in the UK? According to data by PHE released on Friday, there are, at present, 520 confirmed cases of the B.1.617.2 variant in the UK, from 202 over the last week. The report also showed 261 cases of B.1.617.1 and nine cases of B.1.617.3. The cases are spread across the country, with the majority in two areas  the North West, mainly in Bolton, and London. PHE said around half of these cases are related to travel or contact with a traveller. PHE health protection teams are working with local authorities, public health officials and NHS Test and Trace to detect cases and limit onward spread. Surge testing is expected to be deployed where there is evidence of community transmission. Is B16172 variant driving the second wave in India? India reported 412,262 new Covid-19 cases and 3,980 Covid-19-related deaths on Thursday  both new single-day records. In the past 30 days, the country has recorded 8.3million cases. However, it remains unclear whether the new coronavirus variants are driving the second wave. Experts say large gatherings, and lack of preventive measures such as mask-wearing or social distancing, are playing a key role in the spread of the virus. Although India has the world's biggest vaccine making capacity, the country has partially or fully immunised less than 10 per cent of its 1.35billion people. Advertisement

Just five new Covid deaths are recorded as cases rise 7.3 per cent to 2,047 - while number of people who have had second jab soars past 17m

By Joe Davies for MailOnline

Britain's daily coronavirus deaths fell by nearly 30 per cent today, as the number of people who have received a second dose soared past 17million.

There were 2,047 positive tests across the country, the Department of Health announced, up 7.3 per cent on last Saturday's number (1,907).

Officials also recorded just five lab-confirmed deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid swab, 28.6 per cent less than the number recorded a week ago.

The latest figures show that nearly 35.2million Britons have been given at least one dose of Covid vaccine, after another 119,349 first injections were administered yesterday.

The NHS also dished out a further 449,716 second doses, bringing the total number of people fully vaccinated against the disease to 17.2million.

Some 66.8 per cent of adults have had a first jab, while nearly a third have had their second.

It comes surge testing began in the former mill town of Bolton today, which has been identified as a hotspot for the Indian Covid variant.

British health chiefs yesterday announced India's mutant coronavirus strain is now officially a 'variant of concern'.

Public Health England say the variant  linked to an explosion of cases in India  is 'at least' as infectious as the current dominant Kent strain.

Cases of the variant, scientifically called B.1.617.2, have more than doubled in a week. It has now been spotted 520 times, with hotspots in Bolton and London.

Health officials are confident vaccines currently being used should still work against the variant but are carrying out urgent tests to be certain.

Scientists have grouped the Indian variant into three separate sub-strains, with type 2 quickly spreading in the UK. It has been found in schools, care homes and places of worship, it was reported yesterday.

The other two are genetically similar strains  B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.3  and aren't currently considered variants of concern. But PHE said their status will be kept 'under constant review'.

Despite being more infectious, health chiefs don't believe the variant is deadlier than original coronavirus strains.

The move to make the Indian variant one 'of concern' means officials can now put in place tougher measures to contain the strain, including ordering door-to-door tests and boosting contact tracing. All residents living in areas where the variant is spreading in the community will be asked to get a test, even if they don't have symptoms.

The Department of Health has announced it will start surge testing in Bolton in the BL3 postcode and has asked residents to book a test online or on the phone so they can go for one at a site or have one delivered to them at home. Surge testing in London has not yet been announced.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday said that tracking of the Indian variant will be 'absolutely ruthless'.

Celebrating the Tories delivering a hammer blow to the Labour's Red Wall in the local elections, Mr Johnson told reporters: 'What we're doing there is making sure that we are absolutely ruthless in the surge testing, in the door-to-door tracking of any contacts.

'At the moment we're looking carefully at the way the Indian variant seems to function, we don't see any evidence that it is resistant to the vaccines or in any way more dangerous.'

Public Health England has divided the Indian variant into three sub-types because they aren't identical. Type 1 and Type 3 both have a mutation called E484Q but Type 2 is missing this, despite still clearly being a descendant of the original Indian strain. It is not yet clear what separates Type 1 and 3

But an expert has warned the Prime Minister's roadmap out of lockdown might be delayed because of outbreaks of the variant.

Dr Duncan Robinson, policy and strategy analytics academic at Loughborough University, yesterdaysaid a 'political decision' may be taken to slow down easing restrictions because the strain could disproportionately affect areas where there are outbreaks.

But speaking in Hartlepool yesterday, Mr Johnson also said he 'can't see any reason' to delay the remaining steps along the out of lockdown.

Early research suggests both the AstraZeneca vaccine, known as Covishield in India, and the Pfizer jab, still work against the variant.

Cases HALVE in a month to 46,000, R rate falls slightly and is still below one, and fewer than 1,000 patients are now in hospital for the first time since September England's coronavirus cases have halved in a month, the R rate is still below one, and the number of people in hospital has dropped below 1,000 for the first time since September, promising data revealed today. Just 46,000 people had coronavirus in England on any given day last week, or one in 1,180 people, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figure was around 112,000 towards the start of April  and is down 15 per cent last Friday's estimate. No10's top scientists said the reproduction rate  which tracks the spread of the virus  was between 0.8 and 1.0, meaning the outbreak is still shrinking. This was down from 0.8 to 1.1 in the previous seven-day period. Meanwhile, NHS figures show the number of infected patients in hospitals across England has dropped into three figures for the first time since the second wave spiralled out of control nine months ago. Daily admissions are now below 100. The data follows on from promising statistics from Public Health England and a symptom-tracking app yesterday, which showed the easing of restrictions on April 12 has not triggered any spike in the disease. Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure to speed up his roadmap out of lockdown, with businesses and MPs warning that they risk suffering another lost summer if there are further delays. But the Prime Minister has refused to budge from plans to re-allow holidays and indoor hospitality from May 17, despite promising he would be led by 'data not dates'. Advertisement

Speaking at the Downing Street press conference tonight Jenny Harries, the head of the UK Health Protection Agency, said: 'Yes we should be concerned. Our overall positivity rates have dropped dramatically but in some areas there are some variants of concern.

'Particularly the Indian one, which has risen quite sharply in the last week or two. So in those areas, we really do want people to be extra cautious.'

She said that while scientists had determined the variant was more transmissible, they still need to monitor its affect on vaccine effectiveness and disease severity.

Ms Harries added: 'While were watching that, were taking a whole host of steps to ensure areas where we have seen that we have enhanced contact tracing, were going in with messaging, working with local communities, with local directors of public health, to make sure people are really aware of the potential risk.

'Were encouraging people to continue working from home. All the things we know work.

'Socialising outdoors, even if the situation and the rules change [across the country]. Its really important that people continue to do that.

'This is likely to be a bit of a pattern as we move forward. So we need the public to do everything they have been doing in sticking to the rules but in those particular areas, being particularly careful. And we will be continuing to monitor it.'

Dr Susan Hopkins, PHE's Covid strategic response director, said: 'The way to limit the spread of all variants is the same and although we are all enjoying slightly more freedom, the virus is still with us.

'Keep your distance, wash your hands regularly and thoroughly, cover your nose and mouth when inside and keep buildings well ventilated and meet people from other households outside.

'If you are told to get a test, if you have any symptoms at all or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, please make sure you get tested too.'

She said the decision to upgrade B.1.617.2 to a 'variant of concern' was because data shows it is more transmissible.

But PHE said there is currently no proof that any of the variants are deadlier or render the vaccines currently deployed any less effective.

Urgent laboratory tests are being carried out to 'better understand the impact of the mutations on the behaviour of the virus', the agency said.

It also revealed the majority of the cases being detected were in just two areas  the North West (mainly Bolton) and London.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: 'Working in partnership with Bolton Council, NHS Test and Trace is providing additional testing and genomic sequencing in targeted areas within the BL3 postcode in Bolton.

'Everybody who resides or works in these postcodes is strongly encouraged to take a COVID-19 PCR test, whether they are showing symptoms or not.

'Enhanced contact tracing will be used for individuals testing positive with a variant of concern. In these instances, contact tracers will look back over an extended period in order to determine the route of transmission.

'By using PCR testing, positive results can be sent for genomic sequencing at specialist laboratories, helping us to identify variant of concern cases and their spread.

'People with symptoms should book a free test online or by phone so they can get tested at a testing site or have a testing kit sent to them at home. Those without symptoms should visit the local authority website for more information.'

Boris Johnson (pictured celebrating the Tories' by-election win on Jacksons Wharf with Hartlepool MP Jill Mortimer this morning) has pledged 'absolutely ruthless' tracking of India's mutant Covid strain after health chief today officially declared it a 'variant of concern'

Data modelled by Professor Christina Pagel suggested the variants now account for 10 per cent of Covid cases in London, and between 5 and 7 per cent of cases in the South East and East Midlands

APRIL 17: In the most recent data, the variant  now split into three recognisable strains  has been found in dozens of areas and accounted for 2.4 per cent of all positive tests sampled

Data on April 3 (left) show how just a handful of boroughs had spotted cases of the Indian variants. By a week later (right) the variant had spread to more areas and started to take off in London

Reflecting on the strain's upgrade to 'variant of concern' on Twitter, Dr Robinson said: 'A *political* decision will be made. Risk of Roadmap Step 3 is clear.

'It would be prudent to delay the reopening to see how outbreaks spread or do not spread in the weeks ahead. Otherwise deprived, ethnic, urban communities may suffer disproportionately.'

But the Prime Minister yesterday said: 'I think its been very important for our country that were able to get through Covid as fast as we can. I think weve got to always bear in mind that this thing isnt over.

'I think the epidemiology is very encouraging at the moment but weve got to continue to be cautious, and we will continue with the cautious but irreversible steps of the road map. I cant see any reason now to delay any of the steps that weve got ahead of us, but thats going to be our programme.'
Portugals placement on the Government-approved green travel list has prompted a surge in bookings from eager holidaymakers, one travel firm has said.

The Department of Transport revealed at 5pm on Friday that the European nation was one of just 12 destinations that travellers will be able to visit from May 17 without having to self-isolate on return to England.

David Child, head of PR and brand at Thomas Cook, said bookings for Portugal were through the roof immediately after the announcement as people had been poised, ready and waiting to go.

We took in the first hour from 5pm to 6pm as many Portugal bookings as we took in the whole month of April, he told the PA news agency.

But Mr Child cautioned that absolute numbers of bookings were small, saying the firm was going from low numbers of bookings to modest numbers of bookings.

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Yes, its a surge absolutely, but the market is still down on where it would normally be this time in the year, he said.

He said that while prices of flights may increase, those on package holidays may find their money goes further in terms of accommodation.

Mr Child said hoteliers were not raising their prices yet as they still had many rooms to fill.

At the moment they are desperate for custom, he said.

He highlighted the problems facing the travel industry were an international issue, with destinations not receiving visitors from other countries like the United States and Russia.

Thomas Cook said on Friday bookings were already up 250% on last week, with more demand expecting into the evening.

Comparing the whole of Friday to the whole of April 30, Thomas Cook said web traffic was 85% higher.

Searches for Portugal saw a 264% increase, while there was a 277% rise in searches for Gibraltar  another destination on the Governments green list.

Ahead of the Governments announcement, demand for flights to Portugal had already driven up prices as holidaymakers anticipated its green categorisation.

On Friday night, one of the most expensive travel options for May 17 appeared to a British Airways flight from Heathrow Airport to Faro in the Algarve, costing 436 or 530 depending on the time of day.

Meanwhile budget airline Ryanair was offering flights from London Stansted to Portugals capital Lisbon for 65 on the same day.

Travel firm Jet2 said it was committed to restarting holidays from June 24.

Welcoming the planned partial reopening of international travel, CEO Steve Heapy said: Despite wanting to start looking outward again there is still a long way to go to meet the huge customer demand for our flights and ATOL protected package holidays, so we look forward to further positive news about where we can fly to in the coming weeks.

We also look forward to important updates from the UK Government about a simple and affordable testing regime for customers.

He added: Our customers can travel on their well-deserved holidays to destinations on the green list from June 24, and we expect a huge spike in searches and bookings to these destinations.

Mr Heapy said customers booked to travel from this date onwards to destinations currently not on the green list were asked to hold off from contacting us as we take the time to make considered decisions in the best interests of customers and independent travel agency partners from all parts of the UK.
LONDON (AP) - The Scottish National Party won its fourth straight parliamentary election on Saturday and insisted it will push on with another referendum on Scotland's independence from the U.K. even though it failed by one seat to secure a majority.

Final results of Thursday's election showed the SNP winning 64 of the 129 seats in the Edinburgh-based Scottish Parliament. The result extends the party's dominance of Scottish politics since it first won power in 2007.

Other results from Super Thursday's array of elections across Britain emerged Saturday, including the Labour Party's victory in the Welsh parliamentary election. Labour's Sadiq Khan was also reelected mayor of London.

The election with the biggest implications was the Scottish election, as it could pave the way to the break-up of the United Kingdom. The devolved government has an array of powers but many economic and security matters remain within the orbit of the British government in London.

Though the SNP won the vast majority of constituencies, it failed to get the 65 seats it would need to have a majority as Scotland allocates some by a form of proportional representation. Though falling short, the SNP will be easily able to govern for the five-year parliamentary term with the eight members of the Scottish Greens, who also back Scottish independence.

SNP leader and Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said her immediate priority would be steering Scotland through the coronavirus pandemic and that the legitimacy of an independence referendum remains, SNP majority or not.

First Minister and SNP party leader Nicola Sturgeon celebrates after retaining her seat for Glasgow Southside at the count for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections in Glasgow, Scotland, Friday May 7, 2021. On winning her seat in Glasgow, Nicola Sturgeon, said early results indicated that her party was on course to win its fourth straight election in Scotland but that the final outcome would not emerge until Saturday evening. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

"This is now a matter of fundamental democratic principle," Sturgeon said. "It is the will of the country."

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the leader of the Conservative Party, would have the ultimate authority whether or not to permit another referendum on Scotland gaining independence. Johnson appears intent on resisting another vote, setting up the possibility of renewed tensions between his government and Sturgeons devolved administration.

The prime minister wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper published Saturday that another referendum would be "irresponsible and reckless" in the "current context" as Britain emerges from the pandemic.

He has consistently argued that the issue was settled in a September 2014 referendum, when 55% of Scottish voters favored remaining part of the U.K. Proponents of another vote say the situation has changed fundamentally because of Brexit, with Scotland taken out of the European Union against its will. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, 52% of the U.K. voted to leave the EU while 62% of Scots voted to remain.

Sturgeon said it would be wrong for Johnson to stand in the way of a referendum and that the timing is a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

There's been growing talk that the whole issue may end up going to court, but Sturgeon said the "outrageous nature" of any attempt by the British government to thwart the democratic will of Scotland would only fuel the desire for independence.

"I couldn't think of a more powerful argument for independence than that," she said.

The Scotland results have been the main focus since an array of local and regional elections took place Thursday across Britain, in which around 50 million voters were eligible to vote.

In Wales, the concluded vote count showed Labour doing better than expected as it extended its 22 years in control of the Welsh government despite also falling one seat short of a majority. Mark Drakeford, who will remain first minister, said the party will be "radical" and "ambitious."

Ballots continue to be counted from local elections in England, which already have been particularly good for Johnsons Conservative Party, notably its victory in a special election in the post-industrial town of Hartlepool for a parliamentary seat that Labour had held since 1974.

That win extended the partys grip on parts of England that had been Labour strongholds for decades, if not a century. Many seats that have flipped from red to blue voted heavily for Brexit. The speedy rollout of coronavirus vaccines also appears to have given the Conservatives a boost even though the U.K. has recorded Europe's highest COVID-related death toll at 127,500.

For Labour's new leader, Keir Starmer, the Hartlepool result was a huge disappointment and has led to another bout of soul-searching in a party that in 2019 suffered its worst general election performance since 1935.

Starmer said he would soon set out a strategy of how it can reconnect with traditional voters. He hasnt given details though is thought to be considering a rejig of his top team, starting off with removing his deputy, Angela Rayner, from her roles of party chair and campaign coordinator.

Though Labour is clearly losing ground in its traditional heartlands, its support held up in other parts of England, such as the big cities.

In London, Sadiq Khan won a second term in elections delayed by a year because of the pandemic. He secured 55.2% of the vote once second preference votes were counted, beating his Conservative rival Shaun Bailey got 44.8%. Khan's winning margin was down slightly on last time.

The party also won other mayoral races, including Steve Rotherham in the Liverpool City Region, Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester and Dan Norris in the West of England region, which includes the city of Bristol.

The Conservatives' Andy Street, meanwhile, was reelected as mayor of the West Midlands, which includes the city of Birmingham.

Labour's Sadiq Khan speaks after he was reelected and declared as the next Mayor of London at City Hall, in London, Saturday, May 8, 2021. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer leaves his home in London, following the declaration that the Labour Party has lost the Hartlepool parliamentary election, Friday May 7, 2021. Britain's governing Conservative Party has won the Hartlepool election, dealing a blow to the Labour Party, with other by-election results still to be declared. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)

Votes are counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena,in Glasgow, Scotland, Saturday May 8, 2021. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to the media next to a large inflatable of him, after Conservative Party candidate Jill Mortimer won the Hartlepool by-election, at Hartlepool Marina, in Hartlepool, north east England, Friday, May 7, 2021. Britain's governing Conservative Party made further inroads in the north of England on Friday, winning a by-election in the post-industrial town of Hartlepool for a parliamentary seat that the main opposition Labour Party had held since its creation in 1974. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Votes are counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena,in Glasgow, Scotland, Saturday May 8, 2021. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

Tower Bridge in London, Saturday, May 8, 2021, against the backdrop of the skyline of the financial district. On what was dubbed Super Thursday, around 50 million voters were eligible to take part in scores of elections in the UK, some of which had been postponed a year because of the pandemic that has left the U.K. with Europe's largest coronavirus death toll. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Votes are sorted to be counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at the Emirates Arena,in Glasgow, Scotland, Saturday May 8, 2021. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

Ballots are counted for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections in Aberdeen, Scotland, Friday May 7, 2021. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to the media after Conservative Party candidate Jill Mortimer won the Hartlepool by-election, at Hartlepool Marina, in Hartlepool, north east England, Friday, May 7, 2021. Britain's governing Conservative Party made further inroads in the north of England on Friday, winning a by-election in the post-industrial town of Hartlepool for a parliamentary seat that the main opposition Labour Party had held since its creation in 1974. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

Labour's Sadiq Khan speaks after he was reelected and declared as the next Mayor of London at City Hall, in London, Saturday, May 8, 2021. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

The financial district of London, Saturday, May 8, 2021. On what was dubbed Super Thursday, around 50 million voters were eligible to take part in scores of elections in the UK, some of which had been postponed a year because of the pandemic that has left the U.K. with Europe's largest coronavirus death toll. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

General view of the Tower Bridge, through a window of the City Hall, in London, Saturday, May 8, 2021. Millions of people across Britain have voted on Thursday, in local elections, the biggest set of votes since the 2019 general election. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

General view of the Tower Bridge, against the backdrop of the skyline of the financial district of Canary Wharf, in London, Saturday, May 8, 2021. Millions of people across Britain have voted on Thursday, in local elections, the biggest set of votes since the 2019 general election. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Mayoral candidate Count Binface poses after the result declaration at City Hall, in London, Saturday, May 8, 2021. Labour's Sadiq Khan was reelected mayor of London. Millions of people across Britain have voted on Thursday, in local elections, the biggest set of votes since the 2019 general election. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Labour's Sadiq Khan, right, is hugged by one of his daughters after he was reelected and declared as the next Mayor of London at City Hall, in London, Saturday, May 8, 2021. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

Mayoral candidate Count Binface poses after the result declaration at City Hall, in London, Saturday, May 8, 2021. Labour's Sadiq Khan was reelected mayor of London. Millions of people across Britain have voted on Thursday, in local elections, the biggest set of votes since the 2019 general election. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
A mentally ill loner told police on eight separate occasions he would use his car to run over children before finally carrying out his threat and killing a 12-year-old boy, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

A report into the tragedy reveals police at one point blocked Terence Glovers number after he bombarded them with calls, including threatening to mow down lots of children.

Five months later, Glover killed Harley Watson and injured nine other children and an adult when he ploughed his car into them outside Debden Park High School in Loughton, Essex.

A report into the tragedy reveals police at one point blocked Terence Glovers number after he bombarded them with calls, including threatening to mow down lots of children

The 52-year-old is a paranoid schizophrenic with a history of violence. Ruling in January that Glover should be detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act, a judge said he had committed a truly terrible crime.

The MoS revealed earlier this year that a psychiatric team decided not to detain Glover just weeks before the December 2019 attack, even though police had warned that he was planning to run over children. Now a report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct reveals:

Glover called Essex Police many hundreds of times, including on 117 occasions in the eight months before Harleys death;

On at least 30 occasions, he made threatening comments, including eight calls in which he threatened to run over children;

A worried parent warned police that Glover was driving suspiciously near the school and watching children as they went home after lessons.

Glover killed Harley Watson (above) and injured nine other children and an adult when he ploughed his car into them outside Debden Park High School in Loughton, Essex

Despite that, the IOPC probe clears Essex Police of any blame and makes no recommendations to change its policies or training.

Essex Police appear to have acted reasonably in their dealings with him and, having responded in line with the powers available to them in response to his vague threats to kill, cannot be judged to have contributed to Harley Watsons death, it concludes.

The findings prompted immediate claims of a police whitewash.

Julian Hendy, from Hundred Families, a charity that campaigns for those affected by killings carried out by people with mental health issues, said: This is a shocking report.

It reads like a complete whitewash. It reveals Essex Police recorded and documented multiple threats by Glover to attack and harm children, yet took no effective action to protect them. The faults are there in black and white.

In an interview this year, Harleys mother Jo Wood, 33, described her son as kind, caring, selfless, intelligent and comical.

Demanding urgent reform of the way dangerous mentally ill patients are supervised, she said the NHS and Essex Police had questions to answer.

The report details how Glover was claiming as early as April 2016 that he was being harassed and police would not be interested until he drove his car into a large group of people.

On June 27, 2019, police temporarily blocked his number after he called them six times in ten minutes.

One of these calls contained another chilling threat to run over lots of children. Glover again threatened to run down children during six separate calls to Essex Police on September 17, 2019  less than three months before the attack that killed Harley.

Four days earlier, one of Glovers neighbours had emailed police to warn that Glover had been seen driving up and around the school.

Police asked the school to check if its CCTV cameras had captured any images of Glovers car, telling staff to report if he was spotted.

The report shows that police were building a case against Glover for making malicious communications and he had breached a Community Protection Notice. He was arrested on September 30, 2019, but released after a psychiatric team decided not to detain him.

Ms Wood last night declined to comment ahead of a coroners hearing to be held next month.

Essex Police confirmed the IOPCs findings but said the forthcoming inquest will provide the opportunity to explore the circumstances around Harleys death.

The IOPC said it would publish its findings after the inquest, adding: Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Harley Watson We appreciate the devastating effect this tragedy has had on everyone who knew him.
Chinese scientists have been preparing for a Third World War fought with biological and genetic weapons including coronavirus for the last six years, according to a document obtained by US investigators.

The bombshell paper, accessed by the US State Department, insists they will be 'the core weapon for victory' in such a conflict, even outlining the perfect conditions to release a bioweapon, and documenting the impact it would have on 'the enemy's medical system'.

This latest evidence that Beijing considered the military potential of SARS coronaviruses from as early as 2015 has also raised fresh fears over the cause of Covid-19, with some officials still believing the virus could have escaped from a Chinese lab.

The dossier by People's Liberation Army scientists and health officials, details of which were reported in The Australian, examined the manipulation of diseases to make weapons 'in a way never seen before'.

Senior government figures say it 'raises major concerns' over the intentions of those close to Chinese President Xi Jinping amid growing fears about the country's lack of regulation over its activity in laboratories.

Chinese scientists have been preparing for a Third World War fought with biological and genetic weapons including coronavirus for the last six years

This latest evidence that Beijing considered the military potential of SARS coronaviruses from as early as 2015 has also raised fresh fears over the cause of Covid-19, with some officials still believing the virus could have escaped from a Chinese lab

Did coronavirus originate in Chinese government laboratory? The Wuhan Institute of Virology has been collecting numerous coronaviruses from bats ever since the SARS outbreak in 2002. They have also published papers describing how these bat viruses have interacted with human cells. US Embassy staff visited the lab in 2018 and 'had grave safety concerns' over the protocols which were being observed at the facility. The lab is just eight miles from the Huanan wet market which is where the first cluster of infections erupted in Wuhan. The market is just a few hundred yards from another lab called the Wuhan Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (WHCDC). The WHCDC kept disease-ridden animals in its labs, including some 605 bats. Those who support the theory argue that Covid-19 could have leaked from either or both of these facilities and spread to the wet market. Most argue that this would have been a virus they were studying rather than one which was engineered. Last year a bombshell paper from the Beijing-sponsored South China University of Technology recounted how bats once attacked a researcher at the WHCDC and 'blood of bat was on his skin.' The report says: 'Genome sequences from patients were 96% or 89% identical to the Bat CoV ZC45 coronavirus originally found in Rhinolophus affinis (intermediate horseshoe bat).' It describes how the only native bats are found around 600 miles away from the Wuhan seafood market and that the probability of bats flying from Yunnan and Zhejiang provinces was minimal. In addition there is little to suggest the local populace eat the bats as evidenced by testimonies of 31 residents and 28 visitors. Instead the authors point to research being carried out within 300 yards at the WHCDC. One of the researchers at the WHCDC described quarantining himself for two weeks after a bat's blood got on his skin, according to the report. That same man also quarantined himself after a bat urinated on him. And he also mentions discovering a live tick from a bat - parasites known for their ability to pass infections through a host animal's blood. 'The WHCDC was also adjacent to the Union Hospital (Figure 1, bottom) where the first group of doctors were infected during this epidemic.' The report says. 'It is plausible that the virus leaked around and some of them contaminated the initial patients in this epidemic, though solid proofs are needed in future study.' Advertisement

The authors of the document insist that a third world war 'will be biological', unlike the first two wars which were described as chemical and nuclear respectively.

Referencing research which suggested the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan forced them to surrender, and bringing about the end of WWII, they claim bioweapons will be 'the core weapon for victory' in a third world war.

The document also outlines the ideal conditions to release a bioweapon and cause maximum damage.

The scientists say such attacks should not be carried out in the middle of a clear day, as intense sunlight can damage the pathogens, while rain or snow can affect the aerosol particles.

Instead, it should be released at night, or at dawn, dusk, or under cloudy weather, with 'a stable wind direction...so that the aerosol can float into the target area'.

Meanwhile, the research also notes that such an attack would result in a surge of patients requiring hospital treatment, which then 'could cause the enemy's medical system to collapse'.

Other concerns include China's 'Gain of Function' research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology - near where the first Covid outbreak was discovered - at which virologists are creating new viruses said to be more transmissible and more lethal.

MP Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, said: 'This document raises major concerns about the ambitions of some of those who advise the top party leadership. Even under the tightest controls these weapons are dangerous.'

Chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon said: 'China has thwarted all attempts to regulate and police its laboratories where such experimentation may have taken place.'

The revelation from the book What Really Happened in Wuhan was reported yesterday.

The document, New Species of Man-Made Viruses as Genetic Bioweapons, says: 'Following developments in other scientific fields, there have been major advances in the delivery of biological agents.

'For example, the new-found ability to freeze-dry micro-organisms has made it possible to store biological agents and aerosolise them during attacks.'

It has 18 authors who were working at 'high-risk' labs, analysts say.

Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Peter Jennings also raised concerns over China's biological research into coronaviruses potentially being weaponised in future.

'There is no clear distinction for research capability because whether it's used offensively or defensively is not a decision these scientists would take,' he said.

'If you are building skills ostensibly to protect your military from a biological attack, you're at the same time giving your military a capacity to use these weapons offensively. You can't separate the two.'

Intelligence agencies suspect Covid-19 may be the result of an inadvertent Wuhan lab leak. But as yet there is no evidence to suggest it was intentionally released.

Only this week, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro appeared to strongly criticise China by accusing it of creating Covid to spark a chemical 'warfare.'

The comments were made during a press conference on Wednesday as the hardline leader sought to further distance himself from the growing attacks over his domestic handling of a pandemic that has produced the second-highest death toll in the world.

'It's a new virus. Nobody knows whether it was born in a laboratory or because a human ate some animal they shouldn't have,' Bolsonaro said.

'But it is there. The military knows what chemical, bacteriological and radiological warfare. Are we not facing a new war? Which country has grown its GDP the most? I will not tell you.'

While Bolsonaro did not name China in his speech, data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showed that China was the only G20 member whose GDP showed a growth during the pandemic in 2020, expanding by 2.3%.

The dossier by People's Liberation Army scientists and health officials examined the manipulation of diseases to make weapons 'in a way never seen before'

Brazil's hardline President appears to claim China created Covid to spark a 'chemical war' Only this week, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro appeared to strongly criticise China by accusing it of creating Covid to spark a chemical 'warfare.' The comments were made during a press conference on Wednesday as the hardline leader sought to further distance himself from the growing attacks over his domestic handling of a pandemic that has produced the second-highest death toll in the world. 'It's a new virus. Nobody knows whether it was born in a laboratory or because a human ate some animal they shouldn't have,' Bolsonaro said. 'But it is there. The military knows what chemical, bacteriological and radiological warfare. Are we not facing a new war? Which country has grown its GDP the most? I will not tell you.' While Bolsonaro did not name China in his speech, data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showed that China was the only G20 member whose GDP showed a growth during the pandemic in 2020, expanding by 2.3%. Advertisement

And the World Health Organization chief said as recently as March that all theories on the origins of Covid-19 remained open after reading the WHO-China study  despite the claim the report dismissed the notion that the virus escaped from a lab as 'extremely unlikely'.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said all of the hypotheses are 'on the table' and require further investigation after reading the report from the international experts' mission to Wuhan.

But his comments came just hours after it emerged the report dismissed the lab leak theory and said the transmission of the virus from bats to humans through another animal is the most likely scenario.

The report's release was repeatedly delayed, raising questions about whether the Chinese side was trying to skew the conclusions to prevent blame for the pandemic falling on China.

Critics including ex-President Trump have accused the WHO of parroting Chinese propaganda on the virus since the outbreak was first announced to the world.

The comments by Dr Tedros came after New York Republican Representative Lee Zeldin slammed China for 'covering up to the world the pandemic's origins', while the WHO 'has played along time and time again'.

Meanwhile, Dr Anthony Fauci, President Biden's chief medical adviser, revealed he has 'concerns' over the WHO's controversial fact-finding mission.

Repeated delays in the report's release raised questions about whether the Chinese side was trying to skew its conclusions.

'We've got real concerns about the methodology and the process that went into that report, including the fact that the government in Beijing apparently helped to write it,' U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a recent CNN interview.

China rejected that criticism and accused the US of 'exerting political pressure' on the fact-finding mission experts.

'The US has been speaking out on the report. By doing this, isn't the U.S. trying to exert political pressure on the members of the WHO expert group?' asked Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian.

Worrying new clues about the origins of Covid: How scientists at Wuhan lab helped Chinese army in secret project to find animal viruses, writes IAN BIRRELL

Scientists studying bat diseases at China's maximum-security laboratory in Wuhan were engaged in a massive project to investigate animal viruses alongside leading military officials  despite their denials of any such links.

Documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday reveal that a nationwide scheme, directed by a leading state body, was launched nine years ago to discover new viruses and detect the 'dark matter' of biology involved in spreading diseases.

One leading Chinese scientist, who published the first genetic sequence of the Covid-19 virus in January last year, found 143 new diseases in the first three years of the project alone.

The fact that such a virus-detection project is led by both civilian and military scientists appears to confirm incendiary claims from the United States alleging collaboration between the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and the country's 2.1 million-strong armed forces.

The scheme's five team leaders include Shi Zhengli, the WIV virologist nicknamed 'Bat Woman' for her trips to find samples in caves, and Cao Wuchun, a senior army officer and government adviser on bioterrorism.

Prof Shi denied the US allegations last month, saying: 'I don't know of any military work at the WIV. That info is incorrect.'

QUESTIONS: Colonel Cao Wuchun, a WIV adviser, and, right, Major General Chen Wei, China's top biodefence expert

Yet Colonel Cao is listed on project reports as a researcher from the Academy of Military Medical Sciences of the People's Liberation Army, works closely with other military scientists and is director of the Military Biosafety Expert Committee.

Cao, an epidemiologist who studied at Cambridge University, even sits on the Wuhan Institute of Virology's advisory board. He was second-in-command of the military team sent into the city under Major General Chen Wei, the country's top biodefence expert, to respond to the new virus and develop a vaccine.

The US State Department also raised concerns over risky 'gain of function' experiments to manipulate coronaviruses at the Wuhan lab and suggested researchers fell sick with Covid-like symptoms weeks before the outbreak emerged more widely in the Chinese city.

Last month, Britain, the US and 12 other countries criticised Beijing for refusing to share key data and samples after a joint World Health Organisation and Chinese study into the pandemic's origins dismissed a lab leak as 'extremely unlikely'.

Filippa Lentzos, a biosecurity expert at King's College London, said the latest disclosures fitted 'the pattern of inconsistencies' coming from Beijing.

'They are still not being transparent with us,' she said. 'We have no hard data on the pandemic origins, whether it was a natural spill-over from animals or some kind of accidental research-related leak, yet we're unable to get straight answers and that simply does not inspire confidence.'

The documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday detail a major project called 'the discovery of animal-delivered pathogens carried by wild animals', which set out to find organisms that could infect humans and investigate their evolution.

It was launched in 2012 and funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The project was led by Xu Jianguo, who boasted at a conference in 2019 that 'a giant network of infectious disease prevention and control is taking shape'.

The professor also headed the first expert group investigating Covid's emergence in Wuhan. He denied human transmission initially, despite evidence from hospitals, then insisted in mid-January 'this epidemic is limited and will end if there are no new cases next week'.

One review of his virus-hunting project admitted 'a large number of new viruses have been discovered, causing great concern in the international virology community'.

It added that if pathogens spread to humans and livestock, they could cause new infectious diseases 'posing a great threat to human health and life safety and may cause major economic losses, even affect social stability'.

An update in 2018 said that the scientific teams  who published many of their findings in international journals  had found four new pathogens and ten new bacteria while 'more than 1,640 new viruses were discovered using metagenomics technology'. Such research is based on extraction of genetic material from samples such as those collected by Prof Shi from bat faeces and blood in the cave networks of southern China.

Such extensive sampling led to Prof Shi's rapid revelation last year of RaTG13, the closest known relative to the new strain of coronavirus that causes Covid.

It was stored at the Wuhan lab, the biggest repository of bat coronaviruses in Asia.

Pictured: Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, in China's central Hubei province, during a visit by members of the World Health Organization (WHO) team investigating the origins of the COVID-19 coronavirus

It later emerged she changed its name from another virus identified in a previous paper, thus obscuring its link to three miners who died from a strange respiratory disease they caught clearing bat droppings.

Prof Shi also admitted that eight more unidentified SARS viruses had been collected in the mine. The institute took its database of virus samples offline in September 2019, just a few weeks before Covid cases exploded in Wuhan.

A comment was made on social media after Colonel Cao published a paper on a fatal tick bite, saying he and Prof Shi 'can always find a virus that has never been found in humans', adding: 'I suspect this is another so-called 'scientific research' made in the laboratory.'

In recent years, China's military has ramped up its hiring of scientists after President Xi Jinping said this was a key element in the nation's march for global supremacy.

Lianchao Han, a dissident who used to work for the Chinese government, said Cao's involvement raised suspicions that military researchers who are experts in coronaviruses might also be involved in bio-defence operations.

'Many have been working with Western research institutes for years to steal our know-hows but China still refuses to share critical information a year after the pandemic has killed over three million.'

David Asher, an expert on biological, chemical and nuclear proliferation, who led State Department inquiries into the origins of Covid-19, said: 'The Chinese have made it clear they see biotechnology as a big part of the future of hybrid warfare. The big question is whether their work in these fields is offensive or defensive.'
The called on the on Friday to start boosting its vaccine exports to contain the global COVID-19 crisis, and said that the US backing of patent waivers would provide only a long-term solution at best.

"We invite all those who engage in the debate of a waiver for (Intellectual Property) rights also to join us to commit to be willing to export a large share of what is being produced in that region," said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

In the wake of the US backing calls to waive patents on vaccine technology, French President Emmanuel Macron summarised the view from Europe when he said at an EU summit in Porto, "You can give the intellectual property to laboratories that do not know how to produce it. They won't produce it tomorrow."



Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gave the idea endorsed by US President Joe Biden this week a guarded welcome, but he immediately added, "We believe it is insufficient. It should be more ambitious."



While the US has kept a tight lid on exports of American-made vaccines so it can inoculate its own population first, the EU has become the world's leading provider, allowing about as many doses to go outside the 27-nation bloc as are kept for its 446 million inhabitants.

Many EU nations, however, have demanded a stop to vaccine nationalism and export bans.

Von der Leyen said that any patent waiver will not bring a single dose of vaccine in the short and medium term."



Macron said it was more important for Biden to work on exports.

"The Anglo-Saxons block many of these ingredients" needed to make vaccines, the French leader said, referring to Washington and London.

"Today, 100% of vaccines produced in the of America are for the American market."



European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this week that the EU had distributed about 200 million doses within the bloc while about the same amount had been exported abroad.

"Around 50 per cent of what is being produced in Europe is exported to almost 90 countries," von der Leyen said, and called on Biden and other vaccine producing regions or nations to step up their effort.

"We are the most generous in the world of developed nations. Europe should be proud of itself, Macron said.

The EU is trying to regain the diplomatic initiative on vaccines after Biden put it on the back foot with his surprising endorsement of lifting patent protections on COVID-19 vaccines, seeking to solve the problem of getting shots into the arms of people in poorer countries.

EU leaders said they were ready to discuss the US backing for proposals first submitted to the World Trade Organisation by India and South Africa, but they said many other initiatives would be more effective at this point, ranging from ramping up production capacity to distributing raw materials.

So far, they insisted, the issue of waiving patents is not a big problem.

(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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A memorial and vigil for victims of COVID-19 held in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in early March. Photo: Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

According to a new analysis by the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the coronavirus pandemic may have already killed 905,000 people in the U.S. as of May 3. That is 61 percent higher than the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions official estimated count of deaths attributed to COVID-19 up to about that date, which is nearly 561,600. The IHMEs estimate for the total number of global deaths, meanwhile, is more than double the official count: 6.93 million people, rather than 3.24 million  and it predicts that 2.5 million more will die of COVID-19 around the world by September, including an additional 44,000 in the U.S.

The IHME numbers, which are based on an analysis of excess mortality and other data in 56 countries and 198 subnational locations like states and cities, far exceed most other estimates of COVID deaths thus far, and thats because the organizations researchers took a different approach, as NPR explains:

The group reached its estimates by calculating excess mortality based on a variety of sources, including official death statistics from various countries, as well as academic studies of other locations. Then, it examined other mortality factors influenced by the pandemic. For example, some of the extra deaths were caused by increased opioid overdoses or deferred health care. On the other hand, the dramatic reduction in flu cases last winter and a modest drop in deaths caused by injury resulted in lower mortality in those categories than usual.

Researchers at UW ultimately concluded that the extra deaths not directly caused by COVID-19 were effectively offset by the other reductions in death rates, leaving them to attribute all of the net excess deaths to the coronavirus.

If the IHME estimates are accurate, that would mean COVID-19 has already killed more people in the U.S. than the so-called Spanish flu did. From 1918 to 1920, the Spanish flu is estimated to have killed some 675,000 people in the U.S. The global death toll of that earlier pandemic is estimated to be anywhere from 17.4 million to 100 million dead. Per Stat News, IHME director Christopher Murray fears, based on their new analysis, that COVID-19 could ultimately rival that:

Were probably not yet at the global toll of Spanish flu and certainly not at the death rate from Spanish flu. But given whats unfolding in India right now, given our expectation of continued deaths, COVID is going to rival Spanish flu at the global level in terms of the count, likely, before we see the end of this epidemic.

Indias official death toll is about a third of what the IHME analysis indicates. Most experts agree that Indias officially reported numbers of COVID deaths and cases are severe undercounts, though the estimated degrees vary. The IHME analysis also estimated that of the other world leaders in coronavirus deaths, Mexico and Russia, provided COVID death counts that were low by hundreds of thousands. And it estimated that in some countries, like Egypt and Japan, reported COVID death numbers were about a tenth of the real picture.

This map reflects what we estimate to be the total COVID-19 death rate through May 3, 2021: pic.twitter.com/haMs9yGGcs  Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) (@IHME_UW) May 6, 2021

Indeed, there appears to be universal agreement among scientists studying the pandemic that the official number of COVID deaths and cases, both nationally and globally, is definitely an undercount  and in the case of many foreign countries, a significant one. For a variety of factors, it remains very difficult to calculate the cost of the pandemic in human lives, including in the U.S., as Voxs Umair Irfan noted Friday:

The problems start with the death certificate. Ivor Douglas, chief of the Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Medicine division at the Denver Health Medical Center, explained that death certificates emphasize the primary cause of death, which is the most immediate condition leading to the fatality. Death certificates also have space for secondary and indirect causes.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed, the disease can manifest in myriad ways and leave lasting damage, even in people who had a mild illness. So a COVID-19 death certificate could list something like a blood clot in the lungs as the primary cause of death, with COVID-19 as a secondary or indirect cause. Whether that specific death is then coded as a COVID-19 fatality could differ depending on the state.

The IHME says its new report is in part meant to highlight the challenge of accurately counting COVID deaths, and to encourage more thoroughness and transparency on the part of governments.

At the same time, some researchers have expressed skepticism about the analysis, as NPR points out:

I think that the overall message of this (that deaths have been substantially undercounted and in some places more than others) is likely sound, but the absolute numbers are less so for a lot of reasons, said William Hanage, an epidemiologist at Harvard University, in an email to NPR.

Last month, a group of researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University published a study in the medical journal JAMA that examined excess mortality rates in the U.S. through December. While that team similarly found the number of excess deaths far exceeded the official COVID-19 death toll, it disagreed that the gap could be blamed entirely on COVID-19 and not other causes.

Their estimate of excess deaths is enormous and inconsistent with our research and others, said Dr. Steven Woolf, who led the Virginia Commonwealth team. There are a lot of assumptions and educated guesses built into their model.

Other researchers applauded the UW study, calling the researchers effort to produce a global model important, especially in identifying countries with small reported outbreaks but larger estimates of a true death toll, which could indicate the virus is spreading more widely than previously thought.

IHMEs modeling early in the pandemic, which severely underestimated what was to come in the U.S. and was utilized by the Trump White House to downplay the pandemic, was widely criticized. Murray, the IHME director, has insisted that their team has improved its modeling.

In the end, the unfortunate reality is that it may never be fully clear how many people have died from COVID-19, either in individual countries or overall globally. What is clear is that the death toll will be more, and always has been more, than the official numbers indicate almost everywhere.
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Residents of Venice Beach in Los Angeles say soaring crime rates and the exploding homeless population have made life in the elite beachside community unbearable.

A 'catastrophic' increase in homelessness in Los Angeles has seen hundreds of tents line the beach's famous boardwalk.

Business owners say they are being forced to close their doors and longterm residents are afraid to leave their homes after dark after being subjected to violent attacks and intimidation.

Recent incidents - including a shooting on April 28 and an explosion at a homeless encampment - have left residents and business owners shaken.

Fed-up locals have written to city and county officials pleading for them to intervene.

Police patrol the Venice Beach Boardwalk on April 20, which has seen an explosion in homeless numbers during COVID lockdowns

The famous palm tree-lined promenade is blighted by fights several times a day, while shootings and stabbings occur every week, says Venice Neighborhood Council member Soledad Ursua (file photo from April 14)

Venice Beach has traditionally been a major drawcard for tourists, such as the ones above posing for a picture with the Venice sign, but residents say they are afraid to go out after dark now (file photo April 20)

In a video posted to social media, a group of men can be seen appearing to throw an accelerant onto a tent fire at a homeless camp, left, on the Venice Beach boardwalk. The tent then explodes in flames, right, and people attempt to put the fire out

The world-famous alternative beach community, 16 miles from downtown Los Angeles, has traditionally been a major tourism drawcard for the Californian city.

However, now the palm trees and promenade are blighted by hundreds of tents. The accompanying anti-social behavior has unsettled longterm business owners.

Hairdresser Kevin Buttress, 32, who has owner the Xquisite Barber Lounge for five years, said he had suffered two violent attacks in recent months.

He told Fox News he was attacked in November by a pit bull owned by a homeless person and was knocked unconscious with a skateboard.

'I've given a lot of myself to the community of Venice Beach,' Buttress said. 'And to see everything just fall to pieces, it's messed up,' he told Fox.

Buttress said the suspect in his attack was arrested and released days later amid efforts by Los Angeles County to cut the number of jail inmates over concerns about the spread of COVID-19.

Hundreds of residents have put their signatures to a letter pleading for help from city and county officials.

'Venice's world famous beach and boardwalk are crippled,' it says.

'Local children are refusing to come to the beach because they're frightened by what they've witnessed. Seniors who live on or near the boardwalk are terrified of walking in their own neighborhoods.'

Venice Neighborhood Council member Soledad Ursua said the homeless encampments had exploded during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

She said residents were afraid to be out after dark, and there were fights several times a day and shootings and stabbings on a weekly basis.

'It's just a very dangerous time to be a Venice resident right now,' she said.

Earlier this year, Klaus Moeller, the co-owner of Ben & Jerry's at Venice Beach, said he was closing his ice cream store after a huge increase in crime and homeless camps during the pandemic.

A report released earlier this year by the University of California in Los Angeles found homeless rates had increased by 50% in five years.

It found the economic fallout of the pandemic has left many more low-income residents on the brink of housing insecurity.

Official figures suggest there are about 15,000 chronically homeless people in L.A. County.

When 'couch surfers' and others who bounce in and out of homelessness, are included, that figure balloons to 66,000.

Dan Flaming, president of the Economic Roundtable, has projected that figure will nearly double in the next four years.

'That would be catastrophic for us,' Flaming told ABC7 in January.

Venice Family Clinic's Director of Homeless Services Dr. Coley King, left, treats Kenard Durr, center, at the world-famous beach. A homeless encampment at the beach has exploded during COVID lockdown (file photo April 20)

Rubbish and waste litter the golden sands of Venice Beach. Anti-social elements have made it dangerous to go out after dark, residents say

A street cleaner sweeps the boardwalk at Venice Beach on April 13. Hundreds of residents have signed a letter asking for help from city and county officials to counter the recent crimewave

Fights occur several times a day, while shootings and stabbings are common, say residents of Venice Beach, who are fearful of increased crime rates since the homeless encampments became permanent

'Venice's world famous beach and boardwalk are crippled,' a letter to city and county officials from residents says. They are asking for help

Official figures suggest there are about 15,000 chronically homeless people in L.A. County, but that figure rises to around 66,000 when it figures in the occasional homeless

According to figures from the Los Angeles Police Department provided to the Venice Neighborhood Council, the violent robberies in the neighborhood are up 177% from last year.

The same period has also seen a 162% increase in cases of assault with a deadly weapon involving a homeless person.

Videos depicting fires, fights, and harassment are a common sight on social media.

One such video shows a person showing an unidentified person hurling a homemade Molotov cocktail into a tent shortly before it bursts into flames.

And the death of a pet dog named Togo who was killed in a house fire has also been blamed on homeless people in the area.

The pet had become 'the latest victim of Venice's continued degeneration when a transient threw an accelerant into his home, burning him alive,' according to a tribute.

LA city leaders say the solution to the chronic homelessness issues is freeing up more public housing.

An estimated 5,000 people live in Los Angeles's 'Skid Row', a permanent series of tent-lined streets in the downtown area

The squalid and filthy conditions of Skid Row have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19, with the economic impact of the pandemic forcing many into living on the streets

Efforts are being made by city leaders to move the homeless people into encampments such as the these apartment

City leaders say the only way to deal with the homeless camps is to provide more social housing

In downtown Los Angeles, efforts are continuing to rehouse some 5000 homeless people who live in a permanent encampment known as Skid Row.

In April, federal Judge David Carter told LA officials they must offer shelter to the more than 4,600 people living on the streets in Skid Row, by October 18.

The order comes in response to an ongoing lawsuit LA Alliance for Human Rights - a group of downtown business owners and residents - who have accused the city of years of negligence which has allowed homelessness to soar in Los Angeles and tent encampments to spread.

'This ever-worsening public health and safety emergency demands immediate, life-saving action. The City and County of Los Angeles have shown themselves to be unable or unwilling to devise effective solutions to L.A.'s homelessness crisis,' Judge Carter wrote in a 110-page brief.

If the city fails to follow the order, it appears that it could lose police enforcement to remove the unauthorized encampments. It is not clear if the The City and County of Los Angeles will appeal the order.

Around 100 Skid Row residents are being given keys to a new studio apartments.

The apartments are small - just 380 square feet - but they'll be a marked improvement from the tent encampments that have mushroomed near LA's downtown. A federal judge earlier this week ordered the city to finally to something to house the 4,600 people who are estimated to be living in the area without homes.

The first 98 people to soon be formerly homeless are moving into the studio apartments.

The city has said $1 billion will be placed in an escrow account to tackle the crisis. The order states that LA county and officials must find land or properties for 455,000 new units of housing, including 185,000 units for lower-income tenants, to be able to home the 4,600 homeless in Skid Row.

One step towards that is the new studio apartment building which opened in the heart of Skid Row last week aimed at housing the homeless.

The project is the first of three HHH-funded permanent supportive housing communities opening this year to provide homeless housing.

The judge's order states that the city must also provide 'appropriate emergency, interim or permanent housing and treatment services,' according to the Los Angeles Times.

The costs for those services would be split between the city and county.

Shelters must also offer single women and unaccompanied children a place to stay within 90 days of them asking help, rather than the typical 120 days.

At last count, there were 66,433 homeless people in the county as of January 2020, including 41,290 in the city of Los Angeles, up nearly 14 percent from the previous year.

Once shelter is offered to everyone on Skid Row, the city can enforce laws aimed at keeping streets and sidewalks in the area clear of tents, which are ever-present on Skid Row.
A British Supreme Court ruling has brought to a head a 13-year-old battle to hold Royal Dutch Shell accountable for massive oil spills in the Niger Delta in 2008 and 2009. This creates a precedent for taking multinational corporations to trial in the home countries of their parent companies. This may mark the beginning of a more regulated global environment, in which subsidiary companies responsible for human rights abuses happening abroad could be held more accountable. Whether this will be an effective solution remains to be seen.

UK Supreme Court Gives Nigerian Farmers the Go-Ahead to Sue Royal Dutch Shell

Britains Supreme Court has recently approved a decision to bring Royal Dutch Shell to trial over oil spills in the Niger Delta. The appeal was first made in June 2020 by Nigerian farmers and fisherman. This comes after a London court rejected the claim in 2018, stating that Royal Dutch Shell did not have sufficient control over its subsidiary company in Nigeria  the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC)  to bring it to trial in England. Shell initially denied that it was responsible for spilling 560,000 barrels worth of oil that took place in the Niger Delta in 2008 and 2009. It claimed that these had come as a result of illegal tapping and sabotage to its pipelines. An investigation by Amnesty International, however, revealed that the cause of the oil spills was due to neglect and poor upkeep. In 2015, Shell offered to pay the sum of 4,000 in compensation. This was later rejected and it was forced to pay 55 million worth of compensation to clean up the Delta.

The decision to move the case to the UK Supreme Court was, instead, opposed on the grounds that it did not have sufficient control over the SPDC for the trial to be brought to the UK and that the case should proceed in a Nigerian court. The case in 2018 was rejected on similar grounds, that the SPDC retained autonomy over group standards, policies and practices. The SPDCs position remains that a claim by Nigerian communities against a Nigerian company about events in Nigeria should be heard in Nigeria and not the UK.

Related: OPEC Urges Its Members To Lobby Against NOPEC Bill

On the other side, the communities affected by the oil spills argue that Royal Dutch Shell maintains a duty of care towards both its employees and the communities linked to it through proximity. Ogale and Billie communities, whose main source of income is subsistence farming and fishing, have lost their livelihoods through the pollution of land and water. These activities cannot be resumed until the oil spill has been cleaned up. Shell has still not begun this process.

Moreover, the communities are reluctant to present their cases to Nigerian courts, due to concerns over how effective these courts might be. Incessant military interventions into the government over the past few years have allowed corruption to spread. Furthermore, the inefficiency of the courts and their weak enforcement mechanisms provide little reassurance that the communities needs will be met, with King Okpabi, the ruler of the Ogale community, stating, the English courts are our only hope because we cannot get justice in Nigeria.

Criticisms of Oil Corporations in Developing Nations

The presence of Transnational Corporations, such as Royal Dutch Shell, in developing countries are criticised mainly for their priority to maximise profits at the expense of the local populations. This boils down to four factors: low salaries, pollution to the environment, risks to health and safety and human rights abuses.

SPDC appears to have consistently underpaid their workers, by hiring them through community contracts with local community leaders. Often contractors do not pay their workers on time or, in one case, some reported that they were not paid for several months following the death of their king and his son. Shell has tried to make up some of the wage losses but many still require compensation.

SPDC has also been slow in dealing with environmental issues such as the oil spills in 2008 and 2009. While companies like BP committed US$20 billion to clean the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf or Mexico, Shell has not settled on a concrete sum towards compensation and clean-up of the Niger Delta.

Oil spills have also caused health and safety issues for the local population. Communities, who have traditionally collected their drinking water from underground rivers, have been put at risk. A leading oil spill expert, Kay Hotzmann, previously employed by Shell Nigeria, has implored the mass screening of the Bodo community following the oil spills.

Despite the questionable behavior of large multinational corporations, they do provide benefits such as an inflow of capital to the local economy, job opportunities and improvements to infrastructure. It would be unwise, therefore, to attempt to remove these corporations from developing nations altogether. A more realistic solution would be to increase accountability for their actions.

The main obstacles to this, however, are a lack of global controls, the mobility of corporations and a lack of incentive for governments to regulate these actors. Lack of global controls speaks to the obstacles associated with regulating these corporations, i.e., there is no enforcement mechanism for doing so. In terms of mobility, governments are unlikely to impose strict regulations on these corporations for fear that they might relocate. Finally, leaders across the world are largely disinterested in regulation policies and practices.

More Regulation for Transnational Corporations

The decision to take the Shell  Bodo case to trial in the UK signals a general trend to hold multinational companies accountable for their actions. This case follows from the Vedanta case, which unanimously concluded that parent companies owed a duty of care towards its overseas claimants.

This move is very likely to lead to greater regulation of multinational companies, since it addresses the key areas in which corporations can sidestep responsibility for damage caused to local populations and environments. It provides a means by which governments can regulate international actors. Furthermore, courts in countries such as the UK are more able to overcome the aforementioned obstacles through greater access to resources and more effective enforcement mechanisms to back their legal proceedings. The EU has moved in the same direction, with a similar case against Shell in the Netherlands.

Nevertheless, there is ground for caution. Mobility is still a factor in companies ability to avoid harmful legal cases. Countries such as the US are much less likely to allow these types of cases to be taken up in court. This is largely due to the rule of forum non conviens, which allows cases that do not directly insinuate the parent company to be rejected. This does not apply in the UK or EU where cases can be continued without direct insinuation of the parent company. It is, therefore, a possibility that companies will try to relocate to countries such as the US if they continue to face penalization at home.

By Global Risk Insights

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
MANCHESTER, Conn. (AP)  A Connecticut woman has been charged with manslaughter and other crimes in connection with the death of her 3-year-old son in November.

Manchester police on Saturday announced the arrest of town resident Alesha Cain, 30, who also was charged with felony assault, risk of injury to a minor and cruelty to persons. She was taken into custody Friday, authorities said.
Avenue Supermarts (D-Mart)'s consolidated net profit surged 52.7% to Rs 414 crore on 18.4% rise in net sales to Rs 7412 crore in Q4 FY21 over Q4 FY20.

Consolidated profit before tax surged 63.1% year on year to Rs 543.56 crore in Q4 FY21 from Rs 333.25 crore in Q4 FY20. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in Q4FY21 grew by 47% year-on-year to Rs 613 crore in Q4 FY21. EBITDA margin stood at 8.3% in Q4 FY21 from 6.7% registered in Q4 FY20.

D-Mart reported a 15.53% fall in consolidated net profit to Rs 1,099 crore in year ended March 2021 (FY21) from Rs 1,301 crore posted in the year ended March 2020 (FY20). Total revenue for FY21 stood at Rs 24,143 crore, falling 3% from Rs 24,870 crore in FY20. EBITDA fell 18% to Rs 1,743 crore in FY21 compared with Rs 2,128 crore during FY20. EBITDA margin declined to 7.2% in FY21 from 8.6% in FY20.

D-Mart follows Everyday low cost - Everyday low price (EDLC-EDLP) strategy which aims at procuring goods at competitive price, using operational and distribution efficiency and thereby delivering value for money to customers by selling at competitive prices

Commenting on the performance of the company, Neville Noronha, CEO & MD of Avenue Supermarts said, "FY 2021 has been a challenging year for our business. The year began amidst a strict lockdown post the emergence of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) towards the end of the last financial year. The economy gradually opened post May 2020 and the second half of the year was progressing towards recovery. However, a much stronger second wave of Covid-19 infections hit the country towards the end of FY 2021 and has once again resulted in significant disruption to our business as several cities and towns have announced restrictions.

During FY 2021, the company saw a degrowth across key financial parameters of revenue, EBITDA and PAT. The company's sales mix also saw a shift towards Grocery and FMCG products. Sales from General Merchandise and Apparel formed 22.90% of company's total revenue for the year as compared to 27.31% in the previous year. This is a result of consumer preference of essential goods shopping for a significant period during the year, reduced discretionary spending and significant restrictions on selling non-essentials during the early part of the year. DMart said that it impacted company's margins during the year. However, Q4 margins did indicate revival of discretionary spends not seen in previous three quarters. The company's construction activity was impacted during the first half of the year. The hypermarket operator commenced store construction activity from the second half of the year and opened 22 new stores during the year.

Commenting further on DMart Ready, Neville Noronha said, We continued the expansion of our E-Commerce business and increased our presence across the MMR region. In addition, we commenced servicing 4 new cities during the last year - Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Commenting on company's store operations, Noronha said, Significant disruptions have been seen from March 2021 onwards for our store operations. The restrictions and local level enforcements have become much stricter. Restrictions vary from store closures on certain days or for extended periods, to restricted store operating hours and selling only essential goods in most cities and towns. In general, more than 80% of our stores are operating for significantly lower number of hours (not exceeding four hours per day) or are even shut for operations for one to weeks or shut on weekends. These shut downs are having an adverse and severe impact on our revenues.

Commenting on company's supply chain, Noronha further added, "We currently continue to receive regular supply of goods from our suppliers. However, this time we may have a problem of excess inventory. An issue larger than the first wave. The receding threat of the pandemic and consequent sales surge in Q3 and most of Q4, followed by the oncoming summer and back to school season made us plan more optimistically. This could have a longer-term impact on our inventory to sales ratio as we could take comparatively longer time to liquidate the excess inventory."

In its outlook, the company said that it expects more frequent lockdowns across cities and towns. This trend is likely to continue until a large part of the population is vaccinated and new infections reduce significantly and remain like that for a long period of time.

Avenue Supermarts owns and operates D-Mart stores. D-Mart is a national supermarket chain that offers customers a range of home and personal products under one roof. As of 31 March 2021, the company had 234 operating stores with retail business area of 8.82 million square feet (adjusted for space leased to AEL during the year) across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Daman, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, NCR, Chhattisgarh and Punjab.

Shares of Avenue Supermarts rose 0.37% at Rs 2888.75 on Friday.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Republicans pushed a plan through the Kansas Legislature early Saturday that could provide roughly $500 million to small businesses to offset losses tied to state and local restrictions meant to check COVID-19's spread last year.

The measure would require the state, cities and counties to set aside part of their federal coronavirus relief funds to pay claims from small businesses. It was the last bill lawmakers considered before shutting down their annual session except for a formal adjournment May 26.

The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a bipartisan public school funding bill and finished a $21 billion state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The budget also included provisions to prevent the state from issuing COVID-19 vaccine passports and to restrict efforts to track down close contacts of people with the virus.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly signaled that she plans to sign the education bill, and she's expected to approve most to all of the budget's items. But she has not said what she'll do with the business-compensation bill.

Supporters said creating a system for considering and paying claims could avoid a larger total payout from potential lawsuits over COVID-19 restrictions, but doing so would help small businesses that cannot afford to hire attorneys to sue state or local officials.

This process is perfect for them, said Ryan Kriegshauser, an attorney for a Wichita fitness studio and its owner, who sued the state in December. Thats really what its for, is the mom and pop shops that got shut down, because a lot of the big box retailers, they were operating.

The relief funds would go to businesses with 50 or fewer employees that gave up their right to sue by filing a claim with the state. Larger businesses still would have to sue to get compensation and the state could face additional costs, but lawmakers argued that small businesses were harmed far more by pandemic restrictions.

The votes on the bill were 68-42 in the House and 24-14 in the Senate, demonstrating that at least a few Republicans in each chamber had misgivings and Democrats in both were overwhelmingly opposed.

The measure is a response to the lawsuit filed by Kriegshauser's clients, believed to be the only one of its kind.

There's likely more litigation coming, and we hope that this will cut down on that litigation and put in place a fairly simple process, said House Judiciary Chair Fred Patton, a Topeka Republican.

The Wichita fitness studio and state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican now running for governor, agreed to put the fitness studios lawsuit on hold to give the Legislature a chance to provide compensation. GOP lawmakers considered compensation figures as high as $2 billion, and the Senate passed a plan this week for $700 million.

The House had not debated any plan until it considered the one lawmakers ultimately passed early Saturday.

The bill reflects Republican lawmakers' view that Kelly's early handling of the pandemic hurt damaged the economy and restrictions didn't need to be as strong as they were.

Kelly imposed a stay-at-home order for five weeks last spring and then started a phased reopening of the the economy before Republican lawmakers intervened and gave local officials control over restrictions. She continues to defend her actions as crucial early in the pandemic, when state officials feared that a big, early surge in COVID-19 cases would overwhelm hospitals and Kansas scrambled to find personal protective equipment and testing supplies.

Democrats also suggested that lawmakers weren't doing enough to ensure that businesses receiving compensation used some of the money to help their workers. Others opposed forcing cities and counties to set aside coronavirus relief funds for the compensation and questioned whether the state has the authority to do it.

And some were upset that an appointed, three-member board would review claims  in meetings closed to the public to protect businesses financial information. Its decisions would be reviewed by a joint legislative committee, and legislative leaders would have the final say.

Really, this could be back-door deals, said Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat. I have some serious concerns that we don't have enough transparency.

Meanwhile, conservatives pushing for a ban on vaccine passports and limits on contact tracing had to settle for the provisions in budget legislation that would be in effect for a little more than a year.

Conservatives saw vaccine passports as a threat to privacy and personal liberty, even though Kelly said last month that none would be issued by her administration.

The budget legislation would prevent any state agency from spending any funds on issuing passports or requiring them to go into "a place accessible to the general public. But the ban wouldnt apply to cities and counties.

Another budget provision would allow the state Department of Health and Environment to spend money on tracing only if participation was voluntary and the tracing did not use cellphone location data.

The Legislature enacted limits on COVID-19 contract tracing last year at Schmidts urging, preventing people with the virus from being forced to disclose close contacts. He saw them as a way to protect peoples privacy, but those rules expired May 1.

___

Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna
Email Dan Walters of CALmatters at dan@calmatters.org. CALmatters is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining Californias policies and politics. For more columns by Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.
Early childhood advocate Anna Jo Haynes, seated, reacts with surprise as Gov. Jared Polis tells her that legislation creating an early childhood department will bear her name.
Elliot Page is back on set of Umbrella Academy to film season three of the popular Netflix show.

The 34-year-old actor shared a mirror selfie to Instagram from what appeared to be a dressing room trailer, with a note featuring the show's umbrella logo.

Elliot had previously posted about returning to work in February, days after six cast members were granted a massive pay raise when banding together to approach Netflix's higher-ups with demands for salary negotiations after the show was picked up for another season.

Ready to go! Elliot Page is back on set of Umbrella Academy to film season three of the popular Netflix show

Elliot held an iPhone with a black case up to the mirror and showed off a red flannel shirt worn on top of a grey crew neck sweater.

Page  who is best known for his role in the teen drama Juno  announced in December that he was transgender and that his pronouns are 'he and they.'

Soon after his announcement, Netflix confirmed that he would stay on in his role as Vanya Hargreaves, a cisgender lesbian, in The Umbrella Academy, a role he has portrayed for two seasons.

While many lauded Netflix for the decision and wondered if show writers would now make Vanya's character transgender, others questioned and shared their confusion, with some fans calling it 'political correctness gone crazy' that Elliot will continue playing a female character despite coming out as a transgender person.

Action! Elliot Page shared a snap to Instagram of the back of a director's chair with the show's logo in February to announce: 'Omg we're back again'

Star power: David Castaneda, Aidan Gallagher, Tom Hopper, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Justin Min and Robert Sheehan approached the streaming service and asked for higher paychecks in February and will now earn more than $200,000 per episode as part of the renegotiation, according to Variety

The show has been a massive hit for Netflix and the second season topped Nielsen's first-ever streaming rankings in September.

David Castaneda, Aidan Gallagher, Tom Hopper, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Justin Min and Robert Sheehan approached the streaming service and pushed for higher paychecks in February.

Each of the actors will now earn more than $200,000 per episode as part of the renegotiation, according to Variety.

Elliot also reportedly received a boost in pay, but was not involved in the negotiations as they had a separate contract earning a higher rate as the star of the show.

Congrats: The show has been a massive hit for Netflix and the second season topped Nielsen's first-ever streaming rankings in September

Fun: Umbrella Academy is based on the comic books of the same name created and written by Gerard Way, illustrated by Gabriel Ba and published by Dark Horse Comics

Umbrella Academy is based on the comic books of the same name created and written by Gerard Way, illustrated by Gabriel Ba and published by Dark Horse Comics.

The actor  who said last month that he had known he was a boy since he was a toddler  reflected on how, before puberty, being a 'tomboy' was 'accepted'  but upon reaching adolescence, it was less so, and having to wear girls' clothing made him feel 'ill' during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

In fact, he 'couldn't express just the degree of pain that I was in' while promoting his 2007 breakout film Juno, and can't even look at photos of himself in the vintage Jean-Louis Scherrer dress he wore to the Oscars red carpet the following year, when he was nominated for Best Actress.

Several years later, Page admitted he 'just lost it' when his manager presented three dresses he could wear to the Paris premiere of Inception in 2010, and 'collapsed' in what was likely a 'panic attack' when he arrived back from the after party.

Elliot  who is best known for his role in the teen drama Juno  announced in December that he was transgender and that his pronouns are 'he and they'

On Thursday, Elliot was spotted out for the first time since his Oprah interview while walking along the Toronto waterfront.

He was joined by an older male friend who walked with him and his fluffy white dog.

Elliot wore a gray sweatshirt with acid-wash jeans and white sneakers, along with a black baseball cap, square military-style aviator sunglasses and a black mask to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Elliot hugged his friend at the end of their walk together before continuing on his own.

Fresh air: On Thursday, Elliot was spotted out for the first time since his Oprah interview while walking along the Toronto waterfront with an older male friend
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukraines president marked the anniversary of World War II's end in Europe by visiting a village along the Russian border, where tensions had escalated during a recent Russian military buildup.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the village of Milovoe in eastern Ukraine with ambassadors from the European Union and the Group of Seven wealthy nations.

Milovoe is located in the Luhansk region, much of which has been under the control of Russia-backed separatists since 2014 along with a large part of the adjacent Donetsk region.

More than 14,000 people have been killed during seven years of fighting between the separatists and Ukrainian forces. Ukraine says 36 of its soldiers have died in rebel attacks so far this year.

A massive troop buildup and military exercises in western Russia near the border with Ukraine caused alarm among Ukrainian officials and their allies before Moscow pulled the troops back.

Ukrainians fought together with dozens of peoples against Nazism... and definitely not for war to take the lives of our people 76 years later, Zelenskyy said during his visit to the village.

Saturday was Victory in Europe Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the Allies formally accepting Germany's surrender in World War II.

At the Saur-Mogila war memorial in Ukraine's rebel-held territory, demonstrators unfurled a 300-meter (1,000-foot) brown-and-orange banner  the colors of the ribbon on the medal given to Soviet soldiers who served in World War II.
Vietnams contact tracing efforts have found a COVID-19 patient visiting a popular tourist destination near a public holiday that ended early this week.

The patient is coded 3,141, a 27-year-old man from Bac Ninh Province, the Department of Health of Lam Dong Province, located in Central Highlands, said in a contact tracing report on Saturday night.

At least 179 people have been identified as his close contacts, according to the report.

The patient was recorded as a coronavirus infection on Saturday morning.

The patient visited Da Lat, which is a touristic place and Lam Dong's capital, from May 2 to 5 after arriving in Cam Ranh, which is near the famous beach city Nha Trang in south-central Vietnam, from Hanoi aboard flight VN1595 taking off at 4:05 pm on May 1.

On May 2, the patient caught a long-haul bus from Cam Ranh to Da Lat and stayed there until May 5, when he flew back to Hanoi on board flight VN1572, which departed at 8:30 am.

Contact tracing is still underway, while his identified contacts have been quarantined and tested for COVID-19 following regulations.

Vietnamese celebrated a public holiday from April 30 to May 3 inclusive, as tens of thousands of people came to touristic destinations like Da Lat, Vung Tau, Nha Trang, and Da Nang.

Vietnam has recorded 241 local infections since April 27, after having spent about a month detecting zero community cases. Nine hospitals have been isolated for their links to many of these cases.

Bac Ninh, in the north, accounted for 43 of the infections, including 31 added on Saturday alone.

Vietnam has confirmed a total of 3,230 local and imported cases since the virus first emerged in the country on January 23, 2020, according to the Ministry of Health's data.

Recoveries have hit 2,602, including 42 announced on Saturday, while virus-related deaths have remained at 35 for months.

The Southeast Asian country has vaccinated more than 800,000 people with AstraZeneca shots since mass inoculation first started on March 3.

Those immunized were medical staff and other frontline workers.

A medical worker died on Friday of anaphylaxis, a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction that occurs rarely post-vaccination, after being injected with an AstraZeneca dose one day earlier, the Ministry of Health announced the same day.

This has been the first and only coronavirus vaccine-related fatality so far in Vietnam.

The country is now using only AstraZeneca shots to inoculate its population after having received almost one million doses via purchase and the COVAX vaccine-sharing scheme to date.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
New Delhi:

Sanjay Leela Bhansalis mega project Padmavati has been in the eye of the storm even before its first teaser was out.



The upcoming epic period drama film based on the epic poem Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi has attracted many controversies, ranging from Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh the scene of protests have reached right to the doorsteps of Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Juhu office where the womens wing of Akhand Rajputana Sewa Sangh had threatened to launch mass scale protests.



Police have tightened security outside his office and home.



The protestors allege that Bhansali has distorted historical facts to sell the film. Sources say that the character of Padmavati has been shown dancing and there is a sequence that shows Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji in intimate moments which is severely objected to by Rajput organisations.

Also read: VIDEO | Shah Rukh Khan heckled by Alibaug MLC Jayant Patil at Alibaug Jetty



Also read: Rishi Kapoor toes Farooq Abdullahs line, says J&K is ours PoK is theirs

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
An Illinois pregnancy center was set ablaze in an act of arson during the early-morning hours of May 3, causing an estimated $250,000 in damage as the pro-life center scrambles to find a permanent location.

The Peoria Fire Department responded to the fire at Peoria Womens Care Center around 2:40 a.m. on Monday and said most of the fire was contained in the front room, but damage was done to the entire building.

Fire investigators believe the fire was intentionally set but under control by 3 a.m., a local news station reported. No one was injured in the fire.

The centers contents, including diapers and baby supplies, were lost to the fire, and the center needs material assistance.

Source:The Christian Post
Manitoba has invited 2,786 PNP candidates to apply for a PNP in 2021.

Manitoba invites 150 PNP candidates on May 6 Manitoba has invited 2,786 PNP candidates to apply for a PNP in 2021.

Manitoba invites 150 PNP candidates on May 6 Manitoba has invited 2,786 PNP candidates to apply for a PNP in 2021.

Manitoba invites 150 PNP candidates on May 6 Manitoba has invited 2,786 PNP candidates to apply for a PNP in 2021. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Manitoba has released the results of its May 6 immigration draw.

Manitoba invited 150 candidates, who can now apply for a provincial nomination through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). If they receive it, the nomination will support their final application for Canadian permanent residence.

Manitoba regularly invites immigrants to apply through one of the following three Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams: Skilled Workers in Manitoba, International Education Stream, and Skilled Workers Overseas. The Skilled Worker streams require that candidates have previously submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile.

Find Out if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Here are the results from the latest draw:

Skilled Workers in Manitoba 104 invitations with a minimum EOI score of 400;

Skilled Workers Overseas 29 invitations with a minimum EOI score of 703; and

International Education Stream 13 invitations with no EOI score requirement.

A total of 14 invitations, also known as Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs), went to Express Entry candidates.

Manitoba immigration programs

Manitoba has a number of immigration programs dedicated to attracting international talent to settle in the province. The provincial government manages its immigration through the MPNP, which supports immigration applications to the federal government. Canadian provinces do not have the ability to give out permanent residency status, but they can help an application along by issuing provincial nominations.

If you want to benefit from a nomination from Manitoba, you need to register an Expression of Interest with the MPNP. This puts you in a position to receive an LAA through the Skilled Workers in Manitoba and Skilled Workers Overseas streams.

Manitoba then ranks candidates out of 1,000 points for their human capital factors, as well as their connections to the province.

The Skilled Workers Overseas Category and Skilled Workers in Manitoba streams are designed to allow the province to identify candidates who meet its labour market needs.

Candidates overseas need to demonstrate connections to Manitoba through the likes of close family ties, previous experience in the province, or an invitation through one of Manitobas Strategic Recruitment Initiatives. You do not need to be living in Manitoba at the time of your application to be eligible.

In order to receive an invitation under the Skilled Workers in Manitoba category, you need to have a full-time job offer from a provincial employer.

International graduates who complete education in Manitoba can receive an LAA under the International Education Stream if they demonstrate that they have in-demand skills.

Manitoba invites Express Entry candidates

Express Entry is the main way Canada manages skilled worker applications. It is possible to skip the PNP process and receive a permanent residence invitation by applying through Express Entry directly. However, having a provincial nomination effectively guarantees that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will invite you to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Express Entry is an application management system for three federal immigration programs. When you submit your profile, you are then ranked based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which considers factors like your age, work experience, education, and language skills.

The highest-scoring candidates receive invitations to apply for permanent residence through regular Express Entry draws.

You gain an additional 600 CRS points if you receive a provincial nomination from a PNP, such as Manitobas. This award is high enough to allow you to receive an Invitation to Apply in an Express Entry draw.

Find Out if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
WSFA reported that two people were found dead Friday night in Union Springs.

The bodies were found in a home at the Sardis Trailer Park in the 800 block of Williams Street, Police Chief Ronnie Felder told WSFA. The bodies were wrapped in a material. Police have not released the names or causes of death.

They are investigating the case as a double homicide.
The directive comes following heavy criticism after serious patients were denied medical attention by hospitals owing to several reasons

New Delhi: In a significant move, the Union ministry of health and family welfare has revised the national policy for admission of Covid-19 patients to various categories of Covid facilities. Under the new policy, a positive test report for Covid-19 virus is now not mandatory for admission to a Covid health facility and the government has directed that no patient will be refused services in any hospital on any count. The directive to states and UTs comes following heavy criticism after serious patients were denied medical attention by hospitals owing to several reasons.

India on Saturday recorded over four lakh fresh cases and 4,187 deaths in the last 24 hours. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the chief ministers of Maharashtra, Himachal, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu on the Covid situation in their states.

The high rising cases have started showing some downward trend in Maharashtra and Delhi while 180 districts in the country have had no fresh cases in the last seven days. Yet, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh continue to report very high cases.

Tamil Nadu has also imposed complete lockdown in the state to check the spike in cases.

As per the Union government directive to all states and UTs, hospitals under the Central government, state governments and Union Territory administration, including private hospitals managing Covid patients, shall ensure that they admit suspect cases to the suspect wards and start treatment immediately instead of insisting on a positive Covid-19 test for admission. The order further said no patient will be refused services on any count. This includes medications such as oxygen or essential drugs even if the patient belongs to a different city.

No patient shall be refused admission on the ground that he/she is not able to produce a valid identity card that does not belong to the city where the hospital is located. Admissions to hospital must be based on need. It should be ensured that beds are not occupied by persons who do not need hospitalisation. Further, the discharge should be strictly in accordance with the revised discharge policy, the order said.

Meanwhile, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced that tankers and containers carrying liquid medical oxygen (LMO) will be exempted from user fee at toll plazas on national highways across the country. In view of the current unprecedented demand for the medical oxygen due to the Covid-19 surge, containers carrying LMO will be considered at par with other emergency vehicles like ambulances for a period of two months or till further orders, NHAI said in a statement.
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.
Troops secure the highway outside Datu Paglas town in Maguindanao, Philippines, during an attack by members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, a group aligned with the Islamic State, May 8, 2021.

Updated at 8:40 a.m. ET on 2021-05-08

Dozens of Filipino Muslim militants linked to the Islamic State attacked a southern Philippine town and engaged the military in a gunbattle Saturday until government troops drove them away, the military said.

The militants with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) group entered the town of Datu Paglas in Maguindanao province at dawn and took over the main public market, said Lt. Col. John Paul Baldomar, the local military spokesman.

Panicked civilians ran for safety and reported to the authorities and our military forces near the area were dispatched, Baldomar told BenarNews. We immediately sent forces there to evacuate the civilians.

We have successfully driven them out and they scampered in various directions, although now, we are continuously monitoring the area, and our pursuit operations are ongoing, Baldomar said.

There were no reports of any hostages being taken during the militants siege of the market.

The military locked down the highway leading into the town to ensure the public's safety, Baldomar said.

Bai Aliah Rahamin, who was stranded with her 4-year-old child, said they were supposed to go home from the hospital when authorities closed the highway to traffic.

We have been here since early morning and we cant go back because of the traffic, Rahamin told BenarNews as she hid behind a tree beside an Army unit.

At first, the military allowed local civilian authorities to engage the BIFF fighters in a dialogue in a bid to resolve the situation, Baldomar said.

But the BIFF fighters fired at civilians still in the area, forcing the soldiers to shoot back, he said.

A brief gunbattle followed.

A firefight was triggered when the armed men fired at civilian commuters who were trapped, forcing our forces to retaliate, he said, adding there were no casualties on the government side.

We fired back at the group to protect these civilians and evacuate them to safety, he said, putting the number of the enemy fighters at between 80 and 100 based on reports by civilians on the ground.

It was not clear yet if the BIFF forces suffered casualties on Saturday, Baldomar said.

Troops also recovered four improvised bombs, which the BIFF militants had planted around the town and counter-militant clearance operations went on until Saturday afternoon, according to BenarNews correspondents at the scene.

Stranded motorists are seen during a lockdown of a highway leading to the town of Datu Paglas in Maguindanao province, southern Philippines, May 8, 2021. [Mark Navales/BenarNews]





The BIFF forces attacked Datu Paglas, a peaceful agricultural community of about 40,000 in the largely Muslim southern Philippines, as the holy month of Ramadan was nearing its end, the military said. It noted the militant group could be posturing to show that it remains a fighting force despite its dwindling size.

They just want to show that they are still a force to reckon with, despite the number of surrenders and our troops successes on the field the past few months, Baldomar said.

Datu Paglas Vice Mayor Mohammad Paglas offered a different take on the militants, saying many were between the ages of 15 and 25.

They came on board five big trucks and told the village officials they just wanted to rest, so we allowed them because this is the fasting month of Ramadan, he said, according to the state-run Philippine News Agency.

Split from MILF

Believed to number in the few hundreds, the BIFF is a faction that split from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the countrys largest former separatist group, which now controls an autonomous region in the south after signing a peace pact with the Philippine government.

The BIFF itself, however, is divided into smaller factions, one of which is led by Abu Turaife. He has publicly pledged allegiance to Islamic State, and another faction is led by Ustadz Karialan (alias Imam Minimbang), whose forces are more loyal to BIFFs separatist ideology.

The BIFF backed a five-month siege of Marawi, a city in another part of the south that was carried out by Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern pro-IS fighters in 2017, but held off from sending its own fighters there.

In 2019, the BIFF was blamed for a series of bomb attacks in the south, including on a town market and at a restaurant in the town of Isulan that injured eight and 18 respectively.

And in March, 14 BIFF fighters were killed in clashes in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town, also in Maguindanao. Philippine authorities also tied BIFF to a series of violent incidents in the south last month linked to the groups opposition to the establishment of a joint peacekeeping force between the MILF and the military.

I thought because of the peace agreement, this would not happen anymore. But it seems nothing has changed, said Bai Aliah Rahamin, the motorist stranded on the highway.
Notice of WIA AGM 2021

Under normal circumstances the Annual General Meeting of the Wireless Institute of Australia is due to be held by 31 May each year. But these are extraordinary times and COVID-19 does not make holding Annual General meetings very easy.

Here is WIA Secretary Peter VK8ZZ with news about the 2021 AGM.

The 2020 Annual General Meeting was to have been held in conjunction with the Annual Conference in Hobart Tasmania in early May last year. Unfortunately, the Hobart Conference was cancelled due to government restrictions on gatherings and travel due to CoVID-19. It was not known how long the restrictions on travel or gatherings would be in place and accordingly the Board of the WIA decided to defer the AGM to a date to be determined and a formal application was made to ASIC, the Australian Securities and Investment Corporation

for an extension of time to hold the AGM. ASIC is the regulator for public companies such as the WIA.

ASIC confirmed to us in writing the granting of an extension for the period within which the Company must hold its 2020 AGM and further indicated no action for deferred AGMs.

ASIC have extended the provisions of NO ACTION for delayed and virtual AGMs being held in 2021. Thereby allowing the WIA to again hold the 2021 AGM as a virtual Annual General Meeting.

Today I have posted a notice to the WIA web site announcing the WIA 2021 AGM. ( wia.org.au )

The Board of the WIA have determined that the AGM will now be held on Saturday 26th June 2021 commencing at 11.00 am Eastern Standard Time (thats 9.00 am in the west). The format of the Annual General Meeting will be like that held in 2020. You can view the 2020 AGM video on the WIA website.

There are also videos from previous AGM as well.

The agenda for the 2021 AGM will issue shortly.

Notice of the 2021 AGM has been published in the on the WIA web site and in social media as well as by a memnet email to all members.

A link to the ASIC approval to defer the Annual General Meeting and allowing Virtual meetings is available to be viewed on the WIA web site and in the text version of this broadcast.

tinyurl.com/jmcy5rwm

This is WIA Secretary Peter Clee VK8ZZ



The continued development of a vibrant and relevant amateur service in Australia is what the WIA is all about hence it's well thought out response to the ACMA 5 year Spectrum outlook 2021..

One of the ways that ACMA determines its work program priorities and items is through its rolling 5 year program. Updated every year, the 5 year rolling spectrum outlook provides the radiocommunications industry with a view of what areas ACMA intends working on for the next 12 months, but also what future issues ACMA is watching.

As WIA Director Philip Shields VK2CPR has pointed out previously on WIA National News:-



* Finding a new way for the amateur service to collaborate with ACMA on relevant revisions to the amateur syllabus.

* Seeking a review the effectiveness of the amateur service examination system in light of the lack of growth of newly licenced operators in Australia, particularly through 2020 under COVID when compared to other countries.

* Extension of operating privileges for Standard licensees to include access to the 50-52 MHz band.

* Review of the defined usage of 7100-7200 kHz to move it to primary status for amateur radio operators in VK noting this is the case around the world and

* Consideration of increased frequency agility by amateur operators when dealing with over the horizon radar system interference from foreign sources, especially in the high frequency spectrum.

The continued development of a vibrant and relevant amateur service in Australia is what the WIA is all about

tinyurl.com/bdvb2j9n
Indian Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday had a virtual meeting with his American counterpart, Xavier Becerra, discussing the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases in India. US Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra, in his conversation with Vardhan, reaffirmed the strong US support to India at this time of crisis, according to a readout of the call.

India is experiencing a raging second wave of the pandemic, with over 400,000 coronavirus infections and over 3,000 deaths being reported daily for the last one week. According to the Health Ministry, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases stood at 2,14,91,598 on Friday, with the death toll at 2,34,083.

India-US bilateral cooperation on COVID-19, which builds on a strong foundation, has been crucial not only for the health of our two countries, but critical to the global response as well, the two leaders said. Expressing his deep gratitude to Vardhan for India's help and generosity to the US in the early days of the pandemic, Becerra expressed his pleasure that the US had been able to respond now in kind to support India in its time of need.

Appreciating recent US donation of urgently needed resources to battle the ongoing surge of cases, Vardhan said that these supplies include oxygen tanks, oxygen generators, therapeutics, vaccine manufacturing components, PPE, and rapid diagnostic tests among other critical items.

The US government has announced $100 million assistance to India to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. In about a week's time, as many as six plane loads of COVID-19 assistance have landed in India. In addition, public health experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US, will continue to work hand-in-hand to support the efforts of their Indian counterparts, the readout said.

During the call, the secretary also noted the recent announcement of US support for a waiver of intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines and future World Trade Organization negotiations. He thanked Minister Vardhan for India's leadership on this important issue.

Vardhan discussed the need to work closely together in the international arena, including strengthening the World Health Organization and building upon lessons learned from the COVID-19 response. In recognising Vardhan as the chair of the WHO Executive Board, Becerra emphasised that the US looks forward to working closely with India on WHO reform, said the readout.

Also read: West Bengal reports highest single-day spike of 19,216 COVID-19 cases, 112 deaths

Also read: Chinese COVID-19 vaccine Sinopharm gets WHO approval for emergency use
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 56F. NW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 56F. NW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed agreements to improve ties after months of strained relations over the disputed region of Kashmir.

The two traditional allies took the steps on May 8 as part of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's two-day trip to Saudi Arabia.

The agreements addressed the treatment of criminals, joint efforts to combat drug trafficking, and infrastructure and other projects. The two countries also agreed to establish a higher coordination council.

Relations soured after Islamabad sought Saudi Arabia's support over alleged human rights violations by India in the disputed territory of Kashmir. Saudi Arabia has been careful not to upset India, a key business partner and importer of Saudi oil.

Saudi Arabia then pushed Khan's government to repay a $3 billion loan and a $3.2 billion oil credit facility granted in late 2018, prompting Pakistan to turn to China for financial assistance.

Prior to Khan's arrival, Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa arrived in Saudi Arabia and spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to discuss ways to enhance cooperation, Pakistan's military said in a statement.

With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP
Belgium warned its euthanasia law is spiraling out of control as hundredfold more are killed

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Several countries criticized Belgium for its 2002 euthanasia law at a meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council this week, urging it to protect people with disabilities and the elderly, noting that registered euthanasia deaths had experienced a hundredfold increase in that country.

Sadly, over the years, we have seen Belgiums euthanasia law spiral out of control, Giorgio Mazzoli, U.N. legal officer for ADF International, said in a statement, which noted that the law was expanded in 2014 to enable doctors to end the lives of children of any age.

Citing a case, it said the life of a 23-year-old female was tragically ended by euthanasia due to her battle with mental health issues.

Belgium is undergoing a Universal Periodic Review, during which states are scrutinized on their human rights record and called to consider reforms.

The group said Belgium experienced a hundredfold increase in registered euthanasia deaths since euthanasia was legalized in 2002. In 2017, almost 20% of deaths by euthanasia in Belgium were carried out on patients displaying symptoms common with aging, it added.

A fair and just society cares for its most vulnerable. International law protects everyones inherent right to life and requires countries to protect the dignity and lives of all people, rather than help ending them, Mazzoli continued, urging the Belgian government to bring an end to euthanasia and redirect resources into improving palliative care for those reaching the natural end of their lives.

ADF International is supporting a case that challenges the euthanasia law in Belgium at the European Court of Human Rights.

The petitioner is Tom Mortier, whose mother died from a lethal procedure in 2012.

Belgian law states that the person must be in a medically futile condition of constant and unbearable physical or mental suffering that cannot be alleviated, resulting from a serious and incurable disorder caused by illness or accident.

Mortiers mother was physically healthy, and her treating psychiatrist of more than 20 years did not believe that she satisfied the legal requirements of the Belgian euthanasia law, the group said. Nonetheless, she was euthanized in 2012 by an oncologist with no known psychiatric qualifications.

Neither the oncologist who administered the injection nor the hospital had informed me or any of my siblings that our mother was even considering euthanasia, Mortier was quoted as saying. I found out a day later when I was contacted by the hospital, asking me to take care of the practicalities.

Informing the family if someone wishes to be euthanized is not legally required in Belgium.

The doctor who euthanized Mortiers mother co-chairs the Federal Commission, which reviews euthanasia cases to ensure the law has been respected, the group noted. He also leads a pro-euthanasia organization which received a payment from Tom Mortiers mother in the weeks preceding her death.

In January 2018, representatives of the Roman Catholic Church warned that the euthanasia law was being abused as patients were being killed without the proper legal checks.

In the summer of 2018, it was widely reported that in 2016 and 2017, three children younger than 18 were put to death by euthanasia in Belgium. In addition to a 17-year-old suffering from muscular dystrophy, a 9-year-old who had a brain tumor and an 11-year-old with cystic fibrosis also died by euthanasia in that two-year period.

Last November, Belgian authorities investigated about 10 allegedly illegal euthanasia-related deaths in Leuven, a city east of Brussels.
Rachael Finch previously revealed that her daughter Violet was fluent in Russian by the age of five.

And on Friday, the former beauty queen revealed that she has been taking classes in the European language.

The 32-year-old shared a glimpse of her online session with her Russian language teacher Alna Ragozina on her Instagram Story.

Learning the language: Rachael Finch shared a glimpse of her Russian language class online in an Instagram Story on Friday

She showed her laptop screen and the Word Document program and the file with an anatomy diagram in the language.

In the video, the brunette beauty greeted her teacher in Russian and then showed her work books and writing.

Rachel, who is half-Ukrainian through her mother, told her followers she was 'learning about the body today and look at my fabulous drawing' as she giggled.

Online: The 32-year-old shared a glimpse of her online session with her Russian language teacher Alna Ragozina on her Instagram Story. She wrote also wrote on the post: 'Learning how to talk about the body in Russian today'

She wrote also wrote on the post: 'Learning how to talk about the body in Russian today,' and tagged her teacher Alna.

Rachael previously revealed that her daughter Violet, who was five years old at the time and now seven, was fluent in the language thanks to her Russian-born husband and former Dancing With The Stars professional dancer, Michael Miziner.

'Violent is fluent in Russian and she'll be speaking Russian at her new school where they have Russian as a second language,' Rachael explained to 9Honey in 2019.

Fluent: Rachael previously revealed that her daughter Violet, who was five years old at the time, was fluent in the language thanks to her Russian-born husband and former Dancing With The Stars professional dancer, Michael Miziner

Bilingual: 'Violent is fluent in Russian and she'll be speaking Russian at her new school where they have Russian as a second language,' Rachael explained to 9Honey in 2019

The brunette beauty added that she was struggling to pick up the language, but Violet and her younger son, Dominic, four, are finding it much easier.

Rachael noted: 'Kids find it easier. They are like sponges.'

The brunette beauty and professional dancer Michael met on Dancing with the Stars in 2010.

They tied the knot in 2013, and welcomed Violet later in the year, followed by Dominic in 2017.
Telecoms firms should go further on customer service

Ofcom has today published a review of progress made by major telecoms providers against our Fairness for Customers commitments.

In 2019, the UKs biggest broadband, phone and pay-TV providers committed to putting fairness at the heart of their businesses and going beyond their legal obligations for how they treat their customers.

Many companies have taken steps to provide fairer deals, clearer information and better support for their customers. But further action is needed in all areas, particularly customer service.

We have also today published our annual Comparing Customer Service report, which compares how the major providers performed last year and reveals which ones get the best and worst satisfaction scores from their customers.
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Domestic abuse is a terrible cycle. Victim advocates say it takes an average seven events before the injured person tries to leave an abusive situation for good.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence estimates nearly 20 people are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States every minute. Over the course of one year that would amount to 10 million women  and, yes, men too.

So, its important to tell you about an invaluable free service for victims that helps ensure abusers are more likely to be punished. Its especially necessary now because of the steep rise in these crimes during the pandemics forced isolation. The idea is to give victims a way to secretly document abuse so offenders can be more easily prosecuted.

The idea was the brainchild of the late Susan Murphy Milano, who endured years of violence by her father. He was a decorated detective with the Chicago Police Department who repeatedly threatened the family, violently attacked his wife, Roberta, and vowed to kill her if she tried to leave. In 1989, Susan discovered her murdered mothers body and her father dead by suicide. Susan set out to change the way society looked at domestic violence and, among other accomplishments, established the online reporting space called DocumentTheAbuse.com. Susan died of cancer in 2012.

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Her reporting site for victims lives on today with Norma Peterson at the helm. She and Susan bonded during the murder trial of former Illinois cop Drew Peterson, Normas brother-in-law, who was found guilty of the 2003 murder of his third wife, Kathleen. That crime wasnt prosecuted until after Peterson was implicated in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy, in 2007. Her body has never been found.

But back to the service provided by DocumentTheAbuse.com. Since cellphone activity can easily be traced by a controlling abuser, victims are instructed to carefully seek out a safe computer  at a library, church, cafe or trusted friends home  and register on the site with a username and password.

On the site the victim is walked through filling out whats called an Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit (EAA) to confidentially document the date and time of every abusive act.

This is a log that cannot be disputed, Norma explained to me, and it lives on in the awful event that the victim does not. Simply telling a friend or leaving a note saying, If something happens to me its because of my ex is valuable, but it could be considered hearsay and may not stand up in court.

The EAA asks for the abusers photo, date of birth, Social Security number, where they work and whether there are guns in the house. If there are police or hospital reports, including photos of injuries, the victim is asked to upload them or provide file numbers which can be easily retrieved later. The most important last step is to click a link and record a short video recounting the EAA information and other pertinent details.

I set up a mock page and found the site simple to navigate, and the step-by-step system is completely free and confidential. Its also designed to be updated which, Norma says, not only creates a legal document once notarized, it also serves to highlight for the victim how abuse escalates. A push is followed by a slap, is followed by a punch in the face or attempted strangulation.

We have seen easily a 200% increase in the last year of people going to fill this out, Norma said when asked about the rise of domestic abuse during the pandemic. And thousands and thousands are looking at the site on a weekly basis. She says DocumenttheAbuse.com has attracted interest from around the country and at least two foreign countries.

Just think if the still-missing Stacy Peterson had had this resource. Perhaps she could have found the courage to escape her abusive relationship and level charges against Drew Peterson.

Countless domestic abuse victims are too embarrassed and ashamed to share their secret with others. But DocumentTheAbuse makes it an easy, private exercise. Please pass on this information.

Now, Norma hopes to get the word out nationwide. Who knows, it might even be adopted worldwide. Wouldnt that cement Susan Murphy Milanos place in the history books of victims advocacy?

www.DianeDimond.com; email to Diane@DianeDimond.com.
Palghar:

A 23-year-old youth accusing the police department of continuous harassment and bribe demands allegedly set himself ablaze at the office of a senior officer at Virar in Maharashtra's Palghar district . The deceased youths family members allege Virar police responsible for the incident.

A video of the deceased, Vikash Jha, has gone viral on social media, where he can be seen blaming the Virar police for continuous harassment and bribe demands. He can be seen accusing a local corporator of asking for money to help him out of the case.

However, the Maharashtra Police has denied the allegations made by the deceased. According to Palghar police, Jha had eight offences registered against him since 2014, including robbery, assault and cheating.

The police added the he was wanted recently for a latest case against him. The case was registered on Thursday accusing him of outraging womans modesty, assault and criminal intimidation.

Palghar Superintendent of Police Manjunath Singe said, We have initiated a inquiry on the allegations made by Jha. We have sent the video clip for forensic test, if the video is found to be genuine proper actions will be taken.

Also read: Delhi: Youth attempts suicide near India Gate



According to reports, the deceased, Vikash Jha, set himself on fire at the office of Vishwas Walvi, Vasai Sub-divisional Police Officer on Friday evening. The police officers poured water on him to douse the fire and rushed him to a nearby private hospital for early medical treatment.

According to the doctors of the private hospital, Jha was admitted with 80%-90% burns. He was later shifted to Kasturba Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 18:37:59|Editor: huaxia

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Israeli police are seen during clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem on May 7, 2021. Hundreds of people were injured Friday when Palestinians and Israeli police clashed at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque in the old city in East Jerusalem, local media reported. A total of 205 Palestinians have been injured, said the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which set up a field hospital on the site to provide the injured with medical assistance. Six Israeli policemen were injured, said the reports. (Photo by Muammar Awad/Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, May 8 (Xinhua) -- A total of 205 Palestinians and 17 Israeli police officers were injured in clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound in East Jerusalem on Friday night, following a ruling that forced Palestinians to leave their homes on land claimed by Jewish settlers.

Thousands of Palestinian worshippers demonstrated at Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound in East Jerusalem on Friday night, after the weekly Muslim prayers, throwing stones and detonating fireworks, the Israeli police said.

Earlier this year, a district court ruled that several Palestinian homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem legally belonged to Jewish families, triggering protests and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police.

Israel's state-owned Kan News reported that the police used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters on Friday. Some of the grenades were thrown by the police into the mosque. Enditem
Parts of a small cast-iron stove, door hinges and window glass are scattered around the nearly invisible site.
The Justice Department under former President Donald Trump secretly obtained the call records for the phones of three Washington Post reporters last year in an effort to figure out who had talked to them. They also tried to obtain the email records for the three reporters: Ellen Nakashima, Greg Miller, and Adam Entous, who now works at The New Yorker. Federal investigators obtained the records for their work, home, and cellphone numbers from April 15 to July 31, 2017. The three reporters received letters informing them of the seizure that did not specify what the seizure was about. But the three reporters wrote a piece published July 21, 2017 about classified intelligence intercepts that indicated Russias ambassador to the United States had discussed the Trump campaign with Sen. Jeff Sessions.

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The documents that were seized are known as toll records and include the numbers of all the calls made to and from the phone numbers over the time period and how long each call lasted. The three reporters were also told that prosecutors tried to get a court order for non content communication records for their work email accounts but they never got those records. Much like the phone records, those documents would have detailed everyone they emailed but not the content of the messages. Its unclear why they never got the records but considering the emails in question were from several years earlier its possible the messages may have been manually or automatically deleted, notes Politico.

Cameron Barr, the Washington Posts acting executive editor, said the paper was disturbed by the revelations. We are deeply troubled by this use of government power to seek access to the communications of journalists, Barr said in a statement. The Department of Justice should immediately make clear its reasons for this intrusion into the activities of reporters doing their jobs, an activity protected under the First Amendment.

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The attorney general, who for most of 2020 was William Barr, has to approve these kinds of requests to get records from reporters as part of a leak investigation. The Justice Department defended the move, saying that it rarely seeks information from reporters and when it does it isnt to target the journalists themselves but rather to figure out who gave them information. While rare, the Department follows the established procedures within its media guidelines policy when seeking legal process to obtain telephone toll records and non-content email records from media members as part of a criminal investigation into unauthorized disclosure of classified information, said Marc Raimondi, a spokesman for the Justice Department. The targets of these investigations are not the news media recipients but rather those with access to the national defense information who provided it to the media and thus failed to protect it as lawfully required.

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The Justice Department shouldn't go spying on journalists at the whims of an administration.



This should never have happened.



When the government spies on journalists and their sources, it jeopardizes freedom of the press. https://t.co/V6BLYidxF2  ACLU (@ACLU) May 8, 2021

Many were quick to condemn the seizure, including Bruce Brown, the executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, who said in a statement that the move raises serious First Amendment concerns because it interferes with the free flow of information to the public. The American Civil Liberties Union, meanwhile said that the Justice Department shouldnt go spying on journalists at the whims of an administration. Some Democrats also criticized the move, including Rep. Ted Lieu from California who called it a direct attack on the First Amendment by the Trump Justice Department.

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This is a direct attack on the First Amendment by the Trump Justice Department. Anyone who was involved in this authoritarian style intimidation and is still at @TheJusticeDept, should be fired. And history really, really is not going to be kind to Bill Barr. https://t.co/LCCPwLzAif  Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 8, 2021

Despite the criticism, an effort to use all means necessary to locate leakers under the Trump administration wasnt exactly new. During Barack Obamas presidency, phone records had also been sought as part of leak investigations. For example, during Obamas tenure prosecutors got phone records of reporters and editors at the Associated Press and a Fox News reporter. In 2013, then-Attorney General Eric Holder wrote up new guidelines that significantly narrowed the circumstances under which journalists records could be obtained but did not preclude prosecutors from seeking phone records and emails for national security reasons, reports the New York Times.
The Trump administration started planning to kill Iranian general Qassem Soleimani almost three years prior to his 2020 assassination and originally wanted to wipe out a 'whole list of folks' that day, it has been revealed.

Mike Pompeo is said to have first created a task force of CIA leaders to 'take Qassem Soleimani off the board' almost as soon as he was appointed to his role as CIA director in January 2017.

The plot reportedly escalated throughout 2018 and 2019 driven by the US's withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal and the killing of a US contractor in Iraq before Donald Trump ultimately gave it the go-ahead because he wanted to 'take credit for it' in his re-election campaign.

Former Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller also revealed Soleimani had not been the only target, with the US government planning to take out several senior Iranian military and intelligence operatives that day.

Other targets included Quds Force's top commander in Yemen Abdulreza Shahlai and members of the Iran-backed militia Popular Mobilization Forces - but these failed to materialize.

Pompeo's crucial involvement has now left him at risk of a revenge attack with insiders saying he and other senior US officials are ongoing targets of Iranian assassination attempts.

Trump was reportedly so worried about Pompeo and his top Iran envoy Brian Hook being assassinated after they left office that he set aside 15 million to protect them in his final White House days.

The Trump administration started planning to kill Iranian general Qassem Soleimani (pictured in 2016) almost three years prior to his 2020 assassination and originally wanted to wipe out a 'whole list of folks' that day, it has been revealed

A burning vehicle at the Baghdad International Airport following the air strike that killed the Iranian general in January 2020

These revelations, from several current and former US officials, cast a new light on the US drone strike in Iraq on January 3 2020 which kicked off a major escalation in tensions between the two nations.

Several current and former US officials revealed new details to Yahoo News about the extensive planning that led up to the assassination.

They told how the event had been many years in the making, dating back to not long after Trump entered the White House.

One former senior CIA official told the outlet Pompeo first held a meeting to discuss plans to kill Soleimani back in 2017.

The meeting included members of the CIA's Counterterrorism Mission Center and its paramilitary Special Activities Center, among others, and the group came up with various different plans to take the Iranian general out, they said.

Pompeo also put forward the plans at meetings with the National Security Council (NSC) that year.

The insider said the plot divided opinion with some officials raising legal concerns while others welcomed the CIA boss's 'blue sky' approach after what was regarded as a softer approach from the Obama administration.

Pompeo reportedly pushed back at any legal woes telling people 'don't worry about if it's legal; that's a question for the lawyers,' the official said.

The plans are said to have become increasingly serious in summer 2018 when Trump announced he was pulling the US out of the nuclear deal.

Around this time, the plan had also reportedly shifted from using the CIA to using the Pentagon's special operations units.

Mike Pompeo is said to have first created a task force of CIA leaders to 'take Qassem Soleimani off the board' almost as soon as he was appointed to his role as CIA director in January 2017. Pictured with Trump in 2019

Over the course of the nearly three years between Pompeo's initial meeting and Soleimani's death, the US tried to put Soleimani under increased surveillance.

One elaborate operation involved infiltrating the supply chain through which Soleimani got new cellphones and bugging the devices long before they reached the general.

This came about following a tip off from Israel about a courier working for Soleimani and tracing the phones back to the source, said one former CIA official.

Victoria Coates, the deputy national security adviser for the Middle East at the time, told Yahoo the plan really became a reality in November 2019 when 'bad things' seemed to be happening involving Soleimani and the US.

'We were tracking Soleimani pretty closely, and there was a tendency for him to travel somewhere and some very bad things to happen to the US,' she said.

NSC officials then received 'the call from the top that they needed to make sure options were in order' to assassinate Soleimani.

Planning heated up with regular meetings being held with US intelligence and military top brass.

Brian Hook (left) with Robert O'Brien on January 10 2020, days after the strike. Hook and Pompeo are now said to be at the biggest risk of a revenge attack from Iran

These included Coates, national security adviser Robert O'Brien; deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger; Robert Greenway, the senior director for the Middle East; Hook; Keith Kellogg, Vice President Pence's national security adviser; and Chris Miller, the NSC's top counterterrorism official.

Several senior officials said Trump then gave the plan the green light after the US citizen was killed by Iranian militia in Iraq that December 2019.

Miller told Yahoo the 'threat was different' from Soleimani at this time.

Robert Greenway, the senior director for the Middle East, said the general was 'going deeper into their playbook.'

'[He] was actively developing plans to conduct imminent attacks targeting American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,' he said.

One official, however, said Trump's motivated was that he had his sights on re-election.

They said the operation could have remained undercover but that Trump wanted 'to take credit for it' so decided on an overt strike.

Trump repeatedly boasted about the general's killing in the run-up to the election.

The aftermath of the strike. Trump was reportedly so worried about Pompeo and Hook being assassinated after they left office that he set aside 15 million to protect them in his final White House days

The hand and ring (pictured) of the Major General Haj Qassem Soleimani after the strike

At a GOP fundraising dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida days after the strike, he regaled in great detail how military officials counted down the seconds to the deadly strike.

The planning also involved a more extensive hit list than just Soleimani, according to Miller.

Miller said there was a 'whole list of folks' they planned to take out that day for what he described as 'a decapitation approach to take down as much as they could.'

He did not give exact numbers of how many the US hoped to target.

Several officials said Shahlai was one target, while there two separate capture or kill operations planned against the Popular Mobilization Forces and other targets were also said to be in Syria.

It is not clear why these plans failed to materialize on the night.

Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the head of Iraqi paramilitary group Kata'ib Hezbollah, was also killed in the strike.

The years-long planning culminated in the airstrike in the early hours of January 3.

Officials revealed new details about the logistics of the operation on the ground, with US Delta Force operatives posing as maintenance workers while Kurdish operatives dressed as baggage handlers at Baghdad Airport to welcome - and positively ID - the general when he landed.

Former Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller (pictured) also revealed Soleimani had not been the only target, with the US government planning to take out several senior Iranian military and intelligence operatives that day

The Delta Force operatives started taking their positions in Baghdad in late December.

In the hours leading up to the strike, they positioned themselves around the 'kill zone' near the airport dressed as maintenance staff.

Kurdish allies posed as airport staff to confirm his identity ahead of the strike.

One US sniper had a camera that livestreamed back to the Delta Ground Force commander at the US Embassy.

Top officials including Hook were poised in the Situation Room in DC while Pompeo watched from the Pentagon with others. Trump was at Mar-a-Lago so as not to arouse suspicions.

US Joint Special Operations Command liaisons in Tel Aviv worked with Israeli officials to track Soleimani's whereabouts through his cellphones, reported one military official.

The general switched phones three hours in the six hours before he boarded the flight from Damascus to Baghdad but Israeli officials helped trace his current phone and passed the intel to the US.

Officials revealed new details about the logistics of the operation on the ground, with US Delta Force operatives posing as maintenance workers while Kurdish operatives dressed as baggage handlers at Baghdad Airport to positively ID the general (pictured February 2016)

Thousands of Iranians take to the streets to mourn the death of Soleimani in January 2020

Iran retaliated five days later by launching ballistic missiles at US targets in Iraq but no US forces were killed.

While the Trump administration hailed the attack a victory for the US and the nation avoided a more damaging retaliation at the time, several officials said the event put an ongoing target on the head of those involved.

Miller told Yahoo the administration was aware of several 'no-bulls**t threats' of revenge attacks from Iran on high-profile US officials.

Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Kenneth McKenzie, the CENTCOM commander, Pompeo and Hook faced the biggest risk of attack, he said.

Three other former officials echoed this, saying US intelligence learned of an Iranian hit list containing the names of specific officials targeted out of revenge for Soleimani's death.

Miller said the threats to life are so serious that, in Trump's final days in office, the White House and the Pentagon made last-minute plans over how they could ensure the protection of these targets after they left office.

This led to Trump allocating a new fund of $15 million to pay for protection of 'former or retired senior Department of State officials' who 'face a serious and credible threat from a foreign power or the agent of a foreign power'.

One former White House aide said that money was specifically set aside for Hook and Pompeo saying the 'Iranians are a serious risk to those two.'
Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is sharing his thoughts on mental health after being let off the hook for felony domestic violence charges.

The 35-year-old Jersey Shore star posted an anonymous quotation trying to destigmatize mental health issues to his Instagram Stories on Friday.

The reality star shared the statement without comment and didn't specify whether he attributed his arrest on domestic violence charges to mental illness.

Jersey Shore star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, 35, shared an unsourced quotation about mental health to Instagram on Friday after he avoided a felony charge for an alleged domestic violence incident last month; seen in 2019 in New Jersey

Ortiz-Magro's post was shared against a simple black background without embellishment.

'Its okay to feel unstable,' begins the repetitive post. 'Its okay to disassociate. Its okay to hide from the world. Its okay to need help. Its okay to not be okay. Your mental illness is not a personal failure.'

The reality star has previously admitted he struggled with mental health issues following a stint in rehab in early 2019 for depression and alcohol abuse.

'I decided to go to treatment because I wanted to be a better person, a better father for my daughter,' he told Us Weekly in February 2019.

Excuses: The reality star has previously admitted he struggled with mental health issues following a stint in rehab in early 2019 for depression and alcohol abuse

'Eventually, all the bad decisions I was making were going to lead me to places that I didnt want to be. I wanted to be led to the place that I am now  thats happy, healthy and the best role model for my daughter.'

He shares his three-year-old daughter Ariana with his ex Jen Harley, 33, who reportedly drove through the night to pick up their daughter after Ortiz-Magro was arrested on April 22.

In the earlier interview, he described his alcohol addiction as a 'chronic disease.'

'Its a progressive disease. Im still struggling,' he said. 'You stop and you start up again, and its worse than when you stopped. Youre just like, "Wow, I thought I had this under control," but at the end of the day, it has full control over you.'

Bad places: 'Eventually, all the bad decisions I was making were going to lead me to places that I didnt want to be,' he told Us Weekly in 2019 following his rehab stint; seen in 2018 on GMA

Earlier this month, Police sources told TMZ that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office did not have sufficient evidence to charge the Jersey Shore personality with a felony for the April 22 incident with his girlfriend Saffire Matos, 30.

The case involving the Bronx-born reality star will be forwarded to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, which can only charge him with a misdemeanor, sources told the site.

'If this reporting is true, as we said from the beginning, initial reports and unreviewed charges are often and, in Ronnie's case, wrong,' Magro's lawyer Scott Leemon told TMZ. 'We are glad the DA's office made this decision not to charge a felony. We will await a decision from the County Attorney's office.'

In the clear: Ortiz-Magro evaded a felony charge in connection with his latest domestic violence arrest last month in Los Angeles involving his girlfriend Saffire Matos, 30

The latest case could impact Ortiz-Magro's ongoing probation in a separate domestic violence case he was involved with October 4, 2019 involving his ex-girlfriend Jen Harley, 32, with whom he shares daughter Ariana Sky, three.

In that case, the MTV personality made a plea deal, entering a guilty plea to seven misdemeanors in the incident, including domestic battery and resisting arrest.

In the incident last month, Saffire contacted authorities and said that Ortiz-Magro had gotten physical with her following an argument, according to the outlet.

Details: In the incident in April, Saffire contacted authorities and said that he had gotten physical with her following an argument

Consequences: The latest case could impact Ortiz-Magro's ongoing probation in a separate domestic violence case he was involved with October 4, 2019 involving his ex-girlfriend Jen Harley

Police, citing injuries on Matos, took Ortiz-Magro into custody on suspicion of felony domestic violence.

Matos later took to Instagram Stories with a statement clarifying her take on the incident, and seemingly solidarity with Ortiz-Magro.

'Ronnie and I are fine there is a lot misleading information floating around out there,' she said. 'With anybody who reached out with concern I appreciate it with all my heart, but everything that's being portrayed out there are not facts.

Matos later took to Instagram Stories with a statement clarifying her take on the incident, and seemingly solidarity with Ortiz-Magro

In his statement, Ortiz-Magro thanked his 'real friends' for standing by him amid the troubled times

'I don't think it's fair that people are using false accusations to gain attention. Please leave Ron and I alone. You don't know what someone is going through at the end of the day. Don't believe everything you hear or read online.'

In his statement, Ortiz-Magro thanked his 'real friends' for standing by him amid the troubled times.

'Thank you for being by myself the last few [weeks],' he said. 'I take all experiences as lessons. You learn who really cares about you when [you're] down and out and [then] you see who doesn't! But I guess they call it the weeding process. Thank you to my real friends who haven't left my side and haven't betrayed me!'
The top political consultant to Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller was arrested Thursday on allegations that he participated in a scheme to solicit money and campaign contributions for state hemp licenses issued by Millers Texas Department of Agriculture.

The consultant, Todd Smith, ultimately took $55,000 as part of the scheme, an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by The Texas Tribune says. Smith and others involved in the scheme are alleged in the warrant to have solicited a total of $150,000 to guarantee a license, including a $25,000 upfront cost for a survey that they said was required to get a license in Texas. Some of the money would also go toward funding unnamed political campaigns, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit alleges that Smith committed third-degree felony theft.

Todd Smith created by words and his conduct, a false impression of fact that affected the judgment of others in the transactions to obtain a hemp license and/or conduct a survey that was never attempted by Todd Smith," the affidavit says.

Smith's arrest was part of an ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers' Public Integrity Unit, which is responsible for looking into claims of public corruption.

This matter is being investigated by the Texas Rangers on behalf of the Department of Public Safety in collaboration with the Travis County District Attorneys office," Travis Considine, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety, said in a statement Friday afternoon. "Our offices will be keeping the community updated as more information becomes available.

Smith was arrested Thursday and booked into Travis County jail at 9:23 p.m., according to Kristen Dark, a spokesperson for the county sheriffs office. Smith was released at 2:59 a.m. Friday on a personal recognizance bond. Bail was set at $10,000.

Smith did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Friday morning. Neither did a TDA spokesperson.

The affidavit says Smith used another person as a middle man between himself and those interested in getting licenses. The affidavit does not provide much information about the middle man other than that he was introduced to Todd Smith by a friend in August 2019.

The affidavit includes the account of one man who wanted to get involved in the hemp industry and met the middle man at a social gathering in August 2019. The affidavit says the middle man told the license-seeker that he was working directly with senior leadership at the TDA and that he needed $150,000.00 in cash, with some of the money going toward campaign contributions, in order to receive the guaranteed hemp license.

The license-seeking man agreed to the deal, setting off a chain of events that included a November 2019 visit to Austin where he handed the middle man $30,000 cash in a car outside El Mercado, a Mexican restaurant in downtown Austin near the TDA offices, according to the affidavit. Williams went through an alley to take the money to the TDA headquarters before returning to the car and collecting Vinson for a scheduled meeting at the offices.

The affidavit says the license-seeker learned later that month that he was not guaranteed a license, despite the scheme that had been proposed to him. He reached Smith via phone, who denied any knowledge but did admit to receiving a $5,000.00 gift from the middle man, according to the allegations.

The hemp licenses were opened as a result of House Bill 1325, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in 2019 and allowed the states farmers to legally grow industrial hemp. Hemp is a cousin of the marijuana plant that contains low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive element in marijuana known as THC.

Smith has previously been under scrutiny for blurring campaign and official lines. The Austin American-Statesman reported in 2018 that Smith told a San Antonio businessman he could get a TDA appointment if he donated to Millers campaign  then Smith asked the businessman for a $29,000 personal loan.

Years earlier, Miller created four new assistant commissioner positions and gave one of them to Smiths wife, Kellie Housewright-Smith. The positions had annual salaries exceeding $180,000, making them among the highest-paid employees at the TDA.

The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
A Comedian's Prayer Book

Frank Skinner Hodder & Stoughton 9.99

Rating:

Most topical comedy billed as cutting-edge is really just a giggling echo of fashionable opinion. This is particularly true where religion is involved: you can rely on comics to follow the hand-me-down line of Richard Dawkins, patron saint of atheists, rather than view the subject afresh.

Comedy tends to be reductive: faced with mystery, it tries to see through it.

On the radio a week or two ago, I happened to hear Monty Pythons Eric Idle, who apparently still identifies as a comedian. He was on a jokey panel, talking about science and religion.

Frank Skinner (above) is both a first-rate comedian and a practising Roman Catholic. Its an unusual combination. Ive been a professional comedian for over 30 years,

Religion is an attempt to describe the universe from way back in the past, two thousand, three thousand years ago, and science has now updated it, he announced, in his smug, knowing manner.

Science tells us that 96 per cent of the universe is dark matter, so only four per cent of the universe is visible. So God is clearly hiding in the other 96 per cent!

The Radio 4 audience tittered obediently, as they are trained to do. I thought of them, and of Eric Idle, as I was reading Frank Skinners wonderfully sharp new book. In one prayer, he asks God to Forgive their Richard-Dawkins-is-so-cool trend-following superficiality, their uninformed criticisms, their arrogant certainty, and let them see that, as it turned out, I was right all along.

Frank Skinner is both a first-rate comedian and a practising Roman Catholic. Its an unusual combination. Ive been a professional comedian for over 30 years, he writes in his introduction, and, during that time, the religious believers Ive met among my fellow japesters would, if assembled, just about fill a Vauxhall Corsa.

A Comedians Prayer Book is just that: a short, snappy book of Christian prayers, delivered from his distinctive viewpoint, wheedling out the truth. Ive written a prayer book, he says. At least no one can accuse me of being too commercial.

A Comedians Prayer Book is just that: a short, snappy book of Christian prayers (Above, God Giving the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, 1923)

Its a notably brave thing for anyone to do, let alone a comedian. There are few men who dare publish to the world the prayers they make to Almighty God, observed the great French philosopher Montaigne, back in the 16th Century.

Braver still, in a way, to couch those prayers in the quick-fire language of comedy, rather than hide behind something more pious. Skinner compares himself to the court jester on a medieval Christian pilgrimage: he hopes to add a touch of humanity to their lofty piety.

Happily he does not try to water down religion into something more heart-warming and Thought-For-The-Dayish. He is sick of what he calls belief-lite, in which everything is kept acceptably vague and nothing can be seen to challenge the agnostic status quo.

The modern equivalent of bearing witness sounds something like, I dont believe in God, exactly, but I do feel there might be a sort of Universal Will that in some way generates a positive energy that, in a sense, informs our moral attitudes and what one might call spiritual instincts,  he writes.

Though he is full of niggling doubts, Skinner is, more often than not, on the side of the traditionalists. He goes to Mass; he kneels; he sometimes prays with a rosary; he reads the Bible every day, and finds it a rattling good read; he refuses to disregard the unquantifiable.

Weird-in-a-good-way is one of my favourite religious categories, he writes. I like my religion to feel like poetry rather than prose I dont like it cosy.

Skinner knows that he and his fellow Christians are, for the most part, considered naff. The world is ruled by unbelievers. It has long bothered me that atheists sit, metaphorically, on a leather Chesterfield in an oak-panelled exclusive club, sharing highbrow insights with George Bernard Shaw and Philip Pullman, while I find myself in Spudulike with Cliff Richard.

Like that brilliantly witty Christian writer G. K. Chesterton, Skinner embraces paradox, and likes to question modern societys faith in the rational. Reason itself is a matter of faith, said Chesterton.

It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts have any relation to reality at all.

I think Skinner would go along with that sentiment. He is surprisingly forthright in his dislike of the vanity of contemporary mores: the Oprah world of my truth and my feelings.

Religion offers a loss of self. He sees it as the antithesis of modernity. It challenges the fundamental concept of the 21st Century: the cult of the significant individual. The aim, instead, is to un-me oneself.

In one of his later prayers, he congratulates God on your post-Enlightenment decision to allow yourself to become unfashionable. He sees it as a return to essentials.

Let science, drugs and the sexual revolution put on their sell-out main auditorium spectaculars. Youre happy with your enthusiastic devoteees in the Studio Theatre. We can hear the boom of the showstoppers coming through the wall from next door, but it only makes us feel closer, to you and to each other.

Skinners prayers often follow this format  he surfs on a wave of one-liners before coming to rest in a quieter, more contemplative cove.

The tone is unashamedly chatty; some might think it a bit too chatty. I do worry about boring you, he apologises to God. At one point, he suggests a suitable catchphrase for the Almighty would be Ill be the judge of that.

At another, he lists his Top Three Favourite Qualities of God, which are 1. Loving. 2 Interesting and 3. Defiantly uncool.

Yet the questions he raises are serious, and central to Christian theology, and he expresses them much more pithily than most professional theologians. For instance, is the act of Christian worship corrupted by being an act of insurance, performed with half an eye to reaping benefits in the afterlife?

How can any soul remain happy in heaven knowing people they love are suffering in hell?

And how can a conscientious Christian accept Gods sporadic acts of merciless cruelty?

The Abraham-Isaac story hurts me every time I read it, he confesses, referring to the terrible tale of God asking Abraham to kill his only son, Isaac, so as to prove his faith. Do I admire Abraham for his religious conviction in this episode? If I do then I think I also have to admire suicide-bombers.

How can Abrahams willingness to kill his son be squared with the biblical injunction Thou shalt not kill? Skinner is so troubled by this story that he has long dreaded one of his atheist friends might challenge him over it.

Happily, none of them ever has. Thats the great thing about arguing with them; theyve rarely done the groundwork.

Even when he tackles the stickiest Christian quandaries, he continues to crack jokes galore. Worrying about the famous passage where Jesus states that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, he looks for a get-out clause.

Might a solution be found in state-of-the-art kitchen utensils? One could liquidise a camel and then part the surface of the syrupy residue Red Sea-style, with a needle turned pointy-end upwards

For some, the book may be a little too relentlessly jocular, but at least its title offers fair warning. And though most of the humour lies in the doubts and quibbles  you might almost say the Devil has all the best jokes  this only serves to make his quieter, more private observations all the more touching.

Real faith, he seems to suggest, is not just beyond jokes, but beyond words. I never hear your voice  no mighty wind  or, if I do, I dont recognise it, but I have sensed you in the silence.

Faith may even lie in moments of doubt. Perhaps if I believed better, Id have a lot less to say about belief.

When I pray, words do sometimes seem a bit cumbersome, even inappropriate, he writes. At another point, he tells God: I knelt tonight, to present my lack of faith But, sometimes, you intervene. I honestly think you intervene somewhere in the swirl of me, you also become present.

This is a fine, brave book, beautifully expressed. Richard Dawkins had better look to his laurels.
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On April 20, more than two dozen senators reintroduced a bipartisan bill called the Growing Climate Solutions Act. Lead sponsors Sen. Mike Braun, R-Indiana, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, are joined by dozens of other original cosponsors: 16 Republicans, 14 Democrats including our own Sen. Martin Heinrich and one Independent.

According to the senators announcement, the bill will break down barriers for farmers and foresters interested in participating in carbon markets so they can be rewarded for climate-smart practices. The bill has broad support from over 60 leading agricultural and environmental organizations.

Farmers have the potential to play a major role in mitigating climate change. They are also the backbone of Americas food supply, and they have suffered as COVID-19 has upended every step of the way we get food on our tables. This legislation will help producers here in New Mexico and across the country financially, while incentivizing them to make their operations more sustainable.

Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL), with a grassroots membership of more than 190,000 nationwide, applauds the senators for putting this bill forward and for their bipartisan work on climate issues. As constituents of Heinrich, members of the Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Corrales/Westside chapters of CCL are especially excited about the introduction of this legislation.

As a CCL chapter leader in Corrales, I am thrilled that our senator has worked across the aisle to introduce this important bill, and were grateful for his leadership. As a village with hundreds of years of a proud agricultural heritage, this bill will help to keep these traditions going strong for our children and our childrens children. It will support Corrales growers, along with farmers across New Mexico, to thrive while being more sustainable.

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Citizens Climate Lobby volunteers across New Mexico and other local climate advocates plan to meet with the members office later this year to express their support of this bill.

CCL Executive Director Mark Reynolds says our volunteers from across the country, many of whom come from farming communities, have been lobbying for the Growing Climate Solutions Act for several years. We are excited to see the broad bipartisan support for this legislation. In addition to lobbying for the Energy Innovation Act, our volunteers will soon be asking their own senators to join Sen. Heinrich on this bill.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met with US President Donald Trump and held talks on the sidelines of 31st ASEAN summit in Manila.

His comments came ahead of bilateral talks, the prime minister said the relationship between India and the US goes beyond mutual interest and can be beneficial for Asia and the humanity at large.

"The relations between India and the US are growing... and I also feel that the relationship between India and the US is not only for mutual interest. It goes beyond that. We are working together for the interest, for the future of Asia and for the humanity as a whole in the world," Modi said.

Relations between India and US are growing. Our relations go beyond, we are working for future interests of Asia and humanity: PM Modi in meeting with US Pres Trump pic.twitter.com/XXF26Vz26v  ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2017

Modi also thanked Trump for praising India whenever he got an opportunity to speak about the country during his Asia tour.

More visuals of bilateral talks between PM Modi and US President Donald Trump, in Manila #Philippines pic.twitter.com/7S0nF4oGoK  ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2017

"...in the few days wherever president Trump has travelled and whenever opportunity arose to talk about India, he has expressed very high opinion about India," Modi said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to explain how it was dealing with the surge in COVID-19 cases in rural and sub-urban areas, and smaller cities of the state.

A two-judge bench, comprising justices Siddharth Verma and Ajit Kumar, issued the direction while while hearing a petition that claimed the state government's focus in the recent past has been only on dealing with the COVID-19 situation in major cities.

The smaller districts and cities got unfortunately ignored and also did not get the attention of the media, the petition claimed. "Surge in cases is now being seen in rural areas also and the situation has alarmingly worsened for want of proper medical care," it said.

In the case of deaths at the Meeut Medical College's Trauma Centre allegedly due to lack of oxygen, the district magistrate submitted that the deaths were not caused due to shortage of oxygen but for "some other reasons".

In stern remarks, the high court on Tuesday observed that the death of COVID-19 patients just for non-supply of oxygen to hospitals is a criminal act, "not less than a genocide" by authorities entrusted the task to ensure the oxygen supply chain is maintained.

The remarks were made on some news items doing the rounds on social media regarding the death of COVID-19 patients due to lack of oxygen in Lucknow and Meerut districts. The court also ordered a probe into the incidents.

On a court query as to what was the exact oxygen stock in the Meerut hospital, the district magistrate, could not give any satisfactory reply.

He also could not reply as to what was the cause of the deaths.

The court directed that the Meerut district magistrate will hold a comprehensive investigation into the matter and submit a report to the court again by personally appearing online on the next date fixed.

The court directed all the magistrates in Uttar Pradesh to immediately dispose of cases related to seizure life saving drugs namely Remdesivir, oxygen cylinders and oximeters and other items needed for COVID-19 managemnet. The cases must be disposed of within a week of them being instituted before them, it said.

The court also directed the director general of police to issue an advisory to all the senior superintendents and sperintendents of police to direct police officers who seize items related to COVID-19 management to approach magistrates within 24 hours for disposal of such property.

On the availability of COVID-19 vaccine, the court observed, "We are of the opinion that tender is a long drawn process and if we run late in vaccinating a large number of people in the state, we may lose the real desired result of vaccination as the virus may achieve such mutations which may neutralize the vaccine also".

"It is necessary that the government enter into direct dialogue with vaccine producers with the help of Indian diplomats in those countries," it said.

The court directed the state government to find ways and means to ensure immediate procurement of vaccines so everybody is vaccinated completely within 3-4 months time.

"Tell us on the next date fixed how it (government) proposes to expedite purchase of vaccines from the global market. Although all efforts taken till now are quite appreciable but we hasten to add that this is no time to relax as a lot of action is still needed to be taken more especially in the field of public health care, facility and overall public health infrastructure in view of the impending threat of a third waive of Covid-19 pandemic," the court observed.

The court fixed May 11 as the next date of hearing in the matter.

(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.)
Liberty in America and constitutional government are currently facing their most severe crisis since the Civil War. The threat is posed not by foreign invasion, but by our own deluded countrymen. As Lincoln said in the Lyceum Address of 1838, "all the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined ... could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. ... If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author. ... As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide." We seem to be at that point. Roughly half the voting population of the nation, led by the guilt-ridden woke fanatics of the left, appear ready to jump off the cliff into tyranny and drag the rest of us with them.

The most imperative question we must answer now is the same one that Vladimir Lenin, of all people, asked in a famous pamphlet in 1902: "What is to Be Done?"

Lenin answered that most famous question in Russian history by proposing the creation of a highly centralized and disciplined political party that eventually became known as the Bolsheviks. While Americans do not need a party of communist tyranny, we do need a party that can fight effectively against the looming autocracy and for the restoration of liberty. Unfortunately, no such party currently exists in the United States. Therefore, we must either create a new one or seize an existing one.

The former course is impossible. Accordingly, uncompromising patriots, dedicated to the restoration of constitutional government, must organize quickly and capture the Republican Party. This is not to say that we need to purge all RINOs. Far from it. We need every vote we can get, both at the ballot box and in the nation's legislative bodies. But we do not need congressmen and senators who are so blind to the crisis the nation faces that they are eager to "reach across the aisle" and compromise on their principles. As it is, there is already a group of Republican senators who are said to be negotiating with the Democrats about an immigration deal. Republicans must not compromise on anything significant until they do it from a position of strength  and only then with a Democratic Party that has regained its sanity, if that is even possible.

The reconstruction of the Republican Party is our most urgent task at least in part because in a republic, it is only through a political party that a people can seize and exercise political power. The Republican Party is, therefore, the only weapon Americans can wield than can possibly save what Lincoln called the "last best hope of earth."

It is the most urgent task we have before us because we have no more than three and a half years to save all that previous generations of Americans accomplished since the foundation of the nation. Our first deadline is less than a year from now. The midterm elections of 2022 will be the first chance the free people of the United States have to retrieve their liberties and halt the spread of autocracy. We can't wait until November of 2022 to begin the task. The MAGA constituency or some variation of it must establish its hegemony in short order. Failure in 2022 would be a catastrophe. Failure in 2024 would spell doom for the nation.

So how do we rescue the GOP from its feckless leaders? In the end, what is to be done?

Fortunately, Dan Schultz, a Republican activist from Arizona, has an answer. It is a simple strategy that he has dubbed "the Precinct Strategy" that any patriot can participate in. He points out that merely voting for Republicans gives one no power over elected representatives. Likewise, merely registering as a Republican gives one no more leverage. Even donating to GOP candidates does little to influence them once in office. The ordinary Republican has little influence unless he is actively engaged in Republican politics at the local level. It's the committeemen who have all the power and influence. Rank-and-file activists must become "Precinct Committeemen."

Schultz explains that there are some 200,000 positions as precinct committeemen available in the party nationally, but only about 100,000 of those positions are filled. Half of them are vacant! As it is, the currently occupied positions are divided more or less evenly between moderates and conservative activists. That's why we get such feckless leadership and such clueless politicians. But, as Schultz points out, if the 100,000 vacant positions were filled by conservatives, clueless moderates would be outnumbered roughly three to one!

Anyone can volunteer. It's easy. Energetic patriots who understand that the fate of the nation depends on them could seize control of the party and select candidates who will determine the fate of the nation. So for all those who ask, "What can I do?," please, go to this website and save the nation. Save freedom for your children, your grandchildren, and generations yet unborn.

Image: Lars Di Scenza via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Houston, Texas, May 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hundreds of nurses at The Woman's Hospital of Texas were surprised with a special event this morning in honor of National Nurses Week.



World-renowned jewelry and home accessories designer Kendra Scott teamed up with The Womans Hospital of Texas for a surprise and delight event for the hospitals nurses to inspire and lift the spirits of these incredible healthcare workers. Scott and her team chose The Womans Hospital of Texas, whose nursing staff is over 98% female, to recognize the tireless work they continue to do to safeguard moms and babies and provide compassionate care since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.



The event began with welcome messages from The Womans Hospital of Texas chief executive officer, Elizabeth Ortega, and chief nursing officer, Ann Russell.



A video message from Kendra Scott herself was shown to the crowd of nurses thanking them for their heroic work over the past year. "This week as we take a moment to show gratitude for our nurses and healthcare workers, I am reminded of the tireless bravery and heroism they've shown throughout this past year, said Scott, founder and executive chairwoman of Kendra Scott. It is an honor to partner with The Womans Hospital of Texas to bring these healthcare heroes some well-deserved joy and celebration."



The highlight of the morning was the balloon pop introduced by Robin LaLone, Kendra Scott philanthropic manager for Southeast Texas. Four hundred balloons were released from the ceiling, each filled with confetti and a gift. Boxes of jewelry, Signature Tumbler candles, and redemption cards for The Color Bar made up the 400 gifts.



We are so proud of the Woman-first care our nurses and colleagues have provided for our patients and each other during such turbulent times the past year, said Ortega. Our nurses care for moms, babies, and all women like no one else, and are steadfast in their dedication to improving each human life. I am extremely grateful for the generosity of Kendra Scott and her team, and honored they created such an exceptionally wonderful event for our hardworking nurses to help us celebrate Nurses Week.



Please click here to download high resolution photos from the event.





###



About The Womans Hospital of Texas

Since 1976, The Womans Hospital of Texas has been the states premier facility dedicated to the health and well-being of women, newborns and children. As a Level IV Maternal Designated facility, with an Advanced Level IV NICU, the hospital offers expertise and outstanding care in breast health, imaging, gynecology, obstetrics, high-risk pregnancy, neonatology, minimally-invasive surgery and pediatric care. For more information, visit WomansHospital.com. The Womans Hospital of Texas is an HCA Houston Healthcare facility, part of the HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division.



About Kendra Scott, LLC

Kendra Scott is a leading fashion accessories brand inspired by the personal experiences, travel, and sense of community of its founder and designer, Kendra Scott. With over 2,000 employees, Kendra Scott has over 100 standalone stores across the US and is sold in premiere retailers including Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and 600 specialty boutiques worldwide and boasts a thriving web business. Kendra Scott is best known for its kaleidoscope of fashion jewelry accessories as well as the customizable Color Bar experience, and in recent years has expanded into the categories of fine jewelry, sterling silver, home decor, and beauty. As the brand continues to grow, the company remains true to its founding philosophy of "Family, Fashion, Philanthropy" and since 2010, the company has given back over $40 million to local, national, and international causes.

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Bristol Airport has a calm, provincial atmosphere. Frisking me, the security officer says: And where are you flying to today, sir? To Nice, I tell her. Oh lucky you, sir!

Bing bong! EasyJet flight EZY 6113 Bristol to Nice is now boarding at Gate 32B.

Magic words. I reach for my day-pack and jumbo Toblerone and tread the familiar corridors. We are shepherded outside into wind and salt rain and climb the stairs to the humming orange workhorse.

French Riviera: The captivating town of Villefranche-sur-Mer near Nice on the Cote dAzur

Nobody in their right mind goes to Nice for the clubbing scene. On this route you get an older, reserved crowd with a leavening of grumpy Panama hats and pink trousers flying down to their second homes.

Over the Isle of Wight I hear the clank of the drinks trolley. On the Nice run, the easyJet flight attendants can lip-read the words Gin and tonic please, love. Its part of their training. I mouth the words, look desperate, and theres one coming towards me over the heads immediately.

Halfway down France the clouds melt away. Flying now by sight, the pilots follow the shining river Rhone and at the Mediterranean turn sharp left. Any rubbish?

Nearly there already. I drain my plastic glass, toss it at the moving target and settle back for the spectacular descent along the Cote dAzur.

Under the wing, the crowded beaches of St Tropez, St Maxime and St Raphael drift slowly past. On the Croisette at Cannes traffic beetles between the palm trees. Over the Cap dAntibes, the planes shadow flits across the pantiles of an opulent villa.

Hikers on the coast path pause to squint up at us. Towels spread on the La Plage de la Garoupe look like prayer rugs. The toy fort at Cagnes. Now we are skimming windsurfers heads and first-time passengers are trying to recall the evacuation at sea drill. Seconds before we hit the water, waves become smooth asphalt. Two bumps and we are earthbound again. Palmy Nice. Private jets, latest designs, baking in a row. The dazzle and shimmer of the glass airport terminal.

The Daily Mail's Jeremy Clarke recalls flying with easyJet to Nice and enjoying a gin and tonic on board

I descend the aircraft steps into a hot sea breeze. A cold air-conditioned corridor. A bored passport officer waves me through with a laconic flap of the hand.

Neither Customs officer is the slightest bit interested. Now only sliding doors separate me from the Cote dAzur. Which is fun, probably, if youre rolling in it. But me, Im catching the bus into the hills. The Mediterranean climate still, but fragrant pine and oak forest instead of pre-cast concrete.

Old stone villages instead of apartment blocks. Shrieking swifts at sunset around the old church campanile. Nightingales liquid warbling day and night. Hoopoes. Golden orioles weird electronic beeping. There are stony tracks rising and falling across rosemary and thyme-scented garrigue.

Sun-soaked: The view onto the famous Place Rossetti in Nice in the South of France

The sci-fi drumming of cicadas slipping in and out of ones consciousness. Deserted hilltop villages, ruined arches twined with wild fig. Lonely wayside oratories, Roman churches, ice-cold monastery chapels. Monks, with their habit sleeves rolled up, selling veg in the weekly village markets. Bells tolling the sweltering hours.

Weeks without socks nor a cloud in the sky. The raucousness and courtliness of southerners. Flaking croissant and quince jelly for breakfast. Strong coffee. Unbearable heat after 11am. Silence at noon. Afternoons on my back under a fan behind closed shutters. Velvet, sweaty, lantern-lit nights. Mosquito bites. Red wine stains on the tablecloth.

I quicken my step as I pass through the sliding doors into the hot, sweet South of France.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 22:01:50|Editor: huaxia

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A man receives the Sinopharm vaccine at the Panadura Health Office in Kalutara District, in the outskirts of capital Colombo, Sri Lanka, on May 8, 2021. Sri Lanka's Health Ministry on Saturday began administering the Sinopharm vaccine to local nationals, soon after the World Health Organization (WHO) approved it for emergency use worldwide. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

COLOMBO, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Health Ministry on Saturday began administering the Sinopharm vaccine to local nationals, soon after the World Health Organization (WHO) approved it for emergency use worldwide.

The vaccines were administered at the Panadura Health Office in Kalutara District, in the outskirts of capital Colombo, an area which has reported a rising number of COVID-19 patients in recent days.

Speaking at the launch of the vaccination drive, State Minister of Production, Supply, and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals Channa Jayasumana thanked the Chinese government for sending the Sinopharm vaccines to Sri Lanka and said this would add to the efforts of the Sri Lankan government to vaccinate at least 70 percent of its population against the COVID-19 virus by the end of the year.

"Today is a very special day for the Panadura MoH office. We want to thank the Chinese government as well as the WHO for approving the Sinopharm under emergency use. Today we began administering the Sinopharm in the Panadura area and want to thank President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for approving to start this program from the Kalutara district," Jayasumana said.

State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Sudharshani Fernandopulle, also said at the launch of the vaccination drive that with the WHO and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) approving the Sinopharm vaccine under emergency use in Sri Lanka, authorities will now look to get more vaccines from China to vaccinate the local population.

"Today we began administering the Sinopharm vaccine in the Panadura Health office for locals above the age of 30 years and below the age of 60 years. From tomorrow we will also identify the areas which have reported the highest number of COVID-19 patients in recent days and will begin to administer the Sinopharm vaccines in those areas as well," Fernandopulle said.

She said some of the areas worst affected by the COVID-19 virus were Colombo, Kalutara, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Kandy, and Matale, and authorities were making arrangements to vaccinate the people in these areas as soon as possible.

"The best way to protect yourself from the COVID-19 virus is to vaccinate the people and this government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is aiming to vaccinate the population in Sri Lanka as soon as possible," Fernandopulle said.

The Sinopharm vaccines arrived in Sri Lanka last month, under a special grant by the Chinese government to the Sri Lankan Health Ministry.

The residents of Panadura who lined up to receive the vaccine on Saturday thanked the Chinese government for sending the vaccines to Sri Lanka. Enditem
The on Saturday accused the Central government of failing to protect the lives of the people amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

It also urged the Centre to follow the suggestions of the experts to declare a nationwide in the wake of the rising number of Covid-19 cases across the country.

Earlier in the day, former chief Rahul Gandhi had hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'not utilising the vaccination budget'.

"Vaccine budget - underutilized. Human life - undervalued. Because Prime Minister's ego - overinflated," he tweeted, attaching a news report which claimed that only Rs 4,744 crore has been utilised from the vaccine budget of Rs 35,000 crore.

In another tweet, he tagged a small video titled "Modi hai to mumkin hai" which showed a rising graph of Covid-19 cases and a declining graph of vaccination.

Meanwhile, senior leader and former Union minister Ajay Maken while addressing a virtual press conference quoted a report from The Lancet medical journal which claimed that India will see one million deaths from Covid-19 by August 1.

Maken said the report also said that if that outcome was to happen, the Narendra Modi government would be responsible for presiding over a self-inflicted national catastrophe .

He also said that the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and The Lancet have made several suggestions similar to those made by his party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi.

"The government should not shut its eyes on the suggestions given by the experts and the opposition. If the suggestions are coming from professionals and experts, the government must listen to them," Maken said, adding that if the IMA and journals like The Lancet are suggesting the imposition of a national lockdown, the government should follow the same.

He also said that if the government plans to impose a nationwide lockdown, it should do that with a 'Nyay' like scheme providing Rs 6,000 per month to the poor to tide over the crisis.

Maken pointed out that it is the duty of the government to ensure that people don't die due to the pandemic or because of hunger.

Maken also welcomed the setting up of a National Task Force by the Supreme Court to manage oxygen distribution, saying the top court had to intervene after the Central government "completely failed" in its duties.

--IANSA

aks/arm

(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.)
Kerrville, TX (78028)

Today

Showers and a possible thunderstorm during the evening will give way to mostly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Showers and a possible thunderstorm during the evening will give way to mostly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Human trafficking into Ireland for prostitution has remained hugely problematic during the Covid-19 pandemic, the States human rights institution has told the European Union.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has raised concerns with the EU about the systemic failures in identifying victims of trafficking in Ireland.

The IHREC told a private meeting of rapporteurs that there is an urgent need for a national identification referral process to be put in place, and for the HSE to embrace their role in assisting victims of trafficking.

Having this ID process in place is essential to ensure victims can be treated appropriately, can avoid being criminalised and are given early access to necessary support services, the commission said.

A recent study by Mary Immaculate College found that the number of people trafficked into the State between 2014 and 2019 was at least 38% higher than the official figure of 346 held by the authorities due to the way victims are identified.

In its meeting on Friday, the IHREC said sex trafficking is the prevalent type of exploitation in Ireland, with trafficking for these purposes proving resilient to the pandemic.

The European Economic Area, Africa and to a lesser extent Asia are the regions of origin for victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation in Ireland.

However, the commission welcomed a recent announcement by Justice Minister Helen McEntee about legislation to retrospectively expunge over 600 convictions obtained for the sale of sex or prostitution offences.

Chief commissioner Sinead Gibney said the IHREC is determined to drive progress in State action to tackle human trafficking into and out of Ireland.

Such action is required on the victim identification process, the non-punishment principle when dealing with victims of trafficking, and the placing of specialised services and assistance to victims on a statutory footing, she said.

Limerick-based migrants rights organisation Doras, said the pandemic has created conditions that make people more vulnerable to trafficking, because they are less visible than usual.

We know also there is a higher demand for online services when it comes to sexual exploitation so there is possibly a link there as well, policy officer Aideen Roche said.

I suppose another thing is we know that domestic violence has increased during the pandemic. There is a proven and recognised link between domestic violence and trafficking."
Coleg Cambria Deeside forges new partnerships with global hair and beauty giants

Beauty therapy students will face their future careers with confidence after completing courses with an esteemed skincare organisation.

Coleg Cambria Deeside is a Partnership College of Excellence for Dermalogica, a globally renowned brand operating in more than 100 countries.

As part of their nationwide education programme for students and apprentices, the company launched its Aspire Award to reward and recognise learners committed to developing their skills.

Achieving the Award unlocks access to Dermalogicas Enhanced Employability Series, four industry-relevant online workshops designed to provide opportunities and knowledge enrichment, elevate CVs and accelerate the transition to employment.





More than 50 of Cambrias Level 2 and Level 3 Beauty Therapy learners completed the accreditation  in addition to their studies  and now look forward to developing further in collaboration with Dermalogica.

Julie Guzzo, Curriculum Director for Care and Therapies at Coleg Cambria Deeside, congratulated them on the achievement.

She added that as part of the relationship they will be introducing new branding, equipment, and raising standards even higher in the years ahead.

For a while we have been looking at ways to really stretch and challenge our learners, to provide them with the very best platform on which to go on and be successful in the beauty industry, said Julie.

We have always put our students at the heart of everything we do, and with this new partnership will have more skills and expertise at our disposal to have them job-ready when they enter the world of work.

To be a Partnership College of Excellence is a major honour and a unique opportunity for us to develop skills and it is already attracting a lot of interest ahead of the next academic year.

Dermalogica is recognised and respected the world over and we are proud to be associated with them.

We have big plans and Dermalogica are a huge part of that, and with staff also continuing their professional development towards Dermalogicas globally recognised Expert status we can reach new heights as a college.

Candice Gardner, Education Manager for Dermalogica, said they are passionate about sharing real life best practice to build the skills of future professionals in the beauty arena.

She added: With a sector that is constantly evolving, and at pace, it is essential the most relevant knowledge and skills are accessible to enrich learning, strengthen competency and enhance employability.

The Deeside site has also forged a partnership with hair and personal care giant LOreal, with more details to be unveiled this summer.

This is a very exciting time for us, there are so many opportunities for learners joining us in September and for our current students, said Julie.

For more information on the wide range of full time and part time courses and qualifications available at Coleg Cambria, visit the website: www.cambria.ac.uk
soared this week to an all-time high, continuing a sizzling rally thats seen prices double in the past year.

The previous record was set in 2011, around the peak of the commodities supercycle sparked by Chinas rise to economic heavyweight status  fueled by massive amounts of raw materials. This time, investors are betting that coppers vital role in the worlds shift to green energy will mean surging demand and even higher prices. futures rose as high as $10,440 a ton in London on Friday.

Whats the big deal about copper?

Through human history, copper has played a critical role in many of civilizations greatest advances: from early monetary systems to municipal plumbing, from the rise of trains, planes and cars to the devices and networks that underpin the information age.

The reddish brown metal is mostly unrivaled as an electrical and thermal conductor, while also being durable and easy to work with. Today, a vast array of uses in all corners of heavy industry, construction and manufacturing mean its a famously reliable indicator for trends in the global economy.

The copper market was one of the first to react as the Covid-19 coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, with prices slumping by more than a quarter between January and March last year. Then as Chinas unprecedented steps to control the domestic spread of the virus started to yield results, copper rapidly rebounded -- and it hasnt looked back since.

But its not just China driving the rally. While the country accounts for half of the worlds copper consumption and has played an integral part in coppers surge, demand there has actually softened this year.

Yet prices continue to drive higher.

Why is copper surging now?

Its partly due to evidence of recoveries in other major industrial economies, with manufacturing output surging in places like the U. S., Germany and Japan.

But investors have also been piling into copper on a bet that global efforts to cut carbon emissions are going to mean the world needs a lot more of the metal, putting a strain on supply. New mine production may be slow to arrive, as mines are hard to find and expensive to develop.

The copper market itself may also be facing a big shift. Trafigura predicts that demand growth in China will be eclipsed by rising consumption in the rest of the world over the coming decade, in a dramatic reversal of the recent trend. That could help underpin a new supercycle in the copper market, driving prices higher for years on the back of a step-change in global demand.
Amid new Covid-19 outbreak following cases breaching Covid-19 self-quarantine protocols, Vietnam now wants to use electronic tagging for better monitoring of people allowed to enter the country.

The National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control requested related agencies at a meeting in Hanoi Tuesday to come up with solutions for better monitoring people entering Vietnam from abroad during and after the period of mandatory quarantine.

For this, the Ministry of Information and Communications suggested that all information technology units work to come up with a plan for using electronic tags to monitor foreign arrivals in quarantine.

The tagging can be used to monitor foreign arrivals from the moment they arrive and during their centralized quarantine and self-isolation periods.

According to the committee, the ongoing community outbreak in which some people have been found with Covid-19 and transmitted the novel coronavirus to others has showed loose medical supervision on those who have completed centralized quarantine.

Vietnam has so far requested all arrivals to stay in centralized facilities for 14 days, during which they will be tested twice.

Under the mandated protocol thus far, people could return to normal lives after finishing the quarantine period and two negative tests, but would be medically monitored for 14 more days. During this extension, they are asked to stay at one specific address filed in a declaration form submitted to the health authorities before leaving the quarantine facilities. The form contains all personal information, including full name, year of birth, phone number and email address.

People who have completed the mandated quarantine were allowed go to work or attend school, and advised to follow all the Covid-19 prevention protocol, including wearing masks, maintaining distance from others and avoiding crowded places.

But over the past week, a migrant worker from Japan and a group of four Chinese experts have been diagnosed with Covid-19 after completing their two-week centralized quarantine.

Before the confirmation, they had gone to different places during their self-isolation period, leading to at least 34 local infections, out of 37 local cases that Vietnam has confirmed since the new wave emerged on April 29.

The Health Ministry has said that starting Tuesday, individuals who have completed the mandated 14-day quarantine and tested negative twice after entering Vietnam will not be released immediately. But it did not specify the duration of extension yet.

Vietnam shut borders from March 2020, but foreigners with diplomatic or official passports, investors, experts and high-skilled workers, and Vietnamese citizens stranded abroad have been still allowed in.
Recent episodes of Real Time With Bill Maher have had a wide range of guests from across the ideological spectrum. Thats one of the most memorable things about the show, when its at its best  Maher and his staffs ability to bring together unexpected combinations of political thinkers. But in the absence of Donald Trump, who was a memorable offscreen foil for Maher during his time in office, Maher has found a new target for his ire, and it appears to be the youth of America. This, in turn, has had the effect of pushing the show to some dissonant places, and the May 7 episode was no exception.

Bill Maher spoke of good news in his opening monologue  namely, that Los Angeles had gone several days without any coronavirus deaths. Bill Maher spoke of bad news in his opening monologue  namely, that a massive booster rocket was falling to earth, its destination unknown. And then Bill Maher spoke of an upcoming holiday in his opening monologue, noting, Theres always a heartwarming story about spawning on Mothers Day that I never find heartwarming. (In this case, it was the case of a woman in Mali who recently gave birth to nonuplets.)



Holiday thoughts gave way soon enough to Maher musing on the current state of the Republican Party and the recent pushback that Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney have faced from within the GOP. In the Repubklcan Party, the truth will set you free from your job, Maher observed.

The episodes first guest was author John McWhorter, whose latest book Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever was published earlier this week. (Maher also referred to him as one of my heroes.) The first book that came up in conversation wasnt one of McWhorters, though; instead, it was Robin Diangelos White Fragility.



That book is talking down to me, McWhorter said. As far as Im concerned, it should be used to keep tables from wobbling. That is the only use for that book. He also spoke critically about Twitter and its effects on discourse, especially as it related to Diangelos book and Ibram X. Kendis How to Be an Antiracist.

McWhorter is an engaging speaker, and he and Maher had a fine conversational rapport. Where things got somewhat tricky, though, was the point in that conversation where Maher listed off tenets nominally held by a younger generation of liberals, against which he and McWhorter argued. It was the kind of discussion, unfortunately, that left one wishing that there was someone to make these arguments in person, rather than talking points on an index card. The audience was certainly on McWhorters side  several of his comments drew sustained applause. McWhorter did point out that his objection wasnt with woke people, its with woke people who are mean. But arguing against, essentially, a Twitter hivemind felt at times like arguing against a straw man.

Joining Maher for the nights panel were a pair of figures with political experience to spare. Rep. Elissa Slotkin represents Michigans 8th district and worked as a CIA analyst before that, while Rick Wilson made his name as a Republican strategist. Wilsons latest book, Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from TrumpAnd Democrats from Themselves, was released in paperback last year. Two people, then, with a lot to discuss.



As he began the conversation, Maher offered a stark comparison between the countrys two major political parties. One party  is a policy party, Maher said. Theyre wonks. The other party are trolls.



Wilson, Slotkin and Maher went on to discuss the current state of the Republican Party, and the lingering effects of Trumpism on the country. Maher raised the question of whether Ron DeSantis might be the GOPs next nominee for President, with Wilson countering that the Republican Party still wanted to see Donald Trump on the next ballot.



You can do so much if you dont have any shame, Slotkin said, raising an alarm over localized versions of Trumpism she had seen in Michigan. Later in the discussion, she pushed back against Maher somewhat when he critiqued the CIAs recent recruiting ad targeting millennials and Gen Z. His critique largely consisted of him reading quotes from the ad and making disapproving comments at them. It was, arguably, the apex of Mahers on-air scorn for a younger generation to date, but it was also deeply boring to watch.

Mahers comments on the recent census findings made for a more spirited debate, especially as it was the only part of the panel where the participants had significant differences between their positions. Maher seemed positive about the idea that the population wasnt growing rapidly, and cited the number of natural resources as a factor. Wilson was more wary, and Slotkin pointed to the economic reasons why people were having fewer children now than in past decades.

The bulk of the episodes New Rules found Maher addressing political hypocrisy  in this case, the Republican Partys moralizing and how it contrasts with the partys relative silence regarding Matt Gaetz. Wild hotel suite parties? Thats our thing, Maher said. He also pointed to John Boehners embrace of marijuana, along with a number of other cases (Jerry Falwell, Jr., the ubiquitous Donald Trump) to further his argument.



I dont want to live in a world where liberals are the upright ones and conservatives do drugs and get laid, Maher said. This was a solid argument in and of itself, but in making the case that a younger generation of liberals have become overly critical scolds, Maher himself sounded like what he was arguing against.

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The post Bill Maher Grapples With a Certain CIA Recruitment Video on a New Real Time appeared first on InsideHook.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Saturday lashed out at the Centre for its handling of the COVID-19 situation in the country saying that the medical body is astonished to see "extreme lethargy and inappropriate actions" from the Union in combatting the pandemic.

"IMA is astonished to see the extreme lethargy and inappropriate actions from the Ministry of health in combatting the agonising crisis born out of the devastating second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic," read an official statement by the IMA.

"The collective consciousness, proactive cognisance, and requests made by the IMA and other professional learned colleagues are put into the dust bin, and often without realizing the ground realities the decisions are taken," the statement added.

It further said that the IMA has been insisting on the need for complete, well planned preannounced nationallockdown rather than a few states declaring complete lockdown ranging from 10 days to 15 days, so as to getting breathing time for the health care infrastructure to recoup and replenish both the material and manpower.

The medical body added that lockdown will break the chain of this devastating spread.

"However, the central government had refused to head to implement lockdown resulting in the mounting of new patients beyond 4 lakhs every day and the number of moderate to severe cases are increasing to nearly 40 per cent," the statement said.

"Sporadic night curfews have not done any good. Life is precious than the economy," it added.

Hitting out at the Centre for the acute shortage of medical oxygen across hospitals in the country, the IMA said that the crisis of oxygen is deepening every day and scores of people are succumbing to its mismatch supply and it is creating panic both among patients and fraternity.

Though there is enough production, it is often the distribution is not proper, the IMA added.

It further demanded that the entire health care administration shall be revamped with Indian Medical Service (IMS) cadets who are well versed with the technical and administrative skill for effective execution of health care and also to establish a new integrated Ministry to serve in this pandemic with a dedicated, proactive, vibrant, innovative, and altruistic Minister and alleviate the fear of people by leading from the front.

India reported 4,01,078 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the union The cumulative number of cases in the country has now gone up to 2,18,92,676.

(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.)
LAS VEGAS (AP)  The U.S. Attorney's Office for Nevada says two men have pleaded guilty in a tax withholding scheme devised while one of the men was imprisoned.

Jabari Laquan Marshall, 43, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of theft of government money and one count of aggravated identity theft and Jalen Tony Henry, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money, the office said.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  The Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature backed off its effort to remove Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly from final decisions on how federal coronavirus relief funds are spent.

Budget legislation approved Friday includes a provision that gives top lawmakers more say but still allows Kelly to veto their proposals. Kansas expects to receive $4.8 billion from the last federal coronavirus relief package.
The thing is, the Australian public loved The Katering Show and Get Krackin. A Katering Show episode about the Thermomix went viral and the series, which was then online, was picked up for a second season by the ABC, which then gave the green light to Get Krackin. It was quickly labelled as must-see TV and its take-no-prisoners skewering of breakfast TV went on to tackle everything from the treatment of women on TV to the lack of Indigenous representation. It was thrilling to watch, as their comedy lurched from the sublime to the ridiculous to white-hot anger. And in a truly meta moment, Get Krackin even beat the one-time king of breakfast television, Today, in the ratings. Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan in their breakfast TV parody Get Krackin. I dont think wed ever not go back on telly, says McCartney. Wed certainly never do Get Krackin again. We just thought our experiences - were two white ladies, sort of 40ish - you know, thats enough from us. We felt really lucky and grateful to be able to create a stage for that sort of stuff and bringing other people in, but who cares what we think.

McLennan adds: And our hair couldnt cope with any more styling. It was about to snap off. Enter the podcast with penguins. Slushy, named after kitchen duty on the Australian Antarctic base, is a comedy that follows the hopeless Maya (Pallavi Sharda) after she scams her way into the Adelie penguin program at Bennett Station. As well as writing the eight-part series, McLennan and McCartney voice supporting roles, including the artist-in-residence Embeth (loosely based on McCartneys real-life foiled dream of becoming an artist-in-residence in Antarctica), with Dilruk Jayasinha, Greg Larsen, Shaun Micallef, Zoe Coombs Marr, Eddie Perfect and Anne Edmonds also pitching in. Slushy was an idea the pair had been throwing around before they broke through with The Katering Show, even going so far as pitching it as a series while on a trip to the US. We just had this as a little idea that we wanted to talk about, says McCartney. And in order to talk about it, you have to get a budget made for it. So we got a producer friend of ours to do a budget for it as a live action show  McLennan jumps in: This is the caveat: the shows great and you cant put a price on it, but we did put a price on it, and I think it was 54 million pounds. Its safe to say a rethink was swiftly in order.

Itd be a hard sell, says McLennan. Adds McCartney: After that, we were wondering what format would suit it best. And it occurred to us that the sound of wind or the sound of penguins cost much less than seeing the penguins. McLennan (left) and McCartney in The Katering Show. Again, enter the penguins, and the Australian Antarctic Division, who put them in touch with people who worked on Australias Antarctic bases (there are four research stations: Mawson, Davis and Casey in Antarctica, plus Macquarie Island in the sub-Antarctic). Its like a big school camp, says McCartney of the stations, which are occupied year-round by scientists and support staff. Everyone is there for such noble means. The Antarctic Treaty says it has to be a place of scientific endeavour, so people are there to help scientists. And they all seem quite bonded by a common goal and its just really, really beautiful.

And all our prickles were blown away the moment the penguin biologist sent us a picture of a box full of little penguin chicks that she was tagging. All were keen to share their stories, and when pressed, the biggest irritants they could name were someone taking the wrong boots, to over-running the two-minute shower rule and eating too much bacon. You cant eat the bacon, says McCartney. If you eat all the bacon, the tradies get so cross. Adds McLennan: That was the level of tension and conflict theyre all playing with. And were like, OK, we need to really reimagine this. So what was originally planned as a climate change comedy of sorts - its hard to make data around climate change funny in an audio setting, says McLennan - soon became a fish-out-of-water workplace comedy.

We were never going to make fun of scientists, says McCartney. Honestly, they are the best people in the world. Literally, the only person were going to make fun of is the artist-in-residence and the person who is a bit of a stickler for rules. We fell in love with Antarctica and with the culture on the stations, and with all the people we spoke to. And were like, Oh, we have to do right by them. So we devoted an entire episode to shitting on the ice. Mawson Station is one of three Australian bases in Antarctica. Credit:Chris Wilson/AAD And weeing in a drum. That was McLennans biggest revelation from their conversations with station crew. If youre out in the field hut, you have to wee into a Shewee-type thing, she says. And you have to put that into a big drum. And because they have a nothing-left-behind policy, you have to take that [drum] back to base. So you have to cart your big tub of wee and if its a bit too full, you have to chip it. So people will get piss chips in their [faces].
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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  The retirement of the Multicultural mural, a 40-year-old work of art painted on the side of a state-owned building being renovated into a contemporary art museum, is now underway.

Despite a pending federal lawsuit filed by the artist, Gilberto Guzman, the Department of Cultural Affairs said the retirement of the mural is going forward as it originally planned.

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On Friday, a tarp was placed over the mural, which Guzman and others are trying to preserve.

The renovation process on the east wall has begun, Daniel Zillmann, director of communications and marketing for the department, said in an email. (Thursday), window insets were removed and (Friday) morning, the construction netting was put in place.

U.S. District Judge Kea W. Riggs in April denied a preliminary injunction to stop the murals destruction. In her order, Riggs stated Guzman failed to show he was entitled to an injunction or prove irreparable harm.

Theresa Sanchez, advocate and liaison for Guzman, said its important to recognize the future of the mural and Guzmans rights are still being litigated. She added she hopes the judge realizes the mural was for the community, and the community still wants it.

Its obvious that the renovation of the mural cannot be done on the wall, Sanchez said. He was already ready to do a new concept on a new wall. So, I dont know why they twisted it to say that he was the one who was stopping the construction.

Guzman filed the federal lawsuit against the Department of Cultural Affairs in March, claiming the department breached his contract. He says the contract allows him to refurbish the mural throughout its natural life.

Guzman originally painted the mural in 1980 on the east-facing wall of what was then known as the Haplin Building. The building is now being reconstructed into the Vladem Contemporary Art Museum. The department has said it would pay homage to Guzmans mural with a digital recreation and plaque.

The mural depicts an Indigenous woman spreading her arms across the wall of the building. Other New Mexican elements are incorporated in the mural, including a train, a canyon and people of different races coming together.

The last time Guzman restored the mural was in 1993. The mural was painted directly over the stucco on the building and over in-filled windows, which made it unstable over time, according to Cultural Affairs.

It just leaves an empty spot in your heart, Sanchez said of the murals removal. We as locals go by there. It really was a vision  an iconic vision  of all the people who settled Santa Fe.
The Post Office has paved the way for 640 more postmasters who may have been wrongly prosecuted in the IT scandal to have their convictions quashed.

So far 45 have had their convictions overturned after being falsely accused of stealing from their branches when computer glitches were to blame.

Three Court of Appeal judges castigated the Government-owned Post Office last month for hounding its own staff before squandering public money trying to cover up the scandal.

So far 45 have had their convictions overturned after being falsely accused of stealing from their branches when computer glitches were to blame

The Post Office is now contacting 540 convicted postmasters to let them know they can appeal, adding that another 100 are likely to follow.

It takes the total number of potentially wrongful convictions to 685. In a statement yesterday, the Post Office acknowledged its failure to fairly investigate and disclose problems in the IT system to those who were prosecuted for offences such as theft, fraud and false accounting.

Last months Court of Appeal judgment makes it unlikely that the Post Office will oppose claims, preventing the need for lengthy and expensive hearings.

The Treasury is braced for payouts that could total hundreds of millions as many of the 685 sub-postmasters who were convicted could claim damages. The scandal, labelled the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK history, has already cost the taxpayer 254million in legal fees and compensation.

Campaigners have demanded that police investigate Post Office bosses and Paula Vennells, who presided over the scandal as chief executive from 2012 to 2019, has faced calls to be stripped of her CBE.

Last months Court of Appeal judgment makes it unlikely that the Post Office will oppose claims, preventing the need for lengthy and expensive hearings

Tory peer Lord Arbuthnot said: It wasnt until November last year we discovered the Post Office had known for many, many years that their entire prosecution process was riddled with deception, something they then tried to cover up with their shredding of documents.

It is high time the police began to take a serious look at whether the Post Office management have been perverting the course of justice.

Last week Boris Johnson apologised to postmasters in a video call, saying he was appalled by what had happened.

In total there are believed to be 3,000 postmaster victims who lost their livelihoods, were bankrupted and fell into ill-health after being chased for missing cash.
A local charity group that distributes free vegan sandwiches is catching some serious attention for the dance routines they perform on the job.

Mai Anh and Anh Tuan dance with a sign to catch the passersby. Photo: Hoang An / Tuoi Tre

Phat Tam club has spent every day of the last year, rain or shine, driving along Dien Bien Phu Street in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City offering free sandwiches to those in need.

Every morning, the group meets at 5:00 am to prepare free sandwiches for workers, lottery ticket vendors, and motorbike taxi drivers.

Tran My Linh, a resident of Thu Duc City, was one of the first members of the Phat Tam club when it launched a little over a year ago. The gratitude she receives from those she helps has been the fuel that keeps her delivering free sandwiches each day.

Every morning I try to finish my chores before meeting up with other members, said Linh.

It makes me happy to see people so excited for a free breakfast. I dont plan to stop anytime soon.

It takes the group about 30 minutes to distribute all 100 sandwiches. Afterward, they all go their separate ways before meeting again the following morning.

After helping the group, I return home before heading to work. I used to get pretty tired from waking up so early, but now Im used to it. To be honest, I find it more uncomfortable to do nothing, Linh shared.

To grab the attention of passersby, volunteers Tran Ngoc Mai Anh and Nguyen Anh Tuan dance near a sign that reads: Free vegan sandwiches,

At first, we were pretty embarrassed, Anh recalled, but we knew if we didnt do something eye-catching then vehicles would just keep driving right past us. Our dancing helps grab peoples attention and also makes us feel like were getting some exercise.

It costs the group about VND500,000 (US$21.7) to make the sandwiches, funds for which are donated by the members, kind sponsors, and commuters.

Tran Van Thanh, a local driver, often stops when he sees the group and offers a bit of money to aid their cause.

I dont have millions of dong, but I can donate thousands of dong every two or three days, said Thanh. I want to support them so they can keep up their work and people in need.

Phat Tams bread truck on the corner of Dien Bien Phu Street near the Saigon Bridge serves free sandwiches from 6:00 am from Monday to Saturday. Photo: Hoang An / Tuoi Tre

A needy worker gets a free sandwich in from two members of the Phat Tam club. Photo: Hoang An / Tuoi Tre

A child donates money after receiving a free sandwich. Photo: Hoang An / Tuoi Tre
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 20:22:30|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, May 8 (Xinhua) -- A senior member of the Iranian parliament warned on Saturday that if the Western parties fail to honor their 2015 nuclear agreement commitments by May 24, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will have no access to the data recorded at Iran's nuclear sites.

"According to the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions (SAPCS), the opportunity for the West to fulfill its obligations will end on May 24, and Iran will take action in accordance with that law," Mojtaba Zonnouri, chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said in an interview with semi-official Tasnim news agency.

On Feb. 21, 2020, Iran reached a temporary bilateral understanding with the IAEA to delay the full implementation of the Iranian parliament's SAPCS law for three months.

According to the understanding, the IAEA's monitoring cameras are currently recording the activities in Iranian nuclear sites, but the recordings will only be delivered to the agency if the negotiations in Vienna succeed by May 24, Zonnouri noted.

The latest round of the discussions in the Austrian capital to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have not led to any new development, he said.

In case the negotiations fail to yield results, the Iranian member of parliament said, Iran will stop its "voluntary implementation" of the IAEA's Additional Protocol.

Meanwhile, Zonnouri said that if the Vienna talks result in new clauses added to the 2015 nuclear agreement, the clauses will have to be approved by Iran's parliament.

The U.S. administration under former President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and unilaterally re-imposed sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran gradually stopped implementing parts of its JCPOA commitments from May 2019.

The JCPOA Joint Commission began to meet in Vienna on April 6, aiming at getting the United States to return to the deal, and Iran to resume full compliance with it. Enditem
The Supreme Court said on Saturday, May 8, that police should not apprehend any accused unless necessary in crimes sentenced with less than seven years' imprisonment.

The apex court ruled it while passing detailed orders on decongesting overcrowded jails during the raging second wave of COVID-19. The SC also instructed the authorities to ensure adequate medical facilities for the inmates.

The high-level committees formed by the state governments and the Union Territories (UTs) have been directed to identify and release the susceptible categories of inmates on an urgent basis. The SC also instructed that prisoners who were granted parole last year should again be given a 90-day leave to weather the pandemic.

Also Read: SP leader Azam Khan, 13 other prisoners test positive for COVID-19 in Sitapur jail

"The high-powered committee, in addition to considering fresh release, should forthwith release all inmates who had been released earlier pursuant to our order dated March 23, 2020, by imposing appropriate conditions. Such an exercise is mandated in order to save valuable time," the top court said.

The SC had in March last year asked states and UTs to constitute high-powered committees for considering releasing interim bail inmates, prisoners on parole, and undertrials for offences not more than seven years to lessen overcrowding in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemics.

Also Read: Underworld don Chhota Rajan is still alive: AIIMS official

The apex court also observed that overcrowding of jails is a phenomenon, plaguing many nations comprising India. The SC also noted that steps need to be taken to stem the further spread of COVID-19 by carrying out regular testing of both prisoners as well as jail staff, and prompt treatment should be made available to them.

"It is necessary to maintain levels of daily hygiene and sanitation required to be improved. Suitable precautions shall be taken to prevent the transmission of the deadly virus amongst the inmates of prisons," the order said.
Head teachers have urged GCSE and A level exam boards to return more than 200 million in fees as teachers look set to tackle the bulk of grading pupils this summer.

A collective of 2,000 head teachers across the country have called for a refund of at least half the fees exam boards usually charge for summer examinations.

School leaders say the refunds - which could total up to 220 million - would help balance the books at schools across the country and could be reinvested in post-pandemic student support.

The WorthLess? campaign group - which represents 2,000 head teachers in 80 local authorities - told the Guardian: 'Schools should gain at least a 50 per cent rebate on their normal exam costs'.

Head teachers from the Worthless? campaign are demanding exam boards hand back 220m in fees to schools as teachers face a summer of marking (File picture)

The group continued: 'Crucially, any extra money left over should be diverted towards supporting the many students who have suffered so badly as a result of the pandemic.'

'Schools have to be pragmatic and ensure that exam boards cover their costs in a reasonable and fair way.

'Equally, teachers, school leaders and examination support staff have picked up an abundance of extra work as we prepare to deliver teacher-assessed grading for years 11 and 13, and manage both results and appeals.'

ANALYSIS: Schools and colleges have borne the brunt of Government's move to cancel exams By GEOFF BARTON, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders Schools and colleges have borne the brunt of the government's decision to cancel public exams. They are expected to assess all exam year students in all subjects in an extremely short timeframe. It is a situation which would have been a lot less fraught if the government had listened to our repeated warnings last year that it needed to have a Plan B in place and ready to go in the event of exams having to be cancelled. But it did not listen and this has meant that schools and colleges only received detailed guidance at the end of last term about the process they must follow and that they only have until 18 June to assess their students and submit grades to the exam boards. This has created a great deal of additional workload for leaders and teachers on top of the work they must also do in managing Covid safety measures and supporting education recovery. Not only is there no additional payment for this work but the government has in fact signalled that it intends to freeze the pay of teachers, alongside many other hard-working public sector workers. It is a kick in the teeth. The exam boards will incur some expenses this year for tasks such as creating assessment materials and running a quality assurance process, but the costs are likely to be much less than in a normal year and we would expect schools and colleges to receive significant rebates on the fees they've paid. Advertisement

Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled A level and GCSE exams at the turn of 2021, meaning schoolchildren's exam results will be determined by teacher-assessed predicted grades for the second summer in a row.

Teachers have been asked to use a combination of mock exams and coursework to award students their predicted grades and although some exam boards will offer optional assessments, these will be optional.

Costs to enter exams vary, with the average GCSE in 2020 costing 42.02 and the average A level was 101.44, according to the National Education Union.

Fees can quickly mount up, with a large group of Year 11s sitting 10 GCSEs each likely to cost a school between 75,000 and 100,000.

Following the disruption to examinations in 2020, the three largest exam boards in the country, Pearson, AQA and OCR, refunded approximately a quarter of exam fees.

A statement on AQA's website said: 'We passed savings of 42 million back to schools and colleges by refunding 26 per cent of entry fees for summer 2020.

'As an independent charity, any income we make gets invested back into qualifications and assessment.

'This enables us to offer a broad range of qualifications and to protect the integrity and security of our assessments.

'It also funds other educational services, such as assessment research that benefits teachers and students.

'As well as paying for our assessment services, exam fees enable us to invest in the quality of our examining teams, and to offer a comprehensive support and training package for teachers.'

But the return of teacher-assessed grades has left some 'exhausted' educators 'in tears' and 'on their knees'.

Last month, children's author Michael Rosen prompted a storm of backlash for the Prime Minister after tweeting: 'Dear Boris Johnson, You said that GCSE exams for this year were cancelled. They're not cancelled.

'They're called 'assessments'. And instead of examiners marking them, teachers are. For no money. But the schools have paid the exam boards. Where's the money?'

The assessments are not officially exams, but are intended for students to show what they know, helping teachers to give them grades that reflect performance.

Thousands of teachers chimed in to share their experiences of dealing with stress and additional hours.

This tweet from author Michael Rosen (shown) prompted a huge response from teachers, who revealed the additional stress they were facing this year

Steve Brain, a chemistry teacher in Durham, said: 'Currently sleeping poorly due to stress.

'We have our assessment schedule starting next week and have put assessments together that minimise the effects of lockdown, but that give us little to assess on.

'I felt this was fairer on the students.'

A chemistry teacher in Norfolk added: 'Cried for an hour today due to the stress of all of this. So sick of the public hatred of teachers. Feel free to do this if it's so easy.'
The author says that no matter what your politics, its your responsibility to maximize your success by minimizing your taxes. Higher taxes will make your company less valuable, but these loopholes can help you get ahead in retirement.
The new middleweight Aprilia RS660 has been launched in the Philippines at PHP 860,000 (equivalent to 13.19 lakh). It is also available in other Southeast Asian markets including Malaysia. The bike is also expected to hit the Indian shores in late-2021 or early 2022.

It has already been listed on the Aprilia India website along with its semi-faired sport-touring cousin - Tuono 660. The company is yet to announce a launch date on the model. As far as launch price goes, it is expected to be priced around 11 lakh to 12 lakh (ex-showroom, India). It will be a rival to the upcoming Yamaha YZF-R7 which was teased recently. Also, Kawasaki is rumoured to be gearing up to launch a middleweight twin-cylinder supersport in the form of Ninja 700R.

(Also Read: 2021 Aprilia RSV4 and Tuono V4 appear on Indian website)

The Aprilia RS660 features sporty ergonomics and a full-fairing design. Some of its exterior features include twin-pod LED headlight at the front, a digital instrument cluster, split-style seats, and a compact exhaust cannister. It is currently available in three colours  Lava Red, Black Apex, and Acid Gold.

It sources power from a 659 cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled engine that is capable of pushing out 100 bhp of power at 10,500rpm and 67 Nm of peak torque at 8,500rpm. The transmission option includes a 6-speed gearbox.

(Also Read: Aprilia SXR 125 vs Suzuki Burgman Street: Price, specification & features)

It comes kitted with a number of electronic rider aids such as a traction control system, wheelie control, and a cruise control system. Moreover, it also gets riding modes such as Commute, Dynamic, Individual, Challenge, and Time Attack.
London, April 27, 2021: VistaJet commits to carbon neutrality by 2025 and spearheads the call for change  working with, and pushing, the industry to go further than the current goal of a 50% reduction of emissions by 2050 set by civil aviation industry bodies, IATA and the global business aviation community.



Aviation plays a crucial role in driving the global economy as well as connecting people and countries around the world. While it is impossible to imagine a world without air mobility, and as travel continues to be a necessity for many companies  particularly to redevelop their businesses post-pandemic  we must make every effort to simultaneously protect our environment.

In 2020, over 80% of VistaJet Members offset CO2 emissions relative to their flights fuel consumption in partnership with South Pole, an award-winning project developer and global provider of climate action solutions. By offering its clients a means to compensate for the impact of their footprint, VistaJet is supporting an industry-wide push for a greener recovery and channeling important finance to projects that help reduce emissions and improve livelihoods, today.

VistaJet also partnered with SkyNRG, a pioneer and a global leader in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), to be the first to provide global access to SAF for business aviation. Among other product and service innovations, VistaJet introduced the Global 7500, the first business jet with an Environmental Product Declaration; optimized routes to reduce fuel burn; invested in AI technology for optimized fleet management; and drove the sustainability conversation and awareness among its clients and the whole aviation industry.

Outlined below are the sustainable projects VistaJet currently has in place to ensure the target is met:

1) Outstanding Certified Carbon Offset Program for customers globally

2) Global Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Program for every client around the world

3) Most Technologically Advanced Aircraft

4) Fuel Consumption Reduction Technology

5) Fuel Efficient Booking System

6) Partnering with Leaders in Sustainability

7) Sustainable In-Flight Products

8) Moving to Renewable Electricity On-the-Ground

9) Annual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) accounting report

10) Annual Climate Risk report (starting in 2021), in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)

While offsets and SAF are the current and available options to reduce its carbon footprint, VistaJet, together with its partners, industry and clients, will continue to actively seek and invest in new developments to help push the current boundaries. Between now and 2025, VistaJet will look to new technology and innovations to further reduce its GHG footprint in line with the latest available science, to become the first carbon neutral business aviation operating company by 2025*.

Thomas Flohr, Founder and Chairman of VistaJet said: Since the inception of VistaJet 17 years ago, we have always looked to the future, innovating and driving change within our industry. We have taken on the challenge to establish and promote a more efficient and sustainable way of flying. This is why, together with our partners and clients, we have been developing and adopting best practices and innovative solutions. Our model itself is the most effective in focusing on utilization and a shared fleet concept; and adoption of more sustainable aviation fuels, and smarter, more economic aircraft. The industry as a whole must step up to combat climate change and its impact today  its the right thing to do and we all have to act now.

The VistaJet sustainability program and innovation approach will also serve as a blueprint for all other companies in the Vista Global group and its key partners.

Find out more

Read the 2020 Sustainability in Aviation report

September 23, 2020: Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) press release

* Covering all direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2 and 3) GHG emission sources as defined in the 2019 GHG accounting report

- Ends -

Information

Jennifer Farquhar | VistaJet | press@vistajet.com

About VistaJet

VistaJet is the first and only global business aviation company. On its fleet of over 70 silver and red business jets, VistaJet has flown corporations, governments and private clients to 187 countries, covering 96% of the world. Founded in 2004, the company pioneered an innovative business model where customers have access to an entire fleet whilst paying only for the hours they fly, free of the responsibilities and asset risks linked to aircraft ownership. VistaJets signature Program membership offers customers a bespoke subscription of flight hours on its fleet of mid and long-range jets, to fly them anytime, anywhere.

VistaJet is part of Vista Global Holding  the worlds first private aviation ecosystem, integrating a unique portfolio of companies offering asset-light solutions to cover all key aspects of business aviation.

More VistaJet information and news at vistajet.com

VistaJet Limited is a European air carrier that operates 9H registered aircraft under its Maltese Air Operator Certificate No. MT-17 and is incorporated in Malta under Company Number C 55231. VistaJet and its subsidiaries are not U.S. direct carriers. VistaJet-owned and U.S. registered aircraft are operated by properly licensed U.S. air carriers, including XOJET Aviation LLC.

Attachment
Last year, as he announced that the state would aim to ban sales of petroleum-fueled vehicles by 2035, he again said he wanted to end fracking but insisted that he lacked the legal authority to do so and punted to the Legislature.

We simply dont have that authority. Thats why we need the Legislature to approve it, he said.

His position staved off a direct confrontation with the oil industry and unions representing oil field workers, but drew heavy criticism from environmentalists.

Newsom is really good at making announcements that sound big but they actually arent. We cant let the fact that hes acting on cars eclipse the fact that hes still protecting the oil industry, Kassie Siegel, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, responded. He is the governor of the state at the very center of the climate emergency right now, and he has the political environment here that allows him to think big. If he wont take strong action that we so desperately need, who will?

In response, Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, introduced legislation to end fracking and other controversial petroleum extraction techniques, but it failed in committee due to strong opposition from the oil industry and unions.
78 new Covid-19 patients recorded, total reaches 3,230

78 more people have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Vietnam, including 65 locally-transmitted cases, raising the total number of Covid-19 patients in the country to 3,230, the Ministry of Health reported on Saturday evening.











Illustrative photo





According to the ministry's report, 22 out of the 65 locally-transmitted cases were detected in Hanoi including 14 people at the Hanoi-based National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. The hospital has stopped receiving new in-patients since May 5 to conduct Covid-19 tests for all staff members, patients, and patients' caregivers. At least 2,600 people have been found to have come into contact with the new Covid-19 patients from this hospital. And 55 people have been confirmed infected by May 8.



43 other patients who have also been infected in the community include 17 in Bac Ninh Province, eight in Danang City, seven in Vinh Phuc Province, three in Hung Yen Province, and one each in Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, Bac Giang, Thai Binh, Hai Phong, Thua Thien-Hue, Nam Dinh, and Quang Nam provinces.

As of May 8, 241 new locally-transmitted cases have been reported since the new outbreak occurred in the country on April 27. The outbreak has so far spread to 22 cities and provinces nation-wide.



13 imported patients are all Vietnamese people who recently returned from Canada, Japan, the Philippines, and Cambodia. They were sent to quarantine areas for Covid-19 prevention upon arrival and are now being treated at local hospitals.



With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 3,230, including 1,811 locally-transmitted cases.



As of 6 pm on May 8, a total of 2,602 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital. There have been 35 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases.



At present, over 42, 000 people who had close contact with Covid-19 patients or returned from virus-hit areas are being monitored at hospitals, quarantine facilities, and at home.
US President said that he is confident that a meeting with his Russian counterparty could be arranged in June, downplaying the impact of the ongoing tension along the Moscow-Kiev border to the summit.

"I'm confident we'll be able to do it. We don't have any specific time or place. That's being worked on," Biden told reporters in the White House on Friday when asked about meeting with Putin in June.

He also suggested Russia's military build-up along the border with Ukraine would not change his intention to meet with Putin, reports Xinhua news agency.

"It does not impact my desire to have a one on one meeting... He (Putin) had more troops (at the border) before. He has withdrawn troops. There are still troops amassed, but significantly less than he had a month ago."

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a briefing later in the day that the discussions between two sides over the summit's location, timing, and agenda are still underway.

She added the US and Russia would continue to disagree over multiple issues while noting these disagreements would not need to be resolved before the summit.

Biden said earlier this week that he expected to meet with Putin during the upcoming trip to Europe in June, when he will attend the G7 Summit in the UK and then the NATO Summit in Belgium.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have been adversarial in recent years.

The two were bitterly divided over Ukraine, human rights, cybersecurity issues, and they mutually accused the other of domestic political interference.

--IANS

ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Azerbaijani authorities will deploy six more military units on the territories liberated from occupation, the head of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan Elchin Guliyev announced.

"To organize the protection and defence of the state border with Armenia along the Zangilan, Gubadli regions and part of the Lachin region, border control points were established, TASS quotes Guliyev as saying.
In this Aug. 26, 2020, photo, Jeannie Hovland, the deputy assistant secretary for Native American Affairs for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, poses with a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women mask, in Anchorage, Alaska, while attending the opening of a Lady Justice Task Force cold case office, which will investigate missing and murdered Indigenous women. From the nations capital to Indigenous communities across the American Southwest, top government officials, family members and advocates are gathered May 5, 2021, as part of a call to action to address the ongoing problem of violence against Indigenous women and children.
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Radnor, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - May 8, 2021) - The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP reminds Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE: CS) ("Credit Suisse") investors that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of those who purchased or acquired Credit Suisse American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") between October 29, 2020 and March 31, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period").

Deadline Reminder: Investors who purchased or acquired Credit Suisse ADRs during the Class Period may, no later than June 15, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation please contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP: James Maro, Esq. (484) 270-1453 or Adrienne Bell, Esq. (484) 270-1435; toll free at (844) 887-9500; via e-mail at info@ktmc.com; or click https://www.ktmc.com/credit-suisse-class-action-lawsuit?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=Link&utm_campaign=credit_suisse.

Credit Suisse is a global financial services company based in Zurich, Switzerland. Greensill Capital ("Greensill"), who for filed for insolvency protection on March 8, 2021, was a financial services company based in the United Kingdom and Australia focused on the provision of supply-chain financing and related services. Archegos Capital Management ("Archegos") is a family office investment fund run by Sung Kook Hwang.

On March 1, 2021, Credit Suisse froze $10 billion in funds that were invested in Greensill's financial products and held by its supply-chain investment funds. On March 8, 2021, Greensill filed for insolvency protection, as it found itself unable to repay a $140 million loan to Credit Suisse. By March 10, 2021, media reports revealed that Greensill investors had retained counsel and intended to sue Credit Suisse for their losses because Credit Suisse continued to market the biggest of the funds as a fully insured, low-risk product despite a decision by insurers during the summer of 2020 not to renew coverage. As the market digested this news, the market price of Credit Suisse ADRs fell from its close of $14.70 per ADR on March 1, 2021 to close at $12.85 per ADR by March 12, 2021, a decline of almost 13%.

Story continues

Then, on Friday, March 26, 2021, several of the large banks offering prime brokerage services to Archegos - including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and UBS - suddenly began liquidating billions of dollars' worth of shares that Archegos had swap positions on at fire sale prices after Archegos had failed to meet a margin call. By the time Credit Suisse tried to liquidate its own holdings of stocks underlying Archegos' swap contracts over the ensuing weekend, prices had already collapsed and Credit Suisse quickly racked up billions of dollars in losses. Credit Suisse issued a press release on March 29, 2021 conceding that "the loss resulting from this exit . . . could be highly significant and material to our first quarter results." The Financial Times then pegged Credit Suisse's estimated losses at between $3 billion and $5 billion, more than a year's worth of Credit Suisse's net profit. The market price of Credit Suisse ADRs fell another nearly 20% following this news, declining from a close of $13.21 per ADR on March 25, 2021 to close at $10.60 per ADR on March 31, 2021.

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, the defendants concealed material defects in Credit Suisse's risk policies and procedures and compliance oversight functions and efforts to allow high-risk clients to take on excessive leverage, including Greensill and Archegos, exposing Credit Suisse to billions of dollars in losses.

Credit Suisse investors may, no later than June 15, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed as a lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class member's claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country involving securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties and other violations of state and federal law. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors from the United States and around the world. The firm represents investors, consumers and whistleblowers (private citizens who report fraudulent practices against the government and share in the recovery of government dollars). The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com.

CONTACT:

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP

James Maro, Jr., Esq.

Adrienne Bell, Esq.

280 King of Prussia Road

Radnor, PA 19087

(844) 887-9500 (toll free)

info@ktmc.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/83304
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The Army's new 'world beating' Challenger 3 tank will outgun anything in Putin's ranks, the Defence Secretary has said as he announced an 800million upgrade for Britain's armoured forces.

The lucrative contract will see the military equipped with 148 of the 'most lethal' main battle tanks in Europe, complete with faster-travelling ammunition and unrivalled tracking systems, Ben Wallace said yesterday.

The fleet of fully-digitised Challenger 3 tanks will be produced at the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) plant at Telford in Shropshire and will replace the existing Challenger 2 vehicles which have been in service since 1998.

Mr Wallace insisted it was pointless to have tanks that could be outgunned by enemy forces, given such a possibility would put soldiers' lives at risk.

The lucrative contract will see the military equipped with 148 of the 'most lethal' main battle tanks in Europe (pictured), complete with faster-travelling ammunition and unrivalled tracking systems, Ben Wallace said yesterday

At an event to show off the new kit, he told the Times: 'Why this is better than the Russian's is this thing here. This gun.

'The smoothbore gun and its lethality plus its ability to force-multiply by being able to talk to everyone else on the battlefield.'

The new vehicles, described by the MoD as the 'most lethal tank in Europe', will be able to travel at up to 60mph and feature upgraded suspension to improve accuracy while firing on the move.

They will be fitted with an automatic target detection and tracking system to identify enemies, along with new thermal long-range cameras.

Other features include screens which can show the position of enemy forces and battlefield pictures, which can then be sent via radio to other weapons systems.

Ben Wallace is pictured with staff from Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land in front of a Challenger 3 main battle tank on Thursday

This will also come up as an image on the screens of other colleagues in the field, whether that's UK armed forces or members of Nato offering support.

The new turret with the 120mm smoothbore gun referenced by Mr Wallace, will programme high-velocity ammunition to travel at quicker speeds and a greater range.

Some 200 jobs, made up of 130 engineers and 70 technicians, will be created at the Telford site, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

A further 450 roles will be established as part of the wider supply chain across the West Midlands, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne and the Isle of Wight.

It comes as the Government announced in March a third of the army's 227 Challenger tanks would be scrapped as part of a major military overhaul.

They will replace the existing Challenger 2 (pictured) vehicles which have been in service since 1998

Mr Wallace added: 'This represents a huge shift in the modernisation of our land forces through the increased lethality of Challenger 3.

'This pioneering new technology allows us to deliver immense warfighting capabilities in battlespaces filled with a range of enemy threats.

'The 800 million investment will also create hundreds of highly-skilled jobs across the country ensuring our soldiers benefit from the very best of British engineering.'

The army is expected to receive the first tanks by 2027 and the full fleet by 2030.

As part of the defence review announced earlier this year, the army's size will be reduced to 72,500 soldiers by 2025 as the focus shifts to drones and cyber warfare.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel puts her face mask on after a press conference after the informal EU summit and the EU-China summit in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, May 8, 2021. Merkel reiterated her stance that the shortage of vaccines worldwide would not be solved by a waiver of patents, as suggested by U.S. President Biden. (John MacDougall/Pool Photo via AP)

European Union leaders cranked up their criticism of the U.S. call to waive COVID-19 vaccine patents Saturday, arguing the move would yield no short-term or intermediate improvement in vaccine supplies and could even have a negative impact.

On the second day of an EU summit in Portugal, the European leaders instead urged Washington to lift export restrictions if it wants to have a global impact on the pandemic.

"We don't think, in the short term, that it's the magic bullet," European Council President Charles Michel said. French President Emmanuel Macron insisted that giving any priority now to a discussion of intellectual property rights "is a false debate."

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, home to many Big Pharma companies, went the farthest of all, cautioning that relaxing patent rules could harm efforts to adapt vaccines as the coronavirus mutates.

"I see more risks than opportunities," Merkel said. "I don't believe that releasing patents is the solution to provide vaccines for more people."

Instead, the leaders joined previous EU calls for U.S. President Joe Biden to start boosting U.S. vaccine exports as a way to contain the global COVID-19 crisis, insisting that move was the most urgent need.

"I'm very clearly urging the U.S. to put an end to the ban on exports of vaccines and on components of vaccines that are preventing them being produced," Macron said.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with the media as he arrives for an EU summit at the Crystal Palace in Porto, Portugal, Saturday, May 8, 2021. On Saturday, EU leaders hold an online summit with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, covering trade, climate change and help with India's COVID-19 surge. (Violeta Santos Moura, Pool via AP)

He mentioned the German company CureVac, saying it could not produce a vaccine in Europe because the necessary components were blocked in the United States. Hundreds of components can go into a vaccine.

Merkel said she hoped that "now that large parts of the American population have been vaccinated, there will be a free exchange of (vaccine) ingredients."

"Europe has always exported a large part of its European (vaccine) production to the world, and that should become the rule," the longtime German leader said.

While the U.S. has kept a tight lid on exports of American-made vaccines so it can inoculate its own population first, the EU has become the world's leading provider, allowing about as many doses to go outside the 27-nation bloc as are kept for its 446 million inhabitants.

The EU has distributed about 200 million doses within the bloc while about the same amount has been exported abroad to almost 90 countries. Former EU member Britain has acted similarly to the U.S.,

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, center, and Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa speak at the conclusion of an EU summit at the Crystal Palace in Porto, Portugal, Saturday, May 8, 2021. On Saturday, EU leaders held an online summit with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, covering trade, climate change and help with India's COVID-19 surge. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, Pool)

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks with the media as he arrives for an EU summit at the Crystal Palace in Porto, Portugal, Saturday, May 8, 2021. On Saturday, EU leaders hold an online summit with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, covering trade, climate change and help with India's COVID-19 surge. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, Pool)

Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa, left, European Council President Charles Michel, center, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participate in a media conference at an EU summit in Porto, Portugal, Saturday, May 8, 2021. On Saturday, EU leaders held an online summit with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, covering trade, climate change and help with India's COVID-19 surge. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, and European Council President Charles Michel participate in a media conference at an EU summit in Porto, Portugal, Saturday, May 8, 2021. On Saturday, EU leaders held an online summit with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, covering trade, climate change and help with India's COVID-19 surge. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)

European Council President Charles Michel arrives for an informal dinner event during an EU summit at the Crystal Palace in Porto, Portugal, Friday, May 7, 2021. European Union leaders are met for a summit in Portugal on Friday, sending a signal they see the threat from COVID-19 on their continent as waning amid a quickening vaccine rollout. Their talks hope to repair some of the damage the coronavirus has caused in the bloc, in such areas as welfare and employment. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira, Pool)

European Council President Charles Michel arrives for an EU summit at the Crystal Palace in Porto, Portugal, Saturday, May 8, 2021. On Saturday, EU leaders hold an online summit with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, covering trade, climate change and help with India's COVID-19 surge. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, Pool)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a press conference after the informal EU summit and the EU-China summit in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, May 8, 2021. Merkel reiterated her stance that the shortage of vaccines worldwide would not be solved by a waiver of patents, as suggested by U.S. President Biden. (John MacDougall/Pool Photo via AP)

"First of all, you must open up," Macron said in addressing the United States. "First of all, the Anglo-Saxons must stop their bans on exports."

The EU is trying to regain the diplomatic initiative on vaccines after Biden put it on the back foot with his surprising endorsement of lifting patent protections on COVID-19 vaccines, seeking to solve the problem of getting shots into the arms of people in poorer countries.

Macron and other EU leaders have insisted that production capacity first must be ramped up by reconverting factories so they can quickly start producing vaccines through a transfer of technology.

"Today, there is not a factory in the world that cannot produce doses for poor countries because of a patent issue," Macron said.

Developed nations should also increase vaccine donations to poorer countries, the EU leaders say in arguing that talking about patent waivers alone won't cut it.

"We are willing to go into that discussion, but then we need a real 360-degree view on it," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

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.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 23:07:19|Editor: huaxia

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DOHA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The Qatari health ministry on Saturday announced 533 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 210,603, the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

Meanwhile, 1,023 more people recovered from the virus, bringing the overall recoveries to 200,467, while the fatalities increased by six to 502, according to a ministry statement quoted by QNA.

A total of 1,941,171 persons in Qatar have taken lab tests for COVID-19 so far, while the total number of vaccine doses administered is 1,787,160. Enditem
A mom from upstate New York has been ordered to remove a rock painted with a Confederate flag from her driveway or risk losing custody of her mixed-race daughter.

A court heard that the flag was 'inflaming' mom Christie's already strained relationship' with the girl's father Isaiah. The parents have shared custody of their seven-year-old daughter but Isaiah is fighting for full custody, while the mother only wants him to have the daughter every other weekend.

Their surnames were not provided.

In a 5-0 decision released this week, judges from the Appellate Division's Third Department in Albany ruled that if the mom doesn't remove the rock by June 1, she could lose her daughter.

Judges also instructed Christie to teach her elementary school-age child, who was born in 2014 and attends school in the Dryden Central School District east of Ithaca, about race.

A mother in upstate New York was ordered to remove a rock painted with a Confederate flag, above, after five appellate judges deemed it might inflame tensions with the father of her biracial daughter

'Given that the child is of mixed race, it would seem apparent that the presence of the flag is not in the child's best interests, as the mother must encourage and teach the child to embrace her mixed race identity, rather than thrust her into a world that only makes sense through the tortured lens of cognitive dissonance,' the judges ruled in a judgment released Thursday.

The Confederate flag, long a symbol of racism and southern pride, was painted on a rock at the home of a mother involved in a custody battle

They ruled the parents should continue to share custody, but if the rock has not been removed by June 1, it shall 'constitute a change in circumstances', and that 'the parents' custody agreement could be revisited'.

The child's lawyer Jason Leifer told the DailyMail.com the rock had not been a factor in the parent's disagreements, and it seemed as though the judges had pulled 'something out of a hat'.

Leifer, who represents many children in custody cases, said it was appropriate for the rock to be removed.

But he warned the ruling could encourage warring parents' to voice their political views in custody disputes - a move which would ultimately harm their children.

'The problem with this appellate decision is that it fails to set a standard for determining actual harm in cases where a parent holds an opinion that the other parent (or the Court) does not approve,' Leifer said in a statement.

'This part of the appellate decision was itself made upon an assumption that the mother (despite having a bi-racial child) held racist views, which was not supported by the evidence in the record.

'By making a ruling based upon this assumption, this Appellate Court simply opened the door for litigants in the Third Department to argue that a parents political views and opinions are harmful to a child without having to demonstrate actual harm.'

Leifer said the Court of Appeals may need to step in to address this issue to avoid the judgment having a 'chilling effect on free speech'.

Despite not being raised as a source of tension in earlier hearings, appellate judges said the flag was 'a symbol inflaming the already strained relationship' between the girl's parents

Leifer said he wasn't even sure if the mother had placed the rock there, or if it was still at the house when the judge's reached their ruling.

However, the mother told a fact-finding hearing that 'she had a rock with a Confederate flag painted on it at her home,' Justice Stanley Pritzker, who authored the decision, said in the ruling.

'In response to questioning, the mother testified that she has never used any racial slurs in front of the child or at all,' the ruling said.

The father had raised the rock as part of a broader argument about why his home was more suitable for the girl to live in.

In its ruling, the appellate court then made the rock the central issue in the custody dispute.

'Although not addressed by Family Court or the attorney for the child, the mother's testimony at the hearing, as well as an exhibit admitted into evidence, reveal that she has a small confederate flag painted on a rock near her driveway,' Pritzker wrote.

'Further, and viewed pragmatically, the presence of the Confederate flag is a symbol inflaming the already strained relationship between the parties,' he continued.

'As such, while recognizing that the First Amendment protects the mother's right to display the flag if it is not removed by June 1, 2021, its continued presence shall constitute a change in circumstances and Family Court shall factor this into any future best interests analysis.'

All of the remaining four Justices - John Egan, Sharon Aarons, Molly Reynolds Fitzgerald and John Colangelo - concurred.

Confederate flags have recently been banished from state houses, military bases and public spaces during the recent reckoning on race.

In July 2020, Mississippi's state flag was retired and brought to a museum after Republican Governor Tate Reeves signed a law stripping its official status.

The Confederate battle flag was removed from the South Carolina state capitol grounds in 2015 after the racist shooting of nine black churchgoers in the state's city of Charleston, by a 21-year-old who proudly displayed the rebel flag.
Mostly, the fights have been down partisan lines. Blue team thinks the red team has overreached. Red team thinks the blue team is careless. Those who have put their families health and wellbeing first have largely supported the nations leaders. But the increased willingness of governments to curtail personal freedoms has now made some question their own judgment of what they previously distinguished as right and wrong. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Borders shut, planes grounded, restaurants closed, curfews, strict exercise limits, rationing of toilet paper in supermarkets. Cars were pulled over by police to ask why theyre out past 8pm. Leaving the country even became illegal without a government-issued permit. Many of these decisions were taken without cabinet, party room or parliamentary debate. The latest decree, threatening five years jail or a $66,000 fine for an Australian citizen attempting to return from India, was announced in a midnight email without a media conference. That tells you a bit about how the government thought the decision would go down.

While the Commonwealth bears its fair share of responsibility, perhaps the most intrusive stances until now were made at a state level. In Victoria, a young, pregnant mother was handcuffed in front of her children for promoting an anti-lockdown rally on Facebook. Last July, Premier Daniel Andrews locked down nine public housing towers on a whim, leaving some residents without food and medicines. Even those who marched for the rights of refugees on Manus Island and Nauru were saying the shutdown was for the greater good. Apart from a handful of voices, it took the states ombudsman to condemn the act with any real gusto, finding it  like the citys nightly curfew  was not based on direct health advice and violated human rights laws. Police later defended the use of drones to enforce social restrictions in public places such as parks. And once again the left side of politics appeared largely subservient. On New Years Eve, thousands of Victorians  many who hadnt been near a declared hotspot  were locked out of their own state for days. In Perth and Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart, the borders were shut for weeks at a time  sometimes on health advice and sometimes, it would seem, in crude acts of populism.

Some premiers lifted them as soon as they could, eager to kick-start their fragile economies but buoyed by record levels of parochialism, others cynically kept them shut and had landslide election victories. Loading The brutal measures have taken state and federal politics to a new place. What were once unimaginable actions are now readily available as political tools  all under the cover of keeping Australians safe, as a string of prime ministers have reminded us is the No.1 priority for governments. And its left some unwilling to pick a fight. When mighty nations such as Britain and the United States have been brought to their knees by the pandemic, Australians dont take too much convincing that these actions have saved lives. But to deny a right of return for a nations citizens to their homeland? Surely, thats a line in the sand.

Many federal Liberal backbenchers were sheepish when answering phone calls this week and were not prepared to speak on the record. Mainly because it would be viewed as a black mark against them by their leader. Look, of course I hate it, but whats the point of picking the fight? Its not going to achieve anything, was what more than a dozen conceded privately this week in response to the India decision. For members of a party founded by Robert Menzies to fight for the freedom of the individual and to produce enlightened liberal policies, these past 12 months have eroded those values. Another MP pondered: Is there any line we wont cross? First weve become a country for exit permits like the old Eastern bloc, now were criminalising returning home?... Id love to see that tried on in court. (On Monday, the Federal Court will hear an urgent challenge to the India travel ban lodged by lawyers for Gary Newman, a 73-year-old Australian man stranded in Bangalore.)

Members and senators who felt strongly enough to express their views directly to the Prime Minister or his office over the weekend were told exactly what the public was told this week. Their objections were acknowledged, politely, and they were assured the threat would be issued responsibly and proportionately. It was more about sending a message to the airlines, they were told, and not about locking up Australian citizens for committing that heinous crime of wanting to come home. This is a way to ensure that we can prevent the virus coming back and it starting a third wave here in Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this week. That would have devastating impacts on our country. Loading While many MPs have decided to remain quiet, having made a strategic decision to not pick a public fight with their boss, others couldnt help themselves. For Nationals senator Matt Canavan, who has found himself in the political wilderness since quitting the frontbench to back Barnaby Joyces challenge for the leadership last year, it was one step too far. Canavan pointed out that 12 months earlier, Australia had celebrated the collaboration between the government and Qantas to help stranded citizens in Wuhan return.

This pandemic has not only removed us of our freedoms, it seems to have robbed us of our humanity towards each other, he said. But other, more nervous, MPs who dared to publicly offer their views had a bob each-way. Victorian Liberal MP Katie Allen said the penalties made her uncomfortable but the decision was necessary while NSW Liberal MP Dave Sharma, whose father is of Indian heritage, says the penalties were extreme and hoped they would only be a last resort. There is little doubt that this is an extreme measure and that it is causing significant hardship to the Australian Indian community, he said. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack went through the motions of defending the decision on breakfast television and conceded it went probably too far.

But Labor premiers, who had for years criticised the federal Coalitions harsh immigration policies, went silent, having borrowed Canberras own border politics and used them to their own advantage for the past year. Even federal Labor MPs have been tied in knots, having been scarred too often by the politics of border security. Only former leader Bill Shorten had the instincts to immediately call it as he saw it, questioning why the government was choosing to turn this into their political Tampa moment when there were Australian citizens at risk of death in another part of the world. I think that whilst at the moment Morrisons rhetoric may gain some favourability, in the test of time, I think this will not be viewed as Australias finest moment, he said. Some others, such as his former deputy Tanya Plibersek, mustered the courage to condemn it. Governments across the country seized the ability to make such decisions at a moments notice through emergency laws, public health orders and federally, under the Biosecurity Act. This power overrides any other law, although legal experts doubt its constitutionality.

Around the world, governments have followed suit, suspending usual democratic protections and ruling by decree. But no country in the world has attempted to prevent, by law, its own citizens from coming home. While the federal budget will likely next week overshadow any internal unrest, the events of the past few weeks are likely to spark a new push to limit authoritarian restrictions that many believe have ultimately done more harm than good. NSW Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, who conceded she was troubled by the decision to make it illegal for Australians to return home, has previously warned against the growing number of decisions that are exempt from parliamentary scrutiny. A Senate committee recommended last December that Biosecurity Act decisions such as the Indian ban should be subject to debate and disallowance in Parliament.

And at the height of the second wave last year, when many Australians remained fearful for the health and safety of themselves and their family and friends, Senate President Scott Ryan warned Parliament of the unvetted unilateral action from executive governments. The approach taken during this public health crisis will doubtless set precedents that will be looked to in the future, he was quoted as saying in The Canberra Times in August. We all know and, indeed, support the public health messages that outline the need for caution, as this pandemic will likely be with us for some time, but the national Parliament is a critical part of government. If Coalition MPs next week dare to show some courage and voice their private objections to the extraordinary decisions taken by their government, they might well find they are far from isolated. But if they do not speak up, perhaps they should reflect on the words of their colleague, Senator Ryan, in that same address last year. Principles not defended in difficult times are in effect mere customs or conveniences.
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On this day set apart to honor the mothers and mother-figures in our lives, my mind turns to a woman of fierce faith we read about in Apostle Matthews gospel. We do not know her name, but her words and actions were so incredible, so audacious, that they were written down, included in the biblical canon and are studied to this day.

She was a Canaanite woman who had a daughter who was oppressed by a demon, a daughter whom she would do anything for (Matthew 15:21-28). One day, Jesus ventured into Tyre and Sidon, which was Gentile territory. It was there this woman found him.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David, she said. My daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.

Jesus did not respond.

Evidently the mother was persistent, because the disciples complained to Jesus, Send her away, for she is crying out after us.

Finally, Jesus spoke, saying he was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. Undeterred, the woman begged Jesus to help her daughter. Then he called her a dog. To which she replied, Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters table.

In response, Jesus said, O woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you as you desire.

This mother had been turned down by Jesus twice. But she loved her child, and her faith was fierce. She is a great example to us today, and Jesus himself celebrated her faith.

But why? I think there are two reasons:

Her faith was daring.

Although this mother was a Canaanite, she somehow heard about Jesus. Perhaps she thought, If Jesus is who he claims to be, then he can heal my daughter. She came to Jesus with the hope he could save her child. And she came in daring faith, falling at Jesus feet and crying out to him  she broke all social and religious rules of the day.

But Jesus ignored her.

Ladies, some of you may feel like God has neither heard nor answered your prayers. You wonder if God is real because of his silence.

We know from Scripture that Jesus was never apathetic. His death and resurrection testify to the mercy and grace that are available to all who call on him. Jesus interaction with this woman was apparently out of character for him.

So what was happening at that moment? I think Jesus was drawing out this mothers faith. Healing is about to come and he is giving his disciples, and therefore all of us who would follow him, a lesson about determined faith that refuses to relent.

Mothers, do not ever give up on your children or on God, even when believing seems impossible or foolish. Do not ever stop praying because the answer will come in Gods time and Gods way. It may be sooner than you think.

Her faith was humble, but persistent.

When Jesus finally did address this mother, he called her a dog. Again, name calling seems inconsistent with Jesus character  especially since he spent so much time with those who were labeled sinners. This is test number two.

At this point, I would have given up. But this mother did not.

She did not debate, get angry or walk away. Rather, she stood her ground and humbly reminded him that what he had was available to her, despite her societal standing.

This may sound strange to some, but I think this is what God wants us to do. He wants us to remind him of his promises, of what he has revealed to us. He wants us to remind him of his character because, in doing so, we are reminding ourselves.

Hebrews 4:16 tells us, Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. That is exactly what this mother did. And her faith was rewarded.

Mothers Day is one that is joyous for some and painful for others. I know the responsibilities are heavy and sometimes it must seem overwhelming to be a mom amidst violence, fear and sickness. Your love and your leadership in your family and your community is invaluable. You are shaping this generation and the generations to come. Your hearts, mothers, make all the difference.

One hundred years from now and beyond, your heart for God will still be beating in the lives of your children and your childrens children. Many of us, myself included, are testimonies of that truth today. We recognize that it is the heritage of our own family and our own mothers, grandmothers and their mothers before them that has brought us to faith in Jesus.

Keep praying, keep persisting, keep pleading. And in fierce faith, keep believing.
By Tracy Rucinski

CHICAGO (Reuters) - said on Friday it is temporarily pausing service between Chicago and New Delhi in June and delaying the planned launch of flights between San Francisco and as a catastrophic explosion of COVID-19 cases hits demand.

India reported another record daily rise in infections on Friday, bringing total new cases for the week to 1.57 million, as its vaccination rate falls dramatically due to a lack of supplies and transport problems.

Until the Chicago-Delhi route is halted on May 31, United said will use its larger Boeing 777-300ER jets on seven roundtrip flights to accelerate the repatriation of citizens between the two countries and the delivery of vital medical supplies. It was previously using the Boeing 787-9.

United, the only U.S. carrier flying to India, said it will continue its daily flights to Delhi from Newark and San Francisco and to Mumbai from Newark.

However, it will "continue to monitor customer demand to determine if any additional changes to its schedule are necessary," it said.

As of now it expects to resume the Chicago-Delhi flights, which it launched in December, in July and kick off its San Francisco- service on August 1 versus previous plans for a May 27 launch.

Rival American Airlines plans to launch flights from Seattle to Bangalore, known as the Silicon Valley of India, later this year.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

(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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Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Bernalillo County deputies worked with FBI agents to arrest an Arizona man Thursday evening and seize thousands of fentanyl pills, pounds of methamphetamine and ounces of heroin at a motel near the Albuquerque Sunport.

Terry Ingram, 54, is charged with three counts of trafficking controlled substances and one count of distribution of a controlled substance. Prosecutors have filed a motion to detain Ingram, calling him a flight risk with no community ties.

Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office spokesman Joseph Montiel said Ingram is on parole after serving 15 years in an Arizona prison on prior drug-related charges.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court:

BCSO detectives learned Ingram would be heading from Arizona to Albuquerque and staying at the Extended Stay America near Gibson and Yale SE.

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Detectives and FBI task force officers waited at the hotel until Ingram arrived around 6:15 p.m. As he approached the hotel lobby, authorities moved in and arrested him. Ingram told deputies there was a decent amount of drugs on the floorboard of the vehicle he arrived in.

Ingram said he middlemans drugs for people from Arizona, meets up with numerous people to sell the drugs and takes the cash back to Arizona. On the floorboard, deputies found 1,000 fentanyl pills and more than $4,500.

Under the hood, detectives found two bags on opposite sides of the firewall. Inside the bags were 17,000 fentanyl pills, more than 6 ounces of heroin, more than 4 pounds of methamphetamine and various other drugs.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-09 04:47:09|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi held talks on Saturday with President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi, also the current chairperson of the African Union, on the latest developments of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue.

During the meeting, Sisi noted "Egypt's appreciation of the Congolese president's relevant efforts and confidence in his ability to deal with the GERD issue," said the Egyptian presidency in a statement.

Egypt and its downstream neighbor Sudan raised concerns about Ethiopia's decision to unilaterally carry out a second filling of the GERD later this year, as it did last year, without reaching a prior tripartite legally binding agreement on the rules of filling and operating the dam.

Both downstream countries seek the formation of an international quartet of the African Union, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations to maximize chances of reaching the desired agreement, a proposal not welcomed by upstream Ethiopia.

"Egypt will not accept the undermining of its water security and thus it is necessary to reach the desired binding legal agreement that preserves Egypt's water rights and spares the region further tension and instability," the Egyptian president said during his talks with Tshisekedi.

For his part, the Congolese president affirmed his keenness to intensify coordination on this "sensitive issue" to help all parties achieve progress in the tripartite negotiations.

Tshisekedi praised the efforts by Egypt to reach a fair and balanced agreement that achieves the interests of the three states.

Ethiopia started building the GERD in 2011. Egypt is concerned that it might affect its 55.5-billion-cubic-meter annual share of the Nile water, while Sudan raises similar concerns over the 4-billion-U.S.-dollar dam.

Over the past few years, tripartite talks on the rules of filling and operating the giant hydropower dam, with a total capacity of 74 billion cubic meters, have been fruitless, including those hosted earlier by Washington and the recent ones sponsored by the African Union. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 05:00:45|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, May 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) said Friday that the threats against members of Congress this year has risen by 107 percent compared to 2020, and that the number is expected to continue to increase.

"As the Department has previously reported, the number of threats made against Congress has increased significantly. This year alone, there has been a 107% increase in threats against Members compared to 2020," USCP said in a press release on security recommendations detailed in a third preliminary report by its inspector general (IG).

"Provided the unique threat environment we currently live in, the Department is confident the number of cases will continue to increase," it added.

The USCP did not elaborate on the nature of these threats or what it believes is contributing to the increase.

It noted its support of recommendations for "increasing threat assessment manpower and restructuring the Department to establish a stand-alone counter-surveillance entity," adding, however, that "in order to fully implement this recommendation, the Department would require additional resources for new employees, training, and vehicles as well as approval from Congressional stakeholders."

The third Capitol Police Inspector General report has not yet been released, as the watchdog is expected to testify about its contents next week.

Yet, to illustrate the daunting challenges USCP has and continues to face, Friday's press release noted that the third report showed "In 2020, the (US Secret Service), which has more than 100 agents and analysts, had approximately 8,000 cases. During the same time period, the USCP, which has just over 30 agents and analysts, had approximately 9,000 cases."

The House Administration Committee has announced it will hold a hearing on Monday entitled "Oversight of the January 6th Attack: United States Capitol Police Threat Assessment and Counter Surveillance Before and During the Attack."

The IG's previous two reports detailed the department's "deficiencies" that led to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of former President Donald Trump's supporters.

"Since the events of January 6th, USCP leadership team has been working closely with Congressional oversight to seek the needed resources to implement the (Office of Inspector General's) recommendations, as well as those from other reviews and assessments," said Friday's press release.

The Office of Inspector General supervises and conducts audits, inspections, and investigations involving USCP programs, functions, systems, and operations, according to its website. Enditem
We're not sure we'd say, as some do, that all cops are bastards. For example, take the NYPD's John McClane. In 1988, Detective McClane made headlines by thwarting an entire group of terrorists, showing initiative, bravery, and skill. Other than him, though, yeah, law enforcement doesn't come off too well. In the following true stories, they're buffoons at best when they're not outright evil.

1. Internal Affairs

In 2017, officers from Detroit's 12th precinct, posing as drug dealers, met officers from Detroit's 11th precinct, posing as drug buyers. They all tried to arrest each other, leading to a massive brawl.

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2. The Butt Dial

In 2009, the FBI was in touch with someone they suspected may be a serial killer. They accidentally pocket-dialed him during a discussion of their investigation. He cut off contact and fled, and they never found him after that.

3. Antifreeze Arrest

St. Louis police arrested a woman, suspecting she was feeding her child antifreeze. She received life without parole and was only released when she proved that her genetics gave her children the appearance of having antifreeze in their blood -- proved this by giving birth to a second child.

4. Colorado Poachers

To catch poachers, San Luis Valley offered bounties on a bunch of protected animals. They did manage to arrest 57 people, but the operation made these criminals kill thousands of additional animals, including 35 bald eagles.

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5. The Wolverhampton Wanderers

British police planted a simulated bomb in a stadium as part of a training exercise. Then they forgot to take it with them when they were done, leading to a bomb scare.

6. The Fake Gangbang

For details, read 5 Horrifying Ways People Were Wrongfully Accused Of Crimes

7. The University of Farmington

To crack down on visa fraud, the Department of Homeland Security created their own fake university, got students abroad to enroll, and then deported them all. The students were fooled by info on the government's own website and are now banned from the US for life.
The notion that reservation is contrary to efficiency and merit has been invoked consistently. Even the Supreme Court of India seems to have agreed withthis proposition in some judgments, as it held that Article 16(4), which provides for reservation in services, would be limited by Article 335, which mentions the term efficiency of administration in the Constitution. This paper explores the Constituent Assembly Debates to show that the Constitution framers did not subject reservations to the test of efficiency or merit. In addition, efficiency of administration mentioned under Article 335 cannot be treated as an exclusionary construct, as it was done in pre-independence era.

In the past seven decades of constitutional jurisprudence on reservations, the Supreme Court of India has consistently referred to the notions of efficiency and merit, while adjudicating the validity of various reservation policies. The Court has held in several judgments (Indra Sawhney and Others v Union of India and Others 1993; M Nagaraj and Others v Union of India and Others 2006) that the reservation policies made under Article 16(4)1 of the Constitution would be limited by Article 335,2 which provides for maintenance of efficiency of administration, while considering the claims of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the making of appointments to public services and posts. This was done while the Constitution does not define the term efficiency of administration. This gap in interpretation was filled by a two-judge bench in the B K Pavitra (II) v Union of India (2019), as it held that efficiency of administration in the affairs of the union or of a state must be defined in an inclusive sense, where diverse segments of society find representation as a true aspiration of governance by and for the people.

In this paper, I have analysed the Constituent Assembly Debates to argue that contrary to what the larger benches of the Supreme Court assumed, the framers of the Constitution did not envisage that Article 16 would be limited by or subjected to Article 335. Furthermore, using B R Ambedkars writings, I have critiqued the notion of efficiency of administration, which has often been employed to cast aspersions on the concept of reservation. The phrase efficiency of administration was used as an exclusionary construct in the colonial and precolonial eras. This exclusionary understanding, I have argued, was rejected during the framing of the Constitution, and that thus the term efficiency cannot be used against the idea of reservations to exclude certain communities from public services.
Iraq War veteran Jeremy Stalnecker, who is on a mission to help fellow veterans, first responders and others impacted by trauma, recently revealed some of the powerful lessons he learned on the battlefield.

Stalnecker now serves as executive director of the Mighty Oaks Foundation, an organization that helps combat veterans heal from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other emotional wounds.

SUBSCRIBE: Listen to Jesus Is All We Need on Your Favorite Podcast Platforms

As someone who has served on the frontlines, he knows the struggles that can emerge on and off the battlefield, and believes there are some realities and difficulties that should be better misunderstood.

Source:The Christian Post
A large Chinese rocket booster is plunging back to Earth and expected to reenter the atmosphere sometime this weekend, prompting international concern over where it may land.

The Long March-5B rocket is projected to reenter the Earth's atmosphere at about 18,000 mph between 11 p.m. Saturday and 5:30 a.m. Sunday Eastern, according to space agencies and experts. At around 100 feet tall and about 22 metric tons, the rocket stage is set to become one of the largest objects to ever reenter the Earth's atmosphere on an uncontrolled trajectory.

Where the rocket will land remains unclear. Scientists have said the risk to humans is astronomically low, but it is not impossible for it to land in a populated area. The Aerospace Corporation, a nonprofit largely financed by the U.S. government, predicted Saturday that it would splash down in the Atlantic Ocean, with the closest countries being Portugal and Spain.

But the rocket could reenter at anywhere between 41.5 degrees north latitude and 41.5 degrees south latitude, meaning major cities like New York could be hit with debris. The European Space Agency has predicted a "risk zone" that encompasses much of the world, including nearly all of the Americas, all of Africa and Australia, parts of Asia and the European countries like Italy and Greece.

China has been criticized for its handling of the rocket booster, which was launched into space on April 29 to ferry the first module of the Tianhe space station. China did not make the necessary preparations for a controlled reentry, which would have slowed the rocket enough to enter Earth's atmosphere over a predetermined remote area or ocean, thus reducing the chance of debris impacting populated regions.

Astrophysicists have described China's decision as potentially hazardous corner-cutting. "There's clearly a significant chance that it's going to come down on land," Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told CNN on Saturday.

China's state media, however, has reacted angrily to the international scrutiny, saying its launch was being unfairly maligned. State media slammed U.S. media outlets for covering China's "out-of-control space junk" in contrast to the SpaceX wreckage.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin defended the plan as "standard international practice," saying at a news conference this week that "China is always committed to the peaceful use of outer space," according to state media.

"China is ready to work with all relevant parties to make joint efforts for the peaceful use of outer space and safeguarding space security," Wang said.

The size of the rocket makes its reentry more unpredictable than others. Most satellites and other man-made objects are small enough to burn up in the atmosphere. But the Long March booster is much larger, raising concern that pieces could survive and hit the ground.

The rocket's tumbling motion as it passes through the mesosphere, an outer layer of Earth's atmosphere, has also made calculations of its speed tricky to project.

Space has been a point of national pride for China, which is expected to run the only operational space station after the retirement of the International Space Station in the next four years. The country, which has spoken of putting people back on the moon, has completed a flurry of successful lunar and Mars missions in recent years.

But China's growing space program has contributed to the growing problem of space debris. The Secure World Foundation, a think tank, said that China in 2007 "created a cloud of more than 3,000 pieces of space debris" after the country shot down a dead satellite with a missile.

During the first flight of the Long March 5B rocket last year, the booster passed over populated portions of Earth before pieces of debris landed in Africa. Jim Bridenstine, the NASA administrator at the time, slammed the Chinese space agency for the booster's return, saying the event "could have been extremely dangerous."

- - -

The Washington Post's Matthew Cappucci, Gerry Shih and Christian Davenport contributed to this report.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to chief ministers of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu on the COVID-19 situation in their states, government sources said.

Modi has been interacting with various chief ministers over telephone for the last couple of days to take stock of the pandemic situation in their states.

In tweets, the office of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Modi expressed satisfaction over the declining infection rate in the state and assured Chouhan of all possible help from the Centre.

Chouhan informed the prime minister about various efforts being undertaken by the state to fight the pandemic and thanked him for the Centre's support.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur also tweeted about his interaction with Modi.

According to the latest update, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh reported 11,708 and 4,177 COVID-19 cases respectively in a day.

Maharashtra, which recorded 54,022 new cases of COVID-19 in a day, has been the worst-affected state during the second wave of the infections.

Though some of its cities, including Mumbai, have seen consistent improvement, the situation in many parts of the state remains of concern.

Tamil Nadu has reported 26,465 new cases in the latest update.

Its chief minister M K Stalin took office on Friday and has now announced complete lockdown across the state to curb the rising cases.

(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.)
WOODLAWN, Md. (AP)  Four people were killed and at least one was injured in a shooting and fire early Saturday morning in Maryland, authorities said, adding the suspect was shot by police and was among the dead.

Authorities said it was not immediately clear what led to the violence on a residential street in suburban Baltimore. They identified the dead suspect in a later news release as Everton Brown, 56, and said he lived on the street.

The police statement added that four officers discharged their firearms and all had been placed on routine administrative duty per departmental policy. It added that police body worn cameras recorded footage of the scene officers encountered and it showed one home was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived.

Gail Watts, who lives down the street from where the fire destroyed at least two residences, told The Associated Press she rushed outside around 6:30 a.m. after hearing an explosion. She saw a massive fire and a man she identified as a longtime neighbor standing in the middle of the street.

Watts then heard gunfire and saw people running for cover. She said she heard the suspect's next-door neighbor screaming for help. And next thing I know I looked out and he had shot her and she was laying on the sidewalk," Watts said.

Watts, who said she's lived in the neighborhood for 25 years, said the suspect had been aggressive to neighbors in the past.

Another longtime neighborhood resident, Kweku Quansah, told the Baltimore Sun what took place Saturday morning was not surprising."

Quansah told the newspaper he heard an explosion, went outside to check and found shots were being fired toward him. He told the newspaper that the suspect had often confronted neighbors, who had reported him to police.

We dont know why he was doing that but this has been going on over and over again. A lot of people tried to complain about it but nothing was done, Quansah said.

Baltimore County Police spokeswoman Joy Stewart said at a news conference that officers responded to reports of both a fire and active shooter in the neighborhood in Woodlawn, west of Baltimore, around 6:40 a.m.

Officers found an armed male outside and shot him, she said.

Authorities then began fighting a fire that started in a townhouse and spread to two others, Tim Rostkowski, a county fire department spokesman, said at the news conference.

The building where the fire started as well as one adjacent to it collapsed, Rostkowski said, and a third dwelling was heavily damaged.

We have this fire that happened. We also have this suspect who was armed. How theyre all related, its really too early to tell at this point, Stewart said.

Police initially said the death toll was three. In an update Saturday afternoon, they said that in addition to the suspect, two men and one woman were dead. They added that another man had been taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Police said the investigation that was opened involved several law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal level.

Woodlawn is an unincorporated community in Baltimore County, roughly 9 miles (14 kilometers) northwest of downtown Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

___

Rankin reported from Richmond, Va.
The world of summer travel has finally opened. Sort of.

Here the Daily Mail's travel team answers readers' questions about Covid testing for green-list countries, when travel will open up to France and Italy, and more.

Q. Im hoping to book a holiday to a green-list country. What tests will I need?

Holidaymakers will still have to arrange pre-departure lateral test and on their return Covid PCR tests

A. You will be required to take a lateral flow test within 72 hours of your return flight to England, followed by a PCR test on or before the second day of your return. You will not be required to self-isolate during this time.

The UK Government has said that it is considering providing free lateral flow testing kits for holidaymakers to take abroad. You are also likely to need proof of a negative PCR taken within 72 hours of your outbound flight, depending on the destinations requirements. See gov.uk.

Q. Can I holiday in a country on the amber list?

A. Technically, yes, but it could be tricky. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said yesterday that Britons should not be travelling to amber countries. You will be required either to quarantine at home for ten days on your return and take a PCR test on days two and eight (as well as a lateral flow test before the return flight).

Or you can pay for an additional Test to Release on day five to end self-isolation early. You could be in an amber country that turns red, meaning you would need to quarantine at a government-approved hotel on your return at a cost of 1,750.

Q. Can I travel to all the countries mentioned on the green list?

A. No, borders in many green-list countries remain closed, including Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Australia has been added to the Government's 'green list' despite its borders being closed

Q. How often will the green list be reviewed?

A. Every three weeks, with the prospect of more greens being added after the first review on June 7. Mr Shapps hopes the more traditional tourist destinations will be unlocked over the summer.

Q. How will the Government decide whether a country should turn green?

A. The list is based on factors including a countrys vaccination programme, rates of infection, emerging new variants and access to reliable scientific data.

Q. Could a country suddenly be removed from the green list?

A. The Government is introducing a green watchlist, which will help identify the countries at risk of moving from green to amber. If a country reports a surge in variants of concern, it could be removed from the green list with little warning. To avoid losing your money, book with a reputable package holiday provider.

Q. When can we expect Spain and Greece to be added to the green list?

A. Spain, our favourite holiday destination, has vaccinated almost 30 per cent of its population with the first dose, making it a strong contender to be added on June 7. Greece is slightly further behind, having vaccinated 22 per cent.

Q. And what about France and Italy?

A. France, Western Europes most vaccine-hesitant country, has inoculated just 25 per cent of its population with a first dose. Italy is slightly ahead at 26 per cent. Both are likely to hit 40 per cent by early June, meaning they could be added to the green list.

Q. There are rumours of a UK-U.S. travel corridor. Is that likely to happen?

A. The U.S. government upgraded its warning against UK travel last month, increasing the risk to Level 4: Do Not Travel  its highest. This was a blow to airlines. President Biden is planning to reopen its borders to some countries in time for Independence Day on July 4, when a UK-U.S. travel corridor could be introduced.

Q. What are the rules around children needing Covid tests?

A. The UKs green list testing requirements only apply to those aged over 11. However, each country has different rules for testing children on arrival. These can be checked either on gov.uk.

Holiday hotspots like Spain and Italy could be added to the green list in the coming months

Q. Where can I find the cheapest tests?

A. The Government has been working to reduce the price of testing, with PCR tests previously costing around 120-160. Prices have been slashed significantly in recent weeks, with one government-approved provider, Eurofins, now charging 45. TUI, meanwhile, has said it will subsidise the cost of Covid testing for its customers, offering packages for between 20 and 90.

Q. Ive booked a holiday to Turkey in July. Will I be able to go?

A. Unlikely. The country went into an 18-day lockdown last week following a record surge in cases and was added to the UKs red list last night.

Q. What about the Greek and Spanish islands?

A. Islands are being assessed as part of the mainland but this is likely to change at the next review on June 7, when the Canaries, Balearics and Greek islands could go green, even if the mainlands remain amber.

Q. How do I show proof that I have had both jabs?

A. Mr Shapps said the NHS app would be ready for travellers to show vaccination status in time for May 17. Travellers who do not own a smartphone can request a letter to verify vaccination status.

Meanwhile, the EU is separately creating a Digital Green Certificate as a form of vaccine passport for members of the EU, aiming to have it ready for mid-June. The hope is that the two will be widely accepted and compatible.

Q. I live in Wales. Does the green list apply to me?

A. No. The devolved nations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) have not set dates for the restart of foreign holidays.
Thousands of people have been loudly protesting in the streets of several cities in Colombia against the increasing poverty and inequality that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. At least 24 people have died and some 800 injured, according to the Miami Herald.

Latin America continues to be a hotspot for the pandemic, with Colombia now experiencing its third coronavirus surge. The country, with a population of 50 million, has had almost 3 million cases of the virus and more than 76,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

COVID-19 has had a terrible impact in Latin America and more specifically in Colombia. Poor people are out of work and desperate, said Joseph Ganitsky, professor of practice at the University of Miami Patti and Allan Herbert Business School and director of the master in international business program.

It is estimated that about 4 million people have been pushed into poverty in the country by the pandemic, according to the National Administrative Department of Statistics. The UNs Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean estimated that by the end of last year, 37.5 percent of Colombias population lived below the poverty line, making it the country with the highest poverty rate in Latin America.

Populists are mobilizing them [the protesters] against the government, which has used its financial reserves to favor, on a very limited basis, those at the bottom, Ganitsky said.

The protests initially began as a standoff against a proposed tax reform to deal with the pandemic deficit, but the tax reform has been rescinded and the treasury secretary resigned. The conservative government of President Ivan Duque has promised to revise the economic plan.

According to Ganitsky, the government must raise taxes and reduce expenses to cover the deficit. If not, Colombia will lose its favorable credit rating on international markets, which would translate into higher borrowing costs in years to come.

He also said the tax rollout could have been better handled.

The government did not listen enough to key constituents before proposing the tax reform, and then it failed to properly communicate its important strategic intent, he said. The plan included new taxes on the middle class, which was opposed by all political leaders including those of the president's own party.

Duques teamincluding its new treasury secretarypromised a new, more balanced proposal which could reflect the ongoing dialogue with different pressure groups, said Ganitsky.

In the meantime, a new wave of COVID-19 infections has hit the country hard, overwhelming hospitals. The government has asked for lockdowns that are not being followed, noted Ganitsky.

This strike and opposition to the proposed taxes is positioning the left-leaning presidential candidate Gustavo Petro (a former guerrilla) much closer to win next year's presidential elections, he added. This might be avoided, Ganitsky pointed out, if the various right- to mid-left leaning political factions unite, as they did recently in Ecuador.

Keep in mind, Colombian voters are foremost very conservative, and they are already very scared of repeating Venezuela's mistakes," he said.

The fiscal deficit and tax reform has just begun, Ganitsky added. The social and political unrest will not go away. Later this year different political leaders will reluctantly compromise at a not-that-good-solution for the country, let alone for those most affected by COVID-19.
Amanda Kloots got quite the Mother's Day treat when 23-month-old son Elvis stopped by her show The Talk on Friday.

The fitness pro, 39, was thrilled to see her little dude as he gave his mom a bouquet of flowers during his very first TV appearance ever.

It was a touching moment, as Elvis made his entrance with late father's Nick Cordero's song Live Your Life playing in the background.

Pure joy! Amanda Kloots was thrilled when her son Elvis, almost two, visited her on the set of The Talk for the Mother's Day episode on Friday

The little guy looked cute as can be donning a tiny white suit and a pink bowtie while running into his mom's arm's.

The radiant talk show host picked up Elvis and cooed into his ear as her castmates clapped and smiled.

After returning to her seat with her little boy on her lap, Amanda said: 'You guys, I cant believe he actually just did that.'

Elvis got his own gift from the hosts: a toy dump truck and cute The Talk footsie pajamas.

Flower power: The little dude gave his mom a bouquet of flowers during his very first TV appearance ever

Tribute: It was a touching moment, as Elvis made his entrance with late father's Nick Cordero's song Live Your Life playing in the background

Thrilled: After returning to her seat with her little boy on her lap, Amanda said: 'You guys, I cant believe he actually just did that'

But the fun didn't stop there, as Amanda's team began to play a message from Gayle King and the characters of Sesame Street, who told the star she was doing amazing raising Elvis on her own. The duo also got an invite to visit Sesame Street.

Kloots has been a beacon of positivity since losing her husband Nick to COVID-19 last year. The Broadway star was only 41.

But the star admitted she is still mourning the loss of her love, previously telling her co-hosts she still 'cries every day' over his death.

'A lot of people have said to me, 'It gets easier (and) time helps', and I don't know if I found that yet,' said Amanda.

Cheering her on! The fun didn't stop there, as Amanda's team began to play a message from Gayle King and the characters of Sesame Street, who told the star she was doing amazing raising Elvis on her own

Treated: Elvis got his own gift from the hosts: a toy dump truck and cute The Talk footsie pajamas

Grieving: Kloots recently admitted she still cries every day, even though its almost been a year since Nick's death

The actress continued, 'I still pretty much cry every day. It's growing pains.'

The new co-host of The Talk admits that 'every day is different' but that she is 'doing everything I possibly can to stay healthy and active and happy'.

Amanda says she is unsure if time will be able to heal her sense of grief but admits that having the tools to cope with the loss makes things easier.

She told UsWeekly magazine: 'I think it gets easier because you learn tools to help yourself. And in the beginning, you don't know those tools yet.'

The TV personality confessed there are moments, especially as she sees Elvis growing up, where the loss of Nick hits even harder.

Staying positive: She admitted that 'every day is different' but that she is 'doing everything I possibly can to stay healthy and active and happy'. She shared an image of herself with Nick in South Africa on her Instagram in March 2021

Amanda said: 'With Elvis, like there's so many things that he does or there's times in life that you just wish your person was there to celebrate with.

'And I think that that's where it's harder because you miss your person so much.'

Kloots previously opened up on social media about the 'beyond surreal and horrible' experience of collecting her husband's ashes.

She wrote at the time: 'It was beyond surreal and horrible. But they're in my possession and a good friend of mine said some beautiful advice: 'look at it as you have him with you now'. Which is really a nice way of looking at it, which is true.'
The Politburo has appointed Mr. Bui Van Nghiem and Mr. Pham Gia Tuc as the Party Secretaries of Vinh Long and Nam Dinh provinces.

Authorized by the Politburo, Deputy Head of the Central Organization Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam Hoang Dang Quang on May 7 handed over the decision to appoint Mr. Bui Van Nghiem, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of the southern province of Vinh Long, as Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee for the 2020-2025 term.

Deputy Head of the Central Organization Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam Hoang Dang Quang hands over the appointment decision to Mr. Bui Van Nghiem (left). Photo: Vinh Long Newspaper

Previously, Vinh Long Provincial Party Secretary Tran Van Ron was elected to be the Standing Deputy Chairman of the Central Inspection Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Nghiem was born in 1966, a native of Vinh Long province. He has a PhD degree in Political Science, a Master's degree in Politics, and a Bachelor's degree in Party Construction and State Government.

Head of the Central Organization Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam Truong Thi Mai (middle) handed over the appointment decision to Mr. Pham Gia Tuc (left).

The same day, Head of the Central Organization Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam Truong Thi Mai handed over the appointment decision to Mr. Pham Gia Tuc, who is now the Secretary of Nam Dinh Provincial Party Committee for the term 2020-2025.

Tuc was born in 1965 in Nam Dinh province.

Before assuming the new position, Tuc was Deputy Head of the Home Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Previously, he was Deputy Secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). In January 2021, he was elected to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam at the 13th Party Congress.

Hoai Thanh - Thu Hang
Bangladesh on Saturday extended the closure of land borders with India for 14 more days, hours after the country detected six cases of the Indian variant of the Covid-19.

The land borders with India were sealed on April 26 in view of the worsening coronavirus situation in the neighbouring country.

"The decision to keep close the land borders with India has been extended for 14 more days in view of the Covid-19 situation," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Read more: First case of Indian variant of Covid-19 detected in Sri Lanka

Bangladesh's National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 had earlier suggested the border closure, saying the land routes should not reopen until the situation in India improved.

The spokesman said the transportation of goods through the land borders, however, would continue as previous.

He said that Bangladeshis who were at risk of being stranded on expiry of visas could return home only through Benapole, Akhaura and Burimari borders, obtaining no objection certificates from Bangladesh missions in New Delhi, Kolkata and Agartala.

The decision came as Bangladesh detected six people, who had recently visited India, infected with the Indian variant of the Covid-19.

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) spokesman Professor Dr Nazmul Islam Munna said the cases were detected by health officials overnight. Out of the six people, two were detected in capital Dhaka.

"Six people have been found to be carrying the Indian variant so far and we expect more people to be detected with identical types of virus in the coming days," Munna told PTI.

All of them were exposed to the variant, also known as B.1.617 and are currently kept under quarantine.

Even though the borders with India were sealed last month, officials and reports said many people came to Bangladesh from India under special arrangements and some of them fled a mandatory quarantine, heightening risks of spreading the pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) described the Indian variant as a "variant of interest," suggesting it may have mutations that would make the virus more transmissible, cause more severe disease or evade vaccine immunity.

Bangladesh reported 45 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to 11,878. The total number of Covid-19 cases in the country stands at 772,127 with 1,285 fresh infections reported on Saturday.

The Covid-19 situation has kept the flight operations suspended between the two countries since April 14.
New Delhi:

After a break of 5-day, the schools in Delhi-NCR all set to reopen on Monday. However, authorities in Gurugram has announced that schools will remain closed on Monday.

The decision to close schools was taken after air quality reached alarming levels on Tuesday. The menacing pollution forced authorities to close schools. They also directed schools to avoid morning prayers in the school.

Schools will reopen tomorrow and the break is not being further extended, a Delhi government official said.

Meanwhile, after a brief let-up, the pollution levels skyrocketed in Delhi with the air quality becoming hazardous, which environmental agencies consider unfit for inhalation even by healthy people.

The pollution monitoring authorities said there may be some respite from Monday evening as surface winds will gain momentum.

The SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research) said there was a possibility of rains in the evening of November 14.

However, experts say rains brings temporary relief, but also leads to accumulation of particulates due to high-levels of moisture.

With PTI inputs

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This summer, when Menna Rawlings, aged 53, arrives for her first day at work at the British Embassy on the famous Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris, she will join the illustrious ranks of our female ambassadors in plum global postings.

Dame Karen Pierce, 61, has the crucial Washington job. Dame Barbara Woodward, 59, is the UK envoy to the UN. In fact, for the first time in history, every UK ambassador to a G7 embassy will be a woman.

Meanwhile, at 63, Frances McDormand took this years Oscar for Best Actress for Nomadland, in America 81-year-old Nancy Pelosi leads the House of Representatives, while the success of the UKs vaccine rollout is due in huge part to the boundless capabilities of Kate Bingham, 55.

Kate Bingham, who is Chair of the Governments vaccine taskforce. Women, and in particular older women, have never been more visible in our world

British Ambassador to the United Nations Barbara Woodward poses for a photo

This week it was revealed that Linklaters is set to become the second magic circle law firm to elect a woman as senior partner with Aedamar Comiskey, 54, tipped as front runner.

Even the relationship charity Relate recently launched a campaign, Lets talk the joy of later life sex, with a series of black-and-white ads featuring couples no longer in the springtime of their years in scenes of physical intimacy.

Women, and in particular older women, have never been more visible in our world. Yet over the past weeks, Womans Hour has devoted two substantial segments to discussions of the problem of the invisibility of older women. How we are no longer recognised and valued in contemporary society as our skin gains wrinkles, our hair untreated turns grey and we no longer bear or care for children.

After listening to the first broadcast, I had to stop my car  in which I had been shouting at the radio  and do something I hardly ever do, which was tweet @BBCWomansHour in exasperation. Why was the programme indulging in such a relentlessly negative portrait of our lives? The follow-up segment demonstrated that many listeners shared my irritation, while presenter Emma Barnett (who I cant imagine ever feeling invisible) nonetheless insisted that the show had to pay attention to the fact that many women did indeed feel unseen.

But surely the time has come to lay the invisible woman to rest. Bury her in some fine and private place. How women feel about their bodies and ageing is always going to be entirely individual. For some, this inevitable process is more grievous than for others.

However, the idea that theres a huge cohort of invisible women wandering our streets like some sad zombie army, unnoticed by one and all, strikes me as invidious and self-perpetuating.

It is a myth that women have created about themselves, so we are the ones with the power to dismantle it  and that task cant begin soon enough. Now I dont live in la-la land. I know there is still a way to go on the long road to gender equality and fair pay, despite all the formidable trail-blazers I began with.

For women who have spent many years thinking of themselves as mothers first, it is perhaps not surprising that when that role diminishes, so too does such a clear sense of purpose. (Pictured, Menna Rawlings)

Elizabeth Pierce, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations

A recent survey showed that even now only seven women are chief executives of Britains top 114 consumer companies.

Caroline Criado-Perezs excellent book Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias In A World Designed For Men has copious examples of how, from the shape of crash-test dummies to designs of prefab homes, women are too often the afterthought.

And, as the pandemic has graphically illustrated, we are still taking on the greatest load of caring for children and elderly parents, all of which erodes the time we have available to earn money and build an identity outside the family.

Nor would I deny the obvious truth that many women who have always relied on how they look for their sense of worth feel completely thrown when that changes with age.

But none of this should mean that young women growing up in Britain in 2021 shouldnt feel they have their whole lives to look forward to, rather than dreading the spectre of a grey, moribund period of existence in the last third.

One of the key triggers for women feeling unnoticed is often said to be when they are no longer actively involved in motherhood.

Given that the average female lifespan in this country is 84, that means that many of us could be looking at 30-odd years of allegedly being unseen.

For women who have spent many years thinking of themselves as mothers first, it is perhaps not surprising that when that role diminishes, so too does such a clear sense of purpose. A feeling of displacement I can understand, but that doesnt make you invisible.

Ultimately, of course, the question is: who do we want to be visible to? And here sits the elephant in the room  the difficulty of an honest debate about to what degree our sense of visibility is tied in to our feelings about the loss of youthful, sexual attractiveness.

Talking to a few women before writing this they all, instantly, assumed that the issue was mainly about being no longer being noticed by men. These were intelligent, independent and confident females  all aware of the irony of making this assumption when they would prefer to think that women like them, like me, wouldnt succumb to such heresy.

Ones visibility reliant on a man? Perish that thought right there. For a generation of women who have grown up in a world that has benefited from so many feminist initiatives, who truly feel ourselves equal to men in every way, its hard to admit to still wanting their admiration, not just for our brains but for our bodies; to have a part of us that continues to feel validated by male or indeed female desire  a part that worries that this is threatened as we age.

Similar insecurities can be triggered by moving away from motherhood, no longer being the exciting new name on the block, the thickening of midlife torsos but somehow all these things are easier to admit to.

Yet, ultimately, it is perfectly natural to want to be desired and no one ever asks men to give up such things. So its time to move this conversation on  and out.

Not by embracing the idea of invisibility as a kind of superpower allowing us freedom from the tyranny of the male gaze.

Nor by some post-menopausal conversion that fires us up with who-gives-a-damn, let-it-all-hang-out, hormone-free fierceness.

But by focusing early on the joyful fact that, more than likely, we will have this considerable period of time to make the most of. To think hard about what we want from this next stage before we get there.

Personally, this was brought home to me the night before I resigned as Editor- in-Chief of Vogue.

I was standing at the window of the Paris Ritz, looking out at the twinkling lights of the Place Vendome below, when I realised that I had spent 25 years in the same job.

And during those 25 years, my son had been born and had learnt how to eat, walk, talk, study, travel and socialise, while I had, in the end, been doing much the same thing all that time.

Did I feel full of regret that something was coming to an end? No. I only saw a beginning. I felt passionately that there was no time to waste.

Time to learn new things. To meet new people. To see and be seen.

And that is how I feel we as women need to view the undoubtedly different but fascinating and full-of-possibility later years.

You dont have to have had a big job to grab the opportunity for change.

Any of us can do it. You just need to start with the belief that the world can see you. Because, trust me, it can
The eyes of America are on Barry Morphew following his arrest over the murder of his missing wife, Suzanne.

The Colorado landscaping boss, 53, was charged Thursday with first-degree homicide, tampering with evidence and attempting to influence a public servant almost a year after Suzanne, 49, vanished into thin air.

Investigators have failed to find Suzanne's body and they have not revealed what prompted them to arrest Barry near his home in Salida.

Thus, armchair detectives have been poring over old footage of Barry in a bid for clues, and they watched closely during his first court appearance earlier this week.

But amateur sleuths lack the expertise of body language specialist Patti Wood, who has also viewed video of the father-of-two.

Wood provided her expert analysis on Barry's behavior to DailyMail.com, and she says she is troubled by what she has seen.

Wood believes that while Barry tried to project strength during his first showing in court, he actually had a fearful look in his eyes that betrayed his confident posture.

She also claims to be 'unsettled' by the public plea Barry released last May after Suzanne disappeared. The body language expert says Barry appeared to be faking his distressed facial expressions and had several tics that were troubling.

Barry Morphew , 53, was charged Thursday with first-degree homicide, tampering with evidence and attempting to influence a public servant almost a year after Suzanne, 49, vanished into thin air. The couple are pictured in an social media snap taken several years ago

Investigators have not located Suzanne's body and have not revealed what prompted them to arrest Barry near his home in Salida. Barry is seen in a mugshot taken this week

Barry appeared in a Colorado court on Thursday, a little over 24 hours after his shock arrest. He has previously denied any involvement in Suzanne's disappearance and the country was captivated as he shuffled into the courtroom for the advisory hearing

Barry appeared 'strong' during his court appearance with his head upwards and his shoulders straight - but his eyes gave a way a 'stark fear'

Barry appeared in a Colorado court on Thursday, a little over 24 hours after his shock arrest.

He has previously denied any involvement in Suzanne's disappearance and all eyes were on the accused as he shuffled into the courtroom for the advisory hearing.

'Handcuffs and shackles encumber him, so it isn't easy to get a clear read on him, but overall I would say he is still feeling strong,' Wood told DailyMail.com.

'He is standing up fairly straight and, even with the handcuffs, his carriage is held upwards.'

Wood also noted that for the duration of the hearing, Barry kept his head up most of the time, and did not look 'submissive or shamed'.

But Wood posits that he might have been hiding how scared he actually was, as she stated that there was no disguising a look in his eyes.

'He did have one captured glance of stark fear and I wish I knew what was going on in that moment,' she explained.

While Barry might have been hiding how scared he actually was, body language expert Patti Wood stated there was no disguising the look of fear in his eyes

Barry 'faked' his 'pained expressions' during his public appeal for Suzanne's safe return one week after her disappearance

A week after Suzanne was reported missing on May 10 2020, Barry released a public appeal in which he pleaded for his wife's safe return.

'Oh Suzanne, if anyone is out there and can hear this, that has you, please, we'll do whatever it takes to bring you back,' Barry said in the video as his voice cracked and his brows furrowed.

'We love you, we miss you, your girls need you. No questions asked, however much they want  I will do whatever it takes to get you back. Honey, I love you, I want you back so bad,' he continued.

Barry appeared extremely distressed and on the verge of tears during the recorded statement.

But Wood says that, on closer inspection, Barry displays some troubling tics.

A week after Suzanne was reported missing on May 10 2020, Barry released a public appeal in which he pleaded for his wife's safe return

'He shakes his head [as if to say no] subconsciously to all the messages that might not be true or are not what he wants,' Wood told DailyMail.com.

'He starts shaking his head when he says "If anyone is out there" and "I will do whatever it takes",' she explained.

Wood also noted that while Barry looks anguished, his face does not change at all.

'We see pain in his face, but notice it doesn't move across his face and change as he speaks, but seems set like a mask which reveals that he put on or faked the pained expressions,' she theorized.

Wood concluded that she found the video 'unsettling to watch, because Barry's nonverbal delivery is so off from what would be normal baseline behaviors for someone whose wife is missing'.

Meanwhile, she also asserted that Barry's words were often just as troubling as his actions.

She claimed Barry 'awkwardly' addressed his wife at the beginning of his appeal by saying: 'Oh, Suzanne'.

'That seems forced, speeded up and over rather than lingering with affection or concern,' Wood claimed.

She additionally states that it is noteworthy that Barry does not repeat Suzanne's name often during his appeal.

'Spouses typically repeat their [missing] partner's name over and over, and keep talking and pleading endlessly until they run out of time on the segment or until they break down with emotion.'

Barry sounded 'on the edge of anger' during his only media interview back in September

Barry largely avoided the media, turning down multiple requests for interviews.

Apart from his recorded public plea on May 17, Barry has not discussed Suzanne on camera.

However, in September, he gave a short phone interview with FOX 21 reporter Lauren Scharf as interest in the case continued.

The phone chat occurred shortly after a co-worker of Barry's claimed he had left a hotel room reeking of chlorine on the day that Suzanne was reported missing.

Barry admitted that the room smelled strongly of chlorine, but claims he had nothing to do with the stench.

Barry and Suzanne pictured together with their daughters Mallory and Macy in a social media snap taken several years ago

Body language expert Patti Wood

'I'm not going to beat around the bush... it smelled [of chlorine] real strong,' he conceded during the phone interview.

'I did not go to the pool and I did not get chlorine. I'm sure that they washed the rooms with that for the COVID. I don't know, but I [smelled] it too when I was in there,' Barry further stated.

Wood told DailyMail.com that it was strange Barry shunned the media spotlight because 'if your loved one is missing typically you want to find them and will talk to the media freely and openly'.

After listening to the phone interview, she claimed Barry seemed 'mad at the reporter' and his voice appeared raised.

'He sounded on the edge of anger,' Wood theorized.

Despite his recent charges, Barry still has a legion of supporters who are standing by him.

He and Suzanne's adult daughters, Mallory and Macy, are vehemently backing their dad and were present during his first court appearance.

The sisters mouthed 'We love you' as Barry shuffled out of the courtroom in cuffs.

Barry has long insisted he had nothing to do with his wife's disappearance. They are pictured on vacation

Suzanne and Barry are pictured in a photo shared to Facebook several years ago
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 13:18:05|Editor: huaxia

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MAHMUD-E-RAQI, Afghanistan, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Seven members of a family were killed when the roof of their house collapsed in Afghanistan's eastern Kapisa province on Friday night, a local source confirmed Saturday.

The incident happened in Dara-e-Ghawus village of Nijrab district, an administrative district official told Xinhua.

The house's roof was badly soaked by the recent heavy rainfalls that ultimately wrecked and caused the tragic incident.

Such incidents are common in Afghanistan as most of the houses and shops in countryside have been built with mud and woods. Enditem
LAREDO, Texas  In a small park nestled between the Rio Grande and an outlet mall, Rep. Henry Cuellar stood under a tree  one of the few spots offering relief from the sun on a 101-degree afternoon in April  as he looked across the border toward Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

The 65-year-old congressman lamented the issues in his community as an increased number of migrant children, families and adults make their way to the U.S.-Mexican border. Cartels recruit American teenagers to help smuggle people into the USA, ranch property is destroyed, and migrants are replacing drugs as the newest and most valuable smuggling commodity, he said.

In Laredo, you have people that are trying to evade, single male adults, you got stash houses, you got people that are being crammed in the 18-wheelers, he said during an interview with USA TODAY. So a lot of times, people only see the one that pulls at our heart, and that is the unaccompanied kids and the family. But what about the darker side? There is a darker side.

The Democrat has emerged as one of President Joe Biden's harshest critics on the surge of migrants, calling for relief for border towns shouldering the costs  financial and otherwise  of a record-level spike that has become a major partisan fight in Washington.

Months ago, Cuellar tried to warn Bidens transition team about what was happening in his community, a city less than a mile from the border. His warning didn't lead to much effort to address what was happening in South Texas, he said. The administration promised a more humane border policy than President Donald Trump's, focused on reuniting families, housing migrants so they don't have to make a dangerous trek home and stemming the flow from Central America.

Biden and Mexico's president: How Biden is navigating his relationship with Mexicos President AMLO

My whole thing has been to the White House is, I want to be helpful. Let me know what we can do, he said. You got other border legislators who have done this before. This is not the first time we've seen this. We've seen it now, and we're gonna see it in the future. So we want to be as helpful as possible to them.

Story continues

Perhaps no one knows the issues facing the border as intimately as Cuellar. For much of his life, he's had a unique vantage point as a resident of Laredo, a former Texas secretary of state and longtime border congressman. He has worked with several administrations on the impact increased migration to the U.S. southern border has had on communities and migrants. As the Biden administration grapples with the increased number of migrant children, families and adults, Cuellar offered what he sees as a vital message: Listen to border communities.

The Texan, one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress, has represented portions of the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo for the past 16 years, including hundreds of miles of border.

He routinely pushes back on the administration.

He was the first to show photos of the inside of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Donna, Texas, where children were crowded and lying on mats on the floor under foil blankets. He has been critical of the Biden administrations message to migrants that it's not a good time to come to the USA "right now." . Cuellar said the border is not under control  despite Bidens assertion it is.

More: Joe Bidens immigration agenda overshadowed by migrant challenges in first 100 days

He disputed photos released by CBP this week showing few migrant children at the once-crowded facility in Donna, Texas.

"We cannot ignore the fact that they are essentially moving them from one tent to another tent within the same location," Cuellar said in a statement. "We are doing a better job about the outflow factor at the border, but we still need to address the inflow factor at the border."

'You got to follow the law'

The Biden administration came into office eager to undo Trump's "zero tolerance" policy on the border, but it's drawn criticism for how it's handled the increasing flow of migrants.

Many children and families leave their home countries political and economic turmoil. In Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, families want to escape gang violence and a lack of job opportunities made worse by the coronavirus pandemic. Back-to-back hurricanes last fall displaced many people who lost their jobs. Migrants from Haiti and Cameroon flee political unrest.

A smuggler paddles a small inflatable raft across the Rio Grande from Mexico into the USA, carrying migrant families in Roma, Texas, on March 24.

Many of the migrant adults tried repeat crossings after being expelled by CBP under Title 42, a Trump-era policy to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in holding facilities. The number of migrants apprehended in March  172,331  was a record high.

Cuellar's biggest gripe with the administration is its aim of mitigating migration by focusing on Central America, while not trying to enforce the laws to stop migrants coming to the border. He wants to see more solutions to help U.S. border communities, where he is concerned about property damage to ranchers.

Cuellar said the Biden administration must do more to penalize gang members who break the law and migrants who don't go through the proper process to seek asylum.

They got to look at certain things, and it might be uncomfortable talking about what needs to be done, but it has to be done," he said. "If that's the law, then you got to follow the law. You can't pick and choose what part of the law you want to enforce."

More: Biden administration converts oil field 'man camp' into shelter for migrant children

Asked in April how the administration works with border communities, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said local governments and nongovernmental organizations play "an incredibly important role." She noted some governments help with coronavirus testing and pay for hotels to house migrant families who test positive.

"They play a really tremendous role in helping ensure we are working in a humane way with those who are coming to our border in a range of ways," Psaki said during a news briefing.

Asked about Cuellar's criticisms, the White House said it's working with communities but did not elaborate.

The White House has consistently engaged with state and local governments  including border communities  on the challenges facing our immigration system," a White House spokesperson said.

The view from Laredo

The only barrier separating the sister cities of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo is the Rio Grande, less than a mile wide. An international bridge connects the two downtowns, and the towering border wall is not in sight.

Cuellar, a Laredo native, still lives there with his wife, Imelda, and two daughters. Tracing the Rio Grande with his finger, Cuellar described to USA TODAY how the first "border fence" was built at the local college more than a decade ago after migrants crossed into the campus and tried to blend in with students to evade the Border Patrol. The fence, he said, was mostly for aesthetic purposes and did not keep migrants from coming to Laredo.

Mexican culture and identity are prevalent in Laredo, a city of more than 262,000 residents. According to the Census Bureau, 95.4% of residents identify as Latino or Hispanic.

Thousands of people cross back and forth every day, in cars or on foot, between Laredo, Texas, and its sister city, Nuevo Laredo in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The two cities have a "strong connection without a doubt," Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz says. "We are connected economic-wise, culture-wise, socially as well."

Alongside national grocery and retail chains are taquerias, flower shops and local stores, many with signs in Spanish. At one shop, Casa San Agustin, a sign advertised bolsas (handbags), carteras (wallets) and mochilas (backpacks).

Becoming American: This unaccompanied minor nearly drowned coming to the US. Now he has a new life in Florida

Amid the shops, restaurants and homes in downtown Laredo, there are hundreds of migrant families, many led by single parents who have children under the age of 7. A nonprofit group feeds them, clothes them and gives them a place to stay until they are able to travel to their family or sponsors in the state or elsewhere in the USA.

Along the border are several ranches, where Cuellar said migrants cross.

Migrants cross the U.S.-Mexican border into Mission, Texas, on March 23.

He draws a distinction between those seeking to enter the USA in Laredo versus other points of entry.

He said many of the migrants are adult men from Mexico who are apprehended in Laredo and the surrounding areas, different from the children and families he said come to the Rio Grande Valley area  about two hours south of Laredo.

According to data from CBP, the Border Patrol encountered 53,661 migrants in the Laredo region in March. A little more than 50,000 were adults, 38,078 of which were from Mexico.

In the Rio Grande Valley, the Border Patrol encountered 159,470 migrants in March. Though the majority were adults, 52,139 migrant families with young children were encountered, as well as 20,964 unaccompanied children.

You got to be compassionate, you got to be humane, Cuellar said. But at the same time, there are certain things you have to enforce, the law. Otherwise, the bad guys will see there's no consequence.

Pastor Michael Smith, executive director of the nonprofit Holding Institute in Laredo, which provides temporary shelter, as well as food and clothes, for migrant families, said Cuellar takes a "political risk" over his comments and work on immigration.

"Immigration is not a popular issue, it's still very divisive," Smith said. "(Cuellar) stands the chance to alienate both sides of Congress."

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif., chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said Cuellar's voice is important on immigration as are those of other members of Congress who represent border districts. But he said every district  even along the border  is different and the priorities of all the communities are being incorporated into policies.

More: Biden administration to reunify families separated by Trump 'zero tolerance' policy

"He knows his district," Ruiz said. "Now, it may be different than another person's district, but in his district, he knows his district best."

Smith noted Cuellar has fought for nonprofit groups on the border to get reimbursed for housing migrants. He said the Holding Institute received about 10 migrants a week in January. In the first week of May, it received about 250 migrants a day. Thefacility had to expand into an abandoned warehouse across the street to house migrants while following COVID-19 procedures.

Cuellar helped streamline the process for nonprofit groups, such as the Holding Institute, to apply for reimbursement funds through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, Smith said. The institute applied for funds two weeks ago and has yet to receive its reimbursement.

"I can tell you that we have reached out to both sides, and he's the only one that responded to us," Smith said.

Cuellar isnt the only member of Congress representing the border who says the Biden administration is not listening.

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a Democrat who represents portions of the Rio Grande Valley, including McAllen, expressed the same frustrations Cuellar has had in terms of communication with the White House. Gonzalez said its completely disordered at the border.

I think they should engage us much more, and they don't, he said. I don't know why. We're four months in or five months in, but I'd had at this point ... more communication with the Trump administration than I have so far with the Biden administration.

Cuellar worked with Obama, Trump administrations

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said this week the number of migrants apprehended in April is expected to be high.

But the number of children in CBP custody has dropped dramatically over the past several weeks, as the Department of Health and Human Services rushed to open emergency intake sites to transfer children from the jail-like Border Patrol facilities. Children are not supposed to be in CBP custody more than 72 hours. For months, the Biden administration struggled to quickly move children into HHS custody, from which they are released to family members or sponsors, a process that could take weeks or months.

The Biden administration said Thursday the majority of children stay in CBP custody for only about 24 hours before being transferred to a facility run by HHS. In late March, there was a daily peak of more than 5,500 children held in CBP custody, a number down to 600 to 750 children daily. There are roughly 20,000 children in the care of HHS daily.

Past administrations had to deal with increased numbers of migrants coming to the border, and lawmakers have struggled for decades to pass a comprehensive immigration overhaul.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who lives in Laredo, says the Biden administration must listen to border communities to stem the surge of undocumented immigrants.

During the Obama administration, Vice President Biden took the lead on trying to find a solution to the root causes of the immigrant influx  a similar role to what President Biden assigned Vice President Kamala Harris. Cuellar said he worked well with Biden and found allies in the Obama administration that would listen to his concerns.

More: Biden administration cancels military-funded border wall construction, diverts funds to projects

One of those people was Jeh Johnson, Homeland Security secretary during the Obama administration.

Johnson told USA TODAY that Cuellar gets static from within his own caucus from time to time as a moderate Democrat, but being from a border district has made Cuellar attentive to the full contours of the immigration issue.

Johnson described how he visited Laredo in 2016 and walked a parade route with Cuellar. Johnson said a few people knew who he was, but Cuellar was greeted like a returning war hero.

During the parade, Henry told me something I never forgot: People down here want us to be fair and compassionate toward migrants, but they also want the border under control, Johnson said. I believe the Nation as a whole is not much different.

Cuellar said that although he disagreed with Trump on his approach to immigration, especially in regards to building a wall on the border, he had people in the Trump administration he could talk to, such as Mark Morgan, a holdover from the Obama administration who served as chief operating officer and acting CBP commissioner in 2019.

Cuellar isnt cut off completely from the Biden administration. He said hes made multiple calls to the White House and has spoken to Mayorkas. He said the message the White House always has for him is: We have a plan.

With all due respect, I keep hearing Yeah, we have a plan. Ive seen parts of it. In my opinion, I think they need to get a little bit of input from other folks on that, because what I've seen is not going to stop the flow (of migrants), Cuellar said.

What Cuellar wants at the border

Cuellar tries to find legislative solutions to address the situation at the border.

Last month, he co-sponsored a bipartisan bill with Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, whose district represents San Antonio, to address overcrowding in Border Patrol facilities. The bill  which has a companion measure in the Senate sponsored by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.  calls for creating four processing facilities for asylum seekers, as well as adding judges, asylum officers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement staff and CBP officers along the border.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, says he keeps hearing assurances from the White House that it has a plan to stem the surge in immigrants at the U.S.-Mexican border. "Ive seen parts of it. In my opinion, I think they need to get a little bit of input from other folks on that, because what I've seen is not going to stop the flow (of migrants), he says.

The legislation has been criticized by some liberal organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union.

Rather than building a fair and humane system for people fleeing danger and seeking protection, the bill instead works within the failed framework of deterrence and detention designed to short-circuit due process, Jonathan Blazer, director of border strategies at the ACLU, said in a statement.

As the Biden administration continues work on migrants at the border, Congress is trying to push immigration legislation through.

Henry Cuellar served as Texas secretary of state in 2001 during Gov. Rick Perry's tenure.

Last month, Cuellar voted in favor of the Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, bills that would create pathways to citizenship for "Dreamers," undocumented immigrants brought to the USA as children, and farmworkers. The bills have yet to be brought up in the Senate.

From zero tolerance to now: How Americas migrant policies have changed in the Trump and Biden years

Cuellar is trying to bring other moderates in Congress into the fold to help pass an immigration overhaul. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., went down to Laredo last month to meet with migrants and took a boat tour on the Rio Grande.

During a nearly hourlong news conference at a pastors house, Manchin expressed support for creating a pathway to citizenship, especially for "Dreamers," and setting up ways to allow migrants to apply for asylum from their home countries. Immigration activists praised Manchins remarks, seeing them as a signal legislation could be passed this year.

Manchin, the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, has been a key player on Capitol Hill in getting legislation passed in a split chamber.

Frank Sharry, founder and executive director of Americas Voice, an immigrant advocacy group, said Manchins vocal support for immigration reform was surprising and pleasing. He noted the backdrop of South Texas, alongside Cuellar, was a big deal.

More: Police help Border Patrol catch migrants, which is bad policy, experts say

Democrats have a pro-immigrant party, and they support a pathway to citizenship, Sharry said.

In Laredo, where Cuellar stayed for several weeks during a House recess, he spent the final days of his break meeting with officials and constituents in his hometown. The congressman visited the Rio Grande Valley, gave Manchin a tour of Laredo and held meetings with Central American and Mexican officials to discuss the border.

Cuellar knows some people may think he is attacking the president, but he said he's simply relaying the concerns he hears from constituents.

Listen to the people. Listen to the ranchers. Listen to the NGOs. Its not only the immigration activist, but you got to listen to border communities, Cuellar said. That's all I've been saying. I'm not attacking. I'm not criticizing. I'm just saying here are the numbers and just listen to border communities. You don't have to listen to me, listen to the other people here.

Reach Rebecca Morin at Twitter @RebeccaMorin_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Henry Cuellar, critic of Biden on immigration, wants border town help
OH DAMN THAT WAS FAST!

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lol. It just escalated so quickly, figured they would at least stagger that shit a little bit so their narrative is a little more believable.

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lmao this was fast. literally heard about this relationship for the 1st time yesterday, and today, bam, pregnant.

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WHAT THE HELL. THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY. But congratulations to them!



But I don't understand the logic of the custody thing. Why can't her ex-husband fly out to New York or why can't she hire a nanny and send the nanny on the plane with the kid?

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full custody really just has to do with what parent gets to make decisions about the kid so that not being able to travel excuse probably won't work.

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No, you're thinking of legal custody. Even if she has full physical custody, the other parent is still involved in decisions about the child.



If you read the source, she's actually filing for joint custody but with the caveat that the father must fly/move to NY if he wants physical custody.

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He can fly out, and if you read the source, that is actually what she's asking for - a joint custody arrangement but with the kid's home being in NY and not LA (which I'm assuming is where her and the father met/the kid has been for the most part). And he can fly out/move to NY to see him.

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LMFAO! that was quick!

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omfg @ this turn of events. I wonder if she cheated on her husband w/ ben and she got pregnant from that and that's why her husband is divorcing her?? this all seems so fast.

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agreed, something seems weird imo

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yeah, pretty messy timing

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LOL

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lmao

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lol it is

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LOL! Season 4 was good. This is definitely infinitely more interesting that Season 3!



Edited at 2015-09-24 11:46 pm (UTC)

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If she's in the first trimester and the ex filed in July....hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

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That's crazy/messy if so. :/:/:/

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Reminds me of my co worker who showed up at her divorce heavily pregnant by the dude she cheated with.

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this right here.

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That's what I thought.

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This is gonna be messssy...

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Kim Davis realness

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If you have a 1-year old child and you're pregnant, yeah, whatever went down went down FAST.

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WHAT??? they are kind of an odd couple tbh

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Mte

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what even!?

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ummm

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whoaaaaa

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wow

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At this rate, tomorrow we'll hear that they got married.

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http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/98157664.html well jesus you truly are prophetic

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the person choosing photos 4 TMZ articles is the shadiest mofo on that whole site, i c u

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lmao ikr

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they both look so smug lmao

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That pic of Ben is SOOO BAD omw...

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LMAO SIS CHILL

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mhm lookin like they're both suckin on black cherry warheads

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so true!

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i want that job tho

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well well well

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hmmmmmmmm

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i remember her from the good wife and i feel like this is going to get messy

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was she that serial killer's wife?! i kinda remember

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Firebrand Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene have torn into their GOP colleagues at a red-meat-filled rally, in an ambitious attempt to force party leadership to fall in line with their pro-Trump faction of the party.

Gaetz and Greene kicked off their barnstorming 'America First Tour' with an event on Friday night at The Villages, Florida the massive retirement community known as a fierce Trump stronghold.

'We've got this battle going on right now for the soul of the Republican Party,' Gaetz told the roaring crowd of senior citizens. 'Maybe we're the leaders, Marjorie. Maybe they should follow us!'

'Today, we send a strong message to the weak establishment in both parties: America First isn't going away. We are going on tour,' Gaetz said.

It comes as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who is focused on winning back GOP control of the House next year, faces tough decisions about whether siding with the populist faction represented by Gaetz and Greene will help or hurt the party in the midterms.

As soon as next week, McCarthy is expected to lead the party to an inflection point by calling a vote on whether to dump Rep. Liz Cheney, who is outspoken in condemning Trump's election fraud claims, from the No. 3 House leadership position.

Scroll down for video

Firebrand Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene held the first event of their 'America First Tour' on Friday, as they put pressure on party leadership in the GOP civil war

The rally took place at The Villages, Florida the massive retirement community known as a fierce Trump stronghold

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (left), under pressure from the GOP populist wing, is expected to call a vote next week on ousting Rep. Liz Cheney (right) from leadership

Gaetz, a third-term Floridian, and Greene, a Georgia freshman, have attracted more public attention lately than most junior members of Congress - and now they are hoping to harness their high profiles to rally the party base and strike fear into leadership.

At Friday's rally, Gaetz and Greene did lob attacks at standard nemeses including Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Greene reiterated her call to impeach President Joe Biden.

But the rally was extraordinary in the amount of time the duo spent tearing into their own GOP colleagues -- though rarely by name, with the exception of Cheney.

'If Liz Cheney could even find Wyoming on a map and went there, she would find a lot of very angry cowboys who are not happy with the fact that she's sorta for every war,' said Gaetz, referring to Cheney's home district.

'I didn't go to the Republican retreat, because I feel like the Republicans have been in a constant state of retreat,' said Gaetz, referring to the annual House GOP retreat held last month in Orlando. 'I'm ready for an advance, not a retreat!'

'They go to the retreat and basically the whole retreat is Kevin McCarthy fighting with Liz Cheney,' he said. 'Why did they not listen to us like, three four months ago when we said, this is not going to work?'

'When somebody's fundamental view is that we don't need to work on election integrity, we don't need to worry about the crisis at the border, we could find four more countries to invade before lunchtime tomorrow - that person should not be the spokesperson for the Republican Party,' Gaetz said of Cheney.

'We've got this battle going on right now for the soul of the Republican Party,' Gaetz told the roaring crowd of senior citizens

At one point, Greene said she had a 'list' of Republican colleagues in the House who had supported her removal from committee assignments over incendiary remarks

Gaetz addressed the sex trafficking allegations against him as he took the stage on Friday, saying he's a 'marked man' in Congress and 'perhaps a wanted man' by the 'deep state'

'We voted to kick her out a few months ago,' Greene added of Cheney. 'We were ahead on this. We don't understand why it took leadership and everybody else [so long] to get to this point. But that's the problem isn't it?'

At one point, Greene said she had a 'list' of Republican colleagues in the House who had supported her removal from committee assignments over incendiary remarks she made on Facebook before her election.

'It is no long the blue team against the red team in politics. It's the establishment against the rest of us!' said Gaetz at one point.

Gaetz and Greene have been at the center of recent high-profile controversies. The Justice Department is investigating whether Gaetz violated sex trafficking laws and had sex with a 17-year-old girl, and McCarthy has suggested he'll take action if Gaetz is indicted.

Gaetz addressed the allegations as he took the stage on Friday, saying he's a 'marked man' in Congress and 'perhaps a wanted man' by the 'deep state'.

He has denied the accusations against him, which were described by people familiar with the investigation. He hasn't been charged with any crimes and says he is 'absolutely not resigning.'

And a memo linked to Greene described a proposed America First Caucus hailing 'Anglo-Saxon political traditions' and warning of immigration's threat to the U.S.'s 'unique culture,' prompting McCarthy to denounce 'nativist dog whistles.'

Greene called the caucus memo a staff-level proposal that she had not read from an outside group she didn't identify. She said 'America First' embraces people 'of every race, creed, and color,' and added, 'I will never back down.'

Gaetz, a third-term Floridian, and Greene, a Georgia freshman, have attracted more public attention lately than most junior members of Congress

Unlike most lawmakers, the two have sources of power that make them tough for leaders to curb, including safe districts, high profiles and massive fundraising ability

An attendee who only gave her name as Sherry dances in the crowd during a rally featuring Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Friday in The Villages

Inside the ballroom, the supporters danced and clapped to Laura Branigan's 'Gloria' and other 1980s hits and waved their arms

Some 300 supporters, mostly retirees, packed into a hotel ballroom to listen them. A long line trailed outside the hotel with people who couldn't get in once the ballroom reached capacity.

The Villages, which was the fastest growing U.S. metro area last year, has been a Republican bastion for decades and is often a must-stop destination for Republican presidential candidates.

Inside the ballroom, the supporters danced and clapped to Laura Branigan's 'Gloria' and other 1980s hits and waved their arms, loudly chanting the lyrics of Queen's 'We Are the Champions,' before the politicians took the stage.

At least a half dozen muscled security guards in identical olive shirts stood around the room.

Unlike most lawmakers, Gaetz and Greene have sources of power that make them tough for leaders to curb.

Their formulas include raising lots of money, amassing social media followers, appearing often on television, representing strongly conservative districts and being allied with former President Donald Trump, whos still idolized by legions of Republicans.

Their association with Trump 'gives a lot of psychological power to the firebrands to know that they're on pretty safe ground,' said former Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., a hardline conservative who battled party leaders.

'In the past, if you wanted your profile as elevated as Matt Gaetz's or Marjorie Taylor Greene's, you'd run for president,' said Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, another conservative whos clashed with leadership.

Protesters gather outside a rally featuring Gaetz and Greene in The Villages

While The Villages is known as a Trump stronghold, the community's Democrats and moderate Republicans opposed to the populist wing made their views known with a protest outside

From January 2019 through last week, Gaetz's 209 weekday appearances on the three major cable TV networks - nearly all on conservative Fox News - were exceeded by only five other members of Congress, according to Media Matters, a liberal group that monitors online political activity.

His congressional and personal Twitter accounts both boast at least 1 million followers.

'The really powerful people in this town are the ones that can go on television and make an argument,' Gaetz told the producers of 'The Swamp,' a 2019 HBO documentary. 'And that's power that leadership can never take away from you.'

Greene, in Congress since January, has 400,000 Twitter followers but has made no daytime appearances on the three top cable networks. She has appeared on the Trump-friendly One America News Network and Newsmax TV.

She also reported raising $3.2 million during this year's first three months. That's more than double the $1.5 million the typical House GOP incumbent spent on the entire 2020 election, according to Federal Election Commission figures.

Gaetz reported raising $1.8 million through March.
Despite tall claims made by over Twitter about the full self-driving technology, electric car-maker Tesla has privately admitted that such claims do not match up with the engineering reality.

Tesla vehicles are far from reaching a level of autonomy often described by Musk on social media, according to an internal memo obtained by transparency portal Plainsite.

"Elon's tweet does not match engineering reality per CJ. Tesla is at Level 2 currently," Tesla's director of Autopilot software CJ Moore told the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

Level 2 technology refers to a semi-automated driving system, which requires supervision by a human driver.

The memo shows that "Musk has inflated the capabilities of the Autopilot advanced driver assistance system in Tesla vehicles, as well the company's ability to deliver fully autonomous features by the end of the year," reports TechCrunch.

Tesla vehicles come with a driver assistance system called 'Autopilot' that enhances safety and convenience behind the wheel. When used properly, Autopilot reduces your overall workload as a driver.

For an additional $10,000, people can buy "full self-driving" or FSD, that Musk promises will deliver full autonomous driving capabilities.

Full Self-Driving capabilities include navigate on Autopilot, Auto Lane Change, Summon (moves your car in and out of a tight space using the mobile app or key),

Smart Summon (your car will navigate more complex environments and parking spaces); Traffic and Stop Sign Control (Beta) and Autosteer on city streets (upcoming).

However, Tesla vehicles are still not driving on their own and "are far from reaching that level of autonomy".

In an earnings call in January, Musk told investors that he was "highly confident the car will be able to drive itself with reliability in excess of human this year".

Tesla, however, is unlikely to achieve Level 5 (L5) autonomy, in which its cars can drive themselves anywhere without any human supervision by the end of 2021.

"The ratio of driver interaction would need to be in the magnitude of 1 or 2 million miles per driver interaction to move into higher levels of automation. Tesla indicated that Elon is extrapolating on the rates of improvement when speaking about L5 capabilities. Tesla couldn't say if the rate of improvement would make it to L5 by end of calendar year," the DMV memo read.

--IANS

na/

(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.)
for the cover of my book, The Book of Conquests, I was channelling an artist called Frank Frazetta, a wonderful fantasy artist. The image is of Nuada the High King standing on this rock with a sword raised up into the air and all these enemies surrounding him. I did it deliberately heroic.



The Book of Conquests reminds me of Charlie Haughey. He was inspired to bring sea eagles back to Inishvickillaun by the book. He told me that personally. The story is narrated by a sea eagle who was re-incarnated from a man called Tuan. Sometimes you think youre doing a work to just enjoy yourself when somebody spins off and sees something else in it. What happened was that I got a phone call one day in 1989. 'It's Charlie.'



Philip Lynott had a friend called Charlie, the security guy. I was thinking whats he ringing me for?



But, no, he said: 'Its Charlie Haughey.'



I was thinking it might be a wind-up, but I knew from the voice it was him. So I ended up in Kinsealy.



He said, 'Ive a commission for you. Its for a mott.' ['Mott' is Dublin slang for a girl/woman]



I said, 'Oh, yeah, interesting', and just kept my mouth shut. It wasnt my business. It turned out 'the mott' was Terry Keane, who I knew well, but on the painting he asked me to put two initials on the bottom: 'CJH' and 'TOD'. That put me off the scent. Everybody had a good idea that Terry Keane and himself were having an affair. 'TOD' was Terry O'Donnell, which was her maiden name, but I never made the connection until after she died.



I went away and did the painting and returned with it. He gave me a verse to put on it [about a dispute involving the ODonnell clan in the 15th century]: 'No hawk nor hound/No steer nor steed/ONeill gets from me'



I did a painting of a Celtic warrior with a scar across his face. It looks like hes been battered to death. He doesnt look like my regular grandiose Celtic warriors. He looks a bit under the weather. It was Charlie in disguise. If he recognized himself in it, he never mentioned it. He liked the painting immensely. My politics are to the far left, but I took a shine to him.

9. Rory Gallagher
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Mr Connell said the 'stand-out' features included the four-sided fireplace and the 12-metre wide north facing deck with ocean and valley views.

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The outside deck area with a balcony overlooking the stunning landscape

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Mr Connell has over 40 years' experience in the architecture and interior design industry, as well as the furniture industry.
Joseph Ventre, 34, was found groaning unintelligibly in a field in Providence by police officers

Rhode Island authorities are investigating the case of a man who died after being handcuffed by police and held down for 90 seconds in Providence.

Officers were called at around 12:30 am Friday on a report of a man who was screaming in the street and possibly under the influence of narcotics, according to an account released by Providence police.

He was later identified as Joseph Ventre, 34.

They found Ventre groaning unintelligibly as he rolled on the ground next to a ballfield.

The officers called for an ambulance from the Providence Fire Department and spent more than 10 minutes trying to talk to the man and calm him down, but he did not answer questions or follow commands.

Then the officers had what police described as a 'minor struggle' with the man as they handcuffed him to protect rescue workers.

Body cam video released by Providence police shows that the officers eventually held the man down on his stomach for about 90 seconds while cuffing his hands behind his back.

An emergency responder joined them, and then he suddenly stopped yelling and appeared to stop moving.

The camera recorded someone telling him to breathe while another officer said 'get him off his stomach, man.'

Ventre did not appear to move as he was placed on a stretcher moments later.

Police said he was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:41 a.m.

Bodycam footage released by Providence police shows officers spent 10 minutes trying to speak to Ventre, who appeared to be extremely intoxicated

After they handcuffed and held him down on his stomach for 90 seconds, he stopped moving. Someone tells Ventre to breathe while another officer said 'get him off his stomach, man'

Ventre lost consciousness and was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:41am

'As police attempted to speak with Mr. Ventre, he began pacing back and forth, rolling in the dirt at times, and not answering questions asked by police,' spokesperson Lindsay Lague wrote in a press release Friday night.

'Police immediately requested the Providence Fire Department to the scene to assist.'

The death is being investigated by Providence police, Rhode Island state police and the Rhode Island attorney general, which investigates deaths that occur under police custody.

A Gofundme page was set up to take donations to pay for Ventre's funeral arrangements.

'Joseph Ventre was a beloved son/brother/friend of many for 34 years,' the fundraising page said.

'In the wake of this untimely news and to honor his memory, we would appreciate any and all donations in order to help give him the proper arrangements he deserves.'

It had received $380 by early Saturday afternoon.

Deaths in police custody remain the subject of intense focus following the guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.

A GodFundMe page has been set up to fundraise for Ventre's funeral. He's described as a beloved son, brother and friend

Chauvin was convicted of Floyd's second and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter, at a state trial in Minneapolis.

He and three other former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd's death have been indicted on federal hate crimes charges.

Chauvin, 45, Thomas Lane, 38, J Alexander Kueng, 27, and Tou Thao, 35, were charged Friday with willfully violating Floyd's civil rights when he died under Chauvin's knee last May.

The convicted killer and the three other cops have been slapped with federal charges for failing to provide medical care to Floyd during his fatal arrest outside a convenience store.

Chauvin is further charged with violating Floyd's right to be free from unreasonable force by a police officer, while Thao and Kueng are charged with failing to intervene to stop Chauvin using unreasonable force.

If convicted on these charges, all four disgraced officers could face the federal death penalty or life in prison.

Accurate figures on the total number of deaths in police custody in the United States is notoriously difficult to track, as law enforcement agencies don't make figures publicly available.

The Death in Custody Reporting Act was signed into law in 2014, and since late 2019, the federal government has required agencies to document deaths in custody.

However, it has not released those figures yet.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister on Friday said he had close consultations during the last week with his counterparts from some Gulf countries on ways to increase import of liquid medical (LMO) into India and deeply appreciates the initial gesture of goodwill with complimentary LMO supplies particularly from UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Pradhan, who made a series of tweets, said he had close consultations during the last week with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar

"I received their wholesome support for ensuring commercial supply of LMO to India, especially at a time when India is battling the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

He said the country is in the process of securing commercial supplies of LMO into the country in coming weeks.

The minister expressed his deep appreciation to his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar for their extended support and special gesture of solidarity with India through the offer of ISO Containers for the next six months. "Assurance of steady commercial supply of LMO to India is also welcomed," 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.)
Teams of experts are projecting the Covid-19 toll on the US will fall sharply by the end of July, according to research released by the government Wednesday. But they also warn that a "substantial increase" in hospitalizations and deaths is possible if unvaccinated people do not follow basic precautions such as wearing a mask and keeping their distance from others.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paper included projections from six research groups. Their assignment was to predict the course of the US epidemic between now and September under different scenarios, depending on how the vaccination drive proceeds and how people behave.

Mainly, it's good news. Even under scenarios involving disappointing vaccination rates, Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are expected to drop dramatically by the end of July and continue to fall afterward. The CDC is now reporting an average of about 350,000 new cases each week, 35,000 hospitalizations and over 4,000 deaths.

Under the most optimistic scenarios considered, by the end of July new weekly national cases could drop below 50,000, hospitalizations to fewer than 1,000, and deaths to between 200 and 300. "We are not out of the woods yet, but we could be very close," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said, while noting that variants of the coronavirus are a "wild card" that could set back progress.

The projections are probably in line with what many Americans were already expecting for this summer. With Covid-19 deaths, hospitalizations and cases plummeting since January, many states and cities are already moving to ease or lift restrictions on restaurants, bars, theaters and other businesses and talking about getting back to something close to normal this summer.

New York's subways will start running all night again this month, Las Vegas is bustling again after casino capacity limits were raised, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this week suspended all restrictions put in place by local governments, though businesses may continue requiring people to wear masks and keep their distance, and many are still doing so.

Many people in Florida have resumed parties, graduations and recitals. Walt Disney World lets guests remove their masks for photographs. "It does feel like life is returning to normal," said 67-year-old Vicki Restivo of Miami, who after getting vaccinated resumed outings with her friends at restaurants and traveled to Egypt - and felt "very comfortable" about it.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday set a goal of delivering shots to 70% of US adults by July Fourth. Such a goal, if met, would fit in with the best-case scenarios, said one of the study's co-authors, CDC biologist Michael Johansson. Under more pessimistic scenarios, with subpar vaccinations and declining use of masks and social distancing, weekly cases probably would still drop but could number in the hundreds of thousands, with tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths.

"Something I am asked often is when will the pandemic be over and when can we go back to normal. The reality is: It all depends on the actions we take now," Walensky said.

All the projections trend down, illustrating the powerful effect of the vaccination campaign. But there's a devastating difference between the more gently sloping declines in some scenarios and the more dramatic drops in others, said Jennifer Kates, director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

"Each of these differences are people's lives," said Kates, who is part of a Kaiser research team that has focused on COVID-19 and was not involved in the CDC study.

The US death toll stands at more than 578,000. The CDC paper gives no overall estimate of how high the number of dead might go. But a closely watched projection from the University of Washington shows the curve largely flattening out in the coming months, with the toll reaching about 599,000 by Aug. 1.

More than 56% of the nation's adults, or close to 146 million people, have received at one dose of vaccine, and almost 41% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Johansson said the paper is intended not so much as a prediction of exactly what's going to happen but as a way to understand how things might unfold if vaccination drives or other efforts stumble.

By September, assuming high vaccination rates and continuing use of prevention measures, the models indicate new cases could fall to just a few hundred per week and just tens of hospitalizations and deaths. The paper also sketched out a worst-case scenario, in which cases could rise to 900,000 per week, hospitalizations to 50,000, and deaths to 10,000. That most likely would happen sometime this month, the projections said.

However, the paper's projections are based on data available through late March, when the national picture was somewhat darker. The CDC paper "is already looking a little outdated, because we've seen cases continue to go down, and hospitalizations go down, and deaths go down," Kates said.

Nevertheless, Johansson warned: "We're still in a tenuous position." There is variation from state to state in how well vaccination campaigns are going and how fast restrictions are being abandoned, and that will probably mean some states will suffer a higher toll from Covid-19 than others in the coming months, Kates said.

"If you take the foot off the gas," she said, "you can really have some bad outcomes." The paper doesn't look past September, and scientists cannot say for sure what the epidemic will look like next fall and winter because it's not known how enduring vaccine protection will be or whether variants of the virus will prove to be a greater problem.

Like the flu, Covid-19 could increase as people move indoors in the cold weather. "My hope is with enough people vaccinated we will be able to get to something that will resemble maybe a bad flu season," said William Hanage, a Harvard University expert on disease dynamics who was not involved in the research. But "it's not going to go away. It's not going to be eradicated."

Also read: COVID-19 surge: US urges citizens in India to return home through available flights
In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks during a rally protesting the electoral college certification of Joe Biden as President in Washington. Lurking beneath Facebook's decision on whether to continue Donald Trump's suspension from its platform is a far more complex and consequential question: Do the protections carved out for companies when the internet was in its infancy 25 years ago make sense when some of them have become global powerhouses with almost unlimited reach?(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Lurking beneath Facebook's decision on whether to continue Donald Trump's suspension from its platform is a far more complex and consequential question: Do the protections carved out for companies when the internet was in its infancy 25 years ago make sense when some of them have become global powerhouses with almost unlimited reach?

The companies have provided a powerful megaphone for Trump, other world leaders and billions of users to air their grievances, even ones that are false or damaging to someone's reputation, knowing that the platforms themselves were shielded from liability for content posted by users.

Now that shield is getting a critical look in the current climate of hostility toward Big Tech and the social environment of political polarization, hate speech and violence against minorities.

The debate is starting to take root in Congress, and the action this week by Facebook's quasi-independent oversight board upholding the company's suspension of Trump's accounts could add momentum to that legislative effort.

Under the 1996 Communications Decency Act, digital platform companies have legal protection both for content they carry and for removing postings they deem offensive. The shelter from lawsuits and prosecution applies to social media posts, uploaded videos, user reviews of restaurants or doctors, classified adsor the underworld of thousands of websites that profit from false and defamatory information on individuals.

Section 230 of the law, which outlines the shield, was enacted when many of the most powerful social media companies didn't even exist. It allowed companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google to grow into the behemoths they are today.

Republicans accuse the social media platforms of suppressing conservative voices and giving a stage to foreign leaders branded as dictators, while Trump is barred. Democrats and civil rights groups decry the digital presence of far-right extremists and pin blame on the platforms for disseminating hate speech and stoking extremist violence.

"For too long, social media platforms have hidden behind Section 230 protections to censor content that deviates from their beliefs," Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the senior Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, has said.

On this, Trump and President Joe Biden apparently agree. Trump, while president, called for the repeal of Section 230, branding it "a serious threat to our national security and election integrity." Biden said during his campaign that it "immediately should be revoked," though he hasn't spoken about the issue at length as president.

Facebook, with a strong lobbying presence in Washington and a desire to have an input into any changes, has stepped out in favor of revisions to Section 230. Congress should update the 1996 law "to make sure it's working as intended," CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said. And he's offered a specific suggestion: Congress could require internet platforms to gain legal protection only by proving that their systems for identifying illegal content are up to snuff.

Some critics see a clever gambit in that, a requirement that could make it more difficult for smaller tech companies and startups to comply and would ultimately advantage Facebook over smaller competitors.

Spokespeople for Twitter and Google declined to comment on the prospects for legislative action on Section 230 following the Facebook board ruling; a spokesperson for Menlo Park, California-based Facebook had no immediate comment.

The decision announced by the Facebook oversight board upheld the suspension of Trump, an extremely rare move that was based on the company's conclusion that he incited violence leading to the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot. But the overseers told Facebook to specify how long the suspension would last, saying its "indefinite" ban on the former president was unreasonable. The ruling, which gives Facebook six months to comply, effectively postpones any possible Trump reinstatement and puts the onus for that decision squarely back on the company.

Trump was permanently banned after the riot from Twitter, his favored bullhorn. But it was Facebook that played an integral role in both of Trump's campaigns, not just as a way to speak to his more than 32 million followers but also as a fundraising juggernaut driving small-dollar contributions through highly targeted ads.

Critics of Facebook generally saw the oversight board's ruling as positive. But some view the board as a distraction by Facebook to skirt its responsibility and to stave off action by Congress or the Biden administration. What must be addressed, critics insist, are the broader problems for society from the fearsome power, market dominance and underlying business model of Facebook and the other tech giantsharvesting data from platform users and making it available to online advertisers so they can pinpoint consumers to target.

That's where the debate over changes to Section 230 comes in, as a key area for new regulation of social media.

Gautam Hans, a technology law and free-speech expert and professor at Vanderbilt University, said he finds the board to be "a bit of a sideshow from the larger policy and social questions that we have about these companies."

Explore further Facebook users can appeal harmful content to oversight board

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 19:13:15|Editor: huaxia

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A student takes part in a robotic programming contest during a vocational students skills competition in Shanghai, east China, May 8, 2021. The final of the competition, which kicked off on Saturday, has seen about 150 contestants compete in six categories including medicare, floriculture, and calculation with abacus. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)
Billie Piper says boozy nights with Chris Evans helped her to overcome her teenage eating disorder.

The star, who topped the charts at 15, said the anorexia she had at the time was a reaction to the chaos of fame and a punishing schedule of working up to 19 hours a day.

But she tells todays Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4 that she found love and support with Mr Evans, who is 17 years her senior, and they enjoyed partying.

Billie Piper raises a drink to her then husband Chris Evans after returning from Las Vegas in 2001

People looked upon that as me rebelling and falling apart. Id stopped caring about how I looked, Id put on loads of weight and was in pubs all the time, says the 38-year-old.

But that wasnt my experience. My experience of that time was I needed that. That felt like my sort of formative uni years. I felt loved and supported and we had a great time.

The couple, who married in 2001 and divorced six years later, remain friends.

The mother-of-three may be one of the UKs most in-demand actresses, but says: I think fame is my least favourite thing about what I do. I really just find it quite repellent.

Billie Piper, pictured during the recording of Desert Island Discs, described fame as 'repellent'

Billie, pictured with David Tennent as Rose from Doctor Who, described being 'uncomfortable' as her fame rose

She says she quit her initial stint as Rose Tyler in Dr Who in 2006 due to the pressure of being back in the public eye, adding: It was great in many ways But it made me really famous again in that sort of mainstream fame way that I find really uncomfortable. I loved that show. I loved Rose Tyler I didnt like the responsibility of being a sort of role model.

Other screen credits include Secret Diary Of A Call Girl and I Hate Suzie, but she is still haunted by dropping a baby Jesus doll in her first performance on stage as Mary in a school nativity play.

I get nervous still before I go on stage, she says. I go into an almost out-of-body experience, a sort of blackout.
The chairwoman of online delivery firm Deliveroo has been handed a key job at the Government department overseeing a crackdown on digital companies, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Claudia Arney has been given a senior position on the board of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).

It comes just weeks after the DCMS oversaw the launch of a digital regulator to stamp out unfair practices and anti-competitive behaviour in technology markets.

Claudia Arney has been given a senior position on the board of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

As a DCMS board member, Ms Arney will gain access to sensitive policy documents which could include information about the regulators new rules for controlling tech companies such as Amazon, Deliveroos largest shareholder.

She can also attend regular meetings with Ministers, is able to give policy advice to Secretary of State Oliver Dowden, and will have access to top officials she works with on departmental projects.

There is no suggestion that she has used any information gleaned from her new role inappropriately.

Ms Arneys appointment comes amid growing concerns about business leaders being drafted in to Whitehall to give advice, and the need for transparency.

It follows intense criticism about the access granted to disgraced financier Lex Greensill, who was given an adviser role in Whitehall while promoting his business, and lobbying on Greensills behalf by former Prime Minister David Cameron.

Claudia Arney hands John Stones his winners medal at Brighton's Amex Stadium as interim chair of the Premier League

Ms Arney was named Deliveroo chairwoman in November 2020. She was appointed as the most senior non-executive at DCMS on April 15. Mr Dowden is spearheading the creation of the new regulator that aims to tackle the dominance of internet giants such as Amazon, Facebook and Google.

The Digital Markets Unit regulator has pledged to block damaging takeovers that allow tech giants to operate unchallenged in the market.

Mr Dowden will start a consultation on its role and powers later this year. His department is already receiving sensitive updates about how officials will combat bullying tactics by big online companies.

The Digital Markets Unit, which is part of the Competition and Markets Authority regulator, was set up to start preparatory work on April 7. It will only receive powers to punish the tech giants when legislation passes through Parliament ahead of an official launch in 2022.

One former senior civil servant said: Non-executive board members for Government departments have very good access indeed and are seeing  as indeed boards should  the most sensitive papers on the key policy issues, not just setting institutional direction.

Alex Thomas, programme director at the Institute for Government think-tank, said such appointments do raise questions of conflicts of interest if you are deliberately bringing in people with business backgrounds to departments that are regulating businesses interests that they have.

Claudia Arney is chairwoman of online delivery firm Deliveroo but the DCMS denied there was a conflict of interest

On Ms Arneys appointment, he added: This feels like quite a big conflict to me. DCMS would need to give confidence that decisions are being made free from commercial influence.

Ms Arney has in-depth knowledge of takeovers after sitting on the Takeover Panel, an independent body in the City that regulates company mergers. She also sits on the board of Screwfix owner Kingfisher and housebuilder Derwent London.

A spokesman for DCMS said: There is no conflict of interest regarding this appointment and due process was properly followed.

It also insisted: The Digital Markets Unit is independent of the Government and sits within the Competition and Markets Authority.

Deliveroo declined to comment.
The on Friday sought a response from the Centre regarding the time frame within which the Kerala Government would get its share of COVID vaccine doses.

The court was hearing a petition challenging the Centr's "Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy" (policy) and its suo motu case against overcrowding in front of vaccine centres. The court called for the case to be posted on May 20.

The bench of Justices Devan Ramachandran and Kauser Edappagath asked whether it was true that Kerala was receiving 3 lakh vaccine doses against its request for one crore doses (75 lakh doses of Covishield and 25 lakh of Covaxin).

When the counsel for the Centre -- Advocate KR Rajkumar and State Attorney KV Sohan agreed, the court remarked that it was not being parochial but sought a timeline from the Centre as to when Kerala could receive its share of vaccines.

The court said, "We think that the Government of India should respond at the earliest as to when there would be a meaningful solution to the scarcity of doses of vaccines, which is now being faced. When we say this, it may not be misunderstood to mean that we are asking for any preferential treatment to the State of Kerala, but only that the Government of India must inform us how and when the doses, as requested, can be made available to Kerala. The general fear of there being a vaccine shortage was perhaps leading to flocking in front of vaccine centers."

"There can be little doubt that every citizen would crave the vaccination because there is a fear that their life itself would be jeopardised, the court noted.

The court further said, "The state police chief is ordered to direct SHOs by circular over email that any request for deployment by vaccine centers will be honoured. Only empathetic persuasion to be used. Police personnel deployed outside vaccine centers were to refrain from the use of force but use empathetic persuasion instead.
A British expat with an ardent passion for history has published an English-language book about the history of Fuengirola, the town where he has lived for the past 20 years. The book, which was presented at the Salon Varietes Theatre last Saturday, is called Fuengirola Revisited, and it reveals how the events of the past 3,000 years have contributed to the town's rich historical tapestry.

The author, Patrick Meehan, who was born in Herne Bay in 1958, has a degree in Sociology and Social Anthropology, which he acquired while studying at the University of Kent.

His love of local history inspired his new book, which began to bear fruit after an incident that happened in 2017. Patrick's daughter and her husband were due to visit that Christmas. Patrick's son-in-law also shares a love of history, so Patrick had assembled a collection of information to give him a sense of the importance of the location. However, due to problems at Bristol Airport, their flight was cancelled.

"Everything I had planned was suddenly cancelled and the question arose of what was I going to do with all that research I had prepared. Had that plane landed safely, this book may never have materialised," Patrick explains, smiling as he recalls the incident.

The book takes the reader on a journey through time. It includes informative chapters on the influence of the Romans, Vandals, Visigoths and the Moors, as well as concentrating on important events like the Battle of Fuengirola, the installation of the railway line and the advent of tourism. The cover of the book was painted by British artist Teresa Henry, who attended the presentation.

The text is complemented by a collection of 50 photographs and a copy of a 1970s map created by British artist John Drummond, who lived in the town for 50 years.

However, Patrick did not at first realise the scale of the project he had undertaken.

"I didn't realise there would be this much work involved. I thought I would complete it in six months, but it actually took almost three years," Patrick says.

The book was published by Costa Women, a group founded by Patrick's wife Ali, who said she was "extremely proud" of her husband. Both Patrick and Ali expressed their gratitude for the amount of help they had received from the expat community, and the town hall, who supported Patrick "wholeheartedly".

Deputy mayor Rodrigo Romero Morales, who is also councillor for Foreign Residents, expressed his gratitude at the presentation.

"This is the first time a British citizen has written a book about Fuengirola. The Spanish are not normally very proud of their history. We don't normally look back. The expat community have always shown an interest in our history, so, in the name of the town hall, I would like to say thank you to Patrick for helping us understand ourselves," Romero Morales said.
The Duchess of Cornwall has conducted a revealing interview about the rising number of domestic abuse cases over the past 12 months.

Speaking at a women's refuge in Reading, Berkshire, the royal revealed the very personal effect witnessing domestic abuse has had on her.

Camilla, 73, spoke passionately about the fact many of us across Britain will know domestic abuse victims and may not even admit it.

Earlier this year, Camilla revealed her own friends had suffered domestic violence and she has long advocated for more specialist support, becoming the patron for charity SafeLives last year.

The Duchess was left visibly shaken after speaking to survivors in 2016, but she broached the topic very differently this time around on her first in-person visit to a domestic abuse refuge since lockdown restrictions eased.

The Duchess of Cornwall (pictured) spoke with 18 female domestic abuse survivors at a Berkshire women's refuge and professed: 'We all know someone in an abusive relationship'

Speaking with 18 female survivors at the Berkshire Aid refuge, Camilla pointed to rising domestic abuse numbers and the fact we 'all know someone in an abusive relationship.'

The royal told The Telegraph: 'Well I think if you've known somebody then it really does hit home.

'You feel "goodness, this is probably going on under my nose and I didn't know about it".

'And that makes you feel guilty, in a way, that you weren't there to help at the time you were probably most needed.'

At least two women are killed each week in the UK by current or former partners and more than two million report domestic abuse each year.

Demand for domestic abuse support services spiked throughout the country during Covid-19 lockdowns, according to the Office for National Statistics.

And this is no different at the Reading refuge, which has seen three times as many referrals and hundreds more calls, emails and messages each week, according to Andrea West, CEO of Berkshire Women's Aid.

At least two women are killed each week in the UK by current or former partners and more than two million report domestic abuse each year. File picture

Camilla continued: 'I've certainly known people who have suffered... suffered from it.

'You think "oh well, domestic abuse means that somebody's hit you occasionally when you've had a row or somebody's gone too far".

'But you've got no idea what really goes on in most relationships.'

When asked if it was plausible that we might all know somebody who is living in an abusive relationship, the Duchess' answer was clear.

'Yes, certainly. I think we all do. Though sometimes we don't want to admit it.

'I think once you've seen what can happen, you just want to go and stand out and say: Look hang on a minute everybody, do you realise what's going on all around us?'

Camilla (pictured in 2016) struggled to hold back tears as she heard from women about their harrowing experiences of domestic abuse

In 2016, Camilla cut an emotional figure after speaking with survivors in south east London.

Since then, the Duchess has stepped up to become one of the champions of domestic abuse support, speaking at events, charities and more each and every year.

During the interview, Camilla also revealed her excitement at the prospect of hugging her grandchildren again - following the recent birthdays of Princess Charlotte, 6, Prince Louis, 3, and Archie, 2.

'Its been so lovely just to be able to see them again and talk to them', the royal said.

'Telephones and machines and these Zooms are fine, but nothings ever the same as being able to give somebody a good hug.

'Im waiting for the final date when we can actually go into each others homes, to be able to sit down and have a proper lunch and, you know, just have a proper life again.'

Call 0808 2000 247 for free, 24-hour support with the National Domestic Abuse Helpline.
New Delhi:

According to the official figure released on Saturday, more women exercised their franchise than men in Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, which recorded its highest turnout at 74.61 per cent.

The figure stated that as many as 19,10,582 female voters exercised their franchise against 18,11,061 male voters in the state. However, the number of male voters in the hill state was about 74,200 more than the female ones.

The polling percentage of women was higher than men in 48 out of 68 Assembly constituencies.

In the biggest Kangra district, 4,61,278 women cast votes against 3,96,208 men, outnumbering them in all 15 Assembly seats. Similarly, in Mandi district, the number of votes polled by women was 2,96,898 against 2,71,725 by men.

Women voters outnumbered men in all the 14 constituencies in Hamirpur, Una and Bilaspur districts, polling 4,22,503 votes against 3,64,285 by men.

ALSO READ | Himachal Pradesh polls 2017: CM Virbhadra Singh says next govt too will be of Congress

The highest voting percentage of 74.61 was recorded on November 9 election, as compared to 73.51 per cent in 2012, 71.61 per cent in 2007-08 and 74.51 per cent in 2003.

The highest polling percentage was recorded in Doon and Nalagarh constituencies in Solan district, which went up to 88.95 per cent and 84.27 per cent. It was followed by Shillai 84.18 per cent, Seraj 83.20 per cent, Nahan 82.48 per cent and Sri Nainadevi 82.04 per cent.

There are four more constituencies which recorded more than 80 per cent of polling, which include Paonta (80.43 pc), Banjar (80.37 pc), Jubbal and Kotkhai (80.24 pc) and Balh (80.13 pc).

The most literate constituency Shimla (Urban) recorded the lowest polling percentage of 63.76 per cent, followed by Jaisinghpur 63.91 per cent, Baijnath 65.64 per cent, Bhoranj 65.84 per cent, Solan 66.65 per cent, Kusumpti 66.97 per cent, Sarkaghat 67.99 per cent and Hamirpur 69.11 per cent.

Poll results will be announced on December 18.

(With PTI inputs)

ALSO READ | Himachal Pradesh polls 2017: Dhumal Vs Virbhadra-Know all about political stalwarts

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India on Saturday reported a net increase of 78,282 in active cases to take its count to 3,723,446. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 20.24 per cent (one in 5). The country is second among the most affected countries by active cases. On Saturday, it added 401,078 cases, the most added by any country in a day, to take its total caseload to 21,892,676. And, with 4,187 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 238,270, or 1.09 per cent of total confirmed infections.

With 2,297,257 more Covid-19 vaccine doses being administered on Friday, Indias total count of vaccine shots so far reached 167,346,544. The count of recovered cases across India, meanwhile, reached 17,930,960  or 81.90 per cent of total caseload  with 318,609 new cured cases being reported on Saturday.
Vietnamese hybrid airline Bamboo Airways announced on Friday evening that it has been officially granted slots to directly fly to San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport in California in the U.S., starting September 1 this year.

The direct flights to the U.S. will be operated on a daily basis, employing the wide-body aircraft Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

The flight to San Francisco will make the landing at 10:00 am (local time) every day, and its return will take off at 1:00 pm the same day.

Meanwhile, the non-stop trip to Los Angeles will arrive at 9:30 am (local time) every day, before making a return at 12:30 pm the same day.

The Vietnamese airline is completing the final steps in building its human resources, including training pilots and cabin crews, for the operations of the U.S.-bound direct flights.

Trinh Van Quyet, the carriers chairman, said it was also planning to launch chartered flights to the U.S. from July.

Bamboo Airways added that the resumption of other international routes has also been ready, with flights to South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan to operate starting the second quarter of this year.

At the same time, the carrier is working on the opening of its new direct flights to Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore, Thailand, and China.

Previously, Bamboo Airways also received slot allocation at Heathrow Airport in London to fly there six times a week from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from this month.

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Emory College senior Madelyn R. Haden focused her honors thesis on sharing the stories of undocumented migrants in Morocco and how current policies affect their health care access and societal integration.

By sharing the stories behind the numbers, an Emory College student spotlights gaps in health care access for undocumented migrants in Morocco due to the current realities of global policies and the pandemic.

Madelyn R. Hadens honors thesis illuminates how European Union (EU) policy and funding affects individual sub-Saharan migrants lives and experiences, including health care access and societal integration in Morocco. She received highest honors for the thesis and graduates this spring with a bachelors degree in Middle Eastern and South Asian studies and a minor in human health.

In my early research, it looked like Morocco was doing everything right on paper, but when I talked to the people with migrant status, it was clear that numbers dont tell the full story, Haden says. Framing at a massive scale doesnt really show the human cost and consequences of these policies and how they dehumanize the people.

Her honors thesis, Externalized Migration and Securitized Health: A Case Study of How EU-Moroccan Relationships Influenced Health Care Accessibility Within Sub-Saharan Migrant Communities in Morocco During the Coronavirus Pandemic, was funded by Emorys Halle Institute for Global Research. An abridged version is under peer review for the journal Refugee Review.

There are many players involved in Moroccos migration field of study and by writing this thesis, Maddie was able to secure a place for her voice in this interdisciplinary discourse, which is pretty amazing for an undergraduate student, says Rkia Cornell, professor of pedagogy and language coordinator in Arabic, who served as Hadens main thesis adviser.

A U.S. Department of Education Presidential Scholar, Haden is also an alternate for the Fulbright Research Grant in Morocco and received Emorys Shepard Scholarship for Graduate Study.

This summer she will virtually intern with the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C., and with the nonprofit Americares in Connecticut. She will then further her thesis while pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Cambridge.

Family history prompts her study

Growing up in an Oklahoma town so small its not printed on a map, Haden discovered her desire to understand the migrant experience while thumbing through photos of relatives posed by shacks in what looked like a desert. She learned about her familys migration from Moldova to become rural farmers in 1930s Dust Bowl Oklahoma.

But it wasnt until she studied abroad at Al Akhawayn University in Morocco that she realized how challenging migrant life is.

From the 1990s to the present, uprisings and genocide in Syria, Yemen and Cameroon caused Morocco to become a funnel through which migrants traveled to Europe, Cornell says.

As a result, Morocco receives funding from the EU to encourage integration of the migrants into Morocco rather than moving them on.

The program was much lauded, which was why Haden was surprised to see massive rusted buses transporting undocumented migrants to the Sahara desert.

Those bus sightings got everything started for me, Haden says. I wanted to find out, what does this mean?

Pandemic increases migrants vulnerability

Back in the U.S., Haden worked with a Moroccan journalist and an Al Akhawayn University translator she met while studying abroad to remotely interview 15 migrants and 12 human rights activists during the pandemic.

One migrant was a young Nigerian woman who had three children since arriving in Morocco nine years ago, two requiring emergency C-sections. The hospital wont issue birth certificates until she pays the $3,000 she owes. Without birth certificates, her children cant go to school and assimilate.

She has a lot of anxiety and is seeking mental tele-health care, but with the pandemic she was unable to panhandle to buy cell phone minutes or other goods like food, Haden says.

When the pandemic struck, Moroccan inhabitants were ordered into lockdown, causing significant challenges for the migrant community, Haden says.

A heavy police presence and the use of militarization tactics (including tanks, raids and arrests) spurred distrust among migrant populations who were often blamed for the pandemic. Some migrants reported being rounded up for COVID-19 testing without any explanation; others were deported to COVID-19 centers without proper resources. As a result, migrants were less trusting of public health and less likely to receive care.

The government issued certificates of mobility that allowed one person of an extended family to go to work, buy groceries and do other activities outside the house. Like many migrants, one mother of two couldnt get a certificate and could not feed her family. They ate only bread, sugar and water for two weeks until an NGO began dropping off food routinely.

Madelyns thesis illustrates how the study of human health empowers investigation into some of the most central issues in todays world, says Michelle Lampl, Charles Howard Candler Professor and director for the Center for the Study of Human Health, who also served on Hadens thesis committee. Her critical inquiry of vulnerability among migrants in Morocco in the context of COVID-19 adds to an emerging focus on the central role played by social circumstances and structural competency issues in health care.

In addition to Cornell and Lampl, Hadens honors thesis committee included Devin Stewart, professor of Arabic and Islamic studies, and Florian Pohl, assistant professor of religion.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  New Mexico State Police identified the officers and deputy who shot and killed a man during a confrontation last month in Roswell.

State Police spokesman Ray Wilson said Roswell police officers Danny Flott and Abrem Atencio and Chaves County deputy Samuel Lueras fatally shot 22-year-old Victor Barron during a foot chase on April 15.

Upon completion of the State Police investigation, this case will be forwarded to an assigned district attorneys office for review, he said.

Wilson said around 11:30 p.m. Barron fled a Chaves County Sheriff Office sergeant during a traffic stop near Matthews and Main. Barron avoided spike strips before getting out of the truck and running.

Wilson said Flott, Atencio and Lueras gave chase before Barron pointed a gun at Flotts face at close range. All three fired at least one shot and Barron was fatally struck.

Wilson said RPD officers Flott and Atencio have been with the department for two and three years, respectively. Lueras has been with Chaves County Sheriffs Office for four months and had more than 7 years prior law enforcement experience.

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Love Island Australia is set to return to screens soon for its long-awaited third season.

And while the show will film locally instead of internationally due to Covid, some other changes are coming to production too.

Speaking to 9Now, Love Island's executive producer Alex Mavroidakis said there will be more emphasis on diversity and finding genuine contestants next season.

Coming soon! Love Island's executive producer Alex Mavroidakis said there will be more emphasis on diversity and finding genuine contestants next season

'We want people to find love, that is absolutely what we want. We're not in the business of stumping love and trying to get people to break up,' he explained.

'We want them to find love, then we want to test that love and we ultimately want love to win.'

He added that applicants needed to 'completely own who they are' and 'wear their heart on their sleeve', and they were also keen on finding more diverse people next season.

'I think we've got a good history of diversity on Love Island,' he said.

'We are actively looking for a diverse cast in all forms': Love Island Australia has previously come under fire for a lack of diversity in the cast

'And diversity, of course, it comes in many different forms. It can be your nationality, your race, your sexuality, your personality,' Alex continued.

'But a hundred per cent we are actively looking for a diverse cast in all forms.'

Love Island Australia has previously come under fire for a lack of diversity in the cast.

When season one aired in 2018, social activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied criticised the series for the all-white cast.

Diverse: Producers tried to fix the lack of diversity for season two, which featured a few participants of colour, including Cynthia Taylu (left)

'The advert kinda demonstrates why I grew up in Australia never thinking a person with a darker shade of skin or different features (like myself) was even remotely attractive,' she tweeted at the time.

Producers tried to remedy the situation for season two, which featured a few participants of colour, including Cynthia Taylu and Maurice Salib.

It also featured the first ever same-sex couple when Phoebe Thompson and Cassie Lansdell briefly hooked up.
Statement by Ambassador Flynn at Arria Meeting on Children and Armed Conflict and COVID

Statement

Thank you Chair,

And We thank Estonia for arranging this timely Arria meeting, which Ireland is proud to co-sponsor. Thank you also to the briefers for bringing a field perspective to todays discussion, and to Special Representative Gamba and her office for this important study. Ireland aligns itself with the statements to be delivered by the EU and the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict.

Chair,

Let me begin by paying tribute to the monitors and child protection staff in UN country teams and peacekeeping missions. In the face of the upheaval caused by COVID-19, their tireless efforts to prevent and respond to violations and their ability to adapt have helped to keep children safe and have protected the integrity of the CAAC agenda. We have heard striking examples of monitors putting themselves at risk because of their dedication to their work. Our role is to support them and their networks to work securely and without fear of reprisal. Child protection capacities must be adequately resourced and flexible to react to crisis needs. This Council has an obligation to follow through on the promises it makes in the establishment of mandates and just as importantly in the transition of UN missions.

Chair,

It has been a year since the Secretary-Generals call for a global ceasefire and the adoption of Resolution 2532. Yet we have seen conflict and violence surge globally, with devastating impacts on children.

In Myanmar, at least 53 children have been killed in the violence since the coup in February, and countless others have been injured or detained. In Ethiopia, horrific sexual violence has been reported, including against girls. Those responsible for grave violations against children must be held accountable.

COVID-19 has severely impacted upon monitoring, likely leading to an underreporting of violations. The unfortunate truth is that the very violations that we suspect have intensified during COVID-19, particularly recruitment and sexual violence, are the most difficult to verify. We cannot allow truth and justice to become another victim of this pandemic. It is imperative that monitors have the sufficient time and resources to address verification gaps in order to prevent impunity, and ensure that service provision takes into account the likelihood of unmet need due to underreporting.

This report before us today is just the first marker in understanding the true extent of COVID-19s impact on children in armed conflict and we welcome plans for a follow-up study in 2022.

While verifications of the direct impact of COVID-19 on violations continue, we must also address the indirect and interconnected consequences for children affected by conflict. Communities and their children already grappling with scarcity and food insecurity, such as in Yemen and Afghanistan, face increased socio-economic pressure from the virus, exacerbated by accounts of denials of humanitarian access. Recent attacks on health care centres as well as healthcare workers in Syria, Myanmar and elsewhere wreak havoc on pandemic response and vaccine rollout ambitions. Deliberate targeting and use of schools by armed groups, including in Afghanistan and across the Lake Chad Basin, is compounding virus-related school closures. As we heard earlier from Mr. Adapoe from Save the Children, the pandemic has disrupted the education of millions of children, which has decimated the progress made by many, especially adolescent girls who are most at risk of leaving school prematurely. We cannot accept this as a new normal. Nothing less than transformative investment is needed to get back on track and to ensure education is at the heart of our recovery policies.

We call on all States to sign the Safe Schools Declaration and reiterate the importance of the September 2020 PRST on attacks against schools.



Chair,

This year has marked Irelands first opportunity to serve on the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. For us it is important to ensure that the Groups conclusions are anchored in the current realities of the country situations, translate into tangible improvements in the lives of children affected by conflict, and address the lasting impacts of COVID-19 on implementation, including on government actions, services for victims, and reintegration of children.

In an increasingly fragmented world, the pandemic sent us a universal warning: No one is safe until all of us are safe. Children today and future generations are counting on us to take this opportunity to build back better. This begins with prioritising welfare over warfare.

Thank you.

 Previous Item | Next Item 
A pair of teenagers who were injured in a mass knife brawl have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a boy, 16, was stabbed to death in a London park on Friday.

Police were called to the machete fight scene in Romford just yards away from where Jodie Chesney was murdered two years ago, at 6.40pm on Friday.

A boy aged 16 was treated for a stab injury but died at the scene on Church Road shortly after 7pm, the force said.

A pair of teenagers who were injured in a mass knife brawl have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a boy, 16, was stabbed to death in a London park on Friday, Pictured: Met Detectives seal off Church Road in Harold Wood, Romford, East London this afternoon

A post-mortem examination is scheduled to take place at 11am on Sunday.

Officers were also called shortly after 6.50pm to reports of another stabbing on the nearby Retford Road.

A second boy aged 15 was found suffering from a stab wound and was taken to an east London hospital where he remains, though his condition is not life threatening.

He has been arrested on suspicion of murder, police said.

A 17-year-old boy who suffered a stab injury was also admitted to an east London hospital, where he remains, and has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested at the scene on suspicion of affray and has been bailed pending further inquiries to a date in early June.

A woman today told how she rushed to the aid of the injured teenager in the park.

Police started making local enquiries into the attacks in the Romford area last night

Jodie Chesney (pictured) collapsed and died in a tragic case of mistaken identity after she had been sitting with friends in 2019

Emma Law, 38, a florist, looked out her window and saw a boy lying on the floor with a stab wound.

She said: 'I just sat down with my dinner and looked out the window and could see someone lying on the floor with someone next to them.

'I ran over there because you get kids with their bikes and they fall over so I went over to see if they needed anything.

'There was a boy lying on the floor. He'd been stabbed in the chest. He was about 15 or 16 years old.

'He kept trying to get up, the boy with him looked a bit younger. He kept trying to get up, saying he needed to go.

A forensic officer examines a house near the scene of the attack as police investigate

'He was terrified because he said he didn't want to get into trouble. As he was moving, more blood was coming out of him.

'We were trying to calm him down and tell him to lie down and he was coming in and out of consciousness.

'He was saying they used a Zombie knife. He was adamant that it had snapped off in him.

'He kept saying, I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. It was so much blood. His pockets were filled up with blood.

'There were two people walking with a dog who originally found him, and we stayed with him until the ambulance came.'

She added: 'I've got a boy that's got the same age as him. I kept looking at him and seeing my boy. It was really awful. '

Officers were called to the incident last night, just yards from where Girl Scout Jodie Chesney was murdered

The area where the boy was found is a large residential park in East London, with many of the furniture and and fences painted mauve in tribute to Jodie Chesney, who collapsed and died in a tragic case of mistaken identity after she had been sitting with friends.

There is a tree with ribbon bows and lanterns that inside say 'end knife crime'.

Earlier, residents told of the aftermath of the first, fatal stabbing at nearby Church Road.

Elisabeth Undersett, 60, a retired teacher, said: 'The first thing I knew that something had happened was the air ambulance going over the house.

'We came outside the house and saw police and ambulances all over the place. We knew something bad had happened.

'My husband was walking home from the park and he walked down the road to speak to the police officers because he'd seen people running to the station so he thought he should tell them.

'He said there was blood everywhere. They thought something horrendous had happened.'

'We don't have fights usually. I don't know what was going on but it's terrible. Nobody could intervene.

'You would like to think something or someone could have helped.'

A forensic officer examines evidence at the scene of the attack in east London last night

A boy, believed to be in his mid-teens, was treated for a stab injury but died at the scene shortly after 7pm, the force said

A woman, who also lives near Church Road, said: 'I literally came out to the car to get something when I saw a commotion on the street.

'Like a lot of places, we've never had anything like this happen other than the young girl who died a few years ago.

'It's normally very quiet. I'm terrified, I'm uncomfortable. I just feel so sorry for the family.'

Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101 quoting reference Cad 6572/07May. Alternatively, to remain anonymous contact on 0800 555 111.'
The African Union on Saturday named former Ghanaian president John Mahama its High Representative to Somalia to try and resolve a dire political crisis due to a dispute over delayed elections.

Mahama's aim would be "a mutually acceptable compromise towards an all-encompassing resolution for the holding of Somali elections in the shortest possible time," the AU said in a statement.

The continental body's chairman Moussa Faki urged Somali leaders to "negotiate in good faith... for an inclusive settlement to the electoral crisis".

Somalia needs "a democratically elected government with the legitimacy and mandate to resolve the remaining outstanding political and constitutional issues that are posing a threat to the stability of the country and the region as a whole," Faki added.

Mahama, a 62-year-old who led Ghana from 2012 to 2017, is expected in Somalia "in the coming days".

The country's political crisis has sharpened in recent weeks, following a resolution to extend the term of incumbent president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed by two years.

No election could be organised before Mohamed, widely known as Farmajo, reached the end of his term on February 8.

Both the Somali opposition and international players condemned the attempt to extend Mohamed's presidency, and opposition fighters took up positions in the capital in late April -- prompting a tense standoff with government troops.

Three were killed in fighting between the two sides when the opposition arrived last month, prompting tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes.

Farmajo has since ordered Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble to set up elections as soon as possible and bring together the leaders of Somalia's regional states later this month.

The deal was enough to secure the withdrawal of opposition fighters from the capital.

sva/tgb/ach
YREKA, Calif.  An arrest was made in Sacramento last week of the suspect in a Siskiyou County murder investigation. The incident occurred in late August at a cannabis cultivation site in the Mt. Shasta Vista subdivision in Montague in Siskiyou County.

Detectives from the Siskiyou County Sheriffs Major Crimes Unit and detectives with the North State Major Investigations Team (NSMIT) served multiple search warrants on Apr. 29, 2021, in the Sacramento area. They were assisted by members of the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department.

26-year-old Alvin Thao was arrested for being a suspect in the murder of Shao H. Huang. He was found murdered at a cannabis growing site off of Zane Grey Drive in Montague.

Detectives said details of the murder will remain vague as their investigation is still ongoing.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Siskiyou County Sheriffs Detective Sergeant Jeff Moser at (530) 841-2900.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has appealed to corporate bodies and individual well-wishers to support operations of the 37 Military Hospital.



This is because it is a major hospital that serves thousands of military personnel, their families and the general populace.



Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), made the appeal at the commissioning of the Warrant Officers (WOs) Ward at the Hospital.



He said medical delivery was one of the key corporate social responsibilities of GAF to the public, making it appropriate for the Hospital to be kept in the best shape to deliver the best healthcare services to its wide range of clientele.



The CDS described the 37 Military Hospital as the national emergency hospital, with about 70 percent of its clientele being civilians.



He said the Hospital bore about 20 percent of the total caseload of COVID-19 in the country, which underscored its importance to the healthcare delivery system.



The commissioning of the Ward, Vice Admiral Amoama said, marked an important milestone in the quest to promote healthcare for uniformed personnel.



As the past Chairman of the Military Hospitals Advisory Board, I have watched with great admiration the steady growth of the Hospital, which has gradually become the preferred choice and first point of call for all and sundry, he said.



Vice Admiral Amoama said the Military High Command recognized the pivotal role of the WOs at various levels towards the effective Command and Administration of GAF, therefore, the Ward had been carved out for the warrant officers, both serving and retired, to receive the requisite healthcare at the Hospital.



It is the intention of the Military High Command to add up to the facility in the near future to be able to expand the scope of special care for various categories across the rank and file, he said.



He commended the Director-General of Medical Services and the leadership and staff of the Hospital for embracing the project and taking prompt action to operationalize it.



The Ward was named after Ex-Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) James Cole for his extraordinary commitment to service during his work in the GAF, and also to inspire other service personnel to work hard.



The late CWO Cole, former Forces Sergeant Major, was recruited into the Ghana Army on 21st July 1964.



He distinguished himself in all appointments throughout his career and was identified as the most qualified to hold the appointment as the Second Forces Sergeant Major of GAF in 1997.



With skill and tact, he was well cut out as an effective link between the Officer Corps and Soldiers.



In recognition of his dedicated service to the nation, CWO Cole was decorated with the Member of the Order of the Volta (Military Division) in 2007 and was honourably discharged from GAF on December 29, 2009.

Source: GNA









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Federal Labor is working on a major social housing package worth up to $10 billion and a renewable energy jobs plan that would form the centrepiece of Anthony Albaneses budget reply speech next Thursday.

But a push from Labor MPs who are new parents to super-size the current Paid Parental Leave Scheme looks to have stalled, for now.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese with Labor MPs Alicia Payne, Amanda Rishworth, Matt Keogh, Anika Wells and Kate Thwaites and their new babies. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

A final decision on whether to offer a scheme that runs for 26 weeks at minimum wage for mothers, and up to eight for weeks for fathers and partners - and which would allow Labor to potentially outflank the government with a more women-friendly policy offering - wont be taken until Wednesday.

The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age spoke to 13 members of the Labor caucus, including members of the shadow cabinet, to learn how the federal opposition plans to respond to the federal budget, which will be handed down on Tuesday.
New Delhi :

Two Terrorists have been killed after they opened fire at a police party in Handwara district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. In the exchange of fire, one security personnel sustained injuries.

#UPDATE Two terrorists killed in Handwara, one policeman injured. Search operations continue #JammuKashmir  ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2017

Militants opened firing at a police check post at Sultanpora in the Zachaldara area of Handwara, 100 kms from here, a police official said. The policemen retaliated, killing two militants, he added. The identity and group affiliation of the slain militants is being ascertained, the official said.

On November 9 militants shot at and injured a policeman in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

The ultras shot at special police officer Ranbir Singh, who was posted on duty near deputy commissioner's office, a police office official said.

Singh was hit by a bullet in the abdomen, was taken to 92 Base Hospital of the Army here.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
High-risk groups are expected to be the first people to receive the COVID-19 booster shot as the Biden administration prepares to roll out the next stage of vaccinations in the fall - even as the rate of people getting the shots begins to drop.

Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer's chief scientific officer, said during a Tuesday earnings call that it makes sense to start with the most susceptible groups, such as older adults and those with chronic diseases, CNBC reported.

But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes recommendations to states on who should get the shots first, Dolsten said.

Boosters or a third shot is necessary because of effectiveness of the vaccine wanes over time, and mutations and variants continue to complicate matters like an earthquake's aftershock.

The Biden administration said it's preparing the next phase of distribution, but nothing specific has been announced, as of Saturday.

Scroll down for video.

The Biden administration is preparing as the country is going to need boosters

Currently, more than a third of the United States is fully vaccinated, but it's short of the 70-to-80-per cent benchmark to control its spread, CNN reported

The death toll from COVID-19 is decreasing, but mutations and variants are threatening the positive news

This a current snapshot of what the COVID-19 pandemic did to the country, which prepares to enter something like a earthquake's aftershock by preparing boosters

Moderna said its booster trials had a promising immune response against two variants that were first identified in South Africa and Brazil and spread to other countries, including the US, CNBC reported.

The company made the announcement Wednesday based on early data from an ongoing clinical trial.

The preliminary results, which Moderna says will be published online, have not yet been peer-reviewed, CNBC reported.

'As we seek to defeat the ongoing pandemic, we remain committed to being proactive as the virus evolves,' Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement. 'We are encouraged by these new data, which reinforce our confidence that our booster strategy should be protective against these newly detected variants.'

Moderna is evaluating three approaches to increasing immunity, according to CNBC.

The first approach would use variant-specific booster shots at a lower dose than the original vaccine.

The second one would combine the original vaccine with a variant-specific vaccine into a single shot at 50 micrograms or lower, Moderna told CNBA.

The third would test a third shot of the original vaccine at a lower dosage.

Bancel said Moderna hopes to have this answered by the fall.

Currently, more than a third of the United States is fully vaccinated, but it's short of the 70-to-80-per cent benchmark to control its spread, CNN reported

With boosters or a third shot necessary, Pfizer and Moderna started preparations for the future.

Pfizer/BioNTech, whose vaccine currently has an emergency use authorization, applied for full FDA approval for people ages 16 and older, according to CNN.

This would be the first Covid-19 vaccine to be assessed for full approval from the FDA, is already poised to authorize the company's vaccine in children and teens ages 12 to 15 by early next week, a federal government official told CNN.

Meanwhile, late this week, top Covid officials in the White House, including Dr. Anthony Fauci said the booster shots are inevitable and they're getting their own plans in place.

On Thursday, Biden administration's Covid response chief science officer, David Kessler, told CNBC that Americans should expect to receive booster shots to protect against coronavirus variants.

Andy Slavitt, senior advisor to President Joe Biden's Covid response team, told reporters, including CNBC, during a press briefing the next day, that this is 'obviously a foreseeable potential event.'
New Delhi :

Giving shape to their security cooperation under the proposed quadrilateral coalition, India, the US, Japan and Australia today held their first official- level talks here with a focus on keeping the Indo-Pacific region "free and open", seen as a move to counter China's aggressive behaviour in the area.

Soon after the meeting, India, Australia and Japan issued separate statements listing the Indo-Pacific as the major areaof the deliberations and resolved to expand cooperation to uphold a rules-based order and respect for international lawin the strategically important region.

The meeting comes ahead of the ASEAN summit here on Tuesday which is also likely to discuss the security challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region and China's military expansion in the South China Sea.

In a statement, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said the consultations were held on issues of common interestin the Indo-Pacific region with a focus on cooperation based on converging vision and values for promotion of peace,stability and prosperity in the area.

"They agreed that a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region serves the long-term interests of allcountries in the region and of the world at large.

The officials also exchanged views on addressing common challengesof terrorism and proliferation linkages impacting the region as well as on enhancing connectivity," the MEA said. In its statement, the Japanese foreign ministry said officials discussed measures to ensure a free and open international order based on the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific. "From this perspective, the participants discussed the direction for cooperation, including with countries in theregion, in upholding the rules-based order and respect for international law in the Indo-Pacific," it said.

The Australian foreign ministry said the four countries shared a vision for increased prosperity and security in theIndo-Pacific region and will work together to ensure that it "remains free and open".

"The officials examined ways to achieve common goals and address shared challenges in the region. This includesupholding the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific and respect for international law, freedom of navigation and overflight, increase connectivity," it said.

The MEA said the Indian side highlighted India's 'Act East' policy as the cornerstone of its engagement in the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting also deliberated on enhancing cooperation in dealing with challenges of terrorism and talked about tackling proliferation threats, including North Korea's nuclear and missile programme.

"Officials also agreed to work together to address threats to international peace and security posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including the DPRK's (North Korea) nuclear and missile programmes," the Australian foreign ministry said. It said the four countries committed to continuing the quadrilateral discussions and deepening cooperation on thebasis of shared values and principles.

The MEA said, "The discussions focused on cooperation based on their converging vision and values for promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in an increasingly inter- connected region that they share with each other and with other partners".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to have bilateral meetings with US President Donald Trump and JapanesePrime Minister Shinzo Abe tomorrow and the security scenario in the Indo-Pacific region may figure in the meetings.

The formation of a quadrilateral security dialogue comprising India, the US, Australia and Japan was first mooted around 10 years back but it did not see the light of day. Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono last month had said that Tokyo favours the quadrilateral dialogue to further booststrategic partnership among the four countries.

Reacting to the Japanese move, India had said it was open to working with like-minded countries on issues that advance its interests. The US had said it was looking at a "working-level" quadrilateral meeting in the near term with India, Japan and Australia.

The US and Japan have been pushing for a deeper Indian role in the strategically key Indo-Pacific region. Joint Secretary (South division) in the MEA, Vinay Kumar and Joint Secretary (East Asia) Pranay Verma attended the meeting.

The move to set up the quadrilateral comes in the backdrop of growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. The use of the term "Indo-Pacific" by Trump has led to speculation that it may have something to do with Washingtonpreparing the ground for a revival of the quadrilateral alliance between the US, Japan, Australia and India to counterChina's rise.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Police have arrested a Hong Kong dim sum restaurant worker accused of indecently assaulting at least 10 teenage schoolgirls over a two-day period in the citys Sau Mau Ping area.

The arrest of the 22-year-old man came on Thursday, about 24 hours after police were first notified by a school about the assault of two students aged 15 and 16. A police source said the other victims had attended the same school.

The two schoolmates did not immediately call police after the alleged molestation on a footbridge in Shun Tin Estate on Wednesday.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

Our investigation revealed that the suspect preyed on girls in school dresses in Shun Tin Estate and [the nearby] Sau Mau Ping shopping centre

Inspector Tam Lok-yan

Inspector Tam Lok-yan of the Sau Mau Ping criminal investigation unit said their cases came to light after they told their parents and teachers about the attacks and the schools liaison officer then contacted police. The other eight cases were uncovered during the investigation that followed.

Our investigation revealed that the suspect preyed on girls in school dresses in Shun Tin Estate and [the nearby] Sau Mau Ping shopping centre, she said.

She said the suspect struck after school and would typically follow his targets for a short distance before touching his victims on the thigh or elsewhere on their bodies.

Hong Kong police display items of clothing seized during their arrest of a 22-year-old man accused of indecent assault. Photo: Handout

After checking security camera footage, officers made the arrest on Thursday, also seizing clothes and a pair of shoes he was said to be wearing at the time of the attacks.

Tam said the investigation showed the suspect had indecently assaulted at least 10 girls since the first known attack on Tuesday.

The inspector also appealed for other victims to come forward and contact officers on 3661 6250.

Story continues

Police do not tolerate illegal acts by anyone, and officers will spare no effort to track them down, she stressed.

As of midday on Friday, the suspect was still being held for questioning and had not been charged. The investigation is ongoing.

In 2020, police handled 682 reports of indecent assault across the city, down 30.5 per cent from 982 the year before.

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SANTA FE  Environment Secretary James Kenney received an 8% raise this spring, pushing his pay higher than other Cabinet secretaries under Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, according to state records.

The increase is temporary and may last up to a year  intended to reflect his increased duties during the pandemic, Lujan Grisham press secretary Nora Meyers Sackett said.

Kenneys agency has coordinated the states rapid response program for COVID-19 cases in the workplace.

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In a written statement, Sackett said the Environment Department has been tasked with ensuring the health and safety of workers and customers statewide, including carrying out tens of thousands of rapid responses, running the states wastewater surveillance testing program, and coordinating with businesses to ensure safe practices and establish mobile testing programs, all of which Secretary Kenney coordinated and executed.

The temporary boost changes Kenneys annual salary to $168,480, up from $156,000  the standard rate that almost every other Cabinet secretary receives.

For example, Health Secretary Tracie Collins and Human Services Secretary David Scrase  both heavily involved in the pandemic response  make $156,000 a year and havent had their salary changed over the last year. Collins joined the administration in December.

Kenneys raise is reflected in New Mexicos employee data for March, though its unclear precisely when it started. His hourly rate went from $75 in February to $81 in March.

The raise far outpaces whats been available to most state employees.

This years state budget had enough funding to give teachers a 1% raise last summer. State employees generally didnt get a raise at all, unless they made less than $50,000 a year or fit certain criteria.

Pay raises for the next budget year  starting July 1  range from 6% for correctional officers to 1.5% for employees of school, higher education and state agencies.

Lujan Grisham faced criticism earlier this year when it was disclosed that eight of her top staffers had received salary increases averaging about 10%. A spokeswoman said the raises had been planned earlier and reflected increased responsibilities, promotions and other changes.
OROVILLE, Calif. (AP)  Cruz Reynoso, a son of migrant workers who worked in the fields as a child and went on to become the first Latino state Supreme Court justice in California history, has died. He was 90.

Reynoso died Friday at an elder care facility in Oroville, according to his son Rondall Reynoso. The cause of death was not disclosed.

In a legal career that spanned six decades, Reynoso played a prominent role in the movement to uplift the poorest workers in California, especially farmworkers from Mexico like his parents, and guided many minority students toward the law.

As director of California Rural Legal Assistance  the first statewide, federally funded legal aid program in the country  in the late 1960s he led efforts to ensure farmworkers' access to sanitation facilities in the fields and to ban the use of the carcinogenic pesticide DDT.

One of the biggest cases won by CRLA while Reynoso was its director centered on Spanish-speaking students who were incorrectly assessed by their schools and placed into classes for the mentally challenged when, in reality, they were simply new English learners. The 1970 class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Latino students in the Monterey County town of Soledad ended the practice of giving Spanish-speaking students IQ tests in English.

After leaving CRLA in 1972, Reynoso taught law before he was appointed to the states 3rd District Appellate Court in Sacramento. In 1982, Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Reynoso to the state Supreme Court, the first Latino to be named to the states high court.

He earned respect for his compassion during his five years on the state Supreme Court but became the target of a recall campaign led by proponents of the death penalty who painted him, Chief Justice Rose Bird, and Associate Justice Joseph Grodin as being soft on crime. The three were removed in 1987.

After leaving the bench, he practiced and taught law at the University of California in Los Angeles and in Davis and served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton in 2000.

Cruz Reynoso was a giant for the judiciary and the legal profession in California and across the country, Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, a justice on the California Supreme Court, said in a statement.

His accomplishments were as remarkable as his humility. His memory and deeds will continue to inspire so many of us across California and the rest of our country.

Born in Brea on May 2, 1931, Reynoso was one of 11 children and spent summers with his family working the fields of the San Joaquin Valley.

After graduating from Pomona College in 1953, he served two years in the Army before attending law school at UC Berkeley.

He was married to Jeannene Reynoso for 52 years until her death in 2007. He married his second wife, Elaine Reynoso, in 2008. She died in 2017.

He is survived by four children and two stepchildren.
Catholic school can fire teacher for being in same-sex marriage, Indiana court rules

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An Indiana court has dismissed a lawsuit filed against a Roman Catholic Archdiocese by a former private school teacher who was fired for being in a same-sex marriage.

Marion Superior Court Judge Lance D. Hamner issued an order Friday in favor of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis motion to dismiss a lawsuit by former teacher Joshua Payne-Elliot.

According to the order, the court concluded that there was a lack of subject matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, a law firm that represented the archdiocese, released a statement Friday expressing support for the order.

If the First Amendment means anything, it means the government cant punish the Catholic Church for asking Catholic educators to support Catholic teaching, Goodrich said.

This has always been a very simple case, because the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed the freedom of religious schools to choose teachers who support their religious faith.

Kathleen DeLaney, the attorney representing Payne-Elliott, told the Indianapolis Star that she took issue with the order, especially its explanation for the complaint's dismissal.

The decision itself offers no reason, no rationale, no basis, DeLaney said. We have no way to know how the judge got to the decision.

In June 2019, Payne-Elliot was fired from Cathedral High School after it was revealed that he had married another teacher of the same sex who worked at a different high school.

The firing reportedly came at the specific direction of the archdiocese, as the school had originally intended to renew his contract for the 2019-2020 school year.

Although Payne-Elliot reached a settlement with Cathedral High School soon after his firing, he filed legal action against the archdiocese, accusing it of forcing the school to dismiss him.

We hope that this case will put a stop to the targeting of LGBTQ employees and their families, said Payne-Elliot in a statement at the time, as reported by the Indianapolis Star.

A trial court had originally supported having the case go forward, however, the Indiana state Supreme Court intervened and told the lower court to reconsider the complaint.

In July 2020, the United States Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that two Catholic schools could classify their teachers as ministers and not be held to the standards of anti-discrimination laws.

Justice Samuel Alito delivered the opinion of the court, known as Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru, which regarded two lawsuits against two Catholic schools in California.

The religious education and formation of students is the very reason for the existence of most private religious schools, and therefore the selection and supervision of the teachers upon whom the schools rely to do this work lie at the core of their mission, Alito wrote.

Judicial review of the way in which religious schools discharge those responsibilities would undermine the independence of religious institutions in a way that the First Amendment does not tolerate.
Zelensky: we can and must do everything to prevent new war in future

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, while on a working visit to Luhansk region, addressed Ukrainians on the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation on the 76th anniversary of the end of World War II.

"Today, like last year, I am in Luhansk region, in Milove district, near the village of Pivnevka, where the expulsion of the Nazi occupiers from the Ukrainian land began in December 1942. Today, the Bell of Memory has appeared in this place. Each bell toll means that we will never forget what our ancestors did so that the next generations of Ukrainians could live freely on their land, in their state in peace and harmony. Eternal memory to everyone who died during the Second and, I believe, the last world war," Zelensky said in a video message to Ukrainians on the 76th anniversary of the end of World War II.

According to the president, "on the night of May 9, there was a fall of the regime, which prevented the physical existence of all mankind."
He originated a gleefully zany villain in the original 2020 film.

And on the set of the upcoming sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2, star Jim Carrey has made an incredibly generous gesture toward the films crew.

According to TMZ, the Ace Ventura actor, 59, raffled off a brand new Chevy Blazer RS on the set of the movie in Vancouver, Canada.

Seen here at the premiere of the first film: On the set of the upcoming sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2, star Jim Carrey has made an incredibly generous gesture toward the films crew

After a raffle was held, a winner was picked on Friday morning, and a camera operator on the set of Sonic 2 is the lucky recipient of the fancy ride.

Carrey reportedly provided the gift as a gesture of thanks to the crew for their hard work on the movie.

The Mask star will again bring to life the evil character Dr. Ivo Robotnik for the sequel, due in 2022.

Generous: The Ace Ventura actor, 59, raffled off a brand new Chevy Blazer RS on the set of the movie in Vancouver

Zany: The Mask star will again bring to life the evil character Dr. Ivo Robotnik for the sequel, due in 2022

2020s Sonic The Hedgehog was a surprise hit during the pandemic, scoring a 63 percent on Rotten Tomatoes among critics and a healthy 93 percent audience score among the general public.

The movie is based on the video game by Sega, which first appeared in 1991.

Coming along for the ride again in the sequel are X-Men actor James Marsden, as well as Tika Sumpter and Ben Schwartz.

Coming along for the ride again in the sequel: X-Men actor James Marsden (right)

James and Tika were in face seen filming an action sequence on the set of the film in British Columbia just last month, which involved them running fast from danger.

And more 90s treasures are soon to come from Jim  a third installment of his immensely popular movie franchise Ace Ventura is in development.

The first movie, costarring Courteney Cox and Sean Young, came out in 1994, followed by a successful sequel one year later.
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Homemade, untraceable 'ghost guns' are facing federal scrutiny after the Justice Department proposed new regulations on Friday to close loopholes that have allowed their rapid proliferation.

The Justice Department said that, from 2016 to 2020, the ATF had recovered 23,906 firearms that did not display serial numbers, usually made from core parts and kits bought online, sometimes with components made on home 3-D printers.

The department said ghost guns were linked to at least 325 murders or attempted murders in that period.

Some manufacturers have exploited loopholes to sell to home-assemblers the hardest-to-make gun components, the upper and lower receivers, without engraved serial numbers - making the guns impossible for law enforcement to track.

Sgt. Matthew Elseth shows a 'ghost guns' on display at the headquarters of the San Francisco Police Department in San Francisco

The administration of President Joe Biden has drawn up new rules to crack down on untraceable, home-made 'ghost guns'

Dimitri Karras shows a custom 3D-printed lower receiver for a Glock pistol inside Firearms Unknown, a gun store in Oceanside, California on April 12

A participant in an armed rally shows a gun that has a 3D printed lower receiver, a weapon known as a 'ghost' gun, at a rally in Richmond, Virginia on January 18, 2021

Kits for the firearms are also being sold at gun shows without requiring background checks for buyers.

The 115-page document reads: 'Technological advances have also made it easier for unlicensed persons to make firearms at home from standalone parts or weapon parts kits, or by using 3D printers or personally owned or leased equipment, without any records or a background check.'

The document noted that the lack of serial numbers makes it difficult for law enforcement to determine 'where, by whom, or when they were manufactured, and to whom they were sold or otherwise disposed.'

The Trace reported in 2019 that, according to the ATF, about 30 percent of all guns recovered in California alone do not have serial numbers and cannot be traced in criminal investigations.

President Joe Biden's administration unveiled a raft of measures in April aimed at curbing rampant gun violence, including plans for curbs on ghost guns.

The Justice Department said it was proposing to force manufacturers to put a serial number on the gun frames and receivers that they make and sell separately as parts.

It also proposed that all retailers should have to perform background checks on buyers of kits with parts needed to make a gun at home.

And federally licensed dealers would have to emboss serial numbers on 3-D printed guns they make and sell.

'This proposed rule would help keep guns out of the wrong hands and make it easier for law enforcement to trace guns used to commit violent crimes,' said Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement.

'Although this rulemaking will solve only one aspect of the problem, we have an obligation to do our part to keep our families and our neighborhoods safe from gun violence.'

More than 43,000 people were killed by guns last year, including suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

'Ghost guns' are seen on display at the headquarters of the San Francisco Police Department in San Francisco

Ghost guns are seen after Spain police dismantle the first illegal 3D weapons manufacturing workshop in the country

The Justice Department will confirm the new rules after taking comments over the next 90 days. Opponents would have to go to court to block the move.

In the document, the Justice Department also noted that ghost guns pose Homeland Security risks.

Homeland Security issued a report concluding that ghost guns allow 'prohibited buyers to purchase deadly weapons with just a few clicks online' including 'terrorists and other bad actors may seek to exploit the availability of these weapons.'

The Justice Department said that the ATF traces firearms found by cops at a crime scene 'by first contacting the licensed manufacturer or importer marked on the frame or receiver' who are required to maintain permanent records relating to their manufacture or importation.

However, since ghost guns do not have a serial number or other markings of a licensed manufacturer or importer, the ATF 'has found it extremely difficult to complete such traces' for police.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said 'this proposed rule would help keep guns out of the wrong hands and make it easier for law enforcement to trace guns used to commit violent crimes'

The ATF was only able to successfully trace suspected ghost guns recovered by law enforcement to an individual in 151 out of 23,946 attempts from January 1, 2016 through March 4, 2021, according to the document.

The move also comes at the request from gun licensors who have asked the ATF for clarity on how to track their inventories, process warranty claims, reconcile any missing inventory, respond to trace requests, and report lost or stolen ghost guns to police and insurance companies without having serial numbers.

The Justice Department said that not being able to trace the ghost guns makes it difficult to identify and prosecute illegal firearms traffickers 'who are often tied to violent criminals and armed narcotics traffickers,' the document reads.

In the footnotes of the document, the Justice Department linked to a press release about a Florida man who was sentenced to five years in prison in 2018 for manufacturing and dealing firearms without a federal license.

Dudley Brown, the president of the National Association for Gun Rights, blasted the Justice Department's proposal

Hector Luis Santiago-Jorge, then-48, pleaded guilty to manufacturing more than 200 firearms, most of which were AR-15 type weapons, none of which had a serial number.

'It is ATF's primary responsibility to aggressively interdict unlicensed manufacturers and the firearms they illegally peddle,' ATF Special Agent in Charge Daryl McCrary said at the time.

'As subject matter experts, we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep illegal firearms out of our communities.'

The Justice Department also noted other similar convictions. including a Rhode Island man charged with allegedly manufacturing and selling a 'ghost' machinegun without a license to an undercover ATF agent.

Dudley Brown, the president of the National Association for Gun Rights, blasted the Justice Department's proposal in comments made to Fox News.

He called the rule 'a slap in the face to the millions of law-abiding Americans who have built their own firearms at home.'

'It's a nonsense 'feel good' rule that only burdens good people but does nothing to stop violent criminals and gangsters from obtaining guns,' Dudley said.

'This is just one more pathetic gun control ploy from Joe Biden as he bows down to the Gun Control Lobby and their unlawful schemes to destroy the Second Amendment.'
America's corporate sector is sending more medical assistance to India, including ventilators and oxygen concentrators, to help the country fight the deadly second wave of COVID-19 that has been infecting more than 400,000 people daily in recent days.

Thermo Fisher with the help of United Airlines on Saturday sent the much-needed supplies to India to help expand the COVID-19 testing, the company said.

"We are humbled to be able to help our colleagues in India, & the population as a whole in their efforts to get the COVID19 surge under control, it said.

The supplies included 4.6 million viral transport medium tubes, that prevent specimen drying, maintains viral viability and retards the growth of microbial contaminants.

We are grateful for your support to India, said Mukesh Aghi, president of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum.

American Airlines said it has partnered with the Red Cross to help keep people safe from COVID-19, and help vulnerable communities around the world prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters and other humanitarian crises.

Amway has announced a contribution of USD 500,000 to a foundation led by the US Chamber of Commerce that will deliver critical assistance and medical supplies to India, including 1,000 ventilators and 25,000 oxygen concentrators.

Additionally, the David & Carol Van Andel Family Foundation provided a generous gift of USD 250,000 to further these efforts, according to a statement.

"India is on the hearts and minds of Amway's global family. To our colleagues and friends across India, know that we are committed to supporting you during these tough times, said Amway's CEO Milind Pant.

American India Foundation said that it has received a grant of USD 500,000 from Chubb Charitable Foundation for their commitment to bolstering India's health infrastructure, to face the onslaught of COVID-19 cases.

The money would be allocated to providing 100 portable hospital beds to health facilities across the country.

'As we watch with disbelief the COVID-19-related horror unfolding in India, we are committed to supporting those who are so tragically impacted by the pandemic," said Lori Dunstan, executive director of the Chubb Charitable Foundation.

"With new infections topping 400,000 per day, the crisis has overwhelmed the country's healthcare system. The grant from our foundation will add to the urgent efforts required to meet the immediate medical needs of those most affected," Dunstan said.

India saw a record 4,187 fatalities due to COVID-19 in a single day, taking the country's death toll to 2,38,270, while 4,01,078 new infections were reported in a day, pushing the tally to 2,18,92,676, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Saturday.

The US government, corporates, and the people of America are working together to provide COVID-19 relief to India.

More than 45 top American companies and its CEOs have joined the task force created by the US Chambers of Commerce and Business Roundtable in association with US-India Business Council and US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum.

Working in close coordination with the Indian government, the task force has so far announced to send 25,000 oxygen concentrators and 1,000 ventilators. US companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Deloitte, Walmart, Boeing and Mastercard among others announced major assistance to India.

So far, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has sent six planes carrying health supplies to India. The Biden administration has promised USD100 million aid to India. This number is expected to go up in coming weeks, as US President Joe Biden reviews it. In addition, there has been overwhelming support from the Indian-Americans.

(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.)
Celebrities can be great sources of advice. After all, many of them have risen to fame for a specific set of skills, and they have the resources and time to really practice to perfection. We can turn to them for tips on everything from skincare to fashion advice in order to reap the rewards of their dedication.

Sometimes, though, celebrity advice comes with a high price tag. Theyre used to having the most expensive products and tools available without having to consider whether its in the budget. Most of us wont be spending $200,000 a year on skin care products like Jennifer Aniston.

Thats why it was refreshing to hear The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond honestly exclaim that a kitchen tool was useless. Rather than try to get fans to buy yet another thing they dont need, Drummond was candid about making the most of what youve got.

Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond comes from Oklahoma roots

Ree Drummond | Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

RELATED: The Pioneer Woman: Ree Drummond and Her Husband Were Once Concerned Theyd Made a Huge Business Mistake: We Might Have Lost Our Mind

Born as Anne Marie Smith in 1969, Drummond grew up in Oklahoma before moving to LA to pursue college. She majored in gerontology and had her goals set in law school.

She even had the school picked out in Chicago before love pulled her back to her home state, according to Biography.com. She met her husband, and the course of her future shifted dramatically.

After they married, Drummond settled back in Oklahoma, which is where her husband was a fourth-generation cattle rancher. They went on to have four children together, and the Drummonds own an immense tract of land measuring more than 400,000 acres.

Ree Drummond became the The Pioneer Woman in 2006

RELATED: The Pioneer Woman: Are Any of Ree Drummonds Kids Following In Her Celebrity Chef Footsteps?

In 2006, Drummond began sharing her experiences as a pioneer woman living a ranchers life while homeschooling her children. She became an early success in the lifestyle blogger genre as fans flocked to her site to learn about the ins and outs of her life on the farm.

In 2010, her cooking became a real source of success when she beat Bobby Flay on the competition reality show Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. Her fame and reach has grown considerably over the years, and she has published multiple books  many of them cookbooks that focus on simple ingredients and accessibility for home chefs.

In 2011, she started hosting her own cooking show titled simply The Pioneer Woman, and her fame as a source of cooking inspiration grew even more.

Ree Drummond says this kitchen tool is unnecessary

Plenty of celebrity chefs have access to tools and kitchens that most home chefs could only dream of having. Thats why when Drummond called out a common kitchen tool for being completely useless, it was refreshing to hear. Whats this waste of space? A kitchen mallet.

As The Recipe reports, Drummond thinks that there are more versatile tools to put to the task of flattening and pounding. Her favorite alternative is simply an iron pan. With its heavy weight and convenient handle, giving meat a good thwack with the pan should serve the same purpose as a mallet  with even more surface area to work with!

Other alternatives include a rolling pin or even a can of soup. Theres no need to clutter up the kitchen with such a limited tool when most home cooks already have an alternative on hand.

The gadget that Drummond swears is worth its counter space, however, is a waffle maker. She even uses it to make pizza!
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 19:36:02|Editor: huaxia

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Few vehicles are seen on a road in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on May 8, 2021. In its efforts to curb the third wave of COVID-19, the Pakistani government has ramped up restriction across the country for the upcoming holidays of Eid al-Fitr festival, urging the public to stay at home to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

by Raheela Nazir

ISLAMABAD, May 8 (Xinhua) -- In its efforts to curb the third wave of COVID-19, the Pakistani government has ramped up restriction across the country for the upcoming holidays of Eid al-Fitr festival, urging the public to stay at home to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

According to the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) which oversees the country's response to the pandemic, all businesses, hotels, parks, recreational spots and shopping malls will remain closed from May 8 to 16, covering the Eid al-Fitr holidays from May 10 to 15 in Pakistan.

Besides, there will also be a complete ban on inter-provincial and inter-city public transport during May 8 and May 16. Monitoring teams at federal, provincial, and district levels will make sure the implementation of the restrictions.

However, essential services including petrol stations, bakeries and pharmacies will be exempted from the restrictions, said the NCOC.

Pakistan has seen record deaths and the highest number of critical cases in recent days. The country reported 4,109 new COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 854,240, the NCOC said on Saturday.

A total of 120 people died during the last 24 hours, raising the death toll to 18,797, according to the NCOC.

Considering the grim situation in the country, the Pakistani government has announced extended Eid al-Fitr holidays and guidelines to curb the rising COVID-19 cases, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said.

"We have seen the destruction of coronavirus in our neighboring country. In Pakistan, we have recently been witnessing a sharp rise in the number of cases ... and by following standard operating procedures, we will be able to protect ourselves from the virus," Hussain said in his special message to public recently.

"In the past, we used to meet our families, relatives and friends to share the happiness of the festival, but on this Eid, we will be staying at home to save ourselves and families," he said, adding that "Stay Home, Stay Safe" will be the motto on the Eid al-Fitr holidays this time.

In order to control a mass mobility of travelers, Pakistan has suspended inbound pedestrian movement through land border crossings with neighboring Iran and Afghanistan from May 5 to 20. Normally, during Eid al-Fitr, massive return of migrant workers and overseas Pakistanis for celebrations are witnessed.

The country also slashed inbound international flights by 80 percent from May 5 to 20 amid high disease prevalence in various parts of the world and the current disease situation in Pakistan with corresponding extreme stress on the critical care system.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign has also been expedited recently. On Tuesday, Pakistan's single-day administered COVID-19 vaccine doses surpassed 200,000 for the first time, said Asad Umar, the NCOC chairman, adding that over 5 million people have been registered for vaccination so far.

Calling the government's extended measures timely and effective, health and economic experts in the country believe that the government must go an extra mile to save lives and the national economy from the adverse impact of the pandemic.

In a conversation with Xinhua, Talha Hashmi, a physician at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi, said that the next few weeks will be crucial in the battle against COVID-19 as the third wave has been gaining strength in the country, resulting in an increase in the number of confirmed cases and deaths.

"Although the government has been taking all-out necessary measures in its capacity, but without public support, all efforts to stop the spread of the disease would prove futile," Hashmi said, adding that strictly following the government-set health guidelines will be in public interest and for their own benefit.

Besides mounting overwhelming pressure on the country's healthcare system, the new upward trend in cases could also pose serious challenges to the national economy, Humayun Iqbal Shami, chairman of the Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Economic Forum, said.

"If the situation gets out of control, the authorities would have no choice but to impose a complete lockdown in the country, which would directly affect ... lower strata of the society," the economist told Xinhua.

Shami said Pakistan had managed to get out of the economic crisis during the first and second waves of the coronavirus owing to timely and prudent policies adopted by the government, and the public has largely helped it by following COVID-19 related instructions. Enditem
COVID-19 Cases and Deaths are Down Among Blacks in Los Angeles County

The vaccination rate among Blacks lags others. Local coalition seeks to shift that paradigm.

The Los Angeles County Public Health Department reported 378 new Covid-19 cases among Blacks (down by 81). The County also recorded 10 deaths among Blacks since last Tuesday (down by eight souls).

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In Los Angeles County the total number of diagnosed Black cases are 45,333 with 1,838 deaths. Current Covid-19 cases and deaths among Blacks are at the levels experienced in the fall of 2020 before the surge. New cases are decreasing at a slower rate than experienced after the January 2021 peak.

Black Women Rally for Action  Los Angeles County, is a coalition of individuals and groups who provide a mechanism for Los Angeles County Black women to advocate on behalf of their health and well-being.

The coalition, which does not accept government grant funding, is dedicated to advancing health, economic, and social equity for all Los Angeles County Black women through direct action and connection to effective resources. In April 2020, the group launched a COVID-19 social media outreach campaign to prevent and reduce Covid-19 impact in the Black community.

Black Women Rally for Action will be working with partners to ensure that Blacks are not left behind when Covid-19 is no longer in the headlines. Blacks were left behind during the crack epidemic, HIV/AIDS epidemic, discrimination, racism and bias, the 1992 Los Angeles uprising, homelessness, unemployment, health outcomes, and mass incarceration.

According to the State of California, 5.3% of the residents in Los Angeles County receiving at least one dose of a vaccine was Black. The Los Angeles County Public Health Department reports that Blacks have the lowest vaccination rate among 16-year-olds and older who received at least one dose of a vaccination (30%).

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(chart of different ethnicities and their respective vaccination rates)

As the chart notes, African American vaccination ratesfrom teenagers to adultslag significantly compared to their White and Asian counterparts. Almost by half the amount. When it comes to the elderly, Blacks are doing better with regards to vaccinations, but the gap persists compared to other ethnicities.

Some of the steps being taken by Black Women Rally for Action is posting pertinent COVID-19 vaccine info on their Facebook newsfeed, and encouraging their viewers to get vaccinated.

Furthermore, their leaders make statements like the following to make it clear they wont stand for racial disparity: With all of the problems with the rollout of the County vaccine program, we are asking that the County release race/ethnicity, age, and gender vaccination rates, said Brenda Watson, co-chair of Black Women Rally for Action  Los Angeles County. In July 2020, the County Board of Supervisors established an antiracist and racial equity Los Angeles County Policy Agenda.

Racial equity in the vaccine program is the first test of their policy and we call on the Board of Supervisors to release current vaccination data, adds Watson.
EAG Laboratories is expanding its medical device testing capabilities with a new 20,000 square-foot laboratory located in St. Louis, Mo.

The new laboratory is a bespoke design to support the requirements of the medical device industry. It increases EAGs analytical capabilities, allows for improved turnaround times and helps meet evolving requirements from the FDA as well as the European Union Medical Device Regulations (MDR).

Specialty features of the laboratory include:

A cleanroom designed for particle isolation and identification

A dedicated medical device polymer analysis laboratory

State-of the-art instrumentation to support biocompatitility testing of ISO 10993-18 programs for medical devices and combination products

EAG scientists have been investigating and resolving product failures for more than half a century and have a deep understanding of materials and testing procedures. The medical device laboratory expansion allows EAG to leverage that knowledge and apply it toward supporting the growing and vitally important medical device industry.

The St. Louis laboratory is ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 17025 accredited; FDA-registered and DEA Licensed, and offers analytical support in terms of materials characterization, failure analysis, particle identification, contaminant identification, analyte quantitation, and ISO 10993-18 chemical characterization.

About EAG Laboratories

EAG Laboratories is the global leader in materials and engineering sciences and supports thousands of clients with 20+ locations throughout Europe, Asia, and the U.S. For more information visit eag.com. EAG Laboratories parent company, Eurofins Scientific, is a multi-billion global leader in scientific testing services with a portfolio of over 200,000 validated analytical methods.

About Eurofins  the global leader in bio-analysis

Eurofins is Testing for Life. With over 50,000 staff across a network of more than 800 laboratories in over 50 countries, Eurofins companies offer a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods.

Eurofins Shares are listed on Euronext Paris Stock Exchange.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210507005431/en/
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Partly to mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

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Partly to mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
Remnants of China's largest rocket launched last week are expected to plunge back through the atmosphere late Saturday or early Sunday, European and U.S. tracking centres said on Saturday.

China's foreign ministry said on Friday that most debris from the rocket will burn on re-entry and is highly unlikely to cause any harm, after the U.S. military said that what it called an uncontrolled re-entry was being tracked by U.S. Command. read more

EU Surveillance and Tracking (EU SST) said its latest prediction for the timing of the re-entry of the Long March 5B rocket body was 190 minutes either side of 0211 GMT on Sunday.

The Center for Orbital Reentry and Debris Studies (CORDS) at Aerospace Corporation, a U.S. federally funded space-focused research and development centre, updated its prediction for re-entry to four hours on either side of 0322 GMT on Sunday.

EU SST said on its website that the statistical probability of a ground impact in populated areas is "low", but noted that the uncontrolled nature of the object made any predictions uncertain.

The Long March 5B - comprising one core stage and four boosters - lifted off from China's Hainan island on April 29 with the unmanned Tianhe module, which contains what will become living quarters on a permanent Chinese station.

Long March 5 rockets have been integral to China's near-term space ambitions - from the delivery of modules and crew of its planned space station to launches of exploratory probes to the Moon and even Mars. read more

The Long March launched last week was the second deployment of the 5B variant since its maiden flight in May last year.

Harvard-based astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell previously told Reuters there is a chance that pieces of the rocket could come down over land, perhaps in a populated area, as in May 2020, when pieces from the first Long March 5B rained down on the Ivory Coast, damaging several buildings, though no injuries were reported.

Debris from Chinese rocket launches is not uncommon within In late April, authorities in the city of Shiyan, Hubei Province, issued a notice to people in the surrounding county to prepare for evacuation as parts were expected to land in the area.

"The Long March 5B reentry is unusual because during launch, the first stage of the rocket reached orbital velocity instead of falling down range as is common practice," the Aerospace Corporation said in a blog post.

"The empty rocket body is now in an elliptical orbit around Earth where it is being dragged toward an uncontrolled re-entry."

The empty core stage has been losing altitude since last week, but the speed of its orbital decay remains uncertain due to unpredictable atmospheric variables.

It is one of the largest pieces of space debris to return to Earth, with official specifications putting its dry mass at 18 tonnes.

The core stage of the first Long March 5B that returned to Earth last year weighed nearly 20 tonnes, surpassed only by debris from the Columbia space shuttle in 2003, the Soviet Union's Salyut 7 space station in 1991, and NASA's Skylab in 1979.
HOUSTON (AP)  George Floyds brother and nephew expressed gratitude Saturday after a federal grand jury indicted the four former Minneapolis police officers involved in his death.

The three-count indictment unsealed Friday put a smile on our faces and holds these guys to accountability, said Rodney Floyd, George Floyds brother.

Brandon Williams, George Floyd's nephew, said the indictment gives us hope.

No family should have to go through what we went through, he said.

The press conference was held at Texas Southern University in Houston, where George Floyd grew up. Floyds death sparked protests worldwide and calls to hold police accountable after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was captured on video kneeling on Floyds neck for more than nine minutes.

Chauvin was convicted last month on state charges of murder and manslaughter and is asking for a new trial. The other three are set for state trial on Aug. 23.

The federal indictment names Chauvin, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao, accusing them of willfully violating the Black mans constitutional rights as he was restrained face-down on the pavement and gasping for air. Chauvin was also charged in a second indictment, stemming from the use of force and neck restraint of a 14-year-old boy in 2017.

The Floyd familys attorneys have said the federal indictment sends a strong message about priorities under President Joe Biden's Justice Department.

The hope is that it will set a precedent that the Justice Department ... will look at these other injustices that these families never got their day in court, that were denied due process," attorney Ben Crump said.

___

Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd
The Nicaraguan government is creating a Ministry for Ultraterrestrial, Moon and other Celestial Bodies Affairs, a proposal first put forward by President Daniel Ortega in February.

Why it matters: The plan comes as the Central American country marks three years since a popular uprising against Ortega in April, which was violently quashed and has made thousands flee political prosecution.

The new ministry seems to be an attempt to attract funding through purported scientific and satellite development, Nicaraguan analysts say.

Ortegas regime is sanctioned by the U.S. for its repression of the mass protests.

The bigger picture: The Nicaraguan government faces a May deadline from the Organization of American States to implement electoral reforms.
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As India faces a second wave of COVID-19, PerkinElmer Inc., a global leader committed to innovating for a healthier world, will donate 1 million PerkinElmer COVID-19 Antigen Tests to the Government of India (GoI) to help accelerate testing capabilities across the country. With the support of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), PerkinElmer COVID-19 Antigen Test kits will be distributed to government hospitals and testing centers across 10 states of India.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210505006184/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

The second wave of COVID-19 in India has mobilized our teams around the world to help in whichever ways we can, said Deepak Tripathi, CEO of Tulip Diagnostics, a PerkinElmer company. Were working around the clock to assist employees and customers across India through this incredibly challenging time, with the hope that by providing vital goods and services needed to create a seamless testing network, we can help stop the spread of this terrible disease.

The PerkinElmer COVID-19 Antigen Test is a lateral flow immunoassay ideally suited for point-of-care (POC) and non-clinical settings. The CE marked assay may be used with nasal or nasopharyngeal swab specimens to screen or to aid in the diagnosis of both asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals, and it is capable of delivering a positive or negative result in as little as 15 minutes.

Since the Companys founding, PerkinElmer has been dedicated to making the world a better place to live, and today it is even more important that we continue this tradition, said Shripad Joshi, president of PerkinElmer India & South-Asia. Since the earliest days of the pandemic, we have focused on keeping employees safe and providing critical diagnostic supplies to over 1,000 organizations that needed them. The current crisis in India motivates us to extend beyond our own horizons and support our government to fasten up testing.

About PerkinElmer

PerkinElmer enables scientists, researchers and clinicians to address their most critical challenges across science and healthcare. With a mission focused on innovating for a healthier world, we deliver unique solutions to serve the diagnostics, life sciences, food and applied markets. We strategically partner with customers to enable earlier and more accurate insights supported by deep market knowledge and technical expertise. Our dedicated team of about 14,000 employees worldwide is passionate about helping customers work to create healthier families, improve the quality of life, and sustain the wellbeing and longevity of people globally. The Company reported revenue of approximately $3.8 billion in 2020, serves customers in 190 countries, and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Additional information is available through 1-877-PKI-NYSE, or at www.perkinelmer.com.

About USISPF (US-India Strategic Partnership Forum)

As the only independent not-for-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the U.S.-India partnership in Washington, D.C. and in New Delhi, USISPF is the trusted partner for businesses, non-profit organizations, the diaspora, and the governments of India and the United States. The organizations mission is to build, enable, advocate, facilitate, and guide partnerships between the two countries by providing a platform for all stakeholders to come together in new ways that will create meaningful opportunities with the power to change the lives of citizens in both countries.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210505006184/en/
Tourism Week Ends with Steamboat Book Donations

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - Mayor George Bray and Tourism Director Mary Hammond make a donation of Paducahs written history to the libraries of the American Queen Steamboat Company steamboats - American Queen, American Duchess and American Countess.Mayor Bray presented AQSC Founder and CEO John Waggoner with books including, The Story of Paducah by Fred Neuman, The National Quilt Museums Collection of The National Quilt Museum, Paducah Wall to Wall, From Paducah With Love by Bill Ford, Paducah Symphony Orchestras Paducah Counts, and others.The donation concluded local celebrations of National Travel and Tourism Week. Earlier, Waggoner participated in a webinar with the Paducah Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitors Bureau to discuss travel and tourism in the local community."The Story of Paducah" books were donated by the family of Malcolm Jones just weeks before his passing.With a passion to share the beauty, the stories and the wonder of the great Mississippi River with each and every guest, company founder John Waggoner invites those who may be curious to join him and his wife Claudette aboard one of two Founders Cruises this summer. Embark on a journey of friendship and discovery from their hometown in Louisville to St. Louis and "Come Home to America". The steamboats report 65% of their passengers are repeat guests.On the Net:
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German boat manufacturer Y-Yachts unveiled their first product to be delivered this spring, the Vegas Baby. This is the first from a series of 4 boats that are going to be delivered in the following months from the Greifswald shipyard, to their private owners.Vegas Baby is a custom version of the companys Y8 model - Y-Yachts establishment as a premium brand is linked to the Y8, which is one of their first products. The main thing that sets apart a Y8 yacht from other models on the market is the lightweight construction. Described as a luxury carbon yacht, this boat is around 30% lighter than conventional options made of GRP, which gives it better sailing power.Another characteristic of the Y8 is the modular design that allows the customization of the layout, according to the customers preferences. For example, they can choose to have 4 or less guest cabins and the front and rear living areas can be divided or not.Vegas Baby is 78.7 feet (24 meters) long and is powered by a 169Nanni T4.230 engine. Like all creations of the German brand, its designed for easy handling and a comfortable sailing experience. The helmsman can easily sail the yacht alone, because all trim controls and halyards are close to the steering area, which means that a smaller crew is sufficient.While the company has not revealed images of the interior of Vegas Baby, its safe to imagine that it looks similar to that of previous Y8 versions. Like all yachts in this range, it was designed by Lorenzo Argento Yacht Design and Sir David Chipperfield from Design Unlimited. The interior of all Y8 yachts matches the exterior in terms of refinement and attention to detail, with a clean and minimalistic design.Vegas Baby is now completing sea trials on the Baltic Sea, before being delivered to the owner.
A Florida woman who was arrested after an 111 mph police chase that led to a deadly crash has a history of trauma and alcohol abuse - and was on probation for another deadly wreck when she was a teen, it has been revealed.

Jennifer Carvajal, 24, was arrested on April 25 after a Highway Patrol trooper recorded the car she was allegedly driving tearing down the road at 111 mph on a highway near Tampa.

When the trooper tried to pull her over, Carvajal made a hard right turn that sent the Hyundai Elantra down an embankment before going airborne and hitting a concrete light pole and a palm tree. It then overturned in the parking lot of a car dealership.

Carvajal's cousin Pedro Carbajal, 22, was killed when he was ejected from the back seat of the car. Pedro's girlfriend Lexcia Gonzalez, 20, was also ejected from the back seat and broke both of her legs. A front seat passenger, 19-year-old Grady Ramirez, had 'incapacitating' injuries.

When asked by the trooper was was driving the car, Gonzalez pointed to Carvajal - who denied she was the driver, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The car was registered to Gonzalez.

Now, the outlet has revealed some of the tragic backstory of the woman detailing the abuse she suffered as a child and the other wrong turns she has made.

Jennifer Carvajal, 24, was arrested following the crash along a highway near Interstate 4 in Tampa, Florida on Sunday that killed one of her passengers

Carvajal, born in Tampa in 1997, was the second-oldest child in a family of five children and she has recalled, through court and police records obtained by the outlet, living with an alcoholic, drug-dealer dad and a mom who once left her children for a week.

Several men in her family started sexually abusing her when she was just 6 years old - which was not discovered until she was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease when she was 9 years old, according to court testimony.

Her own father was arrested when she was 11 for raping an older female relative and spent five years in prison before he was deported to Mexico, the Tampa Bay Times revealed.

When she was 12, Carvajal started smoking weed and was smoking and drinking regularly by 15 - and was hospitalized for two suicide attempts, according to court records obtained by the outlet.

She has been charged with reckless driving involving a serious injury, DUI involving a serious injury, DUI manslaughter, driving without a license and multiple counts of DUI property damage

Around 6.30am on February 5, 2014, Carvajal was speeding down Alexander Street at 55 mph in a gold Lincoln Navigator with her headlights off when she tore through a red light and plowed into a black Toyota Echo.

The Toyota was being driven by a newspaper deliveryman, 52-year-old Keith Allen Davis, and was smashed into a concrete divider.

Carvajal, who was then 16 years old, told a bystander that she had just received her learner's permit and didn't have insurance, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

'I am sorry, it was my fault,' Carvajal said as Davis lied on the ground bleeding and unconscious.

Davis was taken a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Cops found an empty can of Four Loko, a cheap malt liquor favored by young partygoers, with an empty beer can and an empty bottle of Patron tequila, the outlet reported. Her blood content was measured at .13 - above the legal limit of .08.

Carvajal pleaded no contest to charges of DUI manslaughter in an adult court and faced sentencing after she turned 18 years old.

During her trial, she begged for forgiveness and told the court she felt 'lost and broken' and that she drank to forget her past trauma instead instead of seeking help, the outlet reported.

'Now I have no choice but to face reality. Reality is that my actions caused a lot of people pain,' Carvajal said at the time, according to court records.

'If there was a way, I wouldn't hesitate to ask for God to take me instead.'

Valerie McClain, a forensic psychologist, testified before Judge Thomas Barber that Carvajal 'showed signs of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder,' the Tampa Bay Times reported.

McClain recommended that her sentence for Davis' death include a minimum of one year receiving substance abuse and mental health treatment.

Friends of Davis told the court that her hard life was 'still not an excuse' for her drunken driving and the resulting manslaughter.

'When you make a decision to drive with no driver's license  making a decision to drink and drive  those are adult decisions,' Toby Stogner, a friend of Davis, told the court.

Carvajal was clocked driving at 111 mph when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper started pursuing her and tried to overtake to pull her over

Dramatic dashcam video captured the moment Carvajal made a hard right turn that sent her Hyundai Elantra onto the road's shoulder and down an embankment before going airborne

The judge sentenced Carvajal to five years in prison with five years of probation, requiring her to enroll in a residential treatment program, according to the outlet.

'The bottom line to me ... is regardless of a person's life circumstances, you can't kill another person and not receive some punishment,' the judge said.

She was also ordered to pay $8,068 for funeral expenses to Davis' longtime girlfriend and was permanently banned from ever holding a driver's license. Records show that she never paid the restitution.

While in prison, Carvajal was disciplined multiple times for refusing to work, fighting, disrespecting officials and 'sex acts,' according to corrections records reviewed by the Tampa Bay Times.

Carvajal was released from prison in October 2019 and she snagged a job with a cleaning company before later working at a Dunkin' Donuts, the outlet reported.

As a part of her probation, Carvajal enrolled at residential substance-abuse treatment program in Tampa called DACCO, according to the outlet.

However, she received a warning from the program for 'appearing to be in a relationship with a peer' - which is a violation of the terms of her probation - on May 5, 2020. Carvajal fled the facility and was back in jail by May 21.

She appeared in court again in July before Judge Nick Nazaretian, who stressed to Carvajal how serious her crime when she was 16 had been.

'She killed somebody because she drank alcohol,' the judge said.

He added: 'If that was me, it would haunt me forever. And she needs to appreciate and make sure she does what she's supposed to do. Because the other hammer, which is going to be a lot more than five years, could drop in the future.'

Carvajal's public defender noted in that court appearance that Carvajal had completed a three-month treatment program while in prison, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

'I'm not big on lectures today, but this is so serious, what happened, you can't make it worse, okay?' the judge said.

'You've already spent five years of your life in prison. You don't want to spend another day there.'

The judge gave her a new five-year probation term with the same requirements forbidding her from using drugs and alcohol or driving - and again required that she complete substance-abuse treatment.

He also imposed a curfew that required Carvajal to be home between the hours of 10pm and 6am, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Carvajal completed her substance-abuse treatment on March 10 - just six weeks before the fatal accident that killed her cousin.

When a trooper interviewed Carvajal at the hospital, he noted that her speech was slurred and she smelled of alcohol.

During a medical test, her blood-alcohol content registered at .10 - just over the legal limit and the results of a second test remain pending.

She now faced up to 40 years in prison if convicted of all charges and is due back in court on Monday.

'This is the second person that has lost their life at the hands of this offender and her actions continue to display a disregard for the public at large that should be alarming to all parties,' state probation officer Trevor Bethea wrote in a probation violation report.
A special commission of Uzbekistan announced the introduction of temporary restrictions on flights to India and Turkey due to the coronavirus.

This measure was taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and new virus types.

Thus, from May 5 to June 1, 2021, flights from Istanbul to Fergana, Urgench and Samarkand were cancelled. Also, all charter flights to India and Turkey will be suspended from May 10 until the epidemiological situation stabilizes, Sputnik-Uzbekistan reports.
(CNN)  Srinivas B.V. barely sleeps at night. His phone rings 24 hours a day with cries of help from Indians begging for oxygen supplies, ventilators, hospital beds -- whatever he can provide.

"If we miss a call, we call back and ask what we can do," said Srinivas, who leads the youth wing of the opposition Indian National Congress party.

Earlier this week, Srinivas and his team rushed an oxygen cylinder to the New Delhi home of a woman whose father was suffering from Covid-19. Despite their best efforts, the man died later that night. Scared, alone and Covid-positive herself, the woman had nobody to help cremate her father's body -- so Srinivas's team arranged an ambulance and facilitated the cremation.

Srinivas' phone rang as he spoke to CNN. It was Alok Kumar, a college professor who was frantically searching for oxygen for his Covid-positive three-year-old son. The team rushes out the door again, an oxygen cylinder in the back of the car.

India's second wave has consumed the country. In the past 30 days alone, India has reported more than 8.3 million new cases, including 412,262 on Thursday, its highest ever daily surge.

Experts and patients say India's worst-hit cities feel like warzones. Hospitals are so full that patients share beds or lie on the floor. Many die before they see a doctor. Communities and volunteers have set up makeshift clinics -- rows of plastic chairs and mattresses under tarpaulins, where patients lie gasping for air in the sweltering heat.

To meet the surge in demand, Srinivas and his team are among 1,000 members of the youth wing working day and night around the country, including 100 in the capital New Delhi.

"(People) are not having access to oxygen, nor hospital beds," said Manu Jain, the national convenor of the youth wing. "No infrastructure is there. The government is nowhere. The system has completely collapsed, so people are on their own right now."

The Indian government issued a strong denial of any delay in distributing aid and medical supplies on Tuesday evening, saying nearly 4 million donated items, spanning 24 categories, have already been distributed to 38 health care facilities across the country.

The social media network

When India went under a strict months-long lockdown in March last year, the youth wing set up a war room in New Delhi, coordinating with other branches around the country to provide food and transportation to hundreds of stranded migrant workers.

That nationwide network of volunteers is now being used to respond to the second wave.

In their war room, members scour WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook for pleas for help. Social media users tag Srinivas and the youth wing, or use an "SOS" hashtag to get their attention.

The team receives up to 15,000 requests for help a day, said Jain. The team prioritizes the most urgent messages and checks supplies to match their needs.

It's impossible to find any oxygen or medicine in Delhi, so the youth wing contacts other states with lower caseloads and more resources. Volunteers in those states coordinate with local vendors to send supplies to Delhi.

The team receives several dozen cylinders a day from various states, which they rush to patients. But demand is so high that once the patient has stabilized -- typically in a few days -- the team retrieves the oxygen cylinder, and either takes it to the next patient or sends it back for refilling out-of-state.

The 100 youth wing members in Delhi also go from hospital to hospital to check for available beds, and coordinate directly with medical staff and district officials to admit patients. They prepare food to distribute in front of hospitals, and deliver medicine to people isolating at home. They also fly in volunteer plasma donors from other parts of the country, for families hoping plasma therapy can save their loved ones.

The team also often helps perform cremations, when the victim's family members are in other states or countries, or are battling infection themselves.

Their work brings critical relief to desperate families who feel they have run out of options.

Kumar, the father of the three-year-old boy, said his son's condition had deteriorated in the past week. As his fever rose, so did his need for oxygen.

"I found (Srinivas') number on the Internet," said Kumar, calling the team efforts "a service to mankind."

As he spoke to CNN, his son lay at home in bed, bundled under covers with an pulse oximeter clipped to his toe. He breathed shallowly through an oxygen mask, each inhale a quiet wet rattle.

'People are dying every second'

But the work takes a toll on the volunteers and organizers. For every person they respond to, there are hundreds more they cannot.

"Every day, I'm getting 2,000 requests for oxygen, and we are not able to fulfill them," said Jain. "We can't help everyone because people are dying every second."

Srinivas is haunted by the memory of one family that lost three members in one week. He had spoken to a patient waiting to be admitted to hospital, who died "due to lack of treatment at the right time." The patient's mother had died just two days previously, and his brother two days before that.

Srinivas said his mother, based in Karnataka state, calls him three times a day -- all of his family members are worried about how much he is going out and moving between infected households.

He and many others in India are frustrated with the central government, led by Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), for what they view as a slow and inadequate response to the second wave. Delhi has been plagued by severe oxygen shortages for weeks. Despite the government's measures, which include bringing in oxygen from other states via railway, Delhi authorities say it's still not enough.

Srinivas' team made national headlines last week, when the New Zealand High Commission in India tweeted a request for oxygen to the youth wing, using their SOS hashtag. Many pointed to the fact that a foreign body was appealing to a country's opposition party as evidence of the central government's inaction.

The tweet was later deleted, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade apologized to India for the post, saying it had been issued in error, according to CNN affiliate Radio New Zealand.

"The government was not ready" for the outbreak, said Srinivas, adding that central authorities "has not taken (coronavirus) seriously."

In response to the worsening crisis and rising criticism, the central government stepped up its emergency measures this week, installing "high capacity" medical oxygen plants in two New Delhi hospitals and approving plans to install 500 more in the next three months. On Wednesday, the country's regulators approved an antibody cocktail to treat Covid for emergency use.

The government has also faced criticism for an apparent delay in distributing foreign aid sent by dozens of countries, which began arriving in India last week. Health officials acknowledged it had taken seven days to draw up guidelines on how to allocate and distribute the aid, but said four million items had already been delivered to hospitals in various states.

But these measures -- foreign aid and oxygen plants in hospitals -- are of no help for people who can't even get a hospital bed, and die in ambulances or at home waiting to be admitted.

For the families of these patients, Srinivas' team and their volunteers are a last resort.

"I feel very sad to have seen too many deaths in front of my eyes," Srinivas said.

"I cry regularly at night, especially when you remember children who have lost both parents. What will their future be?"

This story was first published on CNN.com The volunteers answering Covid SOS calls from India's sick and dying
Holidaymakers arriving back at Heathrow could face queues of up to ten hours in part because Border Force, Heathrow and unions are embroiled in a row over sheets of Perspex.

The dispute centres on whether there are enough transparent plastic screens in place to help protect Border Force staff from the threat of coronavirus amid an expected surge in passenger numbers over the coming weeks.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has warned that travellers will face longer waiting times at airports as the aviation industry opens up again.

Holidaymakers arriving back at Heathrow could face queues of up to ten hours in part because Border Force, Heathrow and unions are embroiled in a row over sheets of Perspex

One union official claimed holidaymakers could be forced to queue for up to ten hours to clear immigration checks.

Immigration Services Union professional officer Lucy Moreton told The Mail on Sunday: Every [immigration] booth that can be manned will be manned, but we have to keep officers two metres from one another. At most airports, there are wraparound screens and all the booths can be manned.

But at some locations  and Heathrow is one of them  there are only screens to the front and not to the side, so we have to man every other desk. Its open to Heathrow to change that if they want.

She suggested airport chiefs were avoiding installing expensive screens at passport control stations in the hope that social-distancing rules would soon be scrapped, so the spending wouldnt be needed.

But a Heathrow source rubbished her claims, saying the problem lay with Border Force not providing enough staff, adding: Her comments are absolutely ridiculous and its not the case. It is down to the fact that ultimately there arent enough people to man the borders.

Weve spoken to Border Force staff, saying, Do you want wraparound Perspex screens around the booths? Border Force said, No, its not going to make a difference. So were not holding out for anything.

On Friday, Border Force director-general Paul Lincoln attributed longer queuing times to officers having to check all travellers coming through immigration. For the time being, passengers will need to accept an increase in the time taken at each stage of their journey, he said.

It takes a Border Force officer five to ten minutes to complete all necessary checks, which means that even for the most compliant passenger it might take 14 or 15 times longer to process.

Last night, the Home Office said: To protect public health, queues and wait times are expected to be longer as it is vital that thorough checks are undertaken at the border to prevent the importation of Covid-19. Border Force officers are making use of all desks and Perspex screens are in use so the maximum officers can carry out checks. It is inaccurate to claim otherwise.

The Mail on Sunday also understands that passengers could be forced to sit on planes on the tarmac if immigration halls become too busy  and they may be diverted to other UK airports or even European hubs, according to a source.

Industry expert Paul Charles, of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: This is an urgent matter for the Home Office. The last thing the UK needs is to restart travel on May 17 but have queues that bring shame on Britain.
Continuing with its efforts to augment human resources for the management of Covid-19 cases, the Central government on Friday issued an advisory for induction of trained human resources for clinical management of the virus infection.

The decision to deploy (ayurveda, yoga, unani, sidhant and homeopathy)professionals on the frontlines of the Covid war is in continuation of decisions taken a few days back to boost availability of medical personnel to fight the pandemic such as postponement of the NEET-PG Exam, giving priority to medical personnel completing 100 days of Covid duties in forthcoming regular government recruitments, and deployment of medical interns in covid management duties under the supervision of their faculty.

In a statement, the Ministry said that its doctors are institutionally qualified professionals, well-trained in various aspects of medical care.

"They have already proven their competence in various Covid management roles in different institutions across the country. Some of the institutions under the Ministry like the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi which functions as a Covid Care Centre, are efficiently managing Covid-19 cases at present," it said.

As per the statement, states and UTs have trained nearly 1.06 lakh Ayush professionals in different aspects of Covid management, and 28,473 professionals have been deployed for Covid-19 activities.

Training to Ayush professionals in different aspects of Covid management was also provided by the Ministry through the Integrated Government Online Training (iGOT) digital platform and 66,045 Ayush professionals completed it. The Ministry and the Health Ministry have jointly provided training to 33,000 Ayush master trainers.

"Thus, a large number of Ayush professionals have already been prepared through various efforts to take up frontline tasks in the fight against the pandemic. Details of about 8.32 lakhs of Ayush manpower have been compiled through the initiatives of the Ministry and provided on the Covid Warriors portal," the Ministry said.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Boeing has partnered with a Costa Rica-based maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider to create additional conversion capacity for the 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter over strong customer demand.



Boeing will open two 737-800BCF conversion lines with Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriales (Coopesa) in Alajuela, Costa Rica. The first of the new conversion lines is expected to open in early 2022, with the second anticipated later that year. Boeing forecasts 1,500 freighter conversions will be needed over the next 20 years to meet growing demand. Of those, 1,080 will be standard-body conversions, with nearly 30% of that demand coming from North America and Latin America.



Coopesa has demonstrated the technical expertise and commitment to quality and execution necessary to help us meet the growing customer demand for the 737-800BCF, including in the Americas, said Jens Steinhagen, director of Boeing freighter conversions. Boeing is pleased to have Coopesa join our team of MRO partners as we deliver our market-leading converted freighters to customers around the world.



We are honoured that Boeing has chosen Coopesa as a strategic partner to provide conversion services for the 737-800BCF, said Kenneth Waugh, CEO of Coopesa. We look forward to helping Boeing meet market demand with the technical quality and skilled workforce that has characterized Coopesa in its 58 years of operation.



Currently, Boeing converts 737-800 passenger airplanes to freighters at three locations: Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services (BSAS) in Shanghai, China; Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Limited (GAMECO) in Guangzhou, China; and Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. (STAECO) in Jinan, China.



To date, the 737-800BCF has won more than 180 orders and commitments from 15 customers on four continents. In March, Boeing re-delivered the 50th 737-800BCF since entering into service in 2018.  TradeArabia News Service










ATLANTA (AP)  Clark Atlanta University is set to hold a unique dual commencement ceremony honoring the classes of 2020 and 2021 and they are bringing out some heavy-hitting commencement speakers.

The ceremonies each will take place May 15 at Clark Atlanta University in southwest Atlanta, WXIA-TV reported. Stacey Abrams, the f ormer gubernatorial candidate and voting rights activist, will address the Class of 2020 during the 8 a.m. ceremony while attorney and political commentator Bakari Sellers will address the Class of 2021 at the 3 p.m. ceremony.

Clark Atlanta University President Dr. George T. French, Jr. said in a news release the school decided on the two ceremonies because it wanted to give the 2020 graduates the chance to walk across the stage since the coronavirus pandemic prevented that opportunity last year.

They have earned the right to experience that moment surrounded by their classmates, family, and friends, French said.

Abrams said she was honored to have been chosen to speak to the next generation of leaders.

I hope that my words serve as a source of encouragement for the graduates by reminding them of how they can use their education to uplift those who are often unseen and unheard and push our society forward, she said.

Sellers became the youngest African American elected official in the nation when in 2006 he won a seat in the South Carolina State Legislature at 22 years old. Sellers, who received a Bachelors of Arts from Morehouse College, recalled the pride and excitement he felt when he graduated from a historically Black institution.

I hope to share a sense of optimism with these remarkable students as we honor their great accomplishments and look ahead to their bright futures, he said.

French said Clark Atlanta University's goal is to prepare its students to be globally competitive and to be successful contributors and trailblazers in their respective fields of study.

Hearing from Ms. Abrams and Mr. Sellers -- two leaders who have already made a difference themselves -- is a fitting way to send our students off fully prepared to take on the world, he said.
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm this evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Low 72F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

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Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm this evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Low 72F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-08 04:02:39|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, May 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that he is confident that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin could be arranged in June, downplaying the impact of Russian-Ukrainian border tension to the summit.

"I'm confident we'll be able to do it. We don't have any specific time or place. That's being worked on," Biden told reporters in the White House when asked about meeting with Putin in June.

He also suggested Russia's military buildup along the border with Ukraine would not change his intention to meet with Putin.

"It does not impact my desire to have a one on one meeting ... He (Putin) had more troops (at the border) before. He has withdrawn troops. There are still troops amassed, but significantly less than he had a month ago."

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said later in a daily press briefing that the discussions between two sides over the summit's location, timing, and agenda are still underway.

She added the United States and Russia would continue to disagree over multiple issues while noting these disagreements would not need to be resolved before the summit.

Biden said earlier this week that he expected to meet with Putin during the upcoming trip to Europe in June, when he will attend the Group of Seven Summit in Britain and then the NATO Summit in Brussels, Belgium.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have been adversarial in recent years. The two were bitterly divided over Ukraine, human rights, cybersecurity issues, and they mutually accused the other of domestic political interference. Enditem
As foreign aid continues to pour in to assist India in its fight against coronavirus, the government on Friday said India received 2,060 oxygen concentrators, 30,000 vials of Remdesivir, 467 ventilators and three oxygen generation plants from US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands and Israel.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also informed that the Central government continues to allocate and deliver COVID-19 supplies received from the global community to states and UTs.

An official statement of the Union Health Ministry released on Saturday said that India has been receiving international donations and aid of COVID-19 relief medical supplies and equipment since April 27, 2021 from different countries and organisations.

''Cumulatively, 6608 Oxygen Concentrators, 3856 Oxygen Cylinders, 14 Oxygen Generation Plants, 4330 ventilators/Bi-PAP and about three lakh Remdesivir vials have been delivered/ dispatched, from April 27, 2021 to May 7, 2021,'' it said.

The ministry informed that around 100 oxygen concentrators were dispatched from Delhi to Assam on Saturday while a German Mobile Oxygen Production and Filling System, producing 360.0 litres of 93 percent oxygen for medical use, and having a reserve oxygen tank of 420 litres was transported to DRDO in the morning, for use in their health facilities. Ventilators received from the Netherlands are on way from Delhi to Telangana, it said.

No Need of Covid report in hospitals to get treatment: New Guidelines

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Kazakhstan is a regional leader on vaccinations, but thats not saying terribly much as vaccine rollouts across Asia have proceeded at slow paces relative to Western countries. Meanwhile, as The Diplomat writes, reports from Kazakhstan cite bureaucratic hurdles, hesitancy, and a lack of access to data about the countrys domestically-developed vaccine.

To date around 8.3 percent of the Kazakh population, or around 1.4 million people, have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. That figure has grown at a steep curve in recent weeks on the back of the availability of domestically produced doses of the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, in addition to imported doses.

Last week, Kazakhstan began administering doses of its domestically-developed vaccine, QazVac. But RFE/RLs Farangis Najibullah outlined today in an article, some are leery of the domestic vaccine because there is not much data publicly available about it. Kazakhstans state-backed Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems developed the vaccine and claim it has a 96 percent efficacy in phase two trials. Phase three trials for the vaccine arent expect to finish until July.

Lesbek Kutymbetov, one of the developers of QazVac, reportedly received the very first shot in its early trials. Per RFE/RL, Kutymbetov explained the lack of published information about the vaccine by saying the developers dont have timeto write articles. Without the published data from the first and second phases, external experts are wary, but anecdotes at vaccination sites from RFE/RL and Reuters suggest that individuals queuing for the vaccine dont necessarily care which they receive.

Kazakhstan is also set to use a Chinese-developed vaccine manufactured in the United Arab Emirates under the name Hayat-Vax, the first doses of which just arrived in the country. Hayat-Vax is same as the Sinopharm vaccine but manufactured by a joint venture between the Chinese company and G42, an Abu Dhabi technology company.

According to data compiled by Our World in Data, Kazakhstans vaccination rate (8.3 percent as of May 5) is on par with rates in Russia (8.7 percent) and India (9.4 percent), and higher than rates in more developed, wealthier Asian countries like South Korea (6.9 percent) and Japan (2.2 percent). Kazakhstan is also ahead of regional neighbors Kyrgyzstan (.41 percent as of April 28) and Uzbekistan (1.8 percent as of April 27). (Note: Our World in Data does not have official data from Tajikistan or Turkmenistan to compare).

There are myriad reasons for this. For example, availability of supplies is a serious issue impacting the pace of vaccination campaigns, especially in countries without domestic manufacturing capabilities. In addition, differences in government vaccination programs, particularly eligibility requirements and staffing and facility availability could hamper rollouts. Finally, hesitancy is also a factor contributing to slow vaccination rates.According to a recent Gallop poll, 68 percent of adults in the world would agree to be vaccinated if a vaccine were available to them, and free of cost. That leaves 32 percent who would choose not to be vaccinated. Gallop points out that the 68 percent figure falls short of the 70 to 90 percent experts estimate would be needed to achieve global herd immunity.

The polling results indicated that people in Eastern Europe and the states of the former Soviet Union were the most likely to be hesitant. When asked If a vaccine to prevent coronavirus was available right now at no cost, would you agree to be vaccinated? only 25 percent of Kazakhs surveyed responded yes and 61 percent said no. In Kyrgyzstan, people are almost evenly split per the survey results, with 41 percent saying they would take a vaccine, and 45 saying they would not. Hesitancy is less prominent in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In Tajikistan a majority, 64 percent, said yes and 28 percent said no. In Uzbekistan, 70 percent said they would take the vaccine, while less than quarter,
One of the biggest fuel pipeline operators in the United States shut down its entire network after a ransomware attack. The attack on Colonial Pipeline, which operates the biggest gasoline pipeline in the country, brought to center stage how critical infrastructure is facing increasing threats from hackers who are getting more sophisticated. Colonial, which carries almost half of the gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel for the East Coast and has a capacity of around 2.5 million barrels a day, has hired a cybersecurity firm to investigate what happened as it works to restore its operations. The company said it decided to take certain systems offline to contain the threat, which has temporarily halted all pipeline operations, and affected some of our IT systems.

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This was not a minor target, Amy Myers Jaffe, an energy expert, tells Politico. Colonial Pipeline is ultimately the jugular of the US pipeline system. Its the most significant, successful attack on energy infrastructure we know of in the United States. Were lucky if there are no consequences, but its a definite alarm bell. Colonial hasnt said how long its pipelines would be shut down. Depending on how long it lasts, the shutdown could lead to an increase in fuel prices. Experts say consumers will start seeing prices at the pump increase if the shutdown lasts more than three days.

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Government sources and cybersecurity experts say it seems that the Eastern European criminal gang DarkSide was to blame for the attack. Ransomware attacks usually involve hackers encrypting data and demanding a large payment to unlock it again. DarkSide in particular is known for following the double extortion playbook in which it not only encrypts the data but also threatens to release it to the public if the ransom isnt paid. DarkSide is also known for selectively avoiding targets in post-Soviet states, notes Reuters.

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The attack provides a key test for the White House and how President Joe Biden will choose to respond to cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. Some lawmakers have already said that it demonstrates how the United States isnt prepared to deal with these increasing threats. Theres obviously much still to learn about how this attack happened, but we can be sure of two things: This is a play that will be run again, and were not adequately prepared, Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska said in a statement. If Congress is serious about an infrastructure package, at front and center should be the hardening of these critical sectorsrather than progressive wishlists masquerading as infrastructure. Experts say these types of attacks are more common than what is publicly known.
Mark Mellett believes his title of Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces could be held by a woman in the next 10 years, and there's no doubt many of them are progressing quickly up the ranks.

However, there remains a lot of work to be done to ensure that a promise to have far higher percentages of women in uniform comes to fruition.

In 2015, the Defence White Paper set a target of having 15% of the Defence Forces made up of women within 10 years. Now, in 2021, that target is less than halfway there.

Figures released to The Irish Examiner show that on average women make up just 6.96% of their forces.

A further breakdown shows that there are 603 women in the Army (7.2% of that force), 39 or 5.19% in the Air Corps, and 68 in the Naval Service, which has the highest percentage at 7.34%.

The latter figure may raise a few eyebrows, as it is widely considered that the Naval Service is the least family-friendly of the three wings of the Defence Forces.

Indeed, women have excelled in it in the past year, which shows they can do the job as well, if not better, than men.

Roberta O'Brien was promoted to the rank of Commander, the first woman to ever hold such a lofty position. In 2008 she was appointed the first female captain of a navy ship, commanding LE Aisling.

Sub-Lieutenant Tahlia Britton became the first female member of the naval diving unit, successfully completing a course which is only surpassed for physical and mental endurance by that undertaken by those entering the elite Army Ranger Wing (ARW).

Meanwhile, Patricia O'Sullivan, from Ballydehob in West Cork, became the first woman in the navy to be promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer (CPO). She served twice on migrant rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea.

Vice Admiral Mellett pointed to the great achievements of these women in the Naval Service and also highlighted the role of Brigadier General Maureen O'Brien in the Army.

I would love to see more women in higher ranks (like her). She was in Syria with the UN force dealing with ISIS (Islamic State fighters), the proxy wars going on there and all in a culture which was anti-women, Vice Admiral Mellett said.

First woman promoted to general rank

Brigadier General Maureen O'Brien became the first woman promoted to general rank in the Defence Forces in 2019.

Brigadier General O'Brien returned home last month after an 18-month deployment as Acting Force Commander of the UN mission, UNDOF, in Syria.

On Sept 16, 2019 she became the first woman promoted to general rank in the Defence Forces.

A native of Galway and graduate of UCG, she was commissioned an officer in 1983, with her first posting to the 4th Infantry Battalion in Cork, returning to the Cadet School some years later as an instructor.

In the interim she's held many different positions while climbing up the ranks.

She broke her first 'ceiling' in 2011 when becoming the first woman to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.

During her career, Brig-Gen OBrien has amassed extensive overseas service including tours to Lebanon (UNIFIL), Western Sahara (MINURSO) and East Timor (UNTAET).

She also served with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Sarajevo.

Women are also slowly coming up the ranks of the Air Corps, but haven't, as yet, broken the glass ceilings as their sisters have in the other two services.

Meanwhile, a young woman who has just qualified from Army recruit training will join her father in the 1 Brigade Engineer Group.

Private Sarah O'Neill was among 45 recruits who recently 'passed out' at a ceremony in Collins Barracks, Cork.

Unfortunately due to Covid-19 restrictions families weren't allowed to attend. However, her father, Sergeant Robert O'Neill, was able to as he's stationed in the barracks.
A protester holding a gold-painted toilet brush at a rally against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, on January 31, 2021, in Central Moscow, Russia. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

Daria Komarova, a Russian journalist, faces the possibility of detention for covering "unsanctioned" protests, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

She documented protests where demonstrators called for the release of Putin critic Alexei Navalny.

Komarova covered the demonstrations while on assignment for an outlet funded by the US Congress.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

A Russian journalist is facing three trials and the possibility of fines or detention after covering protests in support of Alexei Navalny earlier this year.

Navalny, a strong critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence in a Russian prison for skipping parole meetings. His lawyer said he had missed the meetings because he was in Berlin undergoing treatment for nerve-agent poisoning. Navalny has accused Putin of ordering the poisoning.

Daria Komarova documented the pro-Navalny demonstrations while on assignment for Idel.Realii, a local affiliate of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which is congressionally funded.

The Russian government, however, claims Komarova participated in unsanctioned protests last year and in January of this year.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on Russian authorities to drop all charges against Komarova.

"Russian authorities continue unjustly prosecuting and legally harassing journalists for their coverage of protests, but the measures unsurprisingly have proved incapable of stopping the protests and opposition movements themselves," said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Gulnoza, according to the CPJ. "Russian authorities should drop all charges against RFE/RL journalist Daria Komarova and allow her and other members of the press to work freely and safely."

In prison, Navalny went on a 23-day hunger strike, demanding that officials provide him with access to medical treatment. His doctors warned that he could die any minute from lack of treatment.

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Navalny's detention has drawn the ire of prominent politicians, including President Joe Biden, and human rights organizations.

Biden denounced Navalny's treatment in prison, characterizing it as "totally inappropriate" and "unfair." In a more aggressive move, Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said last month that Russia will face sanctions if Navalny dies in state custody.

If convicted, Komarova might be forced to pay a fine of up to 50,000 rubles, or $651, for each protest she's charged with attending unlawfully. She might also be punished with 15 days of administrative detention for each protest, according to the CPJ.

"The rationale offered by Russian authorities for violating RFE/RL journalist Daria Komarova's right to report about local news events is both laughable and frightening," RFE/RL President Jamie Fly said in a statement published in Idel.Realii. "Journalism is not a crime."

Insider is covering Daria Komarova's case as part of The One Free Press Coalition, which raises awareness of the world's persecuted journalists.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Safely lifting visiting restrictions in maternity hospitals is not easy, the master at the Rotunda Hospital has said.

Professor Fergal Malone said while restrictions are terrible they protect pregnant women.

There is a renewed focus on visiting restrictions this week as HSE officials are writing to maternity hospitals seeking greater transparency. The HSE has advised partners can be present for anomaly scans, during labour and visit infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) but each hospital decides when this is safe.

HSE chief Paul Reid has said the "conditions are right" for restrictions to be lifted.

At the Rotunda, partners can attend anomaly scans, but not earlier scans.

Prof Malone said women are often worried their partner cannot attend the full labour. Some hospitals now only allow partners during active labour and birth.

He said: As a general rule this is not true here. When the patient is in a single occupancy room there is no limit, no arbitrary centimetre dilation before the partner can be there.

However, he said on occasion women started labour in multi-bed wards, and then visiting is restricted.

Limits continue on post-natal visits as most wards are Florence Nightingale-style with up to 12 beds.

He said: If you have unrestricted visiting, you now have possibly 20 to 24 adults in that room. You would have to think carefully about that, especially in the context of this B.117, which we know is much more transmissible.

Professor Fergal Malone (centre) said while restrictions are terrible they protect pregnant women.

The building was constructed in 1757, which places constraints on physical spacing.

He said their overarching concern is safety so post-natal visiting happens at otherwise quiet times.

Its not just about the wards, you are looking at the corridors and the general footfall. If this goes well, we will further develop the hours, he said.

Prof Malone said they do not offer PCR tests to partners as the two adults are usually in a bubble together and the partner is not a hospital patient.

He does not agree with calls to use antigen testing as they are not as reliable.

He said: The science shows they are potentially useful if done frequently at large volumes. A single test would not give you confidence, it would not be a good option.

He said many women do not feel comfortable on busy wards in the current climate, too. Staff are vaccinated but the women are not, he said.

The prime reason restrictions are in place is to protect women, he said.

Many pregnant women have been cocooning  the last thing they want to do is come into a room where they dont feel confident and safe.

The risk of Covid Placentitis - recently linked to still-births in Ireland - is a worry, he said.

It is a real issue, it is something women are concerned about. Thats another reason we have to be careful not to drop the ball, he said.

Pregnant women are now prioritised for vaccination due to these risks. He expects this programme to start in the next week or so. He estimates they are currently treating about 5,000 women in the 14 - 36 weeks gestation block that is recommended for vaccination. Each woman can request a conversation with their midwife or obstetrican about the vaccine before getting the shot.

The HSE said on Thursday they expect vaccinations for pregnant women to take place in mass vaccinations centres.
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Air Arabia Egypt has announced the introduction of a new service to the capital of Bahrain, Manama, with direct flights from Cairo commencing on May 6.

Air Arabia Egypt will fly three times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and the route will be operated using an Airbus 320.

Customers can now book their direct flights between Cairo and Manama by visiting Air Arabias website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.

Since the Covid-19 outbreak, Air Arabias customer journey has been upgraded to include all safety measures that are in line with the highest international measures. Air Arabias entire fleet is fitted with HEPA cabin air filters, which help to provide a safer and healthier environment for passengers. Customers are always requested to comply with the conditions and requirements of the countries of departure and destination. - TradeArabia News Service
They welcomed their first child into the world on Wednesday.

And Georgia Kousoulou and Tommy Mallet have since shared a peek into her son Brody's gorgeous nursery, sharing before and after photos of the room.

The former TOWIE star, 29, created an album on Instagram titled 'the baby's room', explaining: 'We didn't have to do much in here,' while panning the camera over the space, which featured bright blue carpets and white wardrobes built into the wall.

Gorgeous! Georgia Kousoulou and Tommy Mallet have shared a peek into her son Brody's gorgeous nursery, sharing before and after photos of the room

Later photos reveal that the TV personality had totally transformed the space, kitting it out with a plush off-white carpet, a magical hot air balloon light and high-tech, remote controlled blinds.

Documenting the room's modification on her home renovation-themed Instagram account Georgia K Home, the blonde beauty explained: '[All we had to do was] change the door, skirting, carpet, paint and wardrobe doors.'

The mother-of-one later shared a series of snaps of the updated space on both her personal Instagram and decor account.

Having painted the walls a neutral shade of off-white, Georgia has decorated one corner of Brody's room with a hot air balloon light, in which she'd sweetly placed a teddy bear, and also added a framed poster that read: 'Dream big little one.'

Brody also has his own little wardrobe, which is already full of baby grows.

Adorable: Having painted the walls a neutral shade of off-white, Georgia has decorated one corner of Brody's room with a hot air balloon light, in which she'd sweetly placed a teddy bear

Brody's room: Georgia has shared a peek into her son Brody's gorgeous nursery, sharing before and after photos of the room

Before: The star created an album on Instagram titled 'the baby's room', explaining: 'We didn't have to do much in here,' while panning the camera over bright blue carpets

Remote controlled blinds mean the little lad can sleep in total darkness, and his mum has also kitted the room out with a comfy mattress for herself to relax on during night feeds.

Georgia announced she had welcomed a baby boy with her boyfriend Tommy, 28, on Friday with a sweet Instagram post, and gushed it was the 'greatest experience of [her] life.'

Sharing a family snap, Georgia revealed the couple have named their son Brody Fordham and welcomed him into the world on Wednesday.

Incredible news: Georgia and Tommy welcomed their first child into the world on Wednesday

His very own wardrobe: Brody also has his own little wardrobe, which is already full of baby grows

Good night's sleep: Remote controlled blinds mean the little lad can sleep in total darkness and not be disturbed

The new mum penned: 'Introducing you .. Brody Fordham  05.05.21 weighing 8lb 9  We are so in love '

Georgia looked radiant as she cradled her little boy, who was wrapped in a soft white blanket, while laying in a hospital bed alongside her beaming beau.

Proud dad Tommy also shared the same image with his own followers, adding that Georgia and their newborn son are doing 'well'.

In a second snap uploaded shortly afterwards Georgia cuddled with her little one and wrote in the caption: 'Thank you for all your messages  I feel so blessed, the best experience of my life 

'@tommy_malletI didn't think I could love you more than I did already .. you are the best x'

Tommy took to Instagram on Friday and gushed over his newborn son as he declares his 'life is full'.

Little Brody sported a Burberry baby grow and slept peacefully while covered with a checked blanket covered with the letter B.

Clearly proud of his new baby boy, Tommy penned: 'Now my life is full! Welcome to the world young.'

Amazing: Georgia announced she had welcomed a baby boy with her boyfriend Tommy Mallet, 28, on Friday with a sweet Instagram post

Doting new mother Georgia replied to the comment, and said: 'The best thing that's ever happened to us.'

Georgia's 1.3million followers were quick to congratulate the couple, with many of their reality star pals also sending love.

Georgia and Tommy, who have been together since 2014, revealed they were expecting a baby in emotional scenes filmed for the TOWIE Christmas special.

Georgia admitted that 'no one knew' she was expecting and insisted she wanted to film genuine 'real-life' reactions to the news on TOWIE, adding that 'it just felt so right' given that she and Tommy met on the reality show.

Proud dad: Tommy took to Instagram on Friday and gushed over his newborn son as he declares his 'life is full'

In December, Georgia revealed the couple already know the gender of their baby after having a private Harmony blood test.

The reality star candidly chatted about her pregnancy in an Instagram Q&A where she said she was 'petrified' of giving birth and has never changed a nappy.

When asked if she knew the sex, Georgia said: 'We already know the gender, we did a private blood test.

Glowing: Georgia has been sharing regular updates throughout her first pregnancy (pictured at her baby shower in April)

'I'm going to do a reveal, probably the beginning of next year.'

Georgia and Tommy have also bagged their own ITVBe spin-off series that will give fans the chance to watch them as they become parents for the first time.

Georgia and Tommy will follow in the footsteps of former TOWIE cast members Ferne McCann, 30, who has show First Time Mum, and Sam, 29, and Billie Faiers, 30, who star with their young children in The Mummy Diaries.
Actor and martial artist Chuck Norris paid tribute to his mother for her 100th birthday this month and revealed how her faith transformed his life.

Norris wrote about his mother, Wilma Norris Knight, in an exclusive for WND.com, where he shared pivotal moments from her life.

Born into poverty in rural Wilson, Oklahoma, on May 4, 1921, Norris explained that his mother had a very difficult life. At 8 years of age, she became a ward of the state and lived in a childrens hospital where she suffered from a rare disease for two years. Once released, she returned home and looked after her family during the Great Depression, and picked cotton in fields.

At age 16, she married Norris father, who abandoned the family and left Wilma to raise her three boys alone.

Source:The Christian Post
The events of the last week have left me asking, why would any young person vote for Fine Gael or Fianna Fail?

The so-called defenders of the political centre-ground, who between them controlled this country for the past century, have all but abandoned the social contract with the people they are supposed to represent.

The three main elements of that contract  owning a house, a job, and a decent pension  are out of reach of many, if not most, young people and will remain out of reach for the foreseeable.

Last weeks scoop by Michael Brennan in the Business Post about an investment fund buying up a large housing estate in Maynooth set the political agenda for the week amid rather somewhat pathetic and unbelievable expressions of surprise from the Government benches.

Do they think we are stupid and not realise that, in the case of Fine Gael, the party been in power since 2011 and as the opposition said this week, cheer-led such foreign funds into the country?

Fianna Fail, now in charge of the housing portfolio under minister Darragh OBrien, is still paying the price for its previous foibles in the property market in the 2000s. Its facilitating Fine Gael between 2016 and 2020 is also a black mark against the party.

All week, the Government has come under intense criticism after it was claimed in the Dail that it enabled a housing "bloodsucker rampage", which has seen the majority of houses in some estates bought up by these deep-pocketed foreign investors who can easily gazump first-time buyers.

Parliamentary party angst

At the two parliamentary party meetings, considerable angst and concern was voiced over the potential damage done to their electoral prospects if a speedy and meaningful solution is not delivered.

At their meetings, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael TDs and senators blamed each other for the housing controversy, which has seen thousands of homes end up in the hands of vulture funds.

Fianna Fail TDs launched a stinging attack on Fine Gael over housing at its meeting; at a private Fine Gael meeting, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar moved to distance his party from the housing portfolio.

Members of Varadkar's own party warned him that Fine Gael will face "enormous political consequences" if they do not tackle vulture funds buying up housing estates.

John Lahart became very angry, according to a TD present, over the institutional investor funds and the lack of action on them, and said in his area young adults are returning in droves to their parents' houses.

Only for Covid theyd be marching on streets... and Id be with them, he said.

James O'Connor raised the issue of access to credit for younger buyers and builders.

Paschal Donohoe:Fianna Fail ministers have deliberately sought to tie the finance minister to the need to fix the issue around stopping vulture funds from swooping in and denying first-time buyers. FIle picture: Moya Nolan

O'Connor said Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe needs to do more to tackle this issue. He said the situation is out of control and that house prices are rocketing, according to auctioneers.

Varadkar told his TDs and senators that Fine Gael does not control the housing department, but that we as a party need to help minister Darragh O'Brien in resolving the problem.

Having spoken to several Fine Gael TDs, what is interesting is that while there was plenty of concern, there was little or no direct criticism of OBrien. There was considerable angst, however, at Donohoe's response to criticism.

He was said to have been overly defensive in his defence of the tax breaks introduced by his predecessor, Michael Noonan, and in the role these investment trusts have played.

There was nothing stopping him from coming out and saying such investment trusts were needed in 2012 and 2013 but have served their purpose and we are changing the rules. He was too defensive and colleagues were not very happy, said one senior party member.

All week, OBrien and other Fianna Fail ministers have deliberately sought to tie Donohoe to the need to fix the issue around stopping vulture funds from swooping in and denying first-time buyers.

OBrien noted that the Department of Finance has the power to affect real change on the issue by cutting back on the tax breaks currently offered to the funds. He said he needs the support of the finance minister to tackle the issue but insisted he is not writing anything off at this point. A clear attempt to share the load.

O'Brien a lightning rod?

Darragh O'Brien: Coalition does not want the housing minister to become a lightning rod for criticism. File picture: Moya Nolan

What has also been interesting has been recognition from across the Coalition to prevent OBrien from becoming, like Eoghan Murphy before him, a lightning rod for criticism from the opposition and the electorate.

Despite internal jokes that we have gone from Posh Boy to Del Boy in terms of who is running the department, there is a recognition that housing is the major issue that could sink this Government.

Although it is eight years since a housing emergency was declared in this country, progress remains painfully slow. And while 33,000-plus houses are needed each year, we will build just 15,000 this year and it could be 2025 before we hit that target.

What is also clear is that there has been a tendency in the Government to silo off housing to the one department, even though the main levers of change reside in the Department of Finance.

The Department of Finance are the primary problem and the primary solution to fixing the housing problem, one minister conceded to me.

Donohoe and OBrien are readying plans to fix the immediate issue of the vulture funds, but the size of the housing crisis is far, far greater.

On taking office last June, Taoiseach Micheal Martin made a virtue of his party taking control of the difficult departments of Health and Housing.

While most politicians feel the electorate has priced in the chaos in the health service, the same cannot be said about housing, which has the potency to do real damage.

Feeling priced out of the property ladder and woefully protected in the crazily inflated rental sector, young people are quite right to feel abandoned by the Government.

Opposition parties such as Sinn Fein, Labour, Social Democrats, and People Before Profit see housing as fertile hunting grounds for disaffected voters and it is no coincidence that most, if not all, are attracting younger voters compared to the stale, male, and pale parties of Government.

Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have set themselves up as bastions of centrist politics bulwarks to the kind of populist extremism which has emerged in the past 10 years.

They see themselves as defenders of the centre-ground but the truth is they have abandoned it and allowed it to be hallowed out.

Until they fix that, their feigned surprise at what happened in Maynooth last week will rightly ring hollow to the public.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have been in the headlines a lot lately, with the couple opening up more than ever before. Public interest in the pair is high, thanks primarily to their March interview with Oprah Winfrey.

They not only laid out some damaging accusations against the royal family, but also revealed a few interesting snippets about their new journey in California. As Meghan and Prince Harry prepare for the upcoming birth of their daughter, many royal fans are diving deep to learn more about the couples interview, and what they did that shocked even a veteran journalist like Winfrey.

When did Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys interview with Oprah Winfrey air on television?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Daniel Leal-Olivas  WPA Pool/Getty Images

RELATED: Meghan Markle Has a New Nickname and Shes Not Going to Like It

For weeks, viewers anticipated the interview between Harry, Meghan, and Oprah. Few details were released in the days leading up to the interview, which aired on March 7.

The interview came after a lengthy period of silence from the couple. The two had publicly departed their roles as senior members of the royal family in January 2020, moving to California amidst a swirl of rumors and speculation.

With constant tabloid crusades against her, many fans wondered exactly how Meghan would come across in her interview  and just how much she would be willing to reveal. As it turns out, very little was off the table, with Markle dropping some bombshells in what has been referred to as the most damaging interview about the royal family in decades.

Meghan Markle dropped some major bombshells during her interview with Oprah Winfrey

Meghan Markle 'was wrong to suggest Archie should have been given the title of Prince', her friend Omid Scobie says https://t.co/NiGW5phgct  Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) May 1, 2021

RELATED: Has Meghan Markle Ever Won a Golden Globe?

Meghan started off the interview with Oprah Winfrey admitting that she felt ill-prepared to join the royal family. She stated that she was not given training as to certain royal traditions or protocols, and in short order, she started to feel pressure from not only the British tabloids but from the royal family as well.

Furthermore, Meghan revealed that when her mental health started to suffer, the royals denied her pleas for help  leaving her and Harry with little choice but to step away for good.

Meghan and Harry also revealed that the royal family had concerns about the color of their sons skin, and that the family had certain private conversations with the Duke of Sussex prior to Archies birth. All in all, the interview left viewers wondering about how the royal family would respond  and how Oprah felt about being involved in such a historic moment.

What move did Meghan Markle and Prince Harry make that surprised Oprah Winfrey?

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry just took on a big engagement as private citizens.

https://t.co/r2kpKp1j1r  SheKnows (@SheKnows) April 27, 2021

RELATED: What Meghan Markles Relationship With the Queen Is Really Like

In a recent interview with TalkshopLive, Oprah revealed that she was just as shocked as everyone else by what Meghan and Harry chose to reveal to her. While Oprah did admit that she had connected with Meghan via text before the big interview to find out what her intention for the talk was, she ended up still being somewhat blindsided by the depth of the revelations.

Yeah, I was surprised, Winfrey told Nancy ODell. I was surprised at the amount of, you know, literally with that thing thats now become a meme, thats like, What? Im like, What? Youre going there? Youre going all the way there?'

The rest, as they say, is history  with the historic interview likely to remain a talking point for months and years to come.
An inmate was killed in an assault inside an Alabama prison one day before he was scheduled to be released, prison officials confirmed.

Ian Rettig, 23, died Tuesday after an apparent inmate-on-inmate assault, a spokeswoman for the Alabama Department of Corrections said in an email.

Rettig was scheduled to be released Wednesday, the prison system confirmed. Rettig was serving an 18-month sentence.

Violence within ADOC facilities is not tolerated, and the fatal actions taken against Rettig by another inmate are being thoroughly investigated by the Departments Law Enforcement Services Division, the prison system wrote in an email.

The prison system said the exact cause of death is pending an autopsy and more information will be available upon the conclusion of the investigation into Rettigs death.

The U.S. Department of Justice last year sued Alabama over conditions in the state prisons, saying the state is failing to protect male inmates from inmate-on-inmate violence and excessive force at the hands of prison staff.

The lawsuit alleges that conditions in the prison system  which the Justice Department called one of the most understaffed and violent in the country  are so poor that they violate the ban on cruel and unusual punishment and that state officials are deliberately indifferent to the problems. The lawsuit comes after the Justice Department twice released investigative reports that accused the state of violating prisoners rights.
New Delhi:

American Space agency NASA was gearing up for the launch of its latest rocket on Sunday morning, while a stray plane flew into the restricted airspace at Wallops Island to delay the plan.

"We have confirmed that the aircraft that aborted today's launch attempt was a small aircraft flying at about 500ft approximately 6 miles offshore." NASA's Twitter account for the Orbital ATK stated.

The unexpected incident prompted NASAs commercial shipper, Orbital ATK, to call off the liftoff though the Virginia-based company had reportedly attempted again to launch its unmanned Antares rocket with 7,400 pounds of cargo.

According to reports, the Cygnus capsule is carrying fresh fruit, vegetables and ice cream bars for the six station astronauts, plus mealworms and micro clover to ease the process of student experiment.

Though the launch was expected to be visible as far north as Boston and as far south as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, sunrise has made it hard to enjoy the breath-taking sight.

Also Read: SpaceX's latest rocket engine explodes during test in Texas

This was Orbital ATK's first mission from its home base in more than a year. The last time it made a space station delivery, it used another company's rocket flying from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

We were working no issues until an aircraft flew into restricted airspace. We are currently de-tanking and will be ready to go tomorrow morning  Orbital ATK (@OrbitalATK) November 11, 2017

The space station crew, meanwhile, took advantage of the lull to beam down thanks to US veterans and wish everyone a happy Veterans' Day.

(With PTI inputs)

Also Read: NASA releases SoundCloud playlist to make this Halloween extra spooky

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
MIAMI (AP)  A shooting at a South Florida shopping mall that was sparked by a fight between two groups of people sent panicked shoppers fleeing and left three persons injured Saturday afternoon, police and witnesses said.

Live aerial television news footage showed people scattering outside the Aventura Mall after the initial reports of gunfire. Law enforcement vehicles could be seen converging at the complex and blocking roads.

Aventura Police said two groups of people had begun fighting before it escalated to gunfire.

One individual in one of the groups produced a gun, and an individual in the other group also drew a gun and fired that weapon, said an Aventura police spokesman, Michael Bentolila, in briefing reporters on live television.

Police said the three wounded were taken to hospitals but their injuries were not life-threatening.

Aventura Police later tweeted that authorities had several suspects" in custody who were being questioned by detectives. Police had no immediate report on what touched off the incident and did not immediately release the identities of those in custody or injured.

After the shooting, mall patrons and employees were led out of the shopping complex and officials announced the mall would not reopen until Sunday.

Oscar Alvarado, a worker at the mall, said the complex was bustling with a strong Mother's Day weekend crowd when the chaos erupted. He said it wasn't the first shooting at the mall that hes experienced.

This time I do have to say I could hear the screams from so far away. I could clearly hear the people were really, really worried and concerned, he said. They were yelling `shooter, shooter.' 

Alvarado recorded video of two police officers moving down the mall walkway after the shooting with their guns drawn. And he described waiting for about an hour with coworkers before they could evacuate.

There was a lot of commotion outside, a lot of people crying and stressed," he said of the scene outdoors.

Videos shared on social media community forums show officers who appeared to be taking a man in custody outside the mall. Other footage showed shoppers running out of stores or seeking cover.

Luke Lockart, 22, said he was in Armani Exchange, checking out, when he heard screaming and things falling over because people were running into the store and knocking over mannequins.

They were trying to hide anywhere they could because no one knew what was going on, said Lockart, who works in real estate.

The staff at the store eventually locked the doors and asked people to go into a back room, he said. Police and first responders were running through a nearby hallway within minutes. They were on top of it, Lockart said.

He followed updates on social media, saying it was a very uneasy feeling as he spent more than an hour in the store before police escorted everyone out.

Aventura City Manager Ron Wasson told The Miami Herald that authorities were sweeping the complex afterward in case someone dropped a firearm.

They just want to make sure if someone might have dumped a weapon, we dont miss it, he told the newspaper.

Aventura Mall bills itself on its online site as a premier shopping destination in the Miami area and South Florida.

In May 2020, two people were wounded and taken to a hospital after an argument led to a shooting inside the same mall. Police said that shooting also followed an argument.

___

Associated Press writer Thalia Beaty in New York contributed to this report.
The contours of a debate in Washington County will be familiar to most.

On one side is a group pushing to retire the Indians name and mascot used by the Cambridge Central School District. The name, they say, is not just inappropriate but offensive.

On the other side is a group defending what it sees as tradition in a community where a depiction of a Native American man is part of the districts logo and ubiquitous on school grounds. The name, some say, is about honoring a people and a culture.

Native Americans are real people, not props or abstractions. Their imagery is not for a school district composed almost entirely of non-Native residents to use or caricature. Doing so diminishes and insults a culture, no matter the intent. It is a display of arrogance, not honor.

There is no comparison, then, to ethnically based mascots of self-identity and pride, such as the Fighting Irish of the University of Notre Dame. Such names are elevated from within, not chosen  or stolen  from without.

And please dont describe the push for change as an example of modern-day cancel culture.
Edgard Kagan, a senior director on the National Security Council of the White House, speaks during an online forum, "The Quad and Korea," held by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, Friday. Captured from live streaming



By Nam Hyun-woo



Edgard Kagan, a senior director on the National Security Council of the White House, said the U.S.-created Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is neither a "security alliance," nor an "Asian NATO," defying the wide held view here that it is a platform designed to contain China.



Kagan made the remarks in an online forum, "The Quad and Korea," hosted by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, which was founded in 2018 in commemoration of the late SK Group Chairman Chey Jong-hyon.



During a keynote speech, Kagan said the Quad was an "open architecture to encourage others to participate and work together to solve real problems, threats and challenges," rather than being a formal organization having a governing function.



"The Quad is a valuable framework addressing common concerns. What it's not is a security alliance, Asian NATO or a formal institution," he said.



First formed in 2007 and revived in 2017, the Quad is an informal forum comprised of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. It is "believed" by some Asian watchers to be designed to counter China, due largely to the members' joint statement that the Quad pursues "a free and open Indo-Pacific" and "rules-based order in the East and South China Seas."



While it is gaining greater attention regarding its expansion amid the Joe Biden administration's strategy to contain China, Korea has not made a decision on whether to join, largely believed to be driven by Beijing being Seoul's largest trading partner.



Despite these views, Kagan said the Quad was focusing on "common challenges," such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and technology.



To the question of whether or not those issues could be dealt with efficiently without China's participation in the Quad, Kagan said it is very clear that "we need to cooperate with other countries and there's opportunities to work together" even though which countries participate is up to the existing four countries in the Quad.



Though he stressed that while the Quad is an open architecture, Kagan expressed a negative view on China's participation because the Quad is made up of countries supporting the idea of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" that is "free of economic retaliation."



"It's hard to imagine that countries participating in Quad activities didn't sign on to the idea of a free and open Indo-Pacific, free of coercion, free of intimidation, free of economic retaliation or threats," he said. "For now, obviously universal countries that share and demonstrate those values is finite and that's where any initial expansion and cooperation will come from."



Korea has suffered from retaliatory measures imposed by Beijing after Seoul agreed to the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system on Korean soil. As China's actions dealt a heavy blow to Korea's economic growth, the government remains reluctant to make any decision on joining the Quad for fear of further retaliation.



Joseph Yun, a former U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, also said during the forum that "Korea's position is very well understood among U.S. policy makers, and as such nobody has invited Korea to join the Quad."



"This is not about choosing between the U.S. and China. And Korea has made that choice already," Yun said, citing the fact that U.S. troops are stationed in Korea. "Korea should look at this broadly as an opportunity, and there could be other benefits and positive aspects to it."



The Quad issue will remain a conundrum for the Moon Jae-in administration with the president having a summit with Biden in Washington, May 21. Cheong Wa Dae is not revealing what will be discussed at their meeting with one senior official saying, "It is not true that the Quad issue is on the agenda."




The Korle Bu Police are investigating a case involving the contamination of a medical doctor's drinking water with HIV-infected blood.



The act is suspected to have been carried out by another doctor following a disagreement between the two.



Both doctors (names withheld) work at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).



Disagreement



Checks by Graphic Online at the Korle Bu District Police Command indicated that at about 11.30a.m. on May 6, 2021, a medical doctor, accompanied by the lawyer of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Mr Kwame Gyamfi, filed a complaint at the charge office of the police station regarding an attempt to poison the doctor's drinking water.



The medical doctor told the police that he was on a 24-hour duty with six other doctors at the Labour Ward One of the hospital.



At the end of the 24-hour shift, the medical doctor allegedly returned to his consulting room and detected that his drinking water which he kept in a water bottle in the room was contaminated.



Suspicion



The doctor suspected that his water had been contaminated after he found a reddish substance which appeared like blood in the water.



Based on the doctor's suspicion, the water in the bottle was clinically tested and it was found that the substance was blood.



HIV test



When the blood was later tested, it came out positive for HIV.



The medical doctor told the police that he suspected one of his colleagues and gave his name to the police.



He claimed that the two of them had some disagreement while they were on duty at the labour ward.



Confirmation



When the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mrs Effia Tenge, was contacted by Graphic Online, she confirmed that the Korle Bu Police had received such information and that it was under investigation.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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MECOSTA, OSCEOLA COUNTIES  The Mecosta County Development Corporation is considering its options for reorganization following the announced retirement of director Jim Sandy.

The whole thing was prompted by the fact that I announced my retirement, Sandy said. We prepared a job description and an ad, but then a couple of board members said this would be a good time to do an analysis of the organization from top to bottom and decide what they want it to look like going forward.

Currently, the MCDC contracts with a number of agencies including the county, the city of Big Rapids, Ferris State University, and Big Rapids Township, along with some smaller townships and private sector businesses, Sandy explained.

It is a contractual agreement, and there are certain things they ask us to do, Sandy said. We filed inquiries from business developers about taxes, regulations and zoning. We work with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to bring business to the area.

During a meeting this week, county administrator Paul Bullock told the board of commissioners that the MCDC has been looking at several options for continuing operations.

One option is to continue as they have been doing and hire a new director. Another is to contract with MichiganWorks! West Central, who provides workforce development and contracts with some agencies for economic development.

Other ideas brought forward include collaborating with The Right Place, Inc., and economic alliance organization or the Middle Michigan Development Corporation.

Another option is to establish a collaborative with Osceola County.

The option that we are pursuing at this point is for Mecosta County and Osceola County to cooperatively try to fill the vacancy with someone who can work for both counties, Bullock said. We are going to tailor it so that the resources we have available will allow us to do it even if Osceola County doesnt join.

When Osceola County community development director Dan Massy announced his retirement plans earlier this year, the board of commissioners began discussions on possible changes to their organization, as well.

As community development director, Massy was responsible for economic development and grant administration. The board is considering separating the two positions so that they have a dedicated grant writer and administrator.

Osceola County coordinator Susan Vander Pol told the board that they were looking at possible options, learning more about collaborations with other organizations such as The Right Place, Inc., as well as a collaboration with the Mecosta County Development Corporation.

During a meeting last week, board chairperson Mark Gregory told the board that the he had been in discussions with Mecosta County officials about how Osceola County could be a part of their organization going forward.

(Mecosta County officials) are going to look for a person to replace Mr. Sandy, and the notification will include Osceola County, so that if the collaboration were to move forward, we would be included, Gregory said. We are not obligated to anything at this point, they just wanted to include us in the announcement so that applicants would be aware that this could be part of the job.

Being that we have not had any response from our announcement, the best thing to do is to hold off for now and see where we end up with the MCDC, he added.

Sandy said he has prepared a job description and an announcement for the position for the board to consider at their next meeting, which includes the collaboration with Osceola County.

Right now, what we hope is that we can find someone that will be dedicated to our county and to Osceola County, Bullock said. I think sharing some duties between the two counties works on many levels, since we do share employees and employers back and forth.

The number one goal that the MCDC has as an organization, Sandy said, is to grow organically  to work with local businesses on growth and retention.

That is where our growth takes place, with the businesses that are here, Sandy said. Keeping them as part of the community, working with retention and growth from within, that is the big challenge.